.5 user guide
Table of Contents Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Chapter 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Welcome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Synchronization. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Torq Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Automatic Tempo and Phase Detection. .
Table of Contents Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Built-In Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Browser/Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Delay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Browser Pane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Miscellaneous Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 Skin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 Tooltips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 Search iTunes Library with Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 Search iPod with Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 Transport Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 Reset Speed on New Track . . . . . . . .
4 WELCOME Congratulations on your purchase of a Torq-based performance system, one of the finest DJ tools available today. Each qualified M-Audio hardware product works with Torq in a unique fashion, and those methods are outlined in each of their user manuals. This manual will outline the use of the Torq application itself, and we recommend that you read this manual first in order to familiarize yourself with the architecture of Torq.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter 1 Decks DJing begins with music, so you will get to know Torq’s Decks very well. A Deck is what Torq uses to play back a single digital music file and is analogous to the turntable or CD player used by DJs. The Deck allows you to play a track, change its speed and its key, as well as rearrange it by looping and jumping to new locations within the song. Torq is equipped with two of these Decks—one on each side of the screen.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter 1 Mixer It’s all in the mix, or so they say, and Torq’s Mixer delivers the goods. The Mixer takes the audio from the two Decks and gives you control over what can be heard by means of volume controls, audio equalizers, and a crossfader. Two Decks and a Mixer: the essential tools for a DJ. PFL/Headphone Cue DJs commonly listen to a track on their headphones without letting their audience hear it.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter 1 Effect Racks Effects are a great way for you to manipulate (or mangle) your music in unique ways to enhance your mix. Torq has a collection of built-in effects that are specifically designed for DJ use: Tempo-synced delays and strobes. Shimmering phasers and flangers. Glitchy repeats and distortions. Ten effects are ready to go and full of creative potential.
8 SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS Windows XP Minimum System Requirements 1 Recommended System Specifications OS: Windows XP (SP3) OS: Windows XP (SP3) CPU: Pentium IV 1.4 GHz CPU: Pentium IV 2.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter Chapter 21 INSTALLATION ✓ Note: The following directions are for installing the Torq software onto your computer. Torq will not run, however, unless an appropriate M-Audio hardware device (such as the Conectiv interface) is installed and plugged in to your computer. Please follow the installation instructions provided with your hardware device before launching Torq. Windows XP and Vista 1. Place the Torq disc in your CD/DVD drive. 2.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter Chapter 21 AUTHORIZATION 1. Launch Torq. You will be presented with a dialog box asking for your serial number. 2. Your serial number is on a printed card (included in boxed versions of Torq) or was sent to you electronically (for online upgrades). If you have not purchased a serial number, click the “Buy” button and Torq will point your default web browser to the M-Audio Webstore. 3. Type your serial number into the dialog box and click OK. 4.
11 DECKS When DJing, everything begins with the Decks. The Decks will play the music that you’ll mix and effect using all the tools in Torq. Traditionally, a DJ’s decks will be turntables or CD players. Therefore, the Decks in Torq have been designed to emulate both turntables and CD players, as well as offering a special hybrid mode only possible with software. Displays CHAPTER 3 1 Each Deck has various informational displays throughout the interface.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter Chapter 31 Time Remain This field indicates how much time is left before the song ends. At the beginning of the song, the Time Remaining will be the same as the entire length of the song. When the Deck is playing, the Time Remaining will count down. ✓ Note: The Overview and Scrolling Waveform displays will begin to flash red when there is less than 30 seconds remaining in the song.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter Chapter 31 Cue The Cue button will establish a primary Cue Point within a song. A Cue Point is a reference position within the track that you can jump to instantly, rather than having to seek through the track to find it. Typically, a DJ will set the Cue Point where the beat begins in a song. It is visible (in orange) within the Waveform Display. The Cue button abides by the following rules: 1.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter Chapter 31 Deck Mode In order for Torq to feel familiar to all types of DJs, the Decks can be operated in one of three different modes. < Vinyl Mode Vinyl Mode will make the Deck behave as if it was a turntable. This means: 1. Pressing Play/Pause to pause playback will cause audio to stop, just like pressing stop on a turntable. 2. Clicking and dragging on the Scrolling Waveform will have audible results, like scratching a record.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter Chapter 31 Looping Technology is always evolving, thus DJing is always evolving. With the introduction of DJ CD players, DJs gained many new exciting capabilities that were unavailable to them when working within the confines of vinyl records. One of those features is looping, which is merely the act of repeating a section of a song. The creative aspect of DJing suggests that a simple trick such as looping can be exploited in a variety of ways.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter Chapter 31 < QuickLoop More often than not, a DJ will loop audio that is an even number of beats or bars. That is, they will loop a single bar (four beats) or two bars (eight beats), or may do micro-loops of only one or two beats. Instead of having to quickly press the Loop In and Loop Out buttons to create loops of these lengths, Torq provides one-button access to these loops via the QuickLoop buttons.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter Chapter 31 Speed Slider Torq’s Decks are each equipped with a Speed Adjust slider for the purpose of beat-matching songs. This slider behaves just like the pitch adjusters found on DJ turntables and CD players. As you move this slider, the neighboring ADJ display will show how much the song’s speed is being altered (expressed as a percent where 0% is the original speed of the song) and the BPM display will change to show the new tempo of the song.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter Chapter 31 < BPM Display Tempo is a measurement of the speed of a song and is normally expressed as Beats Per Minute (BPM). As the BPM increases, the speed of the song increases. In order for two songs to be mixed together with their beats aligned, the two songs will need to be playing at the same tempo. This is why Torq’s Decks are equipped with Speed Sliders.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter Chapter 31 » Manual Tempo Adjustment As mentioned above, Torq can determine the tempo of most dance music. Some music, however, is too complex or not repetitive enough for Torq to detect the tempo with precision. Fortunately, you can help Torq to determine the proper tempo through a number of different methods. The appropriate method will be based on the type of tempo correction you’re trying to achieve.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter Chapter 31 Key The Key Adjust is used to raise or lower the key (pitch) of a song without changing the tempo. This is useful when attempting to match the melodies of songs in both Decks during a mix, known as key-matching. You can adjust the key of a song with the Key Adjust buttons or by dragging the up or down on the Key Display. < Fine Tuning 1. Click and hold the mouse cursor over the Key Display number. 2. Drag the mouse up or down.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter Chapter 31 < MIDI Keyboard Control 1. Make sure that your MIDI keyboard or control surface has been properly installed and is configured to work with Torq. Please see chapter 6 for more information about configuring your external MIDI hardware to control Torq. 2. Right-click (CTRL-click, Mac) on the Key Display. It will turn red indicating that it’s waiting for an assignment. 3. Press a key on your MIDI keyboard.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter Chapter 31 Nudge Buttons If you’re not taking advantage of Torq’s ability to keep tracks aligned using Sync, you can do it manually using the Nudge buttons. If you hear a song become ahead or behind the other, the Nudge buttons will allow you to push the song back into alignment by creating a small change to the playback speed of the song. If the song is ahead of the beat, press the right Nudge button to slow it down.
23 WAVEFORM DISPLAY One of the most prominent features of the Torq user interface is the Scrolling Waveform Display, which takes up a decent amount of real estate above the Mixer and Effect Racks. Unlike the smaller Overview Waveforms found in each Deck, the Scrolling Waveforms only show a few seconds of the current song before and after the current play position. The song in Deck A (on the left) is shown at the top of the Scrolling Waveform display.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter Chapter 41 Zoom At times, you may find yourself wanting to “zoom in” to the Scrolling Waveform Display to match beats more precisely or to “zoom out” in order to see more of each track. Use the magnifying glass icons directly above the display to do this. The magnifying glass button on the left zooms out while the button on the right zooms in.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter Chapter 41 Tempo Anchors In addition to its automatic BPM detection features, Torq provides you with another alternative for BPM matching that becomes an indispensable tool when working with songs that include tempo changes or fluctuations (Torq’s automatic beat detection is designed to work with songs that have a constant tempo).
Torq 1.5 User Guide 9. Chapter Chapter 41 Click the Anchor icon again to exit Anchor Edit mode. The Scrolling Waveforms will revert to their original color. 10. Now, when you play the song, it will play with a constant tempo (the tempo variations will be removed) Some will say that editing Tempo Anchors is more of an art than a science. Indeed, there are other techniques that can be used other than the steps listed above which will give the same results.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter Chapter 41 Playback Manipulations The Waveform Display allows you to manipulate the song playback in a variety of ways using your mouse. The method of control differs depending on the control type you have selected for the Deck (Vinyl/CDJ/Hybrid). Vinyl Mode With this mode selected, using the mouse on the waveform will work in a similar fashion to using your hand on a turntable. 1. Click and hold the mouse on the waveform.
28 SYNCHRONIZATION At most of today’s dance clubs and events, the DJ will mix the songs together using a technique called beat-matching. The goal is to fade the volumes between two songs while keeping them perfectly in beat with one another. If done properly, the audience will never have to stop dancing as the beat of one song will blend in with the beat of the new song—sounding like one single song.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter 5 1 When a mis-alignment occurs (as seen above), you’ll see that the grid does not line up with the beginnings of the beats (transients) in the waveform. In the example, the Phase Grid is too early, leaving a gap between the grid lines and the transients in the waveform. There are a number of ways to fix a mis-aligned Phase Grid.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter 5 1 Sync Button The Sync button is an automatic method of synchronizing the beat and BPM of one Deck to another. When you engage Sync on a Deck (the Sync icon is on), it will change that Deck’s tempo to match the other Deck. Furthermore, when you press Play, Torq will align the song to the phase of the other Deck. Essentially, the synced Deck will be “slaved” to the other Deck (which would be the “master”).
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter 5 1 Global Tempo LEDs To the left of the Global Tempo display is a horizontal arrangement of 4 lights. These will light in succession (creating a “chase” pattern) that will indicate the Global Tempo’s position within a bar. These lights will only chase when Global Tempo is activated. Global Tempo Metronome If you click the Headphone button next to the Global Tempo LEDs, you will hear a metronome sound in your headphones.
32 EXTERNAL CONTROL CHAPTER One of Torq’s greatest features is the ability to use external sources to control the playback of your song files. In particular, you can use the Torq Control Vinyl or Torq Control CDs to provide the familiar tactile sensation of DJing with traditional turntables and/or CD decks. Torq also allows you to use external MIDI hardware to control nearly any feature within the application.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter 6 1 3. Open Torq’s Preferences and select the Audio tab. 4. Make sure your audio interface is selected in the “Audio Interfaces” drop-down menu. 5. Click the Control Input A drop-down menu and choose “input 1 -- input 2”. 6. Click the Control Input B drop-down menu and choose “input 3 -- input 4”. 7. Now click the “External Control” tab.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter 6 1 8. The first option enables External Control. Click the drop-down menu and select “Yes”. 9. The next step requires you to select the type of control signals you’ll be using for each Deck. If you’ll be using the Torq Control Vinyl records, select “Torq Vinyl” for the Control Type. If you’ll be using the Torq Control CDs, select “Torq CD” for the Control Type.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter 6 1 < Reversed Playback Direction If you find that Torq seems to be responding backwards to the Control Vinyls or CDs, take a look at the Velocity display. If the number shown is negative while the control source is playing forward, it could mean that the audio cables connecting the turntable or CD player to your interface are backwards. Swap the left and right plugs on the back of the audio interface and the problem should be fixed.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter 6 1 Error Index If you’ve checked your audio cable connections and have also replaced your turntable’s needles yet still experience problems, take a look at the Error Index displays. These displays will be showing a number typically between 0.15 and 1.50, which is perfectly normal. If the number is above 2.0, it will turn red, indicating that there is too much noise in the audio signal for Torq to properly track position and velocity.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter 6 1 AMPutate Mode While exploring the depths of Torq, you will repeatedly run into scenarios that would not be possible with traditional DJ hardware—techniques that can only be achieved through the flexible power of computer technology. Torq’s AMPutate mode is a perfect example of this—it allows you to DJ using only one turntable or CD player.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter 6 1 BPM Matching So how does one go about doing a DJ set with only one turntable? It is a little different than doing it in Standard mode, primarily due to the fact that you must use Torq’s on-screen Speed sliders to match tempos as opposed to using the pitch sliders on your turntable or CD player. Try it out: Click Vinyl on a Deck and start the external control source. While the song is playing, move the Deck’s onscreen Speed slider.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter 6 1 < MIDI Preferences The second tab of the Preferences contains the MIDI options. At the bottom of this tab is a list of all the available MIDI input devices on your computer. Each device has a “Yes/No” option to enable or disable it. Set the MIDI device to “Yes” if you wish to use it to control Torq. Otherwise, set the device to “No” and Torq will ignore it (allowing you to use it to control a different application, such as when ReWired into another host program).
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter 6 1 < Keyboard Learn You can also use your computer’s keyboard to control elements of the Torq interface using the same method as MIDI Learn above. Simply right-click (CTRL-click for Mac) on a control on screen, then press a key on your keyboard. That key will then be assigned to the selected control. The same method for changing and clearing MIDI assignments described above also works for keyboard assignments.
41 SAMPLER When talking about music, a sampler is not a plate of hors d’oeuvres. A sampler is a device that will digitally record a sound that you can then replay at various pitches. If you’re into any kind of electronic dance music or hip-hop, you’ve undoubtedly heard samplers in use. But what good is a sampler for a DJ? In recent years, DJs have used samplers to add sound effects to their mix.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter 7 1 Sampler Controls This section provides an overview of the controls within the Sampler. Record Sample Button Samples can be categorized into two groups: one-shot samples and loops. One-shot samples are sounds that play once when you trigger them and are not automatically synchronized to your mix. Loops are samples that will play repeatedly— when the end of the sample is reached, playback will return to the beginning.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter 7 1 Trigger Sample Button Pressing this button causes the associated sample to play. One-shot and looped samples exhibit slightly different behaviors: < Triggering One-Shot Samples 1. Click the Trigger button. The button icon will light and the sample will play immediately. During playback, a progress bar (behind the sample’s name) will fill from left to right. When the sample ends, the Trigger button will turn off. 2.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter 7 1 Sample Name Window The Sample Name window serves multiple purposes. 1. It will display the name of the sample file loaded into the slot. 2. The background of this window will fill from left to right as the sample plays, like a progress meter. 3. Clicking on this window will display a pop-up menu with the following options: < Load Sample Choosing this option will open a standard dialog box. Use this dialog to navigate to your hard drive and locate a sample.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter 7 1 QuickScratch While firing off samples using the Trigger buttons can be a lot of fun, it doesn’t always provide the level of control that you may want for the sample. Torq’s QuickScratch feature allows you to control the sample using the variable-speed and variable-key engine within a Deck. This means you can scratch the sample using the mouse or with the Torq Control Vinyl or Control CD systems. < Assigning Samples Torq features two QuickScratch slots—QS1 and QS2.
46 SNAPSHOTS By now, you’ve surely noticed that Torq has many features designed to make DJing easier. Automatic tempo-detection and beat-matching allow you, the DJ, to spend your time doing other things rather than manually keeping two tracks in sync. For example, you can remix the song using loops and QuickCues, tweak the sound using effects and EQ, and add samples to the mix.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter 8 1 Masking a Snapshot Each Snapshot you create contains the settings of almost every component in Torq. A Snapshot will remember the Key setting of a Deck, the EQ settings in the Mixer (including the state of the EQ Kills), the channel gains and volumes, the Crossfader position, and the contents and settings of the built-in Effect Racks (VST effects are not saved in the Snapshots). You can therefore have a Snapshot that will update all of these parameters at once, if you wish.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter 8 1 Swapping Snapshots Frequently, you may find that a Snapshot set up for Deck A would be useful for Deck B or vice versa. For example, you may have created a Snapshot that loads a Delay effect while also killing the Low EQ on Deck A. Torq allows you to swap the left and right assignment of Snapshots to do this easily. To start with, duplicate the Snapshot as described above—a copy of the Snapshot will appear in the list. Give this new Snapshot a new name (i.e.
49 BROWSER/DATABASE A DJ’s most important asset, beyond the gear he uses, is his collection of music. Without a wealth of top-notch tracks in his arsenal, a DJ is not equipped to dominate a dance floor. Anyone who has been DJing for even a short while will have amassed a decent collection of songs, and finding those songs quickly is the job of Torq’s Browser and Database. The Browser is very similar to the navigation methods employed by your computer’s operating system.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter 9 1 Database The Database is the first item displayed in the Browser pane. The Database is simply a collection of file folders located throughout your computer system (even on external disk drives) used to make locating and organizing you music more efficient. Once a folder is added to the Database, the songs it contains will be listed in the File List whenever you click on the Database heading.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter 9 1 < Adding Folders from Your OS If you’d prefer, you can add folders to the Database by dragging them from your operating system into the Torq Browser. You can do this using either Explorer for Windows or Finder for Mac. 1. Find your desired folders using the tools of your operating system (Explorer or Finder). 2. Click and drag the folder from the operating system into the Browser. 3. Release the mouse button and the folder will be added to the Database.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter 9 1 File List The window to the right of the Browser pane is called the File List. If you have selected a source in the Browser that contains music (such as the Database or an individual folder), the songs contained therein will be listed here. The File List not only shows you the name of the song, but also shows the artist name, album name, track number, genre, and other fields contained within the song’s ID3 tag.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter 9 1 Sorting the List There are fourteen categories that can be displayed across the top of the File List window: Artist, Song, Album, Track # (Track Number), BPM (Beats Per Minute), Key, Genre, Length, Comment, File Type, Bitrate, Label, Year and Filename. These categories are taken from the ID3 tags of your music files or, in the case of song length and BPM, calculated as part of Torq’s file analysis.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter 9 1 Using our example above, confining the search to the Song category would yield the following results: Artist 4 Song Album Deee-Lite Power of Love World Clique Jennifer Love Hewitt Can’t Stand in the Way of Love Let’s Go Bang Madonna I’d Rather Be Your Lover Bedtime Stories Now, only the songs with “love” in their titles are shown. < Ignore Field Torq offers another method for refining your searches by means of the Ignore field.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter 9 1 < Creating New Playlists To start, you must create a new Playlist as follows: 1. Right-click (CTRL-click on Mac) on the Playlists heading in the Browser and choose “New Playlist” from the pop-up menu. 2. A new Playlist titled “Empty Playlist” will appear below the Playlist heading (click the plus sign in front of Playlists in order to see this list).
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter 9 1 < Activating a Playlist When you select a Playlist, Torq runs a quick scan of your computer’s drives to ensure all the audio files referenced by the Playlist are present on the computer.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter 9 1 < Loading a Playlist Torq can import Playlists created by other programs if they conform to the .m3u file format. To load one of these Playlists: 1. Right-click (CTRL-click on Mac) the Playlist’s heading in the Browser pane. 2. Select “Load Playlist” from the pop-up menu. 3. A standard dialog box will open, allowing you to locate and select a Playlist. 4.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter 9 1 iTunes iTunes is a free media player available from Apple for both Mac and Windows computers (www.itunes.com). It provides an excellent way to download, organize, and rip music as well as interfacing with Apple’s famous portable media player, the iPod. Torq can interface with iTunes, providing you instant access to your entire collection of music and playlists without having to manually add folders to the Database.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter 9 1 iPods Torq also allows direct access to the contents of any connected iPod (excluding the iPod Shuffle, iPod touch, and iPhone models). When an iPod is connected, it will be listed in the Browser window. Like the iTunes Library above, the contents of the iPod can be searched using the Library or Playlist headings. You can also include the contents of the iPod in the Database by doing the following: 1. Open the Preferences. 2. Click on the Misc tab. 3.
60 MIXER Step one when DJing is controlling the music. That’s what Torq’s Decks are for. Step two is blending, or mixing, the music together. As you’d expect, Torq has a section for that, too. While existing in software, Torq’s Mixer sounds and behaves just like a top-of-theline hardware mixer. It is therefore instantly familiar to anyone who has used a mixer before, and it is capable of performing the same tricks and techniques utilized by DJs on traditional hardware mixers.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter Chapter10 1 Gain/Mute When audio from a Deck enters a channel in the Mixer, the first thing it runs into is the Gain control (seen at the top of each channel in the mixer). This knob will increase or decrease the volume of the incoming audio signal, allowing you to boost the level of quiet songs or reduce the level of loud ones. This is a basic step in both maintaining high-quality audio and matching the levels of the two songs you’re mixing together.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter Chapter10 1 PFL/Headphone Cue Once the audio signal leaves the EQ, it is sent to two different locations. One location is the PFL Button, which looks like a pair of headphones. PFL stands for Pre-Fader Listen, which refers to hearing an audio signal without being under the influence of the Volume fader (on some mixers, this function is called “Cue”).
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter Chapter10 1 < Crossfader Curve Speaking of scratching, one of the improvements to crossfader design is an adjustable Crossfader Curve. This refers to the rate at which the songs fade in and out as the crossfader is moved from one side to the other. At one extreme is the Equal Power Contour, which is good for slow fades between two songs. As you move the fader from the edge toward the center, it will slowly fade in one song.
64 PFL/HEADPHONE CUE You’ve undoubtedly seen the archetypical image of a DJ: standing behind a set of turntables and a mixer...with a pair of headphones on. If everyone is dancing to the music they hear on the speakers, what is the DJ listening to on the headphones? He’s listening to the next song he’s going to play using PFL or Headphone Cueing. That’s how the DJ can hear if he’s matched the tempo of the current song. It’s also how he locates the perfect place to start the track.
65 MASTER OUTPUT The Master Output is the last step in Torq’s audio signal flow before the music goes out to your audience. It contains a Master Level slider, a Master Level meter, a Master Limiter, as well as an Audio Recorder. All of these controls are located below the right Deck in a neat, horizontal arrangement. CHAPTER 12 1 Volume Control As you may assume, the Master Volume slider controls the overall output of Torq’s Main Outputs.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter Chapter12 1 Master Recorder The Master module also includes a Recorder which allows you to record and save your mix as an audio file as you perform it. You can then take your recorded mix and burn it onto a CD or distribute it as a Podcast, for example. The process of recording your mix is extremely simple. You start by choosing a name for your mix and a location on your hard drive for saving it. Then, you mix! When you’re done, press Stop and your file will be ready to go.
67 EFFECTS Effects are devices that alter an audio signal. These alterations can range from subtle to extreme and can be a great source of creative fun within Torq. Each Deck can be processed individually with multiple effects, and that is the purpose of the Effect Racks. The Effect Racks are located between each Deck and the Mixer and will house up to three effects from Torq’s built-in library as well as one external VST effect.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter Chapter13 1 Mix Knob The functionality of the Mix knob differs depending on the status of the neighboring Routing button: » When the Routing Button is set to Insert/Chain—the Mix knob will adjust the wet/dry mix of the effect. When the Mix knob is all the way to the left, only the original audio signal will be heard (no effect). When the Mix knob is all the way to the right, only the output of the effect will be heard, thus becoming a full insert effect.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter Chapter13 1 Tweak Button The Tweak button works in the same way as the Tweak knob—it will toggle the state of a parameter in the selected effect. Like the Tweak knob, the exact function of the Tweak button will depend on which effect you’re using. The functions are listed in the Built-In Effect reference. Saving Effect Racks When you start getting deeper into the effects, you’ll begin creating multi-effects—effect chains of more than one plug-in.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter Chapter13 1 Built-In Effects The following is an explanation of the 10 built-in effects in Torq: Delay Delay is the technical term for what the Delay effect does, but you’ll probably like to think of this effect as an “echo.” Essentially, the Delay effect listens to the incoming audio, holds on to it for a predetermined amount of time, then spits it back out. When the Delay output is blended in with the audio, it sounds like an echo.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter Chapter13 1 Reverb Reverb is the phenomenon in which sound bounces off the walls within a room, creating hundreds (thousands?) of echoes that cannot be individually identified by the human ear. The total result of all these echoes is a wide and ethereal sound that can add a nice touch of space to your mix. The most obvious characteristic of a Reverb is how long it lasts. This is referred to as the Reverb Time and is the only adjustable parameter in Torq’s Reverb effect.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter Chapter13 1 Flanger A Flanger is a common effect found in most effect processors. Flanging grew from a studio trick where engineers would play identical material on two tape decks, then make slight changes to the play speed of the two tape machines by dragging their hand on the flanges of the tape reels. The result is a “wooshing” sound that can be compared to a jet flyover. < Enable Button Naturally, this button turns the Flanger on and off.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter Chapter13 1 Dual-Filter A coffee filter is designed to stop coffee grounds while allowing water to pass through. Audio filters work in a similar fashion: they prevent particular frequency ranges within an audio signal from passing through the effect. Filters come in a variety of flavors and Torq features three of the most popular types: Low-Pass, High-Pass, and Band-Pass. The names of these filters are descriptive of what they do.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter Chapter13 1 Distortion Distortion, by definition, is the altering of a signal. In practical terms, it refers to feeding audio into a device so loudly that it exceeds the dynamic range of the device. The result is a fairly raunchy noise that, at times, can be exactly what you’re looking for. This is known as Overdrive Distortion, and is one of the two types of distortion possible with the Distortion effect.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter Chapter13 1 Strobe Just about anyone who has been to a dance club in the last 20 years has experienced a strobe light. Those are the superbright lights that flash really quickly. They have the effect of making everyone look like they’re in “stop motion”—the flash is so fast that you can’t see movement anymore. Torq’s Strobe effect will create a similar stop-motion effect, but it will do it to audio.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter Chapter13 1 Brake As mentioned above, turntables don’t respond instantly to changes in speed or direction. When you press Stop on a turntable, it takes a moment for the turntable to slow down and reach a complete stop. This is due the weight and momentum of the turntable—two factors that don’t exist in the virtual world of Torq. Still, some DJs like the sound of a turntable slowing down to a stop, and creating that sound is the purpose of Torq’s Brake effect.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter Chapter13 1 VST Effects The 10 built-in effects provided with Torq cover a wide range of effects typically used by DJs—many DJs will never need more than these built-in effects. Others, however, will want to explore the possibilities of additional effects. For this reason, Torq allows you to use third-party plug-ins that adhere to the VST standard (referred to as “VST plug-ins”). The amount of third-party VST effects available on the market today is staggering.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter Chapter13 1 Assigning Controls It’s fun to tweak effects using knobs and buttons—VST effects are no exception. However, before you start messing with the Tweak knob and button, you’ll need to assign a function to them. Unlike Torq’s 10 built-in effects, the VST Effect you choose to use will probably have more than two parameters to play with. You can always adjust these parameters within the VST Effect’s editor window.
79 REWIRE Now that you’ve mastered all the techniques and tricks in Torq, where do you go from here? Remixing and production. After all, Torq offers you so many tools for remixing and sound design that you can cross over the boundary of simply playing songs and easily enter the realm of music production. Torq is unique in that it can operate as a ReWire slave. ReWire is a special technology created by Propellerhead that allows two or more different audio applications to share audio and MIDI data.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter Chapter14 1 Audio Routing When using two programs together via ReWire, the audio generated by Torq will be fed to audio channels in Live (or whatever Host application you choose to use). With this system in place, you can further process the outputs of Torq using the Host application’s effects. You can record the output of Torq into the application to add to your productions.
81 PREFERENCES This section provides a comprehensive review of the Preferences for Torq. Open the Preferences by clicking the Preferences icon. Note: An additional tab appears on the right side of the Preferences window when certain M-Audio products (such as the Xponent DJ controller) are being used in conjunction with Torq. This tab contains parameters relating specifically to the operation of the connected M-Audio device.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter Chapter15 1 Torq Engine This preference chooses the quality level of Torq’s audio engine. Normal is the default setting and should be used if you experience no performance problems. Economy is the second option and should only be used if using a slow computer. When Economy is selected, the quality of the resampling and EQ algorithms will be reduced thus lessening the CPU load. Timestretching Quality This preference chooses the type of Time-stretching to be used by Torq.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter Chapter15 1 Buffer Size The other important setting for your audio interface is the Buffer Size. This parameter can cause a lot of confusion for some users, but is actually not that complicated. To understand how the buffer size affects the performance of Torq, you must understand a little bit about how your computer processes audio. Multi-tasking is a term that refers to doing multiple jobs all at once. It’s what allows your computer to run more than one program at a time (i.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter Chapter15 1 Mixer Mode This option allows you to switch between Internal and External Mixer mode. Internal Mixer mode: This is the default setting where Torq’s on-screen mixer is used to blend the signals from the Decks. External Mixer mode: This will bypass the Torq mixer and route each Deck to its own output pair on your audio interface. These individual stereo outputs can then be connected to your favorite DJ mixer in the same manner as two turntables or CDJ’s.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter Chapter15 1 MIDI Tab This tab features all options pertaining to Auto-Setup and MIDI control. Auto-Detect M-Audio Devices ([On]/Off) When this option is enabled, Torq will automatically set the Audio and MIDI interface options to those of any known M-Audio controller and interface that is connected to your system. This will ensure proper operation of Torq and connected devices.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Scratch Sensitivity This option allows you to configure how rapidly a Deck will respond to messages sent from a MIDI controller (it has no effect on External Control with Vinyl or CDs). It is designed for controllers that will move the waveform back and forth, typically those with jog wheels. 1. By increasing the number, the Deck will respond more rapidly. 2. By decreasing the number, the Deck will respond more slowly.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter Chapter15 1 MIDI Clock Torq’s Global Tempo can be slaved to an external device that transmits MIDI Clock (called MBC in Torq). When you then enable Global Tempo, all aspects of Torq (the Sampler and synced Decks) will follow the MIDI Clock. Torq can also transmit its Global Tempo as MIDI Clock so that other MIDI equipment can synchronize with Torq. External drum machines, groove boxes, synths, etc. will all follow Torq’s Global Tempo, provided they can receive MIDI Clock.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter Chapter15 1 < MIDI Stop Behavior This preference determines what Torq will do when it receives a MIDI Stop command from an external device. • STOP: When set to Stop, Torq will stop all Decks and Samples upon receiving MIDI Stop. • FREEWHEEL: When set to Freewheel, Torq will continue to play, essentially ignoring the MIDI Stop command, thus allowing the DJ set to continue after stopping the external device.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter Chapter15 1 89 External Control Tab This preference tab holds the options pertaining to external vinyl and CD control, as well as the option for enabling AMPutate mode. External Control When set to Yes, this option enables external vinyl or CD control for the Decks. The Deck Play/Pause buttons will also change to Absolute/Relative buttons when this option is enabled (see External Control section earlier in this manual).
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter Chapter15 1 So, instead of hearing the audio get scratchy when your control records start getting burned, you’ll find that Torq’s ability to follow the control records is compromised. This usually manifests itself right at the beginning of each song—the music will jump around erratically. This is because Torq is unable to determine the proper location because the signal from the control records has been damaged.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter Chapter15 1 Plug-ins Tab Torq allows you to use VST plug-in effects to further enhance and mangle your music. VSTs can be stored in various locations on your hard drive, and these preferences will choose the plug-in locations for Torq to use. System VST Plug-in Directory This preference gives you the option to use your system VST plug-in directory as the VST folder for Torq. 1. Click the arrow next to the first option and select “yes” from the drop-down menu. 2.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter Chapter15 1 Miscellaneous Tab This tab contains miscellaneous options that affect the behavior of certain features of Torq. Skin This option allows you to select a different “Skin” or color scheme for Torq. 1. Click to drop down the Skin menu. 2. Select a skin (color-scheme) from the list. 3. Torq will change its color scheme, but all interface features will maintain their shape and orientation within the interface.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter Chapter15 1 Transport Mode The Nudge and Offset buttons in the Decks can have their directions reversed using this preference. By default, this option is set to Reverse, meaning the buttons operate in a manner similar to a DJ using turntables. Instead of pressing right to go faster or ahead in the song, you’ll press left (just like the closest edge of a record spinning past a DJ). If you prefer more of a “tape machine” style control, switch this option to “Normal.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter Chapter15 1 Loop/Cue Quantize By default, Torq does not quantize actions such as creating loops or QuickCues. This gives you the freedom to set these points wherever you wish. If Quantize is set to “Yes”, Torq will force each new Loop or QuickCue you make to the nearest 16th-note. This can help ensure that your QuickCues and Loops occur right on beat when creating them on-the-fly.
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter Chapter15 1 Beat Detection Style Torq attempts to determine the tempo and phase of a song when you load it into a Deck. Coaxing a computer to “hear” the tempo of a song is partially art and science—this preference is here to assist when the science fails. In the Beat Detection Style menu, you will find a list of various musical styles/genres. Choosing one of the styles will tell Torq to alter its analysis algorithm for all future file analysis.
96 APPENDIX CHAPTER Preset Key Assignments While Torq is basically a “blank slate” as far as keyboard assignments are concerned, there are a few keys that are preset to various functions in the Torq interface: Global Key Commands F1—Load selected track into Deck A F2—Load selected track into Deck B F6—Max Browser view F7—Max Waveform view F8—Hide Sampler F9—Hide Mixer Tab—Toggle Browser and Snapshot views 1—QuickCue 1 on Deck A 2—QuickCue 2 on Deck A 3—QuickCue 3 on Deck A 4—QuickCue 4 on Deck A 5—QuickC
Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter Chapter16 1 WARRANTY Warranty Terms M-Audio warrants products to be free from defects in materials and workmanship, under normal use and provided that the product is owned by the original, registered user. Visit www.m-audio.com/warranty for terms and limitations applying to your specific product.
M-Audio USA 5795 Martin Rd., Irwindale, CA 91706 Technical Support web . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.m-audio.com/tech M-Audio Germany Kuhallmand 34, D-74613 Ohringen, Germany Technical Support tel (pro products) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(626) 633-9055 email. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . support@m-audio.de tel (consumer products) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (626) 633-9066 tel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
