GETTING STARTED
1 | Getting Started | 1 Welcome Congratulations on your purchase of M-Audio’s Torq MixLab DJ system! M-Audio is an industry-leader in professional music products for computer-based musicians and DJs. What you hold in your hands is a piece of that heritage—a piece of the very products used daily by professionals around the world. With the Torq MixLab package, you will DJ using your collection of audio files on your computer.
| 2 Torq MixLab 3 | Getting Started Tutorial Part I: Preparation First, we’ll need to check a few settings required for the following examples 1. Click the icon in the upper right section of the Torq LE window. The Audio Preferences dialog opens. 2. Make sure your soundcard is selected under “Audio Interface”. (Windows users: If a driver with the word “ASIO” in its name is available, select it) 3. Click on the field labeled “Master Output” and check the available choices: a.
| Getting Started | 3 Part II: Overview Torq MixLab is composed of two parts: the Torq LE DJ software and the M-Audio X-Session Pro DJ controller. Torq LE is a full-featured DJ application that has all the functions you’d find on expensive DJ CD players and turntables. It plays back music at varying speeds and pitches and automatically matches tempos of songs, creating smooth transitions between tracks. You can also perform remix tricks such as looping and instant jumps to other locations in the song.
| 4 > Torq MixLab | Getting Started Getting the Music Together In case this is your first stab at mixing, we’ve provided you with an exciting and diverse collection of music from various M-Audio M-Powered artists. During installation, the installer copies this collection onto your hard drive, in a folder called “Torq Traqs.” If you are a Windows user, you’ll find this folder in your “My Music” folder. Mac users will find the folder in their “Music” folder.
| Getting Started | 5 Part III: Action! > Playing Music The next step is to load one of the songs onto a Deck, so you can play it: > 1. Click on the song titled “Somnambulist” by BT and drag it up to Deck A on the left side of the screen. 2. Release the mouse button to load the song into the Deck. 3. Move the crossfader on your X-Session Pro to the left. This ensures that you’ll hear only Deck A. 4. Press the Play/Pause button to start the song.
| 6 > Torq MixLab | Getting Started Previewing the Next Song 1. Put your headphones on and press the Right Headphone Button on the X-Session Pro. You’ll see the PFL/Headphone icon light up on the right side of the Mixer on screen. 2. Turn down the headphone volume by moving the Headphone Volume slider to the left with the mouse. 3. Press the Play/Pause button on the right side of the X-Session Pro to start playback of Deck B.
Torq MixLab Getting Started | 7 Mixing the Songs Now that you have Deck B synchronized to Deck A, you can try mixing them together: 1. Slowly move the crossfader on the X-Session Pro from the left towards the center. You’ll hear the Gabriel and Dresden track fade in on top of BT. 2. When the crossfader is at the middle, you’ll hear both songs at the same time. Both songs are playing in sync so they almost sound like one. 3. Continue moving the X-Session Pro crossfader towards the right.
8 | Torq MixLab | Getting Started < The next song you’re about to load onto Deck B is not as loud as “Defective” on Deck A. You’ll therefore need to increase the volume of Deck B in order to match the loudness of Deck A: 1. Use the mouse to increase the right Gain knob all the way to +6dB. This makes the song twice as loud as normal, in order to match it with the song on Deck A. 2. On the X-Session Pro, turn the right Low EQ knob down all the way.
| Getting Started | 9 < Your next task is to start the ECB & DJ Heather track at just the right moment so that it will play along with The Crystal Method in a complimentary fashion. We’ve placed a QuickCue Marker in “Defective” to indicate where “Picture Of You” should start. 1. By looking in the Overview Waveform in Deck A, you’ll see that the yellow Now Line is slowly approaching QuickCue Marker 1. Put your finger on the Play/Pause button for Deck B so you’ll be ready to press it. 2.
10 | Torq MixLab | Getting Started < Next, you’ll use the Filter effect to remove the high frequencies from “Picture Of You,” right when the drums stop in “Defective.” We’ve placed a QuickCue Marker in “Picture Of You” to indicate where this should happen. 1. If you look at the Overview Waveform for Deck B, you’ll see that the yellow Now Line is approaching QuickCue 1. Put your hand on the Filter knob for Deck B (this is the knob in the upper-right corner on the X-Session Pro controller). 2.
| Getting Started | 11 < Very soon, you’ll reach the end of the song “Defective.” To help make the transition as smooth as possible, you’ll use the Filter to gradually muffle the song until it ends. 1. When QuickCue 2 of Deck A passes under the Now Line, slowly turn down the Filter on Deck A. 2. You’ll want to do this slower than before, as your goal is to have the Filter knob at the 9 o’clock position, right when “Defective” ends. 3. At the same time, put your hand on the Low EQ knob for Deck B.
12 | Torq MixLab | Getting Started < Unlike a moment ago, when you started “Picture Of You,” you won’t hear “A Spirit Lost” when you first start playing it. This is because you removed the majority of the frequencies in the song by turning down the Low and Mid EQ knobs. Therefore, to make the song audible, you’ll need to turn up the EQ knobs. 1. When Deck A reaches QuickCue Marker 1, quickly turn up the left Mid EQ knob to the 9 o’clock position. 2. Continue to slowly turn up the Mid EQ.
| Getting Started | 13 Part V: Keep Spinning Give yourself a pat on the back—you’ve just performed a rather complex mix between three songs! In case you didn’t perform everything just right, feel free to repeat this example until it feels natural. Also feel free to experiment with other mixing techniques—try using the High EQ knobs in addition to the others when blending between tracks. Try using the crossfader, too, to add volume changes to the mix. In the end, it’s all about what you like to hear.
14 | Torq MixLab 5 | Getting Started 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 M-Audio Germany 5795 Martin Rd., Irwindale, CA 91706 Kuhallmand 34, D-74613 Ohringen, Germany Technical Support Technical Support web: www.m-audio.com/tech e-mail: support@m-audio.de tel (pro products): (626) 633-9055 tel: +49 (0)7941 - 9870030 tel (consumer products): (626) 633-9066 fax: +49 (0)7941 98 70070 fax (shipping): (626) 633-9032 Sales Sales e-mail: info@m-audio.de e-mail: sales@m-audio.
