M-Audio Digital DJ System manual EQ/Kills, PFL/Headphone Cue

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Torq MixLab User Guide » Chapter 8

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EQ/Kills

Next in the signal chain is the Equalizer, or EQ for short. While the Gain knob (above) increases or decreases the level of the entire audio signal in the channel, an EQ increases or decreases the level of only a specific frequency range within the audio signal. Torq LE is equipped with a 3-band EQ, meaning it can control the levels of three different frequency ranges (bands), named High, Mid, and Low.

The 3-band EQ is comprised of three knobs and three buttons arranged vertically in each mixer channel. Naturally, the High EQ is above the Mid EQ, which is above the Low EQ. The “X” buttons next to each EQ knob is a Kill. Activating these buttons will completely remove, or kill, the associated frequency band from the audio—activating all three at the same time will therefore completely mute the audio signal.

EQ may very well be the most powerful tool on the DJ mixer (though some would argue that the crossfader is the ultimate weapon). The EQ controls are used to (1) improve the sound quality of poorly recorded or produced songs, (2) assist in matching the overall frequency content of two songs, (3) add emphasis to the music by removing or isolating one or more of the frequency ranges, and (4) mix songs together in a “jigsaw” fashion by swapping the frequency ranges of two songs as they play together.

Old songs typically don’t have as much bass as today’s tracks. Therefore, you’ll often use the Low EQ to boost the bass (low frequencies) of the old song to match the louder bass of a recent song. Without doing this, it may sound like the music gets quieter as you mix from the recent song to the older one.

Likewise, even tracks recorded within the same year can sound different from one another, even when playing at the same volumes. This is usually because one song will have stronger Mid frequencies compared to the other. If the bass parts in both songs sound like they’re the same volume, you can use the Mid EQ to “turn down” the louder song until it more closely matches the quieter song.

DJs also like to mix things up during their sets by adding their own manipulations to the songs they play. For example, a DJ might cut the High and Low frequencies from a track a few beats before the chorus of a song, then bring them back right when the chorus starts (the perfect job for Torq’s High and Low Kill buttons).

When two songs are playing at the same time, you’ll frequently find that the music sounds muddy. This is normally due to “uncomplementary” bass content in the two songs. This can be as simple as the two songs being in different keys, or could occur if both songs have long, sustained bass notes. In order to clean things up, you can simply remove the bass from one of the songs will one of the Low Kill buttons. This will leave the bass from the other song in the mix, so it will still sound natural. When you’re ready, press both Low Kill buttons at the same time. This will kill the bass in the other track while bringing in the bass from the other. This will sound like the bass part in the overall mix has changed (which it has) and the mix will still sound full. You can also swap frequencies with the other frequency bands. You can also make the swaps less abrupt by using the EQ knobs instead.

Note: You can adjust Torq’s EQ knobs by using the High, Mid, and Low knobs found on the X-Session Pro hardware. See chapter 13 to learn more about X-Session Pro.

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”). That definition may not make sense if you’re not familiar with a mixer, so think of it as a way to privately hear the music in a mixer channel regardless of what your audience can or cannot hear.

This is what a DJ uses to listen to the next song before he plays it for his audience. When you press the PFL button, that channel is sent to the PFL section, which lets you hear the music through your headphones. This section is described below.

Note that you can press the Headphone Cue Buttons on the X-Session Pro hardware controller instead of the on-screen Cue buttons found within Torq. To learn more about X-Session Pro, please see chapter 13.

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Contents User Guide Table of Contents Preferences Chapter WelcomeTorq LE Overview Decks Main Waveform DisplayMixer Effect Racks PFL/Headphone CueBrowser/Database Master ModuleSystem Requirements WindowsMac Installation To install Torq LE on Windows XPSong Name DecksDisplays Artist NameControls QuickCue Setting QuickCuesCue Playing QuickCuesCDJ Mode Deck ModeVinyl Mode Hybrid ModeLoop On/Off » Using QuickLoopsLoop In/Out QuickLoop» QuickLoop Size Preference » QuickLoop BehaviorsSpeed Slider » Automatic BPM Detection Slider RangeBPM Display » Double/Halve Button» Tap Tempo Fine Tuning» Manual Tempo » BPM EntryMidi Slider/Knob Control Midi Button ControlMidi Keyboard Control Sync ButtonNudge Buttons Offset Buttons Waveform Display Information Shown on DisplayWaveform Playback Manipulations Phase GridVinyl Mode Loop PointsHybrid Mode CDJ ModeAutomatic Tempo and Phase Detection Phase Grid ManipulationsSynchronization Adjusting with the Mouse Adjusting with Nudge ButtonsAdjusting with Offset Buttons Locked Sync Momentary SyncExternal Control Midi PrefsAssigning Buttons to Knobs or Sliders Midi LearnKeyboard Learn Assigning Knobs or Sliders to ButtonsBROWSER/DATABASE Browser PaneDatabase Adding Folders to DatabaseSearching Specific Database Folders Adding Multiple FoldersAdding Folders from Your OS Removing Folders from DatabaseEditing Fields Artist/Song Filename SwapFunction Keys Loading Songs into the DecksClick and Drag Sorting the ListSearching the List Search CategoriesReset Button Ignore FieldPlaylists Deleting a Playlist Creating New PlaylistsRename Playlist Duplicating a PlaylistReordering Songs in a Playlist Activating a PlaylistSaving a Playlist Rename the Session Playlist Loading a PlaylistSession Playlist Deleting Session PlaylistsPlaylists ITunesLibrary Searching iTunes with the DatabaseIPods DrivesAudio CDs Channels MixerMixer Architecture Gain/MuteEQ/Kills PFL/Headphone CueChannel Volume Faders CrossfaderCrossfader Curve Crossfader Assign » Adjusting with the Mouse» Adjusting via Midi Transform ButtonsVolume Control PFL/HEADPHONE CUESplit Button and Source Knob Master Output Level Meter and LimiterMaster Recorder Setting the Record Level FilenameRecording Tweak Knob Enable ButtonEffects Tweak ButtonTweak Knob and Button Enable ButtonBuilt-In Effects Tweak ButtonTweak Knob StrobePreferences Audio InterfaceSample Rate Buffer SizeMidi Tab Auto-Detect M-Audio Devices On/OffScratch Sensitivity Crossfader Curve Control Midi Shift KeyMidi Devices Miscellaneous Tab Torq EngineCue Exclusivity QuickLoop Size Schaffel ModeTransport Mode Search iPod with DatabaseSync Mode SkinAbout X-SESSION PRO Controls and Connectors Top PanelRear Panel Windows Key Commands Preset Key AssignmentsGlobal Key Commands Mac Key CommandsWarranty Warranty Terms Warranty Registration