Torq User Guide » Chapter 13

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Most experienced DJs will simply match the tempos of two songs by hand using the Speed Adjust slider, which is a perfectly acceptable method of matching songs (indeed, this is the way it’s been done for decades). Since it requires a lot of practice to hear when one song is playing faster or slower than another, those new to DJing will benefit from some of the extra features built into Torq. Such features include automatic beat detection, BPM displays, scrolling waveform displays, and automatic synchronization.

<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. In the event the DJ is trying to mix two songs with different tempos (which happens more often than not), he will need to use the Speed Sliders to match the tempo of the new song to the tempo of the current song.

»Automatic BPM Detection

Any time you load a new track into a Deck, Torq will analyze it and attempt to determine the tempo of the song. For most dance music, Torq will be able to determine the tempo accurately. Once scanned, the tempo of the song will be shown in the BPM display for the Deck, which is located just to the left of the Speed Adjust slider.

The BPM shown here is a “living value”—it will change when you alter the speed of the song with the Speed Adjuster. This is extremely helpful when trying to synchronize two songs since you’ll be able to nearly match the tempos of the two songs just by matching the BPM values shown in the displays.

»Double/Halve Button

When Torq incorrectly identifies the tempo of a song, it will often return a result that is half the original tempo or double the original tempo. This occurs frequently when using Drum & Bass tracks with tempos in the neighborhood of 170 BPM. Torq may think that the tempo of the song is 85 BPM, which is half the actual tempo. When this happens, you can quickly double the tempo using the Double/Halve button..

The first time you press this button, the up arrow will light and the tempo of the current song will be doubled. The second time you press the button, the down arrow will light and the tempo of the song will be cut in half from the original tempo. The third time you press this button, the arrows will turn off and the tempo will revert to the originally detected tempo..

»Manual Tempo

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..

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M-Audio Torq manual BPM Display, » Automatic BPM Detection, » Double/Halve Button, » Manual Tempo