M-Audio Torq manual Masking a Snapshot, Using Snapshots, Duplicate Snapshot, Delete Snapshot

Torq User Guide » Chapter 18 41

Masking a Snapshot

Each Snapshot you create contains the settings of almost every component in Torq. A Snapshot will remember they 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.

More often than not, however, you’ll want to only override a portion of your current settings using a Snapshot. For example, you may want to recall the settings of one effect rack while leaving all other settings (channel volumes, EQs, etc.) as they currently are. This is the purpose of masking, which allows only particular portions of the Snapshot to be used.

Each column in the Snapshot List corresponds to certain portions of the Torq interface. You’ll find columns for Deck A and Deck B, Key, FX, EQ Kills, EQ knobs, Crossfader, and channel volumes. When you create a new Snapshot, these columns will be blank. As a result, nothing will happen when you trigger the Snapshot.

The way to enable the Snapshot is to place check boxes in these columns to indicate what portions of the interface you’d like the Snapshot to control. If you put a check box in the Deck A column, the Snapshot will use the information for the left side of the interface. You can check Deck B instead if you wish the Snapshot to only affect the right side of the interface. Check them both and the entire interface can be updated with the Snapshot.

Once you’ve selected which Deck(s) should be controlled by the Snapshot, place additional check boxes in the columns corresponding to the parameters you’d like to control. For example, if you check the Deck A and EQ knobs columns, only the EQ knobs on the left side of the mixer will be updated when the Snapshot is triggered. Any other settings (the current key of the song, any effects in the Effect Racks, etc.) will remain unchanged. If you were to also check the EQ Kills and Key columns, the Decks key setting will be updated by the Snapshot, along with the EQ Kills, too. Checking all of the columns and all parameters within the Snapshot will override the current settings. When you release the Snapshot, all previous settings will be restored.

Using Snapshots

The second column in the Snapshot list is labeled Assignment and contains the name of the current keyboard key or MIDI note assigned to the Snapshot. When you make a new Snapshot, this column will be blank. Simply right-click (CTRL-click on Mac) on the empty field and the message “Press a key...” will appear, indicating that Torq is waiting for your key assignment. Press a key on your computer’s keyboard, or trigger a MIDI note on your external controller, and Torq will immediately bind it to the Snapshot. Right-click again to assign a different key, if you wish. Now, the Snapshot will be activated any time you press the assigned key.

Note: Because of the large amount of Snapshots you may create while using Torq, you can to use modifier keys when making assignments. For example, you can assign the W key, SHIFT+W, CTRL+W, and ALT+W to different Snapshots—you can even use multiple modifiers, like CTRL + SHIFT + W.

Duplicate Snapshot

Click on a Snapshot in the list to select it, then click the Duplicate Snapshot button (just to the right of the New Snapshot button). Another Snapshot will appear in the list, but this one will contain an exact copy of the parameters from the previously selected Snapshot. You can give the duplicate a new name, then select different masking parameters to make the Snapshot behave differently. Assign a different key to this Snapshot, and you can fire off either with ease.

Delete Snapshot

The third button above the Snapshot list is the Delete Snapshot button. Select a Snapshot from the list then click this button to delete it..