M-Audio Torq 1.5 Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter 1 35, Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter 6 35

Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter 1 35 Torq 1.5 User Guide Chapter 6 35
< Reversed Playback Direction
If you find that Torq seems to be responding backwards to the Control Viny ls or CDs, take a look at the Velocity
display. If the number shown is negative while the co ntrol source is playing forward, it could mean th at the audio
cables connecting the turntab le or CD player to your interface are backward s. Swap the left and right plugs on
the back of the audio interface and th e problem should be fixed.
< Erratic Playback Position
If Torq seems to be jumping around to random locations in the song during pl ayback, take a look at the Position
display. This number should be rapidly growing large r as the control source plays. If this number look s like it’s
counting erratically, this is most likely due t o damaged control records (which is normal aft er extended use). This
could also be due to poor stereo separation i n the turntable’s needle or preamp. This is especi ally common with
very old needles. To fix this, purchase a replacem ent vinyl record, replace your stylus, or purch ase one of the
recommended styli/cartridge s listed at the end of this manual.
< Erratic Velocity Values
A turntable is a very sensitive piece of equipment . It can take the smallest vibrati ons and amplify them into
audible sound. That’s what’s happening when you play a reco rd—the grooves in the record vibrate the st ylus
as they play and those vibrations are tran slated to audio. The problem with turntab les, though, is that they
cannot distinguish between wh at is an intentional vibration caused by the m oving grooves in the record and
an unintentional vibration picked up t hrough the body of the turntable. For exa mple, if you kick the table the
turntable is on, that “thump” will be t ransferred through the turntable up t hrough the needle and translated into
sound.
What this means, in terms of the Extern al Control system, is that vibrations a nd other unintentional noise can
“contaminate” the control signals being read f rom the records. When this happens, the n oise can temporarily
throw off the ability of Torq to track the records.
In order to help minimize this problem, Torq has a setting called “ Power Threshold” with various level settings .
The idea is to set this value above any of the extr aneous noise such that Torq will only focus on the louder
control signals from the records. Here’s how to set this level prop erly:
1. Open the External Control Prefere nces and enable External Control.
2. Place the needle of your tur ntable on the Control Vinyl, but leave the turnt able stopped.
3. Lower the Power Thres hold to -40 and look at the Velocity value for th e deck.
4. If the Velocity is showing random values even t hough the turntable is stopped, t hat means the Power
Threshold is too low—Torq is picking up noise and interpreting it a s a control signal.
5. Increase the Power Threshold by 5dB and look at the Velocit y value again. If you still see random Velocity
values, raise the Power Threshold another 5 dB.
6. Eventually, you’ll reach a point where the Velocity stays at 0 .00. This is the optimal setting for t he Power
Threshold.
7. Please note that, if you’re in a noisy environment t hat does not have good physical isolation of the
turntables (to prevent external vibr ations from being picked up by the stylus), you may need to rai se the
Power Threshold setting a little higher to fi lter out the additional noise in the room.