M-AUDIO Torq - Manual (Page 69)

Torq User Guide » Chapter 1
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Torq User Guide » Chapter 13
68
< Tweak Knob
This knob will adjust the Cutoff Frequencies of the filters.
» When the Tweak button is off, the knob will behave as follows:
1. Placing the knob at 12 o’clock will result in the audio passing through the Dual-Filter unaffected.
2. Turning the knob counterclockwise from 12 o’clock will begin to lower the Cutoff Frequency of the
Low-Pass filter. You will hear the music become dull and muffled as you turn this down to the point
where you’ll only hear low bass rumbles.
3. Turning the knob clockwise from the 12 o’clock position will begin to raise the Cutoff Frequency of
the High-Pass filter. You will hear the music become more thin and brittle as you do this until only the
highest of the high frequencies remain .
» When the Tweak button is on, the Tweak knob will merely control the center frequency of the Band-Pass
filter. As you turn the knob down (counterclockwise), you’ll hear the high frequencies become muffled while
you begin to hear more of the bass .
Distortion
Distortion, by definition, is the altering of a signal. In practical terms, it refers to feeding audio into a device so loudly that
it exceeds the dynamic range of the device. The result is a fairly raunchy noise that, at times, can be exactly what you’re
looking for. This is known as Overdrive Distortion, and is one of the two types of distortion possible with the Distortion
effect .
The other type of distortion is Sample Rate Reduction. When an audio file has its sample rate lowered, it looses the ability
to accurately reproduce high-frequency sounds. Instead of sounding soft and muffled like a Low-Pass filter, the Sample
Reducer will sound grainy and harsh.
< Enable button
This button turns the Distortion on and off .
< Mix Knob and Routing Button
Like the Dual-Filter above, the Distortion is designed to be used as an Insert effect. The Routing button will switch
to Insert mode automatically any time you load the Distortion effect. You should also turn the Mix knob fully
clockwise so that you can only hear the output of the distortion (if you blend the distorted signal with the original
signal, the distortion will be less pronounced).
< Tweak Button
This button is used to set the operating mode of the Distortion. When the button is off, the Distortion is in
Overdrive mode. When the button is on, the Distortion will be in Sample Rate Reduction mode.
< Tweak Knob
» When set to Overdrive mode, the Tweak knob will increase the volume of the signal being fed into the
distortion. When the knob is fully counterclockwise, the input signal is not boosted and therefore undistorted.
As you turn this knob clockwise, the volume will begin to increase. At a certain point, you’ll start to hear the
audio become distorted. You can leave the knob here for a subtle distortion, or you can continue to turn it
clockwise in order to push the distortion into really nasty realms.
» When set to Sample Rate Reducer mode, the Tweak knob will control the output sample rate. When the
knob is fully counterclockwise, there is no sample rate reduction, so the audio will be undistorted. As you
turn the knob clockwise, the sample rate will be lowered. The high frequencies will be the first to exhibit
signs of distortion. As you continue turning the knob, the distortion will move lower and lower into the
frequency range of the audio until all that remains is low-sample junk.