M-Audio Torq MixLab Getting Started Manual page 4

Part II: Overview
Torq MixLab is composed of two parts:
the Torq LE DJ software and the M-Audio
X-Session Pro DJ controller. Torq LE is a
full-featured DJ application that has all the
functions you'd find on expensive DJ CD
players and turntables. It plays back music at
varying speeds and pitches and automatically
matches tempos of songs, creating smooth
transitions between tracks. You can also
perform remix tricks such as looping and
instant jumps to other locations in the song.
Lastly, Torq LE allows you to apply effects
to the music and fully control the mix of the
songs. The M-Audio X-Session Pro provides
you with hands-on control over Torq LE. After
plugging the X-Session Pro into one of your
computer's USB ports, Torq LE instantly
recognizes it. Moving the controls on the
X-Session Pro results in the corresponding
on-screen controls moving in kind. This is
the best way to DJ since you can perform
multiple tasks at once on the controller, as
opposed to controlling only one thing at a
time with the mouse.
DJing is an art. As with any art, it takes
practice to become proficient. However,
there are many features in the Torq MixLab
package that will jump-start your learning
process. This manual describes the features
and use of the Torq MixLab system and offers
insight into the art of DJing. Once you are
proficient with Torq MixLab, the sky's the
limit—you'll be ready to take the step up to the
tools used by the pros!
Torq MixLab
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Getting Started
Food For Thought
>
In some ways, DJing resembles the
circus tricks of spinning plates or
juggling objects. As the DJ, it is your
job to "keep everything up in the air"
in a smooth fashion, so that the music
never stops as you move from one song
to another. All of the tools available to
you merely influence and cajole the
playback of music that would normally
play straight through, uninterrupted
and independent from each other
from beginning to end. It is therefore
a necessity to think one step ahead
of where you are, since some DJ
techniques must be performed before
you actually want your audience to hear
them. This ability to anticipate changes
in the music directly relates to how well
you know the music in your library. If
you know the structure and patterns of
a song like the back of your hand, you'll
know what sections are appropriate for
looping, interesting places to introduce
filters and other effects, and empty or
quiet areas where you might need to mix
in another song. Intimate knowledge of
your music library is also what helps you
select the right progression of songs, by
choosing songs of similar style and feel.
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