M-Audio Torq 2.0 [150/171] Runout protection

Chapter 14: External and MIDI Control

145

Torq 2.0 User Guide

Runout Protection

Since there is only about 12 minutes of usable control signal on each side of the Control Vinyls or on each

track of the CD, it is possible that the song you are controlling could exceed the length of control signal avail-

able on the record or CD. This is extremely common when using Relative mode since the needle or CD posi-

tion could be halfway through when you start the next track.

In order to prevent the music from stopping abruptly if the control signal runs out on the record or CD, Torq

features Runout Protection which essentially disables External Control when the record or CD reaches the last

30 seconds of its signal. When this happens, the song’s waveform will start to flash yellow and the song on the

Deck continue to play. You will now be able to take the needle off the record and place it back at the beginning

without Torq stopping the music (the same is true for the CD—you can jump back to the beginning of the

track without stopping the music). Once Torq reads a few seconds of signal from the new location, the flash-

ing will stop and Torq will re-engage External Control allowing you to scratch and manipulate like normal.

Resolving Playback Issues

Reversed Playback Direction

If you find that Torq seems to be responding “backwards” to the Control Vinyls or CD's, take a look at the Ve-

locity display. If the number shown is negative while the control source is playing forward, it could mean the

audio cables connecting the turntable or CD player to your interface are backwards. Swap the left and right

plugs on the back of your audio interface and the problem should be resolved.

Erratic Playback Position

If Torq seems to jump to random locations in a song during playback, take a look at the Position display. This

number should rapidly increase as the control source plays. If this value looks like it’s changing erratically, it

is most likely due to damaged control records (which is normal after extended use). Another cause could be

poor stereo separation in the turntable’s needle or preamp, which is especially common with very old needles.

To fix this, purchase a replacement vinyl record, replace your stylus, or purchase one of the recommended

styli/cartridges listed at the end of this manual.

If you are currently in Absolute mode when the last 30 seconds of control signal are reached, Torq will au-

tomatically switch the Deck into Relative mode when it engages the Runout Protection. The Deck will re-

main in Relative mode after you reset the record or CD, thus preventing the music from jumping to an un-

expected location when external control is enabled again.

Using a Deck in External Control Mode while using the internal soundcard on a laptop, causes Torq to use

the sound picked up by the internal microphone as the control source. This causes the BPM value and

Speed Adjust randomly change, leading to errors.