m-audio torq

brianc · Post by **brianc** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 6:18 pm

So it turns out that Torq is actually based on MsPinky.

I just ordered a MsPinky to play around with. More on that later.

kans · Post by **kans** » Sun Nov 26, 2006 3:44 pm

I've been really intrigued by MsPinky but I haven't bothered to look into it further because my audio interface has only one stereo pair of inputs... so support for only one turntable. I have an FS1 scratch amp, but I've only heard of FS2 amps working. Probably because no one even has FS1 amps anymore!

brianc · Post by **brianc** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 9:07 pm

I've had MsPinky since last Wednesday, and I've been pretty impressed with it. The software I've used with it use a whole lot less CPU than Traktor or Serato, which is definitely nice.

The records track like nothing I've ever used before. Apparently, because it uses position stamps instead of timecodes, it's able to track both forwards and backwards. It responds amazingly well to touch.

It's worked out-of-the-box with my Scratch Amp 2. If your computer sees the Scratch Amp 1, then I'm pretty sure that it'd work with MsPinky. The benefit of using the scratch amp is that you don't need to run the signal from your turntables through a pre-amp to get them up to line level.

It's definitely not the most user-friendly setup, though. Unless you're able and willing to put in some work to use it, I probably wouldn't recommend it. Since the Torq/Connectiv is based on it, I have the feeling that it's pretty nice.

kans · Post by **kans** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 2:36 pm

Cool - since posting last I've emailed them, and they've said that a FS1 amp will work.

I haven't looked into Pinky Pluggo yet, but what it seemed like in the forum was that turntable control wasn't integrated into that yet. Did you download the pluggo and can you manipulate the tracks with the vinyl??

I really like the prospect of working right from Live with the familiar turntable control...

brianc · Post by **brianc** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 4:20 pm

kans wrote:I haven't looked into Pinky Pluggo yet, but what it seemed like in the forum was that turntable control wasn't integrated into that yet. Did you download the pluggo and can you manipulate the tracks with the vinyl??

Of course! Pinky Pluggo was what got me excited about it! It works, and it's a really great feeling to be djing from within Live. For some reason with my setup, I had to do some odd things to let me use two of them (set up two return tracks whose outputs are the tracks where I have the VSTs, even though I have the sends completely off).

Because the audio goes straight through the audio tracks, the only way to use other effects is to put them on the audio tracks themselves and not on return tracks, unless you have a 3rd output that you can use just for effects. I think I'll get around this by using an instrument rack.

kans · Post by **kans** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 4:31 pm

Ok, sounds doable... but awesome to hear that it works! I may just order it. You can't go wrong at that price for what it is and does!

Measax · Post by **Measax** » Wed Nov 29, 2006 9:06 pm

brianc wrote:
kans wrote:I haven't looked into Pinky Pluggo yet, but what it seemed like in the forum was that turntable control wasn't integrated into that yet. Did you download the pluggo and can you manipulate the tracks with the vinyl??
Of course! Pinky Pluggo was what got me excited about it! It works, and it's a really great feeling to be djing from within Live. For some reason with my setup, I had to do some odd things to let me use two of them (set up two return tracks whose outputs are the tracks where I have the VSTs, even though I have the sends completely off).

Because the audio goes straight through the audio tracks, the only way to use other effects is to put them on the audio tracks themselves and not on return tracks, unless you have a 3rd output that you can use just for effects. I think I'll get around this by using an instrument rack.

this is really interesting...would you mind explaining exactly what it does with ableton...timing more or less is what i want to know. Does it sync ableton by turnatable pitch to your record? or is it more for effects?

brianc · Post by **brianc** » Wed Nov 29, 2006 9:24 pm

Measax wrote:this is really interesting...would you mind explaining exactly what it does with ableton...timing more or less is what i want to know. Does it sync ableton by turnatable pitch to your record? or is it more for effects?

Pinky Pluggo is just an audio VST that converts the timecode from the vinyl to music from whatever file you want to play. There's no synchronization. Aside from that, it's got a built-in filter if you want to use it.