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Introduction: it’s all about the frequencies​​

You might have heard about stems, but that’s not how we do things. The reason is simple: a stem-based multi-track system would be limited by the availability of high-quality stems across all music genres. We rather like a system based upon frequency isolation and sculpting that can be applied to any song. Any recorded song in the History of music. That’s the starting point to understand Amp FreQQ and therefore harness its potential.

What is AmpFreQQ

When describing or mixing, it is often known as dubbing when applying FX on the fly, such as reverb and echo, to individual tracks. It is well understood that these separate tracks (drums, vocals, instrumentation), are also known as stems. 

In these scenarios, where you have access to the stems of a song, you would require a DAW and a lot of preparation. With AmpFreQQ, stems are not required.  We apply FX to isolated frequencies within the music, using only the finished song, as such, you can dub any song recorded in the History of music.

That’s the starting point to understand Amp FreQQ and therefore harness its potential.

What is Frequency?

When a sound is produced in a medium such as air, it causes air molecules to vibrate. When these vibrations reach our ears, they are converted into electrical signals that our brain interprets as sound. The frequency refers to the number of times per second that a sound wave’s cycle repeats. The higher the frequency, the higher the pitch your perceive.

Live dubbing straight from the master track

The first step to achieve this and, hopefully, master the art of dubbing on the FreQQ, is to understand a couple of basic things about frequencies.
All instruments, including the human voice, operate within a certain frequency range. Amp FreQQ’s powerful isolator/kills combined with our unique FX system allow you not only to pick out frequencies, but to also add filtered FX to them on the fly.

Each of the the FX has its own filter system and both work in exactly the same way  (Fig. X). By adjusting the frequency of the FX to pick up your desired sound, you can add reverb and/or echo to just a part of the music arrangement of any musical composition or song. Furthermore, you can isolate a sound while all other frequencies are killed or heavily filtered by the Dub filter. Furthermore, these FX operate independent of the main 4-band kills or Dub filter, therefore you can add FX to a sound, while all other frequencies are killed or even heavily filtered.

An audio spectrum is a representation of sound, measured in Hertz (frequency). The audible frequency range that humans can hear spans from 20Hz to 20000Hz, and can be broken down into several bands. In the graph below we have separated into 4 main bands, sub bass, bass, mids and tops

On a standard spectrum analyser, the lower-end of the audio spectrum is represented on the far left side (Down to 20Hz), while the higher-end frequencies are on the far right side (Up to 20kHz). Every component of Amp FreQQ that deals with frequencies1 follows this visual representation, with the sub-bass on the left, followed to the right by the bass, the mids, and finally the tops on the far-right side. 

The range of an instrument may vary depending on several factors, from the musicians technique to the music genre. Most will have prominent frequencies and often appear independently throughout a composition. Amp FreQQ uses momentary sends to route the audio through the FX and its filter is used to catch the most prominent frequency of your chosen instrument/sound, seamlessly blending into the playing audio. 

The lower-end of the audio spectrum is represented on the far left side, while the higher-end fresquencies are at the far right side (10kHz). Every component of Amp FreQQ that deals with frequencies1 follows that visual representation, with the sub-bass on the right, followed to the right by the bass, the mids, and finally the tops on the far-right side. The following graph might help you identify and locate instruments across the audio spectrum.

Installation

Hardware Requirements

Computer

For best performance on Windows PC or Apple Mac, these minimum specifications are recommended:

  • 4GB RAM
  • Windows: Intel i5 4th gen Processor, Windows 7-11 64bit
  • Mac: Intel Processor i5 2014, Mac OS 10.11 – Monterey & M1 based Macs
  • SSD Storage

Audio Interface

AmpfreQQ only supports one audio interface for inputs, therefore any 4-channel interface is recommended, so you have enough inputs for mic, external siren, turntables etc. You can use any generic sound card or External audio interface. With most laptop built in audio interfaces, you can only play digital files or other audio sources from the computer itself., no external sources. We have tested and can recommend the following interfaces…

  • Behringer UMC404HD 
  • Audient EVO 8

MIDI Controller

AmpFreQQ works with ANY MIDI Controller, as long as it is class compliant and not a dedicated unit for other software.

  • Akai Midimix  – This has been chosen as the ideal controller for Amp FreQQ, as such we have designed custom overlay stickers and created a MIDI mapping file, that will automatically map the controls for you, including LED functionality.

Some MIDI controllers that have been tested:

Akai APC40

Akai APC Mini

Akai LPD8

Akai MPK Mini

Akai mpx 88

Allen and Heath Xone K2

Behringer BCF2000

Behringer CMD MM-1

Behringer Xtouch Mini

Behringer Xtouch Compact

ION DJ2Go

Korg Electribe

Korg NanoKontrol1

Korg NanoKontrol2

Korg NanoPad

Korg NanoKontrol Studio

Korg Nano series

M Audio trigger Finger

NI Maschine Jam

NI Maschine MK1

Novation 25SL Compact

Novation 61 sl mkii

Novation Launchcontrol XL

Novation Nocturn

Novation Zero SL MK II

Traktor Kontrol S2 MK2

Traktor Kontrol S4 MK2

Soundgarden DJ controller

Xone:2D

Xone:DX

Xone K2

Installation (Mac)

  1. Click on the download link sent to you by email.
  2. Once the download is complete, unzip the file and place it on your Documents folder.
  3. Run the installer.
  4. Installer password: dubstation
  5. Continue 
  6. Sign the License Agreement by clicking on I Agree.

The installation progress will start. Please wait until the entire installation process has completed and the install screen closes. Two folders will be automatically created in the process:

Applications > AmpFreQQ This folder contains the app and several associated folders and files 

Users > Shared > AmpFreQQ  The app will use this folder to store different files related to mappings, playlists, user customization, etc.

Installation (Windows)

  1. Click on the download link sent to you by email.
  2. Once the download is complete, un rar* the file and place it on your Documents folder.
  3. Run the installer.
  4. Installer password: dubstation
  5. Run the installer.
  6. Sign the License Agreement by clicking on I Agree.

The installation progress will start. Please wait until the process has completed. Three folders will be automatically created in the process:

Program Files/Slawter Studios/AmpFreQQ This folder contains the app and several associated folders and files 

Users/Public/AmpFreQQ The app will use this folder to store different files related to mappings, playlists, user customization, etc.

Users/Documents/AmpFreQQ The app will use this folder to store different files related to mappings, playlists, user customization, samples etc.

Activation

  1. Run AmpFreQ3.app (Mac) or AmpFreQQ.exe (PC). Shortcut is “The FreQQ v3”
  2. Enter the serial number sent to you by a separate email. Fill up the rest of the activation form with your first name, last name, country of residence and use the same email address as used when purchasing
  3. The activation process will begin and you will see a message to confirm the app has been activated*
  4. Wait for the user interface to appear on screen. This may take several minutes, depending on your computer. Please be patient
*Please ensure there is a stable internet connection. If any issues please contact support@amp-freqq.com

Audio configuration

Click on the AUDIO button to reveal the Audio Status window (fig. x). We will focus on the top and the bottom sections.

Driver

Mac: leave as CoreAudio

Windows: Please install the latest driver for your audio interface. Then restart FreQQ. If the driver from your audio interface appear on the drop down menu, select it. If the driver is not on the list, select one of the following: 

  • ad_mme
  • ad_directsound

These are built-in audio drivers which provide input and output options based on the windows settings for audio.. Input device will go straight to the assignable inputs 1&2 AND/OR 3 & 4 on Amp FreQQ and the output selects the main outputs (L&R) 1 and 2 on your interface. Use these drivers only if nothing else works.

Device

Input device: in order to play audio from external audio sources, like a turntable or a mic, you will need an external (or internal) audio interface with 2 to 4 inputs. We recommend 4. However, if you are not planning on using external sources, you can set input device as none.

Output device: This is which audio interface you want the audio output to be played. You can send audio directly to active speakers, your amplifier, External crossover/DSP LMS or mixer. This can be the same as any interface you are using for inputs or another separate audio interface. You can also just use your computers own built in interface output, via the headphone/line out jack.

Routing – I/O Mappings

Here you can set where audio is routed to and from Amp FreQQ. Click on Open I/O Mappings. It will open a window displaying input Mappings (left) and Output (right) channels (fig. X). Click on the triangular icon to reveal a drop down menu with all the channels available, this is dependant on your audio interface.

Input Mapping: There are a total of 4 external inputs. 1&2 are for connecting stereo audio sources, like a turntable, a CD player, DJ mixer, DJ software or even streaming from the internet. This will route the audio directly into Music inputs In1 & In2 on FreQQ.  In3 & In4 are used to connect two extra mono inputs (microphones, dub sirens, etc). Note: these do not run through the isolator kills section and go directly to the master channel output.

Output Mapping: By default, the master output is mapped to outputs 1&2 (sometimes called L&R). This should be left as is.

NOTE: If you find that you have sound but the kills do not appear to work, your external audio interface may be the issue. The input may be automatically playing the input signal directly out. This means the audio is playing twice, one through FreQQ and one directly via the interface. There may be some settings with your driver or the interface itself that allow you to adjust this. Otherwise the solution is to add another audio interface (or you can use the computers built in interface ) and set the FreQQs output to this one. You will need to plug in your speakers/amp etc here.

Click off the power button when making changes on the audio configuration. Then power on when ready. Blue is on, greyed out is off and orange is not ready (Turn off and on to correct)FreQQ

DJ Software, Internet, Spotify (Inputs 1 & 2)

Inputs 1 and 2 are assignable and will play any source that is connected to your computers audio inputs. Sources can also be routed in via third party apps, you can play music streamed from your computer, e.g. from this internet, media players, Spotify or other music streaming programs, any music coming from your audio out.

Windows

There are several inter-app audio apps available. Here is one example and how to install and use it. Please download ,VB HIFI Cable here:

https://www.vb-audio.com/Cable/#DownloadASIOBridge 

https://vb-audio.com/Cable/

http://vincent.burel.free.fr/VirtualAudioApps/HiFiCableAsioBridgeSetup_v1007.zip

Image below is just a visual from their website. Please note this is donationware

  1. Run the installer and then restart computer. 
  2. Set Windows Computer Audio to “HIFI  Input”
  3. Run Amp FreQQ, go to Audio and set Input Device to “HiFI Cable input”
  4. Output Device should be set to your interface that is going to your speakers/headphones
  5. Go to Inputs 1 & 2 on AmpFreQQ music sources and click off the mute button (red) to unmute (not red)
  6. You should see a signal and audio playing. If the volume is too low, click audio setup and then audio driver setup on the bottom left. You will get windows sound or your audio drivers driver software. Go through every input and output levels of all devices and ensure they are turned up
  7. This process has rerouted all audio from your computer to Amp FreQQ. You can use any software or streaming service now.

Remember: to switch back your computer audio output to your normal audio device when not using FreQQ 

Mac

For MacOS you can use an app called Soundflower: or Black hole
https://soundflower.en.softonic.com/mac  or existential.audio/blackhole

Please read the instructions supplied with Soundflower / Blackhole to configure on your Mac

  1. Download the DMG Freeware and install
  2. Run the installer 
  3. Set Mac OS Audio to “Soundflower or Blackhole”
  4. Run Amp FreQQ, go to Audio and set Input Device to “Soundflower or Blackhole”
  5. Output Device should be set to your interface that is going to your speakers/headphones
  6. Go to Inputs 1 & 2 on AmpFreQQ music sources and click off the mute button (red) to unmute (not red)
  7. You should see a signal and audio playing. If the volume is too low, click audio setup and then audio driver setup on the bottom left. You will get windows sound “Soundflower or Blackhole” . Go through each and every input and output levels of all devices and ensure they are turned up
  8. This process has rerouted all audio from your computer to Amp FreQQ. You can use any software or streaming service now.
  • Please ensure the INPUT signal is as HIGH as possible, so that the system has a strong sound to process.
  • Remember to unmute FreQQs inputs (muted by default as the inputs are live and open)
  • Pan controls are provided should you wish to use as stereo or 2x mono inputs
  • If your DAW appears as an input device option in Audio setup, you can mix (and record) the master output of your DAW live.
  • In some cases, your DJ app or DJ controller (if it has built in interface) may appear as input device, ensure DJ controller is plugged in and DJ app is running before running AmpFreQQ
 
The Mac version will play Music directly from the internal CD via the computer inputs, since Macs read AIFF natively. All other sources must go through the assignable inputs.

Turntable configuration

On this section you will find the most common methods to use turntables with Amp FreQQ. If you are trying to connect any other type of audio input and you are not quite sure what is going on, most probably you will find valuable information here.

REMEMBER

By default, Inputs 1 & 2 are muted. To unmute them, click on the red buttons just above the gain faders for Inputs 1 & 2.

PROCEED WITH PRECAUTION

If your turntable happens to have a phono/line switch and you switch from phono to line and plug the outputs directly into inputs 1 and 2 of your audio interface. Please, make sure the master volume on FreQQ is low (well bellow the middle of the fader)before going forward. Just leave enough volume so you can hear the audio. You don't want to be in for a loud shock!!

USB Turntable ⇢ Computer

In recent years, turntables equipped with USB audio output have become commonplace. If you want to play vinyl at home but you don’t have the equipment, we suggest you consider this kind of turntable. In most cases, they act as input audio devices and the signal is line instead of phono, so you won’t need an audio interface with audio inputs nor a phono stage or DJ mixer to amplify the audio signal. The signal routes to Amp FreQQ through the USB connection directly.

Follow these steps to connect a USB turntable internally:

  1. Connect the USB turntable to your computer
  2. Run Amp FreQQ and click Audio settings
  3. Click input and select the USB Turntable device
  4. Click Output and set it to your audio interface or to the computers built-in interface and use headphone out to your Speaker/Amp etc 
  5. Unmute In1 and In2 in Music sources on the FreQQ

Turntable ⇢ Audio Interface with built in RIAA Phono Stage ⇢ Computer

If your audio interface has phono inputs for turntables, follow these steps:

  1. Connect the turntable audio output into a stereo phono channel of your audio interface.
  2. If there is a button or switch to choose between line and phono, select phono. 
  3. On Amp FreQQ, open the Audio Settings window and select your audio interface as Input Device.
  4. Click Output and set it to your audio interface or to the computers built-in interface and use headphone out to your Speaker/Amp etc 
  5. Unmute In1 and In2 in Music sources on the FreQQ

Turntable ⇢ DJ Mixer ⇢Audio Interface ⇢ Computer

As a standard practice, all Dj mixers have at least 2 stereo phono channels. These have specific electroacoustic components to amplify the weak audio signal that the needle picks up from the vinyl grooves, or better said, to restore it back to normal line level. You will find a button or switch above each channel of any DJ mixer, giving you 2 or 3 options. Usually, 1 of them will be labeled as phono.

  1. Connect the master out of your mixer into the stereo channel on your audio interface
  2. On Amp FreQQ, open the Audio Settings window and select your audio interface as Input Device.
  3. On the mixer, make sure every channel you connected a turntable into is set to phono.
  4. On the mixer set a flat EQ (the knob at the middle position, and slide the fader all the way up.
  5. If the audio input to FreQQ is weak, use the channel gain/trim knob on the mixer to boost the signal  Generally, you will find it right above the EQ knobs.
  6. Set the master output level accordingly to feed Amp FreQQ a healthy, dynamic audio signal, avoiding saturation and/or distortion.
  7. Click Output and set it to your audio interface or to the computers built-in interface and use headphone out to your Speaker/Amp etc 
  8. Unmute In1 and In2 in Music sources on the FreQQ

Turntable ⇢ Phono Stage ⇢Audio Interface ⇢ Computer

If you are using a phono stage to amplify a phono-only turntable, follow these steps:

  1. Connect the turntable audio output into a stereo phono stage.
  2. Connect the phono stage output into a line input of your audio interface.
  3. On Amp FreQQ, open the Audio Status window and select your audio interface as Audio Device.
  4. Click Output and set it to your audio interface or to the computers built-in interface and use headphone out to your Speaker/Amp etc 
  5. Unmute In1 and In2 in Music sources on the FreQQ

Turntable w/ Line Output⇢ Audio Interface ⇢ Computer

If you are using a line-ready turntable, follow these steps:

  1. Connect the turntable audio output into 2 mono inputs (or 1 stereo  input if you are using a DJ-ready interface) of your audio interface.
  2. On Amp FreQQ, open the Audio Status window and select your audio interface as Audio Device.
  3. Click Output and set it to your audio interface or to the computers built-in interface and use headphone out to your Speaker/Amp etc 
  4. Unmute In1 and In2 in Music sources on the FreQQ

Turntable ⇢ DJ Mixer w/ Built-in Audio Interface ⇢ Computer

If your mixer has a built-in audio interface (even if it is just an USB record output), you may be able to find it listed on the Input Device drop-down menu (Audio Settings window).

  1. On Amp FreQQ, open the Audio Settings window and select your mixers audio interface as Input Device.
  2. Click Output and set it to your mixers audio interface (If the audio is duplex)  or to the computers built-in interface and use headphone out to your Speaker/Amp etc 
  3. Unmute In1 and In2 in Music sources on the FreQQ

Microphone/AUX (Inputs 3 & 4)

Inputs 3 & 4 are additional auxiliary inputs, specifically for your microphone, or can be used for a dub siren or for an instrument. In order to use this input, you will need an audio interface with multiple inputs  

We have given this input its own independent FX trigger sends as shown on (18, 19), these inputs route directly to master. so are independent of the isolator kills and also bypass everything else. It also has a HP Filter  (17) to cut out those low grumbly frequencies that you may not want.

Using external audio interface to route into Inputs 3 & 4

  1. Click Audio
  2. For the Driver you will need to select your audio interface
  3. At the bottom of the Setup menu, open the I/O Mappings
  4. See the zone marked in red
The following is how you work out the routing…

Depending on the number of inputs available on your interface, you will be presented with a drop down to choose which of your audio interface channels is routed to FreQQs Mic/Aux channel

Input 3 – Choose the input channel of your interface that has the audio source connected 1 – 4
Input 4 – Choose the input channel of your interface that has the audio source connected 1 – 4

4. Unmute the input channel  (15)

USB Microphone

Note: Amp FreQQ can only handle one audio input device

  1. Click Audio
  2. Set the input to your USB microphone
  3. Click Output and set it to your audio interface or to the computers built-in interface and use headphone out to your Speaker/Amp etc 
  4. Unmute Mic/Aux channel on the FreQQ

Getting started

Features

General

  • Full screen mode +  resizable app
  • Global presets – save and load global configurations, including all of your FX, EQ & Crossover settings.
  • ESC key to close floating windows such as Dub Siren and setup windows
  • Balanced gain levels – set to 0dB to improve gain staging process and overall sound delivery.
  • Automatic gain system that helps to balance the audio level on the music inputs

Keyboard control

  • The most important controls are pre-mapped for precise and instant operation.
  • Browse through playlists, load & play songs.
  • Forget about trackpad or mouse. Perfectly usable without MIDI controller.

Play from any music source

  • 2 digital deck players (mp3, m4a mac only , wav, aiff and flac) 
  • Playlist save & load, playbar browse & cue (MIDI mappable).
  • Assignable inputs for any source, e.g. turntable, CD player, cassette tape, mobile phone, streaming services, DAW and DJ software.
  • Additional audio inputs for sources such as microphone, dub siren, synth drum, instruments, with independent FX send

4 Way isolator (aka Kill Switches)

  • Fully adjustable frequency cutoff, Q factor, gain (+12dB in advanced mode) and VU meters for each band.
  • FX, dub siren, microphone and sample player bypass this and go directly to master
  • Pure sub-bass. Option in settings to remove mid-range artefacts, only operate when the sub-bass band is kill switch is on and all the others are off
  • Almost flat sound. Custom built isolator/crossover section to achieve the highest degree of transparency and fidelity from the original music. Simple and intuitive operation

FX

  • Tape echo modelled on the classic HH Slider tape echo. Full control over feedback, time and tape saturation. Custom band pass filter with sweep and Q factor control.
  • Type 1 echo is normal semi low pass, while Type 2 echo produces high pass feedback
  • Tap tempo and time display
  • Custom band pass filter with sweep and Q factor control.
  • Reverb processor with extended control over room size, high frequency damping and gain levels. 
  • Unique punch in FX operation based on momentary triggers allows for accurate timing and delivery.
  • Custom band pass filter with sweep and Q factor control.

Dub filter

  • Switchable HP/LP, one-knob style resonant filter with 3 different routing options: A) Only on music source, B) On master output, C) On samples only. One of a kind dubwise implementation.
  • Q Factor control for extended resonant sound-shaping.

Rewind

  • Adjustable length
  • Auto-repeat or rewind stop options

Equalizers 

  • A 4 band parametric EQ with +/-18 dB, with added functionality for performing resonant filter sweeps
  • 10 Band graphic EQ with +/-10 2dB.
  • EQ routing selector allows for any combination of the above

Dub siren

  • Pitch control.
  • Dual LFO (sine and square waveform) with dedicated rate and depth controls.
  • Echo send level.
  • 12 Slot preset selector with save & load sets.
  • Bitcrusher and sample rate.
  • Reset to default switch

Session recorder

  • Wav/Aiff master output recording.

Sampler player

  • 12 Slot (momentary and one-shot play).
  • Effects send level.
  • High pass filter.
  • View current Sample and name
  • Save and load sample sets
  • Clear all samples button.

User modes

  • Safe mode (kill frequencies and gains are restricted to suggested ranges, as are FX and dub filter). Simplified interface.
  • Advanced mode is unrestricted and displays full interface.

MIDI

  • Fully mappable. Every parameter on screen can be assigned to one or several controls to one or more MIDI controllers. One or more parameters c\on the FreQQ can be mapped to any single control.
  • Custom integration with Akai MidiMix including LED feedback.
  • Compatible with any class-compliant MIDI controller.
  • Save & load MIDI configuration and mappings.
  • Re-scan function.
  • Midi pickup feature
  • Controller list display.

Limiters

  • Dedicated adjustable limiters for master, reverb and echo – designed to protect the output

Spectrum analyzer, VU and customisation

  • Spectrum Analyzer 
  • FFT Spectrum analyser displays master signal.
  • Linear or Logarithmic options.
  • 3 Way selector to choose from Spectrum display, EQ’s or Static image.
  • LOGO/Custom image – Use your own logo or image to overlay the Spectrum window- adjustable transparency.
  • Choose a background colour for the entire UI, using the colour picker in setup, with slider to set darkness.
  • Large master VU meter in Panel , available with several overlay skins/styles

Keyboard Shortcuts (English Keyboard)

 

This is on a Standard English keyboard but the controls will be the same position in all languages

Track A 

Track A 

Track A 

Track A 

Load

Play or restart

Stop

Rewind & restart

T

G

M Stops both A and B

B

Track B 

Track B 

Track B

Track B 

Load

Play or pause

Stop

Rewind & restart

Y

H

M Stops both A and B

N

Playlist

Playlist A 

Playlist A

Playlist A 

Playlist B 

Playlist B

Playlist B 

Playbar List View

Scroll Down

Scroll Up

Load & Play

Scroll Down

Scroll Up

Load & Play

Space

[

]

<

;

,

>

Input 1 

Input 2  

Mute

Mute

J

K

Mic 

Mic 

Mic 

Mute

Send Reverb

Send Tape Echo

L

O*

P

Sample 

Sample 

Sample Send 

Sample Send

Trigger 

Toggle Preset

Reverb

Tape Echo

4

R

U*

I*

Dub Siren 

Dub Siren 

Dub Siren

Dub Siren

Trigger

Preset Down

Preset Up

Reset to Siren Defaults

1*

2

3

Shift 1

Tape Echo

Tape Echo

Tape Echo

Tape Echo

Tape Echo

Tape Echo

Tape Echo

Tape Echo

Tape Echo

Time Faster

Time Slower

Feedback 70%

Feedback 90%

Feedback 100%

Band Lower

Band Higher

Time Tap

Type

A

S

D

F

E

7

8

9

Shift D

Reverb

Reverb

Band Lower

Band Higher

5

6

Kills

Kills

Kills

Kills

 

Sub

Bass

Mids

Tops

 

Z

X

C

V

 

Source Inputs

Source Inputs

Send Reverb

Send Tape Echo

Q*

W*

Sub Bass

Sub Bass

Band Lower

Band Higher

9

0

Dub Filter

Dub Filter

Dub Filter

Dub Filter

 

FX

App mode

App mode

App mode

Scroll Down

Scroll Up

HP

LP

 

Direct Switch

Close Playlist & Menu windows

Full Screen

Centre Screen

Left Arrow

Right Arrow

–

=

 

#

Esc

0

Shift C

* Momentary control on keyboard and switched by mouse

 

Overall schema and flow of audio

Loading Digital Files (mp3, wav, flac, & others)

There are 3 different methods to load your digital files into the players.

  1. Load button

A – Select the load button for Deck A or B in the transport controls area 

B – Press these keys on your keyboard (T, Y on English keyboards) 

C – Press these buttons on your MIDI controller

  ADD IMAGE ABOVE  FOR MIDI CONTROLS

 2. Drag and Drop

Open your File Explorer/Finder

Click and drag the selected track to over the VU section of Deck A or B of music inputs (the area will highlight in blue as shown)

PLACE GIF BELOW RIGHT OF DRAGGING AND DROPPING

 In both of the methods above, the track title is loaded onto the play bars as shown

IMAGE OF PLAYBAR WITH SONGS LOADED

 3. Playlist (please refer to the playlist section on page X)

Displaying your LOGO / Custom image

  1. Create an image

– We recommend an image size of 700 x 200 pixels or 18.52cm x 5.29cm  (a blank template is supplied)

– Ensure it has a transparent background or some elements of transparency (Otherwise you can use our transparency slider in Setup, to adjust the whole image)

– Save as .png image   

You will find several of our Spectrum skins in Documents\AmpFreQQ\spectrum skins\ on PC or Applications\AmpFreQQ\Spectrum skins\ on Mac

2. Loading image into AmpFreQQ

– Find the image in your File Explorer/Finder

– Click and drag the image over the spectrum display and drop

(Note: the app will remember your last loaded image)

 3. Adjusting transparency, so that you can display the visualiser behind

– Open the Setup menu

– Adjust transparency here

 

Changing your Master VU graphics

The app is loaded with default VU graphics. We have provided some alternatives in Documents\AmpFreQQ\VU skins\ on PC or Applications\AmpFreQQ\VU skins\

 

– Find the image in your File Explorer/Finder

– Click and drag the image over the VU meter display in panel (Need to select it) and drop

(Note: the app will remember your last loaded image)

User Interface

UI Overview

UI Overview

Dub Filter & EQ’s

How to use Dub Filter

Q-factor is the peak of the wave, the amount of resonance

A narrow Q is a higher amount of resonance creates a peak, adds more crisp to the filter

If you have a song that is more bass ..

Best way to EQ

No matter what your Source, regain control of your tone with this incredible EQ. This 10-Band Graphic EQ gives subtle amounts of tone shaping and level control. With ten carefully chosen frequencies, the 10-Band will let you tune your track correctly in seconds; create earthshaking low- end; restore punch, level, and treble response and much more. Cut those harsh frequencies

The EQ have no effect without some gain reduction or addition, no matter what you do with the other controls. Gain determines how much of a certain frequency is added or removed. Gain is the vertical axis on the EQ

Dub Siren

An electronic musical instrument that produces audio signals by generating waveforms. Using 2 LFO’s* , AmpFreQQ allows you to adjust controls of a sine and square wave, which create the dub siren sounds. 

Controls

How to use

*LFO – Low Frequency Oscillator

Sampler

(PARTLY ACCESSED THROUGH PANEL)

Play any audio clips such as jingles, adverts, dub siren clips or any other sounds.

The 12 slot sample player has its own independent reverb and echo sends, that can be momentarily triggered via the keyboard or midi control.

It has a HP filter to remove unwanted low grumble bass frequencies and a bypass* button.

Method 1: Loading into Sampler

  1. Have 12 samples ready open in File Explorer or Finder, in the order you want them on the dial
  2. Drag and drop the files onto the dial in the Sampler Section
  3. Test by pressing the Sampler key for sound (number 4 on keyboard)

Method 2: Loading into sample slots (recommended)

  1. Open the Panel
  2. Open your File Explorer or Finder and locate your samples
  3. Click and drag samples into the individual slots
  4. When a sample slot it loaded you will see the sample name displayed
  5. When a sample is engaged the number to the left will highlight

*This button allows samples to bypass the Kill switches, you will still hear the samples if all the kills are off.

Echo & Reverb FX

include band pass filters in their audio paths, therefore opening up creative expression that adaptss better to the music being played. Press the trigger send on any of the sources at the right times and musically interact with your track to create a special version.

Both of the fx processors have a graphical display, with frequency width and gain (64Db) control. The best way to use these is to set them while you are playing a track, then rewind!

Please note that the spectrum analyser only displays the affected sound on the effects. 

If you hover over any band with your mouse you will see the settings currently chosen, with the centre frequency, gain and Q. (As shown in image below)

Clicking on left margin: resets the Q

Clicking on right margin: controls bandwidth Q, click and drag to make more narrow or wider (highlights the margin red when selected)

Clicking anywhere else: drag anywhere on the graph horizontally to select the frequency group which you want to affect and vertically cut or boost

Bypass switch: allows the fx to go straight to the master out, without being affected by the kill switches.

NOTE : Amp FreQQ FX Delivery does not work in a way you may be used to. The send and return controls should be set up and left. Use the send triggers from the audio sources to deliver to the FX Processors. The gain controls on the EQ section, affects the band filter gain and is the best way to balance the sound the blend into you source audio.

Echo

Catching specific sounds e.g. vocals (around the middle of the spectrum) by sweeping while triggering.

Full speed echo creates a sort of robotic sound effect

Type 1 echo is a normal echo which…

Type 2 echo has a high pass filter on it

Reverb

Advanced Mode

(ACCESS THROUGH PANEL)

The advanced mode button unlocks restricted features that aren’t available in normal safe mode. 

We would only advise you use the advanced features if you have some technical knowledge and understanding of audio. We recommend fully experimenting with safe mode settings before coming here, they should only be used if you feel or find that an existing setting is “lacking”.

If you are not sure what to set certain settings to, do not hesitate to message us, we will happily advise you on how the issue can be solved. 

Features unlocked in advanced mode:

  • +12dB Gain in Limiters and kills
  • Additional echo/reverb FX controls

     —

  • Additional frequency range for echo/reverb/kills (what is it?)

Limiters & Recorder

(ACCESS THROUGH PANEL)

How limiters work

The limiters are in place to protect your speakers and equipment. My limiting the amount of dB gain, you are ensuring the levels to not exceed a limit that may damage your gear.

However, they can be used for both protection and also creatively.

By default, the master limiter is off and the FX limiters are on.

Sliding the dial to the left will reduce the overall output gain available

How to use Recorder

There is no need for you to download or install any other software to record your freqq mixes, because we have built in that option for you.

  1. Open up the Panel
  2. Select the File button and choose a name for the file
  3. Press Start when you are ready, and the LED will go red as indication that it is recording
  4. When you are finished, press the Stop button.
  5. Files are saved as .wav by default 

Kill Switches

“Weight and Treble”

This is the term that used to be used for the full range of sound, when, previously, you would only have a two way system, the “weight” (bass) and “treble” (top).

The music would pass through an isolator system, that effectively separates the music into distinct frequency bands. Most commonly using a preamp, the audio is split into 4 filter bands the sub bass, bass, mids and treble, this is the core design of AmpFreQQs kills.

AmpFreQQ’s Kills

Our uniquely designed kill switches have special band width, frequency and gain control, that will enable the user to preciously set cut off frequencies to match both the track being played and the speaker set up in use. The user can then use gain accordingly for each band to get a particular sound. 

The default frequency ranges for each band have been carefully chosen to provide as flat as sound as is possible, while retaining some colour to give a “sound system” sound delivery, and being set around about the general frequency crossovers of MOST box configurations. 

Sub Bass

Bass

Mids

Tops

37-97 Hz

95-253 Hz

250-3508 Hz

3509-20,000 Hz

(Unlock in Advanced mode)

Adjustable 20-150 Hz

Adjustable 95-300 Hz

Adjustable 250-4000 Hz

Adjustable 3500-20,0000 Hz

The filter-band gain comes set at 0db on default Settings. This is the maximum default however, there is additional gain available of up to 12dB (can be changed in Advanced mode using limiters)

If you hover over the graph, you will see 3 different numbers. The one on the far left and the middle are the range of that particular frequency band, the far right is gain.

How to use Kill switches

Adjusting parameters

We do not recommend adjusting these drastically, however if you do (e.g. playing on SoundSystem), please try to ensure that the adjacent band/s are adjusted to meets the frequencies you just changed to avoid dips. 

(This is an open system and there are no rules, so feel free to adjust and experiment with caution!)

A                 BandWidth                 Click band in middle (which frequency range)

B                 Gain                            Fader on right side of graph (the overall loudness)

C                 Q-factor                     Click right edge of band (how narrow the curve is)

The gains of kills should always be at 0dB, otherwise this is where the mistake is made of wanting louder music but instead the song distorts. 

Before adjusting any kill faders, please ensure that there is sufficient headroom for the signal. It is easier (and in most cases, more pleasing to the ear) to turn up an amp, and amplify a lower signal, than amplifying a louder (and possibly more compressed, “clipped” signal) by a lesser degree.

Try it: When you click and drag a band to the right, the Hz will change and you will hear a higher range of frequencies, as you drag to the left you will hear lower frequencies.

Adjustment notes:

  • The VU meters display the amount of signal being send out to master from each of the kills
  • The spectrum analyzer displays are all the same and are the unaffected signal showing the actual real-time raw sound being played, displaying the peaks of the whole frequency spectrum
  • You can push the sub bass band further to the left to catch those really low end frequencies. The default settings cover most user’s needs, you can adjust according to the track you are playing and your speaker setup. Some speakers do not handle the real low sub frequencies, you will need to set Amp-FreQQ sub bass band a bit higher up, so it will maximise the bass available from your speaker setup
  • We HIGHLY recommend a LOWPASS FILTER on your crossover / LMS, of 20-25 though, as a vast proportion of drivers may be damaged by any frequency lower than thatDubbing with kills

The general purpose of the kills, other than to adjust the audio settings, it to build up momentum and drops by interacting with the music.

For example ,start with all kills on except for the sub bass. Then when you think the moment is right, you can (optionally) build up the intensity and excitement with a siren or other FX, before dropping in the bass.

But can bring in and out in any order.

Achieving pure sub bass

Best way to use is play your track, adjust all 6 graphs, then rewind and dub!

Playlist

The playlist control is something unique to the FreQQ:

  • While one song is playing, you can have your next 2 songs ready in advance
  • With the playlist window closed, you can scroll through your playlist directly from the playbar
  • Assigned keyboard controls

 How to load songs

  1. Open the playlist window for whichever Deck you will be using (1)
  2. (Optional) Create a folder and place all the songs you want in here
  3. Find your music on Finder or File Explorer
  4. Drag and Drop into the playlists window either in batch or individually (103) 

(Note: there is no reorder function)

  1. To remove a song from playlist, select it then press the Delete button (100)
  2. To remove all songs from the playlist area, use the Clear button  (101)

Playlist controls

(97) Will highlight the previous song, without playing it.

(99) Will highlight the next song in the playlist, without playing it.

(98) Will play whichever song is highlighted

Scrolling from playbar

 AmpFreQQ’s special playlists, allow you to scroll through your songs directly from the playbar, even if you playlist window is closed.

Relevant keyboard controls have been assigned to these functions:

    1. To go into Playlist List View: press SPACE on your keyboard  
    2. Scroll through playlist songs in Deck A/B using these key

3. Play the song you have chosen using these keys

  1.  

Playlist Control using Akai Midimix

Our pre-configured mapping files allow you to use the playlist scrollbar functions directly from the Akai Midimix. 

Button number 9 (SHIFT) in the image below allows you to access the 8 extra controls in 2 banks, 4 for playlist A and the same controls for playlist B. 

You must keep the shift button pressed.

The available controls are: playbar view, scroll down, scroll up and load & play.

1 or 5 LOAD & PLAY                  This immediately loads and plays the highlighted track

2 or 6 SCROLL UP                      Scroll the currently selected track one up at a time

3 or 7 SCROLL DOWN               Scroll the currently selected track one down at a time

4 or 8 PLAYBAR VIEW              This is a toggle switch that converts the playbar to display the currently selected track in the Playlist

 

Try it

  1. Press SHIFT and PLAYBAR VIEW, this will toggles the playbar display on (highlights playbar)
  2. Press SHIFT and Scroll UP or DOWN through your playlist until you find a track you want to play
  3. Leave it on screen or, revert and toggle off by pressing SHIFT and PLAYBAR VIEW
  4. When you are ready to play the track press, SHIFT and LOAD & PLAY

MIDI configuration

Mapping MIDI

Finding your controller

The midi function is simple and should work for all midi controllers, but we cannot guarantee functionality with dedicated units for other applications. As long as it is class compliant and recognised by the operating system, it should be available to Amp FreQQ. 

  1. Navigate to Setup menu
  2. Press Midi-rescan so that the program can find the controller (106)

If AmpFreQQ has found your controller, its name will appear in the box area under where it says “Controllers”. Please see troubleshooting chapter if you have having any difficulties.

Mapping controls

  1. In the Setup window, select the MIDI Learn Mode button (107)
  2. Move the Setup window out of the way, you will notice the app has changed slightly
  3. Click on the function on the app that you wish to map (e.g. Echo Trigger), which will highlight it in red
  4. Now press the button on your controller that you wish to assign to that function – the red highlight will disappear to confirm it has been mapped successfully
        • If you click on any function on the screen that has already been mapped, it will highlight in green, to confirm that it has a control assigned to it
        • To delete an assigned control, click a function with your mouse so it highlights green, then hold shift on your keyboard and click again to delete it.
        • You may notice some numbers 1/2 next to some functions, these represent toggle/momentary mode, since some Midi controllers do not offer these controls.

5. Repeat the same steps for all other functions you wish to map, take care to map one at a time

6. When you are finished, remember to click off the “Midi Learn Mode” to put app back into normal mode

7. Test the controller and all the assignments to make sure they are mapped correctly.

8. Save the mapping file (104), so you can load the same mappings in the future.

 

Multiple controllers/controls

AmpFreQQs flexibility allows users to configure multiple controllers to work with the program at the same time.

  • Assign 1 parameter to multiple controls 

e.g. If you have multiple Midi controllers, having the siren trigger function mapped to one button on each individual controller

  • Assign multiple parameters to 1 control

e.g. Create a “sub bass” only button by assigning the bass mids and tops to one button on your controller

 

 

Saving and Loading MIDI mappings

  1. In the Setup window, click the “Save midi config” button, choose a file name and save.
  2. To test if all is working, press the “Mapping reset” button, this will clear any midi mappings
  3. Click the “Load midi config” and find and load the file that you saved in Step 1
  4. You will see 2 files appear on the setup screen to confirm that they have been successfully loaded.

Loading Akai Midimix AmpFreQQ Mapping

Please ensure you follow the steps on the previous page, so that AmpFreQQ recognises your device.

  1. Head over to our website www.reggaepreamp.com/downloads
  2. Download and save file to Local Disk (C:) > users > Public > AmpFreQQ 
  3. Unzip the folder and you should see 2 files
  4. The “.ctrlist” file needs to stay in this Public AmpFreQQ folder
  5. The other file can be moved to somewhere easier for you to access when you wish to load this file
  6. Navigate back to AmpFreQQ app and select “Load Mapping” in the Setup menu
  7. Find the file that you saved in My Documents and open. This should automatically load the 2 files we originally downloaded and they will both be displayed in the box
  8. The LED lights on your controller should now be on

Notes:

  • Remember to always return the DubFilter to the hard left anticlockwise position, after use.
  • The top right button (By the Digital dub machine logo) is not in use by the app and is a fixed function of the controller. Do not use as it will send all levels of the controller to the app.
  • Use it all gently and carefully

All hands on deck: MIDI setup and keyboard

Setting up the Akai MidiMix

Using the keyboard 

Setting up other controlers

Troubleshooting

Installation

Error

  • Please recheck the anti-virus and defender are OFF
  • Download Microsoft Visual Studio 2013 direct from Microsoft site and install both the 32-bit and 64-bit version. Then run AmpFreQQ again.

https://www.microsoft.com/en- gb/download/details.aspx?id=40784

Playing digital files

I’m playing digital files. The tempo/bpm of the music I am playing is either slower or higher than it should.

That is happening because the same audio interface being used by Amp FreQQ is also being used by another app at a different bit rate.

If you need the other app running, configure it so the audio interface is set up to the same bit rate as in Amp FreQQ.

I’m trying to load a song that I have locally but it won’t play. On Amp FreQQ I can see the title of the song (on the corresponding playbar), but the Play button does nothing.

Make sure the file is really local. Some apps and services like iTunes/Apple Music, iCloud, Dropbox, etc. use selective sync. For that reason, some files might look like they are downloaded locally, but aren’t.

Possible solutions:

  • If the file that you can’t play is inside iTunes / Apple Music, or managed by them, look for the file and download it (Fig. x).

  • If the file is inside an iCloud folder, right click on the file and select Download now.

  • If the file is inside a Dropbox folder, right click on the file and make sure SmartSync is set to Local.

    Remember: Locals only 😉 🛹

Playing vinyl records

Pay attention to the audio levels at every stage of the audio chain that will carry the sound from the turntable all the way into AF. If the interface you are using for audio input allows you to control the volume or gain of the input , make sure it’s not so loud as to be clipping, distorting or saturating. The same applies if there is a DJ mixer or a phono stage in the chain.

The sound is a bit muddy and/or is not completely stereo (messed up stereo image).

Make sure the pan/balance knobs under the faders are completely panned to each side. Input 1 must be all the way to the left. Input 2 must be all the way to the right (Fig.xx).

The sound is too loud and it is distorted.

Some audio interfaces have built in phantom power for microphones. Make sure it is off for channels 1 & 2.

The sound is extremely low.

If the sound is ludicrously low, most probably your turntable’s output is phono and requires amplification. Luckily, the vast majority of modern-day turntables have a switch to choose between phono output and line output.

Step 1: If you have been trying to amplify the input sound by moving every fader and knob uno, this is the moment to bring all back to a safe level. If your turntable happens to have a phono/line switch and you switch from phono to line with, for instance, the master all the way up, you can harm your ears and your equipment.

Step 2: Check if your turntable has a phono/line switch. If positive, switch it to line.

If your turntable is phono only, you need a device to bring the signal up to line level. 

Option A: get a phono stage. They range from very cheap to ridiculously expensive. You don’t need an expensive one.
 
Option B: Almost every DJ mixer on the market has at least 2 channels with built-in phono amplification. We recommend this option only if you want to connect more than 1 turntable.

I can hear the vinyl I’m playing, but if I kill bands or use the dub filter on Amp FreQQ, I can’t hear any substantial difference in the music.

Most audio interfaces come with its own software, usually in the form of a virtual mixer. If you are getting an audio signal that is not coming thru Amp FreQQ, you need to check your audio interface virtual mixer app and mute the channels that are letting the sound go out.

In some cases, instead of muting you will have to move the faders all the way down. It depends on the audio interface’s logic regarding pre-fader and post- fader routings.

For this example we are using EVO8 as audio interface. In the image you can see the Mixer app. Most audio interfaces have a similar app to allow the user manage the inputs and inputs.

I can hear the vinyl I’m playing, but there is a constant echo unrelated to Amp FreQQ’s echo.

Similar situation to the previous one. You need to use your audio interface’s virtual mixer to mute that extra output.

Low Latency Configuration

This setup is recommended for:

  • External beat-matching by ear.
  • Singing.
  • Internal routing from Traktor, Serato, Virtual DJ, Ableton, Logic, FL, Reaper, or any other audio app.
  • Any other musical use of the audio inputs that requires precise timing.

This is not necessary for:

  • People playing selecta style, without mixing.

The overall capability to reduce latency to a virtually inaudible size depends a lot on how powerful the computer is and also how well the audio interface handles live audio coming in and out simultaneously. NEED TO BE COMPLETED

Hardware

MIDI CONFIGURATION

Not finding MIDI Controller

  1. Please try a different USB port
  2. Check that you have the correct drivers for your MIDI controller installed
  3. Try a new cable

Audio inputs