SERIOUS ABOUT SOUND

DACS FREQue II Application Ideas

This section is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all that can be done with the FREQue II. Rather it is a list of starting points for you to begin experiments from. Using the FREQue II producers and engineers can almost infinitely extend the voices of their existing battery of synthesisers and sound generators and create vast ranges of completely new sounds, add depth and warmth to early digital synthesisers, give drums new power, radically transform voices... 

Introduction
Some treatments will require mixing with the original signal and some will need to be kept separate. For example adding distortion to a continuous sound will need mixing while gating effects will not.

Tone and music
Set Up
Feed a stable tone, or a slightly varying one, into the MOD input and the music or tune into the MUSIC input. The MOD input could be from the internal oscillator. If the MOD input is harmonically related to the key of the music the OUTPUT will tend to be harmonic e.g. the MOD input is a D and the music is in the key of D, then the output will tend to be harmonically rich. If the MOD input is not related, then the output will be rough, bell like and/or noisy depending on the frequency of the input.
Try this...
Use held chords that have a certain amount of vibrato - as the pitch of the chords varies so the harmonic content of the sound will vary 
Vary the MOD frequency to generate sliding upper and lower harmonics 
Use randomly generated frequencies from synthesisers on MOD input 
Try varying the edge controls contrariwise i.e. turn one up as you turn the other down, to produce stereo effects 
Have a go at the 1st oscillator range to produce gating effects, the 2nd range to produce tremolo effects, the 3rd range to produce heavy modulation effects while the 4th range will produce higher and higher harmonic effects

Drums
Set Up
Feed percussive sounds into the MUSIC input and tones or other sounds into the MOD input. The MUSIC input will then act as a trigger and give a gating effect, only producing OUTPUT when the MUSIC input signal is present.
Try this...
Vary the MOD input frequency to produce output harmonically related to the music 
Feed the melody into the MOD input and the percussion will 'play the tune', or at least tend to go up and down with it 
Feed any old music to the MOD to produce an effect similar to scratching 
Feed the MOD input with carefully selected samples synchronised with the percussive sounds 
Using the FREQue II's oscillator set on the 2nd or 3rd range generate deep deep bass sub harmonics on bass drums 
Using the oscillator set on the 4th range generate grain, grit and glitter on snares, hi hats, cymbals, maracas

Vocal inputs
Set Up
Feed your voice into the MUSIC input and feed a variety of signals into the MOD input - music, tone, noise...
Try this...

Use the voice to gate the MOD inputs 
Use the voice as a percussion imitator to produce hot rhythm sections from modulated MOD inputs 
Try the 1st range to produce gating and heavy breathing effects, the 2nd range to produce tremolo and panting effects, the 3rd range to produce heavy modulation effects (Dalek/sci-fi voices among others) while the 4th range will produce higher and higher harmonic effects 
Same signal or L & R of stereo into both inputs 

Set Up
Feed the same signal or the left and right of a stereo signal into the MUSIC and MOD inputs.
Try this...

Mix the output into the original signal to harmonically enhance the signal 
Left and right inputs into MOD and MUSIC inputs respectively on both modules can produce phasing and other spectral phenomena, particularly if the spectral controls are varied 
Try varying the edge and/or weight controls contrariwise i.e. turn one up as you turn the other down, to produce stereo effects 

Delay/feedback
Set Up
Use a delay line to process signals going in to or out from the units
Try this...

Feed audio out back to MUSIC input via delay at tempo or multiple of tempo 
Do the above with long decays on the end of sounds 
Split the signal to both inputs and use delay line on one input to produce weird flanging effects on output, pan both outputs centrally or left and right
 

Multiple Modulation
Set Up
Feed music into the MUSIC input of one modulator and use the internal oscillator to modulate it. Take this OUT to the MUSIC input of the second modulator and modulate it with the same internal oscillator. The result is that the original signal is reconstituted and additional higher partials are also added.