DACS FREQue II

A ring modulator is a simple device that takes two signals (each with a frequency), and produces a signal containing the sum and differences of those frequencies. It’s an effect that’s been around since the early days of electronic music.

DACS Freque II brings the ring modulation into the modern studio world, and adds frequency shifting to the effect. With the Freque II, you can create a wide range of effects, from subtle stereo processing to seriously twisted sound design.


The Effects:

With low frequency modulation inputs:
Simple to complex autopan effects, gating, amplitude modulation, flanging, spatialising

With mid frequency modulation inputs:
Vocoding type effects, adding tunable harmonics, both lower down to subsonic, and up to supersonic, second harmonic distortion (like valves/tubes), harmonising, retuning percussion, gating, general rich distortion, Sci-Fi voices (eg a Dalek)

With high frequency modulation inputs:
Transposition with distortion, adding glitter, air, sparkle etc when mixed back into original

With music or sounds into both inputs:
Vocoding effects, gating effects, fattening/thickening effects, spatial effects, weird transformations

Internal FM:
Frequency Modulation of modulation oscillator at all frequencies, giving effects ranging from slow pulsation to the classic FM generation of complex waveforms

External voltage control of oscillators:
Envelope follower effects, FM effects as above, randomized autopanning

Frequency shift:
Up and down shift of frequency with change in harmonic structure, with FM for sliding effects, using feedback loop to create filter type sweeps



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 synthesizers and sound generators and create vast ranges of completely new sounds, add depth and warmth to early digital synthesizers, give drums new power, radically transform voices...

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.

DACS FREQue II Technical Specifications :

Spectral Controls on MUSIC input
Weight     Bass filter (shelving) ±12dB gain from around 80Hz@6dB/8ve
Edge     Treble filter (shelving) ±12dB gain from around 8kHz@6dB/8ve
Switch     Pressed in this activates Spectral Controls


Inputs:
Connectors     ¼" jack, three pole (balanced), Tip /in phase, Ring cold/reverse phase, sleeve 0V
Levels
    Optimum results occur with input levels of +2dBu to +12dBu, maximum input level > +12dBu
Freq Response     Music inputs <20Hz to >35 kHz, modulator input DC to >35kHz
Impedance     >10k
MOD     Module8ion Input - this feeds one side of Ring Mod
MUSIC     Main Input - this feeds the other side of Ring Modulator if spectral controls are activated they vary the spectrum of this input
Breakthrough     MOD in +10dBm with no MUSIC signal, MOD out <-65dBm maximum, typically <-70dBm, same for MUSIC signal with no MOD


Outputs:
Connectors     ¼" jack, three pole, as above
OSC
    Oscillator output at ca +12dBu
Levels     For input levels of +4dBu to +12dBu output will be around1 +4dBu - +12dBu, maximum output level around 65kHz
Freq Response     Flat from DC to a -3dB point at around 65kHz
Signal to noise     -82dB (equivalent to a good mic set to medium gain)


OSC:
Fine     Varies around centre frequency by ca 5%
Tune     Varies centre frequency over selected range
Range     Selects from 4 ranges -  [0.2Hz-9Hz, 2Hz-90Hz, 20Hz-900Hz and 380Hz-11kHz]


CV Inputs:
CV Inputs to each oscillator on ¼" jacks (unbalanced), 0-15V, V/Hz characteristics
OSC Outs

Output for both oscillators @ +12dBu



1) The modulation process involves the interaction of both inputs, and as such it is impossible to predict exact output levels