DACS Audio FwS FREQue II Stereo EQ - Rackmount Analog Ring-Mod Flay's Audio

Link: SoundPure | FREQue II Application Notes | FREQue II User Manual

Manufacturer's Description from DACS

Produce pumping tracks that stand out from the crowd with the FwS FREQue II (pronounced "freak"), a genuinely new and inspirational analogue effects processor.

"In a world filled with plug-ins that do everything, the FREQue II is a processor that few, if any, plug-ins can emulate. The FREQue II is truly a sound designer’s dream. It’ll chew up program material like nothing else out there!" (Alex Artaud review)

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, randomised 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

About Manufacturer

Our users have told us that we make some of the best audio equipment in the world. It enables engineers to take their music to any recording medium in the simplest, clearest way. When you buy our equipment you are buying a hand made, world class audio tool that will give you trouble free service for many years to come. You pay for DACS' products, not a name; we add value through high levels of performance and long term reliability and serviceability, but above all through sonic and functional Clarity. DACS have crystallized years of experience into a range of elegantly simple high performance units, all hand made. Where it benefits audio performance or long term reliability we use more expensive components and time consuming processes. Our range of visually striking, well engineered devices will last well into the 21st century, achieving levels of performance that digital technology and much analogue technology aspires to today.?

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