The Frequency Compendium
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by: Jim Govoni, "cinder"
...........
1234567890
Main Entry: com·pen·di·um
Pronunciation: k&m-'pen-dE-&m
Date: 1589
1 : a brief summary of a larger work or of a field of knowledge.
Version 1.0 - 11:14 PM 1/28/2003 - What's New: First Public Release.
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Contents:
I. Introduction and Information
II. Song List, Artist Info and Song Analysis
a. Stage 1
b. Stage 2
c. Stage 3
d. Stage 4
e. Stage 5
f. Secret Songs
III. Single Player
IV. Multiplayer
V. Powerups and Weapons
a. Single Player
b. Multiplayer
VI. Freqnet (Online)
VII. Remix Mode
a. Remixing
b. Jukebox Mode
VIII. Secrets and Codes
IX. Frequently Asked Questions
X. Extra Stuff
a. Complete Song List (Simplified)
b. Tips on Getting Higher Scores
c. Useful Links
d. My Online Info
XI. Special Thanks and Parting Message
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I. Introduction and Information
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Frequency hit the scene on November 20, 2001, smashing the PS2 music
genre hard with large portions of originality, excitement, and great beats.
No other music game really lets you have the freedom of creating a song as
Frequency does, especially when you get into it's Remix Mode. Combining
lights, sound, good controls, tough goals and replayability. If you're a
music fan and you own a PS2, there is a single clear-cut choice as to which
music action game you should buy. Even if you're not a fan of the genre, and
you're just looking for a good game that will challenge your hand-eye
coordination, speed and rhythm, that choice is the same:
Frequency.
Basic Info (North American Version only)
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MSRP: $49.99
Memory Card: 256kb
Developer: Harmonix Music Systems
Publisher: SCEA
Platform: PlayStation 2
Genre: Music
Players: 1 to 4
SCUS-97125
Release Date: November 20, 2001
Official introduction from the manual:
FEEL THE MUSIC!
You're a FreQ, a DJ soaring through musical cyberspace darting from one track
to the next as you feverishly bring music to life note by note and instrument
by instrument. FreQuency spins you into a world of musical creation, visual
excitement and intense competition. Jam with pulsing rhythms while weaving
your own musical creations into the mix as you see and hear your music
explode to life.
In Game Mode, survive by quickly activating tracks to keep you and the music
alive. Activate the drums, bass, guitar, synth, vocal, and F/X tracks to
reveal a song. As the tempo increases, so does the pressure as you
frantically activate more complex tracks.
In Remix Mode, remix samples from the major techno, rock, house, drum 'n'
bass, hip-hop, trance and turntable stars featured in FreQuency. Then take
your newcreations and plug them into the Game Mode competition. You can even
organizeand play your creations in the FreQuency Jukebox.
You've hit the right frequency with some of the greatest tunes and talent in
the digital music universe. Now, try to harness and mix every pulsing
bassline, hypnotic drumbeat, guitar riff and scratch. You have the music and
the machine. Now find out if you have what it takes to be the Biggest FreQ
at the party.
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II. Song List, Artist Info and Song Analysis
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Well, this document would be pointless if it weren't for this section
in my opinion. Below, I will list each song sorted by their stage, and the
order you play them. Also listed will be their beats-per-minute, genre and
theartist bio from the game itself. Along with all of this will be some
track analysis by me (special artist information, tough beat patterns to
watch out for, etc.) All song analyses will be based on the "Expert"
difficulty level.For extra detail about songs (instruments, bars per section,
etc.) Please see the "Song Information" FAQ by austingarbers.
Stage 1
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///The Crystal Method - The Winner
//Big Beat - 127 BPM
Scott Kirkland and Ken Jordan, a.k.a The Crystal Method, are
back with their new album, 'Tweekend.' This bass-fortified,
hard-rolling techno concoction will get the club kids moving.
www.thecrystalmethod.com
Song Analysis:
Nothing too dangerous to look out for here, one of the drum tracks has three
different variations in a single 2-bar string, could be tricky if started
halfway through it and you don't know what the first pattern will be. Guitar
track half-beats may prove tricky to some, otherwise, not a huge challenge.
///Akrobatik - Exterminator
//Hip-Hop - 96 BPM
Boston born and raised, MC & Producer Akrobatik is best known
for his underground classics, "Say Yes Say Word" and "Internet
MC's." His self-titled EP on Detonator Records further
solidifies his position as one of hip-hop's brightest new
talents. www.detonatorrecords.com
Song Analysis:
Tied with Cosmic Assassins as the slowest song in the game, there's nothing
really tricky about this track. In the last two sections, the drum track (the
beat-box one) might cause you a little trouble because the last three gems do
not correspond to any in-game sound really, so it may be difficult to time it.
Other than that, smooth sailing.
///No Doubt - Ex-Girlfriend (Remix)
//Electronic Rock - 100 BPM
Formed in Anaheim, California in 1987m No Doubt deliver a
signature mix of Rock, reggae, and new-wave musical styles.
Their most widely known albums include 'Tragic Kingdom' and
'Return of Saturn.' www.nodoubt.com
Song Analysis:
There's something funny about this track, I don't know what it is exactly, but
I can't seem to get an exceedingly high score on it. It's main drum track is
a bit tricky because of the number of button presses, the vocal beats are
placed in the middle of nowhere, and the last drum track is the good ole'
"LMRMLMRML.." string. It seems however that that track itself is going too
slow, and I often hit my gems prematurely. These are just my results of
course.
///Orbit - XLR8R
//Rock'n'Roll - 135 BPM
Orbit's signature sound combines driving, dynamic bass and
guitar lines with passionate vocal melodies. Their hit song
"Medicine" from 1997's 'Libido Speedway' earned them a spot
on the Lollapalooza tour and all the usual hype.
www.orbitband.com
Song Analysis:
Some people have a hard time with repeatedly hitting the same button a bunch
of times in a row, they lose their focus or something...If you don't have this
problem, and can handle the various drum tracks, you're golden.
///Freezepop - Science Genius Girl
//Synthpop - 137 BPM
Freezepop is a trio of fashionable gadabouts from Boston with
an infectious flair for synthpop songs about robots, and love,
and loving robots. Look for their full length album, 'Freezepop
Forever,' and other goodies at www.freezepop.net
Song Analysis:
Pretty straight forward of a track, almost everything is on whole beats. As
long as you have decent hand-eye coordination and good track-jumping skills,
you'll find no roadblocks.
Stage 2
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///Dub Pistols - Official Chemical
//Beats'n'Rhymes - 125 BPM
The Dub Pistols' Barry Ashworth is a fearless soldier working
behind the frontlines of the UK's thriving dance music scene.
Barry began his musical journey by working as a club promoter
and formed the Dub Pistols in 1996. www.dubpistols.net
Song Analysis:
Nothing really to fear in this track, a few of the track switches
may be tight, but none of them are near-impossible.
///Lo Fidelity Allstars - LoFi's in Ibiza
//Disco House - 129 BPM
The Lo Fidelity Allstars are five lovely lads from up north who
produce quality dance music for indie kids and the club heads
alike. The Lo Fi's are back with a new single, "Lofi's in Ibiza."
the first from a new album due early 2002.
www.lofidelityallstars.co.uk
Song Analysis:
Just like Official Chemical, there's nothing really troubling to
watch out for, a couple of the synth samples are really short, and
can cause you to lose your multiplier if you're trying to rush around
getting extra tracks. Should be a walk in the park.
///Fear Factory - Frequency
//Industrial Rock - 150 BPM
Fear Factory have been together since 1990. This LA krew is
constantly pushing the envelope of the heavy music genre.
With four albums, a remix album, and an EP under their belts,
Fear Factory is still going strong with no end in sight.
www.fearfactory.com
Song Analysis:
This tune definitely takes the trophy of being the trickiest track.
Drum patterns are pretty straight forward, even if they laid across some
half-beats. What you need to look out for here are the oddly laid out
guitar tracks, gems are all over the place, and it's pretty easy misplay
a section, resulting in a loss of multiplier, and laughter from your
friends, opponents, or anyone around who cares.
///Paul Oakenfold - See It
//Trance - 135 BPM
Paul Oakenfold is the world's number one DJ. No one else can
claim such a seismic role in everything from the Balearic
house explosion and the re-invention of the British club culture to
the birth of "Madchester" and the high impact collision of
dance and rock. www.pauloakenfold.com
Song Analysis:
I used to like Oaky, I really did. I've seen him live, I owned a ton of
his livesets (Goa Mix Silver is a must hear.) And now, with this new CD
of his, I've realized, his new sound is terrible, and so is this track.
Let's get past my opinions though shall we? The first drum track, and
first synth track will be your only problems, they have weird button
timing strings that feel weird to play. The rest of the track (including
the horrible vocal track) is cake.
///Ethan Eves - Selecta
//Drum'n'Bass - 180 BPM
Ethan E Eves has been producing energetic electronic music
since 1996 in various groups and collaborations around the
United States. His most recent endeavors have been in
Souther California producing jungle and drum'n'bass.
www.e3-music.com
Song Analysis:
I love to play fast tracks, I live for it. Even though this is the fastest
song in the game, don't fear, beats are spread out so trying to play them
won't cause heart attacks. The first drum track varies a few times, and it
may be hard to tell what's coming up next. Late in the song, after much of
the track is unlocked, you may have difficulty jumping tracks while keeping
your multiplier due to the speed.
Stage 3
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///PowerMan 5000 - Danger is Go
//Industrial Rock - 156 BPM
They came from Boston, a raging crux of metallic funk juice
and silver alloy inlayed sonic mayhem hurtling through the
atmosphere, skimming under the radar as an unidentified
flying object known only by the hidden codename of Powerman
5000. www.powerman5000.com
Song Analysis:
A quality tune here, good old fashioned hard rock. Very fun to play too,
not much will give you trouble. If anything, maybe the guitar track
switchups at the end, but once you get used to them, it's no sweat.
///Orbital - Funny Break (Weekend Ravers Mix)
//Techno - 130 BPM
Orbital is manned by Phil and Paul Hartnoll. Ever since their
first Top 20 single in 1990, "Chime," the brothers have been at
the vanguard of dance music and have been responsible for
some of the most beautiful machine-assisted music ever
recorded. www.loopz.co.uk
Song Analysis:
Great tune, made much better is you can properly play the tracks. Lots
to give you trouble on this one. The occasional double beats on the first
drum track you should be able to handle. The bass and synth tracks,
although a bit tricky at first, should really only give you minimal
troubles. The last drum track is definitely tricky though, with a few
different combinations, all complex, it's definitely a curveball.
///DJ QBert - Cosmic Assassins
//Turntablism - 96 BPM
DJ QBert is widely considered the greatest skratch DJ in the
world. His film and skratch album "Wave Twisters" received
international attention and praise. www.djqbert.com
Song Analysis:
The other slow track. Well, this song does have a few busy parts, but
they are all pretty streamlined, consisting of lines like "LMLMLMLM"
flowing into a "RMRMRMRM" and such. Shouldn't be a problem for the
dexterous, but worry about trying to play the track too fast, it's
easy to do.
///BT - Smartbomb
//Big Beatz - 100 BPM
Artist, producer, composer, and remixer BT has been busy. Not
only is he working on a follow-up to his upcoming album, 'Movement in
Still Life,' but he has also produced *NSYNC's hit single "Pop"
and remixed tracks for Sarah McLachlan, Tori Amos, Madonna,
and Seal. www.btmusic.com
Song Analysis:
And here it is, definitely the track with the highest potential for huge
scores. Almost every single track poses potential room for error.
The trickiest perhaps, is the bass track with a very strange gem layout
that is easy to mistime. All I can say is, practice those guitar tracks,
with a x6 multiplier, they're 120 points each.
///Curve - Worst Mistake
//Electronic Rock - 150 BPM
Curve set the stage in the 90's for female fronted electronic
rock and continue to rock hard to this day mixing heavy beats
and screaming quitars with sultry vocals. www.curve.co.uk
Song Analysis:
Pretty simple song to play in my opinion, nothing is really around to throw
you off. It's a pretty streamlined track, so racking up a huge streak is
definitely possible, but with a few sparse tracks, getting only 1500 on
this track would be considered an excellent run, where as getting this score
on Smartbomb is only so-so.
Stage 4
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///Jungle Brothers - What's the Five O
//Drum'n'Bass - 172 BPM
Hip-Hop pioneers Mike G & Afrika have always pushed the
boundaries of hip-hop; from founding the Afrocentric Native
Tongues movement through the smash hit, drum'n'bass sound of
"Jungle Brother (UrbanTakeover Mix)." www.jbeez.com
Song Analysis:
Tricky song, one of the fastest in the game. The beats are spread out nicely
a bit like Selecta. The first drum track has a pattern with a quick half-beat
"RL" which is a bit tricky at 172 BPM, but it's very do-able. What you'll need
to watch out for is the second drum track, about halfway through the song,
this tracks morphs into something deadly. Very tricky instrument, and the
only thing harder than actually doing this string is the transition to other
tracks while maintaining your multiplier. One of the hardest individual
strings in the game.
///Funkstar De Luxe - Ignition
//Funk - 115 BPM
Funkstar De Luxe kicked in the doors all over the world when
he remixed Bob Marley's "Sun is Shining." To get the
atmosphere just right for the recording, the studio was
decorated with palm trees and all the actual work was done
only while the sun was shining! www.funkstardeluxe.com
Song Analysis:
Possibly the easiest Stage 4 track. The first drum track mixes it up a bit
throughout the song, but none of the patterns are deadly. At 115 BPM, you'll
no doubt be able to pull off everything with easy with some practice. One of
the better songs as well, sound wise.
///Roni Size & Reprazent - Railing Pt.2
//Drum'n'Bass - 175 BPM
Roni Size is probably the most successful and innovative
producer to have emerged from the UK drum'n'bass explosion.
Roni has his own underground label, Full Cycle, plus his group
Reprazent, with collaborators Krust, Die, Suv, and Dynamite
MC. www.ronisize.com
Song Analysis:
A bit faster than What's the Five O, not quite as speedy as Selecta. Railing
Pt.2's tracks will definitely throw you off a bit. The first drum track,
although steadily spread out, has some half-beats that may be tricky to time
at high speed. The last two tracks, synth and drums, are absolutely deadly,
the synth being the worst. I guarantee, when you first start playing this
track on Expert, these will be the two tracks leftover at the end of the song
that will get you a game over. Just practice it, start a game, unlock that
portion of the song, hop over to it and keep trying it until you can do it.
Also the only song that starts out with a Bass track as the first instrument.
///Meat Beat Manifesto - Dynamite Fresh
//Beats In Space - 134 BPM
Meat Beat Manifesto is Jack Dangers - widely acknowledged
for his sonic inventions in the realm of electronic music as
recording artist, producer and remixer. Recent works include
his guise as co-creator of Tino, performed live as Tino Corp.
www.tinocorp.com
Song Analysis:
This is one of the toughest tracks to get through for the first time, beats
everywhere. The first drum track gave me some trouble when I was trying to
learn the timing of it, but like every track of every song, practice makes
perfect. The synth track can get funky at time, but nothing that should get
you a game over, that's what the drum tracks are for. The F/X tracks should
more or less be tame enough for you, concentrate on getting the two drums and
synth tracks down, and you'll be completing this each time.
///Juno Reactor - Higher Ground
//Techno - 143 BPM
Juno Reactor are constantly challenging the concept of what
an electronic-based band should be and sound like, as
evidenced on their latest album, 'Shango.' They push the
boundaries even further in their live show, with South African
percussionists Amampondo. www.reactorleak.com
Song Analysis:
Alot of people express dislike for this track on freqnet (but what do we care
what they think?). The bass track will most likely give you problems when
trying to learn to play it, it's got half-beats, it's a busy track, and it
varies a bunch. The other track that will be your other concern will be the
last drum track, featuring patterns like "MRL RML RML RMR RMR RML RML MRL"
that are a bit hard to pull off at the song's speed. The other tracks
*should* be do-able without too much memorization or planning.
Stage 5
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///Tony Trippi - Motomatic
//Hard Electro - 135 BPM
Old School computer game composer Tony Trippi crashes
through your living room wall with his high-octane jam,
"Motomatic." Since 1988, Tony has been droppin' the grooves
that make the video kids freak. Get behind the wheel and get
your groove on yo! www.tonytrippi.com
Song Analysis:
There are a lot of busy tracks in this song, and just about all of them have
fairly simple patterns. You'll need to watch out for the first synth track,
it's definitely tricky, but the button pattern is easy enough where you should
be pulling it off with minimal practice. Other than that, the first drum
track with occasional double beats, and the second drum track with it's
changing patterns, you shouldn't have many issues with this song.
///DJ HMX - Ibiza Dreamz
//Trance - 144 BPM
Superstar DJ HMX returns from his world tour to deliver the
smash hit "Ibiza Dreamz." Let the synth waves wash over you
as HMX takes you to a higher level.
Song Analysis:
This is a nice song in a number of ways, it sounds nice, it's fun to play, and
for people having trouble with Stage 5, it's short. Clocking in at just about
two and a half minutes, it could be possible to "ride the easy tracks" and
finish the song. It is of course, much more fun to learn how to play this
song's hard tracks. Beginning on the fourth section of the song, the first
drum track with change in appearance, it becomes a very quick "LMRMLMRML.."
with a few beats of "LMLMLM.." thrown in to keep you on your toes. While this
track is playing, your bass and first synth tracks get much harder as well.
The synth becomes a seemingly simple "LMR LMR LMR.." with some "LMRMLMR.."
parts thrown in to confuse you. The last dangerous track is the third synth
track, it's got a fairly complex pattern that changes just slightly when
you're approaching the end of section. Play with caution.
///Symbion Project - Funky Dope Maneuver
//Big Beat - 140 BPM
The Symbion Project is the brainchild of electronic guru and
international superstar DJ Kasson Crooker. Boogie down to the
funky beatz. Check out www.symbionproject.com for more music!
Song Analysis:
This song in terms of difficulty resembles Ibiza Dreamz the most. The first
drum track is pretty passive, but the second one varies a lot, and has some
complicated double beat patterns. Your synth, vocal, and F/X tracks are all
over the place here though. Just try out each new one as they come to you,
and hope for the best. The bass track is probably one of the easiest of the
instruments to play out of any Level 5 song.
///Komputer Kontroller - Control Your Body
//Hard House - 144 BPM
Komputer Kontroller controls your body with his latest hard
house anthem. You will not be able to resist his funky beats or
thumping bass. You are now under kontrol!
Song Analysis:
This song has an odd first drum track, it's almost constantly changing, you'll
see different section three times throughout the song, so it's best to learn
them. With this track being as hard as it is, it's the second drum track that
you really need to watch out for, some "LMRMLMR.." action, with a few twists,
including a sudden change to "LRMRLRM.." which may confuse your fingers. You
might have some trouble with the second synth track as well, as it changes
around, and has some funny gem placement.
///Symbion Project - FreQ Out
//Hard Breakz - 155 BPM
Symbion Project hitz you one last time with an aggressive
breakbeat masterpiece. This one is going to wear you down.
www.symbionproject.com
Song Analysis:
Definitely in the top 3 tracks that are hardest to finish. In the first drum
track, the beat patterns shouldn't hit you too bad, although they take time to
get used to. Watch out for the first synth track and the second set of drums,
tricky patterns show up on both, with the drums being the harder of the two.
In reality, you should watch out for all of the tracks in this song, they can
all be troublesome unless you know what to expect. Just take this song one
beat at a time.
Secret Songs
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///SurgeCore - Luge Crash
//Melodica - 120 BPM
With a background shrouded in mystery, rumor, and whispered
half-truths, SurgeCore has emerged from the post-industrial
German heartland with an assault of melodic electronica.
Choirs of robots sing the praises of a new synthetic dawn.
www.surgecore.com
Song Analysis:
The song that has the distinction of being the only one that starts with a
synth track, and there's deadly tracks all over the place. Basically, watch
out for all of the tracks, with the possible exception of the very last synth
track since it's a bit light. All other instruments though, beware.
///Robotkid vs Inter:sekt - End Of Your World
//Bionic Sonic Beats - 160 BPM
Robotkid and Inter:sekt duke it out on the dancefloor with "End
of Your World." Put on your stompin' boots and get on down.
Remixed by Symbion Project. www.robotkid.com
Song Analysis:
What we have here is the hardest song to complete in Single player mode.
It has a deadly first drum track, an ever-changing second drum track, a
repetitive (not an insult), quick bass track, strange F/X gem placement,
and *THE* death track, it's synth track. The vocal track is pretty tame
however. The synth track technically has six different variations, but
since by the nature of how the song goes, the main pattern we're worried
about appears on multiple different sections of the song. All in all there
are four or five different versions of this track. The three easier ones
should be cake. Now, there are two patterns that are very, very busy.
One will show up a later in the song (starts out with "MLRM"), this is
the easier of the two death tracks. The second one, is a bit more complex
and it will appear for the first time at the start of the second section
of the song. This will be the track that will be your last remaining track
when trying to conquer this song. Unless you learn to play at least some
parts of it, you're going to have a problem. My advice to you, if you
really want to play all of the parts of this instrument, play the song, go
to the synth track, and wait until the death track appears on your TV.
Right here, pause the game, and take a camera or a pen and paper, something
to record the button pattern down. When this is complete, go into remix
mode, create a new remix with a slow song slow like Cosmic Assassins or BT,
and slowly, recreate the death track exact on one of these instruments
(preferably drums, as anything else will mess with your head when trying to
learn it). Get the pattern down, when you feel you have a good grasp on it,
try it in the real thing. Good Luck.
Other songs
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Efishant - Elixia
Attention please, this song does not exist, it's a fake song, it's a fake
code. For the love of everything good and sacred about the world, stop
asking about it. And to people still peddling the code around to game sites
and cheat publications, stop it please.
Reeload - Why?
This song appeared in Stage 1 of the European release of Frequency.
>From Robotkid:
"Yep. "EuroFreQ" has an extra song: "Reeload"
It's a cool 2-step track that SCEE asked we put in."
"2-step" meaning Garage music. I haven't heard the song myself, so I can't
really comment on it. Also, SCEE is Sony Computer Entertainment of Europe.
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III. Single Player
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The essence of Frequency, this mode is what makes the game what it is,
just you creating the music. You start off pretty basic, very few songs
unlocked, a single arena to play in. As you get quicker and better, you'll
unlock fresh new tracks, great looking new arenas to play in, and you'll get
to experience the joy of making music.
As you most likely know, unlocking more tracks requires getting good
scores. A stage will have a set amount of points that is needed to unlock the
bonus song of a stage. Requirements for unlocking the next stage in a series
consists of beating the first four songs of the stage you are currently in.
To unlock the fifth song of a stage, you must beat the "Try to Beat" score
with the combined scores of the first four tracks. The bonus song will not
become available until the first four songs are complete, even if you only
have say two or three songs done, yet you have already passed the "Try to
Beat" mark. I'll try to explain the Arena unlocking system as best I can.
I'm just about sure this is how it works, but I'm not positive, and I don't
feel like playing through the game again purposely doing bad to see what
unlocks where and when, it's bad for your game.
Stage unlocking tree:
Easy Difficulty
---------------
Stage 1 score to beat - 800 pts.
Stage 2 score to beat - 1000 pts.
Stage 3 score to beat - 1200 pts.
Normal Difficulty
-----------------
Stage 1 score to beat - 2000 pts.
Stage 2 score to beat - 2000 pts.
Stage 3 score to beat - 2400 pts.
Stage 4 score to beat - 2400 pts.
Expert Difficulty
-----------------
Stage 1 score to beat - 4000 pts.
Stage 2 score to beat - 4000 pts.
Stage 3 score to beat - 4400 pts.
Stage 4 score to beat - 4000 pts.
Stage 5 score to beat - 3200 pts.
Beating every song here will unlock a Secret Song, beating this song will
unlock the Super Secret Song, beating that song, and you have completed the
Frequency.
Arena unlocking tree:
Blue Pylon - Already unlocked by default.
VR Tex - Complete 1 song.
Constructo - Complete 2 songs.
EQlizer - Complete 3 songs.
GlasHaus - Unlock Stage 2 (Easy Mode)
Parallaxia - Unlock Stage 3 (Easy Mode)
Green Obelisk - Complete Normal Mode
VideoWall - Complete Expert Mode
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IV. Multiplayer
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The Multiplayer aspect of Frequency is much like Single Player mode,
with the addition of one to three opponents to complete the song with you.
It may seem like you are working cooperatively with other players, but in
reality, you're supposed to be working against them, but while still hopefully
making the song sound good.
I won't go into explicit detail about how Multiplayer Mode works,
mainly because the actual play mechanics of Frequency are documented in the
game manual, or you should know how to play already. Also, I've heavily
described all of the Multiplayer weapons and powerups in it's own section.
In order to do well at multiplayer, both local and online, you'll need to
learn to be aware of what your opponents are doing. If an opponent on an
adjacent track gets an autocapture, you must anticipate that he/she may use
it against you. If it's late in the song, and tracks are hard to come by,
you'll want to look very far down the track, so you can beat your opponents
to the oncoming tracks. For more info on the Multiplayer experience, please
refer to the manual that came with Frequency, in addition to the Weapons and
Powerups, and Freqnet sections of this FAQ below.
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V. Powerups and Weapons
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This section will be split up into 2 parts, mainly because there are
no single player weapons, and people will think they can use cripplers in
single player mode, don't laugh folks, i have seen it before. That's almost
as bad as people in Frequency seeing a Crippler launched, and they start
cycling around the tracks trying to "lose" it, hah. Anyways:
a. Single Player
----------------
Autocapture - It's main purpose is to capture a part of the song
automatically, you can do this for a number of reasons however.
I guess the main reason to use this (in Single Player mode
anyways,) would be to capture a track that you can't play, or
have a hard time with. Other ways to use this powerup include
clearing out an adjacent track. In theory, if a single
section of a song is 8 bars long, and you successfully
complete 4 instruments, that will be the entire 8 bars of the
track. If you have the autocapture, you'll be able to
possibly capture a fifth track before the next section of the
song opens up. You'll get the extra points for the track,
plus it happens so fast that there's almost no risk for loss
of your multiplier. Speaking of which...
Multiplier - Simply, capturing and deploying this will multiply the total
points of any track captured while it's activated, this
includes tracks captured via the Autocapture. Comes in handy
for
getting large scores. Meaning while these are activated,
they will multiply your score for capturing a track by a
certain amount, x4 will go to x6, no multiplier will
immediately go up to x3, etc. The amount your overall
multiplier is worth is the combined status of the actual
multiplier powerup, and the number of consecutive tracks
you've pulled off. Keep a streak going to keep your
multiplier going.
Freestyler - Use this track (when all other tracks are unlocked) to keep
your multiplier going. Scratch away, use the buttons to
play sounds, or do both.
Axe - Pretty much the same purpose as the Freestyler, except you
can simply press a button and move the arrow as you wish to
make different sounds. Feel free to also "tap" the axe at
different locations and pitches to make it in rhythm with
the actual song.
b. Multiplayer
--------------
Autocapture - Same properties as in the Single Player mode, use it to
capture hard tracks you can't play to get it's points.
Although it seems it's primary purpose is to help you, this
can also be used against your opponent as well. If your
opponent is about to do a rather "expensive" track, meaning
he'll get lots of points for completing it, you'll be able
to get behind them and detonate that track on them giving
the points to you instead of them, any multiplier points
your opponent has will not apply to the points you get.
Multiplier - Just like the above description, the multipliers have no
menacing effect on your opponents. The entire purpose of
them is to boost your scores, and boost them it does. A
very important powerup in Multiplayer. It should also be
noted that your overall multiplier cannot go over x4 in
Multiplayer mode.
Crippler - A fairly devastating attack here. Move over to a track that
an opponent is occupying and launch this weapon. They will
get hit by a fireball, causing their screen to shake
violently, obviously hindering their sight. You can still
play the track though, depending on how well you know the
track, and how expensive it is of course.
Bumper - Easily the most versatile weapon in Multiplayer, it has many
functions. If an opponent is "camping out" on an expensive
track (a.k.a. sitting on the track, sucking up all the
points,) you can bump them off it. If you're getting towards
the end of a song, where finding tracks becomes difficult,
you can use it to steal tracks away from people, so they are
the ones left out without a track to play. And lastly, the
most annoying function, if an opponent is about to catch a
section with a multiplier, autocapture, or any powerup, you
can quickly bump them off and break their streak. An easy
attack to do, and it's definitely abuse on freqnet, but
that's a different story entirely. Also to be noted: Bumping
someone on a freestyle or axe track will "lock them up", and
they will be unable to scratch or use the axe as long as you
are on that track.
Neutralizer - An interesting powerup, when a single track has been played
enough in a song to the point that it's just a bunch of
colored dots, you'll be able to revive those tracks, and
pick up some extra points. If a track has been cleared out,
it will be glowing the same color as the player that unlocked
it, or played the most complete bars on it. Move to one of
these tracks, and neutralize it to play a few more bars, and
cause point loss to one of your opponents. It's usually best
to either a. Neutralize the track that had the most beats on
it, or b. Neutralize tracks that are the same color as the
current leader of the game. I'm not really sure how the
number of points to be neutralized are decided, however,
I'm pretty sure the area that's analyzed are just the
previous 8 bars. Be careful not to neutralize yourself
though.
Freestyler - Same properties as in the Single Player mode, but the
freestyler/axe powerup shows up on the track just like
the other powerups. After getting this powerup, you need
to move over to where the freestyler or axe should be, and
deploy it. The powerup will last for 8 bars. The powerup
itself applies to both the freestyler and axe, they are not
separate, it all depends on where you deploy the powerup.
You can rack up some extra points using this as well. If
you deploy it directly next to a fairly sparse track, feel
free to move over and give it a quick scratch after you
complete your current track, and before the next track
starts. You'll be getting points for the tracks you do,
the multiplier you have, plus the extra points that the
freestyler or axe is worth every bar you play it.
Axe - I have explained this powerup in detail above, see that for
the description of this.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VI. Freqnet (Online)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This will probably be the hardest part of this FAQ to explain, only
because usage and tip about freqnet aren't documented anywhere. There are
some various bits of information floating around Frequency forums, but
nothing organized.
Basically, what is needed for online play is the PlayStation 2 Network
Adapter, now available at most game retailers. There seems to be some other
network adapter coming into the market, but I won't discuss that here. The
CD that comes with the adapter will have a 4-song demo of Frequency on it,
this demo serves two purposes: To introduce new players to the gameplay style
of Frequency, and to use it to load the online portion of Frequency, and then
swap in the full version of Frequency to be able to play all 27 songs online
instead of just the 4 found in the demo.
If you don't have the full version of Frequency, you will only be able
to join games that other people with just the demo have hosted. The actual
task of logging into to freqnet is simple as long as your online settings are
correct. Please don't ask me why you can't log on to freqnet if you're
having trouble, I know nothing about that.
Think of online gameplay as simple multiplayer mode, but with a full
screen view of the playing area. When you join games and see players online,
they will have a yellow icon indicating their skill level. They are as \
follows:
Dot - Demo CD player, or full version player who hasn't beaten Easy Mode
Diamond - Full version player who has beaten Easy Mode
Triangle - Full version player who has beaten Normal Mode
Cross - Full version player who has beaten Expert Mode
Star - Full version player who has beaten Expert Mode and the Secret Songs
Take note however, that these icons should only really be treated as
how far "the save file" has gotten. Although most of the ratings that
Frequency players have are genuine, there are people out there who are
experts and play with a Dot so they can beat up on new players, or beat Star
and Cross players so they can gloat "HAH U GOT 0WNZ0RED BY A N00B". On the
other side of the spectrum, there are players out there who beat the game
using cheat codes (unlimited autocaptures, etc.) and then get 300 points on
expert songs. It's unfortunate, but it's commonplace.
Just like offline multiplayer, there are two basic game modes to play,
Game and Remix. Like I said earlier, Game mode is exactly like a normal
multiplayer game. Remix mode is pretty much the same, but with a few
differences. You can actually talk in Remix mode, by simply typing your
message, and hitting enter on your keyboard, I have not found a way to chat
in Remix mode without a keyboard yet. The person who hosted the remix is the
only person who can control advancing tracks and such. Pressing Up if you
are another player in the game will result in a simple text message to the
rest of the players stating you are ready to advance. After this, basic
Remix rules apply, see the Remix section for further details.
Like any human made object, freqnet is not without errors. The
following problems/errors are all documented, noted, and Harmonix knows about
them. As a result, they should not be cause for alarm, as we all have these
problems:
* Random disconnections.
* Occasional black screens and/or being kicked back to the PS2 loader
screen.
* Disc swap errors/disc read errors/hanging during the swap disc
function.
If they happen to you, reboot the PS2 and try again. If it persists
more than seems normal, try going to http://www.playstation.com, find the
customer support section, and see if you can find a phone number of someone
you can call for support.
A few tips and info:
-----------------
* Buy a USB keyboard, it will be worth it, and it's a necessity if you
want to converse properly with your fellow gamers.
* Some people have inquired about what the "Share" function is when
hosting a game. If you notice, when playing a remix of a song online,
you will download the remix into memory. After playing the song, you
will have the opportunity to save the remix to your memory card, or
discard it. Anyways, using the Share feature instead of launching a
game will just share the remix with everyone in the game, after the
host has finished uploading the remix to you, you will be dumped back
to the game lobby.
* It's easy to spend hours playing online, remember to take breaks and
walk around. Let your fingers relax.
* Take note of what time you log on, freqnet is busiest weeknights, and
the weekends. But also pay attention to the time of day as well, if
you log on at 9:00am Saturday on the easy coast, remember that it's
only 6:00am on the west coast. I know that the freqnet is fairly
populated during the times I noted earlier. I really don't know about
early morning/third shift freqnet, I have never logged on during these
hours, maybe there is some good competition.
With all that garbage out of the way, Enjoy freqnet!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VII. Remix Mode
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
a. Remixing
-----------
Remix Mode adds to the replayablility of Frequency by letting players
rearrange the beats to the song in a variety of different ways using the
original samples from the main song. Some of the songs are harder to remix
than others, either due to speed, bad beat selection, or "beat run-on". Some
individual button presses can play up to 4 or 5 different sounds, making for
tough remixing. Also, making custom patterns from the vocal tracks can sound
terrible, no matter how where you place the beats.
You cannot change the tempo of the song, nor can you make any real
changes to the instrument choice or order. You can remix a song with up to
three other players, all making various patters on each instrument. After
completion of the remix, the names and Freq icons of all players involved in
the remix will be shown when that remix is loaded or played forever. Note:
If someone loads this remix and makes even the slightest change to the beat
pattern and saves it, only that player will be given credit for the remix.
You can fit up to 200 remixes on a single memory card.
There are a couple confusing features of remix mode that will help you
make the most out of your remixing experience. I will try to talk about them
in as much detail as fit:
Loop on/off: Toggled by pressing down, this is used to further
customize your remix more than having Loop off allows
for. In a normal 8-bar section of a song, if you lay
down a pattern that is 2 bars long, that portion you
input will loop three more times, completing the section.
If you have Loop off, you are allowed to make each of the
8 bars in the section sound completely different, this
also applies to songs with 12-bar sections as well.
This feature is best used for mixing up beat sounds to
fool players, or to make dramatic drum track buildups in
the last 2 bars of a track that lead into the next section.
Note: These effects are only audible in the actual remixing screen.
These effects will not appear in the final saved remix when playing it.
Chorus: Activate this to have the softer parts of a track amplified
so you can time it better with other instruments. (Well,
that's what I use it for anyways).
Echo: Pretty obvious.
Stutter: More or less used to cut off any echo of individual beats.
Turn this on for better beatmatching ability.
Guide: If you activate this, you'll see white gems on the track,
placing beats here will make your remix sound as close to
the real song as possible in Remix Mode. Use this for
duplicating the song's drum track (or any track,) or
tossing in random beats around the original song beats.
Mixing it up a little is fun.
Volume: Volume is best used when you have maybe all but one or two
instruments completed in a section. If you've got a couple
loud drum and guitar tracks complete, and you're trying to
lay down some F/X beats, it can be hard to tell what exactly
you are creating. Turn down the volume on those louder
tracks, and you'll be able to hear those softer tracks.
There is more to be said about all of these options, but you can read
the manual for that. After creating a remix, you can now play it by yourself,
share it online with friends, and play it in Jukebox Mode.
b. Jukebox Mode
---------------
Jukebox mode was designed to freely listen to both factory, and saved
remixes, without actually playing them. You will be able to compile a
playlist of songs you want played, arrange them in the order you wish, and
then play them either in order, or have them selected randomly. It's
unfortunate that you can't play the normal game songs in Remix mode, this
feature will be present in Amplitude however. Beyond that, there's not much
more to learn about Jukebox Mode, it comes in handy I suppose if you have a
ton of remixes on your memory card, and just feel like having some background
noise while you're doing whatever, but ultimately minimal features and lack
of support for the game songs make this a passable feature of Frequency.
I still recommend trying it out though.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VIII. Secrets and Codes
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Generally, I don't cheat, I don't like to cheat, and I don't like people
who cheat. However if it's your thing, here they are.
Cheat mode:
Press Down, Right, Up, Left, Left, Up, Right, Down at the title screen to
enable cheat mode. A sound will confirm correct code entry. The following
codes may now be activated during game play:
Autocatcher:
Press Left, Right, Right, Left, Up during game play.
Bumper:
Press Right, Left, Right, Left, Up during game play.
Crippler:
Press Left, Right, Left, Right, Down during game play.
Freestyler:
Press Left, Right, Right, Left, Down during game play.
Multiplier:
Press Right, Left, Left, Right, Up during game play.
Neutralizer:
Press Left, Right, Left, Right, Up during game play.
Gem graphics:
Press Up, Down, Up, Down, Left, Right, Right, Left during game play.
No lattice graphics:
Press Down, Up, Down, Up, Right, Left, Left, Right during game play.
Fuzzy edged graphics:
Press Down, Up, Up, Down, Down, Up, Up, Down during game play.
Listen mode:
Press L1, R1, R2, Select at the solo game menu.
Practice mode:
Press Up, Down, Left, Right, X, X, X at the solo game menu.
Alternate Freqs:
Press Right, Up, Left, Down, Right, Up, Left, Down at the title screen to
replace the default Freqs with new versions. A sound will confirm correct
code entry.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IX. Frequently Asked Questions
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. Why doesn't Harmonix release a soundtrack for the game?
A. It's not up to Harmonix, it's up to Sony. Harmonix wants to release a
soundtrack, but there would be so much red tape in getting licensing for
those songs, Sony probably feels it's not worth it. Also, Sony feels that
the series hasn't been as big enough success to require a soundtrack.
Tell your friends to buy the game, and maybe we'll get one.
Q. Why are you just putting this FAQ up now? Aren't you getting into
Amplitude?
A. Actually, I completed the template for the Amplitude FAQ first, before
the game itself came out. I stripped out all of the new Amplitude info,
and plugged in the Frequency stuff. I felt this game needed a more
complete FAQ.
Q. How many songs are in this game total?
A. These is a total of 27 songs in Frequency
Q. Is there any way to upload my saved remixes to my computer?
A. Tough one, There is an item for sale called the "Shark Port" you can find
more info at :
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005O62Y/103-3880937-1605409
It's basically a USB cable that will let you copy your memory card save
files onto your computer for saving, sharing, editing, whatever. Since
game saves are saved as Kilobytes on an 8 Megabyte Card (or more if you
have a bigger one,) you can treat your computer like one big huge memory
card. I do have one concern about this method though. It seems that
Frequency bundles all of your remixes into a single file on the memory
card. I don't know how you would be able to save individual remixes,
actually, you could probably do it by saving a remix by itself onto a
new memory card, put the file on your pc, and share that. It doesn't
seem worth the trouble to me.
Q. How many remixes can fit onto a single memory card?
A. 200 remixes
Q. How many Freqs can fit onto a single memory card?
A. I think it's 8, but I'm not sure off the top of my head.
Q. Should I play with the shoulder button, or the face buttons?
A. You can play however you want, by my suggestion is that if you want to be
a real contender online, or against your friends, you'll most definitely
want to play with the shoulder buttons.
Q. Will there be a sequel to Frequency?
A. Yeah, Amplitude (formerly known as Frequency 2) will be out in late March
2003.
Q. Where can I find out more information about the developer?
A. At their web site, http://www.harmonixmusic.com
Q. How did you ever beat "insert song here"? It's so hard.
A. Practice, that's all I can tell you. There were songs that I couldn't
beat without spending a good portion of time practicing it.
Q. Where can I find Frequency?
A. At most major retailers and online stores that have games sections such
as Best Buy, Target, Amazon.com, etc. Just about any decent game store
or game site, Electronics Boutique, Gamestop, Gexpress.com will most
likely have copies as well.
Q. What should I spend for Frequency?
A. When it came out, $40-$50. Now (Jan. 2003) $20-$30. In rare cases, you
might find it at stores $20 and under.
Q. Should I Rent or Buy?
A. Buy.
Q. Are all of the Stage 5 and Secret Songs really by Harmonix employees?
A. Yes. Tony Trippi is a Music Designer, SurgeCore is Greg LoPiccolo,
Frequency Project Manager. Robotkid is Josh Randall, Frequency Music
Director. And Symbion Project, DJ HMX, Komputer Kontroller and "the
spiked hair guy from Freezepop" are all Kasson Crooker, Lead Composer
for Frequency. The final song in the game is by Robotkid vs. Inter:sekt,
the song is remixed by Symbion Project. Although we know who Rbotkid
and Symbion are, Inter:sekt's identity is still unknown at this time.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
X. Extra Stuff
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
a. Complete Song List (Simplified)
-----------------------------------
Stage 1
-------
The Crystal Method - The Winner
Akrobatik - Exterminator
No Doubt - Ex-Girlfriend (Remix)
Orbit - XLR8R
Freezepop - Science Genius Girl
Stage 2
-------
Dub Pistols - Official Chemical
Lo Fidelity Allstars - LoFi's in Ibiza
Fear Factory - Frequency
Paul Oakenfold - See It
Ethan Eves - Selecta
Stage 3
-------
PowerMan 5000 - Danger is Go
Orbital - Funny Break (Weekend Ravers Mix)
DJ QBert - Cosmic Assassins
BT - Smartbomb
Curve - Worst Mistake
Stage 4
-------
Jungle Brothers - What's the Five O
Funkstar De Luxe - Ignition
Roni Size & Reprazent - Railing Pt.2
Meat Beat Manifesto - Dynamite Fresh
Juno Reactor - Higher Ground
Stage 5
-------
Tony Trippi - Motomatic
DJ HMX - Ibiza Dreamz
Symbion Project - Funky Dope Maneuver
Komputer Kontroller - Control Your Body
Symbion Project - FreQ Out
Secret Songs
------------
SurgeCore - Luge Crash
Robotkid vs Inter:sekt - End Of Your World
b. Tips On Getting Higher Scores
---------------------------------
Practice, practice, practice.
Keep your hands warm.
Use eye drops.
Take regular breaks from gameplay.
Use the shoulder buttons.
Do whatever you can to maintain your multiplier.
Be seated comfortably.
Don't do drugs.
c. Useful Links
----------------
http://www.freq.com - The Best resource for Frequency news and info.
http://www.gamefaqs.com - Home to other Frequency forums, useful.
http://www.gamespot.com - Good pages for Frequency with Movies, etc.
http://www.symbionproject.com - Buy the new CD.
http://frequencymusic.cjb.net - A site with some bad quality Frequency mp3's
http://cinder.retrogames.com - My Personal site, some boring info.
d. My Online Info
------------------
I can be found on Freqnet various weeknights between 5pm-11pm, and the
occasional weekend late. I'm a decent player, but by far not the best. I
appreciate a good challenge, but there are also a lot of things that annoy me
about Freqnet, the spamming, gloating, booting, etc. Please don't be
offended if I suddenly leave the pre-game chat area without warning, and
don't ask me why I don't talk a whole lot, I just like to play.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
XI. Special Thanks and Parting Message
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- To Harmonix, for making a wonderfully original game.
- To the forum members at http://www.freq.com and http://www.gamefaqs.com for
info, news, insight, and other cool jibba jabba.
- To Ted Cass "pyrite" and Mason Bliss "Chibapet" for letting me crush them in
multiplayer mode.
- To CJayC, for hosting this FAQ on the best FAQ site on the internet.
- To Austin Garbers for a quick reference to the song list (my laziness)
I'd appreciate it if this FAQ was not put on any sites besides Gamefaqs
and Freq.com, but if they are put elsewhere, that's alright. I'm not going
to cry foul and threaten to sue anybody. Are there things missing from this
FAQ? Of course there are. However, I probably can't think of them right now,
or the missing information isn't the relevant. It's blatantly covered in the
manual might be another reason. If you feel that something should be in this
FAQ that is missing, contact me. My email address is not in this FAQ, but
it's very easy to find it if you follow links in and around the location of
this file.
Coming in April 2003 will be "The Amplitude Compendium".
Expect it to use pretty much the same layout as this document.
"Team Frequency believes there is no greater high than making music."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Frequency Compendium
©2003 Jim Govoni
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
End of File.
