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Layout

Basically AIM consists of a Background and a Foreground section.

The Background section produces flanged and “wah-wah” sounds. It is composed out of a modified Bashi instrument (designed by …..; BTW in my opinion Bashi is a fantastic instrument in itself). The saw and pulse oscillators in the Bashi instrument have been replaced by a Noise oscillator (used in the “Tempest” preset for example) and a modified Revoice instrument (designed by John Dunn).
You can change the Background sound characteristics by setting the Background instrument controls and/or the Revoice instrument controls.
In addition you can change the rhythm of the Background section by selecting other values for the 3 rhythm controls on the Metronome panel.

The Foreground section is a relative simple configuration of 5 sample-players. 
The first player is supposed to play Bass parts. Pitch, rhythm and volume can be set in the first column on the AIM panel. Notes produced by this sample-player are scaled to the selected Scale/Key combination. (Note: Key sequences can be programmed in the “Key Sequence” section at the bottom part of the AIM panel).
The second player is the first of two drummers. It plays a tabla by default. You can set the pitch, rhythm and volume for this player. Notes are NOT scaled.
The third sample is a “Pluck” sample and has a accompanying function. You can select the rhythm and volume, but the pitch is generated randomly (though scaled) within the min and max range (“3Min” and “3Max”).
The fourth sample is like the second sample: a drum sound with a single pitch value.
The fifth and last sample is the solo sample: its pitch and gate values are generated by a 16-note sequencer. Clicking the New button will select a new pattern for this sample. In addition you can set the note center (“5Mid”) and note range (“5Rng”), as well as rhythm and volume.
You can select one of two samples for solo, by clicking the corresponding “SoloIns” button.
Foreground and Background sounds are mixed and fed to a Filter Delay (designed by György Birki and NI, modified by AuReality). The Filter Delay can dramatically alter the kind of sounds that are produced.
Other controls that affect the sound are Scale, Solo Decay (minimum and maximum), the solo instrument chosen (S1 or S2), the Key Sequence values (including the “Div by” value!) and the Foreground/Background volume ratio.

  		 

Customizing

What follows are indications of how to change a preset to achieve a certain goal.

  • To change the flange effect, go into the Background panel and change the Flange controls. Also note that the flange effect is highly affected by the Cutoff parameter in the “dry” section.
    Note: like all timed parameters in AIM, the flange rate is synchronized to the central BPM value as selected in the Metronome panel.
  • To change the wah-wah effect, go into the Background panel and change the filter controls on the right side (mode, res, multiplication factor (fac), etc.)
  • To change the overall Background sound, change the controls in the Revoice panel, particular the right octave control and the Env controls.
  • To change the rhythm, change the 1..3 rhythm controls in the Metronome panel (they affect the Background rhythm but also have effect on the rhythms of the sample-players), or change the individual sample rhythm controls N1..N5.
  • To change the balance between Background and Foreground, turn the BG and/or FG knobs.
    Note: the levels of Foreground and Background are partially automated to add a dynamic feel to the produced sounds.
  • To change the timbre, adjust the various pitch levels of the sample-players, select another scale and/or modify the Key Sequence.
  • To get a complete other instrument, replace the samples with samples of your own choice. Note that the Revoice instrument also uses a sample

A few words about automation

What exactly is automated in AIM?
The most obvious form of automation obviously is the automatic preset selector. When AutoPC is on, a clock pulse of the Interval clock (which is NOT synchronized to the BPM clock) results in the following sequence of events:

1. First the main volume is faded out.
2. When the main volume is at its lowest point, the program change occurs and propagates throughout all instruments of AIM.
3. The main volume is faded in again.

In addition, three volume levels (L1..L3) are always automated, even when AutoPC is off:

  • Level 1 is the level of the flange part of the Background sound
  • Level 2 is the level of the wah-wah part of the Background sound
  • Level 3 is the level of the Foreground sound
Note: when one of the samples in a preset is too soft or too loud in your opinion, adjust its individual level, NOT the overall Foreground level.

Finally, the produced notes of the Bass, Pluck ans Solo sample-players, as well as the Revoice sample, are automated, in the sense that they are generated randomly (or, in the case of the Solo sample-player, with a sequence) and scaled to the current Scale/Key combination.