Blue Chip Music Technology AIX101 Owner's Manual

Owner’s Manual

English

1

The AIX-101/102 is a high-performance guitar
synthesizer pickup/driver designed for use with
the BLUE CHIP AXON Guitar MIDI Converter.
When properly installed and adjusted it can add
high-performance MIDI guitar synthesizer capa­bility to just about any electric or steel-string
acoustic guitar.

The pickup for guitar with 6 strings is called AIX-

101. The pickup for the bass guitar is entiteled as

AIX-102.

In the following operating instruction, all

illustrations relate to the AIX-101. You mount the

AIX-102 on the bass guitar in the same way.

Please read this owner’s manual carefully, and
follow the installation instructions within in order
to ensure proper operation.

Contents

Precautions ...........................................2

The interface and the handling are identical concern-

ing guitar and bass. The function of the keys UP/

DOWN, the selector GUITAR/MIX/SYNTH and the

MIDI volume control are also explaind in the user

manual of the AXON.

Nomenclature ....................................... 3

Installation ............................................ 4

Setup ...................................................12

Specifications......................................14

2

AIX-101 Hex Pickup for Guitar with 6 Strings

AIX-102 Pickup for Bass Guitar with 4 Strings

Precautions !! PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE PROCEEDING !!

■ Location

Do not expose the AIX-101/102 to the following
conditions to avoid deformation, discoloration, or
more serious damage.

• Direct sunlight (e.g. near a window).

• High temperatures (e.g. near a heat source,

outside, or in a car during the daytime).

• Excessive humidity.

• Excessive dust.

• Strong vibration.

■ Connections

• When connecting the AIX-101/102 to the

BLUE CHIP AXON Guitar MIDI Converter, be

sure to use the specified multi-pin cable

(supplied with the AXON Guitar MIDI

Converter).

• Always connect the direct guitar cable (page

12), even if you don’t intend to use the direct

guitar sound. The direct guitar cable is essential

for proper grounding, to minimize noise and

prevent electric shock.

• Always unplug cables by gripping the plug

firmly, not by pulling on the cable.

• Disconnect all cables before moving the

instrument or any connected equipment.

■ Handling and Transport

• Never apply excessive force to the controls,
connectors or other parts of the instrument.

• Physical shocks caused by dropping, bumping,
or placing heavy objects on the instrument can
result in scratches and more serious damage.

• Be careful not to damage the AIX-101/102
controller when placing the guitar in a case or
on a stand.

■ Cleaning

• Clean the unit with a dry soft cloth.

• A slightly damp cloth may be used to remove
stubborn grime and dirt.

• Never use cleaners such as alcohol or thinner.

■ Service and Modification

• The AIX-101/102 contains no user serviceable
parts. Opening it or tampering with it in any
way can lead to irreparable damage and
possibly electric shock. Refer all servicing to
qualified BLUE CHIP personel.

BLUE CHIP is not responsible for damage caused by improper installation, handling, or operation.

Precautions

3

Nomenclature









GUITAR



q Pickup

MIX
SYNTH

UP

DOWN VOL





This is the actual “pickup” unit which converts
the physical motion of the guitar’s strings into an
electrical signal which can be processed by the
AIX-101/102 and transmitted to the AXON Guitar
MIDI Converter.

■ CAUTION!

• Because of its slender dimensions the pickup

unit is quite delicate and can be damaged if sub­jected to unnecessary force, bending, or twisting.

Handle the pickup carefully!

w Multi-pin Cable Connector

This is the main output from the AIX-101/102.
One end of the multi-pin cable supplied with the
AXON Guitar MIDI Converter is plugged in here,
and the other end of the cable is plugged into the
DIVIDED INPUT connector on the AXON. The
multi-pin cable connector delivers both the
individual string output from the AIX-101/102
pickup and the combined output from the guitar’s
output jack to the AXON Guitar MIDI Converter.
It also supplies power from the AXON to the AIX­101/102, and sends the control signals produced by
the AIX-101/102 UP/DOWN buttons and VOL
control to the AXON.

r Power Indicator

The AIX-101/102 is receiving power from the
AXON Guitar MIDI Converter when this indicator
is lit. The indicator lights when the AIX-101/102 is
properly connected to the AXON via the multi-pin
cable, and the AXON power is turned ON.

t Volume Control

Controls the volume of the MIDI tone
generator(s) connected to the AXON Guitar MIDI
Converter (the AXON translates the position of this
control to MIDI master volume data which is sent
to the tone generator). Use the guitar’s original
volume controls to adjust the volume of the direct
guitar sound.

y UP/DOWN Buttons

These buttons can be used to select different
synthesizer voices and select other functions while
playing the AIX-101/102. Press either button
briefly to increment or decrement the AXON
Guitar MIDI Converter memory number by one
(and thereby the voice number of the synthesizer or
tone generator it is driving), or hold either button
for continuous scrolling in the corresponding
direction.

u GUITAR/MIX/SYNTH Selector

Selects the type of output to be delivered via
the multi-pin cable connector to the AXON Guitar
MIDI Converter, as listed below:

GUITAR Only the direct guitar sound will be

heard (i.e. no synthesizer sound will be
produced).

MIX Both the direct guitar sound and

individual-string synthesizer output
will be heard.

SYNTH Only the individual-string synthesizer

output is sent to the AXON (no direct
guitar sound will be heard).

e Direct Guitar Input Jack

This jack receives the combined output from
the guitar’s normal pickups from the guitar’s output
jack. The short cable supplied with the AIX-101/
102 is used to connect the guitar’s output jack
(large 1/4" phone jack end of the cable) to the
AIX-101/102 direct guitar input jack (small mini­jack end of the cable).

4

Nomenclature

Installation

Installing the AIX-101/102 on a guitar is not
a difficult process, but it does require care and
at least a modicum of mechanical ability. If you
don’t feel totally confident that you can handle
the job, it might be a good idea to leave the
installation to someone experienced in guitar
modification or repair.

Guitar Compatibility

The AIX-101/102 can be installed on most
electric and steel-string acoustic guitars, with

the following exceptions:

• Since the AIX-101/102 employs a magnetic

pickup, it will not work with nylon or other

non-metallic strings.

• The AIX-101/102 is designed for use with 6-

string guitars. It will not work properly with

12-string guitars or other non-standard string

configurations.

• The AIX-101/102 pickup should be installed

between the guitar’s bridge and bridge pickup.

Installation may not be possible if there is not

enough room between the bridge and bridge

pickup of your guitar, or between the guitar top

and strings.

IMPORTANT!

Make sure your guitar’s neck (truss rod) and
string height/intonation (bridge) are properly
adjusted before installing the AIX-101/102.

Installing the Controller
Unit

Install the controller unit before installing the
pickup, being careful not to damage the pickup
during the installation process.

A number of installation options are provided:

• Screw.

• Double-sided adhesive tape.

• Re-usable adhesive pads.

• Velcro fastener.

• Bracket.

• Suction cups.

Installation

Choose the method which is best suited to your

guitar and playing requirements.

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