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How to change the bells on the FM-1 AMB-1

AMB-1 turns the FM-1 into an ambient machine that plays itself, and its bells come from four loops of unequal length: 13, 17, 23 and 29 beats, so they slide against each other. Pressing ARP opens the Bells page, where KNOB3 sets their tone and KNOB2 how many notes each loop holds, and OCT+ raises them an octave.

The short answer

ARP opens the Bells page.

Before you start

These steps are for the AMB-1 firmware, version 1.2, on the Garden piece: turn PRESETS until Garden is playing. If you have changed Garden and want its starting sound, hold SAVE for 1.5 seconds to put it back to its recipe, in place of your version.

Three steps

Press ARP, then turn KNOB3 up for Tone. Up to a long metallic clang.
0:08
Press OCT+ to raise the bells an octave. Two up or two down, from any page.
0:15
Turn KNOB2 up for Density, up to five notes a loop. Each loop changes as it comes round.
0:20

Four loops. Four lengths. Let them slide.

Good to know

KNOB1 on the Bells page sets the bells' level, and KNOB4 their octave, the same octave OCT+ and OCT- change. Each loop is its own shade of bell, and now and then a note rings with its octave. On the Garden page (HOME), turning Evolve up on KNOB2 makes a bell note now and then change or move at the end of a pass. AMB-1 can't export its pieces, so write down the settings you want to keep before you switch firmware. More on the FM-1 and its firmware: https://les.audio/guides/m-vave-fm-1. Les is independent and not affiliated with M-VAVE or with AMB-1's author, Charles Vestal.

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