Rayzoon Technologies LLC

[Ralph [RZ]]

Jamstix owners are invited to participate in this open beta. Use your Jamstix password and ID when prompted:
Download Jamstix 1.7 Release Candidate
Unlike the regular beta thread, this is the full updater and includes new rhythms, mappings and a new manual. Please use this thread to report any issues you may have so we can finalize this update.

Since 1.7 Beta 9, the following changes have been made:

• fixed problems with manually changing the current bar in the arranger when Jamstix is stopped in some hosts
  
• added new automation parameters to dynamically control fill options during a performance:
  
  
  
  • Fill - Start Limiter
    
  • Fill - Rhythm Silencer
    
  • Fill - Toms On Snare
    
  • Fill - No 16ths
    
  
  
• the PDF manual is now fully searchable (has been for a few betas now)
  

Since 1.7 Beta 8, the following changes have been made:

• improved fill start time suppression options
  
• added option 'Simplify by suppressing 16th notes' to the fill options.
  
• when used with Pro Tools 7, Jamstix now always enables 'Time Sig Changes' since the other synch mode appears to cause problems in PT7
  

Since 1.7 Beta 7, the following changes have been made:

• output grouping now also applies to percussion sounds
  
• fixed new synch method getting stuck in bar 1 under certain circumstances
  
• when editing hihat quarter and eighths columns, the velocity is now only reset to default if it is currently zero
  
• incorrect snare bounce references to Alloy B snare are now automatically changed to proper stock kit references without missing sound warning
  

Since 1.7 Beta 6, the following changes have been made:

• added 'Time Sig Changes' option in OUTPUT tab. By default, Jamstix now uses a modified host synch logic that doesn't support time signature changes but offers faster lock-up, which can be especially important when using loops in the host. Check the new option only if you have time signature changes in your song.
  
• improved + column hihat velocity logic and fixed suppressed semi hats in that column under certain cirucmstances
  
  
• automatic fills are now also available in 'Manual Jam' mode
  

Since 1.7 Beta 5, the following changes have been made:

• automatic fills are now also available in 'Manual Jam' mode
  
• the accent line marker in the arranger no longer shows for 'No Snare Accent' and 'No Tom Accent'
  
• locking a rhythm in Keyboard Jam now suppresses rhythm switches
  

Since 1.7 Beta 4, the following changes have been made:

• Missing sound window can now be suppressed by adding the line
  ShowMissingSounds=0
  to the [General] section of the jamstix.ini file
  
• Added Stage Custom rimshot sounds to update since many users still don't have them
  

Since 1.7 Beta 3, the following changes have been made:

• it appears that displaying a message about missing sounds after mapping load can still lead to 'hanging' in some hosts (mostly Cubase and Nuendo). This Beta opens a browser window with the missing sound information instead to avoid this problem.
  
• fixed incorrect default mapping which used a Sensitone bounce sound rather than the 14" Stage Custom
  

Since 1.7 Beta 2, the following changes have been made:

• consolidated the new 'missing sound' message into a new window and fixed 'hanging' issue of the message with some hosts
  

Since 1.7 Beta 1, the following changes have been made:

• improved hihat choking sound when choked by low velocity closed hat event
  
• when using fill filter start time limits with fills that issue rhythm silencing before the start time limit, the rhythm is no longer silenced until the fill is allowed to start
  
• added warning message if sounds are missing
  
• improved default snare sidestick and reduction velocity thresholds
  
• improved hihat import logic for 8ths and added missing hihat import logic for 16ths
  

For those who have Beta 1841, this new beta adds the following features:

• added options 'Create 2-Bar Pattern' and 'Create 4-Bar Pattern' to arranger rhythm name right-click menu, which allow the quick creation of multi-bar patterns
  
• added ini option 'SpeedFilterBPM' to set a BPM above which certain 16th notes and all 32nd notes in fills and accents will be suppressed to avoid unnaturally fast performances
  
• the velocity threshold for switching from snare head to sidestick can now be adjusted in the general ini settings (Velocity_Autoside, 0..1). Default is 0.5 (used to be 0.7 so adjust if you need the old style)
  
• the velocity thresholds for the reduction logic can now be adjusted in the general ini settings:
  o Velocity_Reduction1 0..1 Default=0.7
  o Velocity_Reduction2 0..1 Default=0.5
  o Velocity_Reduction3 0..1 Default=0.4
  o Velocity_Reduction4 0..1 Default=0.3
  
• console gain meters now show stereo instead of mono sum
  
• added '2x 16th' as an option for the hihat quarter column
  
• improved reggae rhythms and added 'shuffle' keyword to them
  
• added 20 new rhythms as follows:
  o 7 world rhythms, including cha cha, calypso, merengue and soca
  o 6 rock rhythms
  o 4 R&B rhythms
  o 2 jazz rhythms
  o 1 reggae rhythm
  

For all those who are running Jamstix 1.61, this beta adds the following features:

• lowered CPU usage through optimized audio processing and improved voice reduction
  
• implemented new jam mode "Keyboard Jam"
  
• added 20 new rhythms as follows:
  o 7 world rhythms, including cha cha, calypso, merengue and soca
  o 6 rock rhythms
  o 4 R&B rhythms
  o 2 jazz rhythms
  o 1 reggae rhythm
  
• console gain meters are now stereo instead of mono sum
  
• improved 'Shaping' function in various ways, including suppression of clicking at high levels
  
• added 'Dampening' slider to the 'Ambience' control panel to simulate smaller rooms
  
• added options 'Create 2-Bar Pattern' and 'Create 4-Bar Pattern' to arranger rhythm name right-click menu, which allow the quick creation of multi-bar patterns
  
• bars that have snare or tom accents are now shown with a black center line in the arranger
  
• added '2x 16th' as an option for the hihat quarter column
  
• improved reggae rhythms and added 'shuffle' keyword to them
  
• added 'Drive/Laid-Back Timing' automation parameter which allows setting a constant earliness (drive) or lateness (laid-back) of the drums
  
• BFD mappings now have anti-machine gun mode enabled
  
• increased limb transition time for snare ghost notes to account for stick drag time
  
• mapping tab output lock state is now recalled via ini profile
  
• selecting 'Normal' character no longer switches off shuffling
  
• clicking 'Free Jam' no longer clears the current arrangement
  
• added voice limiter to restrict maximum voice load to around 60 (90 on min reduction level)
  
• added ini option 'SpeedFilterBPM' to set a BPM above which certain 16th notes and all 32nd notes in fills and accents will be suppressed to avoid unnaturally fast performances
  
• the velocity threshold for switching from snare head to sidestick can now be adjusted in the general ini settings (Velocity_Autoside, 0..1). Default is 0.5 (used to be 0.7 so adjust if you need the old style)
  
• the velocity thresholds for the reduction logic can now be adjusted in the general ini settings:
  o Velocity_Reduction1 0..1 Default=0.7
  o Velocity_Reduction2 0..1 Default=0.5
  o Velocity_Reduction3 0..1 Default=0.4
  o Velocity_Reduction4 0..1 Default=0.3
  
• added notice above arranger in free and keyword jam indicating that Jamstix is controlling the arrangement in those modes
  
• fixed increasing CPU usage over time in Podium
  
• fixed problem with Jamstix 'freezing' after loading first internal sample in some hosts under certain circumstances
  
• fixed a problem that could lead to an infinite loop when using empty default mappings or missing stock sounds under certain circumstances
  
• fixed delayed playing of accents suppressed by a silent rhythm or post-fill pause
  
• fixed GUI freeze in n-Track when closing several listboxes without selection
  
• fixed MIDI export tempo offset by 1BPM when the host sends tempo information in .9999 format
  

_________________
Ralph Zeuner
Rayzoon Technologies LLC
http://www.rayzoon.com

[ProfRhino]

Hi Ralph,
absolutely fantastic !
Are you sure you didn't accidentally post JS2 beta ?
Thanks a million !
I'm looking forward so much to trying the new great features, but I won't be able to do so before next week because I got two important gigs with a rather good band this weekend, hope they hire me as a regular band member after that.
Got to do some practicing ...
Cheers, Rhino

[Ralph [RZ]]

[ProfRhino]

Thanks, I'll need it !
As always, before the first gig I'm quite nervous, but once we're on stage it looks like good fun !
They have a great young drummer who plays so musical, he really guides me through the songs with his playing.
I guess that is why I love JS, too, after the vocals, the drums are No. 1 for me, always have been. And JS is so much closer to a real drummer than anything else I tried ...
Cheers, Rhino

[lucky]

Hi there,

great to see another update to Jamstix! I really like the fact that it remembers the input switch! Thanks! More more more

I have a problem now with the auto-switching to sidestick on lower velocities. To be more precise, the sidestick is nowhere to be found on any velocities. I also tried adding the Velocity_Autoside to the ini file, changing Minimum Velocity, other kits, Freejam or Keyword jam, but no sidestick. Is it just me?

Another thing I noticed, that is not really a bug, but a bit odd, is that by default the auto-switching to sidestick/snare occurs at 0.5. But also at default, the minimum velocity is 50%. So by default the sidestick will never be heard, or am I mistaken here?

Now that we can set default values for the top five Control sliders in the ini file, it would also be cool to set the bottom 5 sliders, especially the Timing Variance, Min Velocity and Velocity Variance.

EDIT: It seems that the snare is not velocity sensitive anymore. The snare is always played loud, also with lower velocities.

R, Lucky

[Ralph [RZ]]

[paspallum]

Ralph
Thanks... and well done!
Jamstix is moving forward and improving at a good rate now....

I am going to send a post to you in the next month or so just to re-enforce some of the features I'd still like to see implemented..

But for now.. just one minor thing.
It's cool that you added a visual stereo look to the meters in the console... I suggested in a post some months back that we could be able to 'name' each of the four output 'channels' like: Kick...Snare...Hats.. stereo kit.
I think this would be more useful than stereo metering.

But hey... I'm impressed... you are trying to encompass the improvements from many angles to suit all our differring work styles and requirements... and you are doing an awesome job.

Paspallum

[lucky]

[dinoman]

Wow!

I haven't written for a long time to "gush" about jamstix and great support - but this new feature list is incredable! it's great to see some of this stuff that we were hoping for someday - but probably didn't expect 'til version 2. - Especially two and four bar patterns, and SpeedFilterBPM to simplify fills.

There have been so many changes lately, I think it's time to download and print the new manual.

Thanks Ralph!

Geoff

[timmyo]

Am I doing something dumb, or has the audition ('Audit') button on the mapping tab stopped working . . . ?

[Ralph [RZ]]

Works fine here. Is this with internal sounds or external sounds?
_________________
Ralph Zeuner
Rayzoon Technologies LLC
http://www.rayzoon.com

[gezzer]

Ralph,
The values you gave Lucky. Are they to be added into the General section of the .ini file?



Gezzer

[timmyo]

[timmyo]

[Ralph [RZ]]