Rayzoon Technologies LLC

[Nutty]

I've had jamstix for a while now and have not been very successful using it. I am using Sonar Home Studio 7XL. I was using Music Creator 4 (also Cakewalk) before. I have had serious problems with crashing. Jamstix shows up as a soft synth. so I don't know if that is the problem or not. I f I insert it from the tool bar, it seems to be okay. If I try to insert it from the FX bin, it crashes. Tech support has advised how to have it inserted as a VST instrument instead of a soft synth. So that is what I want to try now.

Most times I use Band in a Box for the "foundation" and replace what I can do myself. I would like to replace the drum track (midi) with Jamstix. Sometimes I would like to start with Jamstix from scratch.

Can someone tell me which modes I should be using and what the input and output should be? Also whether it should be a midi track or an audio track? I would be extremely grateful. I have read the manual but I'm very new to all this and I am not a drummer.

Thanks.

Annette

[Blues_man]

Well I am a newbie too, and I am not using your cakewalk version, I am using Sonar Producer, so may not be able to help. What I do is in track view,go to insert soft synth, then choose all stereo outputs, then choose jamstix2. It is essentially a midi track, but each drum can then be routed to a separate track this way. The interface for jamstix2 comes up, and I can then choose kit, style, and if I want to program, I can do it one of two ways with sonar. I can do it in the staff view in sonar, or do it in jamstix2 on the timeline. Hope this helps. I have never used your cakewalk version, so not sure if it would or not.

[Nutty]

Thanks Blues Man,

What do you use as your input and output? Is it the same as if you were using TTS-1? Also, which Jam mode do you use? Jam with Midi. I not sure how the inputs and outputs should change for each mode.

I give what you said so far a try.

Thanks.
Annette

[Blues_man]

well with sonar, I don't have to choose input or output. It is automatic, I know with tts1, you do, but maybe sonar auto does it for jamstix for me, not sure. As for what mode, I mainly use the mode that jamstix creates the drum part on the fly so to speak, also have programmed some, but just as a test. I just checked and the main track for jamstix, it auto loads the output to jamstix. If you load it up as a soft synth like I do, if your cakewalk product is set up like sonar, it should be automatic

[Nutty]

Thanks Blues Man. It appears with my version you have to add the input or output.

Can anyone guide me on how to insert Jamstix in my project? I want it to follow the midi drum track from Band in a Box.

Thanks.

Annette

[Blues_man]

that is over my experiance level..lol.. sorry.. I usually just have it jam to my recorded music, you may want to try that, it does a good job. To do that, you load up jamstix, then on your master channel, insert the plugin audio m8 and it listens to the music, and comes up with a drum beat

[Nutty]

Okay, I'll give that a try. Do you insert jamstix from the Insert menu or add it in the FX bin? Not sure what you mean by "master channel"? Do you the Master Bus? Do you add an audio track (blank) to insert audio m8?

Thanks for your help Blues Man.

Annette

[Blues_man]

well in sonar, it gives me a master channel, a channel that everything is routed to, before it goes out to my audio card. I place compression some reverb and other things in there on the mixdown. The fx bin is where you put the audio m8 plugin at. One thing I learned here from the forum, is if you don't want an intro fill, you need to call the first item in jamstix a "verse", and use silent drummer as the drummer, otherwise you will have a one or two measure intro on drums. As far as jamstix and audio track, sonar loads it as a midi with multiple tracks for each drum.

[dysfunction]

It doesn't matter what you call the first part in the song sheet; if you need to have Jamstix be silent for one or more bars in the beginning of the song and don't want an intro fill before the drums come in, just make a part, select 'silent' for both drummer and style, and untick the transition fill bubble.

[Ralph [RZ]]

Nutty, I recommend using Jamstix via toolbar (softsynth) and not the fx bin. Do you still have trouble with hearing drum sounds when you do that?

Other than that, I would not worry about MIDI or audio output at this time. Just load a quickstart song, set to 'Jam With No Input' and adjust the parts in the song sheet to match your song (lengths & reps). Now click the style for each part and using 'Preview' find a style that you like. Finally, listen to the whole song and listen for fills and adjust the fill boxes as needed.
_________________
Ralph Zeuner
Rayzoon Technologies LLC
http://www.rayzoon.com

[Nutty]

Thanks Ralph,

That worked very well. I had it up and running. I wanted to go back and try other drummers, but I couldn't figure out how to get back to Jamstix? Then I inadvertingly lost the Jamstix tracks. Guess I'll have to start over.

Thanks.
Annette

[Ralph [RZ]]

You can access the Jamstix interface from the synth rack in Sonar with the properties button.
_________________
Ralph Zeuner
Rayzoon Technologies LLC
http://www.rayzoon.com

[Nutty]

Thank you.