Rayzoon Technologies LLC

[Tygerman_GrooveBand]

I'm using Jamstix in a Bidule host for live looping. I'm working out my control over the rig while playing live. I'm wondering if there's any way to load songs in Jamstix using a MIDI controller. I'd like to be able to select and load songs in Jamstix like patches.
What's the best way to control the drumming live? I'd like to be able to use an expression pedal to swing Jamstix from "tone it down" to "give me all you got". Ideally pedal up would give me a metronome like beat and pedal down would give me a fill. The mid range would dial up the groove.

Anybody have any suggestions?

Thanks in advance,
-Ty

[Ralph [RZ]]

There is no way to remote-load songs at this time. I did note this so for future evaluation. Same goes for the expression behavior. However, here is what you can do with Jamstix today:

Right-click on the song power knob and assign the MIDI controller. Your pedal now controls the song power. Set it to zero and you will get a minimal groove. If it is played too softly, raise the 'Min Dyn' slider in Jamstix. At full pedal, Jamstix will switch to power hand. Fills need to be triggered with a separate MIDI key.

You can also map groove elements (i.e. 'Kick Complexity') to 'Power'. This means that they will increase as you press the pedal, which further alters the groove towards higher complexity.
_________________
Ralph Zeuner
Rayzoon Technologies LLC
http://www.rayzoon.com

[Tygerman_GrooveBand]

Thanks, I follow how to setup some live control over the drummer. Looks like a little experimentation and I can make that work. You say I can trigger a fill, how is this done? Where do I map the midi key?

I'm new to software, I had been all hardware. I'm shocked as even my cheapest drum machine has buttons for selecting the drum set and patterns. I'm not seeing any presets. Is there any way to operate the VST live where using the mouse is not an option? Keyboard maybe, I can map that from MIDI?

Thanks in advance,
-Ty

[Ralph [RZ]]

The fill trigger is set in the 'Options' window. When the key is received, the current bar is turned into a fill.

Jamstix has 'LiveLoop' functionality to accomodate live performers. Please see the manual on this function and let me know if you need any help after that.
_________________
Ralph Zeuner
Rayzoon Technologies LLC
http://www.rayzoon.com

[drk1]

Hi
Just like to put forward a vote for a way of Remote loading of Jamstix songs.
This would be useful in a Live situation so that gaps between songs is not too long.

[Ralph [RZ]]

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

[drk1]

Ralph
Just thinking about work arounds for remote loading of songs.
Is there anyway of loading a complete JS song arrangement into or after an already loaded song. This would then give you a part list as follows:
Song A verse, chorus, verse etc followed by a silence part followed by song B part sequence.
This would be similar to what can be done in Ableton Live (Session view)so in effect you can go from one song straight into another without having to stop and load up .
I realise that it would be possible to do this by loading up the individual parts but just wondered if there was a quicker method.
Also is there a restriction on the number of parts you can have - as would have implications for this idea.

[Ralph [RZ]]

The JS2/3 architecture allows for only one song object at a time. However, number of parts in JS3 is unlimited.
_________________
Ralph Zeuner
Rayzoon Technologies LLC
http://www.rayzoon.com

[drk1]

Thought I would share this work around for loading songs and raise the suggestion of a way of accessing the song menu item via midi which would make this much easier.
This is using Live v8 an FCB101 midi pedal board and You will need Bomes midi translator v 1.71
Preparation - save JS3 songs from the songs you wish to link into the same folder. If possible layout session view for each song in same order.

1. In session view load song 1 - I always have JS3 as the first track, a JS control track then bass, guitar etc
2. drag parts for song 2 from the browser into appropriate tracks below the first song leaving a 1 or 2 scene gap
3. repaet as necessary
4. open JS and move to convenient position. Save project
5. In Bomes Midi translator assign an incoming midi trigger with an outgoing action to move mouse to the absolute coordinates of the JS song menu icon. This takes a little trial and error.
6. add new translator and assign same midi trigger with action for left mouse click (thhis opens the song menu)
7. add new translator and assign same midi trigger with action for keystroke Down (&) return (this selects load song from the menu)
8. if thats working then add a number of tabs (7 i think) down arrows and return to highlight and load the jamstix song you require.
9. you then scroll down in the master scene to the start of the song ( i do this using another translator with same midi input but with an outgoing action as a CC of specific value to coincide with the start off the song. You need to have assigned this CC to the scroll through scenes button.

You then assign another midi trigger to anoth song (the Bomes translators are the same structure just need to change number of key presses and CC value)
At present I have a project that has 9 songs and you can very quickly swap between them in any order.

the tricky thing is to make sure that JS is not moved and the project is saved with JS in the correct position.

This is where a midi trigger assigned to select or open the song menu would be invaluable and make this more fool proof.

I've also tried extending the automation to select the large bar display but this doesn't seem to work consistently if at all.
details of above are rather sketchy and I will gladly elaborate if anyone is interested

[drk1]

Should have added that I've tried other ways of dooing this and most reuqire a number of instances of JS3. The most I've managed is 3 , any more and the display goes crazy and crashes. On recovery JS claims the host has corrupted the JS data and it comes up with the song builder.