Rayzoon Technologies LLC

[lhh]

I've been searching high and low for a good source of blues shuffles (loops) and came across Jamstix. I have tried the demo (1.2) and can't quite make it happen yet (seems somewhat limited and even a bit odd when I tried it) but maybe with more time and understanding I can get what I'm looking for. Just wondered if some of you more experienced users think Jamstix is or will be strong in this area. I noticed there was some debate about the 'shuffle' thing in some of the previous posts. Generally I won't have a MIDI instrument as a guide so I must pre-compose the drum track for the live recorded instruments/vocals to follow. Jamstix seems like a great idea in general but I wonder how well it will likely work in this genre at the current time.
Thanks for any opinions,
lhh

[Ralph [RZ]]

[JohnR]

I've been getting shuffle to work, the only thing that seems to be missing is that the fills don't fit in - I haven't studied this closely yet, I'm still putting the basic track down, but I assume that fills aren't shuffling at the moment?

PS I love the shuffle ghost snare!

John

[lhh]

I updated but still can't seem to get a good feeling shuffle going--maybe it's me or my misunderstanding of all this. I tried to set things to the simplest settings, in manual jam, just so I could get the basic groove going and it still seems out of time somehow or something. Hard to explain but it feels like I'm fighting the groove as I play along. I have some audio and REX loops which seem ok so I am confused. Perhaps the previous poster could set me straight on how he has things set. I still just have the demo so I might have some limitations.
Thanks,
lhh

[JohnR]

I'm at work at the mo', but from memory here's my thoughts/findings:

* I'm on the "half time" setting (found on the first tab) and running at approx 170 bpm (I have imported a basic song from Band-in-a-Box which required this)

* Jamstix jammed ok to the initial settings from MIDI bass and jazz piano, but it did feel a little strange.

* I reduced the complexity and funkiness and ran another jam.

* I then turned it to manual mode and turned off the Eights and Sixteenths on the HiHats and generally made them less complex. I also reduced complexity/funkiness of the snare This made a huge difference to the overall feel, and gave me something to work with.

* I have also turned off the automatic fills because they seem to throw the feel right out.

* As I said previously, the ghost snare works well because it sounds like a jazz drummer doing his stuff and since the main snare is very simple it keeps the rhythm going nicely.

I'm happy to record a snippet of what I'm doing, but I've got nowhere to host it. Send me a pm with your email and I'll send it to you.

[Ralph [RZ]]

Yes, the fills in shuffle still need work. We're on it.
_________________
Ralph Zeuner
Rayzoon Technologies LLC
http://www.rayzoon.com

[Ralph [RZ]]

[lhh]

I'll put together some loops and send them soon.

Maybe there should be a slider for the amount of shuffle too.

And thanks JohnR. I had already done some of the same things but I'll try again and follow your settings a little more closely.

Thanks,
lhh

[JohnR]

lhh,

After your comments about it not feeling right, I went home and listened carefully to my drum track. I still like it, although I turned on the Eights again on the hi-hat, which gave me the triplet/shuffle feel. I also put a few Open and 3let -8s in the second hi-hat column and reduced the Open and 3lets sliders to approx 30% so that they would sound occasionally giving a bit of variation.

JohnR

[jt baptiste]

[Ralph [RZ]]