Rayzoon Technologies LLC

stash98 · Jammer Joined: 13 Mar 2005 Posts: 30

Very cool demo. I have Sonar 4 and BFD. Here is how I like to record, maybe you can help me out knowing what i do:

I get the drums how I want them first. I map out all the parts and then lay down (track)the drums I want. After the fact I like to tweak the individual drum sounds. So first off, what is the best way to get the drum sounds routed and recorded so I can indivdually EQ and mix later on?

Also, any hints on making beats? I have success w/ manual, and I'm not looking for a ton of fills, just nice feel. I also like to drop dynamics a lot during the bridges, and add toms..maybe make my own beats there. How do I add that in?

I am getting an oxygen Midi controller, what is the optimal way to use it with Jamstix?

Well, I have more ?s, but those are the ones on my mind as i mess w/ this program in Sonar.

thanks..really great work!

Ralph [RZ] · Site Admin Joined: 02 Jan 2008 Posts: 13332

Hi, Stash, and welcome to the board!

stash98 · Jammer Joined: 13 Mar 2005 Posts: 30

ok, so i would open sonar, and load BFD all as a softsynth. Then I wouldn't use jamstix to control feel? I guess i'm confused there about when to use the jam stix interface. What i have tried is opening jamstix as a softsynth and loading up BFD (it has kits 1-4). I then loop in sonar for 4 bars and mess with beats that way. I routed the outputs to an audio track, but it had no record button.

What id like is to have the beat, work on it until it's how i want it, and then record each drum mic output to a seperate track (while the beat plays the whole song)for mixing down purposes. I have set jamstix for 9 outs, so i got that covered. It is making beats with BFD tones, so I know I can do that. I just want to take it to the next level.

Also for the Oxygen, Id like to be able to tap in a beat, and get it how i want it, and then let jamstix take over and add feel to it. That would be the ultimate.

By the way, for anyone who hasn't heard this, dload the demo now. It is like I have a dude in a really pricey drum room just jamming his ass off on amazing kits. It sounds great! Wonder if it can do Moby Dick from the live Led Zep album from a few years back Cool

Ralph [RZ] · Site Admin Joined: 02 Jan 2008 Posts: 13332

stash98 · Jammer Joined: 13 Mar 2005 Posts: 30

yes it does help a lot actually. Now I see what to do. Basically until I get the mix I want, I should have jamstix running at all times even while tracking and mixing other things. Then once I get everything mixed, I can record the midi output and it will print what i made. I believe that is the way to go.

I am not going to make any really complex beats, just solid rock and dance tracks. My most complex stuff would be tom breakdowns and builds on bridges and things like that. So what I'm figuring is i go to learn mode and tap out my beat (can i start with kick and snare, and then add hi hats?)once Jamstix learns my beat I could save it as something...like Song1intro, and then make the verse part and name it song1verse..etc. and then put those in the mapper and map out fills and everything. So where jamstix really should help me is by adding some feel to my beats, that is what am looking for most. just variations and things, also builds into choruses..basically stuff like that. so if i put in a hihate pattern that is pretty straight, i can use the sliders to add to that beat or subtract and make it play less.

i think i'm getting it now right?

thanks for the quick replies.

stash98 · Jammer Joined: 13 Mar 2005 Posts: 30

oh..i dont see BFD all under the options I see close set, medium power, bfd kit1-4 things like that..also DFH. Im opening a normal track under Sonar 4 (2 audios, 2 MIDIs) and then inserting Jamtrax as a softsynth. I then go to mapping under jamtrax and hit load. that is where i'm at.

sorry, I am obviously not the MIDI master yet.

EDIT - I did this, loaded kit 4, and then i got the onfigure and select drum module box. I then selected BFD All under my VST directory. Is that the way to go?

Ralph [RZ] · Site Admin Joined: 02 Jan 2008 Posts: 13332

Sorry stash, I forgot that the BFD All Outputs mapping doesn't come with the demo version!

Download it here and put it in the 'mappings' folder of your Jamstix install

http://www.rayzoon.com/BFD_All_Outputs.rdm

Let me know how it works!
_________________
Ralph Zeuner
Rayzoon Technologies LLC
http://www.rayzoon.com

stash98 · Jammer Joined: 13 Mar 2005 Posts: 30

hmm..i had it going with sound the way i posted before, but loading the all map I couldnt get sound..probably an error on my end. I send everything to the master out in Sonar. Is that the right way to route it? And what should the inputs say?

edit _ didn't have MAp GM input checked..now i get sound..but still wondering your opinion on best way to route sound.

the issue now is that I can hear the girl say "jamstix" but no drums..but I hit the learn button and the drums came on for a bit then stopped. I don't have my MIDI controller until friday so i can't tap beats.

I did have this going before, so im wondering what i did to F it up! Wink

Ralph [RZ] · Site Admin Joined: 02 Jan 2008 Posts: 13332

You're audio routing is fine. All BFD output is sent to the Jamstix audio tracks where you can manipulate and FX them. From there you can go straight to the master out or you set up sub buses if need be.
_________________
Ralph Zeuner
Rayzoon Technologies LLC
http://www.rayzoon.com

Ralph [RZ] · Site Admin Joined: 02 Jan 2008 Posts: 13332

stash98 · Jammer Joined: 13 Mar 2005 Posts: 30

when i do manual it actually plays beats. free jam it doesn't, but i dont have any tracks for it to play to. It is very cool, I have compressed the tracks and i have an awesome drum sound. My only small gripe is when you import the BFD tracks you can't tell which is which. A cool option would be for it to label like Kick, Snare...etc, so in console view you don't just see Jamstix.... and have to guess. it mainly affects overheads and tracks like that since it's tough to tell which is which.

So you think i should be able to use manual jam w/ my oxyegn and give the basic feel to jamstix and then it will learn it and allow me to save it? Do you have Sonar play while you do this? if i can do this for each part of the tune, save them and map it out, then i'm buying in a heatbeat. just to have that feel is invaluable, i doubt the complexity will be very high to the drum tracks.

Ralph [RZ] · Site Admin Joined: 02 Jan 2008 Posts: 13332

stash98 · Jammer Joined: 13 Mar 2005 Posts: 30

ok..i will..I think it will work pretty well, I mean once I get a groove i like, I can just save it, and then load it in the arranger and map out the song bar by bar. I have figured out how to do fills already, and have messed with the alternating hi hats (open closed) and they sound great. I am just really into getting the exact kick drum pattern i want when i lay a track because w/out that, IMO the song is already screwed. When I get the oxygen, I will test it out, but I think I will be in great shape.

Now, when I go to Free jam, this is what I do. I have jam with Midi in green, I push play in Sonar, and I let it roll, but I only hear the girl say jamstix. Now the manual mode is working perfect. that will be my main mode anyway, but that is the situation I'm having w/ free jam currently. The green button in the bottom right is unlit.

If I am guessing right, when I press the record button in the Jamstix 1 track (the one with a record button in it), the purchased version will record my drums? I tried it now just to see, and it didn't. So I figure that is because its the demo? Ill basically get the whole beat mapped out, and track everything, then mix, and then record the beat once I like how it sounds. I heard on the BFD forums that you have make an audio track and route to that or something, but I have no idea how. I don't see that option.

Ralph [RZ] · Site Admin Joined: 02 Jan 2008 Posts: 13332

stash98 · Jammer Joined: 13 Mar 2005 Posts: 30

ok, well i dont mind some kick variation, i mean that's human. I am just saying on the whole a song should have a solid feel to the kick of course. I am assuming I should be able to control that in the control sliders though because if you move them all to the left Jamstix plays ultra straight, more then i would want. Its pretty to cool because jamstix is like a drummer you hire in to play. You tell him how you want it, but you never can be sure of how he interprets it. I have a feeling this program could make some of those magical "accidental" fills now and then to add to a track, and that is really exciting.

For Free Jam, I press the free jam button, press play in sonar, and the bottom of jamstix counts the bars as it should. But i just hear the girls voice saying jamstix. Now when i go to manual and press play, it plays the beat i specified perfectly.

As for recording, I didnt even know that I could do that. So I would just go to bounce in sonar as "what you hear" and it would just do it that way? Niiiiiiiiiice.

Thanks for the support, hopefully this thread will help more people out who are new to MIDI.