Rayzoon Technologies LLC

Jeff Appleton · Junior Jammer Joined: 02 Feb 2006 Posts: 17

Maybe it's just me, but I'm having a hell of a time figuring this software out. Hopefully some of the oldtimers in here will have pity and point me in the right direction. Here's my situation....

I've had jamstix for about a week or two and I'm almost ready to give up. I'm using it in conjunction with N-Track. All I want to be able to do is set down and program a drum track from the preset rhythms (just like I used to do witih my old DR550). At this point I'm not really trying to do the "live jam" thing. I just want to be able to audition various rhythms and program them into a track. I'm having the hardest time figuring it out. Is it just me, or is this prog somewhat complicated for what I'm trying to accomplish? The sounds are great! It's just beyond me on how to get them arranged in an order that will work for the song I've got. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Jeff Appleton

p.s. and yes, I've downloaded every available tutorial and manual and even spent most of this morning browsing through the previous postings. I need the bonehead version. You know like..."press this button, then press that button" (geez, I feel so retarded).

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

Here's my quick tutorial. Anyone, please chime in as you may describe this better.

Make sure you have Jamstix in 'Manual Jam' in the jam tab. No need to feed MIDI into Jamstix in the host nor do you need audioM8, just plain Jamstix in manual jam mode.

Now look at this:

This is a basic song with a verse, chorus and bridge, an intro, some fills and and ending. I'll describe how this gets built:

1) Right-click on the first rhythm name and select a rhythm from the library. At this point just pick anything. In the future, highlight the note icon in the load dialog to preview rhythms as you click on them.

Repeat this for the next two rhythms. Now, they won't be called 'Bridge','Verse' and 'Chorus' but that doesn't matter now. You can change that in the rhythm tab if need be.

2) Click 'Mute' and click on the first two cells of the arranger so they turn black. I ususally do this to give Jamstix two bars to synch with the host.

3) Click 'Select' and click on the cells to match the arrangement as the pictue shows. This instructs Jamstix what rhythm to use for each bar the host plays.

4) Right-click on the bar that says 'I' in the picture, click 'Intro' and pick an intro (use the note icon to preview)

5) Right-click on the bars that say 'F', click 'Fill' and pick some fills.

6) Same thing but for the 'E' bar to pick and ending.

Now save your project and play it. You should hear Jamstix play an intro on bar 3, play 4 bars of verse than go to the chorus with a fill and so forth.

Hope this helps!
_________________
Ralph Zeuner
Rayzoon Technologies LLC
http://www.rayzoon.com

Jeff Appleton · Junior Jammer Joined: 02 Feb 2006 Posts: 17

Hi Ralph,
Thanks for the reply. Sorry it's taken me so long to respond but my wife recenlty passed away and my time for music has been limited. Life has somewhat returned to normal and I'm hoping to get back into the creative process.
I'm sure it's me and my limited grasp of the program, but as of yet I haven't been able to produce anything usable with Jamstix. I'm using Ntrack and I've recently spent a whole day researching the forum, reading the manual, and playing with the program, but as of yet...no luck. Perhaps if I described in a little more detail exactly what I'd like to accomplish you could guide me thru it.......
I'd like to us jamstix just like I used to use my old dr-550 drum machine. Start with a totally blank slate, no preset rhythms, time sigs, etc.
I'd like to start by being able to preset a bpm. I'd then like to be able to browse the available rhythms and assign it to a given number of measures. At certain points I'd like to be able to assign different rhythms and time sigs. I'd like to be able to reset back to the first measure and play through everything that has been programmed so far.
I'm hoping to be able to use this program to compose original songs and record them using Ntrack. I don't want to sound like a whiner, but I would think this is a very simple objective. I haven't been able to achieve it yet and I'm starting to wonder if this is really the right program for me. Any thoughts or suggestions you (or other forum members) might be able to pass my way would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Jeff Appleton

heyjohn · Posted: Sun Mar 26, 2006 2:46 am Post subject:

As I understand it, all tempo settings are made in the host. So in your case, those settings and changes need to be made in Ntrack. I use Tracktion2, and hadn't heard of Ntrack before, but I had a quick glance at their forums out of curiosity.

This Ntrack forum thread has some newbie information about Jamstix and Ntrack, and points out the same thing about tempos. If the link doesn't work, have a search for a thread entitled "Jamstix advice?" I found it by searching for "tempo or bpm".

I use Jamstix precisely because I *don't* want to program a drum machine most of the time, and dictate every drum hit. (Although, alas, there are still a few times where I want to do exactly that.) For more of a drum-machine interface, there's always something like Hydrogen Drums, which is free software. As far as I know, there isn't a VSTi version, and the Windows version was still in beta last I looked. I wouldn't mind having a "play this one measure verbatim" setting in Jamstix, with a program-grid editor like Hydrogen's -- but I strongly prefer Jamstix as-is most of the time (99.9% or so). It has let me focus on other parts, which is marvelous.

I admit, I haven't used all of Jamstix's features yet; I get distracted just having fun playing more than arranging. Smile

I'll need to do some arranging soon, though, so I've been reading up on patterns & arranging so as to minimize any head-scratching when I spend some serious time arranging.

RichLum · Jamologist Joined: 04 Mar 2005 Posts: 142 Location: Sydney

I use Jamstix to program drum parts for my songs and I pout together this tutorial HERE on how to use Jamstix with n-Track.

It probably needs a bit of updating for v4.1 of N but the basics are still the same...

Rich

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

BPM and time sigs are set by the host, not Jamstix.

Once this is set up, go to the arranger and right-click on rhythm names to load one or several library rhythms you want to arrange (use the note icon in the load screen to preview). Now simply click in the arranger so that the right rhythm is used for each bar, right-click on bars to add fills as needed.

Let me know if you need more help.
_________________
Ralph Zeuner
Rayzoon Technologies LLC
http://www.rayzoon.com

THERAKED1 · Posted: Sun Mar 26, 2006 2:52 pm Post subject:

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

paspallum · Posted: Sat Apr 08, 2006 7:38 pm Post subject: Don't give up

Jeff
don't give up! Keep on persisting.
Jamstix is VERY easy to use and is getting easier with each beta release!

Jamstix is just as easy (Actually easier) to use as any hardware drum machine or module... but is more powerful and sounds better.

Once you get past what is 'stumping' you... you'll be VERY glad that you stuck with it!

Good luck

Paspallum

Robomusic · Jam Meister Joined: 07 Jul 2005 Posts: 68

I have only played a bit in N-T, but use it all the time in MTS (multitrack studios) it is a great program. By the way i am sorry to hear about your wife it must have been a difficult time for your family. i hope creating music and diverting your attention helps with the long term healing process. Robo.