Rayzoon Technologies LLC

[michael519]

I purchased Jamstix about 2 months ago and I still am not able to get it to jam as I see other posters have, so I assume I am doing something wrong. I use Cubase SX as the module. I add an audio track and insert the audiom8 instrument on the track. I can see the needle move. Then I insert the VST instrument Jamstix, set it to play with audio, and it's just me & my guitar and Jamstix.

What I want to do is take a VERY basic rhythm with some fills and play my guitar. I want to see the rhythm of the drums get faster and slower. It almost sounds like it gets slower, or maybe it cuts back what it is playing and it sounds like it got slower. I can never seem to get it to play faster.

Is this something I need to do in Cubase as the tempo from that is what it driving Jamstix?

I was hoping to start off with a very basic rhythm and after I got a feel for how it works, "grow" from there, leading into free jam.

Also, do the fills follow a distinct placement, such as in a basic rock pattern, leading out of the 4? I ask this because I am not sure if I should be playing with the Cubase click so that me and Jamstix will always be on the same beat. I find that I am playing along with Cubase and Jamstix rather than it being the other way.

Any ideas, or have I completely jumbled this explanation

[Robitaille20]

I just got the program yesterday so I'm nowhere near qualified to give you the best answer...but I have some thoughts (having apparently made my own tempo boo boo myself). Jamstix is going to base it's tempo on the tempo setting(s) for the project you have loaded in Cubase. Sooo to my understanding...lets say it's set to 120 and you are playing at that rate, and then change your guitar part to say 160 for example...Jamstix won't know the change because the project is set to 120 bpm.

In my way of thinking you would more than likely have to lay out the tempo changes in the Cubase tempo editor, setting the tempo changes as you anticipate them for Jamstix to know about them when it's jamming along.

Again...take this with a SERIOUS grain of salt....I could be MORE than wrong, but based on my very limited knowledge of the program..well.. this is the way that I would have attempted to do it. If I'm wrong, I'd like to know the info as well! (And appologies in advance for spouting off B.S. if I am way off base! )

[michael519]

Hey, no apologies. I appreciate anyone's input, because worst that can happen is I try it and I need more help. But at least it's another idea to try.

I would hate to have to map out a tempo and THEN do "free jam" since it kind of takes away the spontaneity. I do see the velocity bar move to the right when I play, but it only goes so far.

Well, I will try your suggestion in the meantime to see what that does for me.

Thanks again. It is very much appreciated.

[Ralph [RZ]]

Robitaille20 is right. Jamstix always follows the tempo of the host.

There's no way around that; Jamstix is a VSTi and the host is in charge of the tempo. If you have a host that can smartly determine your play tempo instantly from your audio input then Jamstix will automatically follow since it is always slaved to the host.

Determining the tempo from a guitar signal is extraordinarily difficult and always error-prone. I cannot think of any software, host or otherwise, that does this reliably and in realtime.
_________________
Ralph Zeuner
Rayzoon Technologies LLC
http://www.rayzoon.com

[Texasspecial]

Robitaille20 is right: Jamstix follows the tempo set in the host. So if you want it to play faster you will have to change the tempo in the host. Velocity has nothing to do with the tempo, just with th intensity of the drums played. There are many variables you can play with to set the amount of velocity change.
Best way to learn the programm is to hover your mouse over the different sliders and buttons and read the explanation in the bottom text field of jamstix. And of course you can always ask in the forums.
Just be prepared to put some time in it as Jamstix can be a little overwhelming in the beginning.

Just hang in there and you will be rewarded big time

[michael519]

Thank you for all the responses.

I will do what I read in a previous thread, where I set it to manual jam, load a basic rhythm, set the funkiness and complexity to the far left and then start adding more complexities and funkiness so I can find a comfort range where there is just enough for my taste.

Back to school!!!!