Jamstix & BFD

[manymanyhaha_]

The best way may be this:
[list:f879bc5999]
[*:f879bc5999]load BFD2 kit into Jamstix 2 via the 'Kit' window and the BFD2 pre-made kit that comes with Jamstix 2.
[*:f879bc5999]open the BFD2 GUI in Jamstix with the 'Edit' button in the kit window
[*:f879bc5999]save the BFD2 kit to a file
[*:f879bc5999]check 'MIDI Out Only' in the Jamstix 2 mixer
[*:f879bc5999]load BFD2 separate from Jamstix 2 into the host
[*:f879bc5999]load the kit file you saved into BFD2
[*:f879bc5999]add a MIDI track to the host with input=Jamstix and output=BFD2
[/list:u:f879bc5999]
What this does is cause Jamstix 2 to load and use the BFD-specific mappings but not actually load the DLL (caused by the 'MIDI Out Only' setting). This way you have BFD2 separately in the host and can use its outputs as needed but Jamstix is still 'driving' it via the MIDI track.

You can then use percussion sounds in BFD as desired and just have to make sure that the corresponding sound slots in Jamstix 2 use the correct MIDI key.

I'm trying to get Jamstix 2.5.2 and BFD to play nice in Sonar 8.3.1 but I'm having a hard time.

First, quick question: Why must there be an audio track with its input from Jamstix to get this to work? I worked so hard to build a BFD kit using the above method, with each piece having its own track in Sonar, and then it took forever to figure out why Jamstix did nothing. Not until I just tried inserting an audio track with its input from Jamstix did anything happen. Nothing is actually using the track so it's not making sense.

Second, my main problem is ever few bars the timing is catching. I've tried this in one of my song files that already has a midi track (originally from Jamstix before I started messing with BFD). The existing midi track plays back fine. But, once I get Jamstix to start playing BFD, the timing gets off.

So I decided to start from scratch in a new and empty file. Same problem. Every few bars the timing catches. I then disabled everything in Jamstix including accents, fills, kicks and snares, everything but hats, just to make sure the timing is off. And the same still happens: every few bars, there's a slight catch.

Any ideas what this problem might be?

[Ralph @ Rayzoon]

I am assuming Sonar does not send needed VST information if no audio input is required by a plugin. Concerning the timing: please describe a bit more what it odes. Does it skip a beat? How is it related to bar/beat position? Could you also send me the file rzdlog.txt from My Documents\Jamstix 2?

[manymanyhaha_]

Hi Ralph, email has been sent to support. Thanks!

[Chriz_toph]

My samplitude/jamstix/bfd - project has crashed and i can't reopen it.
what i did is to enable midi output only in the mixer page and later i disabled it.
Samplitude crashed immediatly.

[Ralph @ Rayzoon]

You can temporarily add the line:

NoSubHostLoad=1

to jamstix3.ini (General section) to suppress the BFD load. See if the project loads and if so, you can then reload BFD into it or switch to BFD driving via MIDI vs. subhosting which may be more stable for you.

[Chriz_toph]

Thanks for your quick answer!
I couldn't find out how to set the midi input of the bfd-track to the jamstix-output when using midi-out-only.
I enabled midi-out in the plug-in menu and midi-out recording in the bfd-track.
But no sound.

[Ralph @ Rayzoon]

You need to enable MIDI output for JS3 in the plugin insertion menu. Sonar then gives you a 'Jamstix' option in the MIDI input selection for a track.

[mab]

Ralph, Thanks for the awesome program. A suggestion... In future version 4, perhaps a bit more hat manual control? I almost always use Jamstix classic to program the groove. I found out the hard way that hard mapping of the hi hat is a problem and it only seems to like the variable mapping. With that said there are reoccurring hat hits in a groove. If there is a way to keep a few manual hits and let JS choose the rest that would very cool. Just a suggestion for the future. I use JS as a midi only drum brain and BFD. The combination is great.

[Ralph @ Rayzoon]

Can you elaborate a bit more on what you'd like to see with the hats?

[mab]

Sure, since I mostly program in classic mode, back when JS1 was used there were some basic grid sort of what snare and kick are now in JS3 for the hats.


So the input grid could have the open, foot, closed, 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 and none selections, perhaps double and triple hits as one selection?

As far as programing, if say a 1/2 shank was desireed at the end of a bar and that was part of the groove, it would be cool if the rest of the bar the JS brain filled in the rest according to LH and RH availability.

Another selection would be to check a box or turn a slider called "aggressive" and that would switch the map selections from tip to shank.

This program has changed the quality of my recordings and I really appreciate it very much. Thanks Ralph for the great product!