Jamstix Mac Demo nightmare

[topaz_]

With much excitement I have just tried the Mac Demo of Jamstix, Drum programming is my pet hate and I hoped Jamstix may be my solution to my frustration.

In all my year of using music software (since steinberg neon) I have never used a poorer demo version.

1st of all the installer changed my plugin folders in Live 9 and created a new user/local folder.

Then upon loading the UI did not open, then clicking open UI I got a screen flash and up it pops, but then when dragging the UI window across the screen the actual interface pulls out of it's window ?

So i load up the first demo song and all I hear is a kick drum ? I then try to find a kit that is in the demo version *that should be tied to the demo "20 sounds not loaded" ?

finally I get some sound but then I get the most deafening white noise bursts that actually knock my master channel automute.

the white noise gets louder and louder so fast I quit and uninstalled.

what a total shame and abrupt end to what I hoped would be a great experience.

[Ralph @ Rayzoon]

Sorry about the frustrating experience!

1st of all the installer changed my plugin folders in Live 9 and created a new user/local folder.

The installer definitely does not alter the settings of any application, including Live 9. All files/folders created can be reviewed in ~/Music/Jamstix3/Installer/log.txt

Then upon loading the UI did not open, then clicking open UI I got a screen flash and up it pops, but then when dragging the UI window across the screen the actual interface pulls out of it's window ?

OSX does not support window sharing between processes (yet). Unfortunately, Jamstix uses multiple processes so the GUI is 'overlaid'. We are working to improve this behavior in future versions.

So i load up the first demo song and all I hear is a kick drum ?

That song uses multiple audio outputs. Either route all outputs in Live or click 'Downmix' in the Jamstix mixer to have everything sent to output #1.

I then try to find a kit that is in the demo version *that should be tied to the demo "20 sounds not loaded" ?

The demo kit is limited, causing the message, but there is enough data to evaluate.

finally I get some sound but then I get the most deafening white noise bursts that actually knock my master channel automute.

It's a demo protection scheme (much like Tracktion) but should not get that loud. We'll check that out.

Again, sorry for the frustrating experience! This is our first OSX version and we will continue to improve it.

[topaz_]

ok thanks for your replies.

I really do think you should consider a full demo, even for 10 days.

disable saving, the white noise really is a killer to demo with.

[barky_underscore]

Hi, my sentiments are the same having just tried the demo.

Though I could stand the incredibly irritating white noise while I was trying to think, I couldn't figure out what was buggy (like vanishing window bars that half slid behind other plugin windows if they appeared at all), and massive amounts of white space when I moved it out of the way onto my second monitor), to the fact that I Jamstix stopped working entirely within a few minutes and had to be reloaded over and over and over. Geez, how is anyone supposed to evaluate it's use?

I have read that the developer is a great, responsive person, so I am just saying the wind was entirely blown out of my excitement sails with this demo. Turning nobs only seemed to gradually diminish the beats entirely and never added any extra hits, but I don't know why that is, because by the time I got everything loaded up the beats were just disappearing and stopped entirely.

It is a complicated program. Took me a while (and three restarts) with no manual to find where to get the outputs working. Couldn't demo it at all with Superior Drummer, since a lonely kick hardly lets you know what works.
Eight or so restarts later, and no real sense of whether this program works I'm exhausted.

Try after try and I can only say, it looks to me like it's not ready for Mac.

A friendly suggestion. Pick one disabling method. You've got so many protections going. I can't even delete the darn thing without connecting to your site. What's that all about? How much control do you guys need? And it just doesn't seem workable at all in this state.

Here's hoping Jamstix will become properly Mac'd. By a Mac programmer. Why should we pay the same for a partially working version? I have checked in with Rayzoon over the last couple of years and was excited. When the demo works, I will be more sure that I won't be left with a waste of money.

I am also getting weary of developers feeling that their their customers' time and effort is negligible in the face of obsessive copy protection schemes. I’m not joking. I’m getting ready to say, I’ve got enough tools, spent enough money. They work. No more upgrades, updates, troubleshooting and messing around. I’ll just stick with companies that have already proven themselves to be no nonsense. You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression and this demo sucks. I’ll wait for glowing reports from Mac users before I waste time on it again. Too bad. Looks like a great idea. One that Toontrack is on to, and their stuff is practically flawless.

[Ralph @ Rayzoon]

Got it. Sorry for the frustration! We are working on an OSX update along with a less restrictive demo.

[barky_underscore]

Thanks for hearing me out. Hope to see it work because it is a great idea.