Evaluating Free version of Jamstix and have some questions

[Azimuth (Archive)]

Don't be intimidated by the prospect of a learning curve. If you are doing fairly straight ahead music it won't be very steep in my opinion once you get a grasp on the basics. There are really helpful people here in the forum who have developed their own methods and workflows that are willing to share them, myself included. You will encounter things that raise questions while developing your own workflow with Jamstix and odds are it will be something that we've all had to figure out solutions for. I think you'll find this to be one of the friendliest forums on the net.

[mikeon_b4c]

Hi a_zimuth

Finally found a bit of time to follow up on the advice about how to import MIDI into Jamstix. The menu system in v4 is different from v3 but after selecting a drum kit I saw 'Song' in pulldown box that then showed 'Load Style' and which then if I highlighted '@ Special Styles' option gave me this screen.

https://1drv.ms/u/s!AuSxllqxLvLvmo0EuJn ... A?e=QSFmbs


Trouble was when I chose 'Load' nothing happened. I wonder if it is disabled in the free demo version. Sad conclusion is though that if that is the case I just won't be able to demo the product so will not buy.

Listening to the Jamstix demo tracks though on their website left me feeling that although it might do a great job at doing AI drumming, what it was doing is not what I would play myself and that I might find it easier, with my budget, just to use something Like EZDrummer, choose a groove that approximates to the feel I'm after, then get to work hand crafting the part. Most of the songs I'm doing do not require overly extravagant drums parts and a lot of the reason I want to try a new VSTi is to see if I can be better 'mic'd studio' drum sounds.

I would love to see how Jamstix handles one of my legacy MIDI drum tracks though so if its not a limitation for the free demo that's stopping me importing and you are able to guide me right, I would be grateful as I like the idea of Jamstix if it can do what I need.

And thanks as always for being willing to give advice (I did read somewhere, great praise for the Jamstix forum - in contrast, I dread EZDrummer sucking me into having to buy loads of add on a packs that I can't afford, in order to get sounds I want!)

Mike
P.S> can't seem to get URL link to work but copy and paste into browser should do it!

[Azimuth (Archive)]

In the Build window, click the "Clear" button under the "Your Song Structure" panel. Type "V" to add a single verse song part to the YSS panel. To the right, under Drum Style, click where it says by default "Basic Rock" to open the Styles library. Navigate to the "@Special Styles" category, select "Import" from the "Styles" menu, then click the "Load Style" button. Choose a Drummer (I'd recommend "Machine" since you're importing MIDI) then click "Create Song".
Now In the "Groove" window, there should be a Brain element titled "Groove". Click where it says "<click to load>" and use the "Add Folder" button to add the folder where your MIDI files are located. Find the file you want to use then click the "Import" button. You should break your midi files into sections that correspond to the different Song Parts then import them individually.

[mikeon_b4c]

In the Build window, click the "Clear" button under the "Your Song Structure" panel. Type "V" to add a single verse song part to the YSS panel. To the right, under Drum Style, click where it says by default "Basic Rock" to open the Styles library. Navigate to the "@Special Styles" category, select "Import" from the "Styles" menu, then click the "Load Style" button. Choose a Drummer (I'd recommend "Machine" since you're importing MIDI) then click "Create Song".
Now In the "Groove" window, there should be a Brain element titled "Groove". Click where it says "<click to load>" and use the "Add Folder" button to add the folder where your MIDI files are located. Find the file you want to use then click the "Import" button. You should break your midi files into sections that correspond to the different Song Parts then import them individually.

Thank you so much again. I'll give that a go

[mikeon_b4c]

In the Build window, click the "Clear" button under the "Your Song Structure" panel. Type "V" to add a single verse song part to the YSS panel. To the right, under Drum Style, click where it says by default "Basic Rock" to open the Styles library. Navigate to the "@Special Styles" category, select "Import" from the "Styles" menu, then click the "Load Style" button. Choose a Drummer (I'd recommend "Machine" since you're importing MIDI) then click "Create Song".
Now In the "Groove" window, there should be a Brain element titled "Groove". Click where it says "<click to load>" and use the "Add Folder" button to add the folder where your MIDI files are located. Find the file you want to use then click the "Import" button. You should break your midi files into sections that correspond to the different Song Parts then import them individually.

Finally we're getting somewhere. Your instructions weren't exactly reflected in what Jamstix did but they allowed me to bump into relevant bits and somehow get to the point where I could import my MIDI song sections and get Jamstix playing them. And it doesn't sound bad, though there are twiddly bits I would not want in the drum track for the test song. I can see that as you get to know Jamstix you should be able to tell its Brain to be less twiddly etc, but that will take learning time. Frustratingly you don't seem to be able to Ctrl+Click on [MY SONG] (it doesnt allow you to Save a song either) with the Free Version to export MIDI and then do editing by hand, and that is something I would like to be able to evaluate. I'm guessing though it's not too tricky. And I imagine that having exported and edited a Jamstix MIDI file you then put it on a track in your DAW and tell Jamstix just to play whats there and not start applying its Brain to augmenting it with extra hits? Would this section in the manual be the relevant one to follow?

Screen snapshot[/url]

...and I had some success getting snare to route to snare channel on the DAW but couldn't get any further and wasnt sure whether it was AudioM8 or me setting Snare to CH3 that had achieved that. Will keep researching but if you have any tips I'm all ears! (I use Reaper DAW btw)

There's definitely a lot to like about Jamstix, just as long as I can get the final say on editing whatever its Brain comes up with (outside Jamstix if need be esp when I might want to add in the odd hit to the MIDI file).

I can get EZDrummer for around £78 on a Sweetwater offer, and it looks tempting. But Jamstix intrigues me as it might do a more interesting job at kickstarting creative drum tracks. Then again, are its drum sounds / kits in the same league as EZDrummer? If you were trying to sell me Jamstix over EZDrummer, and bearing in mind I'm doing a lot of retro covers, what would you say is the killer reason for opting for Jamstix?

And thanks again very much for spending time to guide me on all this. In the end, its not just about the money but how much time I will have to invest in learning one or other of these VSTi's and what edge I might get back from it (no least the creative aspect, as although simple parts, I actually like to compose my own drum parts a lot of the time).

Thanks again.

Mike

[Azimuth (Archive)]

And I imagine that having exported and edited a Jamstix MIDI file you then put it on a track in your DAW and tell Jamstix just to play whats there and not start applying its Brain to augmenting it with extra hits? Would this section in the manual be the relevant one to follow?

You could edit, then record the midi output from Jamstix into Reaper. Edit the recorded midi like any other midi in Reaper and then put Jamstix into Midi Playback mode so it plays back exactly what is on your DAW track.

One other thing I need to figure out is how to route different elements of Jamstix to different channels in my DAW. I like to be able to process each bit of the kit separately

Easiest way is in Reaper. Right click in the TCP and choose "Insert Virtual Instrument On New Track". Choose Jamstix from the VSTi category then click "Yes" in the Build Routing Confirmation window to accept the routing. Make sure "DOWNMIX" is turned off in the Jamstix Mixer window.

Only you know what your workflow and musical intentions are. EZDrummer is great sounding and works perfectly for a lot of people. I have personally never had much luck getting really interesting Drum tracks using midi clips. I'm not interested in assembling a midi track and then having to perform surgery on it to make it NOT sound like a midi track. I can get what I want faster with Jamstix and I have never had a midi clip make a song I'm working on go off in a totally different direction by generating something unexpected. No other software is as close to working with a live Drummer. If you are not happy with the drum sounds, there are plenty of free drum libraries out there you can easily drive with Jamstix. It is a total win/win in my opinion.

[mikeon_b4c]

Thanks for yet more good advice and tips and with those tips I've now got Jamstix routing kit elements to different Reaper tracks (excellent!). I'm going to (force myself to) evaluate EZ2 but I'm leaning heavily towards Jamstix as being a much more interesting tool to work with - I like my midi drums to sound as human as poss (including making custom edits) but Jamstix might be far more interesting with the suggestions the 'real' drummers make and which I can subsequently edit. I get the impression too that in time and getting to know how to adjust the various parameters in Jamstix, I will be able to get the AI drummer to play something that is better than my imagination alone could conjure up.

So, the question now is which version to get. I'm thinking the Jamstix 4 P (includes Jamcussion) would be an interesting version - unless Jamstix 4 XL with the XL pack is a 'must have'. I'm also wondering about the Neo 60 mini-pak to cover music of that era. Interested if you have any thoughts on that. And I don't know much about free libraries so guess I'd better start learning about those and which ones might be best for me.

Thanks as ever.

Mike

[Azimuth (Archive)]

So, the question now is which version to get.

Tough question, XL pak adds the library for a lot of the kits I like to use but Jamcussion is a separate VSTi that really does add a whole additional area to Jamstix. I really can't answer that one for you.

I'm also wondering about the Neo 60 mini-pak to cover music of that era. Interested if you have any thoughts on that.

The Neo 60 Pak is really cool in my opinion. It is very "Liverpool-centric", if you know what I mean, but can definitely cover other vintage era things well also. The kits included work well for that type of material also, in my opinion. The Star player model is more versatile than the name would have you believe also, again, my opinion.

[mikeon_b4c]

So, the question now is which version to get.

Tough question, XL pak adds the library for a lot of the kits I like to use but Jamcussion is a separate VSTi that really does add a whole additional area to Jamstix. I really can't answer that one for you.

I'm also wondering about the Neo 60 mini-pak to cover music of that era. Interested if you have any thoughts on that.

The Neo 60 Pak is really cool in my opinion. It is very "Liverpool-centric", if you know what I mean, but can definitely cover other vintage era things well also. The kits included work well for that type of material also, in my opinion. The Star player model is more versatile than the name would have you believe also, again, my opinion.

Excellent! I demoed EZdrummer 2 yesterday and although its sonics may be better, they are not critically so for the stuff I'm doing (a lot of which just wants a backbeat). Jamstix is just so much more interesting and could relieve me of having to think up characterful drum parts. I think the the XL pack may just overload me with choices (and I can always buy it later if need be) when I want to crack on. But Jamcussion sounds like irresistible fun (Sympathy for the Devil anyone ha ha). So I think Jamstix P and Neo 60 is what I will do for now, and review in the future.

The evaluation period has got me started on Jamstix too and (so far at least) I think I rather prefer the way you compose a song on Jamstix to the equivalent on EZ2.

So I'm off to buy Jamstix and thank you so much again. I have been unwell and the doc has just medicated me for a few days, but after that I'll get on it!

If you were OK with me asking questions from time to time, I would love to do that and I've really appreciated all the time you've spent on replies. Hopefully other newcomers will find reading this topic useful!

Mike

[Azimuth (Archive)]

Hey Mike,
Honestly, I'm glad that I could help you out. Feel free to ask about anything that raises questions in the future. As I said, if I can answer it, I'll gladly do so.