Rayzoon Technologies has updated Jamstix to v1.0.2C.
The most important enhancement is the addition of "LiveLoops", which allows on-the-fly switching between song sections for live performers as well as general-purpose looping inside of Jamstix. LiveLoops allows stage use of Jamstix for live performers that need a structured song environment in which they can extend repetition of certain parts as well as change the order of parts reliably and easily using foot or MIDI controllers. Jamstix plays live loops in a loop until a trigger for the next loop is pressed. It will then complete the current loop, play a fill and move to the triggered loop.

AJ

Things happens fast nowadays, the latest update are:
(Quoted from the webpage)
NEW! 4/4/2005 - Jamstix Update 1.02G has been released!

You may already know this but we implemented LiveLoops in Jamstix 1.02 specifically for live players, which allows you to define sections of your song in the Jamstix arranger and assign triggers to them. That way you can peform a song live within the safety of a given structure but still be able to change the order of the sections simply by pressing a foot switch or keyb note. Jamstix will always finish a loop before jumping to the next so you can safely trigger well in advance. It will also place auto-fills between loop jumps and it will always keep looping the current section if no trigger is pressed. So for example: you can stay on the chorus for as long as you want and then press the vers trigger and Jamstix finishes the chorus, plays a fill and goes to the vers.



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Ralph Zeuner
rayzoon technologies
http://www.rayzoon.com

That was a mix-up. When we prepared the new release it was 1.02C. By the time we actually sent it out it was 1.02G and we fogot to adjust the text in the press release.

We do release betas of our current work constantly in our forums and 1.03 will be released in a few weeks.

We are not planning a guitar version at this time. We are trying to focus on the those instruments that often get "neglected" by songwriters and are also vitally important for jam sessions. After JamBace, we plan to create a percussion player.

JamBace does perform harmonic analysis and we are developing some neat things in that arena...

I'm having trouble envisioning how you would use this live. You're playing an arranger but this does not key off of the arranger notes? But from the laptop?

I'm not necessarily thinking of using an arranger when I'm doing this, although I probably could. I'm thinking of using the actual midi data I play as a trigger, so that in essence I become a three piece band .. Left handed bass, right handed chords and solos. It's a simple setup. The midi data from my keyboard is fed into my laptop and into Jamstix. Then Jamstix' audio output is fed back into my mixer and soundsystem. The laptop performs like any hardware module, and really is no more difficult to setup.

Or.. Using the Motif ES, setting up a combination so that a bass arp is playing ( and triggering Jamstix ) while I am using both hands to accompany, which now in essence lets me become a 3 or 4 piece band, depending on how I set up the kb zones.

BTW, I have been messing with Jamstix more and so far it works pretty well. If nothing else, it sure makes me sound and feel a lot like I am playing with live players as opposed to playing to preset arrangements, not that the latter doesn't also have it's place..

Great job Zauni. Looking forward to seeing the bass and percussion modules as well.

AJ

and now... since my hands sometimes type faster than my "pea brain" can think..(lol)



[This message has been edited by Bluezplayer (edited 04-12-2005).]

Dear Zauni;

Its a shame that you are not considering creating a rhythym guitar version of your jamstix program (virtual guitarist). Because if it is anything like jamstix it would be impressive. The reason I thought about a virtual guitar version of jamstix, is that if one uses you jamstix (drums) with your virtual bassist, and then add your virtual guitarist, one would have a fantasitic back-up band. OMB ( one man band) keyboard (kb) players could add their kb accompaniment to the above and have a fantastic sounding quartet that could be used in live gigs.

I'm wondering if creating a virtual guitarist would be a difficult task for you, because contrary to drums which are not based on chords the guitar would be. But, then again how will you acheive this point when creating your virtual bassist? So that the bassist/Rhythym Guitar would follow the chord/solos of the KB player.


PS--the drums are very realistic sounding, not only in sound quality but in authentic interpretation.

Thank-you
Regards;
BN

You would break down your song into sections, like vers, chorus, bridge, solo. You would then create these sections in Jamstix either manually using the library or via a free jam session. In the next step you assign a note trigger to each section (live loop).

When performing, Jamstix will play sequentially through the section so if you don't hit a trigger the song just plays through. If you hit a live loop trigger via a foot or key controller, Jamstix will go to that section as soon as the current bar ends. It will then loop that section until you hit another trigger, whereupon it will complete the current section and play an auto-fill into the next section.

This gives you the security of a fixed arrangement with the freedom of a jam session in that you still control repetition and section order.




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Ralph Zeuner
rayzoon technologies
http://www.rayzoon.com

JamBace will have an advanced harmonic tracking logic for MIDI input. When using it with audio input, you have to tell it the chords in its arranger.

A JamGuitar plugin would be more complex than JamBace with more strings and more play styles. We are always collecting ideas and concepts for such a thing but there is no development scheduled at this time.


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Ralph Zeuner
rayzoon technologies
http://www.rayzoon.com