DigiTech Jamman Looper(One Man Band Update)

[Platefire]

I don't play in a group any more and don't really miss all the traveling but I do miss the jamming. I am extended jammer from way back!!! 60's ;) Har! I've got a Line 6 Delay that I jam with but only can get 27 seconds max on continuous loop with multiple over dubs on top of the 27 seconds but thats not near enough time to loop together even a 12 bar slow blues cord progression. I'm liking what I read about the pedal with all the upgrade memory capability, additional footswitch and possibility to be a one man band.

To do the one man band thing I wouldn't want all the sound coming out my guitar amp but it would need to go through a main PA system and I would wan't my amp seperate to maintain my good tone without drums, bass and other stuff coming through my guitar amp.

Has anybody got one of these pedals that they could clue me in. I have read reviews but they haven't addressed the one man band operation to my satisfaction. For jamming at the house I'm sure it's great and seems to be miles ahead of the Boss RC-20. Thanks, Platefire

[tubesornothing]

Well I wish I could offer a good opinion, but all I have is questions.  I have been using cubase on my laptop to record different tracks to create a backing track.  I suppose this does essentially the same thing, but its a little more interactive?  Where do you get drum and bass loops?

If it sounds good, I'll just get one from the store and give it a shot - they have a 30day money back gaurantee.

[Platefire]

Yeah I went ahead and ordered a new one from Musicians Friend. Looking at them on e-bay they are going for over $200.00 used plus shipping. MF has them for $299.99 new with free shipping and a rebait offer for your choice of one of several digitech OD/Dist pedals for only the cost of shipping. So I figured why pay that much to get a used one when for a few more bucks I could get an un-touched new one. If all fails and I want to get rid of it, I could get most of my money back for it on e-bay.

I use to do backing tracks on my computer using Jammer Pro 4. I would create drums/keys/midi bass including intros/verse/chorse/breaks/ending
and then export it to Digital Orchestrator Pro to add guitars and vocals.
My computer finally crashed and the programs were outdated--so I chuncked it. Getting the Jamman is a way to kind of get back into it plus it will be fun and help me keep my chops up. Platefire

[Twanger]

it's a good pedal, the only problem i had when i used one was that the footswitches had a tendency to go loose. i cant help you with your question because i never used it a lot and i was mainly using the digital delay effect on it.

John

[Platefire]

I read a lot on it and from best I can tell it's the best thing out there for money paid right now. Two things I would like to use it for is 1-create full song cord progressions/loops to jam at home with through my practice amp. 2-create pre-recorded song backing tracks complete enough where I could plug the Jamman into the house PA, play my Lead guitar through another seperate amp and sing vocals and play instrumentals for 5 or 6 song set. May need a direct box to go from hi impedance output to house PA input low z. Looking forward to see what I can get out of it. I downloaded and printed out the manual from the DigiTech site, so I will have some understanding about it before it arrives. Platefire

[tubesornothing]

PLease keep us up to date - sounds like a cool unit.

[tubesornothing]

OK, well I went to the store and picked one up.  I am using looperman.com for some free drum loops, nothing for blues though.  Any place where you get them?

[Platefire]

Wow, you really got one?  ;D I thought it had some drum sounds and timing signatures already on it? Platefire

[tubesornothing]

Yeah, between your note here and that thread on KT how could I not!  (she is awesome)

This thing is FUN!  I am not sure how it compares to the others, but here is some of its features:

As for drums, it has 9 different "metronomes". These are not loops, but are built in and are used to set the tempo of any track. From the simple click to a block to a foot bass and high hat. Works pretty good, but not a replacement for loops from a real kit. Doesn't look like any way to change these, they are fixed. 

I am found some nice free drums I will put on the machine, but they will be part of the loop, and not the tempo.  I will probably store 10 of my favorite drum tracks in the the top 10 slots, then copy these to lower tracks when I want to some live looping with nice  drums.  If I want to have a bigger library, I will have to download them from the computer as needed.

The KT stuff is real inspiring. Maybe I'll just do my own drums with grab a tamborine, and egg shaker and maybe a block or something.

Although this looping stuff I could easily do with my computer, the simplicity and the pedal just makes it way more convenient to do on the fly or when creativity strikes, as it is just a pedal.

Took a bit to figure out some things (somewhat obvious to me after the fact!)
- when clicking record, it counts in a bar before actually recording.
- laying down the first music is called recording and sets the length of the loop,
- laying down subsequent music is called overdubbing and does not affect the length of the loop

It also has a feature to play 3 tracks(?) back to back for intro-chorus-verse.  I will give it a shot when I get bored of the single loops stuff.

I had an option to get the BOSS RC20XL for a little cheaper, but it had no computer connection and being a computer geek type I am always looking for that. I am glad I did, as it is easier to get loops back and forth into the JAMMAN with USB, rather than aux in and recording.

[tubesornothing]

Also be careful saving your work:  turn the loop OFF, press store twice, until light goes off.

[tubesornothing]

IF you want to load your own WAV files onto the  jamman, you need to modify the files so they work properly (e.g. wav files need to be 44khz mono, and set the tempo in the LOOP.XML file).  Here is a good site that explains it all:

http://www.normbowler.com/jamman/

[Platefire]

  Hay thanks for all the info. This will give me a good jump start on it before it gets here. UPS tracking estimated mine will arrive Tuesday the 12th. I'm kind of disappointed to hear about the rythem on the pedal--I hoped it had a good snare/bass drum sound but apparently don't.
  I registered at "Looperman" last night but could never figure out where to go to download a drum loop. Everything I clicked on only took me to other sites that required another registration??? I'll definatly need some good up tempo strutting and slow blues loops. Good medium rock and at least one slow 3/4 time loop.
  As I understand it, to do a complete song in a live playing situration with intro/verse/chorus/verse/ending--you have to create them as different loop locations in close sequence (1,2,3,4,5) and use the optional footswitch while playing to bring up the apporpreate loop just seconds before it needs to start! That's kind of a tall order when you might be playing guitar and singing at the same time--plus stomping tracks and keeping an eye on the pedal for the proper sequence number.  I can't comprehend at this point why you couldn't create a rythem track as one loop--3 minets long and overdub all the extra parts like bass, lead fills and back up vocals on top of it and have it as a single loop where it just stops when it's complete?
I'm sure you would need to go to the 2GB card to do a whole set of songs.
  As far a jamming at the house--that is what it will mostly be used for. I'm the kind when I have that Lead mans Monkey on my back just hearing notes burning in my brain---I can get a good groove or chord progression going (on my old Line 6 delay/modeler)and jam staight for 20 or 30 minets easy. So I looking forward to meeting my new jamming buddy, har! Platefire

[tubesornothing]

"Lead Mans Monkey"  - ahh finally a name for the stuff that keeps circling in my head!

I found a few free drum loops at sony acid web site http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/loops  enough for me to get started anyways.  I think I'll order one of their CDs as the stuff seems pretty good quality.  I am having a tough time just trying to find some blues shuffle rhythms.  For $40 I can get 600 high quality drum samples in my genre.

A lot of the looperman stuff is techno house, but there is some other stuff, rock and what have you.  Once you register, go to http://www.looperman.com/loops.php and then you can select by genre, types, etc.  Then you can just clikc the play button to preview, and the download link.  The quality is mixed, but since it is free...


 

[Platefire]

When you get to the point where you keep hearing lead/rythem passages playing over and over in you head---it's time to jam and get it out. I happened a lot more often when I was younger but still does from time to time now days. I will begin to worry if it ever quits all together.  ;) Some guitarist just quit playing all together cold turkey and never blink an eye--I never comprehended this---it's so much a part of me I don't know how to quit--and why should I---it's a gift from God to be used to honor and glorify him.

I did manage to download a short up tempo kick/Snare/hi-hat loop that was only about 2 beats long, har! I guess if it's in loop form--you don't need to extend it and it will keep repeating itself???

Have  you managed to transfer any downloaded loops to the Jamman yet?? and if so how is it working?
I use to have some old CD's with drum loops on them that I got as part of my Voyota Record Prducers recording software. I'll have to dig that back out and see if it's usable.

Thanks! Platefire

[Platefire]

Here is a link to an artical by Norm Bowler that gives detailed instructions on making loops with Sound Forge version 9. Platefire
http://www.normbowler.com/jamman/

[Platefire]

Well the Jamman came in today. It took me a while to get going and was getting pretty frustrated messing up but after keeping going back to the instructions recorded a good loop that included rhythem guitar, bass guitar and one of the rhythm sounds in the Jamman with kick/cymbal/snare. I went through some pedals on my rhythm guitar but went direct into the input with the bass and it turned out pretty good. I was happy with the results---good start. The drum sounds are pretty lame but better than nothing. I remembered
I have some drum sounds in my Zoom Processor. I might try recording some of those sounds for loops--it's got the fast blues shuffle, slow blues, country kick/rim tap, rock sounds, 3/4 time -be worth a try. I'll definitly be getting the 2 G flashcard and the extra foot pedal. Platefire

Hay tubesornothing--you lost me on the "KT" Thing? Who are you refering to?

[tubesornothing]

I managed to make up a number of drum tracks using cubase and WAV files from an acoustic drums kit (although not the best sounding kit I have heard).  Works pretty good.  Downlaoding to the machine is pretty specific and not very flexible, but seems to work good for my purposes.  I think key is to get the first recording near perfect, then all the overdubs seem to work out just fine.

The "KT" was the thread about KT Tunsall.  Do a search on this forum or youtube.  She uses a looper live and is fantastic.

I tried to upload the wav files, but they are too large.  If you PM me an email, I will be happy to send them to you.  You might find them useful.

[Platefire]

Man, I like this machine! I recorded a drum sound and crunch rhythm part at the same time off my Zoom 707. It's a song I do real regular and recorded its verses/lead space/chorus all as a single loop. I again recorded bass direct. Very pleased with the results! Now! I can see with a drum machine or computer drum midi computer program you could program complete songs as a loop with intros, stops, verses, choruses, dynamics and record it as a single loop. That way each complete song will be one loop location. The only big advantage to recording verses/choruses as different loops it would allow you in
a live performance when your getting a good audiance response to a song to not end it and repeat verse/Chorus/lead if you chose to. In this case with a single loop you could just repeat the whole song over again.
  I also found out last night that you can convert a loop to a single where it will autimaticly stop at the end or later covert it back to a repeating loop. Since you can't overdub on a single, this is very handy.
  Well I'm sold.  :D Just need to get the extra footswitch, 2 Gig card and either a drum machine or drum computer program. Platefire

[Platefire]

Well I ordered the footswitch from Musicians Friend tonight. Thought there might be some cheap used ones on e-bay but the only used one was a $31.00 and the auction still had another day--may as well buy it new--got it $45.90 including shipping. I've been looking at 2 GB Compact Flash cards at Wally World. Digitech specs "Type 1". Folks at wally world don't know anything about a type 1, only Compact Flash 2GB. SanDisk makes one (Type 1)for $35.00 #SDCFB-2048-A10) but they didn't have that paticular one at our Wally Super Center. I'll keep looking, don't want to pay Musician Friend $70.00 for one.

I recorded more stuff this weekend using my electric/Acoustic. The level control on the Jamman would not boost it enough to get a signal, so I had to use another outboard preamp to get the signal hot enough to hear and get a peak indicator on level. Anyway it turned out really good. Picked up a 6'-0" UBC cable to saved the new arrangment on my computer as a wav file. I LIKE IT! Platefire

[Dynaflow]

 You might check OfficeMax as well, they have quite a few cards, thats where I got the 2 gig for my phone (although it was one of them smaller ones, but they have compact flash too).

Regards,

Dyna

[Platefire]

I stopped off by Radio Shack on the way home and they had a SanDisk Ultra 2GB, Type 1 on sell for $21.00. I'm almost tempted to go by another one while they are still on sale. They are marked $69.99 on the package. Plate

Edit: BTW-I put the 2GB card in last night only to find a 1GB card in there? That's 190 minuets. They advertise is ships with a 128 MB card? anyway I saved the loops I had already recorded to my computer and then put the new card in and then saved the loops off my computer to the new card. So everything is working like is suppose to.

[Platefire]

Having a ball recording loops. Some of my old recording equipement thats been sitting up, I've fired up and using again. Mostly recording a drum tracks, acoustic guitar and bass parts. I'll be playing my electric live with it, so that and live vocals will be the final ingrediant. I've got an old dbx 163x compressor that just lays down a great bass guitar sound. I've tried several things on my Tocoma electric acoustic but the best sound yet it running it through a Morley dist/wah/vol using the distortion for a boost and then through a RV3 Reverb pedal direct---it comes out totally clean. recording drums is a little trickey--I have to record an extra measure in the beginning as a count in so you'll have something to cue off of and then record a some extra time at the end--to give you time to shut down your playing and drums before the loop repeats and you record some unwated artifacts back on the front of the loop. Once you get your loop recorded you can set it as a "single" where it automticly stops at the end--or set on loop it keeps repeating. Good stuff, Plate.  :D

[Platefire]

Just an update for anyone interested or fooling with the jamman. I tried some of my loops running the jamman into a PA system where I just used it as a backup band and had my guitar running through a my Accomplice not connected to the jamman. I used a Red Box-direct box speaker simulator set on 4-12 cab inbeween jamman output and PA for a balanced line in. After a little tweaking on the PA's EQ/Volume I was set up and ready to go. I now have the optional footswitch that allows you to go between loops/songs by tapping on the up/down buttons.

It works great and sounds really good with a full band sound through the PA. I got just good sound without any extra noise. One thing is after you get started and realize the volume of the jamman is too loud or not loud enough, you can bend over and make a level ajustment on the jamman without having to go back to the PA. You do get variations in level from loop to loop that requires that adjustment.
I realized that on some of my loops the drums were mixed to loud in relation to the music. I feel I will get better at mixing the drums/bass/rhythem as I get more experiance with the loops. Those are a few of the downsides of the first try but overall a great success IMHO. I played some of my favorite songs over and over until I just had to flip the swicth off--no quitting place, har! This is something I've been wanting to do for several years now since the looper pedals have been advancing. Well so far it's every bit as good as I hoped for if not better. Next to do a program in front of a live audiance. Platefire

[Platefire]

Between Hurricanes and working overtime I haven't been able to spend much time with my new jamming friend even though I have eager anticipation of a reunion soon! I've been looking at the Alesis SR-16 Drum machine which I think would be the ultimate compliment for full length songs on the Jamman. Just simply pre-program all your song on the drum machine and when finished, record it on the Jamman. Throw down a rhythem guitar and bass guitar parts and you would have a professional type backup. I've had fairly decent experiance at programming drum machines from multitrack recording and with a little effort and patents, you can build a fine foundation for a song. Record about a one measure count in and you start right on time and either/or start immediatly with the botton push. Platefire  :)

http://www.alesis.com/sr16

Edit: I bought a SR-16 on e-bay. The hardest part will be getting the drums/bass/rhythem the proper volume balance on the Jammer.

[tubesornothing]

ok, I'll check that drum machine out.  I had one for a week, and returned it.  But that was a while ago.  It'd be nice to have something ready to go.

[Platefire]

I got mine in Friday and real happy with the sounds I'm hearing. It has 230 different sampled drum sounds. So the sounds on the pads that are default, it's not restricted to those sounds and can be changed to your liking including the different drum kits. The fill button is pretty cool too that can also be activated with a foot pedal along with start and stop with another seperate momentary switch. This would be real handy for using it as drum machine with a group.

I spent about 6 hours with it Friday night reading instructions/testing and about 6 hours Saturday night and I finally got 95% of my first song programed by midnight. I tried to start with something real simple to make it easy for myself. I Had to create a user pattern for the intro/count in and that was a real program learning curve and after I got the intro user pattern programed to work with all the other preset patterns on playback I then discovered my user pattern's volume wasn't loud enough to match the preset patterns volume, so I had to go back and read/read/read until I finally figured out how to adjust the volume on my user pattern--but once I got it adjusted, it was right then. I then went back a added fills in all the right places. I now have 86 4/4 timing measures in the song so far. Now to work out the ending and I will be through with my first programed song. Looking forward to recording the finished drum track on Jamman and then adding the bass and rhythem guitar.

So if you want to have intros, verses, chorus, stops and endings to fit your song---you'll have to program your own user patterns for those special parts to be used in between those good sounding preset patterns available on the machine. Even thoght I'm just getting started learning the program curves of this machine and still have a long way to go, it appears to me that 95% of most normal songs
could be programed. I haven't ran accross anything in the manual about programing a timing change in a song, but maybe I missed it?

This has kind of revived my interest in recording again. Fostex had a 16 Track with a CD burner for $500.00. Cheapest 16 track I've seen. Platefire 

[Platefire]

Well I wanted to post a final conclution to this on using the Alesis SR-16 to do my drums on Jamman
and I've made tremendous progress with the SR-16 but I've been working to program patters that can be used on the end of a song like bands I've played in and most rock drummers/bands do. At the end of a rocking song you usually hold out the final 4 to 8 counts with a power ending bass drum playing 1/16 hits, roll on the toms, cymbol crashed with a final loud accent with everything on the final count. Well I'm having problems creating that. I keep reading the instructions, programing, delete, start over and still can't get it like I know it shold be--that frustrates the dickens out of me---but at the same time this drum machine will not get the best of me and will conform. So I've got one some programed perfectly up until the last measure and can't get my rock ending--so far but soon. After all I got to get back on my Pacer/Deluxe project and finish that! I guess I enjoy being busy! ;D

BTW-The SR-16 has some great drum sounds in it!

[Platefire]

Don't guess nobodys following this thread anymore but I tell you Platefire is happy and satisfied tonight!!! :) I finished programing "Bound For the Kingdom"
Blues shuffle style complete with end of the world sustained hold and final accent ending.

I recorded the drum track on my old Tascam 424, 4 Track Recorder plus recorded a Direct in-bass part and nice cruchy Rhythem using my Little Bear
Se EL84 amp micked playing my Hoyer Les Paul copy. Had to do a couple of overdubs to fix a some parts but once I did that it was right. I mixed it down mono to the Jamman and it sounded as good as I hoped for. By recording it on a multi track first you can better mix down the levels of each instrument onto the Jamman. Very seldom does something work out as good or even better than you hoped for--but it did this time. Ha Hoo, pass the biscuits and Praise the Lord, Platefire.

[tubesornothing]

No, I am still watching.  Glad that you are getting both a live and recorded solution working - very nice.

I tried the Alesis drum machine, but my needs are just for a bunch of canned drum tracks for jamming.  Since the alesis only had a 100, and  I didn't want to program more (I got fed up with cubase pretty quick) I returned it.  I got a Boss MicroBR recorder - its kind of like the Tascam guitar trainer, but also has 300 built in drum tracks.  Not my ideal solution, but works. 

[Platefire]

 I've been looking at the Boss BR-600 recorder plus the Zoom MRS-8. The only thing is I'm wanting one with a CD burner because my old computer is so lame I haven't got much confidence in transfering files to my PC and burning CD's because I also want to record demos of songs I write. So I've been looking at the Fostex MR16HD that would give me plenty of tracks and allow me to burn CD's. Also I could use it to do my Jammer tracks that would be better quality that my Tascam 424 Cassette. What is your iinitial impression of the BRMicro?
Has it got some good usable/interesting drum tracks in all the 300 avilable.
 

[tubesornothing]

The MicroBR drum tracks are pretty good - but I am not going to say awesome.  They are hard coded - so you cannot add more, unless you want to create a WAV drum track and download it as a part of the recorded tracks.  You can edit it them though - but if I wanted to do that I would have kept the alesis.  I like the idea that it runs on batteries,  because I often like to go out on the deck or down to the beach with the rig and play.  You can easily set the tempo.

There is a bit of "slight of hand" when they say 300 tracks.  The MicroBR has drum "patterns" and "arrangements".  It has 50 built in arrangements, each built of 5 patterns.  There are 300 different patterns, but some are just fills and intros - not something to play to continuously.  There are also 9 different drum kits.

So it is not ideal, but not too bad.  It does have some drawbacks:
- you can load 1000s of MP3s to play, but it only displays the first 6 characters of each song name (!?!?!)
- you cannot arrange the songs into a single folder or use playlists (!?!?!)
- does not come with and adapter - best to purchase rechargeable batteries

It does have some nice features
- 4 track recorder, can be layered up to 32 tracks
- loop a portion of a song
- slow down or speed up a song
- tuner
- and the drum kit

My ideal tool, for backing tracks and guitar training would be:
- 2GB mp3 player that supports folders or playlists
- ability to loop any portion of a song
- slow down or speed up a song
- tuner
- downloadable drum parts and arrangements that you can set the tempo

[Platefire]

Thanks for the run down on the Micro. Sounds like a cool machine. On my Jammer Pro 4 program I use to use they had the intros, breaks, stops and endings that you could tag on to your drum tracks. I used them with pretty good results. Do you do a lot of extended jams with your jamman? It's something I haven't had much time for because I been busy with a lot of other stuff but I'm always anticipating the next Jam. To me it's an awesome tool!

I tried my previoud mix down track off my Tascam 424 to Jamman through a PA system Saturday night and discovered it was a little too thin/bright--need more bottom. I will have to do the mix down to the Jamman again and tweak the EQ to cut treble and boost bass to thicken it up a bit. This is all a step by step learning process, so once I get my proceedure down all my other loops/tracks should be less labor intensive, har! Sure felt good jamming with it. Got my harp out also and brushing up on my harp playing--now that I got a backup band.

I will soon stop by Lowes and pick up a 3/4" piece of plywood, cut it the right size, paint it flat black and stick some velcro on it and mount the Jamman, the looper switch pedal, Power block with power supplies and my Red Box Direct Box/Speaker simulator all on the plywood. Wire it all up together with short cords. I have a Dell Notebook computer case that I will put it in and that way I will have a complete portable Jamman pedal board package road ready. That way when you get to a gig just unzip the top flap of the laptop case, fold the flap forward out of the way, make connections with your amp/guitar/power and your ready to go. Anyway that's my plan. Platefire

[Platefire]

Well here is a pix of the finished Jamman Pedal board. The switch allows to pan back and forth through 100 locations for loops/songs. The red box is to go direct with LXR mic cable to PA. The case is a Dell Lap Top case I picked up at a flea market for about $3.00. It's all vecroed to a 3/4" piece of plywood painted flat black. Works good!

[tubesornothing]

Very nice!  I am sorry to say, I haven't used mine much - but it was intended to be a practise tool rather than a one man band thing.  I also returned the microBR, too many small drawbacks for use as a guitar trainer.

For practise, I am back to my tascam guitar trainer.  I am just using canned backing tracks, when I want my own, I set up the home rec studio and use cubase.  As for the drum tracks, I downloaded a bunch of freebees off the net.  Works well enough for practise.  With the guitar trainer, I can change the tempo +/- 20% without hearing much degradation.

If I was to go down the KT Tungsol route, I would definitely be back all over the Jammman.  I have also seen so guys use it in their 3 piece bands.

[Dynaflow]

 As a side note on this one man band concept, check out the Digitech Vocalist Live 2 or Live 4. These add 2 or up to 4 part harmony to the vocals and do so by monitoring your guitar playing and what key your in. Theres a few demo's on Youtube if you do a search on the Vocalist Live 2 or 4. I've seen earlier harmonizer boxes, but this one really seems to work pretty well. Someday when I get the coin I'm thinking of getting the vocalist 2. Just something to check out, do look at the demo's.

Regards,

Dyna

[Platefire]

Dyna

Thanks for the tip on the vocalist 2. Don't know how much acceptance I will recieve as a one man band. I played in groups all my life as a lead guitar player and did a few fill in vocals/songs. As I get older I find it harder and harder to do the group thing. I'm not a great singer but I do as well as some I've heard that do it all the time. It's a little bit different being a front man as oppose to a back up man. Got to be on your toes with staight forward communications, in tune with the audiance and capable of delivering the performance. The Jamman takes a load off because if you got your backup track recorded well, it's going to play the say way every time, no flaws. With the vocalist 2 I sure you could do some good harmonies on the chorus. I'll check her out anyway..............it might correct sharp and flat vocals too!

tubesornothing

You know I bought mine mostly for jamming also but as I started working with it I see so much potential in the one man band thing---so I've been spending a lot of my normal jamming time learning how to program the SR-16 drum machine which also has great potential but programing it correctly is a big learning curve but you have to take time to learn the machine to produce good original drum tracks. It has some great drum sounds. Once you get your drum part programed on the SR-16, record it on one track of the multi-track recorder, then record you bass guitar, rhytem guitar on the multi-track and you mix down to the Jamman just like you were making a CD master. With the multi-track you can keep adjusting your mix until you get it right or record different mixes on different loop locations and keep the best one, delete the others to free up memory space. The payoff is when you run it all through a good PA system and you are singing and playing along to your own compositions--from what I've experiance so far--it drives me on to keep working on it.

I'll get back to random jamming someday but I got to work my way through this first! :D

[tubesornothing]

Hey hey - you are going to laugh at this one:  I am back to using the looper.  I have a bunch of new songs to cover for a band.  I am able to get the leads using my tascam guitar trainer easy enough, but when I finally have them down,  playing against the real mp3 is not quite the same as a band situation.  Since we only get together once per week, I recorded it to the looper.  Works great for this.  Simple drums (that can even keep tempo  *&$%^%$), then I lay down the rythym line and lead in, then I am off to the races.

[Platefire]

Well good, I'm glad your getting some use out of it. I've been busy finishing up my DR Pacer Project, so I've kind of neglected the Jamman but now that it's finished will be getting back improving some songs I previouly recorded on it and adding some new songs.

Learn those lead/rhythm lines good so when you go to practice you'll knock them out!

[Platefire]

JAMMAN ONE MAN BAND PROGRESS REPORT

Just want to re-emphsize this is one great tool if your into recording and want to perform your songs as a one man band. You just simply do a mono mixdown from your multitrack recorder less your vocal and lead guitar/rhythem parts that you normally play live onto the JAMMAN and set the loop to stop when it reaches the end, instead of repeating.
If you do your mixdown correctly, use a direct box to go from hi-Z Jammer output to low-Z mike cable PA input and EQ your PA channel for best balance--man it's like having your own band at your command.



Once you get your songs in the jamman---it's an easy hookup to any PA especially when you set your jamman up on a board like mine with the DI box and footswitch connected to instanly access any of your tune by foot stomping.

One issue with playing live through a PA is your Jamman output level for each individual song. You have to pre-rehearse the output level setting for each song to prevent having to bend over and make level adjustment after the song has begun. If your trying to look Kool, this could be a drawback! :D
Rehearsing the level changes lets you adjust any changes before the song begins. In my mixdown efforts I'm learning to adjust my levels to where they  are all at about 12:00 Oclock minimizing any adjustment at all.

If your use to playing in a band and like the band feel when your playing but
don't want go through the hassel of keeping track of your drummer or bailing him out of jail, this is the next best thing to the real thing. Oh yeah, my drummers name is Alesis SR16 and he's always on time. Platefire

[Dynaflow]

 Reminds me of.... How do you know a drummers at your door? He doesn't knock in rhythm and doesn't know when to come in... :D

Regards,

Dyna

[tubesornothing]

Reminds me of.... How do you know a drummers at your door? He doesn't knock in rhythm and doesn't know when to come in... :D

...and knocks as loud as humanly possible...

I also want to re-enforce platefire's comments.  I  use mine all the time, but for practise backing tracks.  When ever I have a new song to sing or a solo to create/copy: I use the built in beats, record the bassline, then overdub the guitar rhythm line.  Sure I could do this with the recording system or with my PC, but this is super easy setup and easy to erase and re-start.

ToN

[Platefire]

Update. Still jamming with this once or twice a week. I have gone back and did a remix on some of the songs where the drums or bass needed more bottom coming over the PA and when adding more lows on PA EQ didn't get the desired results, I added more lows on the re-mix to the jamman and that did it.
It's kinda nice having your back up band sounding the way you want it.

Also got my wife on keyboards jamming along now. We got 13 songs. She's always ready. I got a lot more ideas on adding new songs but working on the 5E3 project has got priority right now. The jamman is just a kool tool. Plate

[Platefire]

I've been mixing songs down to the jamman that I wrote and recorded way back in the 90's leaving the vocals off. It's going to be kinda cool performing these old songs live for the first time. I was studying recording methods big time back then so I went to a lot of extra effors to lay it down right. I really don't see how musicians resist this box. Plate  :)

[Platefire]

The wife and I did our first live Christmas Concert last nigh for Sunday night Church Service. Turned out really good with the help of the Lord. I'm pleased!! We got about 30 songs/backing tracks mixed down on the Jamman now. Platefire

[Platefire]

I had a little four channel Peavey XR 400B PA head given me this year but didn't have any speakers. For Christmas I bought myself & wife two Kustom KPC10 10" woofers and HF horn with crossover circuit for $50.00 each. Wow! these speakers really perform better than I ever expected. This is just so I won't have to go to the church and use the church PA system to run my jamman and run vocal mics---now I can do it all at the house. So this system is great for jamming in my living room and would also do fine for a small to medium room gig. I'm off work all this week so I set up the PA, keyboard, amps, jamman, effects pedals in the living room so we can jam at random all week. The jamman sounds great running through the PA---good thing my closest neighbors are 1/4 to 1/2 mile away. Platefire 

[tubesornothing]

I got to get back to using mine.  I was using a 30sec looper on my other pedal board, but 30secs is just not long enough for the longer solos.  Good to see you having so much fun!

[Platefire]

They just lowered the price lately from $300 to $250. I've been tempted to by a second as a backup since I use it so much but----the 2GB compact flash cards they use are almost outdated and are kind of hard to find. I was thinking maybe they lowered the price
to sell out all the old models because they were coming out with a revised model
with a more update available memory card. Maybe not??? If they come out with a updated model I sure want it. Platefire

BTW--Using the Jamman and including my wife with my music on keyboard/vocals was the wisest move I've made in years. She enjoys in as much as me, always ready to play and I'm getting to do my own original music playing in my own style which is a blast to me. I have had to work with her a lot to get her up to speed on keyboard but shes coming along better than I ever expected. Got to get her a better keyboard now.