Working with the JamMan Stereo and JamManager

Started by jp68, December 30, 2012, 01:50:36 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

jp68

I have a Duo and the place we typically play at is really challenged for space. I have been using my RC-300 loaded with my backing tracks and prerecorded loops. However, the RC-300 takes up a lot of real estate, so I picked up a JamMan Stereo which is almost 1/4 the size of the 300. It's not the RC-300, but I was impressed with what I could do with it...

I have one tune that goes from a Rumba to a Blues Swing. On the RC-300 I recorded the Rumba on track 1 and the Swing on track 2 of phrase one. On the JamMan I recorded the Rumba on loop one and the Swing on loop two. Both machines will switch seamlessly between the two parts of the song. Although, I must say it was a little easier process on the JamMan. The problem is that the song is on two different loops on the JM and on one phrase for the RC-300, two tracks but one phrase.

The JamManager software was a little more of a challenge. There are no instructions only a short video clip on the web. It took me an hour or two but I finally got it figured out and was able to load a backing track onto the JM along with a few loops that I had recorded and saved. The one thing that I didn't realize is that when you transfer data back to the JM from the manager software it clears everything off the JM and loads what ever was in your playlist in its place. My bad, I thought that I could just load one track onto the JM, but no that's not the way it works. You have to load everything that you want on the JM into a playlist and then transfer everything at once. Anything on the JM will be erased and replaced with whatever was in your playlist. I lost all of the prerecorded tracks that came with the JM in my first attempt to load some of my songs. Not a great loss, but a real surprise.

I think what I will do is to load all of my prerecorded loops onto the JM's memory and all of my backing tracks onto an SD card. Since the backing tracks are all full songs, they will have to be set up as a one-shot, which the JM will do. The problem is that I will need a cheat sheet since all I have on the JM are loop numbers. The RC-300 lets me actually name the phrases...

I need to work with the JamManager software a bit, it is quirky. I had it lock up on me a couple of times and I had to do the Control Alt Delete thing. Also, after forcing a shut down I had to unplug the JM and then reconnect it before the software would recognize it again. The good thing is that the JM software seemed to save everything up to the point of the shutdown. A bit of a pain in the backside, however I was able to work around most of the quirks that I found. I think that Digitech should work a little harder on this one...

The JM, if it works, will really save a lot of space on our tiny stage. There's barely enough room for the two of us as it is...

Threeleggedyoyo

#1
I use the JamMan (mono) for movie quotes and samples and such alongside my RC.

Kind of finicky loading samples on there. They have to be the correct bitrate, in mono, and be named LOOP for the JamMan to accept them. But it does work.

I haven't used the software at all. You might find it easier to just drag and drop on your unit if it works the same way. It doesn't clear the JamMan when I change things this way.

jp68

Well, it's 2:30 in the morning... It took me about 4 hours to download 15 backing tracks to the JamMan Stereo. The JamManager software is next to worthless. However after searching the web and taking advise from Threeleggedyoyo I developed a procedure that let me load the tracks to the JMS. The trick is not to use the drag and drop process. First, import your files into JamManager and then copy and paste them onto either the internal memory or external SD card. This works pretty well except that the USB connection between my computer and the JMS would inexplicably drop from time to time and I would have to unplug the unit from the computer and reconnect, and reopen the software. Based on the Threads that I read on this subject Digitech doesn't give a blank about their problems with this software... The process wouldn't be so bad if the connection between the computer and the JMS was more stable.

Threeleggedyoyo

Hmm, yes, come to think of it I DID copy/paste and not drag/drop. My apologies if I mislead you. I keep a library of sound effects and then rename them and copy them each into the appropriate folders on the JamMan itself.

I usually do these things one at a time, and my material is pretty short (rarely over 1 minute each). I haven't ever had dropping problems like you describe. This may be specific to the stereo. If that's the case, you might be better with my setup, which is a mono dual-peadal JamMan along with the Digitech FS3X (sadly, it has to be that one and not a typical 2-button, but oh well).

Glad you got it working, though.

Elantric

suggest download ALL Digitech apps & Editors & Librarians

I expect things will go dark by July 1, 2018