Some interesting JamMan experiments

["max valentino" <ekstasis1@hotmail.com>]

Hey all...
With all the recent, and never-ending, posts on the amazing abilities of 
both the EDP and Repeater, I thought I might toss in some relevant tidbits 
about the much maligned and greatly outdated JamMan.
In the absence of a 'peater or EDP (tho there is about to be some news on 
that front) of my own, I have been pushing the limits of my JamMan.
I recently put in a new upgrade chip from Bob Sellon (my previous efforts 
with this wre plagued by a bug), and lo and behold the results are 
fascinating.

1) Multiple loops running simultaneously: One of the great flaws of the JM 
was it was set up more as a "phrase sampler" designed, methinks, to allow 
grtists to set up rhythm patterns which they could endlessly solo over ad 
nauseum.  And while you could select up to 8 different loops, they each 
had 
to be run seperately.  With the new upgrade, lops can be run 
simultaneously, 
thus  aloowing greater laying possibilities.
Add to this that each loop has its own independent fade, replace, mute, 
restart and pan position within a stereo field (that right, stereo), this 
opens up a whole new horizon of inter-active looping with this box.

2) loops can be inverted...much as on the DL4 or Boomerrang.

3) there is now included a seperate, and adjustable (even programmable) 
delay feature which may be applied pre-looping.

4) Although the loops themselves cannot be stored, the setup (pan, level, 
MIDI Channnel, feedback, delay level) can be stored in memory on different 
pages which are footswitch accessible, allowing different setups to be 
"played" in a perfomance".

5) a mellotron like sample playback feature allows loops to be pitched and 
played from a midi kybrd of CC pedal.

None of this really puts the JamBoy into the league of the Repeater or 
EDP, 
but it does open up new roads of creative looping with this archaic 
device. 
The interface for the upgrade is really not the easiest to navigate, and 
requires some forethought, but nonetheless iy si a helluva improvement. 
With 
solo bass I have been greatly enjoying useing multiple loops which I can 
fade (up or down) and create new mixes, mute at will, and replace as other 
loops are running (kinda tosses away the filling up the box and stopping 
paradigm which I know  irks Kim  to no end ).  The assignable and r/t 
controllable pan allows loops to "slide" in under others, whether in 
stereo 
or mono, sometimes acting as a rather crude "undo" function.

...and all of this is possible sans-midi! (If any of you remember my MIDI 
meltdown at Loopstock, you can imagine my joy of being able to do this 
with 
just two Digitech FS300 footswitches!).

But, on the other hand, hearing all about the marvels of LoopIV, and 
playing 
some duets with Andre (that EDP uber-badass!) really opened my eyes and 
ears 
to the wonders of that box...as did Bill Walker's incredible Repeater 
displays of late.  That, in a way led me to really digging into the JamMan 
(which along with my DL4, are my looping tools thus far), and working it 
until I could, as has been noted on recent threads, turn what might have 
been designed as an fx box into an interactive instrument.

....and, I might note, as soon as my escrow closes I am ordering an new 
EDP. 
  Next thing, I suppose, is to send Kim a check for Loop IV and take some 
private lessons with Andre!

Yours in loopage,
Max



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