Jammy Digital Guitar

[Sam Spoons]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTMa6WOV6dU

[Wonks]

Interesting, but how long will they be made for? This market sector has pretty much a 100% failure rate within a few years. And then where does the support come from?

The Jammy guitar is also a direct import from the US, with no local support if it goes wrong. I'd like to see some European distribution/support before parting with £350. A straight guitar can be supported anywhere, but an electronic device like this...

I bought a used You Rock YRG1000 MIDI guitar, not aware that the company had gone and that their web site was just about to shut down completely. So no chance of the firmware upgrade it desperately needed.

[Sam Spoons]

All points that crossed my mind, what got me interested was the fact that the You Rock guitar had disappeared. I nearly bought a used one off ebay recently, would you advise avoiding?

[Wonks]

My one turns out to be a gen 1 model, though advertised on eBay as a Gen 2. (lack of a working You Rock website precluded me checking and returning at the time). You really need the program to allow editing of the MIDI parameters and guitar settings, as adjustment from the unit itself is minimal. As it stands, it feels just as laggy as a GK pickup setup, plus you have the funny feel of embossed rubbery plastic strings. Also a classical width fingerboard, but you do get all 22 frets. And it does have some built-in sounds.

I was wondering if the Jammy is related to the You Rock, as there are quite a few similarities. But then someone independent may have decided to try and make a better You Rock without it also functioning as a Guitar Hero controller as well.

[BigRedX]

Of all the MIDI guitar controllers I've seen recently this definitely looks the best.

Not sure about the strap attaching the the top of the neck - that's not very Rock n Roll...

Doesn't appear to support custom tunings - I currently play Bass VI tuned EADGCE and I would want to replicate this (or any other non-standard tunings I need) .

Lots of potential but I think I'll wait for the next version.

[Drew Stephenson]

Think I'll stick with JamOrigin for the moment but I'll keep an eye on it though.

[N i g e l]

Ive been looking at the Jamstik for quite a while but havent bothered to commit as Ive also noticed that stomp box analysis of ordinary polyphonic guitar output seems to be evolving to new heights.

By which I mean, products like the Electro Harmonix stomp boxes, guitar input converted to synth output.
Boss do similar with the SY1, theres a review of that in the mag.

Then theres the VSTs like Jam origin's midi guitar2. (£80, free trial available)

I dont play live & am 99% keyboard player but have an old Casio MG500 which is laggy.
I mainly used it for getting strumming into a DAW, which could then be corrected and embelished later.

[John Egan]

I still use my Godin ACS for any MIDI input requiring more (not much) than my rudimentary keyboard skills. And of course it handles all of my nylon strung acoustic needs. Thoroughly recommended. It's not a controller, of course, but it does a decent job on wind instrument parts especially.
Regards, John

[Sam Spoons]

I will look again at that type of midi guitar (probably some kind of Roland GR system).

I'm a guitar player so synth controllers are a difficult area. I can play a little keys and a little flute so have a rack of keyboards and an Akai EWI USB but I lack the chops to get the best out of either. I have invested heavily in guitar playing over the last 55 years and am reasonably competent so a guitar synth should be the way to go but none I have tried have worked for me.

[Dynamic Mike]

But can you play this on it? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0RV0kgdqJU

What a voice! If Mary Spender did a satnav I'd just drive around aimlessly all day

[N i g e l]

Good video with plenty of angles. Lets refer to that as the Rasins of Rock. I could never admit to liking Dire Straits.

but can they play dubstep ???? ...Boyinaband teaches dubstep guitar (accoustic)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtQfqKOxwOI

-----------------------
Serious face, back on topic....

How much latency can a real guitarist tolerate ?

if the speed of sound is 343 m/s, it takes 3ms per meter to hear the sound out of your amp.

My casio works by measuring the time period / cycle of each string.
For the low E @ 83 Hz thats 12ms to do the measurement.
+ maybe another 4ms to transmit a 6 note chord over MIDI = 16ms (#1)

equivilent to standing 5 or 6 m away from the amp .
Is that acceptable these days ?

(#1) all guess work, if your interested I could actually measure it on a scope.

Godin ACS

very nice What kind of interface do you use ?

[Dave B]

It looks great - I'm sorely tempted and might splurge in the new year. Let's hope that this company does stick.

Regardlng Jam Origin - I chatted to Paul White at SynthFest and he loves that and can't sing it's praises highly enough. You just get a clean, DI'd signal into the system and it spits out the midi. Coolio

[Drew Stephenson]

It looks great - I'm sorely tempted and might splurge in the new year. Let's hope that this company does stick.

Regardlng Jam Origin - I chatted to Paul White at SynthFest and he loves that and can't sing it's praises highly enough. You just get a clean, DI'd signal into the system and it spits out the midi. Coolio

Yep, that's pretty much it for Jam Origin. I've been very happy with it to date.
If I recall rightly, my first one-synth-challenge entry was done pretty much just using that as the input device for anything other than the basic chord progression.

[Mixedup]

You really need the program to allow editing of the MIDI parameters and guitar settings

Agreed... I don't suppose you *have* the program do you, and for Windows? I have a Mac version on an ageing and only half-functioning MacBook Pro. But I don't have the installer... and suspect it wouldn't work on more recent Mac OS's anyway... I couldn't find it in a quick search online, since the manufacturer collapsed.

Re the lagginess... yes, it ddid have some issues. You couldn't play guitar with it... but as a controller, it made inputting chords and songwriting with keys, pads, strings etc so much easier for me than a keyboard!

[John Egan]

Good video with plenty of angles. Lets refer to that as the Rasins of Rock. I could never admit to liking Dire Straits.

but can they play dubstep ???? ...Boyinaband teaches dubstep guitar (accoustic)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtQfqKOxwOI

-----------------------
Serious face, back on topic....

How much latency can a real guitarist tolerate ?

if the speed of sound is 343 m/s, it takes 3ms per meter to hear the sound out of your amp.

My casio works by measuring the time period / cycle of each string.
For the low E @ 83 Hz thats 12ms to do the measurement.
+ maybe another 4ms to transmit a 6 note chord over MIDI = 16ms (#1)

equivilent to standing 5 or 6 m away from the amp .
Is that acceptable these days ?

(#1) all guess work, if your interested I could actually measure it on a scope.

Godin ACS

very nice What kind of interface do you use ?

I used a Midisport 4x4 until recently, which was fine. Lately, I have just used the MIDI input on my Focusrite 18/6. Using whatever VST, etc instruments Reason has to offer or an old Alesis GM module (now showing its age.
Regards, John

[Sam Spoons]

But can you play this on it? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0RV0kgdqJU

What a voice! If Mary Spender did a satnav I'd just drive around aimlessly all day

Love it (and I'd normally run a mile at any mention of METAL)

[Sam Spoons]

Good video with plenty of angles. Lets refer to that as the Rasins of Rock. I could never admit to liking Dire Straits.

Each to their own I love Dire Straits, been playing Sultans in bands for years.

[Sam Spoons]

Serious face, back on topic....

How much latency can a real guitarist tolerate ?

if the speed of sound is 343 m/s, it takes 3ms per meter to hear the sound out of your amp.

My casio works by measuring the time period / cycle of each string.
For the low E @ 83 Hz thats 12ms to do the measurement.
+ maybe another 4ms to transmit a 6 note chord over MIDI = 16ms (#1)

equivilent to standing 5 or 6 m away from the amp .
Is that acceptable these days ?

(#1) all guess work, if your interested I could actually measure it on a scope.

I have tried a couple of Roland GR systems (as well as the original Korg X-911) over the years and all have had too much latency for me to be comfortable. The latest Boss SY's are latency free. But I decided I wouldn't get the mileage out of it so didn't bash the plastic in the end.

[John Egan]

Godin ACS

very nice What kind of interface do you use ?

My casio works by measuring the time period / cycle of each string.
For the low E @ 83 Hz thats 12ms to do the measurement.
+ maybe another 4ms to transmit a 6 note chord over MIDI = 16ms (#1)

equivilent to standing 5 or 6 m away from the amp .
Is that acceptable these days ?

I used a Midisport 4x4 until recently, which was fine. Lately, I have just used the MIDI input on my Focusrite 18/6. Using whatever VST, etc instruments Reason has to offer or an old Alesis GM module (now showing its age.
Regards, John

Nigel,
Sorry for the rushed reply earlier. I forgot to say that the Godin goes through an old Roland pitch to MIDI converter before the interface. Wouldn't make much sense otherwise.
Regards, John

[N i g e l]

the Godin goes through an old Roland pitch to MIDI converter before the interface.

Thanks John, I had made a mental note to checkout if Godin had a model with the MIDI built in rather than a Roland connector.