SoundTrek Jammer

[Fred Treece]

I have been using Jammer Pro software for about 15 years, mostly for producing backing tracks for practice. I’ve never had a reason to try other products, but I have, and I always go back to Jammer. A working sketch of a song can be created literally in a minute or two, and can become as elaborate as your point and clicky brain desires. It’s brilliant.

Just wondering if anybody else uses it. Apparently BIAB is the program of choice forum members have made, given that there is a section devoted to it. I see the SoundTrek company website has been “reconstructing” for a couple years now; the product has been discontinued, and also wondering if anybody knows what has become of the guy who developed the software.

[Jim Fogle]

At one time some users considered JammerPro a superior product to Band-in-a-Box. I used it for a long time back when it and Band-in-a-Box were strictly midi products. I found that JammerPro styles normally sound more realistic than comparable Band-in-a-Box styles.

However, JammerPro has remained a static product for more than a decade. Not only has there been no product advancement, there are no new styles. Meanwhile Band-in-a-Box has continued to respond to user requests and add new features, styles and content.

The SoundTrek store seems to be closed. You can still download the JammerPro demo but the link to purchase doesn't work. http://www.soundtrek.com/index.maint3.html

I believe David Castle is the original JammerPro developer and SoundTrek was his software company. Other than the SoundTrek website, Mr. Castle has literally vanished from the internet.

Here is a company listing I found: http://www.buzzfile.com/business/Soundtrek-770-831-8515

SoundTrek also offers a midi drum pattern creation program called SoundTrek Drummer. The copyright is 2007. http://www.soundtrek.com/drummer/index.html. Here is a 2009 Sound On Sound magazine review: https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/soundtrek-drummer

[Fred Treece]

Thanks, Jim. Hopefully Mr. Castle is relaxing on a remote beach somewhere sipping on a piña colada as a reward for his life’s work. I did contact him a few years ago because I lost my key code and wanted to transfer Jammer to a new computer, so he was still alive and well.

Your comment about the lack of style development prompted me to investigate the Style Builder function in the program. I started the tutorial and vowed to set aside some time to follow through.

I have been using Jammer in conjunction with Cakewalk By BandLab, mainly because the quality of CWWB’s sound engine is an improvement over my PC sound card, but also because I can record audio directly to the file.

[Jim Fogle]

Fred,

I sent a message through the website saying their store is down. I also provided the error message. I'll post on this thread whatever response I receive.

Unfortunately, I never migrated JammerPro from my now retired desktop computer. I use to use it with the onboard midi available on the Creative Labs Soundblaster 16, then Soundblaster Live and finally a Soundbaster Audigy. The Audigy and JammerPro still reside on the retired desktop.

I'm sure JammerPro songs would sound good with the TTS-1 gm compatible soft synth that is available with Cakewalk by Bandlab. It would also be interesting to hear the playback of a song using the Studio Instruments Suite.

The SoundTrek Drummer program looks interesting too. It even has some Cakewalk compatible templates. It's too bad the SoundTrek store is down.

[Fred Treece]

It seems the Studio Instruments Suite is not available on CWBB.

I had an E-mu Audio Production Studio system in my PC during the late 90’s, which I completely loved. Jammer came out a few years later, along with some advanced Boss GT multi-effects units and Cakewalk Pro Audio, and I was in home studio heaven.

I will look into the SoundTrek Drummer if the store ever reopens.

[Jim Fogle]

Fred,

Studio Instruments can be downloaded through the BandLab Assistant.

Open Bandlab Assistant.

Select the Apps tab at the top, right.

Select the down arrow next to the Cakewalk install button.

Select Install Add-Ons

Select Studio Instruments Suite

Select Install.

You may also want to select the Drum Replacer. It analyzes an audio track by frequency so you can focus on one drum component like the kick or snare and replace the sound of that component with a sample.

Do Not Install Melodyne if you have a working copy of Melodyne. This is a trial copy and it will replace your paid for plug-in.



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[Fred Treece]

Hey thanks, Jim! I should have said last time I checked SI was not available and people were griping about it. Drum Replacer looks interesting, Melodyne, not so much.

[Jim Fogle]

Fred,

Did you ever get the Studio Instruments Suite of virtual instruments downloaded and installed?

[Fred Treece]

Yeah. I fiddled around with it. My jury is still out on whether it is better than the TTS sound engine instruments. I didn’t get very far into auditioning styles either. I’ll probably just stick with programming tunes in Jammer and loading them into CWBB. It’s so simple! I messed around with the Style Editor in Jammer too. That will keep me busy enough, at least to the limits of my patience with this kind of thing.

[Jim Fogle]

Fred,

I've never thought of Studio Instruments as a replacement for the TTS-1.

The TTS-1 is a 16 channel general midi sound module. The sound module can playback up to 16 midi patches at the same time. The midi patches follow GM1, GM2 and GS midi specifications. The TTS-1 is comparable to WinAmp, Roland Sound Canvas midi sound modules and the midi media players found in all browsers, operating systems and cell phones.

The Studio Instruments Suite are virtual instruments. Each virtual instrument disregards midi channel assignments and accepts all midi data contained in a DAW track.

Some virtual instrument players will allow you to load more than one virtual instrument but that is a function of the player, not the instrument.

[Fred Treece]

Thanks for your interest and advice, Jim.

For me, Cakewalk is really just an extension of Jammer for quickly producing backing tracks for practice, which is a simple matter of loading the midi file from Jammer and then adding an audio track in CW for steel or guitar. The TTS-1 happens to sound a lot better for playback than the crappy sound engine in my laptop, otherwise I wouldn't even bother with CW.

If I was going to record something for real, I might venture into SI mostly for the drums, and either pick a pattern or do some step recording with my Casio. Is that kind of what you're getting at?

[Jim Fogle]

The nice thing about Studio Instruments Suite is the included instruments are instruments many people listen to in popular recordings. Most songs I listen to have either electric bass, drums, electric piano or strings in them. The instruments and the playback app have good, quality sound but are simple to use and understand. That makes them great tools for learning how to use virtual instruments.

Many people put down the instrument sounds of the TTS-1. I love the ease of use and find many of the instrument sounds acceptable.

I find Cakewalk by BandLab to be pretty but intimidating. The screen shot below is the most simple factory template. All of that stuff for one midi track and one audio track.

The Control Bar suffers from over population by sub modules.

I intensely dislike having the "SMART" tool enabled by default. I don't like the mouse cursor automatically changing properties. That doesn't give a new user an opportunity to learn what task each SMART tool performs.

I do love the power though. The program can do almost anything. Makes me feel like a dictator!