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Jamstix

Free / $99+
Jamstix Jamstix Jamstix Jamstix Jamstix
Jamstix by Rayzoon Technologies is a Virtual Instrument Audio Plugin for macOS and Windows. It functions as a VST Plugin, an Audio Units Plugin and an AAX Plugin.
Product
Version
4.4.6
Windows 10, 8, 7 or Vista
Product
Version
3.6.5
OS X 10.8+
Instrument
Formats
Copy Protection
Key File
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Jamstix is virtual drum software which simulates a drummer inside of your sequencer/DAW. Unlike most other drum modules, which either provide static MIDI patterns or an engine that combines pre-recorded MIDI patterns, Jamstix features a real-time simulation of a human drummer down to the calculation of the time it takes a drummer to move an arm from drum A to drum B. This means that arrangements created with Jamstix are always humanly playable (no ten-armed drummers) and also always unique and varied since they are created based on rules and not static patterns.

The "song builder" function can create a full drum arrangement with many parts and fills in seconds and the included sample engine offers incredibly realistic sound reproduction.

A real-time 3D drum kit with realistically moving drumsticks, cymbals and pedals provides a new level of immersion as you work on your songs.

Various expansions are available for Jamstix, including hand percussion, linear groove composition, Metal kits/drummers and much more.

Whether you are a hobbyist or a professional, whether you are in need of a jamming partner or a drum arrangement tool, a student wanting to learn more about drumming style or a songwriter needing to create a complex and unique drum track quickly, whether you have no drum module at all or have every high-end drum library on the market and wish to get the most realistic grooves out of them, Jamstix is the tool for you.

Advanced Virtual Drummer:

  • Real-time groove composition using dedicated style and drummer modeling (not static patterns).
  • In-depth drummer limb simulation, including triangulation of hand movements, ensures that the grooves are always humanly playable (no ten-armed drummer here).
  • Advanced feel modeling includes sound-specific pocket delays, power and timing variations and can play ahead, on or behind the beat.
  • Real-time fill generator produces unique fills (no static patterns used) that match the style and drummer in use.
  • Streamlined interface with real-time 3D drum kit for editing as well as just watching the drums play.
  • Part-based arranger with transition and repetition fills, liveloop technology as well as drag-&-drop MIDI export.
  • Limb-centric bar editor allows fine-tuning of notes without need for MIDI export/editing in host.
  • Extensive MIDI controller mapping allows in-depth remote-control of the style, drummer and mixer.
  • Comes with over 70 styles (rock, funk, afro-cuban, blues, jazz, electronica, brazilian, breakbeat, country, R&B, Motown and many more) and 17 human drummer models, expandable via future Paks.

High Quality Sounds:

  • Built-in high-quality drum sample player with multiple velocity layers and controllable ambience.
  • Built-in mixer with FX.
  • Extensive sound library that can be expanded via expansion Paks.

Integrates With Other Sound Modules:

  • Flexible mapping allows 'driving' of other drum plugins, such as BFD, Superior, EZDrummer and Addictive Drums. Combine the sounds of your favorite drum plugin with the jam power and realism of Jamstix.
  • Allows creating kits that use a mix of external sounds and Jamstix sounds. For example, you can built a kit that uses EZDrummer drums and Jamstix percussion sounds and cymbals.

Interactive Jamming
Jamstix can interact with your MIDI or audio input by adjusting velocity and using play rules, such as hihat/ride switching and snare head/sidestick switching as well as rhythm reduction giving you the feel of playing with a human drummer.

E-Drum Support
Jamstix can be used with any e-drum kit and fully supports the TD-20 V-Drums, including bow/shank hihat, foot splashing, aftertouch cymbal choking and snare position sensing.

Supports Your Existing MIDI grooves
Jamstix can import your existing MIDI drum grooves as well as Jamstix 1 rhythms and use them as styles for playing by the drummer models. This means a static 1-bar MID file groove comes to live by being played with the feel, accents and fills of the Jamstix virtual drummers.

Specifications:

  • VST (32-bit & 64-bit) - Windows.
  • AAX (64-bit) – Windows.
  • macOS version coming Q1 2018.
  • 1xMIDI input/1xMIDI output.
  • 8 stereo audio outputs.
  • song arranger with unlimited parts, synched to host song position, tempo and time signature.
  • high-quality sample player with controllable ambience, supports existing Jamstix 1,2 kits and expansion Paks.
  • key mapped MIDI output for integration with 3rd party drum plugins.
  • built-in mixer with 3-band EQ, compressor and delay effect.
  • state-of-the-art virtual drummer capable of producing realistic drum performances from scratch (not using preset MIDI patterns) with in-depth style and drummer modeling, groove processing, advanced limb control and a flexible fill generator.
  • limb-centric step sequencer allows manual adjustment of generated grooves and fills or creating them from scratch as well as importing existing MIDI patterns, MIDI fills and Jamstix 1,2 patterns and fills.
  • extensive MIDI controller mapping.
  • supported sample rates: 44.1-96kHz.
  • copy protection: license key.

{See video at top of page}

Latest User Reviews

Average user rating of 4.40 from 10 reviews
Jamstix

Reviewed By Crholdin [all]
June 9th, 2020
Version reviewed: 4 on Windows

Rayzoon Jamstix 4 is the indisputably best "virtual" drummer VST there is. Initially I would have taken a few weeks to a month to really get an idea of what to think of a VST, but it only took me 24 hours with Jamstix 4 to know that I found something much more special than any other Drum VST there is....

When you hear the word drum VST, SD2 and EZdrummer often are the first names to come to mind. If you know how to program midi, the traditional options are great. However, not everyone can do that, and some multi instrumentalist artists only need a drummer as they can play all the others instruments themselves. This has been my problem as a classically trained pianist, flamenco guitarist, and metal guitarist, I have tried all of the old "drag and drop" MIDI groove VSTs.

Someone finally mentioned Jamstix 4 to me last week, and upon watching the video, I was in a state of shock because what I had been seeking for endlessly on forums, social media and everywhere else not only existed, it was in its fourth incarnation. mDrummer by Melda and Strike 2 by Air effects (Avid), and while they are great VSTs themselves that try to imitate the A.I. of Jamstix, they do not come close to what kind of automation is possible with Jamstix 4.

While it is a stand alone program, you cannot expect such a perfect piece of software to encompass ALL things at the basic level, and so it is great to use as a module for something like Superior Drummer if you get the basic version. In other words, you can write and arrange everything (live as well/on the fly) and you can play it back as well through the VST itself, but if you can send it to a drum program with your preferred drum "instrument" sound files, then you have that option as well - which is incredibly useful and open minded of the creator.

Melda's mDrummer is great for composing a MIDI track, but it is not a virtual drummer, and its live mode and general GUI is not easy to use. On the other hand is the overly simple Air Strike 2, which is a great BASIC tool for writing drum parts for guitarists or musicians who don't know how to program or write MIDI drums well. It offers a variety of styles and choices, and sounds, but not only are you "stuck" with the library of drum sounds they offer, but you cant route/send it to your favorite VST, forcing you to use the VST first, send out the midi, and then place the MIDI file in the arrangement of your other drum VST. Rayzoon was very smart for allowing MIDI bussing to VST's that a customer may have paid $300 for because the sounds are great...but what was missing was the "brain" of Jamstix.

As I said, since the digidesign eleven rack came out, Ive been searching for the perfect VST, but no one ever told me to look at Rayzoon. It's hidden secret of studio musicians, and now I know why I haven't heard of it since I've started to look for DAWs about 15 years ago: if people KNEW that studio musicians could "write' drums" that come out this perfectly with just about 5 clicks, producer fees/costs would go down quite a bit.

Im an advanced musician/instrumentalist, and for years I've struggled to write drums with VST's included MIDI grooves, downloading metal expansion packs, searching far and wide for the "perfect virtual drummer," and no one ever told me about Jamstix when I asked about 50 times over the course of 10 years on 10 different musician forums, "is there a VST that can automate composition?" - the answer is a resounding YES. It can do every style of music that you have the desire to record. Rayzoon's Jamstix 4 is the best drum VST ever made, and I am sure the $300 edition that has more sounds and sound files would make this the only drum VST you would ever need.

With that said, if you happen to be a metal guitarist looking for a metal drum VST, this is the only real choice if you want the best. With the metal pak add-on, this virtual drummer has a sound library worthy of competition with any metal drum VST, like the metal foundry. In fact, the drum VST is so good, that routing isn't necessary to another drummer, even if the metal foundry was at one point the gold standard for home recording metal musicians.

This is the only VST I've ever tried that goes so far beyond my expectations, that I had to inform the company that they are genius - literally. Get Jamstix 4.

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Jamstix

Reviewed By sirmonkey [all]
April 3rd, 2019
Version reviewed: 4.3.0 on Windows

I have several good, and even great drum VI's, both free and paid. But Jamstix surpasses them all. Jamstix enables you to make drum tracks for all types of songs, and not have to buy bunches of MIDI packs. Or spend eternity on editing.

Jamstix is awesome for turning static MIDI loops & patterns into dynamic, realistic drum tracks. You can manipulate every aspect and nuance of a MIDI loop in every way imaginable. Easily add fills of any sort, hi-hat patterns, tom fills....on and on. You can make sections busier, or more sparse. You can play with the dynamics at will, and even play with that elusive "pocket feel" (nuanced timing in the beat, basically) It's very difficult to explain all it can do in a compact way.

Jamstix can emulate the playing style of many different drummers, and you can even mix and match their styles- per kit piece. Also, there are many different styles/music genres to pick from. The flexibility and versatility is the best I've ever come across, by far. And you can build whole songs, fast- once you get the hang of a few things.

Now, there IS a bit of a learning curve. Sometimes it's tricky to know what exactly Jamstix is going to do with a loop, at first. But after 2 or 3 days of tooling around with it, I have it doing more than any other drum VI that I've used in the past. Already.

I personally do like the included drum kits (and mixer), but if you have other drum VI's whose sounds you want to use, Jamstix can easily drive those.

The interface is very unique. I really like it, but certain people pass on Jamstix because it's a bit different than most drum VI's. I say, let these people miss out! I don't want them to have access to my secret weapon anyway.

There are many great to excellent drum VI's out there, but Jamstix is definitively my top pick.

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Jamstix

Reviewed By dsteinschneider [all]
January 1st, 2019
Version reviewed: 4.2.0 on Windows

There is no other machine or software that drums as realistically human as Jamstix. Out of the box it will do some strange things because you don't know what you're doing yet. An example of that would be not changing your DAW host BPM to a speed that's appropriate for the R&B style you just chose. There are a lot of control "surfaces" and many of the adjustments interplay with others so it takes some time to learn how to direct Jamstix to drum for your song optimally. Get on the forum and the developer Ralph and other experts will give you exact instructions on how to achieve your goal.

I recommend the Jamstix Studio bundle. It includes almost all the "drummers", "styles" and samples. I have Superior Drummer but tend to use the Jamstix "kits". They sound quite good, I'm especially fond of the Bonzo Pak kits.

I have BIAB, Jammer, pattern books and drum MIDI collections. I've programmed from scratch, played in parts on a keyboard, played parts in from pads. Jamstix is a better way. I use it to practice bass styles, backing for practicing covers, laying down drums for original compositions and for live jamming via a foot controller.

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Jamstix

Reviewed By TEKing66 [all]
December 23rd, 2015
Version reviewed: 3.6.5 on Windows

First up, let me say that I am no drummer, but I do know what I like when I hear it. And this is the first piece of drum software that I have tried that I was able to get something that inspired me to go deeper. This is almost like having several drummer just sitting around and waiting for you, not only that but no ego's to get in the way. Seriously though, this is a fantastic piece of software, not the easiest to use or the quickest to learn, but if you spend some time with it, the manual and if needed their forum, you will be rewarded with the ability to pretty much do anything you need with drums and percussion.

Some of the more impressive features to me are the fact that Jamstix patterns are always human playable. The included algorithmic 'drummers' do indeed have their own character and flare, which adds interest. The fact that it can drive other drum programs, import and export MIDI files, and it can create drum patterns driven by a audio file input are all pretty hefty tools. Drum kits can be edited, as can the generated patterns. Overall there is just a lot of value for the money here and a lot of power for song creation.

The only reason I didn't give it a 10 out of 10 is the GUI, it's not exactly terrible, just a bit hard to understand at first. A bit intimidating if you will. But, some time with the manual clears most of it up rather well.

Now they say you should always save the best for last so here it is. What I find to be the best thing so far about my purchase of Jamstix is by far the customer service. It is top notch, very prompt and friendly reply's and quick turn around times to any questions I have asked.

Would I recommend Jamstix to anyone looking for Drum software?

Absolutely I would.

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Jamstix

Reviewed By optofonik [all]
September 12th, 2012
Version reviewed: 7 x64 on Windows

EDIT

A week later and everything still applies. A great piece of music software from a responsive indie developer.

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Original review:

Just started working with it this weekend; about 16 hours total. Its been a long time since a piece of software for my DAW left me totally gobsmacked so forgive the long post.

I've been evaluating Jamstix along with TabTrax using Toontrack SD2 and SaviHost to get a sense of workflow outside of Cubase for just creating drum arrangements that I can save for importing into Cubase after I have a basic groove and rudimentary arrangement worked out.

I'm not a great drum programmer; it's never been as intuitive as actually playing a simple backbeat on a kit. Therein, however, lies my dilemma. I can play solid enough rudimentary backbeat but not much more. I also don't have the room in my flat to set up my Roland kit nor would my downstairs neighbor much like it. As a result I've been searching for a relatively intuitive way to lay down drum parts. It appears thus far that Jamstix will allow me to adopt the kind of workflow I was struggling to achieve using EZplayer and TT Solo. I've only just scratched the surface of Jamstix and it feels like it will only become more useful the deeper I get into it.

I found a drum tab that had the general vibe I was going for to seed my drum part.

Pasted the drum tab into TabTrax and auditioned it inside TabTrax to make sure the tab wasn't wonky.

Saved the tab as a MIDI file with TabTrax.

Opened Jamstix using SaviHost and chose a kit from TT SD2

Imported the MIDI file I saved with TabTrax.

Auditioned the Jamstix drummers and then...

... it got really interesting.

The parameters Jamstix provides to mold a drum part into something suitably inspiring is amazing.

After the drum track was where I wanted it in Jamstix, a very good start, I saved it as a MIDI file, opened Cubase, imported the file, worked out a simple bass guitar part to start getting a better sense of things, recorded the bass part so I don't forget it, then did a little drum editing in Cubase, went back to the bass part for a bit, and so on.

I had some pretty serious reservations about using tabs or canned MIDI files; anything that I didn't put time and effort into programming or playing myself. Jamstix requires plenty time and effort, however, to make a track your own. Once a MIDI file is loaded into Jamstix you can start working with it to make it your own. Starting out with a simple Richard S. or Charlie W. style backbeat you can gradually add accents, cymbals, hi-hat, toms, embellish, take away then add again.

Working from a converted tab was successful so next I loaded a MIDI file from the Steve Ferrone Platinum Samples MIDI Groove Library and after working with it for about an hour I knew I didn't have to concern myself about feeling like I was cribbing. I compared the file that I derived from the MIDI groove to the original, there was a significant difference. It retained a family resemblance and the vibe I sought out to begin with but it was quit distinct from the original. I even listened to the bass part with the original MIDI file and it still worked, albeit, in a very different way. The analogy I'll use is a drummer coming in, laying down a groove, and after working with him for an hour or so, getting the part where I want it to be without completely ignoring his creative input.

I spent most of my 20's playing out and recording in garage/indie bands with drummers who couldn't stop "jamming" enough to critically listen to the song the band was playing or even in between songs to listen to suggestions that would allow a more sympathetic approach to the needs of the song verses their ego.

There were, however, a couple of exceptional drummers who would listen, try well thought out variations, not just "jam" along, and actually be a partner in helping the band write and arrange. They didn't fall into the stereotype of, "What do you call someone who hangs out with musicians?" They were solid musicians not "just" drummers. Working with MIDI files and converted tabs in Jamstix vs other programs that use loops or emulate drum machines reminds me of working with those exceptional drummers as apposed to the chuckleheads.

IMO, TabTrax + a couple of supplemental MIDI Packs + Jamstix + TT SD2 = the best you can get when you can't get a good drummer with a well tuned kit.

My complaints thus far are few. I tried to get Jamstix to play from inside Cubase and it didn't work until I used jBridge. It would also be nice to have expansions that only include players and styles without any Jamstix drum kits. Small complaints to be sure, however...

Toontrack SD2 is my primary drum program and I have all the SDX libraries, only two of the EZX. Jamstix doesn't include drum maps for any of the TT SDX libraries outside of NY v2. I've already modified the Allaire kit mapping in Jamstix for Music City, renamed it accordingly and saved it but it appears that not all articulations are available for mapping.

To get started with Jamstix for $99.00US is a bargain. Add a MIDI library for $30-$40, and TabTrax for another $30 and you are still in bargain territory.

Here's the best part of Jamstix:

Timely feedback and support from the developer; the best I've experienced since I started patronizing indie developers.

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