®
JM4 Looper
Advanced Guide
An in-depth guide to the features and functionality of the JM4 Looper.
Electrophonic Limited Edition
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Table of Contents
Updated Features .................................................................. 1•1
SD Browser..................................................................................................... 1•1
Playback Levels, Input Levels........................................................................ 1•2
Menu Items .................................................................................................... 1•3
SD Card Details ..................................................................... 2•1
Format Card ................................................................................................... 2•1
Transfer Recording To Card, Transfer Recording From Card........................ 2•2
Save Rec Mix As WAV To Card ................................................................... 2•3
Import WAV File From Card ......................................................................... 2•3
Transfer All To Card, Transfer All From Card .............................................. 2•4
Firmware Version, Firmware Upgrade ........................................................... 2•5
Time Stretch &Varispeed..................................................... 3•1
Time Stretch/Pitch Shift ............................................................................... 3•1
Pitch/Tempo Preview, Varispeed.................................................................... 3•2
Recording Restrictions................................................................................... 3•3
Footswitch Modes.................................................................. 4•1
Jam Control Mode ......................................................................................... 4•1
Loop FX Mode, Record Select Mode............................................................. 4•2
Guitar Preset Mode, Amp Model / FX Mode ................................................ 4•3
Workflow ................................................................................ 5•1
Recording, Saving.......................................................................................... 5•1
Jam Files, WAV Files...................................................................................... 5•2
Loops .............................................................................................................. 5•3
Appendix : FAQ..................................................................... A•1
Questions & Answers ................................................................................... A•1
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Updated Features
Up d a t e d Fe at U r e s
Welcome to the JM4 Looper Advanced Guide. This guide contains in-depth details of your
JM4’s features and functionality which were not covered in the JM4 Pilot’s Handbook.
With the release of v2.07 firmware, working with the JM4 just got a whole lot easier. In
addition to a few new menu items and UI tweaks, we’ve expanded SD card functionality.
You can now preview and work with recordings directly off of your SD card. With a turn
of the wheel and one click on the Right Arrow button, you can directly load any JAM or
WAV file stored on your SD card, then overdub, save changes and perform mixdowns.
SD
SONGS
DRUMS
RECORDINGS
1•1
Turn Wheel To
Browse SD
SD Browser
• When an SD card is inserted in the JM4’s SD card slot, press the SONG button and
you’ll see 4 main tabs in the LCD. In addition to the Songs, Drums and Recordings
tabs, we’ve added an SD tab, which gives you access to the SD Browser.To browse
the files you have saved on your SD card, select SD and turn the wheel.
HARMGTRS
DRUMMIX1
REC#3NEW
GTRLOOP2
BASSFIG1
• You’ll see a list of all your SD card’s recordings and WAV files. To load any file into
the JM4’s playback buffer, select it by turning the wheel and pressing the R Arrow.
SD
SD
RECORDINGS
SONGS
DRUMS
REC#3NEW
LOOP: 00:11:23
FREE: 32:15:44
• Once you start using an SD card, we recommend you always save to SD card instead
of internal memory. If you have previously saved recordings in internal memory,
we recommend you transfer them to SD card also, then delete them from internal
memory. This keeps internal memory free for maximum recording time, and makes it
easy to back up all your files: pop the SD card into your PC and make copies there.
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Updated Features
Playback Levels
Press the LEVEL button to access Playback Levels. On this screen you have independent
level control of the Song/Drums track, the Guitar track and the Mic/Aux/Wav track.
These are also the controls you’ll use for Mixdowns (see page 2•3 for Mixdown info).
PLAYBACK LEVELS
100%
100%
100%
GUITAR
SONG/DRUMS
MIC/AUX/WAV
• Navigate to any of the three Playback Levels knobs by pressing either the R Arrow
1•2
or L Arrow buttons.
• Once you select the playback track you want to adjust, turn the wheel to set the
playback level of that track, from 0 (off) to 100%.
This makes it easy to balance the 3 tracks of your currently loaded recording, and also
provides a way to mute the individual tracks if desired.
Input Levels
With a 2nd press of the LEVEL button you can access the Mic/Aux/CD Input Levels
screen. This is where you adjust your input levels for the Mic input, Aux input and CD
input, displayed as a dynamic bar. Navigate from tab to tab by pressing the L and R Arrow
buttons. Set Input levels by turning the wheel as you monitor each respective Input.
AUX
-60
MIC
CD
-0
-80
-40
-20
+0
• When setting levels for the Mic, Aux or CD inputs, make sure you first press the
RECORD SELECT button and toggle it to Mic/Aux.
• The dB display on the lower left of the LCD indicates your input level trim setting.
You can set it anywhere from -60dB to +12dB, or set it to Off.
When you plan on recording from one of the Mic, Aux or CD inputs, make sure you first
press and hold the RECORD SELECT button to select the desired Input Routing. You
can choose between mixing your input with the Microphone or Guitar track.
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Updated Features
Menu Items
Here are some new menu items that have been added since the initial JM4 release:
Save Recording To SD Card – this command enables you to save the currently
loaded recording to your SD card. Press the SAVE button to access it in the menu list.
Save RecordingTo Internal – this command enables you to save the currently loaded
recording to internal memory. Press the SAVE button and turn the wheel to access it.
EraseAll Internal Recordings – when you have all your recordings backed up to an
SD card, you can clear the JM4’s internal memory by invoking this command.
Output Routing – press the SETTINGS button 3 times then turn the wheel to
navigate to this menu item. Normal mode is the default. When you select Performance
Mode, your guitar will play only thru the Amp Out.
1•3
NORMAL
ALL AUDIO TO LINE + PHONES
It’s important to note that if you plug in your headphones, the JM4 reverts to Normal
routing, and your guitar goes to all outputs. You can manually change the routing back to
Performance Mode, but it’s unlikely you’ll want to do so while wearing headphones.
Also keep in mind that Master Volume controls the level of all outputs, including
headphones. The exception is when Output Routing is set to Performance Mode, in
which case the Line Outs are unaffected by Master Volume, putting out 100% level.
Tempo/Pitch Modes – press the SONG button twice to access Tempo/Pitch Modes.
As described on page 3•1, this is where you can select Time Stretching And Pitch Shifting
or Varispeed. Press the R Arrow, then turn the wheel to select the mode you want.
TEMPO/PITCH MODES
LOOPING
[ON] [ON]
[ON] [ON]
ENDLESS PLAY
Looping – Looping for ‘one shot’ Guitar & Mic/Aux tracks can now be set to On or Off
for playback and recording. Press SONG button twice to access the Looping menu item.
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SD Card Details
sd Ca r d de t a il s
In this chapter we’ll focus on the SD card. With an SD card inserted into your JM4’s SD
card slot, you can save and load your original recordings, perform mixdowns in WAV file
format, import WAV files from your computer, and upgrade your JM4 firmware.
All the SD card-specific menu items described in this chapter are accessed by pressing the
SAVE button. The first thing you’ll want to do is format your SD card.
2•1
Format Card
It’s best to start out with a new 1 GB or 2 GB SD card. If you have an existing card, that’ll
work also, but make sure you’ve backed up all the data on the card first, because once you
do a format, your card will be completely erased. The main reason to format your SD card
is to ensure your card is set up with the JM4 filing system. It’s also a good way to get a fresh
start in organizing your sessions. To format your SD card, follow these steps:
• Insert an SD card (up to 2 GB) into the SD card slot on the JM4 rear panel.
• Press the SAVE button; you’ll see a list of menu items in the LCD.
• Turn the wheel and navigate to Format Card, then press the R Arrow to format.
IMPORT WAV FILE FROM CARD
FFOORRMMAATT CCAARRDD
FIRMWARE VERSION
• Press the Up Arrow to confirm “Yes”. The format process will take a few seconds.
• When the format process is complete, press any button to begin a new session.
As you begin recording with your JM4, before you know it you’ll find you’ve accumulated
quite a few recordings. Since internal memory is limited, you’ll want to develop a good
system for backing them up, for beginning new sessions with a clean slate, and for importing
WAV files from your computer. With that in mind, here are 3 good rules to go by:
• Use an SD card as your primary memory bank to keep internal memory freed up.
• Back up every session of internal memory recordings to SD card.
• For maximum recording time, begin every new session with JM4 memory cleared.
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SD Card Details
Transfer RecordingTo Card
If you’ve checked out the JM4 Pilot’s Handbook, you already know how to record a guitar
track and save that recording to your JM4’s internal memory. If you want to keep your
recording, your next step will be to back it up to SD card. The easy way to do this is with
a Transfer command. To Transfer your current recording to SD card, follow these steps:
• Press the SAVE button to display the menu items in the LCD.
2•2
• Navigate to Transfer Recording To Card and press the R Arrow.
TRANSFER RECORDING TO CARD
TRANSFER RECORDING FROM CARD
• You’ll see a list of your recordings, the ones you’ve saved to internal memory.
• Turn the wheel to select the recording you want to transfer.
• Press the R Arrow to complete the transfer. Repeat to transfer more recordings.
Your recording is now backed up on the SD card, along with any others you’ve saved.
Transfer Recording From Card
Once you have recordings saved on SD card, you can easily Transfer any one of them into
your JM4’s internal memory for playback or overdubbing. To do so, follow these steps:
• Press the SAVE button to display the menu items in the LCD.
• Navigate to Transfer Recording From Card and press the R Arrow.
TRANSFER RECORDING TO CARD
TRANSFER RECORDING FROM CARD
TRANSFER ALL TO CARD
• You’ll see a list of the recordings you have saved on the SD card.
• Turn the wheel to select the recording file you want to transfer.
• Press the R Arrow to complete the transfer.
Your file will now appear in the list of recordings available from the JM4 Recordings tab.
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SD Card Details
Save Rec Mix AsWAVTo Card
When you’ve recorded a multi-track loop, with guitar, bass and drums for example, you can
easily mix it down as a WAV file and store it on your SD card, with total control of the mix
levels. This is a great feature for creating tracks you may want to use on your computer for
further editing, or as building blocks for songs. Here’s how to do a Mixdown:
• Press the LEVEL button to display the Playback Levels screen.
2•3
• You’ll see 3 virtual knobs for the Song/Drums, Guitar and Mic/Aux/WAV tracks.
PLAYBACK LEVELS
100%
GUITAR
SONG/DRUMS
MIC/AUX/WAV
• Adjust the levels with the wheel until the mix sounds right to you.
• Press the SAVE button and navigate to Save Rec Mix As WAV To Card.
• Press the R Arrow to perform the Mixdown. Your mix will be saved to SD card.
*For more details and tips on using the Mixdown feature, see Chapter 5, Workflow.
ImportWAV File From Card
You can import any mono 16 bit 44.1 WAV file from your computer for jamming or
overdubbing, and it will play back on the Mic/Aux/WAV track. Just follow these steps:
• With your WAV file saved on your SD card, press the JM4’s SAVE button.
• Navigate to the Import WAV File From Card menu item using the 4-way button.
SAVE REC MIX AS WAV TO CARD
IMPORT WAV FILE FROM CARD
FORMAT CARD
• Press the R Arrow to call up the Import function.
• You’ll see a list of the WAV files on your SD card. Use the wheel to choose one.
• Press the R Arrow and your WAV file will be copied to the JM4’s internal memory.
Go to the JM4 Recordings tab and turn the wheel. Your WAV file will appear in the list.
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SD Card Details
Transfer AllTo Card
When you’re working with an entire session or live performance set, consisting of a dozen
or more songs, instead of saving them one at a time you can back them up all at once with
a Transfer All command. To transfer all of your recordings to SD card, follow these steps:
• Press the SAVE button to display the menu list in the LCD.
2•4
• Turn the wheel and navigate to the Transfer All To Card menu item.
TRANSFER RECORDING FROM CARD
TRANSFER ALL TO CARD
TRANSFER ALL FROM CARD
• Press the R Arrow and the Transfer will be completed.
All your files will be saved to your SD card in one step, ready to upload to your PC or
Spider Jam the next time you want to work with them. After the Transfer is complete, it’s
always a good idea to browse your SD card files to confirm the Transfer was successful.
Transfer All From Card
When you have a lot of files on your SD card that you’d like to use in your JM4, you
can easily transfer them all at once by using the Transfer All From Card command. If
possible, start with your JM4’s internal memory totally free, then follow these steps:
• Press the SAVE button to display the menu items in the LCD.
• Turn the wheel to navigate to the Transfer All From Card menu item.
• Press the R Arrow to initiate the transfer.
TRANSFER ALL TO CARD
TRANSFER ALL FROM CARD
SAVE REC MIX AS WAV TO CARD
Press the SONGS button, then press the R Arrow to navigate to the Recordings tab. If
you turn the wheel you’ll see that all your files now appear in the JM4’s list of recordings.
*(Note: WAV files are not transferred with this command; they must be imported as
described on page 2•3).
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SD Card Details
FirmwareVersion
From time to time you may want to check your JM4 firmware version. This may be due to
a Customer Support question you may have, for example, where knowing your firmware
version will be helpful to the CS rep. Here’s how to check your JM4 firmware version:
• Press the SAVE button to display the menu items in the LCD.
2•5
• Turn the wheel to navigate to the Firmware Version menu item.
FORMAT CARD
FIRMWARE VERSION
FIRMWARE UPGRADE
• Press the R Arrow and your firmware version will be displayed.
Try this now. The firmware version of your JM4 will be displayed as follows:
DSP 2.07 / MCU 1.05
Firmware Upgrade
One of the functions of the SD card is to facilitate firmware upgrades. As with all software-
based music devices, from time to time there may be a new JM4 firmware release. This may
be due to new features and functionality, or simply an improvement to the user interface.
Should a new firmware upgrade be released, here’s how to bring your JM4 up to date:
• Using an SD card reader, copy the file to a freshly formatted SD card.
• Insert the SD card into your JM4, press SAVE and navigate to Firmware Upgrade.
FIRMWARE VERSION
FIRMWARE UPGRADE
FIRMWARE UPGRADE
• Press R Arrow then Up Arrow “Yes” to confirm; the process will begin immediately.
When the progress bar reaches 100%, your JM4 will be reboot and be up to date.
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Time Stretch &Varispeed
tim e st r e t C h & Va r i s p e e d
The JM4 features two different modes for altering the tempo and pitch of your loop. The
first is Time Stretch/Pitch Shift; the second is Varispeed. These two processes handle your
loop’s audio differently, so you have a choice as to how you’d like your loop to sound.
Time Stretch allows you to speed up or slow down your loop’s tempo without altering its
pitch. Pitch Shift allows you to change the pitch of your loop without altering its tempo.
You can engage both of these processes at the same time if you wish. To enable further
DSP and routing options, always save your recording after applying these effects.
3•1
With Varispeed, you can speed up or slow down your loop’s tempo and its pitch will be
directly affected. When you increase tempo, pitch will also go up. Conversely, if you
lower the pitch of your loop, the tempo will also slow down. Tempo is measured as a
percentage of your loop’s original tempo, and pitch is measured in semi-tones.
Here’s how to use these effects, beginning with Time Stretch/Pitch Shift.
Time Stretch/Pitch Shift
• To apply Time Stretch/Pitch Shift, toggle the SONG button to display this menu.
TEMPO/PITCH MODES
LOOPING
[ON] [ON]
[ON] [ON]
ENDLESS PLAY
• Select Tempo/Pitch Modes via the wheel then press R arrow.
TEMPO/PITCH MODE
TIME STRETCHING
AND
• Use the wheel to select Time Stretching And Pitch Shifting then press R arrow.
PITCH SHIFT
TIME STRETCH
SEMI
111%
-2
• Set the Tempo and/or Pitch to your liking while listening to your loop.
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Time Stretch &Varispeed
Pitch/Tempo Preview
When you play back a recorded guitar track and apply Time Stretch/Pitch Shift, the guitar
sound will be slightly altered. For the best playback quality while previewing, you can
optimize the sound for either the Amp Out or the Line Outs. Here’s how:
PITCH/TEMPO PREVIEW
FBV MODE - JAM CONTROL
• Toggle the SETTINGS button, navigate to Pitch/Tempo Preview, then press the
3•2
R arrow.
PITCH/TEMPO PREVIEW
OPTIMIZE SOUND
• Turn the wheel to optimize your sound, either For Amp Out or For Line Outs.
Varispeed
To use Varispeed, toggle the SONG button to display the same Tempo/Pitch Modes menu
item you displayed previously when setting up Time Stretch/Pitch Shift.
TEMPO/PITCH MODES
LOOPING
[ON] [ON]
[ON] [ON]
ENDLESS PLAY
• With the Tempo/Pitch Modes menu item selected, press the R arrow.
TEMPO/PITCH MODE
Varispeed
• Turn the wheel to toggle between Time Stretch and Varispeed. Select Varispeed.
SPEED + PITCH
2
Half-Steps
112
%
• Use the wheel to select the desired speed and pitch. You’ll notice the two values are
directly related, changing together. Then play back or record your track as usual.
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Time Stretch &Varispeed
Recording Restrictions
When using Time Stretch/Pitch Shift, the main restriction to keep in mind is that only
one mono instance of processing can be applied per active session. To work around this, all
you have to do is save your recording before adding your next overdub. That way, you can
start fresh with a rendered audio file and be free to apply Time Stretch/Pitch Shift again.
For example, to record along with one of the JM4’s internal Songs, begin by loading the
Song as usual. If you’d like to record in a lower key at the same tempo, press the SONG
button and navigate to the Tempo/Pitch Modes menu item. Press the R Arrow, select the
Time Stretching And Pitch Shifting menu item, then lower the pitch to where you want
it and record your loop, setting the loop start and end points as you normally would.
3•3
Now before you overdub a new guitar track to your loop, you must save the loop as a
Recording. Press the SAVE button, navigate to Save Recording To Internal, then press
the R Arrow, name your recording and complete the save. This frees up the JM4’s Time
Stretch/Pitch Shift processing for the next layer of overdubs. You can then load your
recording, overdub a new guitar track, and change the tempo or pitch again if desired.
SAVE GUITAR TONE
SAVE RECORDING TO INTERNAL
SAVE RECORDING TO SD-CARD
Another example would be changing the tempo or key of a guitar track after it’s already
been recorded. As mentioned on the previous page, if you want to preview your guitar
track in a different key or tempo, you can use Time Stretch/Pitch Shift to listen to it, but
the sound won’t be exactly right until you actually save it as a new recording.
The way to do this would be to set your Pitch/Tempo Preview to optimize the sound for
whichever output you’re listening to, either the JM4’s Amp Out or the Line Outs, then
apply Time Stretch/Pitch Shift to the guitar track and adjust the tempo or pitch until you
get it sounding right.
When you’ve decided on the final tempo and pitch of your guitar track, save it as a
Recording and give it a new name. You can then load your saved guitar track for playback
and overdubbing, and be able to change the tempo or pitch again if desired.
In summary: always save or mix down your recording after applying Time Stretch or
Pitch Shift. This frees up the processing engine so you can use it again if you want to.
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Footswitch Modes
Fo o t s w i t C h mo d e s
Jam Control Mode
All Amp Model & FX controls, the buttons, wheel and 4-way are available in this mode.
4•1
A
B
C
D
You’ll spend most of your time in Jam Control Mode, although you have the option of
engaging one of the Alternate Footswitch Modes at any time, as outlined in the descriptions
on the following pages. Here’s how the 4 switches operate in Jam Control Mode:
A
Record/Overdub – step on Record to begin recording your loop. If you start with
a Song or Drum countoff, recording begins after the count. If you punch in while a track is
playing, recording begins on the nearest beat. Overdub on an existing track at any time.
B
Play/Stop – this switch simply plays or stops your loop. On your first pass, when you
initially record your loop, hitting Stop also sets your loop out-point.
C
Undo – step on this switch to undo your last recording take. To clear a track, press
and hold for a few seconds, then select Clear from the LCD menu and press Undo again.
D
Mode Switch – step on this switch and the JM4 enters Alternate Footswitch Mode.
Hit it again within 1.5 seconds and you’ll toggle thru the 4 alternate modes. After 1.5
seconds of inactivity, it will remain in the currently selected mode. Return to Jam Control
Mode by simply stepping on the switch again. This will exit the current mode and put you
back where you started, so you’ll always be one switch away from controlling your loop.
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Footswitch Modes
Loop FX Mode
When you step on the D footswitch, the JM4’s LCD will display Loop FX Mode. This is
the first of 4 alternate footswitch modes, and if you don’t hit the D footswitch again within
1.5 seconds, Loop FX Mode will remain active. Here are the controls for Loop FX Mode:
LOOP FX MODE
[A]
[B]
[C]
[D]
1/2
EXIT
SPEED
A
B
No Function – this switch has no function in Loop FX Mode.
No Function – this switch has no function in Loop FX Mode.
1/2 Speed – this switch toggles half speed playback on and off.
Exit – hit this switch to exit Loop FX Mode & return to Jam Control Mode.
4•2
C
D
Record Select Mode
After you enter Loop FX Mode, as described above, if you step on the D footswitch a
second time within 1.5 seconds, the JM4 will toggle to Record Select Mode. This enables
you to load any of your Recordings and toggle Recording Input Select, as follows:
REC SELECT MODE
[A]
REC
[B]
REC
[C]
[D]
EXIT
INPUT
SELECT
A
B
C
Next Recording – this switch selects the next Recording in your Recording list.
Previous Recording – this selects the previous Recording in your list.
Input Select – toggles between Guitar or Mic/Aux for your recording input.
Exit – hit this switch to exit Record Select Mode & return to Jam Control Mode.
D
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Footswitch Modes
Guitar Preset Mode
When you step on the D footswitch again within 1.5 seconds, the JM4 will enter Guitar
Preset Mode. Here you can select guitar Presets and FX Tap times. As with the other 2
previous footswitch modes, you can exit by stepping on the D footswitch again.
[A]
[B]
[C]
[D]
EXIT
TAP/
PRST PRST
TUNER
A
B
C
Preset Up – increments the next Guitar Preset in the User Bank.
4•3
Preset Down – decrements to the previous Guitar Preset in the User Bank.
Tap/Tuner – a Tap Tempo control for your time-based FX, plus Tuner entry.
Exit – hit this switch to exit Guitar Preset Mode & return to Jam Control Mode.
D
Amp Model / FX Mode
The fourth alternate footswitch mode is Guitar Amp/FX Mode. Again you must toggle
the D footswitch within 1.5 seconds of your last footswitch action to enter this mode. If
you don’t, you’ll remain here until you choose to exit. Here are the footswitch details:
GUITAR AMP/FX MODE
[A]
[B]
MOD
[C]
DELAY
[D]
EXIT
AMP
MODEL
Amp Model Select – this switch toggles your Amp Model on or off (bypassed).
Mod On/Off – step on this switch to toggle your Mod FX on or off.
Delay On/Off – this switch toggles your Delay FX on or off.
A
B
C
D Exit – hit this switch to exit Guitar Amp/FX Mode & return to Jam Control Mode.
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Workflow
wo r k F l o w
There are many ways to work with the JM4. You may want to use only the Amp Models and
FX for your guitar sound while jamming to a Song. Or you may want to record and overdub
complex loops, with or without a reference Drum track, or create your own custom loops.
Once you begin recording, you’ll want to develop an efficient workflow to keep your
recordings backed up and organized as you go. You should also keep in mind the JM4 has
limited memory, so it’s best to avoid filling it up. The key is to backup to SD card often.
As described in Chapter 1, if you follow a few simple guidelines, it’s easy to keep organized.
Start out with a clean SD card, back up often, and keep the JM4’s internal memory as free
as possible. With that in mind, let’s review a few of the basics:
Recording
5•1
You can either record to a Drum or Song loop, or record in free time. As described in the
Pilot’s Handbook, to create a Drum loop, select the Drums tab, load a Drum track, then
press Record. Press Stop after 4 bars, for example. You’ll be automatically taken to the
Recordings tab. From there, simply press Record again and begin overdubbing. If you’d
like to record in free time instead, select the Recordings tab and you’ll see this screen:
SONGS
DRUMS
RECORDINGS
SD
Ready To Record
FREE: 32:19:33
From here, just step on the Record switch and play. When you’re done, hit the Stop
switch. Your end-point will be set and your guitar track will loop accordingly. It’s usually
best to use a Drum track for groove based loops, which you can always mute later on.
Saving
If you like the track you just recorded, you’ll want it save it. Press SAVE and navigate to
the Save Recording To Internal menu item, press R Arrow, name your track and save it.
SAVE GUITAR TONE
SAVE RECORDING TO INTERNAL
SAVE RECORDING TO SD-CARD
Your track is now saved to the JM4’s internal memory, ready for overdubs.
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Workflow
JAM Files
All saved recording files in the JM4 use a proprietary file format called JAM. Each JAM
file contains a Guitar track, a Mic/Aux/WAV track, and a track that contains information
regardingalltheappropriatesettingsforthatrecording. Toviewyourlistofsavedrecordings,
navigate to the Recordings tab and turn the wheel. You’ll see a list like this:
00 00:05:3 REC00
01 00:07:7 REC #01
02 00:10:5 WAV:WAV2BASS
03 00:06:1 REC03
Think of a JAM file as a folder. Within that folder are three files that make up each
recording. Storing them as one JAM file makes it a lot easier to keep track of all your files.
You’ll see the JAM file extension if you look at your file names on your computer.
5•2
WARNING: do not change the names of your JAM files on your computer. If you do,
they may not play back properly in the JM4. To avoid issues, always name your files in the
JM4 when you first save them. Try to stay within the JM4’s 8 character limit.
WAV Files
JM4 also uses WAV files. All Mixdown files are 16 bit 44.1 mono WAV files. Every time
you do a Mixdown to SD card, as described on Page 2•3, you’ll be rendering a WAV file
on your SD card.
A WAV file can be imported back into the JM4 for overdubbing (it will play back on the
Mic/Aux/WAV track), or it can be copied to your computer for further recording, editing
and mixing in your DAW. When you import a WAV file from your SD card, you’ll see it
listed in the JM4’s display, along with the other recordings you have stored on SD card.
DRUMMIX1
ANIMALS2
GTRLOOP2
You can also import WAV files created on your computer for playback and overdubbing in
the JM4. As mentioned above, each WAV file will play back on the Mic/Aux/WAV track,
leaving you an open Guitar track for overdubs. There are also ways to sync up a WAV file
imported from SD card with a JM4 Drum track, as described on the next page.
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Workflow
Loops
JM4 loops come in 2 flavors, either as part of a recording that you created in the JM4, or
as a WAV file that was either mixed down from a JM4 recording or imported from your
computer. Loops created in the JM4 will always work together with the Song or Drum
track you started with, but there are many other creative ways to work with loops. Here are
two examples of how you might use WAV files to create multiple loops in the JM4:
• Record multiple overdubs to your original loop, then mix them down as individual
WAV files using the Playback Level controls to mute the other tracks. Build any
number of tracks that will sync together, then edit and mix them in your DAW.
• Create custom loops on your computer, then import them into the JM4 for jamming,
performing, or further overdubbing. As long as your imported WAV files match the
exact length of the original reference loop, they’ll sync and loop together perfectly.
Any mono 16 bit 44.1 WAV file can be imported and looped in the JM4 for further
overdubbing, including JM4 Mixdown files. This greatly extends the functionality of the
JM4. To demonstrate the possibilities, here’s a multi-track tutorial you might want to try:
5•3
• Press the SONG button, navigate to the Drums tab, then turn the wheel to select
095 Straight Groove (or use any other Drum track). Press the R Arrow to load it.
SONGS
RECORDINGS
SD
DRUMS
Straight Groove
• Press the SONG button again to display the Tempo/Pitch Modes menu item. Select
it, then press R Arrow and turn the wheel to select Time Stretch. Set the tempo to
101 bpm. Press RECORD and watch the count in the display. After 4 bars, press
STOP.
TIME STRETCH PITCH SHIFT
TEMPO
ORIG
SEMI
0
101 BPM 95 BPM
• You just created a 4 bar drum loop at 101 bpm. Now select an Amp Model that
sounds good to you, press PLAY and jam along with the Drum track until you have
a rhythm guitar part that works with the drums. When you’re ready, press RECORD
to overdub your guitar part. Play for 4 bars then press STOP. Listen to your take. If
you’re not happy with it, press UNDO to clear it, press RECORD and overdub your
guitar part again. Repeat the process until you have a guitar track you like.
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• Now save your recording. Press the SAVE button, navigate to Save Recording To
Internal and press the R Arrow. Rename your recording Beat+Gtr and confirm.
RECORDINGS
SONGS
DRUMS
SD
Beat+Gtr
LOOP: 00:09:96
FREE: 32:17:84
• Press the RECORD SELECT button to select Mic/Aux. Plug a bass guitar into the
JM4 Aux In jack. Press the LEVEL button twice then navigate to the Aux tab. Play
your bass and set a strong input level by turning the wheel and watching the level
bar in the display. Press PLAY and jam along with your track.
• When you’re happy with your bass part, play along as the track rolls, pause in the
4th bar then press RECORD. Overdub your 4 bar bass part when the loop hits the
downbeat. If you’re not happy with your take, press UNDO and repeat the process.
When you have a good take, save your recording as Beat+Bas (like you did before).
• Now it’s time for a Mixdown. Press the LEVEL button then press PLAY to hear your
recording. Mute the Guitar track by turning the wheel to Off. Reduce the Drum
track to 90% or whatever level works with your Bass track at 100%. Press the SAVE
button and navigate to Save Rec Mix As WAV To Card. Press R Arrow and keep
the name Beat+Bas. Press the Down Arrow to complete the save to your SD card.
PLAYBACK LEVELS
OFF
90%
100%
GUITAR
SONG/DRUMS
MIC/AUX/WAV
• You now have a Beat+Bas WAV loop on your SD card. Press the SAVE button,
navigate to Import WAV File From Card and press R Arrow. Select WAV:Beat+Bas
and press R Arrow to import the file. Press the SONG button; you’ll see the track is
loaded, ready for overdubbing. Press RECORD SELECT and select Guitar.
• Go back to playing guitar now and overdub the same rhythm guitar part you played
earlier. When done, save your recording as Gtr2. Reload your WAV:Beat+Bas track
and overdub a melody guitar line for 4 bars and save it. Overdub a harmony part.
• Now do a series of Mixdowns, isolating each track you just recorded by muting the
others. When you’re done, you should have a Bass & Drums loop, 2 rhythm guitar
parts, a melody guitar line plus a harmony guitar line, all saved as WAV files.
Copy these tracks to your DAW and you’ll have a multi-track session to work on, with
each track playing back in perfect sync. Pan the guitars L & R to create a stereo mix.
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Appendix : FAQ
ap p e n d i x : FaQ
The following are various questions and answers about JM4 features and functionality:
Available RecordingTime
Q: Whenever I load a track into the JM4’s memory for overdubbing, I notice my
available recording time is reduced by double the duration of that track; why is that?
A: In order for the JM4 to perform an Undo function, it must buffer the currently loaded
track in memory. This results in allocating additional memory equal to the size of each
currenly loaded track, which reduces your available recording time accordingly.
DuplicateWAV Files
Q: When I copy a WAV file from my Mac to SD card, then copy that to my Win PC, I
see a duplicate file that doesn’t play back. What’s happening here?
A: When you copy a WAV file on a Mac, the OS creates a hidden file for its own use.
The JM4 will ignore this hidden file, and you should ignore it on your PC as well.
Time Stamp
Q: When I’m working on my computer and I do a ‘get info’ on one of my JM4 recordings
or WAV files, the date is displayed as unknown. Why isn’t a creation date displayed?
A: The JM4 has no date stamping feature, so it doesn’t create a date for your files.
Pitch Shift
Q: I recorded a blues lead guitar jam to one of the JM4 Songs, changing the key by
raising the Pitch Shift by 2 semitones, 4 times over 5 minutes. When I mixed it down,
my guitar was in the same key the entire time. Why didn’t the guitar change key?
A•1
A: Only 1 instance of Pitch Shift can be applied per active session. When you mixed
your guitar as a WAV file, the Pitch Shift was being applied to the JM4 Song, changing
pitch the way you originally set it, so it couldn’t process your guitar at the same time.
Next time, mix the Song as a WAV first, then overdub your guitar to the WAV mix.
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Appendix : FAQ
Time StretchWon’tWork A SecondTime
Q: I made an 8-bar loop of a Drum track, then sped it up from 100 bpm to 110 bpm.
After I recorded a guitar track, it felt too fast, so I tried to slow everything down to 105
bpm. The JM4 locked me out of changing the tempo again. Why is that?
A: The Time Stretch feature can only work on one mono track at a time. Since the JM4
Drum track is being processed to match your recorded guitar track, you can’t re-adjust
the tempo of the ‘live’ drums and recorded guitar at the same time. To change the
tempo again, you could do a Mixdown, a Clear All, then load your Mix to start fresh.
This is one reason why we suggest you determine your tempo before you record.
Loop OverdubVolume
Q: I like to overdub several harmony guitars to a loop, but when I let it roll for 3 or 4
passes my backing track loses volume. Why is this happening?
A: Your Recorder Overdub Volume is probably set to something less than 100%, so
your volume decreases every time your track loops in Overdub mode. Press the Drums/
Song button twice and navigate to the Recorder Overdub menu item, then press the R
Arrow to select it. Use the wheel to set your Volume to 100% and it won’t decrease.
Quick Capture
Q: The JM4 silkscreen reads Rec+Undo = Quick Capture; why doesn’t this work?
A: To engage Quick Capture, you must first step on Undo, then the Record switch.
We’re sorry we didn’t make this clear in the Pilot’s Handbook.
Can’t OverdubTo ATime Stretched Recording
Q: I recorded a simple rhythm guitar track, then I did a Time Stretch to slow it down.
When I tried to overdub a lead guitar part, I was locked out of doing so. Why?
A•2
A: The Time Stretch setting you applied to your guitar track has ‘claimed’ the DSP
processing, which can only work on one track at a time. Since the Time Stretch is still
active, you must first Save your recording at the new tempo, then do a Clear All. At
that point, simply recall your saved recording, then you can overdub guitar as usual.
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Appendix : FAQ
Naming Restrictions
Q: Whenever I import a WAV file from my computer into the JM4, why does it always
cut off the last part of the name?
A:TheJM4hasan8-characternamelimit. Althoughyouroriginalfilenamewillremain
unchanged on your PC, it’s a good idea to use shorter names whenever possible.
Routing GoesTo Mono
Q: I recorded a vocal on the Mic/Aux track, and a guitar on the Guitar track. I’m
routing my vocal to a P.A. and my guitar to a guitar amp. I’d like to slow the tempo
down a bit then overdub a harmony guitar part, but when I do so, all my tracks go to
mono, routed to both the P.A. and guitar amp. How can I avoid this?
A: When applying Time Stretch to two different tracks, they will be summed to mono.
This is because the Time Stretch DSP can only operate on one mono track at a time,
so your routing was summed to mono. To return to normal routing, you must first Save
your current recording to internal memory with Time Stretch applied.
Audio Hiss
Q: Sometimes I hear unwanted hiss on my audio output. How can I eliminate this?
A: Make sure your mic Volume knob is off when not using the Mic Input. JM4 inputs are
‘live’ at all times, so if no mic is plugged in, you may hear hiss from the mic preamp.
AuxTrack Distortion
Q: When I use the Aux track for recording my guitar track and I add Aux FX Presets, my
guitar sometimes sounds distorted when I play it back; it sounds fine while recording.
What’s up?
A: When recording to the Aux track, you’re essentially in “input monitor” mode,
meaning you’re hearing your guitar’s input, not its output. When you add Aux FX like
EQ, for example, you’re also boosting level. This can result in distortion that you only
hear on playback. The cure for this is, if you’re recording on the Aux track and you’re
boosting your level with Aux FX, simply lower your input level to avoid distortion.
A•3
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Appendix : FAQ
SD Card Backup Details
Q: I’ve been recording with my JM4 and my internal memory is filling up. I’m about to
buy an SD card to backup my files, but I’m a bit confused about the best way to work.
Can you give me a detailed outline of the best way to keep my recordings organized?
A: If you’ve already got some recordings stored in the JM4’s internal memory, we
recommend that when you add an SD card to your setup you do the following:
• Transfer all your internal recordings to the SD card with a Transfer All command.
• Remove the SD card from your JM4 and back it up to your computer (‘open’ the SD
card’s icon on your computer, then you should be able to drag and drop the Line 6
Folder to your computer’s desktop, making a copy of everything on the SD card).
• Return the SD card to your JM4 and confirm you can load one of the recordings from
it, just to triple check that everything is working as expected.
• Now that you’re sure everything is on the SD card, and also backed up on your
computer, delete all recordings from your JM4’s internal memory.
• When making new recordings, always save them to the SD card.
• Periodically return the SD card to your computer and re-do your backup, so copies
of your latest files are always backed up on your computer. (Create new folders on
your computer, if necessary, organized by date. For example, create a folder for each
month, then copy your current JM4 Line 6 folder into the current month’s folder).
• Keeping all recordings on your SD card, rather than internal memory, means you’re
always ready to quickly backup your data, and everything is quickly and easily
accessible from your computer. This is similar to the way that most digital cameras
work with an SD card.
• It also means that the maximum internal memory is always available for use when
making new recordings. This memory is used as the working memory for recording,
and if you’ve got lots of memory taken up internally by saved recordings, you may
find that you run out of working memory to do new recordings, especially if you
make longer recordings.
A•4
• And last but not least, working this way means you never have to wonder whether
the latest version of a recording was saved to internal memory or SD card, which can
happen if you try to use both for recordings that you continue to update.
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