The Jamstik MIDI Guitars are powerful, expressive MIDI instruments that are compatible with the wide range of software and hardware developed for MIDI from the early 1980s to today. Because of the wide range of compatible devices, you may find the need to change certain device settings for the best compatibility and performance.
All Jamstik settings are detailed in this article.
If you are experiencing no MIDI notes or MIDI notes on only one string in a third-party program, check your MIDI Mode
If you are hearing wrong notes when you bend a string or notes that quickly change pitch, check your Pitch Bend Range
If you are hearing glitches, distortions, wild fluctuations in sound, or other issues (common with Logic Pro's built-in instruments), either turn off String Envelope Send or look into String Envelope Mapping
If you can't find a solution to your issues here, please reach out to us at support@jamstik.com or submit a help desk request.
Jamstik MIDI Guitar Device Settings
MIDI Settings
MIDI Settings control what the Jamstik sends to external devices such as DAWs, notation software, software synthesizers, and other hardware devices you may connect your Jamstik to. If you experience unexpected sounds/results with other programs/synthesizers, make sure these settings match the settings in the third-party software/hardware.
MIDI Mode
MIDI Mode can be set to either MPE, Multi-Channel, or Single Channel. This changes the channels that the Jamstik sends MIDI through. To use the Jamstik with other synthesizers/programs/hardware, the Jamstik must be sending MIDI data through channels that the third-party device is looking for.
Mode descriptions and use cases:
Single-Channel Mode
Single-Channel Mode sends MIDI only on MIDI channel 1. Many older MIDI devices and pieces of software are only set up to receive MIDI on channel 1 and many default to only listen for channel 1. Setting the Jamstik's MIDI Mode to Single-Channel limits the ability to send detailed string-specific messages such as per-string string bend.
If possible, it is preferred to look in your third-party's manual/support guides to change those settings to accept simultaneous input from channels 1-6 (or 1-7) instead of using the Jamstik's Single-Channel Mode if you are attempting to track pitch bend or string envelope on multiple strings.
Multi-Channel Mode
Multi-Channel Mode sends MIDI over 6 MIDI Channels. By default, these will be channels 1-6, though this can be changed with First MIDI Channel. This mode is ideal for third-party devices that are not fully MPE-compatible but still allow MIDI input through multiple channels.
This allows the Jamstik to send pitch bend and expression on a per-string/per-channel basis. You can also use this mode to target MIDI channels in third-party software to split instruments per string.
MPE Mode
MPE Mode sends MIDI using the MPE MIDI standard. Strings are sent over channels 2-7 and channel 1 is reserved for additional MPE-specific MIDI messages.
MPE Mode allows for the most expressive output from the Jamstik but should only be used with compatible hardware and software.
First MIDI Channel
First MIDI Channel controls what channel or channels MIDI notes are being sent on from the Jamstik.
In Multi-Channel Mode - this will change the channel of the lowest string. For example, if First MIDI Channel is set to 9, MIDI will be sent on channels: 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14.
In Single Channel Mode - this will change the channel that all MIDI is sent on.
In MPE Mode - this value cannot be changed in order to follow the MPE standard.
Pitch Bend Send
Pitch Bend Send controls whether the Jamstik sends pitch bend data. In Single-channel and Multi -Channel modes, pitch bend is sent through traditional MIDI pitch bend methods. In MPE Mode, pitch bend is sent through MPE-specific protocols.
Pitch Bend Range
Pitch Bend Range changes the values that the Jamstik sends for pitch bend. It is vital for best performance that this value matches the value that your third-party device is looking for. If it does not, bending strings will result in notes that do not match the pitch of what you are playing.
MPE software/hardware should automatically default to +/- 48. By default, changing MIDI Modes to MPE will change your Jamstik's pitch bend range to +/- 48. However, if you encounter an MPE program with a different pitch bend range (such as +/- 24) you can change your pitch bend range and stay in MPE mode.
Most non-MPE MIDI software/hardware, default to a pitch bend range of +/-2. If you want to record or play with a piece of software and bend more than 2 semitones (2 frets worth) on the Jamstik, you will need to set a higher pitch bend range in Jamstik devices settings and change your third-party software/hardware pitch bend range to match. Without matching pitch bend ranges, bending strings will result in notes that are not accurate to the pitch of what is being played on the guitar.
String Envelope Send
String Envelope Send sends amplitude/aftertouch information from the Jamstik to other MIDI Devices. The pickups in the Jamstik detect the amplitude of a note over time. String Envelope Send uses that time-decreasing value and sends it through MIDI. This can be used similarly to how Channel Pressure, Press, or Aftertouch is used on other MIDI devices. It can also be mapped to volume or other CC parameters in String Envelope Mapping to transform MIDI instruments to follow the dynamics of your guitar by matching the volume/amplitude of your strings as all times.
If you are experiencing "glitching" noises or rapid fluctuations in third-party synthesizers it may be a result of the synthesizer reading string envelope messages from multiple strings at the same time and applying it to the same control. Many default instruments in Logic Pro have this issue and this can be resolved by either mapping string envelope to a value that the synthesizer accepts on multiple strings or by turning string envelope send off while using these synthesizers.
String Envelope Mapping
String Envelope Mapping changes how String Envelope data from String Envelope Send is sent through MIDI. Jamstik settings programs will have some preset values to choose from for mapping and you can also type most MIDI CC numbers in the input box in Jamstik Creator to assign String Envelope to other values as well.
Default values and use cases:
CC11: Expression
CC11 Expression is a control that has traditionally been triggered in MIDI systems by an expression pedal and is often mapped to various modulations/effects/volume.
By default, the Jamstik Creator looks for CC11: Expression for a variety of default presets that use the Oscillator's "Expression Volume Mod" control under Envelopes.
Channel Pressure
Channel Pressure or the MPE z-axis, is used similarly to a traditional aftertouch control in MIDI, where a midi note changes modulations/effects/volume based on how hard a user presses down on a note after the initial strike.
In the case of the Jamstik, since this is mapped to the string envelope, the value will always decrease over time rather than increase as it would with a harder push on other MPE controllers. Often this will create desired effects but rarely this will not work as intended and you may want to turn off or reassign String Envelope for certain third-party MPE patches.
CC7: Volume
CC7 is generally used for volume and in many third-party software/hardware synthesizers will change the overall volume of a sound being played.
While this will work for many third-party synthesizers, some will map this to master volume in a way that will make messages from multiple strings contradict with each other and cause rapid fluctuations in volume as volume messages from multiple strings are being read at once.
CC71: Sound Control 2
CC71 Sound Control 2 is a value that is used in some MIDI synthesizers for resonance. This and the surrounding Sound Control values (70 - 79) may already be mapped to interesting values in your synthesizer and may produce favorable results with the Jamstik.
Octaves / Octave Transpose
This control will pitch shift the MIDI output up or down octaves (12 semitones) based on the positive or negative value. Transposing the octave down may be helpful for playing bass synthesizers while keeping standard guitar tuning.
Semitones / Semitone Transpose / Virtual Capo
This control will pitch shift the MIDI output up or down semitones based on the positive or negative value. Changing this value will make it so that the notes you are playing on your guitar will NOT match the notes being played in MIDI.
If you want to use a physical capo on your Jamstik, there is no need to change any device settings and this value should stay at 0.
String Sensitivity
String Sensitivity can be changed per-string on a scale from 1-10. It is worth noting that the lowest note/thickest string is labeled as String 6 while the highest note/thinnest string is String 1.
String Sensitivity does not change string velocities (changing this value will not make notes you play louder or quieter though midi). Instead, string sensitivity changes how likely it is that a note will be registered as a midi note. If you are experiencing extra notes being played that are unwanted, change the value to be lower. If the Jamstik is missing notes, change the value to be higher.
If changing these values do not improve the note detection of the Jamstik, you may want to Adjust String Height and MIDI Pickup On The Jamstik Studio.
A control that changes alters the velocity of notes is currently being developed for the Jamstik in firmware. You can however, in the Learning Portal for Jamstik's Experimental Settings Adjust the Jamstik's Min/Max Velocity Range.
String Open Note Tuning
String Open Note Tuning changes what tuning the Jamstik's note detection is expecting your guitar to be tuned to. It is important that this value matches your Jamstik's tuning. If it does not, the Jamstik may ignore notes below the Open Note Tuning Range.
You can use one of the common tuning presets (the most common guitar tuning being E Standard), or you can set any tuning you like. However, at very low tunings there may be some performance degradation.
Advanced Settings
Sleep Timer Wired/Battery
This controls how many minutes of inactivity can occur before the Studio MIDI Guitar switches into sleep mode.
Wired applies to when the Jamstik is connected over usb to a powered usb port while battery applies to all other types of connection when not connected to power (Bluetooth or TRS-MIDI).
Setting this value to 0 or infinity will disable the sleep timer.
Bluetooth Enable
Turning this off will disable the Jamstik's Bluetooth radio. It is not recommended and disables wireless connection for the Jamstik. It may be useful for specific, rare studio scenarios in which a Bluetooth radio could cause interference.
Left-Handed Mode
This sets your Jamstik to left-handed mode and switches the fretboard display in Jamstik apps. If you purchased a left-handed model, this should be enabled by default. If it is not, you can turn it on with this option. If you bought a non-left-handed guitar and you want to use it left-handed, turn this option on and follow the steps in How to replace Jamstik strings to restring your guitar to match left-handed patterns.
Transcription Mode
Transcription mode improves accuracy and filters out unwanted MIDI notes at the cost of adding 30-40 extra milliseconds of latency and disabling some performance features like hammer-ons. This mode is primarily meant for recording rather than performing and a lower buffer size and ASIO drivers on Windows is strongly recommended in this mode.
Demo Mode
Demo mode is a feature designed for exhibition use that resets a Jamstik's settings after a period of inactivity. You can change the amount of time between resets and whether it changes back to a single channel or MPE mode.
Reset to Factory Settings
This option will reset all settings on your Jamstik to factory defaults and reset the Jamstik. If you are having issues with your Jamstik this may be a solution. If you cannot access this setting and your Jamstik will not turn on or operate properly, instead hold the power button for 75 seconds and the Jamstik will force restore.
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