JamMan
Encyclopedia
The JamMan is an audio looping
device manufactured by Lexicon
in the mid 1990s. The idea for the JamMan began with modifications Gary Hall had devised for the Lexicon PCM-42 that allowed him to play into a long, looping delay whose clock could be synchronized to an external source. (Hall, who worked for Lexicon in two different periods, was the primary architect of the PCM41 and PCM42, as well as the non-reverberation effects that first appeared in the 224X and became better known in the PCM70.) Bob Sellon extended the concept considerably, starting with elaborate PCM42 modifications and eventually working with several others at Lexicon to arrive at the JamMan.
The product allowed musician
s to record musical phrases at the touch of a button which were then played back, looping indefinitely. The musician would typically use the looping audio as a backing track providing a virtual backing band. The device also allowed MIDI
drum machine
s and sequencers to be synchronized to them providing additional accompaniment. By pressing a button on the floor pedal, the device begins recording a rhythm (8 seconds of memory comes standard, but an upgraded 32 second memory chip is a common upgrade). When the musician is finished playing the part to be looped, simply press the tap button on the floor again and the machine does two things immediately: replays the part from the beginning looping it indefinitely while sending a MIDI clock signal to a drum machine which kicks in right on time and is synchronized to the rhythm part.
The JamMan is a 1U
rack mounted
unit that is controlled using 1 or 2 footswitches or via MIDI.
Music loop
In electroacoustic music, a loop is a repeating section of sound material. Short sections of material can be repeated to create ostinato patterns...
device manufactured by Lexicon
Lexicon (company)
Lexicon is an American audio equipment manufacturing company founded in 1971 and owned by Harman International Industries. Lexicon's roots began in 1969 with the founding of American Data Sciences by MIT professor Dr...
in the mid 1990s. The idea for the JamMan began with modifications Gary Hall had devised for the Lexicon PCM-42 that allowed him to play into a long, looping delay whose clock could be synchronized to an external source. (Hall, who worked for Lexicon in two different periods, was the primary architect of the PCM41 and PCM42, as well as the non-reverberation effects that first appeared in the 224X and became better known in the PCM70.) Bob Sellon extended the concept considerably, starting with elaborate PCM42 modifications and eventually working with several others at Lexicon to arrive at the JamMan.
The product allowed musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
s to record musical phrases at the touch of a button which were then played back, looping indefinitely. The musician would typically use the looping audio as a backing track providing a virtual backing band. The device also allowed MIDI
Musical Instrument Digital Interface
MIDI is an industry-standard protocol, first defined in 1982 by Gordon Hall, that enables electronic musical instruments , computers and other electronic equipment to communicate and synchronize with each other...
drum machine
Drum machine
A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums or other percussion instruments. They are used in a variety of musical genres, not just purely electronic music...
s and sequencers to be synchronized to them providing additional accompaniment. By pressing a button on the floor pedal, the device begins recording a rhythm (8 seconds of memory comes standard, but an upgraded 32 second memory chip is a common upgrade). When the musician is finished playing the part to be looped, simply press the tap button on the floor again and the machine does two things immediately: replays the part from the beginning looping it indefinitely while sending a MIDI clock signal to a drum machine which kicks in right on time and is synchronized to the rhythm part.
The JamMan is a 1U
Rack unit
A rack unit or U is a unit of measure used to describe the height of equipment intended for mounting in a 19-inch rack or a 23-inch rack...
rack mounted
19-inch rack
A 19-inch rack is a standardized frame or enclosure for mounting multiple equipment modules. Each module has a front panel that is wide, including edges or ears that protrude on each side which allow the module to be fastened to the rack frame with screws.-Overview and history:Equipment designed...
unit that is controlled using 1 or 2 footswitches or via MIDI.
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