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Saving and Opening jam Files

Using jam Files, and Organizing Them

jambient lets you save elements in jam files and open them at a later time. Jam files have the extension ".jam". You can quickly open jam files using the Quickload List. Jambient also lets you save Snapshots; and it lets you Package your jam files together with your samples, so that you can distribute them easily.

One of the very powerful but subtle feature of jambient is that let it lets you filter the elements to be saved or opened. So you can, e.g., open just the samples from a previous jam into a current jam, dropping them into LoopTracks with very different settings, or save just the positions of LoopTracks and then drop them on top of current LoopTracks, for example, snapping them into a circular layout.

This lets you set up something like macros that quickly you lay in a set of volume setting, pitch settings, etc. Or you can save just the contents of the Clipboard, to use the Clipboard across sessions.

You can also save your start up preferences in "preferences.jam" in the directory where jambient.exe resides. This file is automatically loaded when jambient starts. See Setting Preferences .

When you save or open, jambient uses the directory in which you've save or loaded as the default directory for subsequent file operations, including Snapshots. It is a good idea to organize your jam files, Snapshots and Scripts into directories for related performances.

Saving a jam file

  1. Click on the Save/Open button.
  2. In the Elements to Save list, select the Elements of the jam that you want to save by toggling their highlight on and off. Use the drop down below the list to quickly select sets of elements. (See below for a description of the Elements). For elements that pertain to LoopTracks, you can also use the Only Save Selected Loops checkbox to save information only for the the LoopTracks that are Selected.
  3. The name of the current jam file is specified in the title of the Save/Open dialogue. If you want to save again under this name, click on the Save button.
  4. If you want to save under a new name, or if there is no current jam file, click on the Save As button. A standard dialogue lets you specify the name of the file. You can also use the Save As button to package your jam file (see Packaging  for more details.)

Opening a jam file

  1. Click on the Save/Open button.
  2. In the Elements to Open list, select the Elements of the jam that you want to open by toggling their highlight on and off. Use the drop down below the list to quickly select sets of elements. (See below for a description of the Elements). 
  3. When jambient loads LoopTracks from jam files, it normally drops them in over top of the current LoopTracks. Say you have samples playing in LoopTrack A and C, but B is empty, and you load from a jam file that just has a LoopTrack for B. A and C keep on playing. If you want A and C to be emptied, check the Empty Blank Loops on open--if a LoopTracks is blank in the jam file, it will be emptied in your jam.
  4. The name of the current jam file is specified in the title of the Save/Open dialogue. If you want to reload that file, click on the Reload button. If you want to open a different file, click the Open button.
  5. When jambient opens a jam file, it also retrieves the Elements to Save settings that were used to store the file.

Elements that can be Saved or Opened

Elements of LoopTracks, and how LoopTracks are Saved

LoopTracks elements are saved together with the letter of their LoopTrack and are loaded back into the LoopTrack of that letter. For example, if you selected LoopTracks M to P, and saved selected LoopTracks only, the LoopTrack elements that were saved will be loaded back into LoopTracks M to P. To save a LoopTrack independent of a lettered slot, copy it to the Clipboard, and save the clipboard. When you open your saved Clipboard, drag the LoopTrack from  the Clipboard into the LoopTrack panel.

jambient breaks LoopTracks down into the following elements, which are mostly self-explanatory:

  • Sample, Play Mode, Thinnable [These are stored as one element]
  • Play State [Stores whether or not the LoopTrack is playing. If a LoopTrack was playing when saved (and you stored this element and are opening it) then the LoopTrack will start playing automatically]
  • Pitch
  • Pitch Pattern
  • Volume
  • Volume Pattern
  • Pan
  • Pan Pattern
  • 3d Position
  • Wiring

General Elements:

jambient lets you store other elements that determine the way you jam. They are listed below, with a bit of explanation.

Bands [The layout of your bands and whether they are block or wedge bands]

Browse Folders & Destinations [the folders for each of the Sample Bins and the Destinations for the sample bins]

ClipBoard [The contents of the clipboard. When opened, the contents are added to the current clipboard]

History Lists [Saves the history lists of each of the LoopTracks (see Popup and Palette). The history list for the Gang is not saved. When opened, replaces the current content of history lists.]

General settings [This saves all the options in the option tab, the joystick relative settings for the 3d Map and MixPad, all other settings for the MixPad and 3d Map (except for 3d enabled), and the number in the Thinner. It also records which tab is open.]

3d Enabled [Saves whether 3d is enabled.]





last modified 10-29-200