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 musicians 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
MIDI (; Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a technical standard that describes a communications protocol, digital interface, and electrical connectors that connect a wide variety of electronic musical instruments, computers, an ...
drum machines 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
A 19-inch rack is a standardized frame or enclosure for mounting multiple electronic equipment modules. Each module has a front panel that is wide. The 19 inch dimension includes the edges or "ears" that protrude from each side of the equ ...
unit that is controlled using 1 or 2 footswitches or via MIDI.
Users
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Daft Punk
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Peter Gabriel
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Junior Vasquez
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Career
Mattern moved to New York City a ...
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Joseph Arthur
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Chet Atkins
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David Torn
David M. Torn (born May 26, 1953) is an American guitarist, composer, and producer. He is known for combining electronic and acoustic instruments and for his use of looping.
Background
Torn has contributed to recordings by artists as diverse ...
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Alessandro Batazzi
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Radio Chongqing
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Blixa Bargeld
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Boyd Rice
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Nick Robinson
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Keller Williams
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Phil Keaggy
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Tristan 'Z' Zand
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Jacob Moon
Jacob Moon is a solo Canadian folk singer/songwriter and guitarist based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. He has an extensive repertoire of songs, with nine albums to his credit. He has won many accolades and has been invited to perform for and w ...
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Kelly Burnette
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Matthieu Chedid
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Michael Brecker
Michael Leonard Brecker (March 29, 1949 – January 13, 2007) was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. He was awarded 15 Grammy Awards as both performer and composer. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Berklee College of ...
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Keith Marquis
See also
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DigiTech JamMan
References
External links
Looper's Delight Jam Man page with info and links
Effects units
Sound recording technology
Sound production technology
Sampling (music)
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