If you play or teach guitar, you should check out the Jamstik, which I think is a great–and I’d even say essential–device for teaching guitar, as you can move around a classroom wirelessly, project left hand string position on a screen, and have a device for individualized learning (students that need more help or need more challenges). The Black Friday 2019 special for the Jamstik is an additional 20% savings.
There are two models of Jamstik available, the Jamstik+ and the Jamstik 7. This coupon brings the price of the Jamstik 7 under $150.
If you’re interested, you can go to jamstik.com right now and order one (or more) Jamstik (s) with these additional savings!
One of the joys about the summer is that I have time to catch up on developments that I’ve missed over the last months.
If you are a reader of this blog, you are aware that I am very fond of Zivix (a local company) and their products, the Jamstik and the PUC. Zivix released the JamStik 7 earlier this year, and had promised a Jamstik 12 as part of its last crowdfunding effort. I realized that I had not heard anything about the Jamstik 12, so I went back to the original Indiegogo campaign to see what was up.
In late March, Zivix announced that it was going to stop development of the Jamstik 12 to make a 24 fret “Jamstik Pro” MIDI guitar, upgrading every backer of the Jamstik 12 to the Jamstik Pro when it is released. The Jamstik 7 is available for purchase. While I am sure that Jamstik 12 backers were disappointed by the cancellation of that device, I am sure they will be thrilled to own a Jamstik Pro for the same price, even with the wait.
The prototype Jamstik Pro (right) versus a full size Telecaster-type guitar (left).
One of the things that has always amazed me about Zivix has been their forward thinking approach. They are always thinking about the next device while completing the current device. They were one of the first–if not the first–companies to adopt Bluetooth LTE MIDI. So it isn’t surprising to me that they looked at the 12 fret Jamstik, and thought, “You know what, these extra five frets don’t really do that much more than the Jamstik 7. Let’s simply go ahead with our long-term plan of making a full size, 24 fret guitar.” I have no doubt that they will deliver on that new goal.
Guitar isn’t a primary instrument in my life–but it has been wonderful to have different versions of the Jamstik to use over the years. And as I’ve said over and over again, I wouldn’t teach classroom guitar again without one. When the Jamstik Pro comes out, I’ll do my best to visit the company and try it out (their product specialists are light years more capable players than I am), but I would think that guitar players would be ecstatic about this instrument and what it promises to provide. It will take some people by surprise to learn that they don’t need to tune a Jamstik Pro!
As Zivix has music education in its DNA, I fully expect that they will continue to develop devices that are affordable and accessible for schools and individuals just wanting to learn music. The JamStik 7 is already affordable, and the company offers special purchase prices for teachers, military, and first responders. And I’ll continue to ask where the Zivix ukulele is in the development process (I can’t help it…I bought two ukuleles this month).
The other interesting development in the music technology hardware world is a new keyboard on Kickstarter from Roli, called the Lumi. Roli has had some really amazing hardware over the last years, but it has always been out of the price range that I wanted to pay for it. They have the Seaboard and its various iterations, as well as their Blocks. The Garage Band Block is really intriguing–but it is a $650 purchase. That’s a lot to spend on an iPad or MacBook accessory!
The new device is Roli’s first geared specifically towards education–removing the barriers for a an individual to learn music–a kindred product to Zivix’s Jamstik. Just as the Jamstik offers JamTutor and integration with other apps, the Lumi will do the same for piano. The Lumi is still pretty expensive…$186 as a Kickstarter, but that is a fraction of the cost of a Seaboard, and the Lumi features very cool keyboard lighting (some people are going to buy it just for that, I’m afraid) and what appears to be solid software integration. The ability to link keyboards together brings me back to Miselu’s product C.24, which just seemed to disappear after it shipped (and whose modules never were developed).
The XKey Air (37 key) is still available for $300 (the 25 key sells for $199); and there is also Korg MicroKey units with up to 61 keys for about $200 (or less). For the budget minded, it’s hard not to choose the Korg MicroKey Air 49 for $180. The Roli Luma is at the higher end of the price tier (even as a Kickstarter) for a 24 key Bluetooth MIDI keyboard (not as much as the Seaboard Block for $350, however)…but you do get the cool light effects and what appears to be great software. If you’re interested in the Roli Lumi, you can back it on Kickstarter now!
I was recently sent a Jamstik 7 by Zivix, a music technology company in the Twin Cities area, which is where I live and teach. I have been a fan of the company since I first heard about the Jamstik. This is my “first look” at the device. A video on the same topic follows the text of this blog post.
I should also note that this is my first attempt to use WordPress’s new web-based editor. I’m hoping that every thing will appear as it is intended!
The initial Jamstik was a guitar device that connected via a self-contained wi-fi network, and interacted with iOS devices to provide a MIDI connection to apps such as Jamstik’s own JamTutor app, as well as MIDI apps, such as GarageBand. Zivix had a focus–and remains focused–on meeting educational needs of musicians, although the focus has primarily been on the guitar and individual instruction. They have also created the PUC (you can see a recent review of the PUC and PUC+ on my friend, Paul Shimmons’ YouTube channel) which is a battery powered MIDI adapter that connects a MIDI device (USB or 5 pin) to an iOS device or Mac. The company has also created AirJams, a pick-like device that allows you to control an “air jam” session. Their early devices have been carried in some Apple Stores and some Target Stores, and their crowd-funding efforts have consistently been successful (And they have delivered on every product!).
Not too long after the original Jamstik came into being, Zivix released the Jamstik+, as Apple had introduced Bluetooth Low Energy MIDI. It made sense for the Jamstik to move to this new format. I was shocked at how quickly they moved to the Jamstik+, but it made sense to do so. Since that time, they have made it possible for people to use the Jamstik on other platforms, such as Android, and now universally on Chrome (Chrome had to adopt WebMIDI, and still does when Safari does not!).
This is my opinion, but I don’t know another company that has done so much with Bluetooth MIDI. Zivix is a clear leader in this field. There are a few adapters and (piano) keyboards here and there, but Bluetooth MIDI is underrepresented, and I wish that more companies would adopt it!
Last year, Zivix crowdfunded again for the Jamstik 7 and the Jamstik 12. These are seven and twelve fret versions of the device (the 12 is still in development), and there are a number of changes to the new Jamstik. The Jamstik 7 loses the rechargeable battery of the Jamstik and Jamstik+, trading it for 4 AA batteries. The Jamstik 7 is supposed to last 50 hours on those batteries, and will work with rechargeable batteries (hint: check out Amazon’s rechargeable or regular batteries). The Jamstik 7 also does away with the Jamstik and the Jamstik+ IR sensors, which were used to sense finger placement, and replaces those sensors with an optical sensor. The Jamstik 7 also moves the “D-Pad” to the center of the device, making it more friendly for left-handed players, and completely redesigns how the strap is attached, as well as other accessories, such as a guitar “body” which is available as an accessory. I really like the new strap connectors, and I was always a bit nervous about the old ones on the Jamstik/Jamstik+.
The sensitivity of every string is adjustable. Out of the box, I couldn’t get recognition of my strums on all six strings, so I played with the “presets” for sensitivity until things worked better. I fully admit this may be user error, as I am used to strumming ukuleles with a pick. That said, it seems to me that the Jamstik+ and Jamstik did a better job of recognizing my strums out of the box. I imagine that future firmware updates will continue to adjust sensitivity issues and as previously stated, you can adjust the sensitivity through the iOS app (and I’d imagine, the Android app).
I had better results interacting with the Jamstik 7 with a cable connection to my MacBook Pro, and the Jamstik 7 worked great wirelessly with my iPad Pro (once I adjusted sensitivity settings). The Jamstik app is wonderful, and would be so incredibly valuable in a class guitar setting. If I taught class guitar, I would get a Jamstik and an iPad to use in class, particularly so I could move around the classroom wirelessly and teach. You could use a Jamstik 7 for individualized education (advanced students or students needing remediation). The Jamstik 7 would also be great for creating resources for students, in an app like Notion.
I did a little work on Notion with the Jamstik 7, which did a great job of interpreting individual notes as played into the app; but playing chords resulted in a mess on the tablature. I’m not quite sure how to fix the issue, but I’m sure there is some way to do it.
In talking with the company, I was reminded that the first fifteen lessons or so, included with the JamTutor app or play.jamstik.com, really cover the basics of playing guitar. If you are successful with all fifteen lessons, you can start studying with a human teacher and have a solid foundation for future lessons. Considering that lessons are often $30 to $45 for a half hour, the price of the Jamstik 7 is more than covered through the resources that come free with the device. And at that point, you will want to buy a guitar, and I doubt you’d want to get rid of the Jamstik, as there would be other opportunities to use it (e.g. GarageBand, other MIDI apps, composition, etc.).
In summary, as a part of a “first look,” the Jamstik 7 is a winner. For music education, the Jamstik and Jamstik+ were also winners. The Jamstik 7 packs new technology into an already successful product, and it works great. The only surprise for me was the move to AA batteries, but that is an easy fix with rechargeable batteries.
As I recently posted, Zivix is offering a substantial discount to educators, students, first responders, and members of the military. For more information, check out their post on the discounts (link). Want to learn more about the Jamstik? Visit jamstik.com!
As previously mentioned, I was kindly sent a Jamstik 7 by Zivix this past week. I had a chance to use the Jamstik 7 for a while today, and I am not yet ready to write a full post/review on the device. It is clearly the next generation of the Jamstik, not only in terms of being the most recent release, but in technological advances. It is different than the Jamstik and Jamstik+, and I want to spend some more time with the device before writing more about it.
I will say that the Chome-based play portal (https://play.jamstik.com/) works well (I was using it with my MacBook Pro).
The news that I wanted to share tonight is that Zivix is offering special pricing for teachers, students, first responders, and military personnel. They have a special link set up for the discount: https://jamstik.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360021334732. Educators will receive a 20% discount, and students will receive a 15% discount. And I also want people to know this is not a referral link that sends a commission my direction.
Although I no longer teach guitar classes (I currently teach ukulele at the middle school level), when we opened my last school (2009), a high school, we made sure that guitar, music history, music theory, and music technology were courses that existed in the school. I taught class guitar levels I & 2 each year, and I would have LOVED a Jamstik to teach with. First of all, the Jamstik is portable (running bluetooth to iOS in particular), allowing a teacher to easily move throughout the room–which is a necessity in a classroom guitar setting. I bought a Washburn Rover “backpacker” guitar when I was teaching so I could move around the room! Second, the Jamstik can project over a room’s sound system (via an iOS device attached to the system through the headphone jack). With such a setup, not only could every student hear what you were playing–you could also use it to help students tune by ear at the start of class. Third, the Jamstik can show which fingers are being pressed on the fretboard, and then project that on a large screen (again, through the iOS app, or via USB cable and the new Chrome web interface).
And those three aspects do not even discuss the concept of using the Jamstik for differentiated instruction (advanced or remedial work). However, those three aspects would have made teaching guitar SO much easier.
So–many thanks to Zivix for offering educator, student, first responder, and military discounts.
Technology in Music Education 