Lexicon JamMan Digital DelayLooper Effects Unit 30+ Memory
Lexicon Jam Man Digital Echo ? Sampler ? Loop Recorder
Lollowing the release of their budget digital reverb unit, Alex, it's evident that Lexicon are turning their attention further toward the MI (musical instrument) market. While Alex could be described as a 'better mousetrap' product, Jam Man is far more radical and has no obvious equivalent from any other manufacturer. It's really three products in one ? a digital echo, a sampler and a looping digital recorder ? all based around a 15kHz bandwidth, 16-bit delay line which can be expanded from the basic eight seconds up to 32 seconds by adding more RAM chips. In Multi Loop mode, the available delay memory is shared out between the various loops, so with only the basic eight seconds of RAM, it's likely that you'll run out of memory well before you fill up all eight loops.
The first two effects, Echo and Sampling, are not new, but Jam Man's ability to record up to eight different loops and switch between them is quite novel. Because the unit is able to recognise and generate MIDI clock information, both loop recording and loop playback can be locked to a MIDI sequencer.
Jam Man is an uncomplicated rack-mounting device styled along the lines of the Alex, with stereo inputs and outputs on unbalanced jacks, a pair of footswitch jacks and a pair of MIDI In and Out jacks to connect it to the outside world; power comes from an external adaptor. The inputs are fairly high impedance at 50 Kohms (25 Kohms mono) and work with signals down to -30dBu in level, so it's possible to work with a high impedance mic plugged directly into the unit ? though it's better to feed Jam Man from a mixer. Footswitch options are provided to allow hands-off, real-time control of some of Jam Man's control functions, including Tap Tempo and triggered record or playback, and a footswitch is included with the basic package.
ECHOES AND SAMPLING
Jam Man's Echo mode is perhaps the simplest of its modes to use. Unlike conventional delay units, you can only set echo delay times on Jam Man using the Tap Tempo function. The delay time may then be divided by two, four or eight using the Function button to produce faster delays, still related to the original tempo. The only other parameter that can be varied is feedback, which is accessed using the 16-position Select knob. Only mono, single-tapped delay is available; maximum delay time is determined by the amount of memory fitted in Jam Man (up to 32 seconds).
Sampling is very basic, offering no editing facilities and no MIDI control of playback frequency. Selecting Sample using the Mode switch arms Jam Man and pressing Tap starts the recording process. Pressing Tap again plays the sample back ? simple. The Function button may be used to reverse the sample