There are some new and exciting features in this version of Jam Session. Here is a brief excerpt of those features:
1. Compatibility
Jam Session now works with most versions of the Macintosh System Software from System 6.0.7 on up. In addition, Jam Session works with most Macintosh computers, from a Macintosh Plus to the PowerBooks, Quadras, Centrises, and AV machines. However, it may not work with all the new PowerMacs.
2. New Graphics
All of the graphics for Jam Session have been updated, improved, and basically, made beautiful!
3. Miscellaneous
In addition, we hope you like the look of our new manual. Please do not hesitate to email us with questions.
Jam Session consists of the following:
1. Jam Session Application Program
This contains the Jam Session application program, the animated scenes for use with Jam Session, and the songs and instruments included with this version of Jam Session. Jam Session provides digitized instruments in combination with music composed by professional songwriters. Jam Session allows you to play sizzling solos and melodic passages with a variety of instruments while the program acts as a “backup” band for you. Jam Session automatically takes care of all chord changes and other nitty gritty musical details so you’ll never hit a sour note. Although Jam Session prevents you from making mistakes, it doesn’t stifle your creativity. The special way in which Jam Session songs are created leaves plenty of room for you to be the star of your own show!
2. Installation
To install Jam Session, insert Disk 1. Double click on the Jam Session Installer. Click “Continue”. A dialog box will appear which shall state “Install software as” and the name shall already be designated as “Jam Session”. Click “Save”. The Installer shall then prompt you for the other disks. At the end, you shall have a folder on your hard disk entitled “Jam Session.” Inside the folder shall be the Jam Session application icon, a Songs folder, a Scenes folder, and an Instruments folder.
3. Manual
We hope you like the look of our manual. We have organized it to give you first a brief introduction to Jam Session. This manual then gives you a description of all of the different menu commands available in Jam Session. And, lastly, there are appendices which describe external hardware that you might want to use while playing Jam Session and Jam Session’s compatibility with Super Studio Session™ also by Bogas Productions.
To play along with any song follow these steps:
1. If your Macintosh is connected to an external sound system, such as a stereo or portable cassette player, turn on that equipment first but make sure the volume is set at first to a low level.
2. Double click on the Jam Session icon. An animated title screen, as shown below, will appear in color or black and white, depending upon your monitor. Choose any of the menu commands to stop the animation and initiate the Jam Session program.
3. To play a Jam Session song, choose the “Open” command from the “File” menu. A dialog box as shown below will appear displaying a list of available songs. Check that the radio button next to “Jam Session” at the bottom of the dialog box is selected. For demonstration purposes, look for a song entitled “Chicken Jamboree.” Double click on the file name “Chicken Jamboree” to select it or click on it and select “Open.”
Note: When opening or playing a song, Jam Session may ask you for the location of certain instruments that are included in the song. If it does, locate the Instruments folder, which contains all the needed instruments, and click the “Open” button. You do not need to find the exact instrument, Jam Session will take care of that automatically.
Scenes: Jam Session selects the animated scene that is most appropriate for the type of song you have opened. However, you may choose another scene by clicking the “Choose Scene” check box as shown in the dialog box below.
A dialog box will appear asking you to select the scene in which to play your song. Click on the scene you want and click the “Open” button.
4. To start the song, choose the “Play” command from the “Jam” menu. The menu bar at the top of the screen will disappear. You will first hear some audience applause and then the music will start to play. If you don’t hear anything, make sure that your volume setting is at an appropriate level. If you want to stop the music, simply press the mouse button and the menu bar will reappear. To start the music again, choose the “Play” command from the “Jam” menu.
5. Once the music starts playing, you can jam along by pressing the letter or number keys on the Macintosh keyboard. Each row of the keyboard plays different riffs. Feel free to experiment - with Jam Session you can’t hit a wrong key or make a mistake!
To get a better idea of what each key does, choose the “Keyboard Index” command from the “Options” menu. A window will appear displaying the musical functions for each row of keys in addition to any special keys as shown below.
The top row of keys, the number keys, will normally be reserved for single note scales, the next row (“qwert”) for slow lead riffs, the next row (“asdfg”) for fast lead riffs, and the next row (“zxcvb”) for percussion riffs. Hold down the Shift key while viewing the Keyboard Index to see how the Shift key affects the keyboard layout.
Special Procedures: Holding down certain riff keys will cause one note in the riff to sustain until you release the key. Holding down certain riff keys will cause the riff, or a portion or the riff, to repeat. The appropriate key for the above procedures varies with the song you are playing so feel free to experiment! Certain keys are reserved for special functions as follows:
• Option: Holding down the option key while holding down certain riff keys will cause the riffs to descend in pitch chromatically (a half step at a time).
• Command: Holding down the command key () while holding down certain riff keys will cause the riffs to ascend in pitch chromatically (a half step at a time).
• Space Bar: Pressing the space bar will cause a riff to stop playing.
• /: Pressing the “/” key will cause the audience to applaud and cheer your musical efforts.
The Apple menu is the first menu in the menu bar. It contains information about Jam Session and desk accessories, such as the Calculator and the Chooser, that you may need while in the Jam Session application.
1. About Jam Session
This command gives you information concerning Jam Session. After you have opened up a song and loaded all the instruments, if you choose the “About Jam Session” menu command, a special version of the “About” box will play. A simple click of the mouse will terminate this special version.
As in most Macintosh application programs, the “File” menu is the second menu item in the menu bar. It contains certain commands, all of which are described below.
1. Open 
O
This command opens an existing song. When this command is chosen, the following dialog box will appear. You may open a song by double clicking on the song name OR by clicking on the song name and selecting “Open”. If you wish to play a Studio Session or Super Studio Session song from within Jam Session, select the radio button labeled “Studio Session” at the bottom of the dialog box.
2. Close
This command closes a song.
3. Save
This command saves a song onto either a disk or a hard drive. If you save a new song, the following dialog box will appear. Name the song before saving it. If you save a song that is not new, the song will be updated with your changes but the dialog box will not appear. If you do not have room on your hard drive to save a song, you may save it onto a disk. Choose “Drive” or “Desktop” in the dialog box until the name of your disk, for example “Songs”, appears in the upper right corner of the dialog box, as shown below. You may then save your song onto that disk. If you wish for the song to be saved as a Jam Session song, select the radio button labeled “Jam Session” at the bottom of the dialog box as shown below. If you would like for the song to be saved as a Studio Session or a Super Studio Session song, select the button labeled “Studio Session” at the bottom of the dialog box.
4. Save As
This command saves songs that already have a name to a different song. By using the “Save As” command, you may save two different versions of the same song instead of updating the same song. The dialog box shown above will appear. Simply name the song before saving it.
5. Revert
This command reverts to the last saved version of the song on which you are currently working. Revert quickly “undoes” errors or mistakes you may have made in a song. However, this command only works if you have previously saved the song in a file. Otherwise, try the “Undo” menu command under the “Edit” menu.
6. Quit Q
This command allows you to return to the Finder.
1. Undo Z
This command allows you to “undo” the last operation that you have performed. After choosing “Undo”, the previous material will appear completely intact. Remember that you can only “undo” the very last action you took - you cannot “undo” an action if you have performed an intermediate action.
2. Cut X
This command “cuts” the selected material from the window in which you are currently working and temporarily places the material in the Clipboard. You may put this “cut” material anywhere by placing the insertion point at the desired location and choosing the command “Paste.” If you accidentally cut material, you may either choose “Undo” or you may “Paste” the material back in its original location.
3. Copy C
This command “copies” the selected material from the window in which you are currently working and temporarily places the material in the Clipboard. You may put this “copied” material anywhere by placing the insertion point at the desired location and choosing “Paste.” Using “Copy” does not alter the original material. Remember, “Cut” removes while “Copy” duplicates. The next time you cut or copy, the previously copied material will be erased from the Clipboard.
4. Paste V
As described above, this command places a copy of whatever is currently in the Clipboard at the insertion point. If you inadvertently paste material that you don't want, you may use the “Undo” command to return to the original material.
5. Clear
This command deletes any selected material. You may also delete material by selecting the material and pressing the “delete” or “backspace” key. If you have accidentally deleted or cleared material, you may retrieve the material by immediately choosing the “Undo” menu item.
6. Edit Riff
This command allows you to edit the riffs of Jam Session songs. To edit a riff, start a song by choosing the “Play” command from the “Jam” menu and then play along normally (at least one riff must be played). At any point you choose, press the mouse button to stop playing. Now choose the “Edit Riff” command from the “Edit” menu and a musical staff will appear showing the notational representation of the last riff you played as shown below.
Editing riffs is done by using the four tools located in the Cursor ToolBox at the lower left corner of the Edit window as shown below.
These tools can be selected by pointing and clicking on them. There are four tools available: the Note Tool, the Rest Tool, the Bender Tool, and the Eraser Tool.
Note Tool: To
place or insert a new note on the musical staff, select the Note Tool and then simply
position the tool on a specific staff location and click. An eighth note will instantly
appear at that location. To place a note of a different duration, place the Note Tool on
the musical staff, hold down the mouse button, and drag the mouse to the right to increase
the length of the note or to the left to decrease the length. The note will change
accordingly. When the desired note length appears, release the mouse button. To adjust the
pitch of a note in half-step increments, place the Note Tool on the musical staff, hold
down the mouse button, and drag the mouse up to raise the pitch or down to lower the
pitch. When the desired pitch appears, release the mouse button.
Rest Tool: To
place or insert a rest, select the Rest Tool and then simply place the tool on a specific
staff location and click. An eighth rest will instantly appear at that location. To place
a rest of a different duration, place the Rest Tool on the musical staff, hold down the
mouse button, and drag the mouse to the right to increase the length of the rest or to the
left to decrease the length. The rest will change accordingly. When the desired rest
length appears, release the mouse button.
Bender Tool:
The Bender Tool works in much the same way as the Note Tool and the Rest Tool except that
instead of adding new notes and rests to the musical staff, the Bender Tool is used to
modify already existing notes and rests. To modify the pitch of an existing note, select
the Bender Tool. If you position the Bender Tool above or below a particular note and
click the mouse, the note will shift up or down to the position of the Bender Tool. The
Bender Tool can also be used to change an existing note’s pitch in half-step
increments by placing the Bender Tool over a note, holding down the mouse button, and
dragging the mouse up or down. To modify the duration of a note or rest, place the Bender
Tool directly over it and drag the mouse to the right or left while holding down the mouse
button.
Eraser Tool:
To remove a note or rest from the staff, select the Eraser Tool, move the cursor to the
item you want to remove, and click once.
• Play: To listen to a riff while you are using the riff editor, click the Play button in the upper left corner of the Edit window.
• Hold Note: Some vertical rectangles on the musical staff contain the words “Hold Note”. This is a special riff feature which is activated by pressing and holding down a riff key during normal play of a song. If a riff contains this feature, the note immediately to the right of the Hold Note rectangle will sustain while the riff key is held down.
• Hold Repeat: Some vertical rectangles on the musical staff contain the words “Hold Repeat”. If a riff contains the Hold Repeat feature, the group of notes after a repeat bar (double bar with four dots) and to the left of the Hold Repeat rectangles, will repeat while the riff key is held down. The number of repeats is indicated above the repeat bar. The Hold Repeat feature will not work unless there is also a repeat bar immediately to the right of the Hold Repeat rectangle. See the diagram below.
• Triplets: Some riffs contain notes with a small “3” above them. These are triplets and can be edited and placed on the staff like other notes.
• Editing Other Riffs: While in the riff editor, you can edit additional riffs from the same song simply by hitting the desired riff key. The corresponding riff for the key you hit will appear in notational form in the edit window. Because of the special way Jam Session songs are constructed, most riff keys have several different riffs assigned to them. When you press a key in a song, the particular riff you hear depends on which part of the song is currently playing. To display the different riffs for a single riff key, hit “return” while viewing the Edit window. The program will step through the song and display the next riff for that key. The same riff may be displayed several times in a row until a change is encountered in the song. Another way to find a particular riff is to play through the song and choose the “Edit Riff” command when you find the desired riff. Riffs that display “(Part 1 of 2)” in the edit window contain two sets of notes that play simultaneously. Hitting the “return” key will display the other part of the riff as it occurs in the song.
• Saving Your Changes: When you are finished editing riffs, choose the “Close” command from the “File” menu. If you want to keep your changes for future playing, choose the “Save As” command from the “File” menu to save the song along with the edited riffs to a file. Make sure that the radio button next to “Jam Session” at the bottom of the dialog box is selected. If you don’t want to keep your changes, you can restore the original riffs (and instruments, if any were changed) to the last saved version by choosing the “Revert” command from the “File” menu.
7. Change Instrument
If you feel like experimenting, you can change the instruments that are normally assigned to play in a Jam Session song by choosing the “Change Instrument” command from the “Edit” menu. Two lists will appear in a window as shown below. The list on the left contains the instruments in the currently opened song and the list on the right contains all the instruments available on the current Instrument disk or folder. To change an instrument, select it from the list on the left by clicking on it. Then, select the instrument you want to replace it with from the list on the right. Click the “Change to” button in the middle of the window. You can change instruments as many times as you wish. When you are finished, click the “Done” button. You can now try playing the song with the new instruments. If you like the new sounds you can save the song to a disk by choosing the “Save As” command from the “File” menu. Make sure Jam Session is selected as the file type. If you don’t like the way the new instruments sound, you can choose the “Revert” command from the “File” menu and the original instruments (and riffs, if any were changed), will be restored to the last saved version.
1. Play P
This command starts a Jam Session song (or a Studio Session or Super Studio Session song that has “play along” riffs) and allows you to play along. If you play a Studio Session or Super Studio Session song that does not have “play along” riffs, a “player” shown below will play your song.
2. Record R
This command starts a Jam Session song and records your riffs. After the song is completed or you have stopped the song, you may listen to your recording by choosing the “Play” command from the “Jam” menu. You may then play along with your recording in the usual way, but the riffs you play in real time will take precedence over the recorded riffs in cases where they overlap. In those instances, you will hear only that one riff. If you want to save your recording, choose the “Save As” command under the “File” menu and make sure that the radio button next to “Jam Session” at the bottom of the dialog box is selected.
Additional Recording: Once you have made a recording, you can add to it by re-choosing the “Record” command from the “Jam” menu. Each time you choose the “Record” command, Jam Session will play the recorded version of the song and you will be able to record more riffs by playing along in the usual manner. If two riffs are played simultaneously, you will often find that only one of the riffs, the most recent one added, will be recorded.
3. Erase
This command erases all riffs you have recorded.
4. Auto Play
This command starts a Jam Session song and plays riffs at random. For best results, also choose the “Sync to Measure” command from the “Options” menu.
5. Set Volume
Jam Session can play music at many volume levels. The first time you use Jam Session, the volume will be at a position optimized for the Macintosh’s built-in speakers. To adjust the volume, choose the “Set Volume” command from the “Jam” menu. If a song is playing, stop the song by pressing the mouse button and the menu bar will automatically appear allowing you to choose a menu command. After choosing “Set Volume,” the following dialog box will appear. Choose a volume setting and then click the “Set” button to confirm your new volume settings. To exit without changing the volume, click the “Cancel” button. When you quit Jam Session, the volume setting you have chosen will be saved and you will not need to reset the volume each time you use Jam Session.
1. Keyboard Index
This command displays the layout of the riff keys superimposed on top of the animated scene. The layout appears as shown below.
2. Show/Hide Piano Keyboard
This command displays a piano keyboard with the notes that you play at the bottom of the screen. Once the keyboard appears on the screen, you may remove it by choosing the “Hide Keyboard” command from the “Options” menu.
3. Set Song Length
This command allows you to alter the length of a song. Each Jam Session song is set to repeat or cycle a certain number of times which determines the overall playing time. By changing the number of cycles, you can shorten or lengthen a song. After you have chosen “Set Song Length,” the following dialog box will appear. Type in the length you want and click “OK” or press the return key. The length of your song will be adjusted to the new length. If you enter “0,” the song will play endlessly.
4. Set Tempo
This command allows you to change the playing speed or tempo of your song. After you have chosen “Set Tempo,” the following dialog box will appear. Enter a number between 10 and 450 and click “OK” or press the return key. The tempo of your song will be adjusted to the new speed. The greater the number, the faster the song will play.
5. Atmosphere
This command toggles the automatic audience applause and cheers that occur at the beginning and end of each song. The presence of a check mark to the left of Atmosphere indicates that this command is currently chosen.
6. Sequence Riffs
This command toggles the riff key sequencing. If this command is not chosen the riffs will start to play when their key is pressed and stop playing when another key is pressed or when the riff finishes. If the Sequence Riffs command is chosen, each key pressed will cause the corresponding riff to play in its entirety before the next riff begins. This allows you to sequence several riffs together by pressing their riff keys ahead of time while the song is still playing. The presence of a check mark to the left of Sequence Riffs indicates that this command is currently chosen.
7. Sync to Measure
This command toggles the riff key synchronization. If this command is not chosen, the riffs start to play whenever a key is pressed without regard to the song’s rhythmic beat. If the Sync to Measure command is chosen, a riff will not actually start playing until the beginning of the next musical measure, even though you have pressed the riff key in the middle of the measure. The presence of a check mark to the left of Sync to Measure indicates that this command is currently chosen.
All of the songs included with Jam Session were written with six voices using digitally sampled sounds from actual musical instruments. As a result, Jam Session produces a very rich and authentic sound. However, due to hardware limitations, the output may be very quiet when played through the built-in speakers of the Macintosh. To get the full benefit of Jam Session’s high quality sound, you might want to use external amplification such as headphones or a stereo with Jam Session.
To hook up your Macintosh to an external sound system, first find the external speaker jack that has an icon above it which looks like a musical note on the Macintosh 512 or a blaring speaker on the Macintosh Plus, Macintosh SE, or the Macintosh II line. This jack is a standard 1/8 inch phono jack to which you may connect headphones, external speakers, a stereo system, or a portable cassette player. The following are connecting instructions for each of these parts and where a connecting cable or adapter is required, a Radio Shack® part number is included so that you may easily obtain the necessary part.
1. Headphones With a 1/8 Inch Plug
These headphones are typically the type used with portable cassette players and can be plugged directly into the Macintosh’s phono jack. However, the Macintosh only produces mono output (from one speaker), so music will only come out of one of the headphone speakers. If you want to hear music in both ears, you should get a 1/8 inch Mono Adapter (Radio Shack® part no. 274-368). Plug the adapter into the Macintosh’s phono jack and then plug the headphones into the adapter.
2. Headphones With a 1/4 Inch Plug
These headphones have a large plug that typically fits a stereo receiver or tape deck. To connect these headphones to the Macintosh you will need to obtain a 1/4 inch stereo to 1/8 inch Mono Adapter (Radio Shack® part no. 274-361A). Plug the adapter into the Macintosh’s phono jack and then plug the headphones into the adapter.
3. External Speakers
There are a variety of small to medium size speakers available that can plug directly into the Macintosh’s phono jack. These speakers are available in mono (one speaker) or stereo (two speakers). If you get stereo speakers, you may also want to get a 1/8 inch Mono Adapter (Radio Shack® part no. 274-368) so that the Macintosh’s mono sound will play through both speakers.
4. Portable Cassette Player
To connect your Macintosh to a portable cassette player, you will need a cable with two 1/8 inch plugs (Radio Shack® part no. 42-2420). One end of the cable plugs into the Macintosh’s 1/8 inch phono jack and the other end plugs into your cassette player’s “AUX” input jack. If your cassette player does not have an “AUX” input jack, refer to the instruction manual for directions on how to feed external input into your cassette player.
5. Stereo
To connect your Macintosh to your stereo you will need a cable with a 1/8 inch plug at one end and an RCA plug at the other end (Radio Shack® part no. 42-2444). Plug the 1/8 inch plug into the Macintosh’s phono jack and the RCA plug into your stereo’s “AUX” input jack. (Consult the manual that came with your stereo for information on selecting auxiliary input). You will also need to select “Mono” on your stereo so the music will play out of both speakers. If your stereo does not have a “Mono” selector and you would like to hear the music play through both speakers, you will need to get a cable that splits into two RCA plugs (Radio Shack® part no. 42-2153).
Super Studio Session Compatibility
Bogas Productions wrote and currently distributes a product called Super Studio Session™ which allows you to easily compose and play music. Songs written in Super Studio Session may be played in Jam Session (see page 15), but songs written in a particular format can even “jam” along. Super Studio Session also may be used to examine and analyze songs played in Jam Session. The following describes the format required for these “jammin’” Super Studio Session songs and assumes that you own Super Studio Session and have some familiarity with its operation. If you have any questions email us. We will be glad to try and help you.
1. Accompaniment
The accompaniment is the part of the song that plays in the background and is not affected by the riff keys. The accompaniment must be written on tracks 1 through 4. Use normal Super Studio Session procedures for instrument assignments.
2. Riffs
The riffs must be written on tracks 5 and 6. Jam Session will recognize the beginning of each riff by the presence of a key signature at the beginning of the riff (use the Insert Key Signature menu command in Super Studio Session). Each new riff must have a key signature as its first element and an instrument assignment as its second element even if it is the same instrument used in a prior riff. This allows you to assign different instruments to each riff, providing you do not exceed memory limitations.
3. Keyboard Layout
When played in Jam Session, the riffs in your Super Studio Session song are assigned to the Macintosh keyboard in the following way:
• Track 5: All riffs on track 5 are automatically assigned to the top two rows of keys. The riffs are assigned sequentially. The first riff on track 5 is always assigned to the “1” key, the second riff to the “2” key, and so on. If track 5 has more riffs than will fit on these two rows of keys, the remaining riffs may be accessed by holding down the Shift key while pressing a key in either of these rows.
• Track 6: All riffs on track 6 are automatically assigned to the bottom two rows of keys. These riffs are also assigned sequentially, starting with the “a” key. If track 6 has more riffs than will fit on these two rows of keys, the remaining riffs may be accessed by holding down the Shift key while pressing a key in either of these rows.
4. Riff Interaction
Riffs on separate tracks (tracks 5 and 6) can be played together in Jam Session, but riffs on the same track (which would place them on the same pair of key rows) cannot. For example, if you wrote a song in Super Studio Session and played it in Jam Session, you could press the “2” key and the “b” key together and both riffs would play. But, if you pressed the “2” key and the “t” key together, only one of the riffs would play since these two keys are both on the top two rows.
5. Limitations
Jam Session songs written with Super Studio Session are subject to certain limitations:
• They will not be able to take advantage of the Hold Note and Hold Repeat features.
• Riff keys can only have one riff assigned to them. This means that most of the riffs you write for a song will only sound correct for certain parts of the song. Separate riffs on separate keys will need to be written for each chord change.
6. Playing Your Song in Jam Session
After you have completed writing a song in Super Studio Session, save it to a disk and then start Jam Session in the normal manner. Once Jam Session has loaded, choose the “Open” command from the “File” menu. Make sure that the radio button next to “Studio Session” at the bottom of the dialog box is selected. If you used instruments that are not available on the Jam Session disks, you will need to insert the proper instrument disks when prompted. After the song has loaded you can play it normally by choosing the “Play” command from the “Jam” menu. When you are finished playing your new song you can save it as a permanent Jam Session song by choosing the “Save As” command from the “File” menu. Make sure you click the radio button next to “Jam Session.” Once you’ve saved it in this manner, use “Open” from the “File” menu to open the song in the future.
7. Exporting Jam Session Songs to Super Studio Session
To load Jam Session songs into Super Studio Session, you must save the songs in a special format. After you have opened a song in Jam Session, choose the “Save As” command from the “File” menu. Make sure that the radio button next to “Studio Session” at the bottom of the dialog box is selected as shown below. Once the song is saved, quit Jam Session (choose “Quit” from the “File” menu) and start up Super Studio Session in the normal manner. After Super Studio Session has loaded, you can open the Jam Session song by choosing the “Open” command from the “File” menu.
Jam Session™ © 1992 Bogas Productions.
This manual © 1992 Bogas Productions. All
rights reserved.
Software written by Steve Capps.
Color extensions written by Bruce Horn and Steve Capps.
Songs written by Ed Bogas.
Black & White Scenes designed and animated by Matthew Bennett Seigel of
Seigel/Inocencio.
Color Scenes designed and animated by Richard Pepper of Flying Pepper Designs.
Manual written by Marie D'Amico.
Special Thanks to: Jaye.
This manual was written using Microsoft® Word 4.0.
Apple®, the Apple logo®, and Macintosh® are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. Microsoft® is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. Radio Shack® is a division and registered trademark of the Tandy Corporation. Jam Session™ and Super Studio Session™ are trademarks of Bogas Productions.
If you have any questions regarding Jam Session, please email us.