® Spider Jam Advanced Guide An in-depth guide to the features and functionality of the Spider Jam.
Please Note: Line 6 and Spider Jam are trademarks of Line 6, Inc. All other product names, trademarks and artists’ names are the property of their respective owners, which are in no way associated or affiliated with Line 6. Product names, images, and artists’ names are used solely to identify the products whose tones and sounds were studied during Line 6’s sound model development for this product.
Table of Contents Updated Features................................................................... 1•1 SD Browser...................................................................................................... 1•1 Playback Levels, Input Levels......................................................................... 1•2 Menu Items..................................................................................................... 1•3 Jam Control Mode..................................................
Updated Features Updated Features Welcome to the Spider Jam Advanced Guide. This guide contains in-depth details of Spider Jam’s features and functionality which were not covered in the Pilot’s Handbook. With the release of v2.07 firmware (required for SD card features), you can now: • Play, record, save, do mixdowns and import WAV files from SD card (up to 2 GB). • Change tempo and pitch independently using Time Stretch/Pitch Shift. • Select and load recordings via FBV with extended Jam Control features.
Updated Features Playback Levels Press the LEVEL button to access Playback Levels. On this screen you have independent level control of the Song/Drums track, the Guitar track and the Mic/Aux/Wav track. These are also the controls you’ll use for Mixdowns (see page 2•3 for Mixdown info). PLAYBACK LEVELS 100% 100% 100% SONG/DRUMS GUITAR MIC/AUX/WAV 1•2 • Navigate to any of the three Playback Levels knobs by pressing either the R Arrow or L Arrow buttons.
Updated Features Menu Items Here are some new menu items that have been added since the initial Spider Jam release: Save Recording To SD Card – this command enables you to save the currently loaded recording to your SD card. Press the SAVE button to access it in the menu list. Save Recording To Internal – this command enables you to save the currently loaded recording to internal memory. Press the SAVE button and turn the wheel to access it.
Updated Features Jam Control Mode If you toggle the SETTINGS button and set the FBV Mode menu item to Jam Control, you can control recording functions using an FBV. All Amp Model and FX controls on the Spider Jam will still be available, as well as the 4 buttons, wheel and 4-way navigator. E 1•4 A B C D In Jam Control Mode, Bank Up/Down and the FBV channel switches operate as follows: A Record/Overdub – step on Record to begin recording your loop.
SD Card Details SD Card Details In this chapter we’ll focus on the SD card. With an SD card inserted in your Spider Jam’s SD card slot, you can save and load your original recordings, perform mixdowns in WAV file format, import WAV files from your computer, and upgrade Spider Jam firmware. All the SD card-specific menu items described in this chapter are accessed by pressing the SAVE button. The first thing you’ll want to do is format your SD card.
SD Card Details Transfer Recording To Card If you’ve checked out the Pilot’s Handbook, you already know how to record a guitar track and save that recording to your Spider Jam’s internal memory. If you want to keep your recording, your next step will be to back it up to SD card. The easy way to do this is with a Transfer command. To Transfer an internal recording to SD card, follow these steps: 2•2 • Press the SAVE button to display the menu list in the LCD.
SD Card Details Save Rec Mix As WAV To Card When you’ve recorded a multi-track loop, with guitar, bass and drums for example, you can easily mix it down as a WAV file and store it on your SD card, with total control of the mix levels. This is a great feature for creating tracks you may want to use on your computer for further editing, or as building blocks for songs. Here’s how to do a Mixdown: • Press the LEVEL button to display the Playback Levels screen.
SD Card Details Transfer All To Card When you’re working with an entire session or live performance set, consisting of a dozen or more songs, instead of saving them one at a time you can back them up all at once with a Transfer All command. To transfer all of your recordings to SD card, follow these steps: • Press the SAVE button to display the menu list in the LCD. 2•4 • Turn the wheel and navigate to the Transfer All To Card menu item.
SD Card Details Firmware Version From time to time you may want to check your Spider Jam firmware version. For example you may call Customer Support with a problem or question, and the CS rep might ask you what version you’re running. Here’s how to check your Spider Jam’s firmware version: • Press the SAVE button to display the menu list in the LCD. • Turn the wheel and navigate to the Firmware Version menu item.
Time Stretch & Varispeed Time Stretch & Varispeed Spider Jam features two different modes for altering the tempo and pitch of your loop. The first is Time Stretch/Pitch Shift; the second is Varispeed. These two processes handle your loop’s audio differently, so you have a choice as to how you’d like your loop to sound. Time Stretch allows you to speed up or slow down your loop’s tempo without altering its pitch. Pitch Shift allows you to change the pitch of your loop without altering its tempo.
Time Stretch & Varispeed Pitch/Tempo Preview When you play back a recorded guitar track and apply Time Stretch/Pitch Shift, the guitar sound will be slightly altered. For the best playback quality while previewing, you can optimize the sound for either the Amp speaker or the RCA Outs. Here’s how: OUTPUT ROUTING - NORMAL PITCH/TEMPO PREVIEW FBV MODE - JAM CONTROL 3•2 • Toggle the SETTINGS button, navigate to Pitch/Tempo Preview, then press the R arrow.
Time Stretch & Varispeed Recording Restrictions When using Time Stretch/Pitch Shift, the main restriction to keep in mind is that only one mono instance of processing can be applied per active session. To work around this, all you have to do is save your recording before adding your next overdub. That way, you can start fresh with a rendered audio file and be free to apply Time Stretch/Pitch Shift again.
Workflow Workflow There are many ways to work with Spider Jam. You may want to use only the guitar Amp Models and FX while jamming to a Song. Or you may want to record and overdub complex loops, with or without a reference Drum track, or create your own custom loops. When recording, you’ll want to develop an efficient workflow to keep your recordings backed up and organized as you go. You should also keep in mind that Spider Jam has limited memory, so it’s best to avoid filling it up.
Workflow JAM Files All saved recording files in the Spider Jam use a proprietary file format called JAM. Each JAM file contains a Guitar track, a Mic/Aux/WAV track, and a track that contains information regarding all the saved settings for that recording. To view your list of saved recordings, navigate to the Recordings tab and turn the wheel. You’ll see a list like this: 00 01 02 03 4•2 00:05:3 00:07:7 00:10:5 00:06:1 REC #00 REC #01 WAV:WAV2BASS REC #03 Think of a JAM file as a folder.
Workflow Loops Spider Jam loops come in 2 flavors, either as part of a recording that you created in the Spider Jam, or as a WAV file that was mixed down from a Spider Jam recording or imported from your computer. Loops created in Spider Jam will always work together with the Song or Drum track you started with, but there are many other creative ways to work with loops.
Workflow • Now save your recording. Press the SAVE button, navigate to Save Recording To Internal and press the R Arrow. Rename your recording Beat+Gtr and confirm. SONGS DRUMS RECORDINGS Beat+Gtr LOOP: 00:09:96 SD FREE: 32:17:84 • Press the RECORD SELECT button to select Mic/Aux. Plug a bass guitar into the Spider Jam Aux In jack. Press the LEVEL button twice then navigate to the Aux tab. Play your bass and set a strong input level by turning the wheel and watching the level bar in the display.
Appendix : FAQ Appendix : FAQ Here are some frequently asked questions and answers about Spider Jam features and functionality that you might find useful: Available Recording Time Q: Whenever I load a track into Spider Jam’s memory for overdubbing, I notice my available recording time is reduced by double the duration of that track; why is that? A: In order for Spider Jam to perform an Undo function, it must buffer the currently loaded track in memory.
Appendix : FAQ Time Stretch Won’t Work A Second Time Q: I made an 8-bar loop of a Drum track, then sped it up from 100 bpm to 110 bpm. After I recorded a guitar track, it felt too fast, so I tried to slow everything down to 105 bpm. Spider Jam locked me out of changing the tempo again. Why is that? A: The Time Stretch feature can only work on one mono track at a time.
Appendix : FAQ Naming Restrictions Q: Whenever I import a WAV file from my computer into the Spider Jam, why does it always cut off the last part of the name? A: Spider Jam has an 8-character name limit. Although your original file name will remain unchanged on your PC, try to use shorter names for files whenever possible. Routing Goes To Mono Q: I recorded a vocal on the Mic/Aux track, and a guitar on the Guitar track. I’m routing my vocal to a P.A. and my guitar to a guitar amp.
Appendix : FAQ SD Card Backup Details Q: I’ve just started recording with my Spider Jam and my internal memory is already filling up. I got an SD card to update to v2.07, but I’m new to recording and I’m a bit confused about backups, WAV files, JAM files, etc. Can you give me some tips on the best way to do backups and keep my Spider Jam recordings organized? A: No problem.
