Some points about Jamstix:

1) You need to insert Jamstix as a SoftSynth, not into an fx bin of a track.

2) Jamstix itself can act as a subhost, meaning you can add a drum synth (like BFD, DR-008, SampleTank, etc) into Jamstix, bypassing its own sounds. You just tell it what VST DLL to use and it loads it up and opens it up. You only need Directixer if you want to send MIDI outside of Jamstix, so if you load your drum synth directly into Jamstix itself you don't need Directixer (I think that is true, not 100% sure though).

3) I can get some pretty good results with Jamstix, but it does have limitations. For one thing, it is mainly based on 4/4 time, although there are ways to emulate other time signatures. Supposedly their next version will support different time signatures much better.

4) I mainly use it in the "pattern" (or sequencer) mode. I keep futsing with it until I get the results I want. I just reset each measure and let it do it's random play thing until I like the measure, after which it will keep that exact randomness with that measure until I "reset" that measure again.

5) The most frustrating thing is sometimes when I know exactly what the beat should sound like, it is difficult to convey this info to Jamstix. Unless you know a lot about drum theory, you might not know how to program it to get that exact beat. So in this regard a step-sequencer is easier.

6) I do get some nice results though, better sounding that just a step sequencer because the patterns Jamstix creates are at least based in true drum theory.

SilkTone