Before proceeding with this step, you should have already installed and configured the JamKazam application on your computer using the instructions in one of the three following help articles:



Once you have installed and configured JamKazam on your computer using the instructions above, the next thing to do is to connect all of your audio and computer gear, and then get into a private JamKazam session on your own to test everything out. Following are instructions on how to do this.



1. Connect Rubix22 to Your Computer


The Roland Rubix22 is an audio interface you will use with JamKazam. An audio interface is a piece of hardware (pictured below).



This device captures your vocal and instrumental audio and digitizes it - i.e. converts it into a format that your computer and the JamKazam app can use/process. The Rubix22 connects to your computer using a USB cable.


If you are using a K12-provided computer, or if you are using your own computer and your computer has an original-sized USB port (pictured below), then you can simply connect one end of the USB cable that came with your Rubix22 to your computer (pictured below).



And then connect the other end of the USB cable to the Rubix22 (pictured below with arrow).




If you have a more modern computer, these computers often do not have a traditional/original-sized USB port, but instead have only smaller USB-C type ports (pictured below).



If your computer only has USB-C ports, you will need to purchase a USB-A to USB-C adapter (example pictured below). These cost less than $10. Here is a good adapter you can pick up from Amazon, as an example. To use a product like this, simply connect the adapter to the port on your computer, and then connect the USB cable from the Rubix22 to the adapter.





After connecting the Rubix22 to your computer, let's also make sure that the switches on the back of the Rubix 22 are set properly.




  • The switch labeled "Power Source" should be pushed to the right side, next to the USB port you used to connect the Rubix22 to your computer. This switch tells the Rubix22 to draw its power from your computer.
  • The switch labeled "Direct Monitor" should be pushed all the way to the right side, in the "Off" position. The direct monitoring feature should always be set to the off position, as this feature will cause serious problems in JamKazam sessions.
  • The switch labeled "Ground Lift" should be pushed to the right, in the "Nor" position, which means "Normal". 


Once you've set these switches in the right places this one time, just leave them alone, and you won't need to adjust them again.



2. Connect Microphone to Rubix22


Once you've connected the Rubix22 to your computer, you are ready to connect your microphone to the Rubix22. The microphone you'll be using is a Shure PGA48 (pictured below).

If you look at the bottom of this microphone, you'll see there are three metal "pins" inside the microphone. Now find the "XLR" cable that you received with your gear. The ends of this cable look something like the picture below.




Take the end of the XLR cable that has three holes in it, and connect this end of the cable to the microphone. Be sure to line up the 3 pin connectors in the microphone with the 3 pin holes in the end of the cable. Then push the cable connector into the microphone until you hear a click.


The other end of the cable - the end with 3 connector pins - connects to input port #1 on the Rubix22 (pictured below with arrow). If you look at the Rubix port below, you can see that you'll need to position the XLR cable connector so that the two connector pins are on top, and the single connector pin is at the bottom, so that the connector pins line up properly with the input port. Then push the XLR cable firmly into the input port on the Rubix 22.



One last quick tip on your Shure microphone. This mic has an on/off switch on the microphone. So if you're trying to use the mic while in a JamKazam session and you don't hear anything, always check to see if your mic is switched off. This happens all the time. Also, the Rubix22 and your mic (and instrument) won't do anything until you are in a JamKazam session, so if you try to test the mic right now, you won't hear anything, but that's OK.



3. Connect Instrument to Rubix22


In addition to your microphone, you will need to connect your instrument to the Rubix22. To do this, find the Roland BIC-10 instrument cable that came with your gear. It looks like the picture below.




Connect one end of this cable to input port #2 on the Rubix22 (pictured below with arrow). This cable plugs straight into the center hole of this input port.




Then connect the other end of this cable to your instrument, as described below.


If you have the Roland drum kit, connect the end of the cable to the port shown below with arrow.



If you have the Roland keyboard, connect the end of the cable to the port shown below.





If you have an electric guitar, bass guitar, acoustic guitar, or ukulele, then your instrument just has a single port into which you can plug the other end of the instrument cable - so go ahead and find that port and connect the cable there.



4. Connect Headphones to Rubix22


Next, find the pair of headphones that came with your gear, and connect the headphone jack to the headphone port on the Rubix22 (pictured below with arrow). 




5. Connect Your Computer to Your Home Router


Please refer to our help article that explains how to connect your computer to your home router. It's very important that you connect your computer to your router using an Ethernet cable rather than using a WiFi/wireless connection, as you normally would. When you are using email, browser, and similar apps, WiFi works just fine. But for ultra-low latency media streaming (like playing music together live over the Internet), WiFi just doesn't work well.



6. Start the JamKazam Application & Get Into a Private Session to Test Things


Once you've got all your gear hooked up, you can hop into a private JamKazam session (alone, by yourself, where you won't be disturbed by others) to test things and make sure everything is working well. 


First, follow the instructions in the "Quick Start Private" section of this help article on creating JamKazam sessions to get into your own private session.


Next, follow the instructions in this help article to set the audio input levels on your Rubix22 to their optimal positions.


Make sure you've also turned up the headphone volume knob on the Rubix22, and you should now hear your instrument and your voice in your headphones. 


IMPORTANT NOTE: You will only hear your voice and instrument through the headphones plugged into the Rubix22 when you are in a JamKazam session. The JamKazam app is the thing that activates all of this gear to make it work. If your computer is turned on and everything is plugged in, you won't hear anything until you start the JamKazam app AND get into a session in the JamKazam app.


If you don't hear your voice:

  • Check to make sure the microphone is connected properly to the Rubix22.
  • Check to make sure the microphone is turned on, not off. We all forget this point regularly!
  • Check to make sure the headphone volume knob on the Rubix22 is turned up high enough.


If you don't hear your instrument:

  • Check to make sure the instrument is connected properly to the Rubix22.
  • Check to make sure the output volume on the instrument (if your instrument has a volume adjustment) is turned up high enough. If your instrument is not sending out enough volume, you cannot make up for this by turning up the gain knob on the Rubix22 audio input port into which your instrument is connected.
  • Check to make sure your instrument is turned on (if it has an on/off switch like a keyboard or electronic drum kit).
  • Check to make sure the headphone volume knob on the Rubix22 is turned up high enough.