Version 2021 for Windows®

User’s Guide
 Copyright PG Music Inc.1989-2021. All rights reserved.
 PG Music Inc. License Agreement
CAREFULLY READ THE FOLLOWING TERMS AND CONDITIONS BEFORE COMPLETING THE INSTALLATION OF
THIS SOFTWARE. USAGE OF THE SOFTWARE INDICATES YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF THE FOLLOWING TERMS
AND CONDITIONS.
LICENSE
A. The program may only be used on a single machine.
B. You may transfer the program and license to another party if the other party agrees to accept the terms of this Agreement. If
you transfer the program, you must either transfer all copies, whether in printed or machine readable form, to the same party,
or, destroy all copies not transferred. This includes all modifications and/or portions of the program merged into other
programs.
C. You may receive the program in more than one media. Regardless of the type or size of media you receive, you may install or
use the media on a single machine.
D. The program (including any images, “applets,” photographs, animations, video, audio, music, and text incorporated into the
program) is owned by PG Music Inc. or its suppliers, and is protected by international copyright laws and international treaty
provisions.
You may not use, copy, or transfer the program, or any copy, modification or merged portion of the program, in whole or in part,
except as expressly provided for in this license. If you transfer possession of any copy, modification or merged portion of the
program to another party, your license is automatically terminated.
Some programs such as Band-in-a-Box® have a “server” function (including BandInABoxServer.exe program) to connect to a
“Client” (mobile client version of Band-in-a-Box® on iPhone or other mobile device). You are only licensed to connect the
Server function (including BandInABoxServer.exe program) to Clients where you own or have properly licensed both the Client
and Server software that is being connected, not to clients or Server software owned/licensed by third parties. The preceding also
applies to any other PG Music products (RealBand etc.) with a similar type of connection between a Server program and a Client.
LIMITATION OF REMEDIES
PG Music Inc.’s entire liability and your exclusive remedy shall be:
A. The replacement of any media not meeting PG Music Inc.’s “Limited Warranty,” which are returned to PG Music Inc., or an
authorized PG Music Inc. dealer, with a copy of your receipt.
B. If PG Music Inc. or the authorized dealer is unable to deliver replacement media which is free of defects in materials or
workmanship, you may terminate this agreement, and your money will be refunded.
In no event will PG Music Inc. be liable to you for any damages, including but not limited to lost profits, lost savings, or other
incidental or consequential damages arising out of the use or the inability to use such program, even if PG Music Inc. or an
authorized PG Music Inc. dealer has been advised of the possibility of such damages, or for any claim by any other party.
NOTICE TO CUSTOMERS
The following paragraph applies to the video join tool (vjt.exe, vjt_ffmpeg.exe, and other files in the \Data\VJT folder) that may
be included with this installation. Notice Required for the License Granted under Articles 2.1 and 2.6 and for Sales to Codec
Licensee Customer(s). As a condition of the license granted under Article 2.6 and the license granted to a Codec Licensee to
make Sales to Codec Licensee Customer(s), Licensee agrees to provide any party that receives an AVC Product from Licensee
exercising such license rights the following notice: THIS PRODUCT IS LICENSED UNDER THE AVC PATENT
PORTFOLIO LICENSE. SUCH LICENSE EXTENDS TO THIS PRODUCT ONLY AND ONLY TO THE EXTENT OF
OTHER NOTICES WHICH MAY BE INCLUDED HEREIN. THE LICENSE DOES NOT EXTEND TO ANY OTHER
PRODUCT REGARDLESS OF WHETHER SUCH PRODUCT IS INCLUDED WITH THIS LICENSED PRODUCT IN A
SINGLE ARTICLE. THIS PRODUCT IS LICENSED UNDER THE AVC PATENT PORTFOLIO LICENSE FOR THE
PERSONAL USE OF A CONSUMER OR OTHER USES IN WHICH IT DOES NOT RECEIVE REMUNERATION TO (i)
ENCODE VIDEO IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE AVC STANDARD (“AVC VIDEO”) AND/OR (ii) DECODE AVC VIDEO
THAT WAS ENCODED BY A CONSUMER ENGAGED IN A PERSONAL ACTIVITY AND/OR WAS OBTAINED FROM
A VIDEO PROVIDER LICENSED TO PROVIDE AVC VIDEO. NO LICENSE IS GRANTED OR SHALL BE IMPLIED FOR
ANY OTHER USE. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM MPEG LA, L.L.C. SEE
HTTPS://WWW.MPEGLA.COM.
The following paragraph applies to the video join tool (vjt.exe, vjt_ffmpeg.exe and other files in the \Data\VJT folder ) that may
be included with this installation. Video Join Tool "VJT" is hereby licensed to the End-user as a limited, non-exclusive, non-
transferable license to run one copy of the object code version of the x264 Software on one machine, device, or instrument solely
as integrated into the Integrated Product. If the Integrated Product is licensed for concurrent or network use, the End-User may
not allow more than the maximum number of authorized users to access and use the x264 Software concurrently. The End-User
may only make copies of the Integrated Product only for backup and archival purposes. The End-User is Prohibited from: (a)
copying the Integrated Product and/or x264 Software onto any public or distributed network; (b) using the x264 Software to
operate in or as a time-sharing, outsourcing, service bureau, application service provider or managed service provider
environment; (c) using the x264 Software as a standalone application or any other purpose than as integrated into the Integrated

2 PG Music Inc. License Agreement

Product; (d) changing any proprietary rights notices which appear in the x264 Software or the Integrated Product; or (e)
modifying the x264 Software. The End-User may transfer the license granted by the EULA only if (a) End-User complies with
any transfer terms imposed by Licensee and delivers all copies of the Integrated Product to the transferee along with the EULA;
(b) transferee accepts the terms and conditions of the EULA as a condition to any transfer; and (c) the End-User’s license to use
the Integrated Product terminates upon transfer. The End-User must comply with all applicable export laws and regulations. If
the EULA is ever terminated, the End-User is required to immediately destroy all copies of the Integrated Product and x264
Software upon termination of the EULA.
This program may include video join tool (vjt.exe, vjt_ffmpeg.exe and other files in the \Data\VJT folder). The program uses
FFmpeg under the LGPLv2.1, which can be seen here: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/lgpl-2.1.html. FFmpeg software
is not owned by PG Music and information on ownership can be found at www.ffmpeg.org.
TRADEMARKS
Band-in-a-Box®, Band-in-a-Box for Bozos®, CloudTracks®, GuitarStar®, JazzU®, PG Music®, PowerTracks Pro®,
RealBand®, RealDrums®, RealStyles®, and RealTracks® are either the trademarks or registered trademarks of PG Music Inc. in
the United States, Canada, and other countries. Microsoft® and Windows® are either registered trademarks or trademarks of
Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Apple®, the Apple logo, iPad™, iPhone®, iPod touch®,
Leopard®, Macintosh®, Mac®, Panther®, Power Mac®, QuickTime®, Snow Leopard®, Tiger®, and TrueType® are trademarks
of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. IBM® is the registered trademark of International Business
Machines Corporation. Roland® and “Roland” Logo, DIROL® and “EDIROL” Logo, GS® and “GS” Logo, are registered
trademarks and “MIDI2” Logo, EDIROL Virtual Sound Canvas Multi Pack, VSC-MP1™ are trademarks of Roland Corporation.
Steinberg and ASIO are trademarks of Steinberg Media Technologies AG. VST is a registered trademark of Steinberg Media
Technologies AG. Fretlight® is a registered trademark of Optek Music Systems, Inc. Other brands and their products are
trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders and should be noted as such.
PATENTS
Band-in-a-Box® is protected under US Patents 5990407, 8097801, 8581085, and 8680387.
Band-in-a-Box®, RealBand®, and other PG Music software uses “élastique Pro V3 by zplane.development” as a time and pitch
stretching engine, “élastique Tune V1 by zplane.development” as a monophonic pitch editing engine, and “Harmony addon V1 by
zplane.development” for the élastique Tune Engine.
Some audio conversions use libsndfile. Libsndfile is licensed under LPGL. BeStPlain chord font - © 2016 by Bernhard Steuber
CDS Design GmbH http://cdsdesign.de. RealScore and BigBand chord fonts - Copyright © 2014 by Nor Eddine Bahha
https://norfonts.ma.

Printed in Canada

PG Music Inc. License Agreement 3

 Table of Contents
PG MUSIC INC. LICENSE AGREEMENT ............................................................................................................. 2
TABLE OF CONTENTS............................................................................................................................................. 4
CHAPTER 1: WELCOME TO BAND-IN-A-BOX®! ............................................................................................... 8
INSTALLING BAND-IN-A-BOX FOR WINDOWS® ........................................................................................................... 9
MIDI SETUP ............................................................................................................................................................... 9
AUDIO SETUP ............................................................................................................................................................ 12
CHAPTER 2: QUICKSTART .................................................................................................................................. 17
STEP 1 – TYPING IN THE CHORDS .............................................................................................................................. 17
STEP 2 – CHOOSING A STYLE .................................................................................................................................... 17
STEP 3 – PLAY YOUR SONG! ...................................................................................................................................... 18
FEATURE BROWSER .................................................................................................................................................. 19
CHAPTER 3: BAND-IN-A-BOX 2021 ..................................................................................................................... 21
BAND-IN-A-BOX 2021 FOR WINDOWS® IS HERE! ...................................................................................................... 21
BAND-IN-A-BOX 2021 FEATURES AND ADDITIONS ................................................................................................... 21
ADDITIONAL NEW CONTENT AVAILABLE FOR BAND-IN-A-BOX 2021 ...................................................................... 21
SUMMARY OF NEW FEATURES .................................................................................................................................. 25
QUICKSTART TUTORIAL ........................................................................................................................................... 30
CHAPTER 4: THE MAIN SCREEN ....................................................................................................................... 52
MAIN SCREEN OVERVIEW......................................................................................................................................... 52
STATUS BAR ............................................................................................................................................................. 53
TRACK BUTTONS ...................................................................................................................................................... 53
TOOLBARS ................................................................................................................................................................ 57
PROGRESS BAR ......................................................................................................................................................... 64
MIXER ...................................................................................................................................................................... 64
CHORD SHEET ........................................................................................................................................................... 69
CHAPTER 5: PLAYING SONGS ............................................................................................................................ 77
OPENING FILES ......................................................................................................................................................... 77
GLOBAL SONG OVERRIDES ....................................................................................................................................... 87
CHANGING THE STYLE .............................................................................................................................................. 88
PLAYING/PAUSING/STOPPING SONGS ....................................................................................................................... 94
CHANGING MIDI INSTRUMENT............................................................................................................................... 102
ADDING REAL INSTRUMENTS – REALDRUMS AND REALTRACKS ........................................................................... 107
ADDING MIDI SUPERTRACKS ................................................................................................................................ 110
FREEZING TRACKS .................................................................................................................................................. 111
NON-CONCERT VISUAL TRANSPOSE ....................................................................................................................... 113
THE GUITAR WINDOW ............................................................................................................................................ 114
BIG PIANO WINDOW ............................................................................................................................................... 118
THE CONDUCTOR .................................................................................................................................................... 119
THE JUKEBOX ......................................................................................................................................................... 123
CHAPTER 6: MAKING SONGS ........................................................................................................................... 125
MAKE YOUR OWN SONGS ...................................................................................................................................... 125
CHORD ENTRY ........................................................................................................................................................ 129
PART MARKERS AND SUBSTYLES ........................................................................................................................... 146
APPLYING STYLES .................................................................................................................................................. 148
ADDING MIDI SUPERTRACKS ................................................................................................................................ 163
USING REALTRACKS IN SONGS ............................................................................................................................... 164
USERTRACKS .......................................................................................................................................................... 169
USING REALDRUMS IN SONGS ................................................................................................................................ 170
ASSIGNING CUSTOM MIDI TRACKS........................................................................................................................ 175
ADDING LOOPS TO TRACKS .................................................................................................................................... 176
USING UTILITY TRACKS ......................................................................................................................................... 178

4 Table of Contents
 ADDING BAR-BASED LYRICS .................................................................................................................................. 179
ADDING MELODY – MIDI AND/OR AUDIO .............................................................................................................. 181
ADDING SOLO - “THE SOLOIST” ............................................................................................................................. 186
AUTOMATIC SONGS - “THE MELODIST”.................................................................................................................. 189
SONG EDITING FEATURES ....................................................................................................................................... 190
VIEW AND PRINT NOTATION ................................................................................................................................... 199
LEAD SHEET NOTATION WINDOW .......................................................................................................................... 202
PRINTING ................................................................................................................................................................ 204
THE MEDLEY MAKER ............................................................................................................................................. 205
SAVING SONGS ....................................................................................................................................................... 206
SAVING YOUR CONFIGURATION .............................................................................................................................. 220
CHAPTER 7: REALTRACKS AND REALDRUMS ........................................................................................... 221
REALTRACKS.......................................................................................................................................................... 221
REALDRUMS ........................................................................................................................................................... 243
USERTRACKS .......................................................................................................................................................... 253
AUDIO CONTROLS FOR REALTRACKS AND REALDRUMS ........................................................................................ 257
CHAPTER 8: NOTATION AND PRINTING ....................................................................................................... 260
EXPLORING THE NOTATION WINDOW ..................................................................................................................... 260
STANDARD NOTATION MODE ................................................................................................................................. 262
EDITABLE NOTATION MODE ................................................................................................................................... 265
STAFF ROLL NOTATION MODE ............................................................................................................................... 272
NOTATION WINDOW OPTIONS ................................................................................................................................ 273
LEAD SHEET WINDOW ............................................................................................................................................ 279
LYRICS .................................................................................................................................................................... 286
PRINTING ................................................................................................................................................................ 291
CHAPTER 9: AUTOMATIC MUSIC FEATURES ............................................................................................. 298
AUTOMATIC MEDLEYS - “THE MEDLEY MAKER”................................................................................................... 298
AUTOMATIC SONGS - “THE MELODIST”.................................................................................................................. 299
AUTOMATIC INTRO - SONG INTROS......................................................................................................................... 302
AUTOMATIC SONG TITLE GENERATION .................................................................................................................. 302
AUTOMATIC SOUND TRACK GENERATOR - “SOUNDTRACK” .................................................................................. 303
AUTOMATIC SOLO GENERATION – “THE SOLOIST” ................................................................................................ 304
AUTO PIANO HAND-SPLITTING ............................................................................................................................... 311
AUTOMATIC GUITAR SOLOS – “THE GUITARIST” ................................................................................................... 312
AUTOMATIC EMBELLISHMENTS – “THE EMBELLISHER” ......................................................................................... 314
CHAPTER 10: WORKING WITH MIDI ............................................................................................................. 318
RECORDING LIVE IN REAL TIME ............................................................................................................................. 318
ENTERING NOTES MANUALLY ................................................................................................................................ 319
RECORDING WITH THE PLAY ALONG WIZARD FEATURE......................................................................................... 320
MELODY/SOLOIST SEQUENCER............................................................................................................................... 321
IMPORTING MIDI FILES .......................................................................................................................................... 324
ADDITIONAL OPTIONS FOR MELODY/SOLOIST TRACK ............................................................................................ 325
EDITING THE MELODY TRACK ................................................................................................................................ 326
PIANO ROLL WINDOW ............................................................................................................................................ 328
CHAPTER 11: WORKING WITH AUDIO .......................................................................................................... 339
ABOUT BAND-IN-A-BOX AUDIO FILES ................................................................................................................... 339
AUDIO TRACK......................................................................................................................................................... 339
RECORDING AUDIO ................................................................................................................................................. 341
PLAYING AUDIO ..................................................................................................................................................... 343
CONVERTING AUDIO CHANNELS ............................................................................................................................ 343
GENERATING SYNTHETIC VOCAL ........................................................................................................................... 343
EDITING AUDIO ...................................................................................................................................................... 344
HARMONIZING AUDIO ............................................................................................................................................ 350
APPLYING AUDIO PLUG-INS ................................................................................................................................... 352

Table of Contents 5
 READING THE AUDIO AND MIDI TRACKS INTO OTHER PROGRAMS ........................................................................ 352
CHAPTER 12: WIZARDS, TUTORS, AND FUN ................................................................................................ 353
VIDEO WINDOW ..................................................................................................................................................... 353
“WOODSHED” TEMPO FEATURE ............................................................................................................................. 354
AUDIO CHORD WIZARD (STAND-ALONE) ............................................................................................................... 355
MIDI FILE CHORD INTERPRETATION WIZARD ........................................................................................................ 364
PRACTICE WINDOW ................................................................................................................................................ 368
EAR TRAINING TUTOR ............................................................................................................................................ 369
EAR TRAINING GAMES ........................................................................................................................................... 372
VOCAL WIZARD ...................................................................................................................................................... 374
RHYTHM GUITAR CHORD TUTOR ........................................................................................................................... 376
CHORD “BREAKS” .................................................................................................................................................. 377
SCALE WIZARD ....................................................................................................................................................... 377
CHAPTER 13: TOOLS, UTILITIES, AND APPS ............................................................................................... 379
DOWNLOAD MANAGER........................................................................................................................................... 379
BB REMOTE ............................................................................................................................................................ 380
DAW PLUG-IN MODE............................................................................................................................................. 383
FIND FILE................................................................................................................................................................ 385
COYOTEWT ............................................................................................................................................................ 386
FRETLIGHT® SUPPORT ............................................................................................................................................. 388
TRANZPORT® SUPPORT - WIRELESS REMOTE CONTROL ......................................................................................... 389
GUITAR/BASS TUNER ............................................................................................................................................. 390
MASTER TUNING .................................................................................................................................................... 391
DYNAMIC 3D DRUM KIT WINDOW ......................................................................................................................... 391
MIDI MONITOR ...................................................................................................................................................... 394
EVENT LIST EDITOR ................................................................................................................................................ 396
BAND-IN-A-BOX FOR IPHONE ................................................................................................................................. 397
CHAPTER 14: USER PROGRAMMABLE FUNCTIONS ................................................................................. 401
THE STYLEMAKER ................................................................................................................................................. 401
MIDI FILE TO STYLE WIZARD ................................................................................................................................ 428
MAKING REALDRUMS STYLES ............................................................................................................................... 432
THE HARMONY MAKER .......................................................................................................................................... 450
THE SOLOIST MAKER ............................................................................................................................................. 453
THE MELODIST MAKER .......................................................................................................................................... 458
THE GUITARIST MAKER .......................................................................................................................................... 460
CHAPTER 15: REFERENCE ................................................................................................................................ 463
BAND-IN-A-BOX MENU DESCRIPTIONS .................................................................................................................. 463
FILE MENU ............................................................................................................................................................. 463
EDIT MENU ............................................................................................................................................................. 469
OPTIONS MENU....................................................................................................................................................... 474
PLAY MENU ............................................................................................................................................................ 505
MELODY MENU ...................................................................................................................................................... 507
SOLOIST MENU ....................................................................................................................................................... 513
AUDIO MENU .......................................................................................................................................................... 517
HARMONY MENU.................................................................................................................................................... 519
WINDOW MENU ...................................................................................................................................................... 521
HELP MENU ............................................................................................................................................................ 525
SHORTCUTS: KEYSTROKE COMMANDS - HOT KEYS ............................................................................................... 528
CHORD LIST ............................................................................................................................................................ 532
BAND-IN-A-BOX FILES AND FOLDERS .................................................................................................................... 533
PG MUSIC INC. ...................................................................................................................................................... 535
APPENDIX A: REALTRACKS SETS .................................................................................................................. 536
APPENDIX B: MIDI SUPERTRACKS SETS ...................................................................................................... 577

6 Table of Contents
INDEX....................................................................................................................................................................... 582
PG MUSIC REGISTRATION FORM ................................................................................................................... 590

Table of Contents 7
 Chapter 1: Welcome to Band-in-a-Box®!
Congratulations on your purchase of Band-in-a-Box, the favorite of musicians, students, and songwriters
everywhere. Get ready to have fun!
What is Band-in-a-Box?
Band-in-a-Box is an intelligent automatic accompaniment program for your multimedia
computer.
You can hear and play along to many song ideas and go from “nothing” to “something” in
a very short period of time with Band-in-a-Box as your “on demand” backup band.

Band-in-a-Box is so easy to use!

Just type in the chords for any song using standard chord symbols (like C, Fm7, or C13b9), choose the style you’d
like, and Band-in-a-Box does the rest, automatically generating a complete professional-quality arrangement of
piano, bass, drums, guitar, and strings or horns in a wide variety of popular styles plus live audio tracks with
RealDrums and RealTracks.
And that’s not all...
Band-in-a-Box is a powerful and creative music composition tool for exploring and developing musical ideas with
near-instantaneous feedback. Over the years many features have been added to Band-in-a-Box – Notation and
Lyrics, Piano Roll, 16-channel MIDI multi-tracks, harmonization, the StyleMaker and StylePicker, a live
performance Conductor window, Medley Maker, and 24 –substyle Multistyles. The Soloist and the Melodist are
popular “intelligent” features that generate professional solos or even create whole new songs from scratch.
RealDrums add the human element of a live drummer while RealTracks add even more live session musicians,
bringing the entire Band-in-a-Box arrangement to life. You can even record your own UserTracks and Band-in-a-
Box will play them just like RealTracks! Or use the MIDI SuperTracks for MIDI tracks with a “real feel” that you
can edit and arrange. The Audio Chord Wizard has the amazing ability to analyze, extract, and show the chords from
audio recordings on-screen and then write them to the Band-in-a-Box Chord Sheet.
The inclusion of digital audio features makes Band-in-a-Box the perfect tool for creating, playing, and recording
your music with MIDI, vocals, and acoustic instruments. Band-in-a-Box can also record an acoustic instrument or
voice to add to the composition, with processing through its own DirectX audio effects. Its audio harmonies will
turn your audio track into multiple harmony parts or adjust its pitch. Use the Mixer window to select parts, set
levels, and create a polished final mix.
You can print out your finished creation with lyrics, chords, repeats and endings, DC markings, and codas, or save it
as a graphics file for web publication or to e-mail to a friend. And when you are ready to let others hear your
composition, you can burn it directly to an audio CD. Or save your composition as a Windows® Media File (or in
any other compressed formats you have) for a file that’s “Internet ready.”
You will have even more fun making automatic medleys, playing your favorite song lists in the Band-in-a-Box
Jukebox, and singing along to your Karaoke files with CDG graphics.
Let’s get started!
This is a comprehensive guide to the program, including information not included in the printed manual. We will
begin with the easy installation and setup procedure.

8 Chapter 1: Welcome to Band-in-a-Box!

Installing Band-in-a-Box for Windows®
Minimum System Requirements
Windows® XP / Vista / 7 / 8 / 8.1 / 10 (32 or 64-bit)
Minimum 1 GB RAM (2 GB+ recommended)
Minimum 1.0 GHz processor (2 GHz+ multicore recommended)
1 GB free Hard Disk space for a minimal install. More space is required for RealTracks, depending on which
package you buy.
- RealTracks & RealDrums: ~100-400 MB per set
- Pro RealCombos: ~18 GB
- MegaPAK RealCombos: ~28 GB
- Full UltraPAK/UltraPAK+ when installed to internal hard drive: ~140 GB (another ~100 GB is required for the
installation files when downloading the UltraPAK or UltraPAK+)
- Hard Drive versions of the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition do not require any hard disk space when
run directly from the external hard drive they are shipped on.
1024x768 screen resolution (1360x768+ recommended)
DVD drive for the DVD version of the MegaPAK or Pro.
USB port for the USB flash drive version of the MegaPAK or Pro.
USB port for the USB hard drive version of the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
A MIDI sound source is required. This could be a sound card, a MIDI keyboard, MIDI sound module, or software
synthesizer.
Internet connection recommended for activation and updates.
Installing the Program
Use one of the following methods to install the program files into the Band-in-a-Box directory. By default, this
directory is C:\bb, but you may choose another location. If you have a previous version of Band-in-a-Box installed
on your computer, you should install the files to your existing Band-in-a-Box directory.
Installing from the Downloaded Installer Files
If you ordered the e-delivery, download all installer files from the link provided. Double-click on each file to run the
installation program.
Installing from the DVD
Insert the DVD into the DVD drive. In a few seconds, a browser window will open with a list of the DVD contents.
If it does not open, access your DVD drive from the Windows® Explorer. Double-click on SETUP.EXE to run the
installation program.
Installing from the USB Flash Drive
Connect the USB flash drive to the USB port. The Windows® AutoPlay should open the drive and show you the
contents. If the drive does not automatically open, find the drive in the Windows® Explorer and double-click on the
flash drive icon to open it. Double-click on a setup file to run the installation program.
Installing from the USB Hard Drive
Larger versions of Band-in-a-Box ship on portable USB hard drives. You can run Band-in-a-Box and RealBand
directly from the hard drive by using the program shortcuts. Before you use the programs, you should double-click
on Setup.exe. This will set up any files that need to be installed/registered on your computer.
Note: Before unplugging the hard drive from your computer, make sure it is not in use, then click on the “Safely Remove
Hardware” icon in your taskbar. When you plug the drive in, Windows® may prompt you to select an appropriate action - if so,
select “Open folder to view files.”

MIDI Setup
Band-in-a-Box uses the multimedia drivers for your MIDI interface and/or sound card that are supported by the
Windows® operating system. To get sound playback you need to have a MIDI (and audio - for songs with digital
audio, RealDrums, and RealTracks) driver installed.

Chapter 1: Welcome to Band-in-a-Box! 9

To start using the program you will need to make sure that your MIDI interface, audio driver, and Windows® sound
source are installed and configured.
Run the program by double-clicking the program icon.
To check your MIDI driver setup, press the [MIDI] toolbar icon and select the menu item MIDI/Audio
Drivers Setup. This will open the MIDI/Audio Drivers Setup dialog. You can also go to Options |
MIDI/Audio Driver Setup to open this dialog.

Select a MIDI Output Driver to use for MIDI sound playback and optionally a MIDI Input Driver if you are using an
external MIDI controller keyboard or guitar. If the setup is panned to mono, the program offers to change it to
stereo.
Perhaps the easiest way to configure Band-in-a-Box is to press the [Run Driver Wizard] button in the MIDI/Audio
Drivers Setup dialog.
The MIDI Output Driver Wizard dialog will take you step-by-step through the process of auditioning and selecting
an appropriate driver. This assumes that the appropriate Windows® sound drivers are installed and correctly
configured.

Output to Software Synthesizers (DXi and VSTi)

Software synthesizers allow Band-in-a-Box to play high quality sounds directly through your computer sound card,
without requiring any external MIDI hardware. Most new software synthesizers are released as “plug-ins,” so they
will work in a standard way with many programs. Connecting Band-in-a-Box to the software synth as a plug-in
provides several advantages over the previous method of connecting as a MIDI driver. The plug-in allows Band-in-
a-Box to merge/sync in any existing audio file (vocals etc.) with the synth output. You can also directly render your

10 Chapter 1: Welcome to Band-in-a-Box!

performance to a .WAV file using the plug-in. Sampler-based synths allow you to assemble a huge, customized
library of instrument samples to use with Band-in-a-Box.
Check the Use VSTi/DXi Synth checkbox to enable VSTi/DXi playback. While using
VSTi or DXi, all playback information is routed to the VSTi/DXi, including the option
to route the Thru track from your MIDI keyboard to the VSTi/DXi synth.
Note: To use this option, you must have a polyphonic VSTi/DXi synthesizer installed on your computer, such as the CoyoteWT. It
will also be most convenient if your VSTi/DXi synthesizer can use General MIDI or GM2 patches.
The current VSTi or DXi synth name is displayed in the [VSTi/DXi Synth]
button. You can change the synth by pressing this button and selecting a synth
from the list.
Support for 64-bit VST Plugins using jBridge
You can use your 64-bit VST plugins and VSTi instruments with Band-in-a-Box, using jBridge. Since Band-in-a-
Box has built-in support for jBridge, you just use your plugins as you normally would, by selecting 32- or 64-bit
plugins within Band-in-a-Box. (Note: jBridge is a third-party product.)
To use 64-bit plugins with Band-in-a-Box, you:
1. Get and install jBridge,
2. Select and use your 64- or 32-bit plugins within Band-in-a-Box, without any further setup or configuration!
VSTSynthFont64
The 64-bit version of Band-in-a-Box allows you to use the VSTSynthFont64 as the General MIDI (GM) synth. With
the VSTSynthFont64, you can use any GM soundfont or DLS files, including larger ones over 2 GB.
To use it, press the [VSTi/DXi Synth] button in the MIDI/Audio Drivers Setup dialog. Then select the VST
SynthFont64 from the list.

Note: If VSTSynthFont64 is not listed, close the dialog and go to the Mixer. Then click on a plugin in the Plugins tab and select
Plugins Settings from the menu. When the Plugins Options dialog opens, press the [Add Plugins] button, select + Scan for
VSTPlugins in a Specific Directory from the menu, and select C:\bb\Data\Libx64.

When the VSTSynthFont64ynth is selected, its name shows in the [VSTi/DXi

Synth] button.

Chapter 1: Welcome to Band-in-a-Box! 11

Driver Latency
Software synthesizers have some inherent latency, which is the delay
between the time a note is played and it is processed by the computer.
Older soft synths had noticeable latency, whereas a VSTi/DXi synth using
ASIO drivers has very little. This setting is used to synchronize the visual
display (notation, chords, virtual piano etc.) with the sound you hear.
Band-in-a-Box automatically sets the latency for VSTi/DXi and some other soft synths.
The [Latency Adjust…] button opens the Soft Synth Latency Adjust dialog where you can manually adjust the
latency.

Alternate Patch Maps

You can choose the patch map (instrument list) that matches your synthesizer keyboard or sound module. Original
equipment sound cards or integrated sound chips are General MIDI (GM) compatible.
We have made preset drum/patch files for many synthesizers and
sound cards. If your synth is not listed, you should use the General
MIDI Instrument Misc. patch kit (default).
You can probably omit this step unless you are using an old synth
that is not General MIDI compatible. If your non-GM synthesizer or
sound card is not listed, you can easily make your own patch map
with the [Patch Map] button in Options | Preferences.

General MIDI 2 (GM2) Support

General MIDI 2 patches are supported for 128 additional instruments. The
type of GM2 support is set in this dialog.

The GM2 support choices are:

- General MIDI 2 support: If you’re using a newer Sound Canvas (i.e. newer than 1999, or newer than the Roland
SC88), then choose this GM2 support.
- Roland GS (older Modules): “Older” Sound Canvases (SC55/SC88) support GS, but not GM2. The good news
is that they have the same patches available, just at different locations. So, if you choose this option, Band-in-a-
Box will find the patches at the “GS” locations instead of the “GM2” locations. If you have a newer GS module
like the SC8820, it supports both GM2 and GS - you should likely choose GM2.
- No GM2 support: Some sound cards don’t have GM2 support, but they do support the original 128 General MIDI
sounds. Band-in-a-Box will use the closest instrument in these cases.

Audio Setup
The [Audio Settings] button in the MIDI/Audio Drivers Setup displays the current audio
driver and status (WAS/MME/ASIO).
Band-in-a-Box performs the audio setup automatically using the installed system audio components.

12 Chapter 1: Welcome to Band-in-a-Box!

 To restore or modify this setup, click on the [Prefs] button and then click on the [Audio] tab to
launch the Audio Settings dialog.

Audio Driver Type

MME is the default audio driver type that is used in Windows®. MME is good, but
there is latency (delay) associated with MME drivers.
ASIO is a faster audio driver developed by Steinberg. It has much lower latency than
ordinary MME drivers do.
WAS (Windows Audio Session) is an alternative driver to MME and ASIO and has ultra-low latency.
®

Windows® Audio Session (WAS)

Band-in-a-Box supports Windows® Audio Session (WAS) driver, an alternative to ASIO (a driver with low latency,
but usually can be used by one program at a time) or MME (an older driver with worse latency). The WAS driver
has ultra-low latency (< 25 ms on a typical Windows® PC), so audio operations like playing or sending out
information via MIDI happen with no noticeable delay.
When you boot up Band-in-a-Box, it will be already set to use the WAS driver. If you want to change the settings,
open the Windows Audio Devices dialog.
The dialog will open if you press the [Audio Drivers] button in the Audio Settings
dialog when the “WAS” is selected for the audio driver type.

Chapter 1: Welcome to Band-in-a-Box! 13

Input Device: This is the audio input device that will be used for recording a voice or an instrument. If you have
multiple devices installed in your system, you can choose a device from the list.
Output Device: This is the audio output device that will be used for playing sound. If you have multiple devices
installed in your system, you can choose a device from the list.
Use Default Device: If this option is enabled, the playback or recording device selected as the default device in your
Windows® Sound Control Panel will be used.
Resampling Quality: You can choose a quality level for resampling. “Low” will improve performance if necessary,
but “High” will sound best.
Exclusive mode: Use the exclusive mode if you want Band-in-a-Box to take full control over the audio device(s). In
this mode, other applications might not be able to use the audio devices, so we recommend you do not use this mode.
Output always on: If this is enabled, sound will always be sent to the device. If this is disabled, sound will be sent
to the device only when the song is playing. Enable this option if you want MIDI plugins to work when the song is
not playing.
Latency in MS: This is the delay between when sound is sent from Band-in-a-Box and when you actually hear it by
the audio device. Increase this setting if you are hearing sound glitches during playback.
[Open Windows Sound Control Panel] will open the Windows® Sound Control Panel. You can change your
device settings by clicking on [Properties] > [Advanced]. For the “Default Format,” a setting of 44100 Hz is best for
Band-in-a-Box.
ASIO Audio/Software Synth Drivers
ASIO drivers allows for much lower latency than ordinary MME drivers do.
Note: Most low-end sound cards do not include an ASIO driver, so you may not have an ASIO driver yet. In this case, you need
to get an ASIO driver from the Internet.
The ASIO Audio Drivers dialog lets you choose an ASIO driver.

The Select one ASIO Driver list box lets you select an ASIO driver to use. You can only select one ASIO driver at
a time.
Once you have selected an ASIO driver, you will see the Input Port and Output Port list boxes filled with your
driver’s input and output ports. By default, the first of each will be selected. You are allowed to select different
ports (but only one input and one output port at a time can be selected). The ports you selected will be available for
output within Band-in-a-Box. If you do not hear input or output, then you may need to try different ports than the
defaults. You may need to read your sound card’s instructions to determine the correct ports to use.
Tip: The ASIO4All driver sometimes cannot connect if the Microsoft GS Wavetable synth is being used as a driver. So, if this
happens, you will get a message that ASIO will be silent, and the solution is to de-select the ASIO4All driver.
The [ASIO Driver’s Control Panel] button launches the Control Panel for your driver. This usually lets you adjust
the latency by letting you choose different buffer sizes in milliseconds. Some drivers might let you choose the buffer

14 Chapter 1: Welcome to Band-in-a-Box!

size in samples, which is less convenient than milliseconds. The smaller the buffer size, the lower the latency, and
the faster the response. Smaller buffers require more CPU power and if you hear dropouts or artifacts, you may need
to increase the buffer size. See the Understanding Latency section that follows.
Since many ASIO drivers do not support multiple sample rates, Band-in-a-Box has a built-in resampler which lets
you play and record songs that have a different sampling rate than the rate(s) directly supported by your ASIO driver.
For example, if the driver does not support 44.1K sampling rate, but supports 48K, then Band-in-a-Box will use the
resampler to convert to 48K when playing back, and to convert FROM 48K when recording. The Resampler
Quality combo lets you choose Fast, Good, Better, or Best. Fast is the quickest but is the lowest of the four levels of
quality. Best is the slowest (uses more CPU time), but the most transparent and accurate quality.
The [ASIO Driver’s Control Panel] button launches a settings dialog specifically provided by your driver
manufacturer. This usually lets you adjust the latency, and usually you will have a choice between buffer sizes in
milliseconds. See the following section on Understanding Latency.
Show Warning for Untested Soundcard Formats is an optional setting that shows a warning if your ASIO driver
format has not been tested in Band-in-a-Box. It does not necessarily mean your driver will not work.
The Driver Info field shows various characteristics of your driver.
The Name is the driver’s name.
The Version is the version number of your driver.
Input Channels is the total number of mono input channels that your sound card has.
Note: Band-in-a-Box groups each Input and Output channel into a stereo pair.
Output Channels is the total number of mono output channels that your sound card has.
The Allowed Sample Rates field shows the sample rates are allowed by your sound card’s ASIO driver. Band-in-a-
Box has a built-in resampler which lets you play and record files that aren’t directly supported by your ASIO driver.
The Buffer Sizes In Samples shows the range of allowed buffer sizes. The “Pref” is the preferred size, and this is
the size that Band-in-a-Box uses. Your driver may alter the preferred size if you’ve launched the ASIO Driver
Control Panel and have selected a new buffer size from within the driver’s Control Panel. If your driver changes the
preferred size, then Band-in-a-Box will be aware of the new preferred size.
MME Audio Drivers
MME is the default audio driver type that is used in Windows®. MME is good, but there is latency (delay)
associated with MME drivers.
Choose MME as the “Audio Driver Type” and click on the [Audio Drivers] button to select which audio driver to
use. This launches the Audio Drivers dialog.
The Output always on option allows you to use VSTi or
DXi at all times, so MIDI can be routed and heard using
these plugins when the program is stopped.

Understanding Latency
Latency is based on the buffer sizes. The smaller the buffer sizes the lower the latency. Lower latency allows you to
hear mixer volume changes very quickly, as well as hear MIDI thru echoed out via a DXi soft synth practically in
real time. The latency, in MS is determined by the buffer size in samples, as well as the driver’s sampling rate.
Note: If your ASIO driver’s control panel lets you select the buffer size in MS, then you don’t have to pay much attention to the
part of discussion below about converting samples to MS.
Converting Samples to MS: For example, suppose the driver’s sample rate is 48K. A 48K sampling rate means
that it is playing at 48,000 samples per second. If the buffer size were 48000 samples, then the latency would be 1
second, or 1000ms (which is very large and slow, and usually not allowed in ASIO). If the buffer size were 4800
samples, which is 1/10 second, then the latency would be 100ms. If the buffer size were 2400 samples, which is 1/20
second, the latency would be 50 ms. If the buffer size were 240 samples, which is 1/200 second, the latency would
be a mere 5ms which is incredibly low and very fast.

Chapter 1: Welcome to Band-in-a-Box! 15

Normally, you can change your driver’s latency by pressing the Launch ASIO Driver’s Control Panel button.
Normally, the driver specifies the buffer sizes in milliseconds which is equal to the latency.
Low latency is faster and more responsive but uses more CPU power.
Depending on the speed of your computer, you may find that the playback has dropouts, clicks/pops, or other
artifacts if you set the buffer sizes too small. This is because smaller buffers use more CPU power and if your
computer can’t handle the low latency you will hear artifacts. If this happens, you would need to use larger buffer
sizes. You may need to experiment to find what works well. You may be able to use smaller buffers with songs that
don’t have a lot of tracks and effects but may find that you need to use larger buffers with songs that have more
tracks and use more effects. This is because more tracks and more effects use more CPU power, which leaves less
CPU power available for the audio routines to keep up with lower latencies.
Sample Rate Detection Warning
Windows 7 has a peculiar issue where if you choose Windows® Start button - Control Panel - “Sound,” right-click
on your output device, choose “Properties” and then “Advanced,” you can see the default format. It should be 44100
Hz. Unfortunately, some apps change this setting without your knowledge. When it is set like this, all of your audio
gets “resampled” and this can create obvious audible artifacts and make some things sound “bad.”
Band-in-a-Box detects this setting when you exit the
MIDI/Audio Drivers Setup dialog, and will give you a
notification about it, and that’s a clue for you to visit this
dialog and set it back to 44100 Hz.

Have fun!

16 Chapter 1: Welcome to Band-in-a-Box!

 Chapter 2: QuickStart
Creating music with Band-in-a-Box is as easy as 1-2-3! Here’s how.

Step 1 – Typing in the Chords

There are numerous ways of entering chords into Band-in-a-Box; we will discuss the two most common methods.
1. Using the Computer Keyboard
2. Playing directly on a MIDI Controller Keyboard
On the main screen of the program, you will see an area called the Chord Sheet.

Each of the numbered cells on the Chord Sheet represents a bar. In this example, we see that there is an E chord in
the first bar of this song, an A chord in bar 5, and later in the song, an E7 in bar 12. Notice the box in the first half of
bar 1. This is the highlight cell, and it represents the bar you are currently working on. You can move the highlight
cell around using the cursor keys or click on any bar with the mouse.
Enter Chords Using the Computer Keyboard
To enter a specific chord, move the highlight cell to where you want to place the chord. For example, to add (or
change) a chord in bar 10, you would highlight bar 10 on the Chord Sheet. Next, type in your chords. If you want
an A chord at bar 10, type the A key on your keyboard, and press Enter. Notice that when you use the Enter key,
the highlight cell moves to the second half of the bar. You could then enter another chord at beat 3. Chords names
are normally typed using standard chord symbols (like C or Fm7 or Bb7 or Bb13#9/E), but you can enter them in
other chord formats like Roman Numerals, Nashville Notation, Solfeggio, and Fixed Do (popular in Italy and
Europe).
Enter Chords Using a MIDI Controller Keyboard
If you have a MIDI controller keyboard, you can use it to enter chords into Band-in-a-Box. Play a chord on your
MIDI keyboard, and then type Ctrl+Enter. The chord will be entered into the Chord Sheet at the current highlight
cell position. Another method allows you to choose alternate chords. From the Window | MIDI Chord Detection
menu item, you will see this window:

When you play chords, Band-in-a-Box shows you the chord name and suggests alternates that you can choose from.
Typing Ctrl+Enter enters the first selection and advances the highlight cell by ½ bar. To place an alternate chord in
the Chord Sheet, click on the [Enter] button beside the chord you want.

Step 2 – Choosing a Style

Band-in-a-Box creates backing arrangements based on the chords you type in, playing them in a particular style.
What’s a Style?
A style is a set of rules that determine how Band-in-a-Box creates music using your chords. There is a huge
collection of styles in all musical genres, with both RealTracks audio and MIDI.

Chapter 2: QuickStart 17
Opening a Style
You can open a style using the [Style] button. This is a split button, with the top half being the default
function, and the bottom half listing different methods to load a style and allows you to set the default.

Selecting a Style using the StylePicker

The StylePicker window lists all styles with full information. It has a great filter feature for finding a perfect style
for your song by selecting elements such as time signature, feel, or tempo, or by simply typing in a familiar song
title.
You can browse styles by sorting columns or hear an “instant” preview by double-clicking on the list. If style has
both MIDI and RealDrums available, you can hear both, and choose which one you want. This makes it much faster
to find the style that fits your song.
Tip: You can quickly launch the StylePicker by S+Enter or Ctrl+F9 keys.

Step 3 – Play your song!

To play your song you will need to tell Band-in-a-Box how long the song is, how many times to play it through, in
what key, and how fast.

18 Chapter 2: QuickStart
Framing the Song

Setting the Chorus

To tell Band-in-a-Box where to start and end the song, locate the framing buttons. There
are three of them, one each for Beginning of Chorus, End of Chorus, and Number of
Choruses. In the example shown, the chorus starts at bar 1, ends on bar 32, and is going to
play 3 times.
Setting the Key
The Key button is used to set the key or to change it and transpose the song. When you press it, you see 2
columns of keys. The first column will set the key AND transpose the song; the second will just set the
key signature. Clicking on the small number will show a menu for the visual transpose settings.
Setting the Tempo
The Tempo Control shows the current song tempo. Left-click on the up/down arrows to change the
tempo by +/- 5 beats per minute. Right-click to change it by +/- 1 bpm. Tempos can also be typed in
directly.

This button allows you to quickly set the relative tempo. Click on the button and choose a percentage or use
the Custom Tempo % menu item to set any value between 1% and 800%. 1% would be 1/100 of the original
tempo and 800% would be 8 times the original tempo. Hot keys are available: Ctrl - (minus key) for half
speed and Ctrl = for normal speed.
Use the Tap tempo buttons to count and set a tempo. Tap the [-] button in tempo four times to set the tempo.
It will appear in the tempo box. Tap the [=] button to count-in the song and start playback at the tapped
tempo. As you tap more than 4 times, the accuracy will improve (through averaging) and you can continue to
tap until the target tempo has been reached. For example, in a 4/4/ style, once you tap 4 times a tempo will be
set. But you can keep tapping and the tempo will change every beat, based on the average tempo that you
have typed.
Shortcuts for song formatting
Typing special words, instead of chord names, will make the following settings:
begin<Enter> sets the beginning of the chorus to the current bar
chorusend<Enter> sets the end of the song to the current bar
end<Enter> sets the end of the chorus to the current bar
tkc<Enter> sets key signature to C, tkbb would set it to Bb
trc<Enter> transposes song to key of C
t125<Enter> sets tempo to 125
Press Play
When you’re ready, just press the [Play] button or the F4 function key and Band-in-a-Box will immediately generate
and play a professional arrangement of your song using the settings and the style you selected. You can double-click
on any bar in the Chord Sheet, including the tag or ending, to start playback from that bar.
More fun with Band-in-a-Box…
That’s how easy it is to start creating music with Band-in-a-Box, but it’s just the beginning. Band-in-a-Box is jam-
packed with features, helpers, and user options, so read on and keep having fun!

Feature Browser
Clicking on the [?] button on the main screen or pressing the / Enter keys on the Chord Sheet opens the
Feature Browser.

Chapter 2: QuickStart 19
This dialog lists many features in Band-in-a-Box and allows you to browse them, find the feature by text filter, read
descriptions about the feature, find how to launch the feature, access to the online information or video about the
feature, and do more.

In the dialog, you will see:

- Text filter.
- Info on how to launch the feature from the toolbar, menu, hotkeys and/or other means.
- Memo with description about the feature.
- [Manual] button that links to online information about the feature.
- [Video] button to launch a video. (Tip: over 80 topics have videos, and you can type the word “video” in the filter
to find them.)
- A graphic showing the feature.
- [Do It] button that will launch the feature.
This dialog helps in the following situations.
- You know about a feature but don’t know how to find it. Just type a part of the feature name and you’ll see the
hotkeys, menu, and toolbar info on how to launch it. For example, if you want to launch the Chord Builder but
don’t know how to do it, type “builder” in the text filter, and you will quickly find the Chord Builder.
- You are exploring available features for Band-in-a-Box. For example, if you are a guitar player, type the word
“guitar” and you’ll see what’s available.
- You prefer “one-stop-shopping” and would like to launch features from the same dialog.
- You are learning the program and like to browse or watch videos about topics you’re interested in.
- You can’t remember hotkeys and want to review them.

20 Chapter 2: QuickStart
 Chapter 3: Band-in-a-Box 2021
Band-in-a-Box 2021 for Windows® is here!
We’ve been busy and added 80 new features and an amazing collection of new content, including 202 RealTracks,
new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, Artist Performances, Bonus RealDrums “Singles,”
RealDrums transcriptions, MultiStyles PAK 1, Xtra Styles PAK 10, and more!
We have Bonus PAKs with 40 RealTracks in addition to the 202 new RealTracks, as well as a set of 14 new
“RealDrums Singles,” so in total an amazing 256 new RealTracks and RealDrums are available! The Bonus
PAKs also include 2 new Instrumental Studies sets including Blues Shuffle Guitar Soloing featuring Nashville
guitar legend Johnny Hiland, and a set focusing on soloing studies for minor jazz blues. There is a new Artist
Performance Set that adds new traditional Celtic tunes featuring flautist/whistle-player Geoff Kelly. There are also
19 new MIDI SuperTracks, over 100 new RealDrums transcriptions, and new “Look Ma! More MIDI!” sets with
30 new MIDI styles.
In addition, there are over 300 new RealStyles that use the new RealTracks. These include great Fusion, Smooth
Jazz, and Blues with Nashville great Brent Mason, Modern Jazz & Electronic Funk with Jeff Lorber, and Slack Key
guitar with Brent Mason. There are beautiful World Music styles such as African Nanigo, Cuban Cascara, and
Brazilian Partido Alto. There are new classic guitar styles such as “Dublin Pop” and “90s Grunge”, Indie Folk-Rock
guitar and 60s Coffeehouse with Quinn Bachand, which also includes a RealTracks first, Dulcimer! There are new
Reggae RealTracks, new “Nashville Radio” and Americana styles which include another RealTracks first, Acoustic
Baritone Guitar! There are Minor Jazz Blues Changes, New Age piano, Celtic styles with new guitars and jaw harp
RealTracks, and another RealTracks first, Tin Whistle! There is Lap Steel with Nashville great Eddy Dunlap, as well
as Old Time Mandolins, Banjos & Fiddles, and a new Swinging Shuffle Gospel Vocals style!
Plus, we’ve made a new Xtra Styles PAK 10 with 200 Xtra Styles. (Xtra styles are styles based on previously
released RealTracks). There is also a MultiStyles PAK which includes a total of 30 new MultiStyles, and includes
a total of 150 individual styles. And there is a new set of “Rediscovered” styles, which is a set of 64 new
RealStyles that utilize 72 previously unused RealTracks, RealDrums, and MIDI SuperTracks.

Band-in-a-Box 2021 Features and Additions

There are over 80 new features in Band-in-a-Box 2021! We’ve added 16 new editable Utility tracks, which can be
used for audio and/or MIDI. 24-bit audio playback, recording, mixing, and rendering is now supported. Auto-
Fix “sour” notes - Auto-correct out-of-tune notes in RealTracks (or any polyphonic audio) to match chord tones.
4X’s faster audio DSP processing (using SIMD), allowing smoother playback & faster rendering for a larger
number of tracks. The Mixer has been improved with many customizable display options including the embedded
window, track selection to display, automatic show/hide during playback, and more. The Mute and Solo states are
now saved/loaded with songs. You can now view audio on any track, not just the Audio track, and copy regions of
audio to Utility tracks. Plugin control has been improved, with a direct access from the Mixer, the ability to send
each MIDI track to output to another track, multiple plugins GUI windows display, WAVES plugins support, and
more. Audio harmonies can be generated onto individual tracks, so you can use control volume, panning, reverb,
effects for each voice. The Hi-Q tempo stretching setting for élastique is used for playback and rendering. The
Chord Sheet has been improved with new zoom buttons and time signature display on the part marker. Chords
can be copied as a simple text format and then be pasted into another song or a text. 7,000 more titles have been
added to the Song Titles Browser. Now, all RealDrums have RealCharts (with accurate Drum Notation and MIDI
to trigger drum sounds). Added support for third-party programs that split audio into separate tracks (stems). There
are many notation enhancements, including cut time (e.g. Bluegrass 1/8 notes) display, the time signature button
with a better menu, and a new visual transpose button. And more!
Additional New Content Available for Band-in-a-Box 2021
- 202 RealTracks
- 40 Unreleased RealTracks
- 19 MIDI SuperTracks
- 64 Rediscovered RealTracks Styles
- 30 All-MIDI Styles
- 10 Instrumental Studies

Chapter 3: Band-in-a-Box 2021 21

- 18 Artist Performances
- 14 Bonus RealDrums “Singles”
- RealCharts for all existing and new RealDrums
- MultiStyles PAK 1
- Xtra Styles PAK 10
202 RealTracks with great new Pop, Rock, Jazz, Blues, Funk, Country, and World styles
Band-in-a-Box 2021 contains an amazing assortment of new RealTracks & RealDrums! These include great Fusion,
Smooth Jazz and Blues with Nashville great Brent Mason, Modern Jazz & Electronic Funk with Jeff Lorber, Slack
Key guitar with Brent Mason. There are beautiful World Music styles such as African Nanigo, Cuban Cascara,
Brazilian Partido Alto. There are new classic guitar styles such as “Dublin Pop” and “90s Grunge,” Indie Folk-Rock
guitar and 60s Coffeehouse with Quinn Bachand, which also includes a RealTracks first, Dulcimer! There are new
Reggae RealTracks, new “Nashville Radio” and Americana styles which include another RealTracks first, Acoustic
Baritone Guitar! There are Minor Jazz Blues Changes, New Age piano, Celtic styles with new guitars and jaw harp
RealTracks, and another RealTracks first, Tin Whistle! There is Lap Steel with Nashville great Eddy Dunlap, as well
as Old Time Mandolins, Banjos & Fiddles, and a new Swinging Shuffle Gospel Vocals style!
- 51 Jazz, Blues, Funk & Latin RealTracks (Sets 353-359)
The Jazz, Blues, Funk & Latin collection this year features a vast assortment of new RealTracks. We’ve added
New Fusion Soloing and Lowdown Blues with Nashville legend Brent Mason (9) that features cool new guitar
effects that have never previously been in Band-in-a-Box, such as a “rotary” effect that gives the guitar a sound
similar to a vintage organ. We’ve also expanded our jazz “essentials” RealTracks with a set focusing on
RealTracks that work very well over Jazz Minor Blues progressions (8). There are rhythm-section instruments as
well as 5 soloists. Like other RealTracks, they can play over ANY chord progression in ANY key, but are
designed to work particularly well over jazz minor blues progressions. There are Slack Key guitar styles from
Brent Mason (6), which feature a distinctly Hawaiian sound. There are new World Music styles such are “Partido
Alto” (4) which is closely related to the Samba, African Nanigo (4), Cuban Cascara (2), Beguine (3) as well as
new basses to go along with our previously released “Rumba Flamenca” styles (2). There are New Age piano
styles with Miles Black (5), which work well on their own, or in the context of an electronic trio. Finally, there are
new styles from Fusion legend Jeff Lorber, which include new funky synth basses (3), vintage electronic drums (3)
and two new Modern Jazz piano styles (2).
- 80 Pop, Rock and World RealTracks (Sets 360-367)
We have some amazing new pop, rock, and world styles with Band-in-a-Box 2021. We’ve added to our collection
of user-requested “Classic” rock guitar styles, with a set of “Dublin Pop” (9), which emulates the guitar sounds
that came out of Ireland in the 80s & 90s, as well as a trip to Seattle with “90s Grunge” (12) which features
multiple guitar styles over four basic grunge grooves, and includes both rhythm styles as well as soloists. There
are user-requested Reggae styles (7) which include a new slow 16ths groove very different from our existing
Reggae styles, and also includes Steel Drum and Marimba Reggae RealTracks! There are also classic Dancehall
RealTracks (3) that are distinct from our existing modern electronic Dancehall styles. There are also new Steel
Drum and Marimba RealTracks (2) to go along with last year’s “Soca” styles. There’s a huge assortment of new
acoustic guitar styles from Quinn Bachand, including 90s & 2000s acoustic rock (13), Indie Folk-Rock (12), and
60s Coffeehouse (4). Also included with the “Coffeehouse” set is a RealTracks first, Dulcimer (6)! This is an
instrument that has its roots in Appalachian music, but became very popular due to its use by famous folk legends.
There are new “Gospel Shout” (3) RealTracks, perfect for a rousing church service! And finally, our extremely
popular collection of “cinematic” electric guitar styles has now gotten bigger with new RealTracks (9) from
Nashville stalwart Darin Favorite.
- 71 Country, Americana & Celtic RealTracks (Sets 368-375)
The Country, Americana, and Celtic collection this year has added a beautiful variety of RealTracks. We’ve added
to our collection of vocal RealTracks with a set of “Swingin’ Shuffle” vocals (5). This features a 6-voice choir
singing over a swing 8ths groove, with an additional option for an improvised vocal part wailing over the whole
thing! We’ve added to our collection of “Country Pollwinner” RealTracks, featuring musicians who have been
awarded some of the most prestigious awards in the industry, such as the Academy of Country Music (ACM)
Awards in both a “Nashville Radio” category as well as an “Americana” category. This includes RealTracks from
guitarists Danny Rader (2) winner of the CMA guitarist of the year award, drummers Miles McPherson (6) and
Fred Eltrington (7) who have won CMA drummers of the year, as well as renown bassists Steve Mackey (2) and
Jimmy Carter (4) who are some of the busiest first-call bassists in Nashville! And of course, this also includes

22 Chapter 3: Band-in-a-Box 2021

 RealTracks favorite Brent Mason, who has won the CMA guitarist of the year award numerous times! Brent has
new guitars in the Americana category (3), as well as a set of “Pop Soul” guitars (7) both rhythm styles and
soloists. There is a new set of Old-Time Music, with “Bonfire” RealTracks (5) and “Sad Ballad” (5), featuring
mandolins, fiddles, guitars, and “banjo guitars” or “ganjos.” There are even MORE Americana styles with a
RealTracks first, Baritone ACOUSTIC guitar with Quinn Bachand (10). Quinn also features on more Celtic Guitar
(3), Jaw Harp (5), and Bodhran (2). Finally, there are exciting new Lap Steel styles with Nashville great Eddy
Dunlap (5).
40 Unreleased RealTracks (Included in Bonus 49-PAK)
There are 40 amazing bonus RealTracks available with our 2021 49-PAK! This includes more great bluesy
Americana baritone electric and modern-pop 12-string electric guitar styles from the amazing Brent Mason (7). We
have a RealTracks first, tin whistle (2) from Geoffrey Kelly, with Celtic-influenced RealTrack pop grooves! There
are exciting new New Orleans piano styles from Kevin McKendree (2), and another RealTracks first, pop vibes (2),
whereas previously we only had jazz vibes RealTracks to choose from. We have new Funk guitar styles (5) from
Nashville guitarist Mike Durham, and “Vintage Pop & Rock n Roll” electric guitars (5) from Quinn Bachand. There
are new electronic RealTracks (7) featuring two groups: “ElecHipHopMinimal,” and “ElectroNeonFloor,” both with
RealDrums as well as synth bass and synth pads RealTracks. There are also new RealDrums from top Nashville
studio musician Wes Little, with cajon styles (4) as well as another RealDrums first, mallets (4)! These RealDrums
are played on a typical drum kit, but with mallets instead of stick, to give it an understated “indie-rock” flavor, very
common in modern rock, pop, and country.
MIDI SuperTracks Set 32: Jazz, New Age, and Gospel Keys
This collection of SuperTracks provides a tasteful array of keyboard playing, ranging from the flavor of New Orleans
styles, to the crunchy voicings of modern jazz piano, to the more open and consonant sounds of New Age and
Gospel style piano playing. The range of these piano styles, coupled with the versatility and utility of SuperTracks,
makes this set a must have for the keyboard enthusiast.
MIDI SuperTracks Set 33: More Bass (Included in Bonus 49-PAK)
This collection of 9 bass MIDI SuperTracks never misses a beat, covering an extremely broad range of styles, such
as Latin, Gospel, Funk, Nashville shuffle, and Reggae. The extremely tight syncopation on synth bass SuperTrack’s
“FunkJeff” and “SmoothJazzCoolJeff” are irresistibly groovy, while “Raggae16th” and “DancehallClassic” lays
back with an effortless sound. For something different, “PartidoAlto” gives you the fantastic Latin feel your bass
repertoire may currently lack.
Rediscovered RealTracks Styles
With version 2021 of Band-in-a-Box, we’ve included 64 new styles that include 72 rediscovered RealTracks, MIDI
SuperTracks, and RealDrums. This will help ensure that there is a style and an SGU demo available for every
RealTrack, RealDrum, and MIDI SuperTrack. Of the 72 rediscovered instruments, 1 is a principal RealTrack, 11 of
them are A- or B-only variation RealTracks, 4 are bluesy variation RealTracks, 19 are 1-track RealTracks (derived
from multi-part RealTracks), 11 are either half-time or double-time variation RealTracks, 1 is a MIDI SuperTrack, 4
are thickened RealTracks, and 21 are RealDrums.
MIDI Styles Set “Look Ma! More MIDI 5” (15 styles)
This special collection of jazz MIDI styles cannot be missed! In “Look Ma! More MIDI 5,” we’ve created a
cornucopia of modern jazz sounds, including a modern jazz waltz, disco jazz fusion, jazz rock, rumba fusion, and
much, much more! We’ve also included some classics like a Dixieland quintet, multiple jazz blues styles, and fast
jazz with trumpet. Don’t let these original MIDI jazz arrangements go unnoticed!
MIDI Styles Set “Look Ma! More MIDI 6” (15 styles) (Included in Bonus 49-PAK)
We’ve brought modern arrangements and yesterday’s favorites to the MIDI world with “Look Ma! More MIDI 6.”
This diverse collection will boost the sonic possibilities in your pop, rock, and country songs. Dance-floor funk with
a synthesizer solo, New Orleans boogie, ska punk, an Americana ballad - these are just some of the great new styles
that await you. Don't miss out!
Instrumental Studies 14: Country Rock Blues Shuffle Soloing (Included in Bonus 49-PAK)
The techniques required to become proficient in minor blues guitar soloing can be found in this Instrumental Studies
set. With well-articulated and dynamic phrases, the minor blues guitar soloing can’t be beat. Each track has high
quality notation and tablature showing all of the slides, hammer on and pull offs and other techniques needed to learn
this style of music. There are 5 different minor blues progression in the keys of A, C, D, E and G, each one with a
unique performance. As each phrase flows fluently from one chord to the next, adjust the tempo up or down to suit

Chapter 3: Band-in-a-Box 2021 23

your playing ability and learn at your own speed. Learning minor blues guitar soloing has never been easier and it
has never sounded this good.
Instrumental Studies 15: Minor Jazz Blues Guitar Soloing
With a prolific stock of howling guitar riffs, Instruments Studies 15 provides a chance to hear, see and play an
amazing collection of Blues Shuffle Soloing. The heavy guitar tone, which is saturated with gain, generates the
power that is captured in each song in this set. There are 5 songs in this set in the keys of A, C, D, E and G and each
has its own unique performance. The solos have been analyzed and transcribed so you get all of the style and
nuances visible in notation or in tablature. You can also follow along with the playing on the guitar fretboard in the
guitar window. The slides, bends, hammer on and pull offs and other techniques available in this Instrumental
Studies are available for you now!
Artist Performance Set 10: More Celtic Flute with Geoff Kelly (Included in Bonus 49-PAK)
Artist Performance Set 10 features more Celtic Flute from the wickedly talented Geoff Kelly. Included in this set is
a variety of instruments, featuring the Flute, Whistle, Fiddle, Banjo and Guitar. Each song is a classic Celtic tune
and is accompanied by Band-in-a-Box RealTracks, creating a unique rhythm section performance each time the song
is generated. Some songs have just a Flute or a Whistle, and others combine multiple instrumental performance
tracks together to create a spellbinding sound that can only be heard here. With each artist performance track. you
also get notation showing exactly what is played and using Band-in-a-Box 2021 you can view 6/8 notation for tracks
in that time signature. The superb talent and quality of each artist performance, combined with the Band-in-a-Box
rhythm section, makes each of these traditional, timeless tunes come alive for you to enjoy!
Bonus RealDrums “Singles” (Included in Bonus 49-PAK)
With many of our previously released RealTracks, there are options for RealDrums that include a variety of
percussion instruments mixed in. For a selection of these RealDrums styles, you can now select RealDrums
“singles,” individual percussion parts that made up those larger styles. With the “multi-drums” feature in Band-in-a-
Box, you can mix-and-match these RealDrums “singles” with any other RealDrums you like! For example, you can
take the Timbale Fills that are part of the “SkaSlowClassicWesPerc^” RealDrums style, but use it with a completely
different RealDrums style, for example pairing it with “NashvilleEv8,”, to give your country-pop tune a Jamaican
flair! This collection comes with 14 never-before-available RealDrums singles, with percussion instruments such as
“BrakeDrum,”, “Daf,” “Timbale,” “Djembe” and more!
RealCharts for all existing and new RealDrums
There are over 300 additional RealChart (transcriptions) for RealDrums with Drum Notation. This means that now
ALL RealDrums in Band-in-a-Box have accompanying RealCharts! In addition, the MIDI that makes up these
RealCharts can actually be used as the basis for MIDI drum parts. In Band-in-a-Box, the MIDI that makes up the
RealCharts can be copied to a Utility track, where it can trigger a MIDI drum patch. In the DAW plugin version of
Band-in-a-Box, the MIDI can be dragged right from the plugin into a track in the DAW, where you can then also
apply a MIDI drum patch.
MultiSyles PAK 1 (30 MultiStyles containing 120 styles) (Included in Bonus 49-PAK)
Due to popular demand, we’ve made an entire collection of MultiStyles just for you! Each MultiStyle has a total of
8 substyles for your nuanced arrangements! These styles come in three different genre PAKs: country, rock/pop, and
jazz. Each genre PAK has 10 MultiStyles. Plus, you also get their component styles. This gives you many more
song demos and allows you to easily view RealTracks/RealDrums lists for all substyles from the Style Picker.
Including the component styles, each genre PAK contains 50 styles. MultiStyles PAK 1 has a total of 30 new
MultiStyles and 120 component styles. That makes a grand total of 150 styles! So, what exactly did we dream up
this time? Our jazz greats MultiStyle allows you to switch between piano and guitar comping, or select from two
different solos. Our Jamaican groove selecta allows you to switch from ska at one section to reggae, island groove,
or reggae with sax solo at another. A Tex-Mex country MultiStyle allows you to switch between a regular-time and
double-time feel. And that’s just the beginning. There’s so much more in store! Once you dive into these
professionally-mixed MultiStyles, you’ll wonder how you ever made due with only two substyles per song! Use one
substyle for a softer intro, another one for a restrained breakdown, then throw in a different and energetic middle-
eight, or change it up with a solo. The possibilities are endless!
Xtra Styles PAK 10
Can you believe we’ve already made 10 Xtra Styles PAKs? What a journey it’s been! And to celebrate, we have
some very special styles in store for you. They’re divided into four categories: Rock-Pop 10, Jazz 10, Country 10,
and Folk Celebration 1. Each category has 50 styles, making a grand total of 200 styles – that’s over thirty more

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styles than we used to ship in our Xtra Style PAKs (1-8)! So kick back, turn up your speakers, and check out some
of these arrangements, like lo-fi acoustic guitar hip hop, triple-guitar garage rock, a barbecue boom-chick jam, slidin’
lazy country blues, bolero and bossa nova fusion, a Gypsy and stride ballad, praise break organ jazz fusion, surfin’
folk rock, barn dance old-time stomp ‘n’ clap, an acoustic folky blues jam, and so much more! For the second time,
we’ve also included a MultiStyle in every genre! Don't miss out on Xtra Styles PAK 10 - a carefully-crafted
celebration of music!
- Rock-Pop 10: We’ve been busy studying the latest trends in music and finding new ways to fuse together genres.
The result is Rock and Pop Volume 10! Retro-inspired disco pop, dirty dance rock, lo-fi hip-hop beats with
acoustic guitar – they’re all at your fingertips. There are also softer styles such as a retro 12/8 pop ballad and
heavier styles like a triple-guitar garage rock band. With a total of 50 styles, there’s something for everyone! To
top it all off, we’ve included a fantastic eight-substyle psychedelic funk MultiStyle! There are so many modern
music gems in this style collection just waiting for your progressions. Don’t miss out!
- Jazz 10: The bold and adventurous jazz styles in Xtra Styles PAK 10 combine classic jazz sounds like Dixieland,
Gypsy, bebop, and swing with other musical styles like Latin, folk, funk, and praise break! The 50 styles in this
volume include a melodic Gypsy son montuno, 3-3-2 Latin jazz fusion, funky half-time bebop, praise break organ
jazz fusion, dreamy lounge funk, rock ‘n’ roll jazz swing, and many more! There’s even an eight-part soul funk
MultiStyle for you to enjoy! Discover new and unconventional jazz sounds with this large collection of original
jazz styles!
- Country 10: We always take great joy in putting together a new batch of country styles and this round is no
exception! There is a total of 50 new country styles in this volume! Get ready for lots of classic country sounds
that are fused with other genres like folk and blues. Fast country soul swing, slidin’ lazy country blues, a dramatic
baritone ballad, a boom-chick barbeque jam with spoons - these are just some of the great styles that are in store!
And, for your advanced arrangements, we’ve carefully constructed an eight-part country folk waltz MultiStyle!
The sounds of Xtra Styles PAK 10: Country 10 will have all your friends dancing in their snake-skin boots!
- Folk Celebration 10: This collection of folk styles celebrates coming together as a community to make music!
Some styles follow this theme closely, like an acoustic folky blues jam quartet and an old-time stomp ‘n’ clap barn
dance! Others celebrate it in spirit with cheerful arrangements, such as a jaw harp and cello slip jig, flowing
songwriter folk, and a pond-ripple gentle folk pulse. We’ve also included some inventive combinations like surf
folk rock and bow-string movie folk. And, for your advanced arrangements, we’ve created an eight-part modern
folk funk MultiStyle that is a modern interpretation of a sixties/seventies jam band groove! There are fifty ways to
celebrate music in this amazing volume of folk styles!
Xtra Styles PAK 9 (Released May 2020) - 200 RealStyles for Jazz, Rock-Pop, Country, and Folk
Xtra Styles PAK 8 (Released December 2019) - 164 RealStyles for Jazz, Rock-Pop, Country, and Celtic
Xtra Styles PAK 7 (Released August 2019) - 164 RealStyles for Jazz, Rock-Pop, Country, and Americana
Xtra Styles PAK 6 (Released Dec 2018) - 162 RealStyles for Jazz, Rock-Pop, Country, and Trad Folk & Jazz
Xtra Styles PAK 5 (Released July 2018) - 160 RealStyles for Jazz, Rock-Pop, Country, and MIDI Styles
Xtra Styles PAK 4 (Released November 2017) - 150 RealStyles for Jazz, Rock-Pop, Country, and Folk & Beyond
Xtra Styles PAK 3 (Released June 2017) - 160 RealStyles for Jazz, Rock-Pop, Country, and Americana
Xtra Styles PAK 2 (Released December 2016) - 161 RealStyles for Jazz, Country, Rock-Pop, and Bluegrass &
World
Xtra Styles PAK 1 (Released August 2016) - 164 RealStyles for Jazz, Country, Rock-Pop, and
Singer/SongwriterSummary of New Features
We’ve added over 80 new features to Band-in-a-Box 2021, including…
Utility Tracks
There are 16 new editable Utility tracks, which can be used for audio and/or MIDI. You can generate RealTracks on
the Utility tracks, where you can hear and edit the audio RealTracks, or view and edit the RealCharts MIDI. You can
record audio or import an audio file to the Utility tracks to play, edit, or harmonize the audio. You can copy or move
audio, MIDI, or both from other tracks to the Utility tracks. You can record MIDI or import a MIDI file to the
Utility tracks for playback, notation display, or editing.
High Bit Depth Audio Playback

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Audio playback is no longer restricted to 16 bit, and the highest setting available will be used, either 16, 24, or 32 bit,
depending on your audio interface. Also, user made Audio tracks are not restricted to 16 bit, so you can edit your
audio and save it with minimal data loss.
Improved Audio Rendering
Rendering is faster.
The default bit depth is 24 bit.
The highest quality tempo stretching setting for élastique is used when rendering. You may be using a lower quality
setting for playback in order to increase performance, but this is not necessary when rendering to an audio file.
When generating separate audio files for each track, Band-in-a-Box can ignore the Mixer settings of each track and
use the default settings (Volume = 0 dB, Pan = 0, Reverb = 0, Tone = 0) instead.
Auto-Fix “sour” Notes
There is a new feature to auto-fix out-of-tune notes in polyphonic audio, either for the generated RealTracks or any
audio track. This means that if a chord is played with multiple notes at once, this feature can fix certain notes within
that chord so that the note won’t clash with the chord progression or other tracks. For example, if a G# note is
played on a CMaj7 chord (C, E, G, B), that note will be pitch corrected down to a G note. This feature can be
applied as a track setting for any RealTracks or can be used for editing the Audio or Utility tracks.
Higher Audio Playback Performance
Band-in-a-Box and RealBand now support SIMD (SSE2, SSSE3, AVX, AVX2) features in your CPU. This means
that audio DSP (Digital Signal Processing) will be at least 4 times faster, depending on your CPU. This allows more
tracks, more plugins, higher quality élastique stretching, etc. during playback without causing audio dropouts.
Improved Mixer
The floating Mixer can be resized vertically. Horizontal resizing is less limited, which allows it to be more compact.
The Mixer can be embedded in the main screen and is horizontally resizable to allow more room for the Chord Sheet,
Notation, Piano Roll, or Audio Edit window.
In the normal screen mode, the Mixer can be embedded at the top right of the screen or the bottom right.
You can select the tracks to display in the Mixer.
The Mixer can scroll visible track panels. Use the arrow buttons at the bottom right corner, or the mouse wheel if it
is not used for controlling sliders and dials.
The Mixer automatically shows active tracks and hides unused tracks when playback starts.
You can change the track panel heigh by moving the mouse wheel while holding down the Ctrl key.
When resizing the window, the track panel height will be restricted to the customized settings
A Settings tab is added to set options for the Mixer.
You can set Volume and Panning to display as decibels instead of MIDI values.
The Mute and Solo states of each track will be saved in the songs and will be loaded the next time you open them.
You can use the mouse wheel to control sliders and dials.
You can double-click on the track label to rename it.
Improved Plugin Control
Plugins can be accessed directly from the Mixer.
Each MIDI track can send its MIDI output to another track. By default, all accompaniment tracks route to the
default synth, but you can choose a plugin on another track.
MIDI plugin’s audio output can be controlled in the Mixer with 3 new settings. This allows MIDI plugin’s sound to
be controlled the same way as audio tracks (RealTracks, RealDrums, etc.
- Attenuate Synth Output Volume and Panning: This will change the gain of the plugin’s audio output based on the
Volume and Panning controls on the Mixer. When this is enabled, MIDI controllers for volume will not be sent to
the plugin. This setting is useful for plugins that do not respond to MIDI controllers.
- Filter Synth Output: This will apply high/low-pass filtering to the plugin’s audio output based on the Tone control
on the Mixer.
- Send Synth Output to Master Reverb: This will send the plugin’s audio output to the Master Reverb based on the
Reverb control on the Mixer.

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Multiple plugins GUI windows can be used simultaneously.
WAVES VST plugins are now supported.
Improved Audio Editing
You can view audio on any track (Bass, Piano, Melody, etc.), not just the Audio track, and copy regions of audio to
Utility tracks. The track selector button launches a menu for selecting the track, or you can just use your mouse
wheel over it to quickly shift through tracks.
New options are added to the Audio Edit Settings dialog.
- “Synchronize insert/delete edits with MIDI on track”: If this is enabled, then when inserting or deleting regions of
audio, MIDI on the same track will be shifted accordingly to keep the MIDI and audio in sync.
- “Mouse wheel zooms to edit cursor instead of mouse pointer”: If this is enabled, the mouse wheel will zoom to the
edit cursor instead of zooming to the mouse cursor.
- “Center screen to edit cursor when zooming”: If this is enabled, the edit cursor will scroll to the center of the
window when zooming with the mouse wheel. This is only applicable if “Mouse wheel zooms to edit cursor
instead of mouse pointer” is enabled.
The Cut and Copy menu items are added to the [Edit] button menu.
Hotkeys are added.
- [Home] will move the cursor to the beginning of a track.
- [End] will move the cursor to the end of a track.
- [Shift]+[Home] will move the left cursor of the selected region to the beginning of a track. If no region is selected,
this will select a region from the cursor to the beginning of a track.
- [Shift]+[End] will move the right cursor to the end of a track. If no region is selected, this will select a region from
the cursor to the end of a track.
- [Ctrl]+[A] will select the whole track.
Multi-Track Audio Harmonies
Audio harmonies can now be generated onto individual tracks. This way you can use the Mixer to control the
volume and panning, adjust reverb, add effects, etc. for each voice.
You can view a RealTrack in the Audio Edit window, select a region, and harmonize it to Utility tracks.
Improved Audio Chord Wizard
The chord analysis is more accurate.
The wizard analyzes audio files that are out-of-tune.
There is an option to limit chords to at least one bar in length.
There are presets to limit chords to certain chords in the key.
The wizard now transcribes MIDI notes to the same track.
Improved Chord Sheet
The new zoom buttons allow you to control the number of rows and columns displayed on the Chord Sheet without
visiting the Display Options dialog.
You can also use the mouse wheel to change the number of rows and columns instantly.
- Moving the mouse wheel while holding down the Ctrl key changes the number of rows.
- Moving the mouse wheel while holding down the Shift key changes the number of columns.
Time signature changes can be displayed on the Chord Sheet.
Visual Transpose Setting on Key Button
The Visual Transpose setting is now displayed next to the song key on the main toolbar. Clicking on it will launch a
menu for selecting the setting.
Copy/Paste Chords as Simple Text
Chords can be copied as a simple text format and be pasted into another song in Band-in-a-Box or a text file in a
program like Notepad.
You can copy chords in all songs in a folder to the clipboard, or save them as individual text files or a single text file.

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You can type chords in a text file and paste them into a Band-in-a-Box song.
Improved Copy/Move Track Feature
You can now copy or move audio from one track to another. Previously, you could only copy or move MIDI.
Hovering the mouse cursor over the channel selector checkbox shows you the number of events on that channel.
When copying MIDI, you can now filter out various types of events.
Improved Copy Chords/Melody
Typing kk opens the Copy Chords and/or Melody dialog. Typing kk followed by two numbers separated by a
comma opens the dialog with presets. For example, hitting kk4,1<Enter> at bar 9 opens the dialog with presets to
copy 4 bars from bar 1 and paste them to bar 9.
The dialog now has a setting to include part markers.
There is now a “Close” button, so you can make presets and apply them to the k copy command. (Note that k and kk
copy command will preserve the current settings in this dialog. Use kk or Edit | Copy Special | Copy From.. To.. if
you want to change these settings.)
Bar-based lyrics and section text layers will be copied when the “Copy Lyrics” option is enabled.
Track Selection for Auto Intro
In the previous version, we added the option to play the auto-generated intro by “all tracks,” “drums only,” or “bass
and drums only.” Now, you can also select “drums then drums and bass,” “bass then bass and drums,” a specific
track (e.g., “piano only”), or any combination of tracks.
Improved MIDI Import
You can now choose the destination track for multi-track MIDI files.
Hovering the mouse cursor over the channel selector checkbox shows you how many events are on that channel.
There are separate settings for filtering Continuous Controller events and Pitch Bend events. Previously, there was a
combined setting for these.
7,000 More Titles for Song Titles Browser
We’ve added 7,000 more song titles including requests from users, so there are now 21,000 titles.
RealCharts for all RealDrums
We’ve added over 300 additional RealChart (with accurate Drum Notation and MIDI to trigger drum sounds) for
RealDrums. This means that now all RealDrums have RealCharts.
Similar Style Selection
Band-in-a-Box can show a list of styles that are similar to the current style, sorted by similarity. Access this feature
from the [Style] button, right-clicking on the style on the main screen, or the File | Load Style Special menu item.
Define C/D Using Same Style
There is a new option “Define c/d using same style” in the right-click menu on the Chord Sheet. This is the same as
the existing “Define c/d” option, except it would not open the StylePicker. It would just treat as if you went into the
StylePicker and picked the same style. It’s for being able to define c/d for display purposes without caring about the
style itself.
More Feel Filters in StylePicker
The StylePicker has Feel filters added for Even (Even 8th or Even 16th) and 16th (Even 16th or Swing 16th).
Avoid Transpositions for RealTracks Settable for All Songs and Individual Tracks
All songs and individual tracks in the current song can be set to avoid transpositions for RealTracks. Previously,
only all tracks in the current song could be set for this.
Panning Support for Medleys with Mixture of Mono and Stereo RealTracks
Previously, RealTracks medleys that contain a mixture of mono and stereo RealTracks did not support panning.
Improved Timing of Pushes on Swing 8th RealDrums
Swing 8th RealDrums now play pushes at a better timing.
Custom Lead-in Option
You can set the lead-in option (count-in yes/no and count-in type) for the current song. This is in the Song Settings,
Generate Chord for Intro, and Count-in and Metronome Options dialogs.

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Bar-based Lyrics Improved
Bar-based lyrics now display in the Big Lyrics window.
You can convert note-based lyrics to bar-based lyrics.
Track Selector with Full Track Names
In windows like Notation, Lead Sheet, Audio Edit, Piano Roll, etc., the track selector buttons that showed the initials
of the track names have been replaced by a track selector that shows the full track names. You can press it and select
a track from the menu, or just hover the mouse cursor over it and use the mouse wheel to quickly switch tracks.
New Notation Features
The time signature button has a better menu with options to select alternate notation display and to open dialogs like
Set Time Signature and Edit Settings for Current Bar to change the time signature.
A hint is added to the time signature button.
A button is added for the visual transpose. Click on the button and type a number of semitones to transpose.
Track selection buttons for each track have been replaced with a single button. You can press it and select a track
from the menu, or just hover the mouse cursor over it and use the mouse wheel to quickly switch tracks.
If the song is in 4/4, there is an option to display it as cut time. For example, a bluegrass song that is currently
displaying with 16th notes will display using 8th notes. This allows easier readability and is ideal for displaying the
notation of songs that were specifically written in cut time.
If the song is in 4/4, you can display it as 2/4 instead of 4/4, without changing the main time signature of the song to
2/4. This special 2/4 notation display mode lets you continue to generate better sounding RealTracks, etc. than if you
had switched the main time sig of the song to 2/4
The time signature displays with a better size. The height of the time signature fills the whole height of the staff.
Auto Vertical Scroll Option in Piano Roll Window
Previously, the auto scroll was always on, but now, the new option allows you to disable it.
New Hotkeys
There is a hotkey to insert N bars at the current location. For example, i8<Enter> would insert 8 bars at the current
location. This command is also added to the right-click menu on the Chord Sheet.
There is a hotkey to copy the last N bars and insert them to the current location. For example, ki8<enter> or
ik8<Enter> would copy the last 8 bars and insert them to the current location. This command is also added to the
right-click menu on the Chord Sheet.
There is a hotkey to copy N bars from the bar M and insert them to the current location. For example, ik8,9<enter>
or ki8,9<enter> would copy 8 bars from the bar 9 and insert them to the current location. ikk8,9<enter> or
kki8,9<enter> would do the same, but launch a dialog that allows you to choose what to copy.
Alt+Shift+T will auto-generate a title to the current song.
Alt+Shift+F will open the Favorite Folders dialog.
Alt+Shift+S will save the current song to a favorite folder. This command is also added to File | Save Special
submenu.
XML Improvements
NEW: When saving to XML, there is a new option to save the exact chord text to XML rather than relying mainly on
saving the chord type and degrees.
FIXED: If an XML part was transposed in the XML file, then the wrong notes would be loaded into Band-in-a-Box
because the transpose element value wasn’t being taken into account.
FIXED: If a group of notes had a top number like, say, 5 notes or 6 notes the timing of the group wasn't written
correctly to XML
FIXED: Redundant tie stop element was written to XML that would sometimes cause problems with ties or errors
when loading the XML file into other programs.
FIXED: There was an issue with accidentals being written to XML. Sometimes it could, for example, write naturals
when they weren’t supposed to be written.
FIXED: There were various xml issues that could potentially result in inconsistency errors, such as too many notes
for a measure when loading into a program like MuseScore. (Sometimes it just had to do with other programs not

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behaving well in response to the <backup> element being used too many times to switch back and forth between
clefs when writing a measure even though the spec itself allows this. Other times it had to do with note and/or rest
durations not being written correctly in the case of a song with a triplet feel that had swing 8ths.)
FIXED: If a compressed musicXML file (.MXL) contained an XML file with a different name than the name of the
MXL file, then nothing would be loaded.
… and more!

QuickStart Tutorial
Let’s take a close look at the great new features in Band-in-a-Box 2021!
Utility Tracks
There are 16 new editable Utility tracks, which can be used for audio and/or MIDI. You can generate RealTracks on
the Utility tracks, where you can hear and edit the audio RealTracks, or view and edit the RealCharts MIDI. You can
record audio or import an audio file to the Utility tracks to play, edit, or harmonize the audio. You can copy or move
audio, MIDI, or both from other tracks to the Utility tracks. You can record MIDI or import a MIDI file to the
Utility tracks for playback, notation display, or editing.
Note: If a Utility track contains both audio and MIDI, the audio is audible and the MIDI is only for display purposes (e.g.,
transcription of the audio). If a Utility track contains only MIDI, then the MIDI is audible.
To generate RealTracks on a Utility track, right-click on that track in the Mixer and go to Generate | Select and
Generate RealTracks. If you want to generate RealTracks for a region, highlight the region on the Utility track in the
Audio Edit window. Then, select a RealTracks in the Best RealTracks dialog and press OK.

When the RealTracks is generated, you can view the audio in the Audio Edit window.
Tip: If the track contains a RealChart, you can also view notation and see the playing on the guitar fretboard or the piano
keyboard.

Press the [Play] button on the toolbar to hear the RealTracks on the Utility track. You can use the Mixer to control
volume, panning, etc. for the Utility track.

You can regenerate a region of the RealTracks on the Utility track. To do this, Highlight the region, press the [Edit]
button, and go to Generate | Generate RealTracks. If you want to regenerate a region using a different RealTracks,
use the Select and Generate RealTracks menu item instead.

During the regeneration, the whole track becomes blank for a moment, but when it’s finished, everything except the
highlighted region is the same as it was before.

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 Note: If you select a mono RealTracks for the whole track and then select a stereo RealTracks for a region, the whole track will
be converted to a stereo.
You can repeat this process until you are satisfied, and since it supports the Undo and Redo, you can use the Ctrl+Z
or Shift+Ctrl+Z keys to go back to what you like most.
The audio on the Utility tracks can be edited in the Audio Edit window with the [Edit] button menu, the right-click
menu, or the standard hotkeys (e.g., Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V). For example, you can highlight a region and move it to
another location of the track, or you can select the whole track, copy it, and paste it into another Utility track. When
the regions are edited, the beginning and ending of the regions cross-fade to make a smooth transition, so you won’t
hear unpleasant clicks or pops at the joints during playback.

You can harmonize the audio on any track, and send the separated harmonies to the Utility tracks. In the Audio Edit
window, press the [Edit] button, and select Harmonize from the menu to open the Audio Harmonies dialog. Then,
set the number of harmony voices and other options, select the source track, enable the “Output to separate tracks”
option, and select destination tracks for each harmony voice.

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You can record audio to the Utility tracks. Previously you could record only to the Audio track, but now you can use
16 additional tracks. Press the [Record Audio] button on the toolbar, then in the dialog that opens, set the “Record
Audio to” option to a Utility track. If you want to record audio and MIDI at the same time, also set to record MIDI
to a Utility track.

You can import an audio or MIDI file to a Utility track. Drag a file and drop it anywhere on the Band-in-a-Box
screen, and when the Import dialog opens, select a Utility track as the destination.

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You can copy or move the whole audio and/or MIDI from other tracks to a Utility track using the Copy/Move Track
dialog. Open the dialog with the Edit | Copy Special | Copy/Move Tracks menu item, and select a Utility track as the
destination for copying or moving audio and/or MIDI.

When a Utility track contains MIDI, you can view notation, see the playing on the guitar fretboard or the piano
keyboard, or edit in the Notation or Piano Roll window.

When you save the song, the Utility tracks will be saved as audio files (.WAV) with the same
name in the same folder. For example, if you save the song as MySong.MGU, Utility track #1
will be saved as MySong #1.WAV, Utility track #2 will be saved as MySong #2.WAV, etc.
Then, next time you open MySong.MGU, these audio files will be loaded to the Utility tracks.

High Bit Depth Audio Playback

Audio playback is no longer restricted to 16 bit. The highest setting available will be used, either 16, 24, or 32 bit,
depending on your audio interface. Also, user-made Audio tracks are not restricted to 16 bit so you can edit your
audio and save it with minimal data loss.
Improved Audio Rendering

Rendering is faster.
The default bit depth is 24 bit.

The highest quality tempo stretching setting for élastique is used when rendering. You may be using a lower quality
setting for playback in order to increase performance, but this is not necessary when rendering to an audio file.

When generating separate audio files for each track, Band-in-a-Box can ignore the Mixer settings of each track and
use the default settings (Volume = 0 dB, Pan = 0, Reverb = 0, Tone = 0) instead.

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Auto-Fix “Sour” Notes
There is a new feature to auto-fix out-of-tune notes in polyphonic audio, either for the generated RealTracks or any
audio track. This means that if a chord is played with multiple notes at once, this feature can fix certain notes within
that chord so that the note won’t clash with the chord progression or other tracks. For example, if a G# note is
played on a CMaj7 chord (C, E, G, B), that note will be pitch corrected down to a G note. This feature can be
applied as a track setting for any RealTracks or can be used for editing the Audio or Utility tracks.
For the RealTracks, right-click on the track radio button on the main screen, and go to Track Settings | Auto Fix
“Sour” Notes. You can then select one of the rules for the auto-fix.

Song Chords: Any note outside of the current chord will be corrected to a closest chord tone. For example, if a G#
note is played on a CMaj7 chord (C, E, G, B), that note will be pitch shifted to a G note.
Song Key Signature: Any note outside of the key signature of the song will be corrected to a closest key tone. For
example, an Eb note played on a C major key (C, D, E, F, G, A, B) will be pitch shifted to an E note.
Song Key Signatures and Chords: Notes will be restricted to the key tones unless the current chord is outside of the
current key, in which case notes will be restricted to the chord tones. For example, on a C major key (C, D, E, F, G,
A, B), an E note played on a Dm7 chord (D, F, A, C) won’t be corrected, but an E note played on an F7 chord (F, A,
C, Eb) will be pitch shifted to the closest chord tone F.
Specific Scale or Chord: Notes will be corrected based on a specific scale or chord that might not have anything to
do with the current song. This option will use the scale or chord that are selected in a dialog which opens with the
next menu item.
Choose specific Parameters: This allows you to customize the rules.

Rules: This defines the rules for the auto-fix. You can see the description for each rule in the above area.
Process MIDI: If this option is enabled, any MIDI note on the track will be processes as well. Notes within the
selected region will be changed according to the chosen rule.
Sensitivity Level: Increasing the sensitivity level will cause weaker notes to be detected. Decreasing it will cause
weaker notes to be ignored and unaffected by the auto-fix.
Transient Level: Increasing the transient level will make transients (e.g., beats like plucking sounds or drum hits)
louder. Decreasing it will make transients quieter.
Smoothing ms: This is the length of time that notes will take to change in milliseconds. Increase this for
instruments that sound better with slower bending between notes like vocals or pedal steel. Decrease for rigid
sounding instruments like piano.

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Pitch Correction: This will correct the tuning of notes. For example, a guitar might have one string out of tune, and
notes played on that string will be pitch corrected.
The auto-fix feature can be used for any audio track including the Utility tracks, and can be applied to the whole
track at once or a small region at a time. You can use the feature not necessarily to fix “sour” notes, but just to make
certain regions of the audio conform more closely to the chord progression. To use the feature, open the Audio Edit
window and highlight the region of the track on which you want to correct notes. Then, press the [Edit] button and
select Fix “Sour” Notes from the menu. In the Fix “Sour” Notes dialog, select one of the rules for the auto-fix and
press OK.

Higher Audio Playback Performance

Band-in-a-Box and RealBand now support SIMD (SSE2, SSSE3, AVX, AVX2) features in your CPU. This means
that audio DSP (Digital Signal Processing) will be at least 4 times faster, depending on your CPU. This allows more
tracks, more plugins, higher quality élastique stretching, etc. during playback without causing audio dropouts.
The [CPU Specifications...] in the About dialog (Help | About Band-in-a-Box) displays available SIMD features of
your CPU.

Improved Mixer
The floating Mixer can be resized vertically. Horizontal resizing is less limited, which allows it to be more compact.
When it’s the smallest, it still retains some very useful functions like displaying
the master VU meter or allowing the master volume control for the current song
or all songs.

The Mixer can be embedded in the main screen and is horizontally resizable to allow more room for the Chord Sheet,
Notation, Piano Roll, or Audio Edit window.

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In the normal screen mode, the Mixer can be embedded at the top right of the screen or the bottom right. You can set
this with the “Embedded Mixer Top Right” option in the Settings tab.

You can select the tracks to display in the Mixer. Click on the “eye” button at the bottom right corner and check the
tracks to display.

The Mixer can scroll visible track panels. Use the arrow buttons at the bottom right corner, or the mouse wheel if it
is not used for controlling sliders and dials.

The Mixer automatically shows active tracks and hides unused tracks when playback starts. You can set this with
the “Auto Show/Hide Tracks When Starting Playback” option in the Settings tab.

You can change the track panel height by moving the mouse wheel while holding down the Ctrl key.

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When resizing the window, the track panel height will be restricted to the customized settings. For example, if the
maximum panel height is set to a low value, then when you expand the window, there will be black portion below
the track panels, but if it’s set to a higher value, then when you expand the window, each track panel will be
stretched to fill the window.

A Settings tab is added to set options for the Mixer.

You can set Volume and Panning to display as decibels instead of MIDI values. This makes sense when you are
mostly dealing with RealTracks, RealDrums, and audio tracks. To display as decibels for all tracks, enable the
“Display dB Instead of MIDI Volume” option in the Settings tab. To set for each track, right-click on a track and
select Track Settings | Display dB Instead of MIDI volume.

The Mute and Solo states of each track will be saved in the songs and will be loaded the next time you open them.
This behavior is controlled by the “Load Mute and Solo States with Songs” option in the Settings tab.

You can use the mouse wheel to control sliders and dials if you enable the “Allow Mouse Wheel to Control
Sliders/Dials” option in the Settings tab. Hover the mouse cursor over a slider or dial, and move the mouse wheel to
change the value.

Chapter 3: Band-in-a-Box 2021 37

You can double-click on the track label to rename it.

Improved Plugin Control

Plugins can be accessed directly from the Mixer. Click on a plugin name, and use the menu to choose a plugin, load
or save a preset or a group of plugins, change plugins settings, and do more.

Each MIDI track can send its MIDI output to another track. By default, all accompaniment tracks route to the
default synth, but you can choose a plugin on another track. This is accessed from the Plugin’s context menu on the
Mixer.

MIDI plugin’s audio output can be controlled in the Mixer with 3 new settings. This allows MIDI plugin’s sound to
be controlled the same way as audio tracks (RealTracks, RealDrums, etc.). These settings are accessed from the
Plugin’s context menu on the Mixer.

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 Attenuate Synth Output Volume and Panning: This will
change the gain of the plugin’s audio output based on the
Volume and Panning controls on the Mixer. When this is
enabled, MIDI controllers for volume will not be sent to the
plugin. This setting is useful for plugins that do not respond
to MIDI controllers.
Filter Synth Output: This will apply high/low-pass filtering to
the plugin’s audio output based on the Tone control on the
Mixer.
Send Synth Output to Master Reverb: This will send the
plugin’s audio output to the Master Reverb based on the
Reverb control on the Mixer.

Multiple plugins GUI windows can be used simultaneously. These can be accessed from the Plugins section of the
Mixer. Right-click on a plugin button to automatically show or hide the plugin’s GUI, or left-click and choose Show
Plugin Window from the menu.

WAVES VST plugins are now supported.

Improved Audio Editing
You can view audio on any track (Bass, Piano, Melody, etc.), not just the Audio track, and copy regions of audio to
the Utility tracks. The track selector button launches a menu for selecting the track, or you can just use your mouse
wheel over it to quickly shift through tracks.

New options are added to the Audio Edit Settings dialog.

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- “Synchronize insert/delete edits with MIDI on track”: If this is enabled, then when inserting or deleting regions of
audio, MIDI on the same track will be shifted accordingly to keep the MIDI and audio in sync.
- “Mouse wheel zooms to edit cursor instead of mouse pointer”: If this is enabled, the mouse wheel will zoom to the
edit cursor instead of zooming to the mouse cursor.
- “Center screen to edit cursor when zooming”: If this is enabled, the edit cursor will scroll to the center of the
window when zooming with the mouse wheel. This is only applicable if “Mouse wheel zooms to edit cursor
instead of mouse pointer” is enabled.
Hotkeys are added.
- Home will move the cursor to the beginning of a track.
- End will move the cursor to the end of a track.
- Shift+Home will move the left cursor of the selected region to the beginning of a track. If no region is selected,
this will select a region from the cursor to the beginning of a track.
- Shift+End will move the right cursor to the end of a track. If no region is selected, this will select a region from
the cursor to the end of a track.
- Ctrl+A will select the whole track.
Multi-Track Audio Harmonies
Audio harmonies can now be generated onto individual tracks. This way you can use the Mixer to control the
volume and panning, adjust reverb, add effects, etc. for each voice.

You can view a RealTrack in the Audio Edit window, select a region, and harmonize it to Utility tracks.

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Improved Audio Chord Wizard

The chord analysis is more accurate.

The wizard analyzes audio files that are out-of-tune.
There is an option to limit chords to at least one bar in length.
There are presets to limit chords to certain chords in the key.
The wizard now transcribes MIDI notes to the same track. Previously, transcribed MIDI notes were written to the
Soloist track.
Improved Chord Sheet
Previously, in order to change the number of rows and columns displayed on the Chord Sheet, you needed to visit the
Display Options dialog. Now, you can use the new zoom buttons located at the bottom right on the Chord Sheet.
These will change the number of rows.
These will change the number of columns.
This will revert back to auto.
You can also use the mouse wheel to change the number of rows and columns instantly.
- Moving the mouse wheel while holding down the Ctrl key changes the number of rows.
- Moving the mouse wheel while holding down the Shift key changes the number of columns.
Time signature changes can be displayed on the Chord Sheet. This is enabled by a new option in the Display
Options dialog.

Visual Transpose Setting on Key Button

The Visual Transpose setting is now displayed next to the song key on the main toolbar. Clicking on it will launch a
menu for selecting the setting.

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Copy/Paste Chords as Simple Text
Chords can be copied as a simple text format and be pasted into another song in Band-in-a-Box or a text file in a
program like Notepad. You can also copy chords in all songs in a folder to the clipboard, or save them as individual
text files or a single text file. You can type chords in a text file and paste them into a Band-in-a-Box song.
Chord from a Band-in-a-Box song
Select the chords on the Chord Sheet, and press the standard Ctrl+C keys to copy them. You can then press Ctrl+V
in another song or a text file to paste them

Note: If chords are not selected on the Chord Sheet, Ctrl+C copies the whole song including all chords and additional information
(title, key, tempo, form, memo, etc.) to the clipboard. You can paste this into a text file with the Ctrl+V keys, but if you want to
paste it into another song, you need to press Ctrl+Shift+V or go to menu Edit | Paste Special - from Clipboard text to Song(s).
By default, part markers as well as rests, shots, holds, and pushes are included in text, but you can change this with
the options in the Song(s) to Text (clipboard or .txt file) dialog. This dialog also allows you to select the items that
will be included when you copy the whole song. Using this dialog, you can also copy all songs in a specific folder to
the clipboard or save them as text file(s). The dialog can be accessed with the Edit | Copy Special | Copy Song(s) to
Text on clipboard or file(s) menu item.

Copy text to the clipboard with the regular Edit Copy (Ctrl-C) command: This has to be enabled in order to
copy chords with the standard Ctrl+C keys.
Include Song MetaData: This option applies when you copy the whole song. If this is checked, the song metadata
(title, key, tempo, form, style, etc.) will be included.
Include Memo: This option also applies when you copy the whole song.
Part Markers: By default, part markers are copied, but you choose not to copy them.
Holds, Pushes, Shots: By default, rests, shots, holds, and pushes entered in chords are copied, but if you don’t want
them, uncheck this option.
Use % for repeated chords bar: If this is enabled, a % sign will be used for a blank bar.
Space character to begin each bar: If this is enabled, a space will be added at the beginning of each bar.
New Line for new section (part marker): If this is enabled, every section (part marker) will start a new line.
Bars per line: You can set the number of bars of chords to write per line.
Whole Song: If you select this mode, you can press [OK - Copy to Clipboard] to copy the whole song (chords and
additional information selected) or [Save as .txt file] to save it as a text file.
Range of Song: If you select this mode, you can press [OK - Copy to Clipboard] to copy the chords in the selected
range or [Save as .txt file] to save them as a text file.
Batch save all songs in this folder: With this mode, you can copy or save all songs in a specific folder. Press the
folder icon to select the folder, and choose the option to include subfolders of that folder. Also select the destination

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with the Batch Save As option. You can copy all songs to the clipboard, save them as individual text files in the
same folder, save them as individual text files in another folder, or save them as a single text file. Then, press [OK -
Batch Save TXT] to copy or save the songs.
The [Defaults] button resets all options to default settings. The [Close] button closes the dialog, saving the settings
but not copying anything.
Chords from a text file
You can copy chords in a text file and paste them into a Band-in-a-Box song. Type chords in a text file using a
vertical line for a bar line. If you want a blank bar, leave a space or type a % sign between vertical lines. For
example, you can type | D | G7 | | F | or | D | G7 | % | F |. You can use shortcuts and non-standard chord display
(e.g., | 1j | 2h | 53 |). To add breaks (rests/shots/holds), type period(s) after the chord. or carets. To add pushes, enter
caret(s) before the chord. If you want a part marker, type a or b and a parenthesis after a vertical line. You can type
as many bars as you like on each line.

You can even enter a whole song in a text file. The easiest way is to use the text file that you pasted the whole song
into. Some of the information pasted into that text file cannot be pasted back into Band-in-a-Box because they are
not applicable for a new song. For example, “Song Summary” is no applicable because this is automatically
generated in the song and cannot be edited by a user. However, it will not cause problems if you leave them in the
text file. You can include a title, a key, a tempo, a form, a style file name, and a memo.

When you are ready, press Ctrl+A to select all and Ctrl+C to copy. Then, in Band-in-a-Box, press Ctrl+Shift+V or
go to menu Edit | Paste Special - from Clipboard text to Song(s). This will open the Paste text to Song(s) dialog.

Song(s) Found in Paste: If you created multiple songs in the text file, you can select the song to paste.
Items to include in the paste: Check the items you want to include in the paste.
Paste as New Song: This mode will paste all the chords in the selected song into a new song

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Paste into current Song: This mode will paste into the selected bar in the current song. You can select either the
Whole song option to paste all chords in the song or the Range option to paste the chords in the selected range of the
song.
Save as SGU song(s): This mode will save the selected song or all songs on the clipboard as new song(s). To save
the selected song as a new song, select the Selected song option. Then, press OK, select a folder, and type a file
name. To save all songs as new songs, select the All songs in clipboard option, press OK, and select a folder.
Improved Copy/Move Track
The dialog now lets you copy or move audio from one track to another. Previously, you could only copy or move
MIDI.
Hovering the mouse cursor over the channel selector checkbox shows you the number of events on that channel.
When copying MIDI, you can now filter out various types of events.

Improved Copy Chords/Melody

Typing kk opens the Copy Chords and/or Melody dialog. Typing kk followed by two numbers separated by a
comma opens the dialog with presets. For example, hitting kk4,1<Enter> at bar 9 opens the dialog with presets to
copy 4 bars from bar 1 and paste them to bar 9.
The dialog now has a setting to include part markers.
There is now a “Close” button, so you can make presets and apply them to the k copy command. (Note that k and kk
copy command will preserve the current settings in this dialog. Use kk or Edit | Copy Special | Copy From.. To.. if
you want to change these settings.)
Bar-based lyrics and section text layers will be copied when the “Copy Lyrics” option is enabled.

Track Selection for Auto Intro

In the previous version, we added the option to play the auto-generated intro by “all tracks,” “drums only,” or “bass
and drums only.” Now, you can also select “drums then drums and bass,” “bass then bass and drums,” a specific
track (e.g., “piano only”), or any combination of tracks.

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Improved MIDI Import
You can now choose the destination track for multi-track MIDI files.
Hovering the mouse cursor over the channel selector checkbox shows you the number of events on that channel.
There are separate settings for filtering Continuous Controller events and Pitch Bend events. Previously, there was a
combined setting for these.

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7,000 More Titles for Song Titles Browser
We’ve added 7,000 more song titles including requests from users, so there are now 21,000 titles.

RealCharts for all RealDrums

We’ve added over 300 additional RealChart (with accurate Drum Notation and MIDI to trigger drum sounds) for
RealDrums. This means that now all RealDrums have RealChart.

Similar Style Selection

Band-in-a-Box can show a list of styles that are similar to the current style, sorted by similarity. Access this feature
from the [Style] button, right-clicking on the style on the main screen, or the File | Load Style Special menu item.

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Define C/D Using Same Style
There is a new option “Define c/d using same style” in the right-click menu on the Chord Sheet. This is the same as
the existing “Define c/d” option, except it would not open the StylePicker. It would just treat as if you went into the
StylePicker and picked the same style. It’s for being able to define c/d for display purposes without caring about the
style itself.

More Feel Filters in StylePicker

The StylePicker has Feel filters added for Even (Even 8th or Even 16th) and 16th (Even 16th or Swing 16th).

Avoid Transpositions for RealTracks Settable for All Songs and Individual Tracks
All tracks in all songs and individual tracks in the current song can be set to avoid transpositions for RealTracks.
Previously, only all tracks in the current song could be set for this. To set for all tracks in all songs, enable “Avoid
Transpositions” in the Global Song Override dialog (Options | Preferences | [Override]). To set for individual
tracks in the current song, right-click on the track radio button and go to Track Settings | Set track to avoid
transpositions.

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Custom Lead-in Option
You can set the lead-in option (yes/no and type) for the current song. This is in the Song Settings, Generate Chord
for Intro, and Count-in and Metronome Options dialogs.

Improved Bar-based Lyrics

Bar-based lyrics now display in the Big Lyrics window.

Track Selector with Full Track Names

In windows like Notation, Lead Sheet, Audio Edit, Piano Roll, etc., the track selector buttons that showed the
initials of the track names have been replaced by a track selector that shows the full track names. You can press it
and select a track from the menu, or just hover the mouse cursor over it and use the mouse wheel to quickly switch
tracks.

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New Notation Features
The time signature button has a better menu with options to select alternate notation display and to open dialogs like
Set Time Signature and Edit Settings for Current Bar to change the time signature.

A hint is added to the time signature button.

A button is added for the visual transpose. Click on the button and type a number of semitones to transpose.

If the song is in 4/4, there is an option to display it as cut time. For example, a bluegrass song that is currently
displaying with 16th notes will display using 8th notes. This allows easier readability and is ideal for displaying the
notation of songs that were specifically written in cut time.

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If the song is in 4/4, you can display it as 2/4 instead of 4/4, without changing the main time signature of the song to
2/4. This special 2/4 notation display mode lets you continue to generate better sounding RealTracks, etc. than if you
had switched the main time signature of the song to 2/4.

The time signature displays with a better size. The height of the time signature fills the whole height of the staff.
Old versions: New version:

Auto Vertical Scroll Option in Piano Roll Window

Previously, the auto scroll was always on, but now the new option allows you to disable it. This is useful when you
want to compare the similar tracks when you switch the tracks. For example, if you duplicate MIDI in the Utility
track #1 to the Utility track #2 and filter out notes on channel 11 (e.g., a Bass track), you can see the differences
between these tracks when you shift back and forth the tracks.

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New Hotkeys
There is a hotkey to insert N bars at the current location. For example, i8<Enter> would insert 8 bars at the current
location. This command is also added to the right-click menu on the Chord Sheet.

There is a hotkey to copy the last N bars and insert them to the current location. For example, ki8<Enter> or
ik8<Enter> would copy the last 8 bars and insert them to the current location. This command is also added to the
right-click menu on the Chord Sheet.

There is a hotkey to copy N bars from the bar M and insert them to the current location. For example, ik8,9<Enter>
or ki8,9<Enter> would copy 8 bars from the bar 9 and insert them to the current location. ikk8,9<Enter> or
kki8,9<Enter> would do the same, but launch the Copy Chord and/or Melody dialog, which allows you to choose
what to copy.

Alt+Shift+T will auto-generate a title to the current song.

Alt+Shift+F will open the Favorite Folders dialog.

Alt+Shift+S will save the current song to a favorite folder. This command is also added to File | Save Special
submenu.

New Option for Saving XML

When saving to XML, there is a new option to save exact chord text to XML rather than relying mainly on saving
the chord type and degrees.

…and more!

Thank you for taking time to read this introduction to Band-in-a-Box 2021!

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 Chapter 4: The Main Screen
Main Screen Overview
Band-in-a-Box supports Windows® themes. It will use the current theme that you have selected in the Windows®
Control Panel to use for windows and dialogs.
The main screen gives direct access to the major features and program settings of Band-in-a-Box for ease and
convenience during a session.
There are seven different areas on the main screen.
1→
2→
3→
←6
4→
5→

7→

1. The Status Bar is used to show program running status messages and path names of the currently loaded song.
This area also includes the Menu Bar, with typical Windows® menus for the program settings. Immediately
below it are the Track buttons, where instruments are assigned and sounds are chosen. Right-click on the
instrument names to open a menu of settings for that instrument.
2. The Main Tool Bar has buttons for direct access to important program features and menus. Hold the mouse
cursor on any button to see a pop-up hint that describes its function.
3. The Song Panel includes the song title and all the other settings for the song such as its Key Signature, Tempo,
and Chorus settings. The [Song] and [Style] buttons offer various ways of selecting songs and styles, including
the SongPicker and StylePicker dialogs.
4. The Function Tool Bars are organized into groups of buttons for related features such as Transport, Tools,
Views, and Tracks.
5. The Progress Bar displays a timeline for the current song.
6. The Mixer is always open in the top right corner. It provides live control of parts with Volume, Pan, Reverb, and
Tone settings. It also supports the assignment of plug-ins and patches to individual parts and has a piano
keyboard display.
7. The Chord Sheet Area occupies the lower part of the screen. Chord changes for the song are typed into the
numbered bars (cells) in the sheet. Part markers (a, b, through x) are entered here to switch between up to 24
Band-in-a-Box substyles. Repeats and endings are also shown.
The Band-in-a-Box window is resizable.
When the window size changes, the Chord Sheet, Notation, and other windows redraw in proportion to the new size.
This allows you to have Band-in-a-Box open as a small window on screen with other programs, and you still see a
full Chord Sheet. The screen size is remembered between sessions.
To resize the window, first unmaximize it.
Then use the sizing control at the bottom right. The various Band-in-a-Box windows will scale as you do this.
Band-in-a-Box will remember the position and size of the window between sessions.
Yellow Alert messages and green Action messages
You will see that many Band-in-a-Box messages appear as “yellow alerts” at the bottom right of the screen. That
way you don’t have to respond to the message, interrupting work flow. If the message box is green instead of
yellow, it’s an “action” message and you can click on it to perform the action described, such as loading a substitute

52 Chapter 4: The Main Screen

style. The green action messages have a close button, which is useful for closing them without performing the
action.

Descriptive Hints
The pop-up hints are comprehensive fly-by hints that appear
when you move over an item, including hints for the dialog boxes
and various windows.

Go to Options | Preferences or click on the [Prefs] toolbar button to open the Preferences dialog and then
set the type of hints to display, the time delay, and duration.
Set a longer delay if you find that the hints are popping up too often and getting in your way. Clicking on Flash Tips
will perform the suggested action.

Status Bar

The name of the open song is identified in the status bar at the top of the screen. The full file name and path name
are shown, as well as audio track information if present, the length of the song in minutes and seconds, and the
current position of the highlight cell. Other “running status” messages such as Soloist Generation and Song
Generation display in the status bar.
The status bar changes during playback to show additional information like the current bar and chorus location and
the current style. The on-screen file name includes “*” when a file has been changed.

Status bar during playback.

Track Buttons

This bar shows tracks in Band-in-a-Box, including:

- The Melody track, where you can record your own MIDI melody. Or just use it as a sequencer track to record any
MIDI track.
- The Soloist track, for solos generated by the Band-in-a-Box Soloist. This track can also be used as a MIDI
sequencer track if not needed for a solo.
- The Thru track for play-along on an outboard MIDI device or with the Band-in-a-Box Wizard feature.
- The Audio track for your recorded vocal or instrumental part, or an imported audio file.
The color of the track name indicates its type or state.
- White indicates that the track is empty and is not in use.
- Yellow indicates a MIDI track playing a Band-in-a-Box MIDI part.
- Green indicates a RealTrack instrument. If the track name is underlined, it also has RealChart notation. If [V] is
shown, the track has a video RealTracks.
- Blue indicates a MIDI SuperTracks.
- Orange is an Audio Performance track.

Chapter 4: The Main Screen 53

- Red means that the track has been muted. When one of the tracks is being soloed, all other tracks will change
color to red.
- For the Audio track, orange shows that an audio recording is present on the track.
If you have customized the track settings of a song (e.g., by overriding the settings in a style and putting a different
RealTracks), it will be indicated by an equal sign in the track name by an (e.g., =Piano).
Automatic track labels with numbers. With previous versions of Band-in-a-Box, the tracks were always called the
same names “Bass, Piano, Drums, Guitar, and Strings.” Now the names match the styles, and if the 2 tracks have the
same name, numbers will follow. For example, if you load in the Slow Bluegrass Waltz style, you will see these
names:

Note: If you prefer the “default” track labels (Bass/Piano/Drums/Guitar/Strings/Melody/Soloist), uncheck the “Auto-Generate Track
Labels” option in the Preferences dialog.
RealDrums can be added to any track, not just the Drums track, so you can have more than one drums track. To do
this, right-click on the track button and select Choose RealDrums from the menu. When there are multiple drums
tracks, they will be automatically called Drums 1, Drums 2 etc.

Utility Tracks
In addition to the tracks shown on the track button bar, there are 16 editable Utility tracks, which can be used for
audio and/or MIDI. You can generate RealTracks on the Utility tracks, where you can hear and edit the audio
RealTracks, or view and edit the RealCharts MIDI. You can record audio or import an audio file to the Utility tracks
to play, edit, or harmonize the audio. You can copy or move audio, MIDI, or both from other tracks to the Utility
tracks. You can record MIDI or import a MIDI file to the Utility tracks for playback, notation display, or editing.
Master Button Menu
When the Master button is selected, changes to volume, reverb, etc. will apply to all tracks. Right-click on
the Master button to open a menu of commands.

Mute and Un-Mute All will mute or unmute all parts.

Export Song as Audio File will render the tracks together into one audio file or render them as individual audio files.
Song has changed, needs regeneration will regenerate a new arrangement for all parts.
You can Render Song to Audio Track, which mutes the individual tracks and plays the rendered audio wave, or you
can Un-Render Song from Audio Track, which will erase the audio track and play the individual tracks again.
The Freeze and Un-freeze commands apply to all tracks.

54 Chapter 4: The Main Screen

If you like the current mix (of volumes, panning, reverb), and you want this applied as a default for all songs, choose
Save Current Mix as Default. Load Default Mix restores the default mix you have saved, and Reset Mix sets the mix
back to “factory defaults.”
Set Mix to Flat, Dry and Center sets the song to Flat (all volumes=90), Dry (no Reverb) and Center panning. This is
useful when rendering individual tracks and transferring to a DAW.
The Set Song to Simple Arrangement checkbox makes the RealTracks play a simpler (less busy or embellished)
arrangement.
This Song Volume Boost (range -36 to +36dB) opens a dialog where a dB value can be entered that will affect only
the current song. For reference, 6dB is generally considered to be double the volume; -6dB would be half the
volume.
All Songs Volume Boost (range -36 to +36dB) opens a dialog where a dB value can be entered to adjust the overall
volume of all songs. A setting of 6dB is twice as loud, -6dB half as loud.
Render Video(s) allows you to make a video of RealTracks that are selected for your song, optionally with the chord
sheet or the corresponding notation.
Track Buttons Menu
Right-click or double-click on a track button for a menu of settings and actions for the selected track. The menu is
organized into groups allowing easier selection of track types: audio (RealTracks, UserTracks, Loops) or MIDI
(MIDI SuperTracks, classic MIDI tracks) and track settings/actions.

Select RealTracks

Select RealTracks generates the track as a RealTrack using any available RealTracks instrument.
Find Best Sub will allow you to find a replacement that is similar to the currently selected RealTracks.
Select Best “All” RealTracks will show all RealTracks, sorted by best to worst for the current style, and Select Best
“Chording” RealTracks shows the list for comping (i.e. Chording, non-Soloist) RealTracks.
Select Best “Soloist” RealTracks to add a best Soloist to any track.
Choose RealTracks from Recently Chosen Favorites opens a list of recently used RealTracks.
Choose No RealTracks for this track will remove the current selection from the track.

Chapter 4: The Main Screen 55

 Generate MultiRiffs will generate 7 variations of riffs from the same RealTracks for either a portion of the song or
the whole song. Once the tracks are generated, the 7 files are saved as WAV files and can be accessed from the
Drop Station.
Add extra bar before and after the MultiRiff adds an extra bar before the riff begins to ensure that the riffs with
“pickup” (early) notes will be heard. It does not add an extra bar at the end of the riff unless there are trailing notes.
Select a UserTracks for this track lets you assign a track from the list in your UserTracks folder. UserTracks work
like RealTracks but are created from the user’s own audio recordings.
You can play an audio loop (your own or third party) on any track with the Select a Loop for this track command.
Choose RealDrums allows you to add RealDrums to any track, not just the Drums Track.
Select Guitar/Bass Amp Plugin will list all available TGS files for guitar/bass amp plugins. (Note: This menu item
will be shown on an audio track.)
Select MIDI Instrument (Patch) is used to assign an instrument to a MIDI track from the Hi-Q patch list, the General
MIDI patch list, the General MIDI 2 patch list, the higher bank patches on your particular synthesizer, or from a
preselected list of favorite patches.
Use the Select Hi-Q MIDI Patch Plugin command to select a preset of a Hi-
Q instrument and a VST plugin (e.g., sforzando). (Note: This menu item
will be shown on a MIDI track only.)

Select MIDI SuperTrack for this track opens a list of available MIDI SuperTracks. They can be used in the same
way as RealTracks.
Select Custom MIDI Style for this track lets you play your favorite MIDI track from any style on any track of your
current style, including the Melody and Soloist tracks. The track you assign doesn’t have to be the same instrument,
i.e., you could assign a Guitar to the Strings track.
Track Settings
XXX track is enabled. This command is the easy way to disable/enable
a track, even during song playback. To disable a track, right-click on
the track name (at top of the screen or on the mixer) and select
enable/disable the track. When a track is disabled, the color is dark
gray on the main screen and on the mixer.
You can Mute or Solo the individual part. Solo mutes all but the
soloed part.
Un-Mute All is useful to restore all other parts after a track has been
soloed.
Freeze the track if you do not want the track regenerated on each play.
Tracks can be unfrozen.
Force Track to simple arrangement makes the RealTracks play a
simpler (less busy or embellished) arrangement.
Set track to avoid transpositions allows the RealTracks to avoid
transposition. This will produce higher quality sound but less
variation.
Set Track offset allows the track to be moved ahead or behind by +/- 1000 ticks (at a resolution of 120 PPQ).
Track Timebase allows you to select a timebase (normal/half/double/triple).
Set Natural Arrangement allows re-interpretation of chords for the selected track of the current song.
Duplicate RealTracks (to thicken sound) duplicates the currently selected RealTracks on the track. You can then
set the stereo panning for each sub-track to achieve a fuller sound.
Rename track title allows you to change the track label for the selected track.
Change track description allows you to change the track description.

56 Chapter 4: The Main Screen

 Display dB instead of MIDI Volume allows you to see the Volume and Panning levels in the Mixer as decibels
instead of MIDI levels.
Auto-Fix “Sour” Notes is a feature that auto-fix out-of-tune notes in polyphonic audio, either for the generated
RealTracks or any audio track. This means that if a chord is played with multiple notes at once, this feature can fix
certain notes within that chord so that the note won’t clash with the chord progression or other tracks. You can
choose one of the following rules.
Song Chords: Any note outside of the current chord will be corrected to a closest chord tone. For example, if a
G# note is played on a CMaj7 chord (C, E, G, B), that note will be pitch shifted to a G note.
Song Key Signature: Any note outside of the key signature of the song will be corrected to a closest key tone. For
example, an Eb note played on a C major key (C, D, E, F, G, A, B) will be pitch shifted to an E note.
Song Key Signatures and Chords: Notes will be restricted to the key tones unless the current chord is outside of
the current key, in which case notes will be restricted to the chord tones. For example, on a C major key (C, D, E,
F, G, A, B), an E note played on a Dm7 chord (D, F, A, C) won’t be corrected, but an E note played on an F7
chord (F, A, C, Eb) will be pitch shifted to the closest chord tone F.
Specific Scale or Chord: Notes will be corrected based on a specific scale or chord that might not have anything to
do with the current song. This option will use the scale or chord that are selected in a dialog which opens with the
next menu item.
Choose specific Parameters: This allows you to customize the rules.
(Following menu items are for the Audio track.)
Set Base Tempo allows you to set the tempo of the audio so that tempo stretches will be based on the correct master
tempo.
Conform to Playback Tempo allows the track to conform to the tempo of the song during playback. For example, if
the base tempo of a Utility track is 120 and the tempo of the song is 140, then that track will be tempo stretched.
Track Actions

(re)Generate this RealTrack will (re)generate the track with the selected RealTrack.
Revert Track to Style Instrument will remove any custom instrument you have chosen for the track and revert to the
instrument in the style.
Erase Track removes either the MIDI data or RealTracks audio from the track.
Save track as WAV File allows you to save RealTracks or MIDI tracks to any drive or folder you choose as WAV
files, e.g., “Untitled Song BBGuitar_MIDI_SingleRender.WAV”
Save track as Performance File (wav/wma) renders the track to your choice of a WAV file or a WMA file. When
you choose, the track will be rendered to C:\bb\<Song Title><track name>(e.g. Bass).WAV or .WMA.
Render Video(s) allows you to make a video of RealTracks that are selected for your song, optionally with the chord
sheet or the corresponding notation.

Toolbars
The toolbar buttons give quick access to program features. They are grouped according to function.

Chapter 4: The Main Screen 57

Toolbar Modes
There are three modes for the toolbar.
You can switch the toolbar modes using the Mode Selector buttons at the top left of the screen.
1. Smaller, configurable toolbar with tabbed interface.

Tip: If you want to see the buttons in color, open the Display Options dialog by clicking on the Chord Sheet and press the
[Choose Skin] button.
In this mode, the [CUSTOM] tab lets you select and add buttons in the order that you want.
First, click on the [+] button on the right to open a palette
of buttons.
Then, while holding down the Ctrl key, drag buttons
around to add, remove, or set the order.

2. Taller toolbar, with fixed on-screen Mixer, useful for people with hi-res screens.
3. DAW mode. This makes a small screen, always on top. This is useful when you drag-and-drop tracks to your
favorite DAW.
Drop Station
The Drop Station is used to drag and drop tracks from Band-in-a-Box to Digital Audio
Workstations (DAWs) that don’t support direct drag and drop. Many DAWs will allow you to do
this directly, but, if your sequencer does not support the direct drop of a track that is not yet
generated, you can drag from a radio button (Master, Bass, Piano, etc.) to the Drop Station.
The Drop Station shows six different file types. Your file will be rendered to the file type you drop it in and the
button will change color to orange, indicating that the file is accepted and being prepared.
When you drop the track to the [+], you are presented with a dialog, where you can choose a file format and other
render options. (See Chapter 13 for details.)
When the button turns bright green, the track has been generated and is ready to drag from the Drop
zone to your DAW.
The Drop panel has a right-click menu, allowing you to copy the resulting file to a favorite folder, open the favorite
folder, start/stop the DAW Plug-in mode, upload to Dropbox, and more.

58 Chapter 4: The Main Screen

 The DAW Plugin button has two menu items. One starts or ends the plug-in mode, which lets you drag
and drop MIDI or audio files from Band-in-a-Box to your DAW or Explorer. The other opens a Plugin
settings dialog.
This dialog controls drag ‘n’ drop
operations. The [Help] button shows
detailed instructions.

File
For File functions like Open, Save etc.
The [New] button clears the Chord Sheet to start a new song. Band-in-a-Box reminds you to save your
work before it erases the chords.

The [Open] button shows a menu to open (load) songs into the program using various methods.

Use the [Prev] button to immediately open the previous song in the same folder (in alphabetical order)
without going through the usual file opening process.
Use the [Next] button to instantly open the next song in the same folder (in alphabetical order) without
going through the usual file opening process.
The [Save] button saves the song to disk with the standard Windows® Save As dialog.

The [Save As] button will show a menu to save a song using various methods.

The [.MID] button allows you to make a Standard MIDI File and save it to disk as a file with extension
.MID or to the Windows® clipboard with type “Standard MIDI File.” Type 0 and Type 1 MIDI files are

Chapter 4: The Main Screen 59

 supported, or you can also choose to save the song as a Karaoke file with the .KAR extension.

This will show a menu with options to save the song as an audio.

Use the [Print] button to launch the Print Options dialog, which allows you to print Lead Sheet or Fake
Sheet style notation.
The [Prefs] button will open a dialog where you can set various settings all at once and access most of
the program options.
This menu button launches either the Windows® Play control for sound output or the Windows® Record
control for the recording input.
The [Plugins] button has a menu to set options for VST/DX plugins, to open a default VSTi/DXi
software synthesizer, and to open the PG Music Reverb dialog.
Use this menu to launch various MIDI options and also to enable the MIDI keyboard Wizard for playing
along on the lower two rows of the QWERTY keyboard during playback.
This button will show menu options to edit or make styles.

This button will show menu options for various practice features.

The tuner button opens the Guitar Tuner so you can tune a guitar or other instrument that is plugged
into the sound card.
Click here for a link to video demonstrations and tutorials.

This will launch an internet browser and open the new feature tutorial page.

This will open the Feature Browser, which lists many features in Band-in-a-Box.

Song
For information related to the current song, such as current style, tempo, key, form, etc.

The [Song] button lets you load a song. This is a split button. The top half of the button uses
the default method to load a song. The bottom half shows a menu of different methods to load
a song and allows you to set the default action for the top.

60 Chapter 4: The Main Screen

 The [Style] button is also a split button, with the top half being the default function, and the
bottom half listing different methods to load a style and allows you to set the default.

The song title is displayed, and you can type in the name in this box. Directly below the song title, the style display
shows the style name and more information about the style.

- Style file name (Short)

- Style Name (Long)

- Style Memo
- List of instruments (and indication if they are MIDI or Real)

This button opens a full menu of settings to use for a polished song arrangement, including a tag
(coda), automatic endings, style variations and more. The [Help] button has full descriptions of these
features.
You can type any information about your song in the Memo window.

Chorus Begin button: Click on the button and then click on a bar number or type a number in the dialog to
select the first bar of the chorus. The Bar number that you select is displayed.
Chorus End button: Click on the button and then click on a bar number or type in the dialog to select the
last bar of the chorus. The Bar number that you select is displayed.

Chapter 4: The Main Screen 61

 The number of choruses possible for a tune is 40. Click on the chorus button and choose how many
choruses you require.
This is the feel (swing or even, and 8th of 16th) of the song. The feel is determined by the selected style.

This is the time signature of the song. You can click on it to change the time signature.

The Key box is used to set the key or to change it and transpose the song. When you press it, you see 2
columns of keys. The first column will set the key AND transpose the song; the second will just set the
key signature. The Visual Transpose setting is displayed in a small font next to the key. You can click
on it to launch a menu for selecting the setting.
The Tempo Control shows the current song tempo. Left-click on the up/down arrows to change the
tempo by +/- 5 beats per minute. Right-click to change it by +/- 1 bpm. Tempos can also be typed in
directly.
This button allows you to quickly set the relative tempo. Click on the button and choose a percentage or
use the Custom Tempo % menu item to set any value between 1% and 800%. 1% would be 1/100 of the
original tempo and 800% would be 8 times the original tempo. Hot keys are available: Ctrl - (minus
key) for half speed and Ctrl = for normal speed.
Use the Tap tempo buttons to count and set a tempo. Tap the [-] button in tempo four times to set the
tempo. It will appear in the tempo box. Tap the [=] button to count-in the song and start playback at the
tapped tempo. As you tap more than 4 times, the accuracy will improve (through averaging) and you can
continue to tap until the target tempo has been reached. For example, in a 4/4/ style, once you tap 4 times a
tempo will be set. But you can keep tapping and the tempo will change every beat, based on the average
tempo that you have typed.
Transport
Standard play controls, recording controls, Jukebox, and Conductor.
[Play] plays the song from the beginning without creating a new arrangement, unless regenerating is
required.

[Generate and Play] generates a new Band-in-a-Box arrangement and then plays the song.

[Loop] plays the selected (highlighted) section of the Chord Sheet in a loop. The dropdown menu has
settings for looping the entire song.
[Play from Bar] button is used to play a song starting anywhere in the song, including tags or endings.
This feature is also available from the right-click menu in the Chord Sheet.

The [Stop] button stops the song or the Jukebox from playing.

The [Pause/Continue] button pauses the song during playback. Press again to continue from the paused
location.

The [Record MIDI] button is to record a song from the beginning. The music that you play in to the
computer will then be stored on the Melody track. The hot key is Ctrl+R.

The [Record Audio] button launches the Record Audio dialog for live audio recording.

The [Play Jukebox] button is used to start or stop the Jukebox. The [] and [] arrow keys are
used to move to either the previous or next song in the Jukebox.
The Conductor window allows live, real time QWERTY keyboard or MIDI control of the song as it is
playing.

62 Chapter 4: The Main Screen

 This will open the Mixer window. The hot key is Ctrl+Shift+M.

Tools
Miscellaneous Band-in-a-Box tools.
Press the [Chord Solo] button to launch the Generate Guitar Chord Solo dialog.

This will automatically generate a song title for you. The menu also includes a command to generate
multiple titles.

This runs the Sequencer for control of multi-channel Melody or Soloist track. Each track can record up
to 16 separate channels.

This button launches the Chord Options dialog, which allows you to add chord pushes, rests, shots, and
held chords for any given bar.

This is the Chord Builder button. Chords may be heard and entered to the Chord Sheet by clicking in
this dialog.

This launches the Edit Settings for Current Bar dialog. This allows you to enter changes to the
arrangement at any bar or chorus. The hot key is F5.

This launches the Song Form Maker dialog and other tools to control the form of your song.

The grace note button enables the embellisher and opens the Melody Embellisher dialog for
customizing the Melody Embellisher.

Views
Chords, Notation, Guitar, Piano, Lyrics windows and more.
This button toggles between the Notation window, where you can enter chords and lyrics, edit notation,
and view MIDI notation, and the Chord Sheet, where you enter chords for your song.

Displays the Chord Sheet window. This is the default window in Band-in-a-Box, where you enter
chords.

This launches the Piano Roll window for editing the Melody or Soloist tracks in a piano roll format,
including graphic controller editing.

The Audio Edit window displays a graphical waveform and allows editing. Hold Shift when pressing to
open a moveable window.

This opens the Built-in Audio Chord Wizard, which will automatically figure out the chords from an
audio file.
The Lead Sheet notation is a full-screen notation window with optional Fake Sheet mode that shows 1st
and 2nd endings, repeats, and codas.
The [Guitar] button launches a guitar fretboard window that displays guitar notes as music is playing.

The [Big Piano] button launches a Big Piano window. It will display the notes to any track (except
drums) as the music is playing.

The [Drums] button launches an animated Drum Kit window. Press it to launch this fully functional (and
fun) GM-MIDI “virtual” drum kit.

Chapter 4: The Main Screen 63

 The [Video] button opens a menu with selections to open the Video window and the Generate Video
dialog.

This button opens the Big Lyrics window for full screen “Karaoke-style” scrolling lyrics. The menu also
includes the lyric document, karaoke window, and vocal synth for generating vocal audio from the lyrics
and melody.
Select for Fakesheet mode chord display with 1st/2nd endings and repeats. Use the menu to set
repeats, coda, and ending.
This will show a menu to select the chord font, chord color, type of chord display (standard, Roman
numeral, Nashville, etc.) and a list for visually transposing the notation for non-concert instruments.
Tracks
Methods of adding tracks to Band-in-a-Box (RealTracks, Loops, UserTracks, etc.)
This opens a menu with selections for the RealTracks Picker, RealTracks Preferences (settings), and a
command to “Select better RealTracks” for the song tempo.

This shows a menu with options to select RealDrums and open the RealDrums Preferences (settings).

This displays a dialog of available UserTracks, which are like RealTracks but are made by you or third
parties.

The Loops button is for the Loops Picker, where you can choose an audio loop (WAV, WMA, MP3,
MP4, M4A) to add to a track (e.g., nature sound, drum loop, etc.). Choose the track and then the loop.
Add your own loops to the Loops folder in the RealTracks folder.
Choose a MIDI SuperTrack or use the MIDI Track Picker to add a MIDI track from a different style to
the current song. Open the dialog and choose a track. Then choose the style and source track that you
want to add.
This opens a list of tracks with the option to freeze or unfreeze all tracks or just freeze individual tracks.
Frozen tracks play without regenerating for faster playback. This button also allows you to force tracks to
simple arrangements.
This button allows you to force any tracks or all tracks to play with simple arrangements. You can set this
for the current song or all songs.
Band-in-a-Box can automatically add MIDI harmonies to the Melody or the Thru/Soloist track, giving you
harmonies for your live playing on the Thru channel or QWERTY wizard.
The [Melodist] button opens the Generate Chords and/or Melody dialog, where you can choose the type
(or genre) of Melodist you wish to have generate a new song with chord changes and melody as well as an
improvised solo and an original song title.
This menu is for either selecting a RealTracks soloist from a list of best soloists, or to open the Select
Soloist Dialog, where you can choose a custom soloist (MIDI or RealTracks) to play over any given chord
changes.

Progress Bar

This bar displays a timeline for the current song. The current time is marked with a gray vertical line. You can click
on the bar to move the current time to that point. Part markers are marked with colored (blue, green, etc.) vertical
lines and the beginning of each chorus is marked with outlines. You can double-click on the bar to start playback
from that point.

Mixer
The Mixer window shows the current state of the tracks and allows easy changes or adjustments.

64 Chapter 4: The Main Screen

The window can be embedded in the main screen and is horizontally resizable to allow more room for the Chord
Sheet, Notation, Piano Roll, or Audio Edit window.
In the normal screen mode, the window can be embedded at the top right of the screen or the bottom right. You can
set this with the “Embedded Mixer Top Right” option in the Settings tab.
The small button at the top right corner will switch to the floating mode, which allows you to resize or move the
window to anywhere on the screen.
In the floating mode, you can change the window’s opacity. Left-click on these buttons to change the opacity
by a significant amount, or right-click on them to change it by a small amount.
You can select the tracks to display in the Mixer. Click on the “eye” button at the bottom right corner and
check the tracks to display.
The Mixer can scroll visible track panels. Use the arrow buttons at the bottom right corner, or the mouse wheel
if it is not used for controlling sliders and dials.
The Mixer automatically shows active tracks and hides unused tracks when playback starts. You can set this with
the “Auto Show/Hide Tracks When Starting Playback” option in the Settings tab.
You can change the track panel height by moving the mouse wheel while holding down the Ctrl key.
When resizing the window, the track panel height will be restricted to the customized settings. For example, if the
maximum panel height is set to a low value, then when you expand the window, there will be black portion below
the track panels, but if it’s set to a higher value, then when you expand the window, each track panel will be
stretched to fill the window.
You can drag track labels from the Mixer and drop them to the Drop Station to render audio or MIDI files.

You can double-click on the track label to rename it.

Right-click on a track label for a menu of settings and actions for the selected track. The menu is organized into
groups allowing easier selection of track types: audio (RealTracks, UserTracks, Loops) or MIDI (MIDI SuperTracks,
classic MIDI tracks) and track settings/actions.
The window has five different screens for Mixer, Plugins, Piano, Patches, and Settings.
The default screen is Mixer.

Chapter 4: The Main Screen 65

In the Mixer screen, each individual track has settings for Volume, Pan, Reverb, and Tone that can be adjusted as the
song is playing. Volume, Pan, and Reverb are controlled by horizontal sliders. Tone is controlled by typing in a
number from -18 (full bass) to 18 (full treble), or by clicking on a number and dragging the mouse cursor vertically.
You can also control the sliders and dials with the mouse wheel while the mouse cursor is over them.
You can set Volume and Panning to display as decibels instead of MIDI values. This makes sense when you are
mostly dealing with RealTracks, RealDrums, and audio tracks. To display as decibels for all tracks, enable the
“Display dB Instead of MIDI Volume” option in the Settings tab. To set for each track, right-click on a track and
select Track Settings | Display dB Instead of MIDI volume.
Hold the Ctrl key down as you click on the track slider or drag the thumb of the slider. This will force all tracks to
move to the same absolute location as the original track. Hold the Shift key and it will move all tracks relative to the
move of the original track.
Double-clicking on the slider sets the value to a default value.
Each track has its own VU meter to show the sound level, and buttons to Mute, Solo and Freeze the
track. The Mute and Solo states of each track will be saved in the songs and will be loaded the next time
you open them.
There is also a Master section with a Mute button, VU meters, and Master Volume controls.

The Master Volume is a true Master Volume, in that it applies a decibel (dB) boost to the master signal, independent
of the tracks’ volumes. So, for example, if you want all Band-in-a-Box songs to be louder, you can simply set the
“All Songs” Master volume slider (e.g., to +6 dB) and this boost will apply to audio output from all instruments
(MIDI and audio) for all songs.
The [Plugins] screen allows you to assign up to four DX or VST plugins to each track.

MIDI tracks have 4 slots. The first slot can take a synthesizer (e.g., Sforzando, Coyote GM, Garritan Aria, and
HyperCanvas) and the other 3 can take audio effects (e.g., reverb, compression etc.).
Audio tracks have 4 slots. There is no synthesizer slot, so they have 4 for audio.
Click on a plugin name, and use the menu to choose a plugin, load or save a preset or a group of plugins, change
plugins settings, and do more.

66 Chapter 4: The Main Screen

Plugins Options
This dialog opens with the Plugins Settings menu item.

Scan for VST plugins on bootup: Enable this option if you want Band-in-a-Box to scan for new VST plugins every
time it boots up. This only includes plugins that have not been found previously.
Scan for DX plugins on bootup: Enable this option if you want Band-in-a-Box to scan for new DX plugins every
time it boots up.
Automatically open plugin window when assigning: If this is checked, a plugin’s window will open automatically
when you assign to a track. This only applies if the Plugins dialog is open.
Do not allow keyboard input to plugin windows: Enabling this will prevent plugin windows from taking focus
away from Band-in-a-Box, so keyboard input always goes directly to the main program. Disable this if you are
using plugins that use keyboard input.
Automatically arrange plugin windows: Plugin windows can be arranged automatically according to the assigned
track, and the position in the plugin chain. It this option is disabled, then each plugin window will open at its
previous position.
[Exclude MIDI Plugins] is for selecting the MIDI plugins to exclude. Excluded plugins will not show up in the lists
and will never be loaded by Band-in-a-Box.
[Exclude Audio Plugins] is for selecting the audio plugins to exclude. Excluded plugins will not show up in the
lists and will never be loaded by Band-in-a-Box.
[Exclude Plugins] allows you to choose specific VST plugin files that you do not want Band-in-a-Box to attempt to
load when scanning for new plugins.
Multiple plugins GUI windows can be used simultaneously. These can be accessed from the Plugins section of the
Mixer. Right-click on a plugin button to automatically show or hide the plugin’s GUI, or left-click and choose Show
Plugin Window from the menu.
Each MIDI track can send its MIDI output to another track. By default, all accompaniment tracks route to the
default synth, but you can choose a plugin on another track. This is accessed from the Plugin’s context menu on the
Mixer.

Chapter 4: The Main Screen 67

MIDI plugin’s audio output can be controlled in the Mixer with 3 new settings. This allows MIDI plugin’s sound to
be controlled the same way as audio tracks (RealTracks, RealDrums, etc.). These settings are accessed from the
Plugin’s context menu on the Mixer.
Attenuate Synth Output Volume and Panning: This will
change the gain of the plugin’s audio output based on
the Volume and Panning controls on the Mixer. When
this is enabled, MIDI controllers for volume will not be
sent to the plugin. This setting is useful for plugins that
do not respond to MIDI controllers.
Filter Synth Output: This will apply high/low-pass
filtering to the plugin’s audio output based on the Tone
control on the Mixer.
Send Synth Output to Master Reverb: This will send the
plugin’s audio output to the Master Reverb based on the
Reverb control on the Mixer.

The [Pianos] screen shows the notes that are playing on each track on a piano keyboard.

The [Patches] screen shows full instrument names.

Clicking on any instrument name opens the menu for selecting or changing the instrument.
The Settings screen allows you to set options for the Mixer.

68 Chapter 4: The Main Screen

 Load Mute and Solo States with Songs: If this is enabled,
the Mute and Solo states of each track will be saved in the
songs and will be loaded the next time you open the songs.
Display dB Instead of MIDI Volume: With this option, you
can see Volume and Panning in decibels instead of MIDI
values. This option can also be set manually for each track
with the right-click menu on the track name.
New Plugins Default to Mixer Control: When adding a new
MIDI plugin, “Attenuate Synth Output Volume and Panning,”
“Filter Synth Output,” and Send Synth Output to Master
Reverb” settings will be enabled. These allow the Mixer to
control the plugin’s volume/panning/reverb/tone.
Allow Mouse Wheel to Control Sliders/Dials: If this is
enabled, you can control the sliders and dials with the mouse
wheel while the mouse cursor is over them.
Auto Show/Hide Tracks When Starting Playback: If this is checked, then when playback starts, active tracks will
be shown but unused tracks will be hidden.
Auto Minimize Floating Mixer When Starting Playback: If this is enabled, starting playback will reposition the
Mixer to the minimal size and position, and stopping playback will reposition back to the custom size and position.
Embedded Mixer Top Right: This option applies to the embedded Mixer in the normal screen mode. Enable this if
you want the Mixer positioned at the top right of the screen rather than the bottom right.
Auto Generate Track Labels: If this option is enabled, the Mixer will display auto-generated labels (e.g., Banjo,
Harmonica, etc.) instead of the default track labels (Bass, Piano, Melody, etc.)
Minimum Panel Height / Maximum Panel Height: With these options, the track panels will be restricted to a
certain height when resizing the Mixer.
Tempo/Pitch Stretching Quality: This allows you to select quality of the tempo and pitch stretching. You can
select “High” if you have a fast computer, but you should select “Low” if you have a slower computer and are
hearing stuttering during playback.

Chord Sheet
Chords, rests, shots, holds, and part markers are entered in the Chord Sheet.
The Chord Sheet can be viewed in the full linear view showing all bars, or optionally in fake sheet view that shows
1st and 2nd endings and repeat signs. Another option shows bars past the end of the song in gray.

You can change the number of rows and columns displayed on the Chord Sheet with the zoom buttons at the bottom
right.
These will increase/decrease the number of rows.
These will increase the number of columns.
This will revert back to auto.
You can also use the mouse wheel to change the number of rows and columns instantly.
- Moving the mouse wheel while holding the Ctrl key changes the number of rows.
- Moving the mouse wheel while holding the Shift key changes the number of columns.

Chapter 4: The Main Screen 69

You can use Tab and Shift+Tab keys to navigate through the Chord Sheet.
In the Chord Sheet, typing special words, instead of chord names, will make the following settings.
begin<Enter> sets the beginning of the chorus to the current bar
chorusend<Enter> sets the end of the song to the current bar
end<Enter> sets the end of the chorus to the current bar
tkc<Enter> sets key signature to C, tkbb would set it to Bb
trc<Enter> transposes song to key of C
t125<Enter> sets tempo to 125
s<Enter> launches the StylePicker.
You can quick-load a song by typing only. Type the word “Song” followed by a file name or partial file name, and
the song will get loaded in. For example, type C:\a\MySong.sgu to load in that exact song name. Type “bossa” to
load in the first song with bossa in the name AFTER the current song name, in the current folder.
Quick-load a style by typing only “style” followed by a style name, e.g., stylezzbossa<Enter> will load in
zzbossa.sty.
Time signature changes will be displayed on the Chord Sheet if the “Show time signature changes” option is enabled
in the Display Options dialog.

Fake Sheet Mode

Open the demo song “Repeats Tutorial example 2 with 1st-2nd and DC al Fine” from the
C:\bb\Documentation\Tutorials\Tutorial - Repeats and Endings folder.
To view the Chord Sheet in the Fake Sheet mode, press the [Fake Sheet] button on the toolbar and
enable the Display Chord Sheet in Fakesheet Mode menu item.

When you disable the Fake Sheet mode by pressing the [Fake Sheet] button and deselecting the
Display Chord Sheet in Fakesheet Mode menu item, the Chord Sheet will display in the full linear
mode.
In this mode, you see all the bars in the order that they will be played.

Chord Entry
The basic way of entering a song into Band-in-a-Box is to type in the chords to the song on the Chord Sheet
(worksheet). The arrow keys move the active (highlighted) cell around in the Chord Sheet. The Enter key advances

70 Chapter 4: The Main Screen

to the next ½ bar. Chords can be entered from the QWERTY keyboard or an external MIDI keyboard (see Window |
MIDI Chord Detection…).
Chords are typed in using any of the supported chord symbol displays:
1. Standard chord symbols (C, Fm7, Bb7, Bb13#9/E).
2. Roman numerals (Imaj7).
3. Nashville Notation (1Maj7).
4. Solfeggio (DoMaj7).
5. Fixed Do. In Italy and other parts of Europe, chords like C7 are always referred to by the Solfeggio name (Do7
for C7) regardless of the key signature.
Notes: It is not necessary to type upper or lower case. The program will sort this out for you. Any chord may be entered with an
alternate root (“Slash Chord”) e.g., C7/E = C7 with E bass. Separate chords with commas to enter 2 chords in a 2-beat cell, e.g.,
Dm, G7

Chord Sheet Options

“Layers”

Layers are optional rows of information shown above each bar. When there is no additional information within a
row, that row will not show to maximize space on the Chord Sheet.
You can choose what to display for layers by clicking on the [Chord Display] button on the toolbar
and selecting Layers.

- “Section Text” layer is for editable text (up to 255 characters per bar) that is loaded and saved with the song.

- “Bar Lyrics” layer is for editable bar-based lyrics (up to 255 characters per bar) that are loaded and saved with the
song.

- “Section Text” and “Bar Lyrics” layers will attempt to intelligently separate your lyrics into different bars. For
example, if you have a whole song of lyrics in Notepad and the lyrics for every bar are on separate lines, you can
simply highlight the entire block of text and paste it into Band-in-a-Box using CTRL+V. Every line of text will
occupy a separate bar. If the lyrics have not been distributed into the correct bars, you can move your text cursor

Chapter 4: The Main Screen 71

 to the beginning of a bar and press BACKSPACE to move the lyrics to the previous bar. This will shuffle the text
in the following bars one bar backward as well. Hitting ENTER will move all of the text after the text cursor to
the next bar and shuffle the text in the following bars one bar forward. If you wish to see more than one line
within a bar, you can hold down CTRL while using the ENTER key, which forces a line break (second line) within
the bar.
- “Bar Settings” layer shows information about any changes that occur for that bar, as set in the Bar Settings dialog
(e.g., tempo changes, key changes, etc.).

- “Additional Chord Display” layer shows the chords using the normal display or an alternative mode of showing
root notes. There are 4 alternative modes: Roman Numeral, Nashville Notation, Solfeggio Notation, and Fixed Do
(Italy/Europe).

The height of this layer can be set as a percentage of the main chord using the “Height % of Additional Chord
Display layer” setting in the Display Options dialog. For example, you might want to see Nashville Notation as
big as the main chord display below it.
- The “Concert Key” option allows you to display an additional chord display of the same chords transposed to a
different key. So, for example, you can see two layers, one with concert chords, and the other for Bb instruments.
- All the layers can be customized with font and color in the Display Options dialog.

- Right-clicking in a layer has a menu with options to change height of the layer, close layer(s), copy/cut/paste, etc.

Display Options Dialog

You can set up the Chord Sheet with your own preferences.
Go to Options | Preferences or click on the [Prefs] toolbar button to open the Preferences, and
then click on the [Display] button to open the Display Options dialog. You can also right-click
on the Chord Sheet and select Display Options from the menu to open this dialog.

72 Chapter 4: The Main Screen

Chord Sheet Color
You can choose any color for each element on the Chord Sheet. For example, you can choose
color for substyle A & B part markers. Previously, the color of the chords was always black, so
you were limited to brighter colors for the background since darker backgrounds would make the
chord text hard to see. Now, all the colors can be picked from the color palette, and any changes
you make can be seen on the Chord Sheet in real time.
Superscript Option
Superscript shows the chord extensions with smaller raised font, making the root of the chord more distinguishable,
and also helping maximize space on the Chord Sheet. The Display Options dialog has separate settings for the main
chords and additional chords.

In this example, extensions of the main chords will always show with small raised font, but extensions of the
additional chords will not show with superscript.

Number of Columns
You can set the number of bars to show on a row with the “Number of Columns” option. This can also be done with
the zoom buttons at the right bottom on the Chord Sheet.

Space between Columns

You can set the border thickness between columns with the “Extra space between columns (pixels)” option.

Chapter 4: The Main Screen 73

Chord Sheet Font and Colors
Chord Sheet font and color can be also changed easily from the on-screen button, with visual menu.
Transpose Chord Sheet option
This button also allows you to quickly transpose your song.
If the Chord Sheet or Notation window transpose setting is in effect, a yellow hint message opens on boot up as a
reminder.

When the Chord Sheet is transposed, you can type in chords in the transposed key, and they will show up as you
have entered them, instead of requiring you to enter the chords in the concert key.
Part Markers
Part Markers are placed on the Chord Sheet to indicate a new part of the song, to insert a substyle
change, or to insert drum fills.
They typically occur every 8 bars or so but may be placed at the beginning of any bar.

Section Paragraphs
When you’re reading a book, a new section begins on a new line, with space between. Band-in-a-Box does that for
chords too. Whenever a new section occurs (a part marker), we start the new section on a new line and draw a grey
line above to clearly mark the new section. A section can be as short as 2 bars. You will see each section on a new
line so that the form of the song is easier to see. The feature is configurable and optional.
Chord Sheet Editing Features
The Chord Sheet has a contextual menu that opens with a right-click in the Chord Sheet area. This menu is a very
convenient way to access the features for editing song arrangements.

74 Chapter 4: The Main Screen

 Chords can be copied, pasted, cut, or erased and new chords can
be entered from the Chord Builder.
Chord Settings allow pushes, rests, and pedal bass to be applied.
Bar Settings let you refine your arrangement with changes in
tempo, meter, key signature, styles, RealDrums, volume levels,
patches, and harmonies.
Song Settings allow rests and pushes, and also control tags,
endings, and fadeouts.
Display Options allow full customization of the Chord Sheet.
Global system settings are accessed in the Preferences.
You can also right-click on a bar in the Chord Sheet to set it as
the beginning or end of the chorus or the end of the song from the
settings in the context menu. For example, these settings are
available with a right-click on bar 16.
This menu can be used to start playback from the highlighted bar
in any chorus of the song.
Bar-Based Section Letters lets you add a letter or number,
which will display just above the bar number on the Chord Sheet.
Print Chords will open the Print Options dialog. You can then
press the [OK Print Chords] button in the dialog to print the
chord sheet.
Insert Bars or Delete Bars lets you insert or delete a specific
number of bars at the current bar.

Play Selected Area as a Loop

To use this function, select a region on the Chord Sheet. To select a region, click a bar and drag the mouse. To
select a large region, click a bar and SHIFT-click on the end point.

Tip: You can select a region of bars just by using the keyboard. Hold down the SHIFT key and use the cursor keys.
Click on the [Loop] button and select Play and loop highlighted region from the menu, or press F10, and
the program will play the selected region and loop the selection. For example, you can select bars 19 and
20, and then press F10, and bars 19 and 20 will play looped.

The Loop menu includes the Loop Section Settings.

Chapter 4: The Main Screen 75

To enter settings manually in this dialog, you start by choosing either “Loop a Single Screen of Notation” or “Loop
Range of Bars.”
“Loop a Single Screen of Notation” (Ctrl+NUMPAD 7) loops a single screen of notation at the current song
location. The length of the loop is determined by the number of “Bars/Screen” specified in the Notation Window
Options.
Select “Loop Range of Bars” if you want a custom range of bars, then enter the starting “From Bar” number, the
“Chorus #,” and the “# bars” for the length of the looped section. You can then play the song with the [Play within
loop] button and then [Close] the dialog.
Presets are available to set the loop points to Introduction, First / Middle /Last Choruses or First & Middle, Middle &
Last combinations, Ending, or All.
As the different buttons are selected you will see the “Loop Range of
Bars” settings update.

Hot keys are also available for these, look in the Play menu under the
Looping submenu.

76 Chapter 4: The Main Screen

 Chapter 5: Playing Songs
Opening Files
Band-in-a-Box supports most popular song formats in addition to its own native song files. It will open most audio
file formats, and its powerful Audio Chord Wizard feature will interpret the chords from an audio file and write them
to a Band-in-a-Box song file. You can also play karaoke files, including Karaoke MP3/CDG files with scrolling
graphical lyrics, in Band-in-a-Box.
You can quick-load a song by typing only. In chord entry mode type the word “Song” followed by a file name, or
partial file name, and the song will get loaded in. For example, type C:\a\MySong.sgu to load in that exact song
name. Type “bossa” to load in the first song with bossa in the name AFTER the current song name, in the current
folder.
You can load a song from the [Open] or [Song] button on the toolbar.
The [Open] button opens a menu of commands for opening files by various methods.

The [Song] button is a split button. Clicking on the top half opens a song selection dialog using the
default method assigned to the button. Clicking on the bottom half of the button opens a menu of the
options for opening songs.
The default method for the top half of the button is assigned
from this menu. For example, if there is a check mark beside
“SongPicker,” clicking on the top half of the button will
launch the SongPicker dialog. If “Recently loaded songs” is
checked, clicking the button will go directly to the Recently
Played Songs list, and so on.

Open File
The BB File Open dialog is opened with the menu command Open File or the F3 function key.

Chapter 5: Playing Songs 77

 Tip: You can also press the s s 4 Enter keys to open this dialog file.

It shows and opens all available file types.

If MySong.MGU is loaded, and a same named audio file (MySong.WMA, MySong.MP3, MySong.WAV, etc.) is
present, Band-in-a-Box will open the audio file to the audio track. This allows third parties to make audio files with
chords in them, by making a MySong.MGU and MySong.MP3 pair of files, which will load into Band-in-a-Box yet
will have the audio compressed to take up little disk space. For example, make a teaching set of trombone files for
Band-in-a-Box, with audio trombone track, and Band-in-a-Box file with chords, all fitting in a small file size.
Drag & Drop Files to Band-in-a-Box
You can drop many file types onto the Band-in-a-Box screen, and they will be loaded into the program either as a
new file or added to an existing song. File types include Band-in-a-Box songs (.SGU/.MGU), MIDI (.MID), and
audio (.WAV/.M4A/.MP3). Simply drag the file and drop it anywhere on the Band-in-a-Box screen, including
various windows.
Open Song by Titles (SongPicker)
The SongPicker shows information for up to 60,000 songs. It has many filter features for finding songs. You can
also search songs that have similar chord progressions or melody fragments.
Tip: Pressing the s s Enter keys quickly opens the SongPicker.

78 Chapter 5: Playing Songs

The first time you open the SongPicker, Band-in-a-Box will ask you to build the song list for C:\bb\Song, which is
your “home” folder. This is an empty folder but is used for you to put any songs.

Press the [Rebuild] button to build the song list for this folder.
If the song list build is taking more than 3 seconds, the progress bar will appear.

If you want to see the song list in other folders, press the [Change] button. You will see some menu options to
choose folders. There is also an option to always open the home folder.

If the “Open in Home” option is enabled, the SongPicker will always open in the home folder instead
of the current folder when you press the default [Song] button to open the SongPicker.
You can change the width of any column in the song list by dragging the boundary. This customization will be
remembered between sessions.

Title - This is the title of the song.

SubFolder - If the folder has subfolders, they will show here.
File - This is the file name of the song.
Melody - A letter “M” indicates that the song has the Melody track. A blank column means that the Melody track is
empty.
Soloist - A letter “S” tells you that the Soloist track is present. If the column is blank, the Soloist track is empty.
Lyrics - If the song has note-based lyrics, a letter “L” will show in this column.
Key - This is the key of the song.
TimeSig - The number shown is the numerator of the time signature, so “4” means the song is in 4/4 time and “3”
means it is in 3/4 time.
Tempo - The tempo of the song displays.
Genre - This tells you the genre of the song.
Feel - The feel (even/swing, 8th/16th) will show in this column.
Form - This shows you the song form. For example, if 1-32*3 is shown, the chorus starts at the bar 1 and ends at
the bar 32, and there are 3 choruses in the song.
Date - The file was last modified in this year/month.
In the area below the song list, you can see the chord progression of the currently highlighted song.

You can copy and paste it into a text file.

Chapter 5: Playing Songs 79

The song list can be filtered in many ways.

Type in any text, and the filtered list will show songs that contains the text in any field.

The “Subfolders” button allows you to filter the list by a certain subfolder of the current folder.

You can use “Genre/Feel” button to filter the list by genre, feel (even/swing, 8th/16th), or time signature.

80 Chapter 5: Playing Songs

The “Chords/Melody” button allows you to filter the list by a chord progression and/or a melody fragment.

The “Other” button is to filter the list by a certain style, songs with melody/soloist/lyrics, certain keys, tempo range,
or file dates from certain years.

The Songs with Custom Chord Progression item in the “Chords/Melody” filter menu helps you find songs that
contain a chord progression that you specify.

When the Custom Chord Progression Match dialog opens, type in a chord progression using a vertical line for a
bar line. (e.g., Dm7 | G7 | C |)

This function will always find the progressions in every key; for example, it will find | Am7 | D7 | G.

Chapter 5: Playing Songs 81

 Note: The search will find variations of the chords. For example, when searching for a C, it will find CMaj7, C/E.
Tip: If you want to find songs in a certain key, then press the “Other” filter button, go to Songs in this key, and select a key.
If you want to find the progression that is relative to the key of C (i.e., Dm7 is IIm7), then you should enable the
“Only match if relative to this key” checkbox and set the key to C.
Enable “Key must match exactly” if you want to find the songs of the same key.
If “Chord Extension must match exactly” is enabled, the SongPicker will list songs that match the chord extension.
(For example, C7 would not match C9 or C7b5.) If this option is disabled, the chord extension will be ignored. (For
example, C7 would match C9 or C7b5.)
Enable “Time Sig must match” if you want to find the songs of the same time signature.
The Songs with Chord progression matching current song item in the “Chords/Melody” filter menu will help you
find songs that has a similar chord progression in the selected range of the current song.

In the Song Chord Match dialog, specify the range by entering the start bar number and the number of bars. When
you press the [Update] button, the chord progression in that range will display.

With the Songs matching melody bar range item in the “Chords/Melody” filter menu, you can find songs with a
similar melody fragment in the selected range of the current song.

When the Song Melody Match dialog opens, select the source track (Melody or Soloist), and specify the range.

82 Chapter 5: Playing Songs

If you want to find songs with a similar chord progression and a melody fragment in the selected range of the current
song, select the Songs matching Chords and melody bar range menu item.

In the Song Chords and Melody Match dialogs, select the source track (Melody or Soloist) and specify the range.

There are more buttons in the SongPicker for opening and finding songs.

Chapter 5: Playing Songs 83

The [Open] button allows you to open files of any available format from any folder.
Press the [Recent] button if you want to open recently played songs.
The [Fav] button is for opening your favorite songs.
Use the [Fav Folder] button to open files from your favorite folders.
The [Find] button opens the Find song files dialog, which helps you find files by using a keyword, file date, size,
etc.
The [Search] button allows you to find a song that contains a certain text in any field. You can continue the same
search with the [G] button.
Press the [Rebuild] button to rebuild the song list for the current folder. The song list build very fast; approximately
150 songs will be processed per second.
The [Action Menu] button allows you to select additional options.
You can reset the dialog with the [Defaults] button.
Open Recently Chosen Songs / Open Favorite Songs
There’s a dialog for these favorites with separate lists of Recently Played and Favorite songs. There are 2 radio
buttons in this dialog, showing both recently used songs and a list of “favorites” that you select. Use the menu
commands or the keystrokes Shift+F3 to open the lists.
Tip: You can also use the following hot keys: s s 2 Enter for the recently played songs and s s 3 Enter for the favorite songs.

The Favorites and Recently Played Radio buttons toggle between a list of your recently played songs and your
favorite songs.
When “Save As” is used to save a song with a different name, the new name will be added to the Recently Played
Songs dialog.
Use the [To Top], [Up], and [Down] buttons to navigate up and down the list or to jump to the top of the list.
[Insert] adds a song at the current list location. [Append] adds a song to the end of the list. [Delete] removes the
selected item.
The [Search] button allows you to search a file by a keyword.
[Juke] lists can be edited, sorted, saved/loaded, and used with the jukebox. You can add an unlimited number of
favorites.

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The list will start off as an empty one. But you can add songs as your favorites, by clicking the [Add Fav] button
(this button is also found in the StylePicker).
The [Sort] button sorts the list alphabetically.
The [Load Set] and [Save Set] buttons allow you to save and load sets of favorites or recently played songs (or
styles). Once you have the set, you can press the [Juke...] button. This will play the set file in order, not randomly.
It will start from the currently selected song.
You can make a new list of songs for a set by using the [Clear] button to clear the Favorites list, followed by the
[Append], [Insert], and [Delete] buttons to add songs.
If “Play when chosen” is enabled, when you press the [OK] button the song will play automatically.
If “OK to auto-ad recent files” is enabled, every song you load will be added to the top of the Favorites list.
Technical Note: The list of songs/style favorites is stored in a text file called SongFavorites.txt (or StyleFavorites.txt) in the
C:\bb\Preferences folder.

Open Previous Song

This command opens the previous song in alphabetical order in the current folder.
Tip: Pressing the Ctrl+Shift+F8 or s s 7 Enter keys opens the previous song.

Open Next Song

This command opens the next song in alphabetical order in the currently active folder.
Tip: Pressing the Shift+F8 or s s 8 Enter keys opens the next song.

Open Entire MIDI File (mid) to Melody Track

This command launches the Open File dialog showing a list of available MIDI files in the current folder and opens
the selected file to the Melody track.
Tip: You can also press the s s 9 Enter keys to open a MIDI file.

Open Entire Karaoke File (kar) to Melody Track

This launches the Open File dialog showing a list of available Karaoke files in the current folder and opens the
selected file to the Melody track.
Tip: You can also press the s s 1 3 Enter keys to open a MIDI file.

Open MusicXML File

Band-in-a-Box supports MusicXML so you can easily import MusicXML files including notes, chords, lyrics, guitar
tab, bends, hammer-ons, pull-offs, and slides, from your notation programs such as Finale, Sibelius, and Guitar Pro
to Band-in-a-Box.
When you select this menu command and select a MusicXML file (.musicxml/.XML/.MXL), the Load XML File
dialog will open.

First, select a track that you want to load. To select multiple tracks, hold down the CTRL key and click a track.

Chapter 5: Playing Songs 85

If you want to change the destination track, right-click on a track and select Destination Track.

Select items that you want to load from the MusicXML file.
If you do not want all the tracks to be merged into the Melody track, disable the “Load all
XML tracks to Melody” option.
This setting allows you to load the MusicXML file from a
certain bar. For example, a setting of “4” will load the MusicXML file from bar 5.
Press [OK], and the MusicXML file will be loaded to Band-in-a-Box.
Note: When loading a MusicXML file, if more than 20% of notes are triplet notes, then the overall
beat resolution will be automatically set to 3 in the Notation window.
Tip: If the source track is drums, the track type of the destination track (Melody or Soloist) will be automatically set to Drums.

Open ABC Notation File

ABC notation is the simple text-based notation system used by musicians worldwide to store chords, melody, and
lyrics of songs. You can find out more information about the songs and ABC notation at abcnotation.com.
Open Audio File
This command launches the Open File dialog with a list of audio files of all supported types (.WAV, .WMA, .MP3,
.MP4, .M4A, .WMV audio, and audio CD) found in the current folder.
Tip: You can also press the s s 10 Enter keys to open an audio file.

Open from Favorite Folders

The menu command File | Open Special | Favorite Folders launches the Favorite Folders dialog with a list of
recently used folders. To open a song using this dialog you first select the folder from the list, and then you can
directly open the song from that folder. This allows you to quickly find a song in another folder.
Tip: This dialog also opens with the s s 6 Enter or Alt+Shift+F keys.

Song Finder
This launches the Find song files dialog that allows you to find a Band-in-a-Box song (or any file that Band-in-a-
Box can open). This dialog also opens from the menu File | Open Special | Find File.
Tip: This dialog also opens with the s s 11 Enter keys.

You can define your search by the name and location of the file, or by the date and size.

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Name & Location
This includes filtering by words found in the file name or any text in the file. For example, you can
- get a listing of all Band-in-a-Box songs on your PC with the word “Blues” in the title.
- get a listing of all Band-in-a-Box songs in the BB folder with the word “Reggae” in them.

Date & Size

Use this window to search in a particular range of dates or times. This can be useful if you have multiple versions of
a file from different dates and sessions.

File Associations
Go to the menu item File | File Utilities to associate the file types for Band-in-a-Box songs and styles in Windows®.
Once set, this means that you can double-click on a song or style and Band-in-a-Box will open with that song or
style.
Choose the menu items File | File Utilities | Associate File types (songs, styles) with Windows… to associate the
Band-in-a-Box file types, and Remove File Associations (songs, styles) with Windows… to remove the associations.

Global Song Overrides

These overrides let you ignore settings that were saved in song files.
The global overrides are found in Preferences [Overrides], and they allow you to set the
overall song looping (always OFF, always ON, or as set in the song). Similar overrides are
available to see which other information gets loaded from a file, such as patches, harmonies,
volume, reverb, chorus, panning, and bank changes. For example, you can set every song to load with looping ON,
and don’t load any reverb settings from songs.
Overall Looping of song

For example, if you want every song loaded to have looping set to on, then set the Overall Looping of song option
to “Always set loop to ON.” But if you are going out on a playing job, and don’t want any songs to loop, then set it
to “Always set loop to OFF.” If you want the settings to work the same way they did in previous versions, choose
“As set in the song” or press the [Defaults] button.

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 Allow Songs to load settings for
If set, these items will be allowed to be loaded from
songs. If not, the settings will be ignored when loading
songs.
Convert line-based lyrics to bar-based lyrics
In the previous versions, there were line-based lyrics,
which could be entered for each line on the Notation
window. You can no longer enter this type of lyrics, but
if your existing song has line-based lyrics, Band-in-a-
Box can convert them to bar-based-lyrics. This option
allows you to choose how the conversion should occur
when the song with line-based lyrics opens. The default
is “Always (auto-split),” which will convert line-based
lyrics to bar-based lyrics and splitting them into 4 bars.
If you choose “Always (don’t split),” line-based lyrics
will be converted but they won’t be split into 4 bars.
You can also choose not to convert line-based lyrics
automatically. If the current song has line-based lyrics,
you can press the [Convert now] button to convert them
to bar-based lyrics.
OK to Load Notation Symbols with songs
If this is not selected, notation symbols (slurs, staccato,
crescendos) will not be loaded from the song.
The options under Defaults for new songs are settings
from the Song Settings dialog.
When Vary Style in Middle Choruses is selected
(default), the song will play in substyle B throughout the
middle choruses, playing substyle A for the first and last
choruses only. If this setting is not selected, then the
substyle changes will follow the part markers entered on
the Chord Sheet.
When Force to Simple Arrangement is selected, the song plays a simpler (less busy or embellished) arrangement.
The Avoid Transpositions option allows the RealTracks to avoid transposition for all tracks in all songs. This will
produce higher quality sound but less variation. (Note: To use this feature for all tracks in the current song, set the
option in Song Settings dialog. To set for each track in the current song, use the right-click menu on the track radio
buttons.)
The [Pop/Country] preset button turns both of these settings off for a typical Pop or County arrangement that
follows part markers and does not embellish chords.
The [Jazz] preset button turns both of these settings on for a typical Jazz arrangement to support soloing over the
middle choruses and allow Jazz chord embellishments.
Use the options under Force Tracks to Simple Arrangements for All Songs to set individual tracks or all tracks to
simple arrangements for all songs. If you want to force simple arrangements on a song-by-song basis, use the
[Simple] button on the toolbar.

Changing the Style

The [Style] button is a split button. Clicking on the top half opens a style selection dialog using the
default method assigned to the button. Clicking on the bottom half of the button opens a menu of the
options for selecting styles. The default method for the top half of the button is assigned from this menu.
For example, if there is a check mark beside “StylePicker,” clicking on the top half of the button

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 will launch the StylePicker dialog. “Band Styles” opens a list
of style categories. If “Recently Used Styles” is checked,
clicking the button will go directly to the Recently Played
Styles list, and so on.

The StylePicker
The StylePicker window lists all styles with full information. It has a great filter feature for finding a perfect style
for your song by selecting elements such as time signature, feel, or tempo, or by simply typing in a familiar song
title.
You can browse styles by sorting columns or hear an “instant” preview of the style by double-clicking on the list. If
style has both MIDI and RealDrums available, you can hear both, and choose which one you want. This makes it
much faster to find the style that fits your song.
Tip: You can quickly launch the StylePicker by the S Enter or Ctrl+F9 keys.

Quick Filter
Type a text and/or press the arrow button to select a category, time signature, feel, etc., and you will immediately see
the filtered list. If “Include Similar” is unchecked, then the filtered list will show the exact match only, but if this
option is checked, then the list will show the exact match and the similar styles.

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Style suggestion
Just type in a familiar song title, artist name, or genre of music, and the StylePicker will filter the list by the genre,
feel, tempo, and time signature of that song title.

Type in a text, click on a song to select it, and press [Enter]. Then, the list will be filtered to show styles that match
the elements of the song. You can see what filters are in place when you look at the “Style Filter by:” area. If you
enable the “Include Similar” option, the filtered list will include similar styles, but if you want to see only the exact
match, then uncheck this option.

Song Titles Browser

The Song Titles Browser window allows you to browse and filter the huge list of over 21,000 popular song titles.
You can, for example, filter by a certain artist, and then sort all the songs by tempo, key, feel, time signature, and
more.
You can open this window with the [Find Titles]
button.

Note: You can also open the Song Titles Browser window by clicking on the [Style] button on the toolbar and selecting the
Choose style from Song Title menu item.
Tip: Pressing the s 3 Enter keys quickly opens the Song Titles Browser window.

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Once you have found a song, press the [OK - Find Matching Styles] button. This will take you to the StylePicker
window with styles that best match the tempo, feel, and genre of the selected song title.

Instant Preview of Styles

You can audition a style without changing your existing arrangement, by using the preview control.

It has Play and Stop buttons, a progress bar, a Loop button and a file button.
Also, when the control is playing, if there are 2 files that can be played, there is a toggle button displayed. This
appears for previewing MIDI styles, because there are MIDI drums and RealDrums available for most MIDI styles,
and now you can easily hear both.
To hear a preview, simply double-click on a style name in the list. Or highlight a style and press the Play button.
The demos are pre-made, so they play instantly. And they are a good idea of what the style is supposed to sound
like.
The style demos are found in 2 possible places:

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1. On your hard drive, in the Data\Style Demos Audio folder of your RealTracks folder, usually
C:\bb\RealTracks\Data\Style Demos Audio (some of the demos are included on disk, but to save space not all of
them are included).
2. On the Internet, at www.pgmusic.com (all of the demos are there).
When you demo a style, the program will play the version on disk if available; otherwise will play from the Internet.
The style demos sometimes play files from the internet. You can download a file that is being played from the
internet by clicking this button. If the file is being played on your hard drive, this button will show the file in a
folder.
This button allows you to control the volume of demos.
Play Your Song with the Styles
You can also audition a style by actually playing it over the current chord progression of your song.

Pressing the [Play] button will generate arrangement for your song with the currently highlighted style. You can
speed up the generation if you enable the “4 bar Preview” option, which will play only for the first 4 bars.
RealStyles and Styles with RealTracks
RealStyles are Band-in-a-Box styles that use RealTracks only. The style names for RealStyles are prefaced by an
underscore, _.

Styles with RealTracks are a blend of MIDI tracks and RealTracks. Style names for Styles with RealTracks are
prefaced by an equal sign, =.

Styles with RealDrums use RealDrums for the Drums track and MIDI tracks for other tracks. Style names for Styles
with RealDrums are prefaced by a hyphen -.

Band Styles
When you select this menu item, you will see a directory of style types, with
submenus sorted into the listed categories.
Tip: Pressing the s 2 Enter keys quickly shows you the submenus.

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For example, in the Jazz section you will see styles for Jazz Swing, Bossa/Latin, Cuban/Bolero, Smooth Jazz, and
Gypsy Jazz/Dixieland. Each heading opens a list of selected RealStyles, sorted by tempo and type.

You can also load in a song demo by choosing the menu item.
This list of styles can be customized by the user. You can create a text file of styles to add to the top and/or bottom
of the list (i.e. above or below the list of styles provided by PG Music). To customize this list at the top, create a file
called C:\bb\Data\RealCombos_User_Top.txt, to customize this list at the bottom create a file called
C:\bb\Data\RealCombos_User_Bottom.txt.
The format of the file is identical to the one that PG Music includes, which is called C:\bb\Data\RealCombos.txt.
You can list a line of text (for a heading) e.g.
---- My Favorite Country Styles ----
or a line with a style on it e.g.
_JAZFRED$ Jazz Style with 4 in the bar Guitar
On this line, the $ character is a delimiter between the style name and the description.
Press the [Video Help] toolbar button for a tutorial on editing the Band styles list.

Chapter 5: Playing Songs 93

Playing/Pausing/Stopping Songs
This will replay the song without regenerating the tracks, unless regeneration is required. The current
arrangement is preserved. (Freeze the song or save to a MIDI file to permanently save the arrangement.)

This will create a new arrangement and plays the song. If you don’t want your tracks regenerated use
[Play].

Click this button for a menu of looping selections. You can play the highlighted section of the Chord Sheet
or Notation window in an endless loop. Click and drag the mouse to highlight a section of bars to loop. If
the checkbox is selected, the entire song will loop.
This will play the song starting at the selected chorus and bar number. Use it to jump to any bar in the song.
You can also start playback from any bar by right-clicking on the bar and selecting the Play from Bar menu
item.
This will stop song playback.

This will pause playback with the [Pause/Continue] button; resume from the same location by pressing it
again.

You can also use the Play menu commands or keystrokes.

You can double-click on any bar on the Chord Sheet or Notation window
to start playback at that location.
There is also an option in the Preferences dialog to start and stop playback with the spacebar. The spacebar or
double-click can be used on an ending bar (or a bar in the tag), and it will play from the ending (or tag).
You can also right-click on the Chord Sheet or
the Notation window to start playing.

Options for Simpler Arrangements

The [Simple] button on the toolbar allows you to set individual tracks or all tracks to unembellished arrangements.
The simple arrangement option can be set on a song-by-song basis or for all songs.
If you set the Drums track to be simple, then the Drum track will avoid fills or post fills (cymbal crashes). You can
also set a Drums track to be simple in a style. UserTracks will also follow this setting for Drums and play a simpler
arrangement without fills if you set the Drums track to Simple.

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Lead-In Counts and Metronome
These settings are made in the Preferences dialog. Click on the [Count-in/Met.] button to
open the Count-in and Metronome Options dialog.

The default count-in is two bars, but there is an option to shorten it to a 1 bar lead-in.
You can select any drum instrument for the count-in and choose different count-in rhythms (e.g., Tap on 2 and 4
instead of 1-2-3-4).
The Smart Lead-in feature avoids playing the count-in drum sound during a Melody pickup.
There’s an option to play the drum count-in in all circumstances, useful when the style doesn’t have drums or for
drummers who play along with Band-in-a-Box by muting the drum track.
You can display the Visible Metronome on-screen during the entire song (or just
the lead-in). Choose the screen position, the size (up to near full screen size), and
the visual metronome pattern. The on-screen metronome is a great way for a
student to learn to keep on the beat, and with a settable size, students can view this
from across the room.
The Audible Metronome can be set to sound “During
record,” during “Record and Play,” or “None” - turned
off entirely.
Part Settings for Playback
The individual tracks are controlled with the Mixer.

Chapter 5: Playing Songs 95

 Right-click or double-click on a track name for a menu of settings and
actions for the selected part. The menu is organized into groups allowing
easier selection of track types: audio (RealTracks, UserTracks, Loops) or
MIDI (MIDI SuperTracks, classic MIDI tracks) and track settings/actions.

Mute, Solo, and Freeze Tracks

Each track has its own VU meter as well as buttons to [M]ute, [S]olo, and [*] Freeze the track. The Mute
and Solo states of each track will be saved in the songs and will be loaded the next time you open them.
Muting a Track
Click on the Mute button to silence the selected track. The button will turn red to show it is active.
To mute/unmute all parts as the song is playing, simply press Alt+ 2 or right-click on the “Master”
radio button at the top of the screen and select Mute in the menu.
Solo a Track
While listening to Band-in-a-Box, you can solo (isolate) a certain track by clicking on the Solo button.
Or you could hold the Ctrl key and mouse click (left or right) on the track button at the top of the screen. For
example, if you want to hear only the Piano track, Ctrl+click on the Piano track button. If you want to use hot keys
for this, you can press Alt+2 (Mute-All) and then Alt+4 (Unmute Piano).
You can change the solo and the mute status of other tracks by right-clicking on a blue mute button. For example, if
the Guitar track is in the solo status, when you right-click on the blue mute button on the Drums track, the Drums
track will be un-muted AND the Guitar track will be un-soloed.
Freeze a Track
Any track can be frozen (MIDI or RealTracks). When frozen, it won’t get changed or re- generated. This saves
time when replaying previous songs, and lets you freeze an arrangement that you like. The [*] buttons on the Mixer
freeze the individual tracks.
Use the snowflake button on the toolbar for additional options, which include freezing the whole song.

Changing Volume, Panning, Reverb, Tone

In the Mixer screen, each individual track has settings for Volume, Pan, Reverb, and Tone that can be adjusted as the
song is playing. Volume, Pan, and Reverb are controlled by horizontal sliders. Tone is controlled by typing in a
number from -18 (full bass) to 18 (full treble), or by clicking on a number and dragging the mouse cursor vertically.
You can also control the sliders and dials with the mouse wheel while the mouse cursor is over them.

Hold the Ctrl key down as you click on the track slider or drag the thumb of the slider. This will force all tracks to
move to the same absolute location as the original track. Hold the Shift key and it will move all tracks relative to the
move of the original track.
Double-clicking on the slider sets the value to a default value.
There is also a Master section with a Mute button, VU meters, and Master Volume controls.

The Master Volume is a new type of volume setting for Band-in-a-Box, and is a true Master Volume, in that it
applies a decibel (dB) boost to the master signal, independent of the tracks’ volumes. So for example, if you want all

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Band-in-a-Box songs to be louder, you can simply set the “All Songs” Master volume slider (e.g., +6 dB) and this
boost will apply to audio output from all instruments (MIDI and audio) for all songs.
Slide Tracks
This is a menu command (Edit | Slide Tracks…) that allows you to move any of the Bass, Drums, Piano, Guitar,
Strings, Melody, or Soloist tracks ahead or behind by a definable amount. For example, slide the Bass track a little
ahead of the rest of the band to make the bass player “drive the band.”
To slide tracks, select the Slide Tracks option from the Edit menu. The values are measured in “ticks-per-beat” with
120 ticks being the equivalent of a quarter note. The musically useful range is from -10 to 10.

Allow Any Slides

If you want the slides to occur, then set this to YES.
Humanize Slides
If set to YES, the slides will be humanized to slide the track a different amount for each note. The amount varies
from 0 ticks (none) to the slide setting for the instrument.
Press the [Default] button to fill the tracks with default slide values.
Press the [Zeros] button to “zero-out” the slide values for all tracks.
Press the [Update] button to affect your changes and hear the result instantly.
Tip: A track that always plays notes early by a certain amount tends to sound out of time, whereas humanizing the slide makes
the track sounds more alive.

Play Selected Area as a Loop

Shift-click on the [Play] button or press F10 (Play Selected Area as Loop), and the program will play the selected
region and loop the selection. For example, you can select bars 10 and 11 and then press F10, and bars 10 and 11
will play looped.
To use this function, select a region on the Chord Sheet.

Choose Play | Play & Loop Highlighted Section (or press F10). The selected region will then play and continues
looping until STOP is pressed.
Loop Button Menu
The [Loop] toolbar button opens a menu with the full list of looping options.
Click on the looping option you want, either the entire song or just a section that you select. Selecting the checkbox
on the button enables looping for the entire song. The Loop Section Settings dialog lets you choose exactly what to
loop.

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Loop any Section of the song
You can loop any section of the song. The program will then start playback at the first loop point and play the
looped section until stopped.
Looping of a section of the song is enabled in the Loop button menu or with
the keystroke [NUMPAD 1].
Select Loop Section Dialog from the Loop menu button to open the Loop
Section Settings dialog, or press [NUMPAD 2].
The Loop Section Settings dialog will then display.

The “Play within loop” command allows you to quickly play a looped section. Highlight the range of bars to loop on
the Chord Sheet, press NUMPAD 2 to open the Loop Section Settings dialog, and click on the [Play within loop]
button.
To enter settings manually in this dialog, you start by choosing either “Loop a Single Screen of Notation” or “Loop
Range of Bars.”
“Loop a Single Screen of Notation” (Ctrl+NUMPAD 7) loops a single screen of notation at the current song
location. The length of the loop is determined by the number of “Bars/Screen” specified in the Notation Window
Options.
Select “Loop Range of Bars” if you want a custom range of bars, then enter the starting “From Bar” number, the
“Chorus #,” and the “# bars” for the length of the looped section. You can then play the song with the [Play within
loop] button and then [Close] the dialog.
Presets are available to set the loop points to Introduction, First / Middle /Last Choruses or First & Middle, Middle &
Last combinations, Ending, or All.

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 As the different buttons are selected you will see the “Loop Range of
Bars” settings update.

Hot keys are also available for these, look in the Play menu under the
Looping submenu.
Loop Practicing Feature

Getting the mute to loop every Nth time is helpful to

learn a certain phrase. For the loops, you play along with the phrase, and then “you’re on your own” when the
phrase gets muted every Nth loop. You can choose the track to mute and how often the track mutes.

The “Advance to next loop every Nth loop” option

allows you to practice and learn a whole song, by getting each section repeated a certain number of bars.
Once you have these settings made, you can just start a loop the usual way. For example, highlight a region, press
the [Loop] button, and select Play and loop highlighted region (or press [F10]). Or you can type L4 <enter> to start
a 4-bar loop.
Loop Keystroke Commands (useful for live performance)
NUMPAD 1 Toggle looping on/off.
NUMPAD 2 Open Loop Section Settings dialog.
Ctrl+NUMPAD 1 Play with last chorus looped.
Ctrl+NUMPAD 2 Play with middle choruses looped.
Ctrl+NUMPAD 3 Play with middle and last choruses looped.
Ctrl+NUMPAD 4 Jump to last chorus.
Ctrl+NUMPAD 5 Jump to ending.
Ctrl+NUMPAD 7 Loop Notation screen.
NUMPAD [DEL] Advances the Notation, Lead Sheet, and Guitar windows by one chord (group of notes).
NUMPAD [INS] Backs up the Notation, Lead Sheet, and Guitar windows by one chord.
Notebook users should set “Simulate NUMPAD Keys” to “ON” in the Preferences dialog, then use the regular
number keys to trigger looping.
The Title bar at the top of the main screen indicates the looping status. If a song has a looped section, this will be
listed at the top of the screen (e.g., “Will loop Middle Choruses” or “Currently looping Middle Choruses”). So you
can tell what is going to happen with the looping during a live performance.
Quick command for Looping
Looping has been enhanced with an “L” command for quickly setting a loop.
For example:
- L Enter will loop at the current point for 4 bars. (The “4” is a selectable value. See below.)
- L 8 Enter will loop for 8 bars.
- L 8, 12 Enter will loop for 8 bars starting at bar 12.
- L 8, 12, 2 Enter will loop for 8 bars starting at bar 12 of chorus 2.

The “Default Length” option in the Loop Section Settings dialog determines the number of bars looped when you
hit L [Enter] keys. For example, if this is set to 4 bars, then L [Enter] will loop 4 bars.

Chapter 5: Playing Songs 99

“Conductor”- Live Looping/Playback control
As the song is playing, many “single key” hot keys are now available to control the playback and looping of
the song.

Play along with your MIDI Controller Keyboard

If you have an external MIDI keyboard controller connected to your computer system, you can use the MIDI THRU
features to play along with the program.
When playing along on a keyboard to the Band-in-a-Box “band,” if the sound of your
keyboard is too quiet and increasing the THRU Volume doesn’t help enough, use this option to boost the THRU
velocity and make your playing on the THRU channel louder. To set this “THRU velocity boost,” open the MIDI
Settings dialog (Options | Preferences | Channels). Click on the [Options] button and set “Boost THRU Velocity
by” to a value in the range of –127 to +127 in the MIDI Options dialog. (Default is 0.)
Harmonize your play along track by choosing MIDI Thru Harmony (Alt+F11) from the [Harmony] menu
button to choose a harmony, just as you would for the Melody.

Play Along Wizard

The Play Along Wizard is controlled with the bottom two rows of your computer’s QWERTY keyboard or your
connected MIDI keyboard. The bottom row of keys plays chord tones; the second row plays passing tones. You
play any key in either row and never make a mistake! The Wizard keys are active during playback.

To use this feature, press the [MIDI] toolbar button and enter a check for MIDI Keyboard Wizard Enabled.

You can also select the Wizard Playalong feature option from the Play menu.
In the Play menu, toggle Wizard uses “Smart” notes to “off” (unchecked) to have the Wizard provide you access to
the chromatic scale. Toggle it “on” to have access only to the notes based on the chord/key of the song.

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 Also, the Wizard works with the harmony feature, so you can play along live in 4-part saxophone
harmony for example.

Melody Wizard
For songs with melodies, there are QWERTY keys (Enter, \ , T, 6) that trigger notes from the melody as the song is
being played. Other keys trigger 1-4 approach notes from below or above. The notes can be recorded, to humanize a
stiff melody with better timing, and approach notes also useful for sight reading, rhythm practice or to perform.
Works with harmonies
- Melody notes: T, 6, Enter, \
- Same Melody note: 5
- Approach notes: QWER YUIO
- Octave set: 1, 2, 3
MIDI notes also work (if Preferences [Transpose] is set to “Allow Melody Wizard on THRU part”).
- Octave set: E(40), F(41), G(43)
- Melody notes: F(53), G(55)
- Approach notes: B(47), C, D, E A, B, C, D(62)
To use the Melody Wizard, make sure the MIDI Keyboard
Wizard is enabled on the [MIDI] menu button.
This will also enable the MIDI Wizard on the QWERTY keys.
If you also want to use the Melody Wizard on MIDI notes, go to Preferences [Transpose] and enable “Allow
Melody Wizard on THRU part” in the Settings for transposing songs when loaded or “Do it Now” dialog.

*.MGU Then, choose a song that has a Melody track.

Mute the Melody track by right-clicking on the Melody track (Alt+8).
Play the song.

Enter or \ As you play the song, you can use the Enter key or the \ key (or T or 6 above the T)
to play Melody notes.
W,E,R,T These will be approach notes up to the melody. You can start on any note.
Q,E,R,T Starting on a Q instead of W will use wider voicings for approach notes.
I,U,Y,T These will be approach notes down to the melody. Start on any note.
O,U,Y,T Starting on an O instead of I will use wider voicings for approach notes.
MIDI Keyboard Wizard
By turning on this Wizard setting in the Options | Preferences Transpose dialog, notes
played on a Thru channel MIDI keyboard will be played through the Wizard. C, E, G, and Bb will be mapped to
chord tones while D, F, A, and B will be passing tones.
Changing Instruments / Settings for the Wizard
As a play along instrument, the Wizard uses the Thru instrument part. To change the instrument patch,
volume, reverb, etc. for the Wizard select the Thru instrument in the Mixer.
MIDI Normalize
If performing a live set, or at a jam session, it helps to have the volume of all of the songs be similar. Now, with a
MIDI Normalize feature, you can level the volumes to a setting in the program options. For example, you can set all
volumes to be 70 and the program will make each song play within those levels. This is done in the Preferences
[Arrange] tab.
When you have set the normalize to “on” the title window at the top of the screen
reports that Normalization is set to 70, and that the velocity of the currently playing song has been increased from 65
to 70.

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The normalization will affect bass, drums, piano, guitar, and strings. If you select the “Including melody and
Soloist” option, the normalization will also affect the Melody and Soloist parts.
Outputting MIDI to an External Device
Some external music hardware devices require chords played in root position to drive them in real time.
An example of this is the Vocalist. It will let you sing into a microphone and harmonize your voice according to the
chords that are input to the device. Band-in-a-Box has the capability of outputting a separate channel with the chords
in root position to support such external devices automatically.
There are also settings such as complexity of chords, output channel, velocity, and note range. It will also drive
“Real time Arrangers” like the Roland RA series. The best way to accomplish this is to access the Options |
Preferences and select the [OutputCh.] button. You will then be given a window like this:
Click on the [Vocalist] button if you have such a
device connected to your MIDI system. Band-in-a-Box
will then send it the appropriate chord information
automatically as your song is playing (e.g., root
position triads).

Changing MIDI Instrument

To select a MIDI Instrument for any MIDI track, right-click on the track radio button at the top of the screen and go
to Select MIDI Instrument (Patch) and choose one of the menu commands.

Select Hi-Q Patch Plugin - Use this menu command if you want to select a preset of a Hi-Q MIDI instrument and a
VST plugin (e.g., sforzando).
Select no MIDI Patch - This will remove the current selection of the MIDI Instrument.
Select General MIDI Patch - This will allow you to select an instrument from the list of GM patches.
Select GM 2 Patch - This will allow you to select an instrument from General MIDI 2 patches.
Select Higher Bank Patch (from .Pat file) - This will allow you to select a higher bank instrument on your particular
synthesizer.
About Patch Changes
Patch changes are embedded in the Band-in-a-Box styles and these patches are loaded with songs by default. They
can be disabled in the MIDI Options dialog found in the Preferences. Alternate patches can be saved with a song
(Alt+F2).
General MIDI 2 support
General MIDI 2 standard (GM2) adds 128 more MIDI instruments to Band-in-a-Box styles and songs, including
ukulele, mandolin, 12-string guitar plus many new and improved piano, organ, guitar, brass, and string sounds.

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 Note: The included Coyote synth supports GM2 instruments, as do most newer modules/sound chips. If yours doesn’t, a similar
instrument from the existing 128 General MIDI sounds will be substituted.

The type of GM2 support is set in the MIDI Driver Setup dialog (Options | MIDI/Audio Driver Setup). The choices
are:
- General MIDI 2 support: If you’re using a newer Sound Canvas then choose this GM2 support.
- Roland GS (older Modules): “Older” Sound Canvases (SC55/SC88) support GS, but not GM2. The good news is
that they have the same patches available, just at different locations. So, if you choose this option, Band-in-a-Box
will find the patches at the “GS” locations instead of the “GM2” locations. If you have a newer GS module like
the SC8820 that supports both GM2 and GS, you should likely choose GM2.
- No GM2 support: Most sound cards don’t have GM2 support yet, so just support the original 128 General MIDI
sounds. Band-in-a-Box will use the closest instrument in these cases.

You can select a GM2

patch in the Select MIDI Patch submenu of the
Track (right-click) menu. This shows a menu
grouped by instrument types.

Additional Patches
A “patch” is a MIDI instrument name. Examples of patches are Acoustic Bass, Electric Piano, and Violin. Patches
are used to emulate real instruments through MIDI playback. Band-in-a-Box defaults to using the standard bank of
General MIDI patches used by all MIDI manufacturers, but many MIDI synthesizers and sound cards have additional
patches available as alternatives to the basic GM list. These sounds are typically found on higher banks in memory.
Patches on Higher Banks Dialog

You can select a higher bank patch in the Select MIDI Patch submenu of the
Track (right-click) menu. This opens the Patches on Higher Banks dialog for easy access to patches on all other
banks as well as General MIDI.

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To narrow your sound search you can do one or all of the following:
- Open the patch list and select an instrument (i.e. Electric Bass, Acoustic Piano, etc.)
- Click on the “Include Family” checkbox to have other offerings of similar type shown. (i.e., all bass family
patches, all keyboard family patches, etc.)
- Find a patch by keyword by clicking the [Search…] button and typing some letters that you know are in the name
(e.g., “mando” will find your mandolin patch and any others containing “mando”).

Click on this button to go to the PG Music web page where you can download
more patch files from https://www.pgmusic.com/support_miscellaneous.htm.
Converting Synthesizer Patch Lists in Band-in-a-Box
Band-in-a-Box can read a patch file list generated by PowerTracks Pro Audio or Cakewalk and convert it to a .PAT
file for use in Band-in-a-Box.
Converting PowerTracks patch list to Band-in-a-Box .Pat files.
PowerTracks stores its patch lists in a single file, called PATCHES.INI. This file contains all of the patch lists for
the synths supported by PowerTracks. Band-in-a-Box stores the patch list for each synth in a separate file, with an
extension of .PAT.
To convert a PowerTracks patch file to a Band-in-a-Box Patch file, you will be choosing the C:\pt\patches.ini, and
then choosing the synth that you want to convert to a .PAT file.
Open the Patches on Higher Banks dialog from the Select MIDI Patch
submenu of the right-click tracks menu.
Note: If a .PAT file has not been previously selected, a File Open dialog will appear. Select a .PAT file from the
C:\bb\Data\Util\Synth Kits\ directory to launch the Patches on Higher Banks dialog.
Press the [Open INI/INS…] button to launch the Open File dialog.

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Choose the file C:\pt\patches.ini.
You will then see a menu of synths stored in the
patches.INI file.
Select one to convert.

Create a name for the .PAT file (e.g., My Patch List.PAT) and save it to C:\bb\Data\Util\Synth Kits.

Converting a Cakewalk .Ins file to a Band-in-a-Box .Pat file.

This is done using the same process described above for PowerTracks, except that you open the individual .INS file
instead of a PATCHES.INI file. For example, if you have a Cakewalk file called “My Synth.INS” you would select
this file name. You would then save that converted list to C:\bb\Data\Util\Synth Kits\My Synth.PAT.
Hi-Q MIDI Instruments for sforzando
We have added a new VST synthesizer, with support for popular .SFZ sound format, as well as PG Music’s Hi-Q
sounds. Many sounds that have been developed with the .SFZ format are available on the internet and are ready to
play with Band-in-a-Box using this synth. Your existing Band-in-a-Box Hi-Q sounds will play using this
synthesizer, so previous songs or styles you made will play with this new synth. This synth is installed with Band-
in-a-Box and is ready to play and does not require configuration.

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Most of the interaction between Band-in-a-Box and the sforzando synth will be behind-the-scenes, so you don’t need
to do anything. Just “pick a style and press play” as usual. This is because the styles that need to use the synth are
coded to do so in the style, using the Hi-Q patch.

If you want to add a specific Hi-Q sound, right-click on the track button and go to Select MIDI Instrument (Patch) |
Select Hi-Q MIDI Patch Plugin.
This will display a list of available Hi-Q sounds.

When you choose a Hi-Q sound from the list, sforzando will be loaded, with the Hi-Q instrument.

If you want to use a custom sound, such as a .SFZ sound that you have acquired, then you can launch the sforzando
synth on the track that you want, by right-clicking on the first slot in the [Plugins] panel. (Note: You need to pick a
MIDI track for this, not a “green” audio track.)

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Save Your Mixer Settings
Save your song with the [Save As] button, choosing the menu item Save Song with Patches Harmony,
or with the menu command File | Save Special | Save Song with Patches & Harmony, to save all of
your Mixer settings.

Adding Real Instruments – RealDrums and RealTracks

Your songs, styles, and solos can use live audio tracks recorded by studio musicians. These live recordings can be
assigned to the Band-in-a-Box tracks in the RealDrums Settings or RealTracks Settings dialogs.
RealDrums
There are several ways to hear RealDrums with new or existing Band-in-a-Box songs.
We provide many styles that already have RealDrums. These styles can be identified by the style name beginning
with a minus sign. For example, “-ZZJAZZ.STY” is a version of the ZZJAZZ.STY that uses RealDrums.
Styles (.STY) can have RealDrums (e.g., “–ZZJAZZ.STY”). This
setting is found in the StyleMaker’s Misc. Style Settings dialog.

You can set the RealDrum style inside the StyleMaker, by pressing the [Misc] button, and then typing the
name of the RealDrum style.
RealDrums can be substituted for MIDI drums on existing styles in the RealDrums Settings
dialog, which opens with Ctrl+click on the RealDrums toolbar button or with the
[RealDrums] button in the Preferences dialog.

With “Enable RealDrums” checked, RealDrums may be used rather than MIDI. There is also a
hot key combination to turn RealDrums on/off (Ctrl+Shift+F6). The hot keys also work while the song is playing.

This will substitute RealDrums for MIDI styles. You can change the setting from 1 to 5. If set to 1, almost all MIDI
drums will get substituted by RealDrums. If set to 5, only RealDrum styles that match the style perfectly will get
substituted.
Technical note: The text file a_pgmusic.ds provided by PG Music controls this, and users can make other files MySubs.ds if they
make their own RealDrums styles.

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Individual songs can have RealDrums assigned to them. You can set the desired style in the RealDrums Settings
dialog with the “For this song only, use this RealDrum style” setting. This will let the current song use the specific
RealDrums style.
The [RD] button opens the RealDrums Picker where you select the specific RealDrums style that you would
like to assign to your song.
You can also open the RealDrums Picker directly from the toolbar with the RealDrums button.

Your recent RealDrums selections are saved, and available in the various dialogs that allow you
to choose RealDrums. In the RealDrums Picker, click on the [Choose from Favs] button to
open a list of up to 400 most recent selections. Use the Filter String to narrow the selection by entering a term like
“bossa” or “swing” to see only RealDrums with those words in the name.

RealDrums are normally saved with songs, unless you have unchecked “Save all Settings with Songs” in the Assign
Instruments and Harmonies to Song dialog. In that case, you can select and save a RealDrums style with your
song by going to File | Save Special | Save Song with Patches & Harmony (Alt+F2) to assign a RealDrums style.

The Edit Settings for bar… dialog (F5 key) lets you use multiple RealDrums styles within a
song - either using the RealDrums from a Band-in-a-Box style or specifying a RealDrums style to use at a particular
bar.
RealTracks
What are RealTracks?
Just as RealDrums replace the MIDI drum track with live audio recordings of top session drummers, RealTracks add
“Real” instruments recorded by top studio players and recording artists. These tracks replace the MIDI track for that
instrument and can be controlled just like the MIDI instrument (volume changes, muting, etc.). Best of all, they
follow the chord progression that you have entered, so that you hear an authentic audio accompaniment to your song.
These are not “samples,” but are full recordings, lasting from 1 to 8 bars at a time, playing along in perfect sync with
the other Band-in-a-Box tracks. RealTracks can be built in to the style, and would replace the Bass, Guitar, Piano, or
Strings track, or they can be generated to the Soloist (or Melody) track using the Soloist feature.
We include a selection of Pop, Jazz, and Country RealTracks Combos with Band-in-a-Box Pro. Many more
RealTracks are available as separate add-ons or bundled into the various Band-in-a-Box PAKs for better value.
Using RealTracks in Songs - Assign RealTracks to Track Dialog
The Assign RealTracks to Track dialog assigns a RealTracks instrument to any of the Band-in-a-Box instrumental
tracks. It also shows any RealTracks that are assigned to Band-in-a-Box tracks.
Note: RealTracks can be assigned either from the style or from the song. This dialog allows you to assign the ones in the song.
This dialog is launched by several ways.

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1. Click on the [RealTracks] toolbar button and select RealTracks Picker Dialog, or shift-click on this button.

2. Right-click or double-click on a Track radio button at the top of the main screen and choose Select RealTracks in
the menu.

3. Press the [Assign to Track…] button in the RealTracks Settings dialog.

4. Press the r t Enter keys.
The dialog allows you to assign a specific RealTracks instruments to a track in a song. It also displays any
RealTracks that are currently assigned to each track.

Tip: RealTracks in styles are assigned in the StyleMaker. Press the [Misc.] button or use the StyleMaker menu command Style |
Misc. Settings to go to the Misc. Style Settings dialog, then click on the [More] button for the More Settings dialog.
To use the dialog, first select the track that you want
to assign. Then, select the RealTracks that you want
in the list below it.
You can also select RealDrums without leaving this
dialog by clicking on the [RD] button.

Instant Preview of RealTracks

You can instantly hear an audio demo of RealTracks by double-clicking a RealTrack on the list. Since this doesn’t
affect your song, you can quickly audition many different RealTracks, and find the best ones for your song.
You can choose which of band or solo plays first when you double-click
on the list, by the “Band (on DblClick)” checkbox. Otherwise, press the
[Band] or the [Solo] button.

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 The preview sometimes plays files from the internet. You can download a file that is being played from the
internet by clicking this button. If the file is being played on your hard drive, this button will show the file in a
folder.
You can control the volume of the demos with this button.

Adding MIDI SuperTracks

What are MIDI SuperTracks?
MIDI SuperTracks are MIDI tracks that can be added to a track or a style and play like other MIDI tracks in a style.
They are called “SuperTracks” because they are generated using a different engine than typical MIDI style tracks.
Typical MIDI style tracks are generated from C7 patterns in the style and repeat these patterns over any chord. MIDI
SuperTracks use actual MIDI playing from musicians (similar to RealTracks in that regard), so are not based on
patterns.
Using MIDI SuperTracks
To use MIDI SuperTracks, either:
1. Choose a style or song that has MIDI SuperTracks and press Play. Look in the MIDI SuperTracks Demos folder
for these songs
2. Add a MIDI SuperTrack to a certain track.
Adding a MIDI SuperTrack
For example, let’s add a MIDI SuperTrack to the Piano track.
Right-click on the Piano track label at the top of the screen to see a menu of
options (or right-click on the Piano track in the Mixer), then choose Select
MIDI SuperTrack for this track.

You will see a list of available MIDI SuperTracks.

You can type a text or press the filter button [#] to narrow down your search.
There are memos describing the individual MIDI SuperTracks, and you can click on the memo for a big window.
You can preview the MIDI SuperTracks by double-clicking on the list or using the transport control buttons.

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Pressing the [Artist Bios] button opens the Artist Browser which lists all RealTracks artists and allows you to see
more info.
Choose a MIDI SuperTrack from the list and click [OK].
You will then see that the Piano track label has turned blue to indicate that it is a MIDI SuperTrack.
In the Mixer’s Plugins panel, you will see that a VST plugin has been selected to the Piano track.

If you want to customize the sound, click on the VST name in the Mixer to open the sforzando window.

Freezing Tracks
Freezing (locking) MIDI or RealTracks/RealDrums
Any track (MIDI or RealTracks) can be frozen. When frozen, it won’t get changed or re-generated. This saves time
when replaying previous songs and allows you to freeze an arrangement that you like. If you freeze the whole song,
you don’t have to wait at all for the song to regenerate. The next time you press Play, it is ready to go.
You can make frozen tracks by pressing the [Freeze] button (snowflake) on the toolbar, and then choosing the tracks
that you want to freeze or unfreeze.

There are a number of reasons that you would freeze a track.

Reasons to Freeze a RealTracks track (audio):
- Frozen tracks will play back instantly, not requiring time to generate.
- They play back the same way each time, so if you like a solo, you can “freeze it.”

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- If you send a song to a friend as “frozen,” they will hear the same performance.
- For the Soloist track, if you generate a solo, it can now be saved (by freezing the track).
Reasons to Freeze a MIDI track:
- You can edit the MIDI data, to customize the performance to match a certain song, and this will be saved. Use the
Notation or Piano Roll window to edit the track.
More reasons to freeze any track:
- Frozen tracks play back instantly, without requiring time to regenerate.
- They play back the same way each time.
- You can change the chord progression of the song and have one track playing a different chord progression than
the rest of the band. For example, type a “blowing” chord progression, generate a solo, freeze the solo track, then
type a normal chord progression and generate the rest of the instruments (bass/guitar etc.) that will play the normal
changes.
- Have different instruments play different styles. For example, the Bass could be generated using Reggae, then
Frozen, and then the rest of the instruments generated using a Techno style.
Un-Freezing a Track(s)
This is also done from the [Freeze] button. Choose a frozen track to
un-freeze it or choose “Un-Freeze all tracks.”

Forcing Generation of a Song that is Frozen

Band-in-a-Box won’t touch tracks that are frozen. But if
you want to change that, without having to Un-Freeze the
tracks, you can do this easily.
Hold down the Shift key as you press the [Generate and
Play] button (the fly-by hint will remind you of that) or
choose the menu command Play | Play Special | Generate
(even if tracks are frozen).

When you do this, the song will regenerate, the tracks will get rewritten, and the song will stay frozen. So, if you’re
freezing songs to get the instant playback with RealTracks but are tired of the “same-old” frozen arrangement, just
press Shift+Play, generate a new arrangement, and press Save. Then the new “fresh-frozen” arrangement will play
instantly, even with many RealTracks.
Tip: Obviously, you wouldn’t use this feature to force regeneration of a frozen song if you have made custom edits to the song
that you don’t want to lose, unless you’ve saved the song and have a backup copy.
Editing and Saving Tracks
MIDI tracks for bass, drums, piano, guitar and strings can be edited and saved with the file. If you freeze a track,
edits can be still made to it, because it is only frozen from Band-in-a-Box making changes to it (you can still edit it).
The MIDI track will be saved to the file. So, you can customize the bass track to match a certain song, and save it
with a frozen bass track, so that Band-in-a-Box won’t overwrite your edits. This includes RealCharts – if you
wanted to edit the notation of a RealTracks solo for example.

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To edit a MIDI track (bass, drums, piano, guitar, strings), or the MIDI part of a RealTracks that has a RealChart
(MIDI transcribed solo), simply open the Notation window (or Piano Roll window) and click on the track and edit it.
Make sure to Freeze the track by pressing the [Freeze] button and choosing Freeze for that track, or right-clicking on
the instrument at the top of the screen and choosing Freeze. Now your edited tracks will save with the song.

Non-Concert Visual Transpose

This feature displays the chords and notation for non-concert key instruments like trumpet and saxophone in the non-
concert key (Bb, Eb) while the music plays in concert key.
Note: This does not transpose the music. To do that,
use the song key box to the right of the Style area.

Pressing the [Chord Display] button opens a list of concert and non-concert instruments. There are
also settings for guitar capo, tuning the guitar down, and visual transpose of any number of semitones.

Guitar Settings

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 For example, with “Capo at Fret 2”
selected, if you enter a D chord it will play as an E chord but display as a D
chord. This is also true for notes entered in notation. An alert shows on-screen.

You can also tune the guitar down from 1 semitone to 8 semitones. If you tune
down by 1 semitone a song entered in E will display in E but play in Eb.

The Guitar Window

This is a window for guitar and bass players! The on-screen fretboard displays any track on guitar, bass, mandolin,
ukulele, or banjo. This feature has many option such as auto-setting of correct positions, notes named on-screen,
auto-octave adjust to play in selected position, and a resizable guitar fretboard.
Launching the Guitar Window
To launch the Guitar window, press the [Guitar] button in the Views toolbar, or Ctrl+Shift+G, or choose
the Window | Guitar Window menu item.

Notice the various areas of the Guitar window.

- The top title bar states the key of the song, the current track, and the fret position.
- The fretboard is displayed with the highest notes of the guitar at the top, and the open position of the guitar on the
left.
- There are names for the open strings displayed on the left (E B G D A E).
- There are fret positions marked at the bottom of the fretboard. You can mouse click on these positions to change
the current fret position.
- There are Note Names displayed for two positions on the guitar fretboard. One of the positions is the scale
beginning with the third of the scale on the lowest string. In the key of F, this is the 5th position beginning on an
A note (the third of the scale). Because it begins on the third of the scale, this position is referred to as the
Phrygian Position (since an A Phrygian scale is the same as an F scale). Similarly, the other popular scale is the
scale beginning on the 6th of the scale, in the key of F, this is up at the 10th position, and is called the Aeolian
Position.
- There are note names displayed in color, with ellipses around the notes that are in the scale. The root note of the
scale is highlighted in red, the third and fifth of the scale are in purple, and the rest of the scale tones are circled in
gray.

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- Pitch bends show up on the Guitar Fretboard. As the pitch bend occurs, a blue line moves along the string in real
time, illustrating the height of the pitch bend. Load in the C:\bb\Documentation\Tutorials\Tutorial - BB2005\Pitch
Bend on Guitar Demo.MGU song. You will then see pitch bends written as a blue color moving along the string.
- A capo is drawn if you set a capo value with the [Chord Display] toolbar button menu.
- Clicking on the black area to the left of the zero fret notes in the Guitar window will delete the notes on just the
channel of that string on the current notation time line rather than all notes at that time line.
- Clicking on a note will delete the note from the Notation window if the note is currently highlighted. If no notes
are highlighted in red, then clicking on a note will first delete any notes on the current notation time line and
channel before inserting a new note.
- It supports the left-handed (in addition to the right-handed) guitar and student view. The student view is the view a
student (or YouTube video watcher) would have of the (right-handed) guitar facing him with the head at the right
and low notes at the top. There’s also a left-handed student view, so all 4 possible views are supported. To change
the view, open the Guitar Settings dialog with the [Settings] button.
Automatic Settings for Guitar Display
Band-in-a-Box does a lot of things automatically on the Guitar window to ensure that the notes are displayed
intelligently on a guitar fretboard. These include:
- Automatically setting the two positions that will display the note names based on the key.
- Auto-Scanning the track to be played and adjusting the display octave on the guitar fretboard to ensure that the
best octave is picked to minimize the number of notes that will be outside of the current position displayed on the
fretboard.
- After Auto-scanning the track, the best position for displaying the music on the guitar is determined. This is
always one of the two positions, Aeolian or Phrygian, though you may over-ride this by clicking on any fret
position.
- Color-coding note displays. In addition to the note names being outlined in the colors, when the note is played it is
highlighted in green if it is a scale note and yellow if it is an out-of-scale note.
Alternate Guitar Tunings
The Guitar window supports alternate tunings, including DADGAD, Drop D, Double Drop D, Open G, and 11
others. You can also select “Nashville High Strung” tunings, which tune certain strings up an octave. These tunings
are supported in Styles, Chord Diagrams, Guitar Tutor, Notation, Tab, and Printout. Learn how to play these tunings
by watching the on-screen Guitar Fretboard or Notation/Tab window. Easily change any style to use the alternate
tuning that you want.
In this discussion, we will be referring to DADGAD tuning, a popular alternate tuning. The same reasoning applies
to all of the other alternate tunings available.
There are four ways you can use Band-in-a-Box playing in DADGAD (or any alternate) tunings.
1. See any Melody (or Soloist track) displayed in DADGAD tuning. This will display on the guitar fretboard, tab,
and printout.
2. See guitar parts (chording etc.) in DADGAD tuning, using correct chord shapes. For this, choose a style that has
DADGAD tuning, and view the guitar part.
3. Use the Guitar Tutor, to view DADGAD chording for any style.
4. View guitar chord diagrams in DADGAD tuning, by setting the Notation Window Options “Guitar Chord” to
“DADGAD.”

Guitar Fretboard
To see the guitar neck displayed in DADGAD, choose Melody | Track Type | Guitar – DADGAD Tuning.

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 When you open the Guitar window and choose the Melody track, you will see the DADGAD tuning.

Any melody will now display in the chosen tuning. Similarly, you can set the Soloist track to an alternate guitar
tuning with the Soloist | Track Type menu.
The Guitar track (or Piano, Strings) is controlled by the style, and will only reflect the type of tuning stored in the
style. Load in some alternate tuning styles included in Styles Set #44 – Requested 4 to see guitar chording in
alternate tunings. Another way to see the guitar play chords in alternate tunings is to use the “Guitar Tutor.”
Select DADGAD tuning and enable Guitar Tutor.

Now, during playback, you will see guitar chords on the guitar fretboard in DADGAD tuning.

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The examples above are for DADGAD tuning but apply similarly to all 11 alternate tunings included.
Some of the tunings are “Nashville High Strung.” These tuning have the lowest 3 strings tuned up an octave, to
achieve a close sound. So, a DADGAD High Strung tuning would have the lowest 3 strings “DAD” tuned up an
octave. Listen to some style examples that use this tuning.
One of the tutors uses 3 note Jazz voicings to simulate the famous Big-Band
chord guitar comping styles. If you use this tutor you will only see 3 notes in the chords of course. Since it
sometimes helps to see the entire 4 chord voicing in this case, there is the option to show the muted note as well.
The Tutor normally just shows the guitar part without writing it to any track. If you want
to see the track in notation copy it to the Melody or Soloist track.

If copying a Guitar Tutor part to Melody or Soloist track, the track type now gets auto-set to the correct tab and
fretboard. So, if you are using a ukulele tutor, you can copy and see the tab for ukulele chords.
Guitar Window Toolbar
At the bottom of the Guitar window is the toolbar.
The [Settings] button opens the Guitar Settings dialog, which allows you to set the guitar options.
These buttons will chord step advance or note-step advance. The chord step advance is the most
commonly used function. It is also accessible by the hot keys Ins and Del on the numeric keypad and will advance
or go back one chord at a time, leaving the chord displayed on the guitar.
This is the name of the current note that the mouse is over. If you click on the guitar at that position, the
note will sound. If the Notation window is open (in Editable Notation or Staff Roll mode), that note will get inserted
on the notation at the current position on the time line – you can disable that option to insert notes.
To change the track to display, click on the track selector button and select a track from the
menu. You can also hover the mouse cursor over it and use the mouse wheel to quickly switch tracks.
There is a Guitar Tutor button.
The “position” button. This toggles between the two popular positions displayed with note names.
Generate a guitar chord solo based on the existing Melody track using correct guitar fret positions.
When you have a note or chord highlighted press the [Ch-] or [Ch+] (insert guitar chord) button on the
guitar, or [7] or [8] on the NUMPAD keypad. Each time you press the [Ch-] or [Ch+] you will see that the guitar
chord changes to a different voicing, cycling through the available 5-10 voicings possible for each chord. (Some
notes won’t have any chord voicings, for example a C# note on a Cmaj7 chord, because it is always a passing tone.)
In a similar manner, you can convert a chord to a guitar note using the insert guitar note button. Pressing
the [N+] (or [3] or [4] on the NUMPAD keypad) repeatedly cycles through playing the same note on all 6 strings.
Displaying MIDI files from Guitar Pro® on the Guitar Fretboard
MIDI files can be read from Guitar Pro® and displayed correctly on the Guitar Fretboard in Band-in-a-Box. You can
then import the audio file, and using Audio Chord Wizard, you can sync up the original audio recording with the
Guitar Pro® MIDI file. So you then listen to the original audio as you watch the guitar transcription (from Guitar
Pro® playing in Band-in-a-Box).
To export MIDI files on 6 channels in Guitar Pro®, you need to:

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 Turn the RSE off (menu Sound - Realistic Sound Engine).

Press the Guitar Settings button on the left of the Guitar Pro® window and then enable the force
11-16 channels option.
Export the Track (menu File - Export - MIDI).

Then, in Band-in-a-Box, click on the [Open] button and choose the menu item Open
MIDI File to load a Guitar Pro® MIDI file into Band-in-a-Box.
You can then play the file and watch the guitar fretboard to see it. Band-in-a-Box has a large guitar fretboard, sizable
with many options, so you may like displaying some of your Guitar Pro® files in Band-in-a-Box.

Big Piano Window

The Big Piano window can display the notes of any track on a resizable piano keyboard. You can also set the range
of the piano and number of octaves to display. Additionally, you can display notes names or guide notes --showing
the scale notes of the current key. Notes can be displayed using a different color for each note. There’s an “Auto-
Octave” setting that will scan the track to be displayed and auto-size the piano to the largest size that would display
all of the notes. This “Big Piano” makes it easier to learn piano parts from within Band-in-a-Box.
The Big Piano window is launched (or closed) by pressing the piano icon on the Views toolbar, or by
pressing Ctrl+Shift+N, or choosing Window | Big Piano Window.

- The default settings for this feature can be customized by pressing the [Settings…] button.
- The Big Piano window displays a single track on the piano.

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- The piano can be resized by dragging the bottom of the window to enlarge it vertically.
- The key of the song is displayed at the top.
- The range of the piano is set automatically (based on the actual notes in the track) to show the largest possible
piano).
- The notes of the scale are circled on the piano, with the note names included.
- The root of the scale is colored in red. As the song plays, scale tones are colored green; other notes are colored
yellow.
- The name of the note that the mouse cursor is over is highlighted at the top of the window. Clicking on the Big
Piano plays a note (using the Thru part) and this can be recorded or sent to the Notation window when entering
notation.
- RealTracks (and MIDI style) piano parts that are on the piano track will appear with hands-split (right hand in red,
left hand in blue) in the Big Piano window.
- Clicking on the black area to the left of the piano will delete highlighted red notes from the Notation window. If
no notes are highlighted in red, then clicking to the left of the piano will delete any note on the current notation
time line.
- Clicking on a note will delete the note from the Notation window if the note is currently highlighted in red.

The Conductor
The Conductor provides live looping and playback control. As the song is playing, there are options to allow
control the flow of playback by one of three methods:
1. Conductor window
2. QWERTY hot keys
3. MIDI keyboard
Many “single key” hot keys are available to control the playback and looping of the song. For example, pressing the
“4” key will ensure that the middle chorus is the next one played, and pressing the “S” key will ensure that the
middle section is looped. This would be useful to extend a song that has the last chorus playing. Custom loop points
can also be set for each song. These settings are ideal for live performance or “jam sessions” where you aren’t
entering new Band-in-a-Box songs but want full control of the playback. These loops happen seamlessly at the end
of the chorus, so are suitable for the “dance floor.” In addition, you can control Band-in-a-Box from a standard
MIDI keyboard, pressing MIDI keys corresponds to program functions. For example, load the next song,
play/pause/tempo adjust/change thru patch/jump to middle choruses/open the notation or lead sheet window – all
from your MIDI keyboard!
The Conductor is launched with the [Conductor Window] button on the Transport toolbar, the Ctrl + tilde
(~) hot keys, or menu option Window | Conductor Window.

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 You must enable the QWERTY keys to be active for the Conductor during playback.
This is done by selecting the “Enable Control by QWERTY keys” checkbox on the Conductor window.
If you want to control the Conductor using the MIDI keyboard, you need to enable this
by selecting the checkbox “Enable control by MIDI keyboard.” When this setting is enabled, any MIDI input will be
interpreted as a hot key for the Conductor, and you won’t hear MIDI thru.

If you’d like the ability to switch your MIDI keyboard between

Conductor mode and regular playing mode, you can do this using the lowest “A-natural” MIDI note on your
keyboard. This is A1 on an 88-note keyboard. Note A1 will turn the Conductor off, Bb1 turns it on, and B1 will
toggle the Conductor on only when the Bb1 note is held down. If you don’t have an 88-note keyboard, you can set
the octave setting to a number higher than 1, for example if you set it to “3,” then notes A3/Bb3/B3 will turn the
Conductor Off/On/Toggled.
Using the Conductor QWERTY or MIDI keys, you can:
- define and jump to up to 10 user defined sections in the song,
- jump back 1 bar/4 bars/# of bars/screen/part/chorus/section,
- jump ahead 1 bar/4 bars/# of bars/screen/part/chorus/section,
- LOOP 1 bar/4 bars/# of bars/screen/part/chorus/section,
- pause/stop the song.
In addition, using the MIDI keyboard, you can also use the Conductor to:
A1 (note#21)Turn MIDI Conductor OFF
Bb1 Turn MIDI Conductor ON
B1 Turn MIDI Conductor ON only as note is held down
Here are the various functions available using the Conductor. The MIDI key and QWERTY hot key are shown.
C3 Normal Tempo Ctrl =
C# Half Speed Tempo Ctrl -
D3 Quarter Speed Tempo
Eb3 Eighth Speed Tempo

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E3 Loop Section Enabled NUMPAD 1
F3 Play with last chorus looped Ctrl-NUMPAD 1
F#3 Play with middle choruses looped Ctrl-NUMPAD 2
G3 Play with middle and last choruses looped Ctrl-NUMPAD 3
G#3 Jump to last chorus (no loop) Ctrl-NUMPAD 4
A3 Jump to ending (no loop) Ctrl-NUMPAD 5
Bb3 Loop notation screen
B3 Decrease Tempo by 1 Shift [
C4(48) Increase Tempo by 1 Shift ]
Db4 Decrease Tempo by 5 [
D4 Increase Tempo by 5 ]
Eb4 Tap Tempo - (press 4 times)
E4 Tap Tempo and play = (press 4 times)
F4 Play F4
F#4 Stop Escape
G4 Pause Backspace (or Ctrl H)
G#4 Replay Ctrl A
A4 MIDI Panic F12
Bb4 Previous Song Ctrl-Shift-F8
B4 Next Song Shift-F8
C5(60) This is a control character for THRU patches. When C5 is held down, pressing MIDI notes 61/62
decrease/increase the THRU patch by one, and 63-72 change THRU patches to Favorite patches.
Db5 Open Notation Window Ctrl-W
D5 Lead sheet Window Alt-W
Eb5 Reduce All Volumes by 5 Ctrl-Alt-Shift-Q
E5 Increase all Volumes by 5 Ctrl-Alt-Shift-W
F5 ALL Mute/Unmute Alt-2
F#5 Bass Mute/Unmute Alt-3
G5 Piano Mute/Unmute Alt-4
G#5 Drums/Unmute Alt-5
A5 Guitar Mute/Unmute Alt-6
Bb5 Strings Mute/Unmute Alt-7
B5 Melody/Unmute Alt-8
C6 Soloist Mute/Unmute Alt-9
Db6 THRU Mute/Unmute Alt 0
D6 Audio Mute
F6 to D7 Jump to Sections 1-10 of the song 1-9 and 0
Eb7 Loop Current Chorus a
E7 Loop Current Section s
F7 Loop Current Bar z
F#7 Loop Current 4 Bars x
G7 Loop current Part c
Ab7 Looping ON, previous setting v
A7 Looping OFF b
Bb7 Go Back 1 Chorus Ctrl a
B7 Go Back 1 Section Ctrl s
C8 Go Back 1 Screen Ctrl d
Db8 Go Back 1 Bar Ctrl z

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D8 Go Back 4 Bars Ctrl x
Eb8 Go Back 1 Part marker Ctrl c
E8 Go Ahead 1 Chorus Shift A
F8 Go Ahead 1 Section Shift S
F#8 Go Ahead 1 Screen Shift D
G8 Go Ahead 1 Bar Shift Z
Ab8 Go Ahead 4 Bars Shift X
A8 Go Ahead 1 Part marker Shift C
Customizing the Sections
Sections: This allows you to define up to 10 points in the song that are sections. By default, the following sections
are defined for each song.
- Section 1: Start of song
- Section 2: Intro
- Section 3: First Chorus
- Section 4: Middle Chorus (i.e. start of chorus #2)
- Section 5: Last Chorus
- Section 6: Ending
- Sections 7-10 are user definable. To do this, type in any bar # using the bar/chorus format (e.g., 21/2 would be bar
21, chorus 2).
If you prefer to enter custom values for the section numbers, you can do this if you check the “custom” checkbox,
and then type in up to 10 bar numbers for each section.

The section numbers are saved with the song. Once you have defined the sections, you can jump to a certain section
of the song as the song is playing, simply by:
1. Pressing the 1-9 or 0 key on the QWERTY keyboard or,
2. Opening the Conductor window (Ctrl + ~ hot key) and clicking on the section button or,
3. Pressing MIDI keys 77-86 (F6 to D7) corresponding to sections 1-10.
Mode (when to do the action)
By pressing a QWERTY hot key prior to an action, you can control when the action will take place. If no mode hot
key is pressed prior to an action, the default mode will occur.
The default is set in the “Default Mode for section change” or “Default Mode for
going back or ahead” combo box.
For example, by default, the section change will occur as soon as you press the
key, and it will go to the equivalent place in the bar immediately before the
beginning of the target section (so that the music stays in time, and next section
begins at the end of the bar). But you can change the default for the action to take place at the end of the current bar
or current part marker etc.

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Example uses of the Conductor:
In this example, we don’t have custom sections set, so the default sections apply (middle chorus = section 4 etc.).
- Jump to the start of middle choruses during playback (press “4”).
- Loop the middle chorus (press S, which is Loop Section).
- Jump to the end of the song (press 6).
- Pause the song (Backspace).
- Go back 1 chorus (Ctrl a).
- Go ahead 1 chorus (Shift A).
At the end of the current chorus, go back 1 section, press Y then Ctrl S.
Note: Pressing the Y sets the mode to do the action at the end of the current chorus.
These actions can also be done with the MIDI keyboard. See the MIDI keyboard mapping diagram for details.
Example using the MIDI keyboard
Assume Charlie is a piano player who uses his MIDI keyboard with Band-in-a-Box, and would like to play his
keyboard, but also use it to control Band-in-a-Box.

He sets the Conductor to allow his MIDI keyboard lowest notes A/Bb/B to turn the Conductor mode
OFF/ON/Toggled-when held.
When he turns it off (low A note), he can play his keyboard normally.
If he wants to pause the song, he holds down the low B3 note as he presses the MIDI key for pause, which is G4.
The song will pause, and the Conductor mode turns off as he lets go of the B3 key, and he can resume his piano
playing. If Charlie didn’t plan on using the MIDI keyboard for piano playing, he could leave it in Conductor mode
by turning it on with the A3 key.

The Jukebox
Use the Jukebox for continuous playback of a whole list of Band-in-a-Box songs or to play all or the
songs in a folder. The  button plays the previous song in the directory; the  button plays the next
song in alphabetical order.
The Jukebox will continue to play while you move to other Windows® programs, providing continuous background
music. Click on the [Play Jukebox] button to open the Options for Juke Box dialog.

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Jukebox Options
Only Play Song with Melodies: If set to YES, the program
plays only songs with melodies, that is, songs with an .MG?
file extension. If NO, the Jukebox will include ALL songs in
the subdirectory.
Change Melody Instrument: If you set enable option, then
the program will randomly change the melody instrument
among your favorite 10 Melody instruments.
Random Order Playback: If set to “Yes,” the songs will be
played in random order (though not repeating a song). If set to
“No,” the songs will be played in the order they are listed in
the subdirectory.
Hide Titles (until title clicked): This feature is used to play
the “Guess the Song” game. When set to “Yes,” the titles are
hidden till you click on the title box.
Audible Count-in Click: While listening to the Jukebox, you
might not want to hear the Count-in Click. If set to “No,” you
won’t hear the count-in click.
Harmony Settings: Enable the Change Harmony option if
you would like harmonies in a given number range to be
randomly assigned for use with the Melody and Soloist/Thru
tracks (if applicable to the song).

Generate Solos: Enable this option to permit the Soloist to play a solo over all the songs selected for Jukebox
Playback.
1. Change to this directory by loading/opening a song from the C:\bb\Demos\Soloist Demos\SOLODEMO directory.
2. Instead of playing the song you have loaded, press the [Juke] button.
3. Ensure that the Generate Solos checkbox is set to “Yes.”
4. Select [PLAY JUKE BOX]. The Soloist Select Dialog will open with a suggestion to use a Soloist for the first
song in the Jukebox list. This is normal. Press [OK] to accept the Soloist suggestion. (The Jukebox will not
bother you with the Select Soloist dialog again; it will simply choose an appropriate Soloist for any given song in
the Jukebox song list.)
Auto-Choose Soloists: Enable this option to permit the program to choose the Soloists to use.
Change Soloist Instrument w/each chorus: Enable this option, and the Soloists will always change instruments
with each chorus.
Preview: The Jukebox Preview mode will optionally play just one chorus of each song or a number of bars of each
song (e.g., 8 bars). To access this, select the (Preview) Switch to next song after _ bars checkbox and set the # of
bars to use for the preview. A setting of 99 plays one chorus of each song.
Delay between songs: The user can set a selectable time delay (in seconds) between songs.
Note: To manually start playback of each song in the jukebox list, set “Pause Play Until MIDI or Key received” to On (checked) in
the Preferences dialog. At the end of each song the jukebox will load the next song in the list and then pause until playback is
started by sending a MIDI note or a computer keystroke.
Check Loop Jukebox at end for continuous jukebox play rather than stopping at the end of the list.
You can change the directory before starting the Juke Box with the [Change Directory] button. You can also type a
folder name directly, instead of using the folder dialog.

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 Chapter 6: Making Songs
Make Your Own Songs
It’s fun to play music with Band-in-a-Box, but it’s even more fun to make songs of your own. This section gives you
step-by-step instructions from start to finish.
Clear the Chord Sheet

Click on the [New] button if you need to blank the Chord Sheet.
Name the Song
Enter the title of the song by clicking on the title area and typing in the name.

Choose a Key
You can use the special operators “tk” and “tr” to set or transpose a key signature.
Typing tkc plus the Enter key will set the key of the song to C. Typing tkbb sets it to Bb. Note that this sets the key
signature but does not transpose the song.
The “tr” operator sets the key signature and transposes the song. Typing trf and pressing Enter would transpose the
song to the key of F, typing trab would transpose the song to Ab.
Another way to set a key signature is to click on the [Key] button and choose the key of your song from the
lists of all major and minor keys. If you select from the “Transpose and Set Key Signature” column the song
will be transposed to the new key signature you choose.
If you select from the “Just Set Key Signature (no
transpose)” column, the key signature will be changed
but the song will not be transposed.
You can have multiple keys in a song by changing the
key signature in the Edit Settings for bar dialog (F5
function key). The new key signature is shown on
notation.

Set the tempo

The tempo is displayed next to the key signature. You can quickly enter a specific tempo for the song
by typing the letter “t” together with the tempo and pressing the Enter key. For example, type t140
and Enter to set the tempo of the song to 140.
Click on the tempo box (hot key is Ctrl+Alt+T, or menu item Edit | Tempo | Set Tempo…), and a dialog will open
up allowing you to type in a tempo.
When choosing File | New the tempo will be set to the best tempo for the current style. Click the mouse on the arrow
buttons to adjust the tempo up or down.
- LEFT mouse click to change by 5 beats per minute at a time.
- RIGHT mouse click to change by 1 beat per minute at a time.
Setting the Relative Tempo
This button allows you to quickly set the relative tempo. Click on the button and choose a percentage or use
the Custom Tempo % menu item to set any value between 1% and 800%. 1% would be 1/100 of the
original tempo and 800% would be 8 times the original tempo. Hot keys are available: Ctrl - (minus key)
for half speed and Ctrl = for normal speed.

Chapter 6: Making Songs 125

Tap the Tempo
Not sure of the tempo for your song? Tap it in real time on either the minus [-] key or the equals [=] key on
your computer keyboard. Four taps on the minus key sets the tempo, four taps on the equals key sets the
tempo and starts the song playing. As you tap more than 4 times, the accuracy will improve (through
averaging) and you can continue to tap until the target tempo has been reached. For example, in a 4/4/ style,
once you tap 4 times a tempo will be set. But you can keep tapping and the tempo will change every beat,
based on the average tempo that you have typed. You can also click on the on-screen [-] and [=] buttons to
the right of the tempo box.
“Frame” the Song
Framing a song designates the first and last bars of each chorus and the number of choruses Band-in-a-Box will play
before playing the standard 2-bar ending.
You can type special words to set the beginning and end of the chorus, and the end of the song.
begin + Enter - sets the beginning of the chorus to the current bar
chorusend + Enter - sets the end of the chorus to the current bar
end + Enter - sets the end of the song to the current bar
Another option is to right-click a bar in the Chord Sheet to set it as the beginning or end of the chorus or the end of
the song from the settings in the context menu.

For this song, bar one is the first bar of the chorus and bar 32 is the last bar of the chorus. The
chorus will play three times, jumping to the two-bar ending the third time through.
With the checkbox on the [Loop] button enabled the entire song will keep repeating until stopped. (This is
a different feature from “LoopSection,” which loops a selected section of the song.)

The “FakeSheet” checkbox is for a fake sheet style of Chord Sheet display with 1st and 2nd endings and
repeats.
Song Settings
The [Song Settings] button opens the Song Settings dialog for additional settings such as endings,
tags, style variations, pushes, rests, and chord embellishments to make your song interesting and
varied.
You can also use the Ctrl+N keys or the Edit | Song Form | Settings (for This Song) menu command to open this
dialog.
This button opens a dialog where the song’s title and its main settings can be typed in. These
settings are usually made in the main screen title window.

This button opens the Edit Settings for Current Bar dialog.
This button opens the Chord Options dialog where you can edit chords and add rests and pushes.

126 Chapter 6: Making Songs

These are additional song settings that are saved with the song.
Vary Style in Middle Choruses: If set to “Yes,” the song will play in substyle “b” throughout the Middle Choruses.
The Middle Choruses are considered all choruses except the first and last ones. For example, in the Jazz Swing
Style, since the “b” substyle is Swing, all of the middle choruses will have swing bass, whereas the “a” substyle is
playing half notes on the bass. If set to “No” the middle choruses will play A and B substyles exactly as they appear
in the song as outlined by the part markers.
Allow Pushes in Middle Choruses: This is most frequently used if there are pushes in a song (indicated by the “^”
symbol), but you don’t want these pushes to play in the middle choruses. Simply set the checkbox to “No”
(disabled) and the pushes will be ignored in the middle choruses. This is to allow for uninterrupted soloing choruses.
Allow Rests in First/Middle/Last Chorus: These parameters allow you to decide which choruses will play any rests
that are present in a song (indicated by the “.” symbol). For example, you may have put rests into a song but don’t
want the rests to play in the middle choruses, since you are using them for soloing: simply set the ALLOW RESTS
IN MIDDLE CHORUSES checkbox to “No” (off).
Allow Pedal Bass in Middle Choruses: This determines whether Pedal Bass effect will be allowed in middle
choruses.
Force Song to Simple Arrangement (non-embellished): You can set the whole song to use “Simpler” RealTracks
with this setting, as long as the RealTracks you are using have the simple option available. This is shown by a “y” in
the RealTracks Picker’s “Simpler Available” column. The “Simpler” RealTracks play a less busy, less embellished
arrangement.
Drums Count-in (this song only): You can select the count-in option for this song.
Ending Options
A tag (also referred to as a coda) is a group of bars that are
played in the very last chorus of a song. If you select the “Tag
Exists?” check box, then the tag will play during the last
chorus of the song. After the bar you specify as the “Tag
Jump After Bar #” the song jumps to the “Tag Begin At Bar
#” and plays through the “Tag Ends After Bar #” and then
plays a 2 bar ending as usual.

Band-in-a-Box will optionally create a 2-bar ending for your song, the standard ending is 2 bars appended to the end

Chapter 6: Making Songs 127

of the song. The “Use 4 Bar ending for RealTracks” option allows extra time for the natural decay of the
instruments. The “Start the ending 2 bars early” option gives you an alternative to end the song on the last bar of the
song. Band-in-a-Box will still play an ending on the chord that you specify, and the ending will occur as a 2-bar
phrase beginning 2 bars before the end of the form. This results in more natural endings for many songs.
Song endings can be turned off for all songs, or on a song by song basis. For example, you might want to have your
own custom ending that ends the song on the 3rd beat of a bar by playing a shot. To turn the song ending off for a
“single song,” set the “Generate 2 bar Ending for this song” checkbox to off (cleared). To turn song endings off for
“all songs,” choose Options | Preferences and press the [Arrange] button to open the Arrangement Options dialog.
Then, set the “Allow any Endings” checkbox to off (cleared).
You can quickly choose a fadeout ending, just press the [Fade] button, and Band-in-a-Box will fadeout the last “x”
bars of the song (you can specify how many bars). Or customize the fadeout with precise values for each bar.
RealTracks options for this song only set the RealTracks options for the song without changing the global
RealTracks settings.
Solos should have a ‘bluesy’ feel: When set, any soloist or RealTracks background soloist, will treat any major triad
(C, F, etc.) like a dominant seventh (C7, F7) and use flatted 7th for soloing.
Allow RealTracks substitutions based on tempo: When set, the program will find the best RealTracks to use at the
current tempo. For example, it might substitute an acoustic bass recorded at a higher tempo, closer to the tempo of
your song. The RealTracks name will appear on the main screen with a tilde (~) to indicate the substitution.
Allow RealTracks Shots, Holds and Pushes: When set (recommended), Band-in-a-Box will create realistic shots,
holds, and pushes in your song. If unchecked, Band-in-a-Box will simulate a shot. Not all styles have these
available. Check the RealTracks\Library\Holds folder and the RealTracks Picker “Holds” column listing the set
number.
Allow RealTracks Half-time/Double-time: When set, this song will allow RealTracks to play at half time (twice
the usual tempo) or double time (half the usual tempo). This allows you, for example in a ballad at a tempo of 70, to
add a RealTracks Sax solo with a tempo of 140 and play it as a double time, which will match the ballad tempo of
70.
Ignore Slash Root of Slash Chords (eg C/E) except Bass Track: If this is set, the RealTracks other than the Bass
track will not play the slash root of chords. For example, the RealTracks will play C instead of C/E.
Avoid transpositions in RealTracks: If this is set, RealTracks will try not to transpose. This will result in better
quality, but less variety in the arrangement.
Natural Arrangements: If you give a pro musician a complicated chord progression with fancy extensions like
C7b9b13 or Gm11, the musician may reinterpret these rather than playing them exactly as written. This can achieve
a much better sounding arrangement because the musician has freedom to choose from similar chord extensions.
You can get Band-in-a-Box to do the same thing with this option for all tracks in the current song. (Note: To set this
feature for all tracks in all songs, use the option in the Arrangement Options dialog. To set this for specific track(s)
in the current song, right-click on the track radio button, go to Track Settings | Set Natural Arrangement, and select
an option.)
Sections on a new line (for this song) is an option to enable/disable the Section Paragraphs feature for this
particular song.
Allow Style Aliases (auto-substitution of style) for this song: If this is set, and Auto-replace MIDI styles with
RealTracks styles when songs loaded is checked on the RealTracks toolbar menu, then auto-substitution with a
RealStyle is allowed.

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This song has playback problems, disable Fast Generation: On slower computers, songs with lots of RealTracks
might have playback problems (stuttering). If so, you can use this setting to disable Fast Generation for this song.
You can turn Fast Generation off for all songs in the RealTracks Settings dialog by unchecking the setting “Speed
up generation of RealTracks (disable on slow machines).”
Volume Boost (this song only) in dB: The volume of any particular song can be boosted or cut by typing in the
number of decibels. A change of 6dB is about the same as moving a MIDI volume control by a value of 32.
Transpose audio track by _ semitones: If this option is enabled, the Audio track and any Artist Performance tracks
will be transposed (pitch stretched) by the amount entered here.

Chord Entry
Enter Chords from MIDI Keyboard
You can enter chords from an external MIDI keyboard using the Window | MIDI chord detection… feature. Play the
chord on the keyboard, then press Ctrl+Enter to insert the chord into the Chord Sheet on the first beat of the current
chord cell, i.e., beat 1 or beat 3 of the bar. Use Ctrl+Shift+Enter to insert the chord on the next beat, i.e., beat 2 or
beat 4 of the bar.
The most common way of entering the chords for a song in Band-in-a-Box is by typing them in from the computer
keyboard. Up to 4 chords per bar may be entered.
Import Chords from Audio File - Audio Chord Wizard
You can import chords from an audio file using the Audio Chord Wizard.
This feature analyzes a WAV, WMA, MP3, WMV, or CDA audio file and imports it to Band-in-a-Box.
The Audio Chord Wizard is fully described in the Working with Audio chapter. It works out the tempo,
bar lines, and chord changes so you can easily make your favorite files into Band-in-a-Box songs.
Import Chords from MIDI File - MIDI Chord Wizard
You can import chords from a MIDI file. To do this, first blank the Chord Sheet by choosing File | New. Then
select the menu item File | Import | Import Chords from MIDI file to launch the Interpret Chords from MIDI file
dialog. Press the [Open (Change)…] button to select the MIDI file that you’d like to import. Once you’ve selected
the file, you can press the [INTERPRET CHORDS NOW] button. When you do that, the chords will be
interpreted from the MIDI file, and written onto the Chord Sheet.
Import a Band-in-a-Box Song
Easily import part or all of an existing Band-in-a-Box song to your current song, with options to specify source and
destination range, type of information to import (chords, melody, lyrics, etc.) and more. Choose File | Import |
Import MGU Song.
In the Import Band-in-a-Box Song dialog, choose the range that you want to import (Import from Bar and # of
bars), and the destination bar (Import to Bar). You can also choose which information to import, and the insert mode
(Insert/Overwrite).

Chapter 6: Making Songs 129

Computer Keyboard Entry
Chords are commonly typed-in using standard chord symbols (like C or Fm7 or Bb7 or Bb13#9/E), but you can enter
them in any of the supported chord symbol display formats - Roman Numerals, Nashville Notation, Solfeggio, and
Fixed Do.
Tip: To view a list of chords recognized by Band-in-a-Box refer to the Chord List topic in the Help file.
To start typing in chords:
- Go to the top (Bar 1) of the Chord Sheet. The Home key will go directly there.
- Blank the Chord Sheet (if necessary) by clicking on the [New] button.
This is the chord highlight cell. Chords will be entered wherever this is placed. You may move
this around by cursor arrow keys, the Enter key, or a mouse click.
The chord highlight bar moves 2 beats at a time (½ a bar). When you have the chord highlight cell over the area that
you want to enter a chord, you simply type the name of the chord you would like to see there.
For example, type c6 to get the C6 chord. Note that you should never have to use the Shift key, as Band-in-a-Box
will sort this out for you.
- Use b for a flat, e.g., Ab7.
- Use 3 for a sharp #, e.g., for F#7 type f37.
- Use / for slash chords with alternate roots, e.g., C7/E (C7 w/E bass). A chord like Gm7b5/Db will display correctly
using a Db instead of a Gm7b5/C#, since Band-in-a-Box bases it on a Gm scale.
- Use a comma to separate the ½ bar, enabling you to enter 2 chords in a cell. In the example below, we would type
Ab9,G9 to get the 2 chords in the cell on beat 3 and 4 of bar 2.

The sequence of keystrokes to enter all these chords above would be:
HOME c6>am7>dm7>ab9,g9>c6/e>>a739
Note: We’re able to type A7#9 as “a739” because Band-in-a-Box knows to use the uppercase of the 3, which is #. The >
indicates a carriage return, or the Enter key.

A setting in the Display Options (Options | Preferences | [Display]) for “11th chords” allows
display of ‘9sus’ chords as ‘11’ (e.g., Bb11 instead of Bb9sus). This only affects how the chord is displayed, not
how it is stored, and you can type either C11 or C9sus to enter the same chord.
The “Display ‘2’ as ‘sus2’” and “Display ‘sus’ as ‘sus4’” settings in the Display Options dialog
will show suspended chords more explicitly: ‘sus’ implies ‘sus4,’ and ‘2’ implies ‘sus2,’ but you
might want to see the full extension name.

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 Right-click on a chord, and a menu allows you to make edits to
the chords and other song settings.
You can cut, copy, and paste chords in the Chord Sheet.
Use the Chord Builder to try different types of chords or play
the current chord to hear how it sounds.
Chord Settings include pushes, rests, shots, holds, and pedal
bass.

Support for other chord display types

You can enter or display chords in Roman Numeral notation, Nashville notation, Solfeggio, or Fixed Do notation.
For example, the chord Gm7 in the key of F would be displayed as IIm7 in Roman Numeral Notation, 2m7 in
Nashville Notation, and Rem7 in Solfeggio.
In Italy and other parts of Europe, chords like C7 are always referred to by the Solfeggio name
(“Do 7” for C7) regardless of the key signature. These systems are very useful for learning or
analyzing tunes, since they are independent of the key signature.
You can take an existing song, and print it out in Roman numeral notation, so you can study the chord progression.
You can also type a chord in these systems, like “4” which will enter the 4 chords in the current key.
Click on the [Chord Display] toolbar button and Choose type of Chord Display from the menu. A
yellow message box will confirm your selection.

The Roman numeral and other nonstandard displays use superscript for the chord display when in the Notation
window (or when printing out). Therefore, the alternative chord symbol displays are best viewed in the Notation
window.
Tip: Print out a song in Nashville Notation or Roman numeral notation. Then, learn the song this way, i.e. 1maj7 4maj7 3m7b5
67b9. You will soon discover that it is much easier to play the song in any key. Since you know the song goes from the 1 chord
to the 4 chord, so you can easily play it in the key of Bb, for example.
There is an option to display the non-standard chord above the standard chord on the Chord Sheet.

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 Press the [Chord Display] button, go to Layers | Additional Chord Display, and choose from the list
of four options.

Tip: The font and the height of the additional chord display can be selected in the Display Options dialog.

Preview Chords
This feature allows you to hear chords as you type them in. After you type a chord name onto the Chord Sheet (or
the Notation window), press the Shift+Enter keys. This enters the chord onto the Chord Sheet and then plays the
chord for you, using the MIDI patches on the Piano and Bass tracks. You can also listen to a chord that has already
been entered, by just pressing the Shift+Enter keys after moving the highlight cell to the bar with the chord you
want to hear. If there is no chord entered at a bar, you will hear the last chord that was entered.
Chord Builder
You can right-click on any chord to instantly hear how it sounds or use the Chord Builder feature to audition
different chords until you find the one that sounds best to you. In other words, you can enter chords “by ear” -
without having to know the actual chord names or any music theory. This feature also illustrates the differences
between various chord types.
Launch the Chord Builder with the [Chord Builder] button or the Ctrl+Shift+B keys. You can also
launch by right-clicking on the Chord Sheet and selecting the menu option Chord Builder, or by using the
Window | Chord Builder menu option.
The Chord Builder is designed so it fits entirely above the Chord Sheet. This means that it can be left open as you
work entering chords into Band-in-a-Box. Remember that you can also play chords in from the MIDI keyboard by
pressing Ctrl+Enter after you’ve played a chord.

132 Chapter 6: Making Songs

You can click on the root of the chord in the “Root” group, the “Extension” (Maj7 etc.), and an alternate “Slash-
Note” root. For example, to make the chord F9/A, you would click on the “F” root, the “9” extension, and the Slash
Root of /A. As you click on them, you will hear the bass note played on the Bass part, and the extension played on
the Piano track.
Chord Theory Section
This section displays and suggests chords that are most popular in the current key.

The top row is diatonic chords. Other rows add additional chords that are part of the key, such as dominant 7th
approach, slash chords, parallel minor, diminished, and more. This allows you to quickly enter chords by clicking on
the most common chords in the key. For example, if you stick to the top row (diatonic), the chord progression you
enter will be a typical song progression. Choosing from other rows will add variation and color to the progression.
This is a fun, interactive way to enter and explore chord progressions, and learn music chord theory at the same time.
You can enable the “Jazz” checkbox to show jazz chords (e.g., sevenths like Maj7) instead of pop chords (e.g., triads
like C). The top row has the most common chords in the key of F, which are the diatonic chords.
F Gm Am Bb C Dm Em7b5 (in pop mode)
FMaj7 Gm7 Am7 BbMaj7 C7 Dm7 Em7b5 (in jazz mode)
So, you can just click on chords on this row to enter your chord progression using the most popular chords. Lower
rows have additional chords in the key of F, like G7, A7, etc.
Diatonic: These are the diatonic chords, made up only of notes in the key. They are the most common chords used
in the key, with the 1, 4, and 5 chords being the most common.

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Dominant 7: These chords are considered to be in the key when they resolve up a 4th to a scale tone. For example,
A7 resolves to D, which is a scale tone in the key of C.
Slash Chords: The diatonic chords are also commonly used with different chord tones as the bass note. They are
called slash chords, like C/E.

Parallel Minor: For a major key like C, the chords from the Cm key are also used commonly.
Diminished/Half Dim.: The most common diminished chord used is the 1 diminished family [Cdim7, Ebdim7,
F#dim7] in the key of C. Half-diminished chords (e.g., #4m7b5 [F#m7b5] and 7m7b5 [Bm7b5]) are used as 2-5-1
leading to minor diatonic chords.
All (Common): This row lists all commonly used chords with the root in the key.
Clicking on the small button on each row will list more suggestions.

If you are happy with the sound of the chord, you can press the [Enter Chord] button to enter the chord at the bar
and beat specified. If you would like the chord to be inserted automatically when you click on the note/extension
names, select the “Enter chord when clicked” option. This will advance the Bar/Beat position. You can change the
Bar/Beat settings to move to a different bar. The [<] & [>] buttons move 1 beat on a right-click, and 2 beats on a
left-click.
Delete Chords
The chords at the current location of the highlight cell are cleared by the Delete key, the Windows® “Cut” command,
or by typing a comma and pressing Enter.
Deletion of chords over a range of bars can be done by selecting the range and pressing the Delete key on your
computer keyboard. No confirmation dialog is required.
Enter Breaks (Rests, Shots, and Held Chords)
Breaks are points in a song when one or more of the instruments rests, plays a shot, or holds a chord.
- Rests specify any, some, or all instruments to rest at any bar. For example, you could rest all instruments except
the bass for the first 4 bars, and then add the piano for 4 bars, and then add the entire band for the rest of the song.
You may optionally disable the rests in the middle or final choruses (e.g., where you would likely have a solo, and
rests may not be appropriate).
- Shots specify certain instruments play a “shot,” where the chord is played and then a rest follows. For example,
the song “Rock Around the Clock” has a shot on beat 1 followed by a rest for 2 bars. The duration of “shots” is 60
ticks per beat.
- Held chords specify that certain instruments hold a chord sustained for a certain number of bars. For example,
you can have the bass and piano hold a chord sustained while the drums continue to play a pattern.
A chord can be specified as a by adding a period after the chord.

134 Chapter 6: Making Songs

 indicates a C chord that is a REST.
indicates a C chord that is a SHOT.
indicates a C chord that is a HELD CHORD.
Selecting BREAKS for different instruments.
You can specify that some instruments not to be affected by the rhythm break.
The coded names for the instruments are:
B for Bass, D for Drums, P for Piano, G for Guitar, and S for Strings.
To type a rest for all instruments on a C chord type C.
To exempt instruments, add their letters following the break. For example,
C.bd will put a rest on all instruments EXCEPT the bass and drums.
To indicate a held chord for all instruments except the piano, type C...p

Breaks can also be set in the Chord Options dialog.

Chord Options
Chord options include rests, pushes, and pedal bass. The Chord Options dialog opens with the C7 toolbar
button, or from the right-click contextual menu in the Chord Sheet.

When a “shot” or a “held” chord is assigned, the instruments that are

excluded from the shot/held chord play normally.
There is an additional option for those excluded instruments to stay silent.
To set this, select a shot or held chord and enable the “Excluded
instrument(s) should rest” option. This option gives you the ability to rest
some instruments while others play the shot or held chord.

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Other settings for how chords play are in the Edit menu. You can
choose Edit | Song Form | Settings (for This Song) to open the
Song Settings dialog and set the rests (breaks) to happen only in
the first, middle, or last choruses.
There are also settings to allow pushes, pedal bass, and chord
embellishment.

Pushes
“Pushes” (also called anticipations) are chords that are played before the beat. For example, in Jazz Swing music,
the piano player often “pushes” a chord change by playing the chord an eighth note before the beat. To execute a
“push,” you can use either keystrokes or open the Chord Options dialog by right mouse clicking on a given chord.
To use keystrokes:
Type the caret symbol [^] before the chord. The caret symbol is located above the numeral 6 on your computer
keyboard.
Type a single caret to get a chord an eighth note before the beat, e.g., ^C7
Type a double caret to get a chord a sixteenth note before the beat, e.g., ^^C7
In Jazz styles (and other triplet feels), the chord will be pushed by a triplet, regardless of whether there is a single or
double caret (^^).
Velocity Boosts for Pushes, Shots, and Held Chords
You can set the amount of velocity boost, so that the effect won’t
be too loud. In the Preferences dialog (Options | Preferences)
click on the [Arrange] button to open the Arrangement Options
dialog. Then type in the amount of velocity boost for pushes, shots,
and holds.
The style can override the velocity for the pushes, and drum velocity for shots, held chords, and pushes is also set in
the StyleMaker.
Copy Breaks
With the menu selection Edit | Copy Special | Copy Rests you can copy the attributes (rests/shots/holds) of a chord
over a range of other chords.

Copy Breaks by Shortcuts

Shortcuts are available for entering breaks (rest/shot/hold) over a range of bars.
- Type h4 on a chord, and this will copy the break on the
first beat of the cell for 4 bars.
- Type ,h4 on a chord, and this will copy the break on the
second beat of the cell for 4 bars.
- Type h on a chord, and this will copy the break until the
next part marker.
- Type a chord with a break followed by a number (N),
and this will copy the break for the next N bars.
e.g. C7...4 will enter held chords for 4 bars.
Gm7...bd5 will enter held chords (bd=except bass
and drums) for 5 bars.

136 Chapter 6: Making Songs

Erase Chords From.. To..
To erase bars with additional control for erasing the Melody, Soloist, and/or Lyrics, choose Edit | Erase From.. To..
to launch the Erase Chords and/or melody dialog.

With this dialog, you have complete control over erasing a number of bars of chords and/or the Melody, Soloist, and
Lyrics. If you’re erasing the Melody, Soloist, or Lyrics you need to specify which chorus you wish to erase.
Insert/Delete Bars
Choose Edit | Insert Bars, and the program will ask you to type in the number of bars you wish to insert. You can
also use hotkeys to insert N bars at the current location. For example, i4<Enter> would insert 4 bars at the current
location, and i8<Enter> would insert 8 bars.
Choose Edit | Delete Bars, and the program will ask you to type in the number of bars you wish to delete.
Copy and Paste a Section of Chords
Copying a section of chords is done in the same manner as copying text in a Windows® word processor (read on if
you are unfamiliar with how this is done). There are also similar “keyboard shortcuts” for these operations as listed
in Keystroke Commands – Hot Keys section of this guide.
Copying Chords to the Windows® Clipboard
- Select the region to copy. Place the mouse cursor at the bar to begin the selection. Then, holding down the left
mouse button, drag the mouse over the region. As you do this you will see that the region will be inverted (i.e.
looks dark). When you have selected the desired region of chords to copy, release the mouse button.
- Copy the selected region to the clipboard. Click Ctrl+C or choose Copy from the Edit Menu.
Pasting Chords from the Windows® Clipboard
Assuming you have already copied some chords to the clipboard (see previous topic), you are then ready to paste the
copied chords into another part of your Chord Sheet.
- Move the highlight cell to the bar to begin the paste of chords.
- Click Ctrl+V or choose Paste from the Edit Menu.
Tip: The copied section remains in the clipboard and can be used repeatedly. Example: If you’re inputting a song with verse,
verse, bridge, verse, you can simply copy the first verse to the clipboard, and then repeatedly paste-in the other verses. The
clipboard contents remain intact even if you load in a new song, so you can copy and paste between songs.

Copy and Paste Section of Chords by Drag-and-Drop

Copying of sections or selections can be done using drag-and-drop, to drag regions around the Chord Sheet to
quickly rearrange your song. Hold down the Ctrl key for finer control about insert/overwrite etc.
For example, if you have an 8-bar section at bar 9:
To copy it to bar 23 and insert the 8 bars at that location, drag the bar # and drop it at bar 23.
To copy it to bar 23 and OVERWRITE the 8 bars at that location, hold down the Ctrl key and drag the bar
# and drop it at bar 23. In the dialog that appears, just press OK.
Copy Chords and/or Melody
Another way to copy chords is to launch the Copy Chords and/or melody dialog by pressing Alt+C.
Tip: Typing kk keys launch this dialog. Typing kk followed by two numbers separated by a comma opens the dialog with presets.
For example, hitting kk4,1<Enter> at bar 9 opens the dialog with presets to copy 4 bars from bar 1 and paste them to bar 9.
This allows you to copy chords/ melody/ soloist/ lyrics for a range of bars by entering the From and To locations and
the number of bars to copy. Select the checkboxes for the items you want to include in the copy.

Chapter 6: Making Songs 137

 Insert Bars at destination: If selected prior to
the Copy bars will be inserted onto the Chord
Sheet at the destination chosen.
# of times to repeat copy: If set to more than
one, multiple copies will be made, optionally
with transpositions on each copy. These are all
applied to the first chorus only.
With each copy, transpose ___ semitones: If
more than one copy is selected, this will
transpose the song with each copy. This is most
useful when wanting to learn a short phrase
(“riff”) in different keys or modulating a section
of a song.
Random # of semitones: This will transpose the copy a random transposition and would be useful for advanced
students who are trying to master a riff or phrase in all keys.
Copy 1st Chorus to whole song: If set, this will apply any of the copying commands in this dialog to all choruses of
the song, not just chorus #1.
The [Close] button does not copy chords and/or melody but preserves the current settings in the dialog.
“K” Quick Copy Method
By simply typing K at a bar followed by the Enter key, you can instantly copy the last 8 bars to the current position.
By adding additional keys in the K command, you can customize this shortcut. For example, typing k 12, 3 would
copy from bar 3 for 12 bars to current position. The current position is advanced to the bar beyond the copy. This
speeds up song entry!
For example, if you’re entering a song that has a repeating section of chords for 8 bars, type in the first 8 bars of
chords, and then move to bar 9 and then type: k, Enter.
The last 8 bars will be copied to bar 9-16, and the cursor will be moved to bar 17, so you’re ready to continue with
the tune. If you get to bar 25 and would like the chords from 1-8 to be copied to 25-32, type k,1 and this will copy 8
bars from bar 1 to bar 25.
The chords always get copied. The Melody, Soloist, and Lyrics also get copied if these items are set in the Copy
Chords and/or melody dialog.
Copy and Paste Chords as Simple Text
Chords from a Band-in-a-Box song
Chords can be copied as a simple text format and be pasted into another song in Band-in-a-Box or a text file in a
program like Notepad.
Select the chords on the Chord Sheet, and press the standard Ctrl+C keys to copy them. You can then press Ctrl+V
in another song or a text file to paste them.

Note: If chords are not selected on the Chord Sheet, Ctrl+C copies the whole song including all chords and additional information
(title, key, tempo, form, memo, etc.) to the clipboard. You can paste this into a text file with the Ctrl+V keys, but if you want to
paste it into another song, you need to press Ctrl+Shift+V or go to menu Edit | Paste Special - from Clipboard text to Song(s).
By default, part By default, part markers as well as rests, shots, holds, and pushes are included in text, but you can
change this with the options in the Song(s) to Text (clipboard or .txt file) dialog. This dialog also allows you to
select the items that will be included when you copy the whole song. Using this dialog, you can also copy all songs
in a specific folder to the clipboard or save them as text file(s). The dialog can be accessed with the Edit | Copy
Special | Copy Song(s) to Text on clipboard or file(s) menu item.

138 Chapter 6: Making Songs

Copy text to the clipboard with the regular Edit Copy (Ctrl-C) command: This has to be enabled in order to
copy chords with the standard Ctrl+C keys.
Include Song MetaData: This option applies when you copy the whole song. If this is checked, the song metadata
(title, key, tempo, form, style, etc.) will be included.
Include Memo: This option also applies when you copy the whole song.
Part Markers: By default, part markers are copied, but you choose not to copy them.
Holds, Pushes, Shots: By default, rests, shots, holds, and pushes entered in chords are copied, but if you don’t want
them, uncheck this option.
Use % for repeated chords bar: If this is enabled, a % sign will be used for a blank bar.
Space character to begin each bar: If this is enabled, a space will be added at the beginning of each bar.
New Line for new section (part marker): If this is enabled, every section (part marker) will start a new line.
Bars per line: You can set the number of bars of chords to write per line.
Whole Song: If you select this mode, you can press [OK - Copy to Clipboard] to copy the whole song (chords and
additional information selected) or [Save as .txt file] to save it as a text file.
Range of Song: If you select this mode, you can press [OK - Copy to Clipboard] to copy the chords in the selected
range or [Save as .txt file] to save them as a text file.
Batch save all songs in this folder: With this mode, you can copy or save all songs in a specific folder. Press the
folder icon to select the folder, and choose the option to include subfolders of that folder. Also select the destination
with the Batch Save As option. You can copy all songs to the clipboard, save them as individual text files in the
same folder, save them as individual text files in another folder, or save them as a single text file. Then, press [OK -
Batch Save TXT] to copy or save the songs.
The [Defaults] button resets all options to default settings. The [Close] button closes the dialog, saving the settings
but not copying anything.
Chords from a text file
You can copy chords in a text file and paste them into a Band-in-a-Box song. Type chords in a text file using a
vertical line for a bar line. If you want a blank bar, leave a space or type a % sign between vertical lines. For
example, you can type | D | G7 | | F | or | D | G7 | % | F |. You can use shortcuts and non-standard chord display
(e.g., | 1j | 2h | 53 |). To add breaks (rests/shots/holds), type period(s) after the chord. or carets. To add pushes, enter
caret(s) before the chord. If you want a part marker, type a or b and a parenthesis after a vertical line. You can type
as many bars as you like on each line.

You can even enter a whole song in a text file. The easiest way is to use the text file that you pasted the whole song
into. Some of the information pasted into that text file cannot be pasted back into Band-in-a-Box because they are
not applicable for a new song. For example, “Song Summary” is no applicable because this is automatically

Chapter 6: Making Songs 139

generated in the song and cannot be edited by a user. However, it will not cause problems if you leave them in the
text file. You can include a title, a key, a tempo, a form, a style file name, and a memo.

When you are ready, press Ctrl+A to select all and Ctrl+C to copy. Then, in Band-in-a-Box, press Ctrl+Shift+V or
go to menu Edit | Paste Special - from Clipboard text to Song(s). This will open the Paste text to Song(s) dialog.

Song(s) Found in Paste: If you created multiple songs in the text file, you can select the song to paste.
Items to include in the paste: Check the items you want to include in the paste.
Paste as New Song: This mode will paste all the chords in the selected song into a new song
Paste into current Song: This mode will paste into the selected bar in the current song. You can select either the
Whole song option to paste all chords in the song or the Range option to paste the chords in the selected range of the
song.
Save as SGU song(s): This mode will save the selected song or all songs on the clipboard as new song(s). To save
the selected song as a new song, select the Selected song option. Then, press OK, select a folder, and type a file
name. To save all songs as new songs, select the All songs in clipboard option, press OK, and select a folder.
Reduce/Expand Chord Durations
Edit | Song Form | Reduce (durations of chords by 1/2) cuts chord durations by 50% (e.g., 4beats>>2beats,
2beats>>1beat, etc.).
Edit | Song Form | Expand (durations of chords by 2) doubles the durations of chords (e.g., 1beat>>2beats,
2beats>>4beats, etc.).
Search and Replace Chords
A Search/Replace Chords feature will search and replace chords, including
support for asterisks (*) as wildcards. Search and Replace can be used with Roman numerals or numbers for chord
names. So, you can replace the V chord with V7, or the 5m chord to 5m7. Since these are remembered between
songs, this feature is useful if you are changing multiple songs.

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The [Simpler Jazz] option will simplify chords like C13#11#5 to simply C9.
Intro Bars – Auto Generate (or Remove)
To generate an intro, press the [Song Form] toolbar button and select Generate Intro from the
pulldown menu. You can also go to the menu Edit | Song Form | Intro Bars… The Generate
Chords for Intro dialog will then open.

With a single press of a button you can auto-generate a 2-, 4-, or 8-bar intro for any song. The chords will be
different each time, and you can keep trying as often as you like until you get the progression that you want. The
intro generated will be an intelligent chord progression (i.e. appropriate for an intro) in the chosen style of music
(Jazz/Pop). It can have optional pedal bass and will “lead” correctly to the first chord of the song. There is also an
option to have the intro be played by the whole band, a specific track, or any combination of tracks.
The duration of the intro can be set to 2, 4, or 8 bars. You can also get a pedal bass figure inserted throughout the
intro. Press the [Remove Intro] button to delete any intro present in your song.
‘Jazz Up’ the Chords
The Edit | Chords | ‘Jazz Up’ the chords menu command will “Jazz Up” the chords by changing chords like C and
Cmaj to 7th and 6th chords. Song embellishment will be turned on for the song. Select the type of 7ths from the list
box, and then click on the [OK – Jazz UP] button.
‘Jazz Down’ the Chords
The Edit | Chords | ‘Jazz Down’ the chords menu command “Jazz Down” the chords by changing chords with 7ths
(e.g. C7) to triads (e.g. C) and 9ths and 13ths to 7th chords. Song embellishment is turned off. Press [OK – Jazz
Down] to proceed.
Chord Substitution
Reharmonizing a song with the Chord Substitution Wizard is a fun and educational way to perform or practice a
familiar song in a brand-new way. For example, if you had chords such as “Dm7 G7 Cmaj7,” a list of substitutions
including the tritone substitution “Dm7 Db7b5 Cmaj7” would be offered to you for use in your song.
There are 2 ways to get chord substitutions.

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1. Let Band-in-a-Box show you a list of possible substitutions to pick from yourself by accessing Edit | Chords |
Chord Substitution Dialog menu item.
2. Let Band-in-a-Box pick them automatically by accessing Edit | Chords | Auto-Generate Chord Substitutions menu
item.
Manual Chord Substitution

This dialog depends on what chords were present at the bar that was currently highlighted. This bar number is
shown in the dialog and may be changed.
In the example shown, the chord was an F7 chord, so the substitutions shown are for an F7 chord. The substitutions
shown may work for up to 4 bars, depending on the substitution. In the examples above, the substitutions work for 2
bars.
Jazz Substitutions / Pop/Country: You can control what types of substitutions to see by using these checkboxes.
Some substitutions include more chords than the original, and some simplify the progression, and these can be
viewed using the checkboxes. You can elect to exclude substitutions that have a chord on each beat.
Types of Subs. to include: This combo box will filter the substitutions to include only the best substitutions or all of
them.
The [Recompile] button is only used if you have edited the CHORDSUB.TXT file to add your own substitutions.
This recompiles the file and takes about 1 to 2 minutes.
Press the [Do Substitution NOW] button once you see a substitution that you like so that you can enter it onto the
worksheet directly. Double-clicking on the substitution line will also accomplish the same. You can then move the
current bar to the next part of the song that you need a substitution for and repeat the process.
You can UNDO the substitution by pressing the [Restore] button, or the [All] button to UNDO all substitutions.
Auto Chord Substitutions
You can quickly auto-generate substitutions for an entire song, or portion of a song using the auto-substitution
dialog, which is accessed with the menu command Edit | Chords | Auto Generate Chord Substitutions.
For example, we can generate substitutions for the !Freddie.MGU song. Here is the original chord progression.

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By using the auto-substitution dialog, we can generate substitutions for the whole song, and we get this result:

You can see that Band-in-a-Box chose the substitutions for about 70% of the chords in the song (that’s what we told
it to do in the dialog). It began by replacing the F6 chord with an Fmaj7 Gm7 Abdim Am7 progression. Some of the
substitutions chosen are even more advanced than that (replacing two bars of Bbmaj7 with Bb6 Ebmaj7 Dm7 Gm7 |
Bbmaj7 Cm7 Dbdim Dm7 for example).
Here are the settings in the auto-substitution dialog that produced this result:

If you’d like Band-in-a-Box to only generate chords for a certain range of bars, you should highlight that range of
bars in the Chord Sheet first, and then launch the dialog. The Range will then be set to “Part of Song” and the “Bar”
and “# bars” settings will also be set. You can override these settings with manual settings, if necessary.
Generate Chords for a Melody
Generate chords for a melody, or an improved chord progression for a melody, with the “Reharmonist” feature. This
feature generates a chord progression in the chosen genre, based only on the melody.
The idea of the Reharmonist is to generate a completely new chord progression for a melody, in a genre that you
choose (Jazz, Country, etc.). This ignores any existing chords in the song.
There are 2 separate windows for the Reharmonist feature.
1. Reharmonize entire song with a new chord progression.
- or -
2. See a list of possible reharmonizations for a given area of a song.
Generate a New Progression
To generate an entirely new chord progression for a complete song or a portion of a song, go to menu Edit | Chords |
Auto-Generate Chord Reharmonization). You will then see the Select Re-Harmonist dialog.

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The first thing you should do is set the “Genre” for the
reharmonization. For example, if you want “Jazz
Swing” genre, choose that in the genre drop down.
You will then get typical Jazz chords.
Verify that the key is correct. Band-in-a-Box analyzes the melody and gives its best guess as to the best key for the
song. If it is different from the current key, Band-in-a-Box will suggest the new key, and you can press the button to
set the key to the new key.

Set the region of the song that you want reharmonized. Usually this will be the “Whole
Song.”

Press [OK-Reharmonize]. You will now get a brand-new chord progression for the melody.
See a List of Possible Reharmonizations
Use the feature interactively by displaying a menu of possible chord progressions for a portion of the melody and
audition them to choose the best one using the “Bar Reharmonist.” This allows you to hear some new chord
progressions for existing melodies, or brand-new progressions for tunes without chords.
To do this, choose Edit | Chords | Chord Reharmonist Dialog (choose your own). This shows you the current bar in
the song (for example, bar 7). It shows a list of suggested chord progressions for the current melody, based on the
melody and genre that you choose.

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 The progressions are sorted in alphabetical order, or from “best to worst” depending on this
setting.
Choose a chord progression, and press [Do-Reharmonize NOW] and the program will insert that progression.
Rearrange Chords - Song Form Maker
The Song Form Maker allows you to define sections of a song (A, B, C etc.), and then rearrange the song by simply
typing the form you want (e.g., AABABAACA). You can revisit the dialog to change the form at any time.
Press the [Song Form] button and select Song Form Dialog from the menu.
You will then see the Song Form Maker dialog.

Then define your sections (e.g., A = bars 1 for 8 bars, B=start at bar 17, for 8 bars C=start at bar 25, for 4 bars).
Then type the form that you want (AABACABA).
Select [OK-Generate Form] then exit the dialog. The form string and sections are saved with the song.

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You can revisit this dialog to re-order the sections. Or change a chord in the “A” section of the Chord Sheet, and
then use the Song Form Maker to propagate the changes through all of the “A” sections.
Use the [Undo] button to reverse your changes.
Uses for the Song Form Maker
- Enter a song by simply entering each section once, and then visit the Song Form Maker, typing the form that you
want and generating it. Change the form without having to type in new chords, just redo the Form String
(“AABACABA etc.)
- Change chords in each section by simply changing the chord in the main section, and then regenerate the form.
- Enter a melody once and copy it throughout the form by regenerating the form.

Part Markers and Substyles

Part Markers
Part Markers are placed on the Chord Sheet to indicate a new part of the song, to insert a substyle
change, or to insert drum fills. They typically occur every 8 bars or so but may be placed at the
beginning of any bar.
You can customize the display of the part markers in the Display Options dialog. For example, you can pick a color
for each part marker, draw part marker borders, show each part marker on the new line, etc.

MultiStyles
Band-in-a-Box MultiStyles are styles that can have up to 24 substyles; original Band-in-a-Box styles had
two substyles, “a” and “b.” Band-in-a-Box MultiStyles typically have four substyles, but may have up to
twenty-four, selected by using part markers “a” through “x.”
You can easily make your own MultiStyles, either from scratch, or combining parts from existing styles to make a
MultiStyle. For example, if you have 10 favorite Country styles, you can quickly make a single MultiStyle that has
20 substyles available within the same song.
You can store names for MultiStyle substyles with a description of each one.

The MultiStyle names are set in the StyleMaker Miscellaneous dialog. If the style is a
MultiStyle, you can right-click on a bar number to see them.

Changing Substyles
Each style has “a” and “b” substyles. Band-in-a-Box Multistyles also have “c” and “d”
substyles and could have from “a” to “x” for a total of up to twenty-four.

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Most of these MultiStyles that we’ve made have 4 substyles, conforming to the following pop song format.
Substyle “a” is usually used for the verse of a song.

Substyle “b” is usually used for the “b-section” or the chorus, and for soloing in the middle choruses.

Substyle “c” is usually used for the intro or for an opening verse or pre-verse.
Substyle “d” is usually used for a break or interlude.
You can see the MultiStyle markers on the Chord Sheet.

There is always a part marker at bar 1 so that Band-in-a-Box knows which substyle to begin with. The song
continues to play in one substyle until it encounters a new part marker. The substyle will change automatically on
second choruses when the “Vary Style in Middle Choruses” song setting is selected.
Placing Part Markers
- Move the highlight cell to the bar where you want to place the part market. Then press the P key on the computer
keyboard. Repeatedly pressing P scrolls through all available part markers,
or
- Position the mouse cursor directly over the bar line (or an existing part marker). Then, click the left mouse button.
Repeat this procedure to scroll through the available options.
- To remove a part marker, keep pressing P or clicking the mouse until you reach the end of the available part
markers and there is no marker on the bar number.
Copying Part Markers
You can drag a part marker to copy it to other bars.

Placing Drum Fills

A one bar drum fill will occur in the bar preceding a part marker. If you want a drum fill at bar 7 of a song, you
insert a part marker on the bar after the bar with the drum fill (i.e. Bar 8). You can either retain the original substyle
or change the substyle (a, b, c, d, etc.) when you place the part marker.

Section Paragraphs
When you’re reading a book, a new section begins on a new line, with space between. Band-in-a-Box does that for
chords too. Whenever a new section occurs (a part marker), we start the new section on a new line and draw a grey
line above to clearly mark the new section. You will see each section on a new line so that the form of the song is
easier to see.

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For example, if you have a song with a 7-bar section, followed by 8-bar sections, earlier versions of Band-in-a-Box
wouldn’t start the other sections on a new line. The result was that it was hard to delineate the sections, as if an
entire story was told within one paragraph.

With the Section Paragraphs feature, you will see each section on a new line so that the form of the lead sheet is
easier to see. Sections can be as short as 2 bars.

The feature is configurable and optional with the “New line for every section” setting in the Display Options dialog
(Options | Preferences [Display] button). You can also set the minimum number of bars that is required to start a
new line with the “minimum section” setting. For example, if this is set to 8, then there won’t be a new line for the
next part marker if that section has only 4 bars.

Applying Styles
There are many styles available for use with the Band-in-a-Box program. Styles refer to styles of music like Jazz
Swing, Latin, Blues, Pop, Rock, or Country. You can pick a musical style either before or after you have entered the
chords to a song. Once a style is loaded, the song will be played back using your chosen style. All style files have
the .STY extension.
In the Chord Sheet or the Notation window you can quick-load a style by typing only “style” followed by a style
name, e.g., stylezzbossa<Enter> will load in zzbossa.sty.
Note: The program defaults to the “Jazz Swing” style or it may be “aliased” to another style, such as the newer J_WYNT_K style.
When a requested style is not found, Band-in-a-Box
makes an intelligent substitution.
This feature is available for every style that PG Music has made and can be customized by third-party or any users
by making a text file (*.NA) with suggested alternative styles.
Load Previous Style / Load Next Style
This function, analogous to the Load Next Song function, loads in the previous (or next) style in alphabetical order
of the file name. These functions are found in the Styles menu or use the hot keys Ctrl+Alt+Shift+F8 for the
previous style and Alt+Shift+F8 for the next style.
Tip: You can also use the following hot keys: s 7 Enter to load the previous style and s 8 Enter to load the next style.

Current Style Window

The name of the current style is shown in the window below the song title.

There is a convenient “Load Song Demo” option for style demos. Click on the name of the style on the main screen,
and the menu that displays will include the option to “Load Song Demo” for the current style.

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 This menu also offers options for choosing a style for your
song. Change style at any bar inserts a style change at the
currently highlighted bar on the Chord Sheet. Open Style
from disk is for selecting styles from file folders. Choose
Favorite Style opens either a list of pre-selected favorites, or
a list of recently played styles. Browse styles with info
opens the StylePicker window, which has full style
information.
Open Style with the [Style] Button
You can open a style using the [Style] button. This is a split button, with the top half being the default
function, and the bottom half listing different methods to load a style and allows you to set the default.

StylePicker Window
The StylePicker window is opened by pressing the [Style] button or the Ctrl+F9 keys. It lists all of the
styles that are present in the C:\bb\Styles folder. The StylePicker window has a great filter feature for
finding a perfect style for your song by selecting elements such as time signature, feel, or tempo, or by
simply typing in a familiar song title.
Tip: You can quickly launch the window with the s Enter keys.
You can browse styles by sorting columns or hear an “instant” preview of the style by double-clicking on the list. If
style has both MIDI and RealDrums available, you can hear both, and choose which one you want. This makes it
much faster to find the style that fits your song.

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If the style list needs rebuild when you open the StylePicker, it tells you this in the progress bar above the list.
While the style list is being rebuilt, you can see the progress in the progress bar.
Style suggestion
Just type in a familiar song title, artist name, or genre of music, and the StylePicker will filter the list by the genre,
feel, tempo, and time signature of that song title.
Let’s find a style that is similar to the song “Amazing Grace.” Type in “amazing,” click on a song to select it, and
press [Enter].

This is an even 8th folk song with 3/4 time signature, and the list will be filtered to show styles that match these
elements. You can see what filters are in place when you look at the “Style Filter by:” area.

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Quick filter

Another easy way to find a style is using the text filter. For example, if you want to find punk styles, simply type
“punk” and the list will be filtered to show punk styles. If there is a RealTracks musician that you want to check out,
just type in his name, and the list will show styles with that musician in them.
You can also use the arrow button to select a category, time signature, feel, etc., and you will immediately see the
filtered list.

Category - This lets you filter styles by a genre or category.

TimeSig - This allows you to filter styles by the time signature.
Feel - This sorts the list by feel (even 8th, swing 8th, even 16th or swing 16th).
Tempo - This sorts the list by the tempo.
Type - With this button, you can choose to display Real and/or MIDI styles. The default is to display Real styles
first and MIDI styles at the bottom, but you can change the default selection with the last menu item.
Other - This is a miscellaneous filter. For example, the list can be filtered to show only your favorite styles, styles
that use a specific RealTrack, styles with soloists, or styles in a specific Xtra Styles set.
If “Include Similar” is unchecked, then the filtered list will show the exact match only, but if this option is checked,
then the list will show the exact match and the similar styles. The [Clear] button will clear any filter so all styles
will display.
Automatic intelligent sorting of “best style” for the current song
The StylePicker tells you how the list is currently sorted.
Instant Preview of Styles
You can audition a style without changing your existing arrangement, by using the preview control.

It has Play and Stop buttons, a progress bar, a Loop button and a file button.
Also, when the control is playing, if there are 2 files that can be played, there is a toggle button displayed. This
appears for previewing MIDI styles, because there are MIDI drums and RealDrums available for most MIDI styles,
and now you can easily hear both.
To hear a preview, simply double-click on a style name in the list. Or highlight a style and press this button.
The demos are pre-made, so they play instantly. And they are a good idea of what the style is supposed to sound
like.
The style demos are found in 2 possible places:
1. On your hard drive, in the Data\Style Demos Audio folder of your RealTracks folder, usually
C:\bb\RealTracks\Data\Style Demos Audio (some of the demos are included on disk, but to save space not all of
them are included).
2. On the Internet, at www.pgmusic.com (all of the demos are there).
When you demo a style, the program will play the version on disk if available; otherwise will play from the Internet.
The style demos sometimes play files from the internet. You can download a file that is being played from the
internet by clicking this button. If the file is being played on your hard drive, this button will show the file in a
folder.
The speaker button allows you to control the volume of demos.

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Play Your Song with the Styles
You can also audition a style by actually playing it over the current chord progression of your song.

The [Play] button will generate arrangement for your song with the currently highlighted style. The [Stop] button
will stop playback.
You can speed up the generation if you enable the 4 bar Preview option, which will play only for the first 4 bars.
The ideal tempo for the style is shown here but you can change it to any tempo by typing in the number or clicking
on the [+] and [-] buttons. You can even change it during playback.
The [Load Song Demo] will open the pre-made demo song for the currently selected style.
Sortable and sizable columns
The styles list can be easily sorted by clicking on a column name. Clicking again will reverse the order. You can
also resize the column width by dragging a column border.

Note: In order to toggle the sort between the forward and reverse order, you need to enable “Sort columns in forward and reverse
order” in the StylePicker Options dialog.
Each column provides following information for the style.
Name This column shows the file name of the style.
Type This column tells you whether the style has RealTracks only (“R”), MIDI only (“M”), or a
combination of RealTracks & MIDI (“RM”)
TSig This column shows a time signature (4/4, 3/4, etc.) of the style.
EvSw The “ev” or “sw” indicates whether the style plays in an even feel or a swing feel.
Tempo The tempo shown here is the tempo set in the style.
Long Name This column shows the full name of the style.
Genre This column shows the genre of the style.
Group The styles are grouped into three groups: Pop, Jazz, and Country.
Date This column shows the date when the style was made.
Set # In this column, you can see which set includes the style.
# Instr This column shows the number of instruments that are present in the style.
# Substyles A style can contain as many as 24 substyles.
Other Genres This column suggests additional genres of the style.
Customization
The mixer-like control shows what tracks and instruments are used in the currently selected style in the list, and
color-codes them according to the track types (MIDI, MIDI SuperTracks, or RealTracks).

For each track, there is a menu button, which allows you to change the instrument, disable/enable the track, or
perform other track actions.

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When the track is customized, an asterisk will be added to the name.

When the “Custom” option is checked, the tracks of the currently selected style will be overridden with the choices
you have made.
The [Clear] button will clear any customized settings.
Press the [Save as .STY] button to save the style that you have customized. When you save the style, it will be
added to the StylePicker list.
Memo
This area shows additional information about the style. You can see instruments, artists, a brief description, and
song examples currently selected style. If the style has Loops or UserTracks, you will see the names of the Loops or
UserTracks.

Action
Clicking on this button shows you a menu with options to select/create User Category, add the
current style to the User Category, set styles as a favorite, etc. These options are also available when
you right-click on the list.

Mark as Prototype, and sort by Similar Styles to

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This menu item will sort and filer the list by best to worst match of the prototype’s tempo, feel, genre, time signature,
and more. Once you do this, the sort status indicator will tell you that the sort is by prototype.

For example, if you choose _BUBLPOP as the prototype style, the list will be sorted with styles most similar to
_BUBLPOP. These are the styles with a similar genre, feel, tempo, and time signature. Here is an example of the
results of setting _BUBLPOP as the prototype.

Select/Create User Category

Unlimited User Categories can be created by users or third parties, to list their styles in the StylePicker.
To select an existing User Category, choose Select/Create User Category. When the dialog opens, select a category
and press the [OK] button.

To make your own User Category, right-click on the list, choose Select/Create User Category, and when the Choose
User Category to display in StylePicker dialog opens, press the [Create New Category] button.
Type a name for your category and click on the [Save] button.

You can also enter a memo for your category.

Technical notes: User Categories are stored as .txt files, which just contain the list of style names. The User Categories must
reside in C:\bb\Data\StylePicker\User Categories folder.

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 You can re-arrange this folder by creating subfolders and moving the
categories around to organize them. You can also directly edit the .txt file in
this folder.

If you have made any changes to this folder, remember to press the [Refresh] button.

User Categories are analogous to playlists in a song player. You can create/edit them and choose to display only the
styles from the category or all styles with the category styles highlighted with a * asterisk.
Add Style to Current User Category
This menu item adds the currently selected style to the current User Category.
Save Current Style list as a User Category
This menu item allows you to create a new User Category and add all the styles currently displaying in the list to the
new category.
To display only the styles from the current User Category, click on the [Category] button above the list and select
Show this User Category. If you want to see only the styles from another User Category, select Choose and Show
User Category and choose a User Category from the list.

You will then see styles from the selected User Category.

Set Style as Favorite

This menu command will set the selected style as a favorite. If the style is already a favorite, you can select the
Remove style as a Favorite menu item.
Rebuild of Styles List

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Press the [Rebuild] button and select [Fast] Rebuild of PG Music styles only after you install new styles from PG
Music. It takes about 30 seconds to rebuild the list. The [Slow] Rebuild of PG Music and 3rd party styles menu
item will find not only PG Music styles but also new or changed user or third-party styles. It takes longer to rebuild
the list.
Copy List
The Copy List to Clipboard menu item in the [Action] button saves the current list with all information to a tab-
delimited .txt file and opens it in Notepad. In Notepad copy all and paste it into a spreadsheet such as an Excel file.
You can then apply a hierarchical sorting of the list.
Defaults
The Reset Dialog to Defaults menu item in the [Action] resets the dialog to default settings.
Options
The Set Dialog Options menu item in the [Action] button opens the StylePicker Options dialog with additional
options for the StylePicker.

Preferred listing of styles: This controls the default type of listing of styles (Real and/or MIDI).
Default display should include all styles (available and N/A not available) : If this option is enabled, you will see
all styles including N/A ones even when all filters are cleared.
Show current style in list even if it doesn’t match the filter: This setting lets you choose to always show the
current style even if it doesn’t match the filter.
Sort Columns in forward and reverse order: If this option is enabled, clicking on a column name again will sort
the list in reverse order.
Always Change Tempo to best tempo for style whenever a style is loaded: If this option is checked, pressing the
[OK] button in the StylePicker will always change the current tempo to the ideal tempo for the selected style. Note:
If the song is “blank” (no chords past bar 5), then the tempo will change, but if the song has chords in more than 5
bars, then the tempo will not change unless this option is enabled.
Change 4-bar Preview tempo to best tempo for style: If this is checked, then when you preview the song, it will be
played at the ideal tempo for the style.
Use Internet for Style Audition Demos (if not found on disk) :
Enable this option so demos will play files from pgmusic.com using the Internet if demos are not found on disk.
Font Size: This allows you change the font size of the styles list.
[Defaults] sets all options to default settings.
Song Title Browser
The popular Title feature, which allows you to type in the name of a familiar song and find a style with similar feel
and tempo, has been enhanced with a dedicated Song Titles Browser window. This window allows you to browse
and filter the huge list of over 21,000 popular song titles. You can, for example, filter by a certain artist, and then
sort all the songs by tempo, key, feel, time signature, and more.

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 You can open this window by pressing the [Find
Titles] button.

If the StylePicker window is not open, you can open the Song Titles Browser window by clicking on the [Style]
button and selecting the Choose style from Song Title menu item.
Tip: Pressing the s 3 Enter keys quickly opens this window.

There are Title/Artist/Genre/Key/Tempo/Feel/TimeSig/Decade/Vocals columns. You can sort the list by any
column.

Title: This shows you the song title.

Artist: These are the artist or artists most commonly associated with the song.
Genre: This is the musical genre that the song it typical played in.
Key: This is the song key that is usually associated with the song.
Tempo: This is a typical tempo for the song.
Feel: This shows you if the song is Even or Swing, and 8th or 16th cut-time.
Decade: This tells you the decade that the song is from.
Vocals: Typical vocals are shown: (M)ale/(F)emale, (H)igh/(L)ow voice.
You can filter the list by genres, time signature, feel, tempo, decades, and more.

The chord density filter is available. Press the [Other] filter button and select one of the menu items below Filter by
Chord Density. For example, you can search titles that have chord changes in every 1-4 beats. You can also filter
the list by chord complexity. This is scaled by 1 to 10; 1 means simple with few chord changes and 10 means
complex with many chord changes. Press the [Other] filter button and select one of the menu items below Filter by
Chord Changes.

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You can also type a text filter, and the list will be restricted to the songs that contain that keyword.

You can see song titles that will only work with the current style.

Pressing the [style: ] button will filter the list by the genre, time signature, feel, and tempo of the current style. If the
checkbox to the left of this button is enabled, then when you open the dialog, the list will be automatically filtered to
show song titles that are similar to the current style.

If you do not see a song title you are looking for, press the [Add] button. This will launch your internet
browser and open the PG Music forum page where you can request to add the song to the database.
This area shows a summary of the selected song title.

These buttons will launch the internet browser and let you browse for more info for the selected song or listen to the
song.
Once you have found a song, press the [OK - Find Matching Styles] button. This will take
you to the StylePicker window with styles that best match the tempo, feel, and genre of the selected song title.

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Favorite Styles / Recently Used Styles
Other options in the Style button menu include Recently Used Styles and Favorite Styles. They open a
dialog with separate lists of Recently Played and Favorite styles.

Tip: You can also use the following hot keys: s 5 Enter for favorite styles and s 4 Enter for the recently used styles.

You will see “Favorites” and “Recently Played” radio buttons that toggle between
lists of recently played styles and your favorite styles.

The favorites list will start off as an empty one. You can add styles as your favorites by clicking the
[Add Fav] button. A similar button is found in the StylePicker window.
Use these buttons to navigate the list.
Use these buttons to modify the list.
The [Search] button will search for a style in the list by name, or part of a name.
The [Sort] button sorts the list alphabetically.
You can save and load sets of Favorites or Recently Played styles.
Use the [Clear] button to clear the list and start a new one.
Enable the “Play When Chosen” option have Band-in-a-Box play your song immediately upon
selecting a style.

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 If this is enabled, every style you select will be added to the top of the list.
Technical Note: The list of style favorites is stored in a text file called StyleFavorites.txt in the C:\bb\Preferences folder.

Style Aliases Dialog

The Style Aliases selection is found in the File | Load Style Special submenu.
Let’s say you’ve got a new style for Jazz called “J_DIZZY.” You can create an alias so that when Band-in-a-Box
looks for a Jazz Swing style, it will load in “J_DIZZY” instead, so you don’t have to make changes to all your songs.
And when you have found a new favorite style, just change the alias. You can also load or save sets of “Alias” files
and share them with others.

To type in a style name that you don’t have, use the [Custom] button.
1. To create a new alias, click on an empty spot (i.e. no alias defined) in the alias list, or click on the alias you wish
to edit if you wish to change an existing alias.
2. Press the [Choose] button below the Original style box and select the style you wish to be replaced.
3. Press the [Choose] button below the Substitution box and select the replacement style (alias).
If you have made a mistake and wish to change your style selection, press the [Clear] button. When you have
successfully made an alias, you will notice that there will be a small arrow in the Styles box on the main screen
indicating that you have an alias loaded.
You can Export and Import alias files to share with your friends by clicking the [Import] button to open an alias file,
or click on the [Export] button to save an alias file.
Tip: You can temporarily totally disable the Alias feature by unchecking the “Allow Any Style Aliases” checkbox. You can also
have confirmation of alias substitutions by checking the “Confirm Substitution” checkbox.

Enable/Disable Style menu item

The File | Load Style Special submenu has an item to Enable/Disable the style. When a style is disabled, the name of
the style will have an X at the beginning, which indicates a disabled style. The disabled style won’t sound or write
any data to the MIDI file. The most common use for disabling a style is when a MIDI file is loaded to the Melody
track. Then the style won’t sound and conflict with the full arrangement on the Melody track.
Forced Styles option
This allows you to keep a style in memory. This way, all subsequent songs that are loaded will not change the style
(even if they have a different associated style), so you can easily play songs in the same style. If you’ve found a new
favorite style, you can try it out in all kinds of songs without having to reload the style each time.
For example, let’s say we’ve discovered the “GARNER” style, and want to try it out on all kinds of songs. Select
File | Load Style Special | OK to load styles with songs so that the item is NOT checked. Now when you load a song
the new style doesn’t load and you can play the song in GARNER.STY. You can temporarily override this setting
by loading in another style using the [Style] button or the File | Load Style Special menu, and the new style loaded
will stay in until you choose another one.

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Using MultiStyles
Band-in-a-Box MultiStyles are styles that can have up to 24 substyles; original Band-in-a-Box styles had two
substyles, “a” and “b.” Band-in-a-Box MultiStyles typically have four substyles, but may have up to twenty-
four, selected by using part markers “a” through “x.”
You can easily make your own MultiStyles, either from scratch, or combining parts from existing styles to make a
MultiStyle. For example, if you have 10 favorite Country styles, you can quickly make a single MultiStyle that has
20 substyles available within the same song.
There are 2 types of MultiStyles
1. MultiStyles in styles, working for every song (e.g., NR_CURR+.STY Nashville Rock Current Multistyle).
2. MultiStyles for a specific song only.
MultiStyles in Styles (“+” Styles)
Styles can be made that have multiple substyles, and you can choose the various substyles using the letters a, b, c, d,
etc. up to “x” for 24 substyles.
Our naming convention for MultiStyles is to use a + sign at the end of the style name. For example, MyStyle+.STY
would be a MultiStyle.
You can use these substyles easily; just enter the StylePicker and filter the styles list by the “+” character.

For example, load the song NR_CURR+.MGU from the C:\bb\Documentation\Tutorials\Tutorial - BB2008 folder.
This loads the NR_CURR+.sty. When you see the “+” in the style name, you will know that this is a MultiStyle.

Right-click on a part marker, and you will see that there are 4 substyles available.
In the style NR_CURR+, there are 4 substyles, a, b, c, and d.
Standard Pop Song form with 4 substyle MultiStyle
In NR_CURR+ (and as a general rule for styles with 4 substyles):
- “a” substyle is for the verse.
- “b” substyle is for the chorus.
- “c” substyle is for the intro (or first verse).
- “d” substyle is for the break (or interlude).
Choose your substyle by clicking on the part marker, or right-clicking to select and define substyles. Here we
have chosen “c” substyle, appropriate for the intro or first verse of the song (because the playing is sparse and
sustained).
Making your own MultiStyles in Styles
You can make a style that is a MultiStyle. For example:

- Open the StyleMaker.

- Press the [Misc] button.
- In the MultiStyles group box, type the name of a style that you would like to use for the c/d section.

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- If you’d like more substyles, add more styles separated by semicolons (e.g. “zzjazz;z5bossa;c_george”). Then
you’d have 8 substyles from “a” to “h.”

Note that each of these styles can have a specific RealDrums style, either stored in the style itself (Misc. Style
Settings “RealDrums Settings”) or substituted via MIDI substitutions in RealDrums settings.
Naming MultiStyles
Styles can have names stored for the substyles. This is especially useful for Multistyles to describe the various
substyles.

The MultiStyle names are set in the StyleMaker Miscellaneous dialog. When present, the names
are visible with a right-click on a bar number.

MultiStyles in Songs
If you have a song, you can also use more than 2 substyles for that song. For example, let’s say we have a song that
is a Bossa Nova and you want to have a Jazz Swing section. Rather than finding a MultiStyle that has this exact
combination, we can make one, in the song, for this song only as follows:
Load a song like C:\bb\Demos\MIDI Style Demos\Styles00\zzbossa.mg4.
Right-click on a bar number, and choose “Define
c/d.” Then choose ZZJAZZ.STY from the
StylePicker.

You will then see that there are 4 substyles now, a, b,

c, d. You can use the “d” substyle for Jazz Swing
walking bass, since it is the same as the “b” substyle
from ZZJAZZ.

Load the song C:\bb\Documentation\Tutorials\Tutorial - BB2008\Demo of MultiStyle in song only Bossa 2

Jazz.MG4, and you can see the finished result. This song switches styles using part markers.

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 Note: The RealDrums will play for all of the styles if you have enabled RealDrums and “Substitute RealDrums for MIDI drums” in
the RealDrums Settings dialog.

Adding MIDI SuperTracks

What are MIDI SuperTracks?
MIDI SuperTracks are MIDI tracks that can be added to a track or a style and play like other MIDI tracks in a style.
They are called “SuperTracks” because they are generated using a different engine than typical MIDI style tracks.
Typical MIDI style tracks are generated from C7 patterns in the style and repeat these patterns over any chord. MIDI
SuperTracks use actual MIDI playing from musicians (similar to RealTracks in that regard), so are not based on
patterns.
Using MIDI SuperTracks
To use MIDI SuperTracks, either:
1. Choose a style or song that has MIDI SuperTracks and press Play. Look in the MIDI SuperTracks Demos folder
for these songs
2. Add a MIDI SuperTrack to a certain track.
Adding a MIDI SuperTrack
For example, let’s add a MIDI SuperTrack to the Piano track.
Right-click on the Piano track label at the top of the screen to see a menu of options (or right-click on the
Piano track label in the Mixer), then choose “Select MIDI SuperTrack for this track.”

You will now see a menu of available MIDI SuperTracks.

You can type a text or press the filter button [#] to narrow down your search.
There are memos describing the individual MIDI SuperTracks, and you can click on the memo for a big window.
You can preview the MIDI SuperTracks by double-clicking on the list or using the transport control buttons.

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Pressing the [Artist Bios] button opens the Artist Browser which lists all RealTracks artists and allows you to see
more info.
Choose a MIDI SuperTrack from the list and click [OK].
You will then see that the Piano track label has turned blue to indicate that it is a MIDI SuperTrack.
When you press Play, you will hear a much more sophisticated MIDI arrangement than a typical MIDI
style, since it is not based on C7 chord patterns; instead, it is based on hours of actual MIDI playing from a
top studio musician.
You can also access the MIDI SuperTrack dialog from the RealTracks Picker, by pressing the
[Super] button.

Once you have selected a MIDI SuperTracks, you might want to assign a specific VST/DX instrument to play it. If
so, use the Mixer’s Plugins panel, and click on the first slot for the track that you want to set.

This will open the selected plugin window.

Each MIDI SuperTrack is assigned a number, like the MIDI Soloists or the RealTracks, so you can access the MIDI
SuperTracks from the Select Soloist dialog as well, and they are highlighted in cyan.

Once generated, MIDI SuperTracks behave like a regular MIDI track, and can be saved as MIDI files etc.

Using RealTracks in Songs

Your songs, styles, and solos can use live audio tracks recorded by studio musicians. Many Band-in-a-Box styles
already use these tracks, and you can substitute these live recordings for the Band-in-a-Box MIDI tracks in any song.

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Using RealTracks in Songs - Assign RealTracks to Track Dialog
The Assign RealTracks to Track dialog assigns a RealTracks instrument to any of the Band-in-a-Box instrumental
tracks. It also shows any RealTracks that are assigned to Band-in-a-Box tracks.
Note: RealTracks can either be assigned from the style or from the song. This dialog allows you to assign the ones in the song.
This dialog is launched by several ways.
1. Click on the [RealTracks] toolbar button and select RealTracks Picker Dialog, or shift-click on this button.

2. Right-click or double-click on a Track button at the top of the main screen or in Mixer and choose Select
RealTracks from the menu.

3. Press the [Assign to Track…] button in the RealTracks Settings dialog.

4. Press the r t Enter keys.
The dialog allows you to assign a specific RealTracks instruments to a track in a song. It also displays any
RealTracks that are currently assigned to each track.

Tip: RealTracks in styles are assigned in the StyleMaker. Press the [Misc.] button or use the StyleMaker menu command Style |
Misc. Settings to go to the Misc. Style Settings dialog, then click on the [More] button for the More Settings dialog.
To use the dialog, first select the track that you want to
assign. Then, select the RealTracks that you want in
the list below it.

Instant Preview of RealTracks

You can instantly hear an audio demo of RealTracks by double-clicking a RealTrack on the list. Since this doesn’t
affect your song, you can quickly audition many different RealTracks, and find the best ones for your song.

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 You can choose which of band or solo plays first when you double-click on
the list, by the “Band (on DblClick)” checkbox. Otherwise, press the
[Band] or the [Solo] button. The demos play from the Internet
(www.pgmusic.com) or your hard drive (C:\bb\Demos\RealTracks-Demos).
Changing RealTracks
You can change RealTracks within a song.
There are 2 ways to change RealTracks at any bar.
1. Change of RealTracks Styles at any Bar
You can change styles with RealTracks at any bar. For example, switch from Jazz Swing to
Bossa style at any bar. To do this, first open the Edit Settings for Bar dialog (press F5) at
the bar where you want the style change. Then press the [STY] button to select a style
change.
Note: If the track type changes by the style change, the track will be silent from the current bar. For example, when the style with
a MIDI piano track is selected for the song, if you select a style with a RealTrack piano track at the current bar, the piano track will
be silent after the style change.
2. Change of individual RealTracks instrument can be added to any track at any bar
You can change specific RealTracks without changing the style by inserting a specific
RealTracks instrument into a track at any bar to create a customized performance. For
example, if you want to change an Acoustic Bass comping part to an Acoustic Bass Solo at
Chorus 4, Bar 1, you can do this. To change a certain track’s RealTracks at any bar, first
open the Edit Settings for Bar dialog (press F5) at the bar that you want the style change.
Then press the [RealTracks] button and you will see the RealTracks changes dialog where
you can choose which tracks you would like to have RealTracks changes on.

Select a track, then press the “Change RealTracks to” and you will then see a list of RealTracks.
You will see a huge list of RealTracks, so you will likely want to narrow it down. Type a word that will be included
in the RealTracks name, like “bass.” Then the list will only show bass RealTracks.

Video RealTracks
When you load a video RealTracks, you can use it just like an audio RealTracks but you can also generate a video,
which will display the musician playing your song exactly as you hear it. If you load one of the video RealTracks

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bands, you will have video RealTracks on 5 tracks, and you can make a video of 1-5 musicians. You can also
include a chord sheet or notation in the video.
You can easily find the video RealTracks in the RealTracks or RealDrums Picker. The “Set” column will show
“VideoFound” if the video RealTracks is installed.

Note: The “Set” column will show “VideoNA” if a video is available but not installed. Not all video RealTracks/RealDrums are
included with a regular Band-in-a-Box package, so seeing VideoNA is normal unless you have purchased add-ons.
When you select video RealTracks, [V] will show at the track buttons.

To make a video of RealTracks that are selected for your song, right-click on the Master button or one of the track
buttons and select Render Video(s) from the menu.

This will open the Generate Video dialog.

Drag one of the available tracks listed at the top of the dialog and drop it onto the layout selector below. You can
also drag and drop the chord sheet or notation (if available). You can even drag a video file (.mp4 files and some
.avi files) from Windows® Explorer and drop it onto the video layout selector.

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If you are making a video of multiple tracks, you can choose a track layout. For example, you can stack 3 tracks
vertically for a 3-track video, or 3 tracks on the left and 2 tracks on the right for a 5-track video.

Right-clicking on the layout selector will show you a menu with

options to flip a video, make a video for the left handed, or select
alignment for each video.

You can select the resolution for the video. The aspect ratio is determined by
which tracks are included and how they are arranged, but this allows you to make
the final video smaller if you want.
When you are ready, press this button and select the name and location for the video.
While the video is being rendered, you can close the dialog and use other features in
Band-in-a-Box.
When the video has been rendered, you can click on the .mp4 file on the
Windows® Explorer to play the video.
Here is an example of a video for modern country band (electric bass, electric guitar, piano, drums, and pedal steel).

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UserTracks
UserTracks allow anyone to create their own audio styles for use in Band-in-a-Box. With a UserTracks style, you
can type in any chords into Band-in-a-Box, and the UserTracks style you made will play that chord progression! For
example, if you’ve made a UserTracks style by recording yourself playing a guitar groove, you can then type any
chords into Band-in-a-Box, and the result will be that it will play your guitar groove over these completely new,
original chord changes! You can even change the tempo, or enter songs in ANY key, and it will still be able to play
it!
Note: UserTracks support “Avoid transpositions in RealTracks” and “Ignore Slash Root of Slash Chords, except Bass Track”
options in the Song Settings dialog.
Tip: UserTracks work with rests. Just add rests to chords, and UserTracks will follow them. Note that there is no specific support
for shots or hold by UserTracks. They will just rest when these are encountered.
You can use the UserTracks in a similar manner to using RealTracks.
To select a UserTracks for a track, first select the track at the top of the screen. For example, if you want
to add a UserTracks to the Guitar Track, launch the menu on the Guitar track button (by right-click or double-click),
and choose Select a UserTrack for this Track.

An alternative to the menu would be to select the Guitar track, and then press the UserTracks button on
the main screen.
Now you will see the Pick a UserTracks dialog.

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You can preview the selected UserTracks by double-clicking on the list or using the transport control buttons.

You can select a timebase (normal, half-time, double-time, or triple-time) for any
UserTracks.

In this example, we want to add the UserTracks called “Guitar, Electric, Boom Chic Ev 140.” We simply select this
UserTracks and press OK. We now see our UserTracks listed on the Guitar track on the Mixer.

Now the track behaves like other RealTracks.

You simply press “Generate and Play” to hear it.

Using RealDrums in Songs

There are several ways to hear RealDrums with new or existing Band-in-a-Box songs.
Many styles already use RealDrums, and there are several ways to tell if your song is using them.
At the top of the screen, the status bar will display the name of the set if RealDrums are in
use.
You will see that the “Drums” radio button is colored in green.
Right-click on “Drums” and a menu opens that includes the name
of the RealDrums in the style. Click on this menu item to open the
RealDrums Picker and select a different set.

You can also press the r d Enter keys to open the RealDrums Picker.
RealDrums can be added to any track, not just the Drums track, so you can have more than one drums track. To do
this, right-click on the track button and select Choose RealDrums from the menu.

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 The RealDrums Picker can also be opened directly by clicking on the [RealDrums] toolbar button and
selecting RealDrums Picker Dialog menu item. This action selects a RealDrums for the current song. It
does not change the RealDrums set used in the style.
Your recent RealDrums selections are saved, and available in the various dialogs that
allow you to choose RealDrums. In the RealDrums Picker, click on the [Choose from
Favs] button to open a list of up to 400 most recent selections. Use the Filter String to narrow the selection by
entering a term like “bossa” or “swing” to see only RealDrums with those words in the name.

RealDrums Styles
The styles with RealDrums can be identified by the style name beginning with a minus sign. For example,
“-ZZJAZZ.STY” is a version of the ZZJAZZ.STY that uses RealDrums. This setting is found in the StyleMaker’s
Misc. Style Settings dialog.

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 You can set the RealDrum style inside the StyleMaker, by pressing the [Misc] button, and then typing the
name of the RealDrum style.
RealDrums can be substituted for MIDI drums on existing styles in the RealDrums Settings
dialog, which opens from the RealDrums menu button or with the [RealDrums] button in
the Preferences dialog.

With “Enable RealDrums” checked, RealDrums may be used rather than MIDI. There is also a
hot key combination to turn RealDrums on/off (Ctrl+Shift+F6). The hot keys also work while the song is playing.

This will substitute RealDrums for MIDI styles. You can change the setting from 1 to 5. If set to 1, almost all MIDI
drums will get substituted by RealDrums. If set to 5, only RealDrum styles that match the style perfectly will get
substituted.

Technical note: The text file a_pgmusic.ds provided by PG Music controls this, and users can make other files MySubs.ds if they
make their own RealDrums styles.
Individual songs can have RealDrums assigned to them. You can set the desired style in the RealDrums Settings
dialog with the “For this song only, use this RealDrum style” setting. This will let the current song use the specific
RealDrums style.

The [RD] button opens the RealDrums Picker where you select the RealDrums style that you would
like to assign to your song. Clear your selection with the [Clear] button.
You can also open the RealDrums Picker directly from the menu on the [RealDrums] toolbar button.

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RealDrums are normally saved with songs, unless you have unchecked “Save all Settings with Songs” in the Assign
Instruments and Harmonies to Song dialog. In that case, you can select and save a RealDrums style with your
song by going to File | Save Special | Save Song with Patches & Harmony (Alt+F2) to assign a RealDrums style.

The Edit Settings for bar… dialog (F5 key) lets you use multiple RealDrums styles
within a song - either using the RealDrums from a Band-in-a-Box style or specifying a RealDrums style to use at a
particular bar.
Note that changes at any bar must be enabled in the RealDrums Settings.
RealDrums QuickList
This is the simpler dialog for choosing RealDrums, an alternative to the RealDrums Picker. It displays all available
RealDrums in a simple list, which can be easily filtered by genre, time signature, feel, and more. The list can be set
to show only RealDrums that are compatible with the current style of the song. You can also set the highlighted
RealDrums as a prototype RealDrums to find alternates to that RealDrums.
To open the dialog, right-click on the Drums track button, and select
[QuickList] RealDrums in Song from the menu.

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You can filter the list by genre, time signature, feel, tempo, and text. Use the [Set to Style: ] button to see
RealDrums that are compatible with the current style of the song. The [Set to RD: ] button allows you to set the
highlighted RealDrums as a prototype RealDrums so you can find alternates to that RealDrums. Press the [Clear]
button to clear any filter.

EZ Selection of Drum Grooves

Many RealDrums sets include variations, or different grooves. There is an easy way to select the different grooves
within the song. Simply right-click on a bar number, and you see a menu of the DrumGrooves within the style. So,
for example, you could easily switch from the “side stick/hihat” groove to “snare/Ride.” These are RealDrums with
names that end with a caret (^) like CountryPopEv16^.
You can access the Drum Grooves to select them at any bar, by right-clicking on the bar #. You then see a
menu of all the DrumGrooves.

For example, one DrumGroove is “Snare, HiHat” and another one is “Snare, Ride.” You can switch the Grooves at
any bar, so that the Drum part is more interesting.

The menu item Apply Drum Groove change to allows you to select which chorus the change of DrumGroove should
apply to (default is all choruses).

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Note that the changes of Drum Grooves are entered in the F5 bar settings dialog.

Assigning Custom MIDI Tracks

You can add MIDITracks individually (from any style) to play on any track of your current song. For example, let’s
add a “MIDI strings” track to the Strings track.
Select the Strings track and then click on the [MIDITracks] toolbar button and select
MIDITracks (from .STY) menu command. Or you can right-click on the Strings track button
at the top, and choose Select a Custom MIDI style for this track.
The MIDI Track Picker dialog will open.

You can select MIDI parts a few different ways.

- The [Choose Style with this patch] button launches the StylePicker, filtered to only display styles that contain the
instrument specified.

For example, if you select “49 Strings,” it will only show MIDI styles with strings.

- The [Choose from Presets] button launches a dialog with preset “popular” choices for MIDITracks to add. You
can type a filter like “49” to only see entries for “49 Strings,” or type “strings.” This dialog shows you if the
instrument is for “a” or “b” substyles or both (“ab”).

- The [Favs] button will remember your last few hundred choices, so you can re-use them.

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Once chosen, the MIDI track will play on the track chosen. Note that you can use the Strings track from a style and
play it on any Band-in-a-Box track, including Bass/Piano etc., and even the Melody or Soloist track.
When you assign an instrument to a different track Band-in-a-Box will open a yellow message box to confirm your
choice.

Press [OK] to continue or [Clear] to redo your choice.

Tutorial Demo Song – Adding MIDITracks
To check out a song that has had two individual MIDITracks added to it, open this folder:
C:\bb\Documentation\Tutorials\Tutorial - BB2012, and open the file <=HANKMID Demo (MIDI Presets used over
a country swing style).SGU>.
Press the [Memo] button to read about the feature and the demo song.

Adding Loops to Tracks

You can add your own or third-party loops to any Band-in-a-Box track. Loops are audio files (WAV, wma, m4a,
mp4, mp3) that reside in the Loops folder of the RealTracks folder. You can add your own files to this folder.
Loops support many types of ACIDized Loops (for WAV and mp3 files). And, if you add an Acid loop that is on a
certain root (e.g. F), Band-in-a-Box will instantly allow you to use that as a complete style, by transposing that loop
to the current chord of the song in Band-in-a-Box, so that the loop follows your chord progression.
Click on the [Loops] toolbar button to open the Pick a Loop dialog.

You can also right-click on the track that you want to use at the top of the screen
(e.g. Strings) and choose the menu item Select a Loop for this track.

When the dialog opens, select a loop from the list.

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Double-click on the list or use a transport control button to preview the loop. The instant preview sometimes plays
demos from the internet. You can save any file that is being played from the internet by clicking the folder icon.
You can control the volume of the demos with the speaker icon in the transport
control.

For a nature sound, you can leave these options at the default values. But if you want to retrigger the WAV every
section, part marker, bar, or chord, then you can set them.

For a nature sound, there is no tempo, and you don’t want to select “Stretch Tempo.” For a Drums loop, you want to
stretch the tempo. Once you select “Stretch Tempo,” enter the tempo of the WAV file (if known), and if not known,
enter the # of beats in the wav file. (For example, 2 bars would be 8 beats.)

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For a nature sound, you don’t want any transposition. For a melodic sound, you might want to transpose to the root
of the chord in the Band-in-a-Box song. If so, enter the root of the WAV file, and set the transpose type to “chord
root.”

You can select a timebase (normal, half-time, double-time, or triple-time) for any
Loop.

If you want a different sound for the “b” substyle, enter that WAV file name in that “b substyle loop” setting.

You can open your Loops folder and add audio files (loops) to it. If you
add files, you need to press the [Refresh] button, or exit the dialog and
re-enter it to refresh the list.
There are many good sources for loops and sounds on the Internet. One is freesound.org, which has
many sound effects.
Technical Note: The settings that you make to the WAV files are stored in .bt6 files in the Loops folder. If you don’t make any
settings, then default settings are used, which would be a “nature sound” type of loop, that wouldn’t be transposed or tempo
stretched.
Pressing the [No Loop] is a quick way to clear a loop on a track, as opposed to scrolling up to “No Loop
chosen for this Track.”
The [Rename] button allows you to rename a loop.
The [Clone] button will duplicate a loop, allowing you to use it with different parameters.
Tutorial Demo Songs - Loops
To see the Loops feature in action, open this folder: C:\bb\Documentation\Tutorials\Tutorial - BB2012 and open one
of these files:
_ELECTAM Demo (‘Loop’ feature with tambourine percussion added).SGU.
=THUNDER Demo (New Age style with Thunder Loop).MGU.
In the first example, a percussion loop has been added to a rock song, in the second example, a rain & thunder sound
effects loop has been added to a New Age style.
When you play these songs, press the [Memo] button to read about the feature and the demo song.
Tip: Loops can be combined with drums on the Drums track. To do this, open the Crate Multi-Drums dialog by right-clicking on
the Drums track button and selecting Multi-Drums | Edit Multi-Drums for this song.

Using Utility Tracks

Band-in-a-Box has 16 editable Utility tracks, which can be used for audio and/or MIDI. You can generate
RealTracks on the Utility tracks, where you can hear and edit the audio RealTracks, or view and edit the RealCharts
MIDI. You can record audio or import an audio file to the Utility tracks to play, edit, or harmonize the audio. You
can copy or move audio, MIDI, or both from other tracks to the Utility tracks. You can record MIDI or import a
MIDI file to the Utility tracks for playback, notation display, or editing.
Note: If a Utility track contains both audio and MIDI, the audio is audible and the MIDI is only for display purposes (e.g.,
transcription of the audio). If a Utility track contains only MIDI, then the MIDI is audible.
To generate RealTracks on a Utility track, right-click on that track in the Mixer and go to Generate | Select and
Generate RealTracks. If you want to generate RealTracks for a region, highlight the region on the Utility track in the
Audio Edit window. Then, select a RealTracks in the Best RealTracks dialog and press OK.

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When the RealTracks is generated, you can view the audio in the Audio Edit window.
Tip: If the track contains a RealChart, you can also view notation and see the playing on the guitar fretboard or the piano
keyboard.

Press the [Play] button on the toolbar to hear the RealTracks on the Utility track. You can use the Mixer to control
volume, panning, etc. for the Utility track.
You can regenerate a region of the RealTracks on the Utility track. Highlight the region, press the [Edit] button, and
go to Generate | Generate RealTracks. If you want to regenerate a region using a different RealTracks, use the
Select and Generate RealTracks menu item instead.

During the regeneration, the whole track becomes blank for a moment, but when it’s finished, everything except the
highlighted region is the same as it was before.

Note: If you select a mono RealTracks for the whole track and then select a stereo RealTracks for a region, the whole track will
be converted to a stereo.
You can repeat this process until you are satisfied, and since it supports the Undo and Redo, you can use the Ctrl+Z
or Shift+Ctrl+Z keys to go back to what you like most.
The audio on the Utility tracks can be edited in the Audio Edit window with the [Edit] button menu, the right-click
menu, or the standard hotkeys (e.g., Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V). For example, you can highlight a region and move it to
another location of the track, or you can select the whole track, copy it, and paste it into another Utility track. When
the regions are edited, the beginning and ending of the regions cross-fade to make a smooth transition, so you won’t
hear unpleasant clicks or pops at the joints during playback.
You can harmonize the audio on any track, and send the separated harmonies to the Utility tracks. In the Audio Edit
window, press the [Edit] button, and select Harmonize from the menu to open the Audio Harmonies dialog. Then,
set the number of harmony voices and other options, select the source track, enable the “Output to separate tracks”
option, and select destination tracks for each harmony voice.

Adding Bar-Based Lyrics

You can enter lyrics in each bar on the Chord Sheet.

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 To enter lyrics, you first need to display the Bar Lyrics layer by clicking on the [Chord Display]
toolbar button and selecting Layers | Bar Lyrics.

If the song does not have any lyrics, the Bar Lyrics layer does not appear on most lines, but it appears on the row
where the bar is highlighted. If you click on a bar on another row, the layer will appear on that row.

Double-click on the Bar Lyrics layer on a bar where you want to enter lyrics. This will change the color of the layer,
which indicates that you can type in that location. You can use keys to navigate through the layer: Tab to go
forward, Shift+Tab to go backward.

Type a lyric and press the Tab key. This will enter the lyric and move the editing
bar forward.

To edit lyrics, go back there by clicking on that bar or using the Shift+Tab keys, and then retype.
If you have entered lyrics that were supposed to be spaced out over some bars, go back to the bar, and use the arrow
key to move the cursor to the beginning of the lyric that should be in the next bar. Then press Enter. This will push
that lyric to the next bar and shuffle the texts in the following bars forward as well.
Example: You realize that “once was lost” in bar 13 should have been “once was,” and lyrics in bar 14 should have
been spread over some bars.

Press Shift+Tab to go back to bar 13.

Use the left arrow key to move the cursor to the beginning of “lost.”

And press Enter. This pushes “lost” to bar 14 and “but now am found” to bar 15.

Use Tab or Shift+Tab to move through the bars, the left/right arrow keys to move the cursor within the bar, and
Enter or Backspace to push lyrics, until the lyrics are in the correct bars.

The Bar Lyrics layer is designed so that you can even edit lyrics during playback.

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Another way to enter lyrics is to copy lyrics from a text file and paste them directly to the Bar Lyrics layer.
First, prepare lyrics in the text file and copy them to the clipboard. Then, go back
to Band-in-a-Box, double-click on the bar where the lyrics should be inserted and
press Ctrl+V.

Now all the lyrics are entered in the layer.

But the lyrics are not quite in the correct bars, so you need to fix using the Tab, Enter, or arrow keys.

There is an easier way for this copying and pasting method. If the lyrics in the text file are arranged so that each line
represents a bar, you need very little to fix after pasting.
First, edit the lyrics in the text file so that every line corresponds to a bar. Then, copy them all to
the clipboard.
Next, go back to Band-in-a-Box, double-click on the bar where the lyrics should be inserted and
press Ctrl+V keys.

Adding Melody – MIDI and/or Audio

Record a MIDI Melody
Band-in-a-Box is much more than an intelligent arranger and accompanist. You can record your live MIDI
performance to the Melody or Soloist track, enter a melody in the Notation note-by-note, or use the Wizard feature to
record with either your computer keyboard or a connected MIDI keyboard controller.
If you want a metronome to play while you are recording, you can select it in the Options | Preferences dialog. You
can even have a visual metronome if you like.
Press the [Record MIDI] toolbar button to begin recording. This launches the Record MIDI dialog, which
prompts you to set start point for the recording and select the destination track.

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Pressing the [Record] button will start Band-in-a-Box recording what you play on the Thru track. An audible count-
in is played prior to recording.
You can punch in/out, overdub, and record directly to the ending or the tag, and use the filter to choose which MIDI
events are recorded. You can also select the destination track.
Once you have completed recording your melody, Band-in-a-
Box will ask you if you would like to keep the take and if you
would like to copy the recorded chorus to the whole song. If
you did not record the full track you can choose to retain the rest
of the track beyond the part you just recorded.

Sequencer Mode
There are 2 tracks in Band-in-a-Box to add your own recordings. These are the Melody and Soloist tracks.
Normally you would want a single part on each of them. But, since MIDI information can have separate channels, it
is possible to store 16 separate parts on each of the Melody and Soloist parts. When the track has been set to “Multi
(16) -Channel” we refer to this as “Sequencer Mode.”
If you want to use the 16 separate parts for the Melody track, you need to set the Melody Track type to “Multi (16) -
Channel.” This is done from the Melody (or Soloist) menu or can be done by pressing the Sequencer button.

Now, when you are in this multi-channel mode, output from the Melody track will be on whatever MIDI channel the
information is stored on and will not be using the Melody MIDI channel. Both the Melody and Soloist tracks can be
set to multi-channel play, for a total of 32 channels.
Tip: Looking for inspiration? At the click of a button, the Band-in-a-Box Melodist will write entire new songs from scratch,
complete with Chords, Intro, Melody, Solo, Ending, and even an original Title. Or you can enter your own chord changes and let
the Melodist create a new melody over them. There are more than 100 Jazz, Pop, Rock, Latin, Country, and Classical melody
styles.

Embellishing the Melody

When musicians see a Lead Sheet that has a melody written out, they almost never play it exactly as written. They
change the timing to add syncopation, change durations to achieve staccato or legato playing, add grace notes, slurs,
extra notes, vibrato, and other effects. You can have Band-in-a-Box do these automatically using the Embellisher.

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You can enable the Embellisher from the [Embellish Melody] menu button. Any Melody will be embellished as it
is played so that you hear a livelier and more realistic Melody - and it’s different every time.
Embellisher dialog opens the Melody Embellisher dialog with many user options to control the embellishment
settings. The Embellisher Presets allow you to choose a combination of common settings for the Embellisher
quickly.
The Embellisher is only active while the music is playing; the recorded Melody track isn’t affected. There is an
option for the Embellisher to only humanize the timing of the music if the timing was “stiff” to begin with. This
allows the Embellisher to leave the timing of human input melodies alone and humanize only the ones that were
entered in step-time.
The Embellisher Memo describes the current embellishment, with statistics
counting the number of embellished notes.

You can save/load your own presets for the Embellisher.

When you have made a custom setting in the Embellisher dialog, press the Export button to save the data
as an .EMB file.
When you want to recall the saved preset, press the Import button, and load in a previously made .EMB file. You
can share your favorite presets with other installations of Band-in-a-Box using the EMB files.
Harmonize the MIDI Melody
Use the [Harmony] menu button command MIDI – Melody Harmony to add a MIDI harmony to the
Melody track. This opens the Select Melody Harmony dialog where you can choose from any of the pre-
defined harmonies.
The [Edit] button will open the Harmony
Maker, where you can customize Harmonists.
The [Search] button allows you to search for a
harmony by a keyword (i.e. typing in the first
few letters of a harmony name) in either the
Harmonies or Favorite Harmonies dialog.
The [Note Off] button is to turn off any notes
that are stuck on. (There shouldn’t be any.)
Enter the number of the harmony you want to
go to and press [Go To #].
The [Fav] button will produce a list the 50 most
recently loaded harmonies.
The [No harmony] will disable the harmony
for the song. The keystrokes Shift+F10 also
allow or disable the Melody harmony.

When adding a harmony to the Melody (or Soloist) you can use the option to loosen up start times of for the
harmony notes to achieve a more natural, richer harmony sound.
Choose menu item Melody | Edit Melody Track | Quantize, Time Adjust | Loosen Start Times. You can select the
range of adjustments. For example, if you want the notes to be played earlier, use a negative number. A setting of
minus 5 to positive 6 would cause the start times to be varied up to 5 ticks early and 6 ticks late. There is also a
setting to choose whether you want only the harmony notes present on the track to be affected, leaving the original
melody unaffected.

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Convert Track to Harmony

This feature permanently writes the specified harmony to the Melody or Soloist track, instead of being applied in real
time. Use the buttons in the Select Melody/Soloist Harmony dialogs, or the Convert Harmony… menu command
found in the Melody and Soloist menus. You will then see a dialog allowing you to choose the range of the song to
add the harmony, either the whole song or a specified range of bars.
There are options to “Eliminate Note Overlap” and “Loosen start times of notes” for the harmony notes to achieve a
more natural, richer harmony sound. The melody is not affected, only the harmony notes, and there are options for
the range of spread for the harmony notes.

Note: Once the track is converted you should set the harmony to “None” or you will hear harmonies being applied to the harmony
notes, i.e., “harmony-on-a-harmony.”

Record a Live Audio

You can record your live vocal or instrumental performance and save it to an audio wave file along with the Band-in-
a- Box accompaniment. Make sure that you have a microphone plugged in to your sound card, or a connection from
a mixer, keyboard, or other audio device connected to the Line In jack on your sound card.
Click on the [Record Audio] button. This will open the Record Audio dialog and the VU Meters.
Tip: To leave the VU Meters open while recording, enable the “Leave VU Meters open while recording” option in the
dialog.
The VU Meters show the average strength of the signal, with a dB scale, and a clip indicator.
Clipping indicates that the signal has overloaded and will sound distorted (clipped).
The green area represents normal levels, while red indicates an overload.
Ideally, the sounds should remain in the green and avoid the red altogether. Unlike analog
recording, where it’s good to get a “hot” high signal, digital recordings need to absolutely avoid
high levels since any overload of the signal will result in clipping and a ruined recording.

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Set the start point for the recording.
You can record from the start of the song, somewhere in the middle, or punch in by choosing a bar and chorus # to
start recording.
Select the destination track.
Audio can be recorded to the Audio or a Utility track.
Select the destination track for recording MIDI.
If you also want to record MIDI at the same time, choose the destination track with the “Record MIDI to” option.
Press [Record].
Audio recording begins. If you have enabled the “Leave VU Meter while recording” option, then the VU Meter will
open and display during recording so you can monitor the VU meters.
Press the [Stop] toolbar button or press the [Esc] key.
You will then see the “Keep Take?” dialog.
If you are happy with your recording, you should
choose [OK -Keep Take] and the audio will be added
to the Audio track.
You can listen to the results by pressing [Play].

If you are not happy with the results, you can choose Edit | Undo Keep Audio Take and you will be back to where
you were prior to the recording. You can also choose the option to [Take Again], which reopens the Recording
dialog.
Copy 1st chorus to whole song: If you’ve recorded only 1 chorus of the song, you can choose the option to copy
that first chorus of audio to the whole song. This will fill up the whole song with the audio by repeating it as many
times as necessary. Then you’d just need to record the ending of the song.
Overdub underlying audio: At the end of recording, you receive an option to overdub with the underlying audio.
This means that both recordings will be merged together to form a new file, with both recordings preserved.
Retain audio past last recorded: This allows you to “punch out” and preserve the rest of a previously recorded
take.
Opening and Importing Audio Files
A mono or stereo WAV file can be imported to the Audio or Utility track, optionally merging with or replacing any
existing Audio track. Choose the menu item File | Import Audio (WAV, WMA, MP3, WMV) or Audio | Import Audio
(WAV, WMA, MP3, WMV). You then choose an audio file to import. The Import Audio File dialog is then

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displayed, which allows selection of the destination track, the point to insert the audio file, and the option to merge
or overwrite existing audio in the destination.

If the audio file contains Acid Loop or Apple® Loop information, the dialog shows an option to set the audio base
tempo of the current song to the tempo of the audio file.

Adding Solo - “The Soloist”

That’s right! Band-in-a-Box can “solo like a pro” in hundreds of styles. You can either use the dedicated Soloist
track or assign a soloist RealTrack to any track.
There are two ways to select and add a solo to your song. The “Best Soloist” feature presents a pre-qualified list of
soloists to choose from. The Select Soloist dialog gives you the full list of soloists to choose from, plus additional
settings you can apply to the solo.
Pick “Best” Soloist RealTracks
This dialog shows you the best soloists that match the genre, tempo, and feel of your song. The list is displayed from
best to worst. For example, if you have a Jazz Ballad style loaded (tempo 60), the list will show jazz Soloists that
will work well at a tempo of 60 at the top of the list, and something like a fast, Heavy Metal Guitar Soloist at the
bottom of the list.
How to Use This Feature
To add a Best Soloist to the Soloist track, press the [Soloist] button, and choose the menu option Add Best
RealTracks Soloist to Soloist Track.

To add a best Soloist to any track, right-click (or double-click) on the instrument radio button (e.g., Piano) and
choose the Select RealTracks | Select Best Soloist RealTracks menu command.

You will then see the dialog that lists the best soloists for the current style.

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 It will include “Soloists” and “Background (Melodic).” You can de-select
these if you want to see only “Soloists” (and not “Background”).

If you want to filter the list, enter text or press the [#]
button.
You can audition the RealTracks by double-clicking on the list or using the
transport control buttons.
You can choose options (timebase, bluesy, simple, etc.) for the selected
RealTrack.

Enabling the “List best subs for the current RealTracks” option will list
RealTracks that are similar to the currently selected RealTracks.
Pressing the [Artist Bios] button opens the Artist Browser which lists all RealTracks artists and allows you to see
more info.
Select Soloist Dialog
Use the [Soloist] button to open the Select Soloist dialog and choose from over 2,000 Soloist profiles.

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 You can select a Soloist type (e.g. Modern Jazz) and see only
soloists matching the type.
And you can also filter to show/not show soloists
from Soloist sets that you don’t have.

Use the preset Soloist settings or choose a Mode and which Choruses to solo.
RealTracks Solos
Band-in-a-Box has RealTracks instruments, which are live audio recordings of studio musicians. These RealTracks
replace the MIDI track for that instrument and can be controlled just like the MIDI instrument (volume changes,
muting etc.). RealTracks can be can be generated to the Soloist (or Melody) track using the Soloist feature.
There are hundreds of RealTracks soloists available, starting at #361
in the list of soloing styles.
The [Best RealTracks] button gives you a list of the best RealTracks soloists for the current Band-
in-a-Box style.
RealTracks solos are saved with the song, so you will hear the RealTracks play the same solo when you reload the
song. When you generate a solo using RealTracks, Band-in-a-Box will remember this, and when you go to save the
song, Band-in-a-Box will ask you if you want to save that solo (and thereby freeze the Soloist track). If you say yes,
then the solo will play instantly the same way when the song is reloaded. Of course, you can freeze the soloist track
yourself at any time. Note that only one solo can be saved. You can’t generate a bunch of different segments of
solos; only the last one will be saved.
With the “Trade” feature, you can Trade 2’s, Trade 4’s, or Trade 8’s between your live playing
and the Soloist. Toggle between [1st] and [2nd] to choose who goes first, the soloist or you.
There is a dedicated function to vary the start times of notes on the Melody or Soloist tracks, with options for what
notes to affect (harmony, chords, and amount of variance). Choose menu item Soloist | Edit Soloist Track | Quantize,
Time Adjust | Loosen Start Times.

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Using the Soloist Feature
1. Generate a Soloist and practice the solo by looping it, slowing it down, or printing it out, until you can perform a
great solo on any chord changes.
2. Generate a Soloist and attach a Harmony such as “Big Band Brass” to create phenomenally quick and interesting
Big Band Arrangements automatically. Generate a standard MIDI file or print them out (with PowerTracks Pro)
for you and your friends.
3. Have the Soloist play a solo according to your accompaniment and arrangement (along with the other members
of your Band-in-a-Box, of course!)
4. Trade 4’s in a call-response fashion with the Soloist (you solo for 4 bars, Band-in-a-Box solos for 4 bars, etc.).
5. Concentrate separately on different aspects of your playing with assistance from the “Wizard” from soloing with
proper phrasing and “feel” (the best notes are included automatically) to accompanying a soloist with confidence
and authority. (Tip: try muting out one of the accompaniment parts such as the piano or guitar part and play
along to the Soloist in a supportive role-- it’s fun!)
6. Use the Soloist track to record another part in addition to the Melody and other parts provided by Band-in-a-Box.
7. Generate a Soloist on chords/keys that you would like to practice. Band-in-a-Box will play and solo with you all
day without getting bored. For example, if you want to work on your II-V7-I progressions (“two-five-one”), you
can just type the chords you want, and generate a solo to play over those changes. As the solo plays, you see the
notation, can you can sight read along. Pressing the “Loop Screen” checkbox on the notation will loop the
notation the screen so you can master each 4-bar phrase (II-V-I) and then move ahead to the next one!
The Soloist Maker [Edit] button gives access to the advanced settings in the Soloist Editor where
you can edit existing profiles or create new Soloists of your own.

To see the Soloist part play in the standard music notation, open the Notation window and click on the
track selector button to select the Soloist track.

Automatic Songs - “The Melodist”

Feel like composing a brand-new song? With Band-in-a-Box you can compose a new song, in the style of your
choice complete with intro, chords, melody, arrangement, and improvisations, all created by the program! All you
have to do is pick from one of the “Melodists” and press [OK] - the program then automatically generates the intro,
chords, melody, and arrangement in the chosen style. It even auto-generates a title! You can go from nothing to a
completed song in less than 1 second!
You can also auto-regenerate any part of a song and modify it to suit you. The Melodist will also generate a melody
over an existing chord progression. A “Melodist Juke Box” mode creates and performs new compositions in
succession.
To launch the Melodist, press the [Melodist] button on the main screen, or use the Shift+F5 hot keys.

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 Melodists can be filtered by “Genre” (e.g. EZ listening) to show only
Melodists in that genre.
You can also filter to show/not show Melodists from Melodist sets that you
don’t have.
Check “Show if N/A” to list all Melodists even if they are not
included in your Band-in-a-Box.

Note: Band-in-a-Box also has a SoundTrack feature that allows you to generate music in the style you choose for any length of
time you specify. Click on Generate Soundtrack in the Melody menu.

Song Editing Features

The on-screen display of the song file name includes “*” when the file has been changed.

Edit | Undo and Edit | Redo allow you to Undo (or redo) most operations. Multiple Undo supports up to 999 levels
of undo (configurable). The default number of undo is 99. If you need to change this, it can be done in Options |
Preferences “Number of Levels of Undo.” The range can be 5 to 999. You can also choose Edit | Redo to redo an
undo.

Technical Note: Audio Undos are large WAV files, so are stored in an Undos folder in the BB directory. This directory is emptied
when the undos are no longer needed.
Edit | Cut functions like a delete command. It removes bars of chords from a song.
Copy/Move Tracks
The Copy/Move Tracks command in the Edit | Copy Special submenu allows copying or moving data (audio and/or
MIDI) from one track to another.

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Select the Source Track that you want to copy or move data from and the Destination Track that will receive the
copied or moved data. The source and destination tracks can be any track - Bass, Drums, Piano, Guitar, Strings,
Melody, Soloist, Audio, or Utility.
You should also select the action (Do nothing, Copy, or Move) for each of MIDI and Audio.
If you enable the Merge with existing data on tack option, the data in the destination track will be preserved and
merged with the incoming data from the source track.
When copying or moving MIDI data, you can use options to include continuous controllers, pitch bend, patch
changes, and lyrics.
You can copy any channels from any track to any other track. Examples of uses include:
- Loading a MIDI file to the Melody track, and copying the bass part to the Bass track, and then freezing the Bass
track. This allows you to setup a MIDI file with the same tracks as Band-in-a-Box uses. Note: the command
automatically freezes the destination track after the copy.
- Getting the RealChart to play, to double a RealTracks part on another instrument. To do this, generate a
RealTracks for piano on the piano track. Then copy the piano track to the strings track and set a strings patch.
You now hear a RealTracks piano, with the strings doubling the piano part.
- Replacing a RealChart with a MIDI version. If a RealChart is available, copy the RealChart as in the example
above. Then eliminate the RealTracks on the original track. You now have a RealChart MIDI part playing instead
of the RealTracks, and you can edit that part etc. as with any MIDI track.
Nudge Chords/Melody
In the Edit menu, the Nudge Chords/Melody allows moving a range of chords by any number of bars/beats. For
example, let’s say that you have entered a complete song chord progression, and you then realize that all of the
chords starting at bar 23 are 1 beat too late (maybe due to a time signature change). You can move all of the chords
1 beat earlier, by setting the nudge at bar 23, beat 1, and duration of the nudge to -1 (minus 1) beats.
You can nudge chords and/or Melody/Soloist tracks.

Unfold (Convert to 1 BIG chorus)

Choose Edit | Song Form | Unfold (convert to one BIG chorus) to unfold a multi-chorus song into one BIG chorus.

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 becomes
If you have a song with 3 choruses and want to convert it to a single large chorus, this command unfolds the song
into just that; one BIG chorus. This is useful for customizing a song with style, patch or tempo changes in different
verses.
Fold (Convert 1 chorus to multiple)
A “Fold song” routine converts a song with a single large chorus to multiple smaller choruses with optional tag
ending. If you have imported a MIDI file, you might have a file that is 96 bars long, but really consists of 3 choruses
of 32 bars each. You can convert this to a 32-bar song by using the Edit | Song Form | Fold menu item, including
inserting tag endings, and 2-bar endings.

becomes
Add Repeats and 1st/2nd Endings
For this tutorial, we will be using demos from the “Tutorial - Repeats and Endings” folder.
Load in the Song “Miles1 Tutorial (no repeats yet)” from the Tutorial – Repeats and Endings folder. You will see
that this is a 1-32 bar form. There are no repeats and endings entered for this song. We will be adding them now.
When you load in a song, you will notice some “Form Marker” features that happen for any Band-in-a-Box song.

Repeat symbols are drawn at the beginning and end of the entire form (bars 1, 32 in this song) and “end” is written
on bar 33, which is the ending.
Bars past the end of the song are colored gray.
These form markers are present for every song, unless you disable them by Preferences | Display. These are not the
type of repeats/endings we’re referring to here, however. The repeats/endings we are talking about now occur during
the form, and are the 1st/2nd endings, DS al Coda and other repeat types that you see on a typical lead sheet.
So, in our song “Miles1 Tutorial (no repeats yet),” we can have a look at it and see if there are any repeats/endings.
It appears from looking at the Chord Sheet that this 32-bar form consists of two 16 bar sections, with a 1st ending at
bar 9, and a 2nd ending at bar 25.
So now we’d like Band-in-a-Box to display it like that, with the first and second ending markings.
Since we want to insert the 1st/2nd ending on bar 9, we right-click on the Chord Sheet on bar 9 and select
Repeats/Codas/1st-2nd Endings.

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We then see the Edit Repeats and Endings dialog.

Click on the 1st/2nd endings radio button and enter the following.
- Repeat begins at bar 1.
- 1st ending begins at bar 9.
- 1st ending lasts for 8 bars.
- Type of Repeat/Ending = 1st/2nd endings.
By entering this data we’ve defined the complete 1st and 2nd ending. If the 1st ending begins at bar 9 and lasts for 8
bars, the 2nd ending must begin at bar 17+8=25 (there’s an 8-bar repeated section from bar 1 to 8).
Now, this was a pre-existing song, and it already has all of the bars laid out. So, we make sure that we don’t select
the “Generate (insert) new bars” checkbox.
Click on [OK-Make Repeat], and the repeat gets made and the Chord Sheet redraws with the 1st/2ndrepeat
showing.

Make sure you have Fake Sheet mode selected on the Chord Sheet.

As you can see there is a 1st ending at bar 9. At bar 16 there is a repeat symbol, indicating that the form goes back to
bar 1 for 8 bars, and then will go to the bar after bar 16 for the 2nd ending. The 2nd ending is marked there. The bar
# is 25, because the bars are numbered in linear fashion, and it is the 25th bar of the song as it would be played.
Then the song goes to the end, which is bar 32.
Now we can see a LINEAR view of the same song, similar to the way it was before we put the 1st/2nd
endings on it. To do this, deselect the Fake Sheet checkbox on the main page. You will then see the song like this.

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This shows all of the 32 bars, including the bars that are part of the repeat – these are highlighted in gray. Exposing
these bars shows the linear view of the song, the way the song would be played. It also allows you to enter custom
information for any of the bars, including the bars in the “gray area.” For example, if you wanted the chord at bar 21
to be an Em9 instead of an Em7, just type it in, even though it’s in the repeated section leading to the 2nd ending.
You can toggle between the 2 views for the traditional lead sheet view with the Fake Sheet mode, and the “normal”
(linear) view with Fake Sheet mode OFF.

The List of Repeats/Endings allows you to manage the repeats/endings that have been entered.
Delete/ Append/ Insert a repeat or ending using this list, which opens with the [Edit List] button in the Edit
Repeats ad Endings dialog.
Set Time Signature (range of bars)
Under the Edit | Set Time Signature (range of bars) menu item, you can assign a specific time signature at any bar
and apply it to a range of bars, as often as you want.

For example, to have one bar (bar 13) of 5/4, select Edit | Set Time Signature… and toggle the 5/4 button. Then, type
in the bar beginning and ending range in the space provided.

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Transpose

This submenu lets you transpose the entire song by a number of semitones, or specify a range to transpose with the
Transpose From.. To.. command.
To transpose part of a song, simply highlight the area you wish to transpose
and select Transpose From.. To.. in the submenu. When you have
confirmed the starting bar and the number of bars you wish to transpose,
click on the “Transpose to Key” area and select the destination key.

Settings for Current Bar

The number of beats per bar, tempo changes, patch, style, and harmony changes can be made by selecting the
Settings For Current Bar option on the Edit menu or by pressing F5 after you have selected a bar to edit.

Settings Apply to Chorus #: You can specify the changes you make to happen for every chorus and/or a specific
chorus. This applies to bar settings like tempo changes, style changes, RealDrums changes, patch changes, volume
changes, and harmony changes.
Bar #: You can change the bar to edit without existing the dialog.

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Number of Beats this Bar: The initial time signature of the song is determined by the style (e.g., Jazz =4/4, Waltz
=3/4). In some songs you will want to change the time signature at a certain bar. For example, you might want a
single bar of 2/4, or 8 bars of 3/4 time. This option allows a change of time signature during a song. This option
allows a change of time signature during a song. The change takes place at the beginning of the bar and continues
until a new time signature change is specified. You can select from 1 to 4 beats per bar. Time signature changes are
printed on the Notation/Lead Sheet.

Example: A song in 4/4 time with a single bar of 6/4 time

The maximum # beats per bar is =4, so we will split the 6/4 bar into 2 bars, a 4/4 bar and a 2/4 bar. Insert a # beats
per bar =2 at the beginning of the 2/4 bar, then restore the time signature to 4/4 by assigning # beats per bar =4 for
the next bar.
Tip: Instead of using this dialog, you can use hotkeys to set the time signature for the current bar. Just type a time signature (4/4,
3/4, 2/4, or 1/4), and it will be entered to the current bar. Typing 0/4 clears the time signature from the current bar.
Tempo Change: If you want to change the tempo at a certain bar of the song, then use this dialog to type in the new
tempo in beats per minute. The tempo change takes effect at the beginning of the bar and remains until a new tempo
change at another bar is inserted. Alternatively, you can specify a percentage change in tempo.
Key Signature Change: You can have multiple keys in the same song with the new key signature shown on notation.
Select the new key signature you want from the combo list and you will see the new key signature drawn on the
notation at that bar.

Style Changes at This Bar: To choose a new style for this bar you can select the style from the StylePicker by
pressing the [.STY] button or from the C:\bb\Styles folder by pressing [Open].
You can audition a style in the StylePicker without
changing your existing arrangement, by using the Quick -
play using premade demo area, which plays a streaming
demo from the web. For example, if you see a style like _JSWINGG “Jazz Swing w/ Electric Guitar” you can hear
what it sounds like without loading in the style. This is useful because you hear an audio demo of a good example of
the style in action. It is also useful because it can demo a style that you don’t have, or you can compare to make sure
that yours sounds the same as it is supposed to sound.
Note: If the track type changes by the style change, the track will be silent from the current bar. For example, when the style with
a MIDI piano track is selected for the song, if you select a style with a RealTrack piano track at the current bar, the piano track will
be silent after the style change.
When chosen, the name of the style change for the current
bar will be displayed. Click on the [Clear STY] button if
you want no style change to occur.

Individual styles have instrument patches assigned to them. “Send Patch changes with style change” allows the
option to send those assigned patches at the current bar. If you would like to keep the patches that had been
previously used in the song, deselect this option.
RealDrums Changes at any Bar: You can have multiple RealDrums styles within a song. You can either enter a
change of RealDrums, or enter a change of style, which will also result in a change of RealDrums.
The name of the new RealDrums style is displayed. The [Clear RD] button deletes the RealDrums change.

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RealTracks Changes at any Bar: You can insert a specific RealTracks instrument at any bar to create a customized
performance. You can change specific RealTracks without changing the style. For example, if you want to change
an Acoustic Bass comping part to an Acoustic Bass Solo at Chorus 4, Bar 1, you can do this.
Press the [RealTracks] button and you will see the RealTracks Changes dialog where you can choose
which tracks you would like to have RealTracks changes on.

Select a track, then press the button and you will then see a list of RealTracks.

You will see a huge list of RealTracks, so you will likely want to narrow it
down. Type a word that will be included in the RealTracks name, like
“bass.” Then the list will only show bass RealTracks.

Notation - Start a New Line: You can set the notation to start a new line at any bar. This allows you to customize
the number of bars on each line and is used in conjunction with the Notation Options settings of bars-per-line on the
notation. This feature works for chord sections.
Instrument Changes
Volume and patch changes can be made for instrument parts and the Audio track at any bar.
Volume changes can be specified values or fade up/down amounts. There are presets to mute or restore the volume
level for a part.
Patch selections include patches on higher banks, which are accessed with the [+] button.

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Harmony Changes at This bar: You set a harmony to begin or end at this bar for the Melody or Soloist/Thru track.
If you choose < no harmony >, a harmony that was previously playing will stop. Set a specific beat for the harmony
to begin, for example on a lead-in or pickup note at the end of a bar. You can also switch to different harmonies in
the middle of your song.

Style, tempo, key signature, volume, patch, and harmony changes will be recorded on your song worksheet indicated
by a red line below the bar number. Changes remain in effect from that bar forward until new changes are recorded
or until the next chorus if you have set the changes to apply only to the current chorus.
[Reset ALL Bars] will remove any settings you have changed for all bars.
[Reset Bar] will remove any settings you have changed for the current bar.
[UserTracks Development] will open a dialog for advanced settings when making UserTracks.
[Print Summary] will open a text report of all settings in the song that have been made in the Edit Settings for
Current Bar dialog. This summary is also available from the Song Memo.
Song Memo

A Song Memo of up to 2,000 characters may be added. Clicking on the [Memo] button launches the
Song Memo dialog, where you can type or edit a memo about the song and select an “Auto-open” option that will
show the memo each time the song is loaded.
The Song Memo has an option to close automatically during playback. When this option is set, the Memo dialog
will close when the song starts to play and not reopen when it stops. This setting, in combination with the “Auto-
open” setting, ensures that the memo opens when the song opens, but closes during playback. The font for the song
memo is size selectable.

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If the “Summary” checkbox is selected, you will see an additional window that automatically displays a full
summary of the song (title/tempo/patches used in the song), as well as other special features, such as substyle patch
changes or harmonies.
Press the [Bar Summary] button to see a report of any changes to settings that are programmed in the Edit Bar
Settings dialog (F5).

View and Print Notation

Open the Notation window with the [Notation] toolbar button. You will see standard notation on the
grand staff. There are 3 notation modes in Band-in-a-Box, selected with the buttons in the Notation
window toolbar.
Standard Notation for display of notes, chords, lyrics, and optional guitar tablature as well as entering chords
and lyrics. Notation is not editable in this mode.
Editable Notation to enter or edit notation with the mouse.
Staff Roll Notation works like the Editable Notation plus note velocities and durations can be viewed and
edited with the mouse.
Standard Notation Window

The Standard Notation window can be used for notation display and the entry of chords and lyrics. Just type a chord
name and it will be inserted at the current time line location (the black vertical stripe just under the tool bar.
Press the [Opt.] button to set the Notation window options such as track type, bar resolution, lyric font size,
and position, transpose options, and Regular or Jazz fonts.
This button opens the Lead Sheet window, which provides a full screen of notation either for an individual
instrument or for multiple instruments that you choose to view together by clicking the instrument buttons
while holding the Ctrl key.
Print out any track with the Print button. In the Print Preview window save your notation as a graphic file to
upload to the Internet or to e-mail.
Notation supports various time signatures (4/4, 3/4, 2/4, 2/2, 12/8, 9/8, and 6/8). Press this button to select
one of the time signatures from the list.
This button allows you to visually transpose the notation.
Click on the button to select a track to display, or hover the mouse cursor over it and use the
mouse wheel to quickly switch tracks.
This button opens the Event List for editing MIDI data on the selected track.
This is the button for note-based lyrics, which are automatically aligned with the corresponding note in the
Melody track.
Use the plus and minus buttons to zoom the Notation in and out.
The text button lets you enter section text or boxed text into the notation.
When the Scrub button is selected, notes will play as the mouse is dragged over them while holding down the

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 left mouse button.
This will generate a vocal track using an online third-party vocal synthesizer called Sinsy for a
MIDI melody track with lyrics.
This will launch an internet browser and show a video about Notation window.
This allows you to quickly change the number of bars per line.
This allows you to display notation with larger font size and note names within note heads. Press the
button again to return to the normal size.
Click on this button and the song will loop the bars shown on the notation screen.
The Notation window displays an improved system of Bar Lyrics, Section Text, and Bar Settings, and additional
chord mode (Roman Numeral, Nashville Notation, etc.) above the Standard chord symbols.
Click on the [Chord Display] button on the toolbar, go to Layers, and make a selection.

Editable Notation Mode

Click this button to go to Editable Notation mode. Chords, lyrics, and text can be entered as in the Standard
Notation mode; the Editable Notation mode also permits point-and-click entry of notes and rests as well as
drag-and-drop editing.

This is the screen for step-entry of a melody or for editing existing parts. There are checkboxes for different note
entry modes.
The Note or Rest checkboxes determine whether a note or a rest will be inserted
when the mouse is clicked.
When the Mono checkbox is selected, the notation is entered as monophonic (one note only). This is useful for
melodies that only have one note playing at a time. Mono mode is a faster way to enter notes, because the Notation
window will automatically delete a note that is present at the same location that you are putting a new note on. So if

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you have mistakenly put a B note on as a C, you just click on the B note, and if in mono mode the C note will be
deleted automatically.
The notation has confirmation dialogs to prevent accidental entry of a duplicate note (same pitch near same time) of
a very high or very low note (large # of ledger lines).
Clean Notation
When music has been played in from a MIDI keyboard, there are frequently effects like grace notes, glitches, and
notes played off time. The Clean Notation mode is an intelligent feature that “cleans up the notation” for you. It
does this by eliminating the display of grace notes and glitches, and also simplifies the Notation display so it is more
readable. Clean Notation doesn’t affect the actual track it just controls how it is displayed. In general, this should be
on, since it improves the display. But if you want to see every grace note or glitch that was played, then turn it off.
Beat Divisions
In the Editable Notation mode each beat is sub-divided by either 3 or 4 broken vertical lines.
- Swing styles use 3 lines to divide each beat into eighth note swing triplets.
- Straight styles use 4 lines to divide each beat into sixteenth notes.

Example of swing (triplet) resolution. Example of straight (16ths) resolution.

Tip: The edits you make to Band-in-a-Box accompaniment parts will be overwritten when the [Play] button is pressed and the
program generates a new arrangement. To hear the song, play as edited, use the [Replay] button found next to the [Play] button.
Edited songs can be permanently saved as a MIDI file with the [.MID] button.

Staff Roll Notation Mode

Click on this button to switch to the Staff Roll Notation mode.

In addition to the editing features of the Editable Notation mode, in Staff Roll mode the velocity (vertical line) and
duration (horizontal line) of notes can be edited with the mouse.
Adding Note-Based Lyrics to Your Song
Open the Notation window by pressing the notation button.

Press the [L] button on the Notation window toolbar. The Lyric Edit window opens up and the current note is
highlighted. In this example, lyrics have already been entered in bars 1 and 2, and the first note of bar three is
highlighted. The first syllable of the word “Swanee” has been typed in the lyric box.
Now by pressing Enter or Tab “Swa –” will be entered under the highlighted note and the highlight will
automatically advance to the next note.

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Lyric Edit Window

The [Line] button enters a forward slash “/” line break marker in the current lyric.
The [Para] button enters a backslash “ \” paragraph break marker in the current lyric.
The [Enter] button enters the current lyric, equivalent to hitting Enter key or Tab key.
The [Close] button closes the Lyrics Edit mode, equivalent to hitting the [L] button again.
The [Sec Text] button enters the text in the lyric box as section text at the current bar.
The [Edit] button opens the Edit Lyrics dialog where lyrics and section text can be edited.
Viewing the Lyrics
The big [L] button in the Views toolbar opens the Big Lyrics window. The font and colors are selectable,
you can show or hide the chords, and words highlight as the music plays.

Lead Sheet Notation Window

The Lead Sheet Notation window displays a full page of notation with lots of options such as a selectable number of
staves per page, clefs to show, font size, margins, scroll-ahead notation, and lyrics. You can set it to a big font size
and read the notation from across the room. Since the notation scrolls ahead, you can read ahead without waiting for
a page turn.
Launching the Lead Sheet Window
You can launch the Lead Sheet window from the main screen by pressing the [Lead Sheet] button (or
Alt+W).
The Lead Sheet window is also accessible from the Standard Notation window.

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During playback, red rectangles highlight the current bar. If the bar is empty (or in Fake Sheet mode), the Lead
Sheet will still outline the bar in red.

Multiple Tracks of Notation

Multiple tracks of notation can be viewed together in the Lead Sheet window. To add tracks to display, click on the
[+] button to the right of the track selector button, and select the tracks in the order that they should appear from top
to bottom. Multiple tracks can also be printed like a score.

Multiple lines of Lyrics on Fake Sheet

If your song has 1st and 2nd endings or multiple verses of lyrics, multi-line lyrics can be displayed, so you will see
all verses on the same fake sheet. Load in the song C:\bb\Documentation\Tutorials\Tutorial - BB2005\Listen Multi-
line lyrics Demo.MGU.

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 Open the Lead Sheet and select “Fake Sheet Mode.”

This song has a 1st/2nd ending entered, with separate lyrics for each ending. Multiple lines of lyrics will also appear
if there are lyrics in multiple verses (choruses).
In the Notation Window Options, “Lyric Position” allows you to vertically
position the height of the lyrics.

Printing
Click on the [Print] button in either the Notation window or the Lead Sheet window to print your song as
sheet music. This launches the [Print Options] dialog with a full range of options including “Number of Copies” to
print and “Print Range.” The options are fully described in the online Help and in the Notation chapter of this
manual.

The [OK –Preview/Graphics] button opens the Preview window.

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In this screen the notation can be saved as a graphics file to be imported to a document or uploaded to an Internet
page. Choose the file type that you’d like to save to. If you want an exact rendition of the screen, choose MONO
BMP, since bitmap files are saved without any loss of quality. If you want a smaller file of your composition for
Internet use, choose a format like JPG, or PNG. These are smaller, because they compress the data, with some loss
of quality.

To save a JPG file, press the [OK -Preview/Graphics] and [Save…] buttons and then select “Save to
File Type: JPG.” You can then see the estimated size of the file and change settings by pressing the
Low/Medium/High resolution buttons.
The notation can also be copied as a bitmap to the Windows® clipboard and then pasted into any
application. This is done by clicking on the [Clipbd] button in the Preview screen.
To print a specific page, press the [Print Page] button.

You can save your printouts directly as a PDF file. From the Print dialog, press [Print to PDF]. This
opens a Save As dialog for the pdf995 printer driver. Choose a location for your file and assign a name to the PDF,
then press [Save] to create a fully portable file that you can view, print, post, or upload.

The Medley Maker

Would you like Band-in-a-Box to make a medley of various Band-in-a-Box songs (MGU)? This is easily done with
the Medley Maker. Inside the Medley Maker, simply select the songs that you want, and Band-in-a-Box will make
the medley for you.
To open the Medley Maker, click on the [Song Form] menu button on the Tools toolbar and select
Medley Maker in the menu, or choose File | Import | Medley Maker.

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A medley is not simply joining songs together. A good medley uses a “transition” area between songs to introduce
the new style, key, and tempo. The Medley Maker automatically creates a nice transition area for you, writing in
chords that would smoothly modulate to the next song, style, key, and tempo!
To make a medley,
- add songs by pressing the [Append] or [Insert] button.
- remove songs using [Delete].
- change the order of the songs using [Move Up], [Move Down].
- for any song, customize using the “Settings for this song” group box, including changing the style, tempo, key,
start bar, # of bars, and # of transition bars. Press [Update] after customizing to see your changes in the medley
list.
- choose the type of information to include with your medley (styles, key signature changes, lyrics, etc.) in the
“Include with Songs” group box
- choose a number of transition bars (the default is 4). Transition bars are automatic bars of chords inserted by
Band-in-a-Box to transition from one song to the other, generating an “outro” and an “intro” between songs.
Press the [Make Medley NOW] button to generate a medley.
The maximum size of the medley is 255 bars (about 7 minutes).
The current size and time of your medley is displayed in the Length label.

You can have multiple choruses, so if you had 3 choruses of a 250-bar medley, it would
last 750 bars.
Tip: Your medley will use RealDrums if you have RealDrums enabled. If so, you should keep the various tempos of the songs
within a close range. Because the quality of the RealDrums stretching would go down if a song in the medley had a much lower
tempo than the previous one, it is tempos that slow down to avoid.

Saving Songs
Once you have made a song (or have made changes to a song), you will probably want to save the song by
clicking on the [Save] button. Or choose Save from the File menu, or press F2, or Ctrl+S.
Use [Save As] to save a song with a different name or in a different location. (Songs that are “Saved As”
with a different name have the new name added to the Recently Played song dialog.) The [Save As]
button menu includes additional options for saving a song.

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Save Song with Patches & Harmony (Alt+F2) allows you to save a song with custom patch selections plus volume,
reverb, bank, harmony, soloist and RealDrums. You can also choose to freeze tracks when saved. See the following
topic, Saving Song Settings.
Songs will always be saved with last file extension letter of “U,” regardless of whether they are made with a built-in
style or not. For example, if you make a song with ZZJAZZ.STY as the style (one of the 24 built-in styles), early
versions of BB would save the song as MySong.MG1, where the “1” indicates Style #1 – ZZJAZZ. Now it is saved
as MySong.MGU. Older songs loaded in with .MG1 will still be re-saved as MG1 to prevent duplicate song files.
Note: Make sure you remember to save your songs as Band-in-a-Box song files (not only as MIDI files). The Band-in-a-Box song
files contain the names of the chords, etc. and are much smaller than MIDI files.
If you have an audio file associated with the song, the audio portion will be saved separately, and will be called
MySong.WAV.
Saving Song Settings
By default, all settings are saved with songs unless the “Save all Settings with Songs” box is unchecked (off) in the
Assign Instruments and Harmonies to Song dialog (Alt+F2 or File | Save Special | Save Song with Patches &
Harmony).

This includes RealTracks, RealDrums, and RealTracks solos as well as Patches, Volume, Audio and MIDI Reverb,
Tone, Panning, Bank, Harmony (both Melody and Thru), and the Soloist.
If you have some custom items that you don’t want to save with the song, you can uncheck the “Save all Settings”
box and use this dialog to save only the settings you want to keep.

To save certain patches with a song:

a) Choose the patch (instrument) that you would like from the dropdown patch list. Leave the other instruments at
= 0 for no patch change. Remember that the General MIDI numbering system is always used for instruments.

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or
b) Press the [Fill w/Patches] button. This will fill the patch number boxes with the current patch settings showing
on your main screen instrument panel.
Use the checkboxes to choose which instruments you would like to save and whether you would like to save the
Melody and Thru harmony assignments and the Soloist selected to play on the song. You can also save the
instruments as “On” or “Off” for each song. For example, you could have a song with no piano part.
Tip: You can optionally save these kinds of settings with your songs for added realism. You can, for example, make a song with
the piano a little quieter than usual, or add reverb to the melody patch, or pan the bass to one side, etc.
Use the “Frozen” checkbox to put the track into a frozen state where it gets saved with the specific arrangement and
won’t be overwritten by Band-in-a-Box. You can still edit the frozen tracks.
Select the “For this song only, force MIDI drums” checkbox if you always want MIDI drums, not RealDrums, used
with the song.
Select “For this song only, use this RealDrum style” to assign a specific RealDrums style to your song. Press the
[RD] button to choose the RealDrums style.
This dialog is usually used in combination with and not instead of saving a song. To save a song with this embedded
information to your hard drive, you therefore:
1. Choose File | Save Special | Save with Patches and Harmony (Alt+F2).
2. Choose the patch and other settings that you want to embed.
3. Press the [Save] button to save the song to disk.
Note that if you have set a MIDI patch for one of the instrument parts (bass/drums/piano/guitar/strings) and you load
in another style, Band-in-a-Box will overwrite your patches with the style patches. If it didn’t do that, you would be
stuck with the same patches regardless of the style. So, if you want a certain patch for a track, set it after you have
loaded in the style that you want.
Saving Frozen Tracks
Any track can be frozen (MIDI or RealTrack). When frozen, it won’t get changed or re-generated. This saves time
when replaying previous songs and allows you to freeze an arrangement that you like. If you freeze the whole song,
you don’t have to wait at all for the song to regenerate. Next time you play, it is ready to go.
All tracks can be edited and saved. MIDI tracks for bass, drums, piano, guitar and strings can be edited, and saved
with the file. If you freeze a track, edits can be still made to it, because it is only frozen from Band-in-a-Box making
changes to it (you can still edit it), so that the MIDI track will be saved to the file. So, you can customize the bass
track to match a certain song, and save it with a frozen bass track, so that Band-in-a-Box won’t overwrite your edits.
This includes RealCharts – if you wanted to edit the notation of a RealTracks solo for example.
To edit a MIDI track (bass, drums, piano, guitar, strings), or the MIDI part of a RealTracks that has a RealChart
(MIDI transcribed solo), simply open the Notation window or Piano Roll window and click on the track and edit it.
Make sure to Freeze the track by pressing the [Freeze] button and choosing Freeze for that track, or right-clicking on
the instrument at the top of the screen and choosing Freeze. Now your edited tracks will save with the song.
Email Song as Attachments
You can email a song (.MGU or .SGU), style (.STY and .STX) or rendered audio file (m4a, wma, wav, or mp3) as
attachments.
Press the [Save As] button and choose Email song file(s) as attachment(s) to open the Email Song dialog.

The dialog allows you to choose what files you want to email:
- the song (.MGU or .SGU)

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- the style (.STY and .STX)
- a rendered audio file (choice of m4a, wma, wav, mp3)
Saving as Video and Upload to YouTube
You can save your song as a video that you can upload to YouTube or work with in video programs. You can make
a video for the Chord Sheet or the Notation window that shows the highlighted chords or notes moving as the song
plays.
To use this feature, press the [Save as] button and choose Save as Video from the pulldown menu.

Choose the item (Chord Sheet or Notation track) to include in a video.

Enable “Custom dimensions” if you want to choose the width and height of the video. If this is disabled, the video
dimensions will match the Chord Sheet as it appears.
A higher number you set for “Frames Per Second” will result in a large file and the rendering process will take
longer.
You can select a specific “Codec” to encode the video. If “Auto” is selected, Band-in-a-Box will choose a
compatible codec.
If “Include Title” is enabled, the video of the Chord Sheet will have a black bar at the top containing the title shown
below.
The “Scroll Ahead” option makes video of the Chord Sheet scroll so the bar that is currently playing will always be
at the top of the video (i.e., more bars ahead will be visible).
Click on the [OK - Render Video] button to start rendering the video. The video will continue to render unless you
press the [Cancel Rendering] button. When the rendering is done, a message will show and you will be able to
press the [Upload to YouTube] or [Show Video File].
Note: A special use of this feature is to combine a video RealTracks with the corresponding notation in a single video. This
creates an educational video, which shows the actual performance with notation/tab, playing over your chord progression! To do
this, right-click on the Master button or one of the track buttons at the top of the main screen and select Render Video(s) from the
menu.

Saving Song as MusicXML

Band-in-a-Box supports MusicXML so you can easily export your Band-in-a-Box songs into notation programs such
as Finale, Sibelius, and Guitar Pro, while retaining the chords from the Band-in-a-Box song.
To save the song as a MusicXML file, press the [Save As] button and select Save Song as MusicXML file or
go to menu File | Save Special | Save Song as MusicXML file. When BB File Save dialog opens, specify a
file name and the location, and press the [Save] button.
This will open the Save XML File dialog.

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First, select a track that you want to save in the XML file. To select multiple tracks, Ctrl+click on the track.

Then, select items that you want to save in the XML file.

The “Track-specific settings” area lets you choose which clef to include for each track.
There is also an option to include a tablature.
The “Save tab as 2 separate parts (tracks)” option will save two parts: one for a notation track and the other for a
tablature.
If you enable the “Save in Fake Sheet Mode” option, repeated sections will be hidden.
The “Save exact chord text” option allows you to save the exact chord text, rather than relying mainly on saving the
chord type and degrees.
Press [OK], and the file will be ready to be opened in your notation program.
Saving Song as ABC Notation File
ABC notation is the simple text-based notation system used by musicians worldwide to store chords, melody, and
lyrics of songs. You can find out more information about the songs and ABC notation at abcnotation.com.

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 To save the song as an ABC Notation file, press the [Save As] button and select Save as ABC Notation file,
or go to menu File | Save Special | Save Song as ABC Notation file.

Select a track to save: Click on the track that you want to save in the file. This applies if “Include Notes” is
enabled.
Include Chords: Check this to save chords in the file.
Include Notes: When this option is checked, notes on the selected track will be saved.
Simplified Chord Names: When this is enabled, complicated chords will be written as simplified names. For
example, D7#5#9 will be written as D7.
Save in Fake Sheet mode: Enable the fake sheet mode if you want to save repeats and endings in the file.
[Copy to clipboard] will copy the file to the clipboard. You can then paste it into other programs.
Press the [Save as File] button, and then you type a name and select the destination in your hard drive.
Saving Song(s) as Simple Text
You can save the song, including the chords and other information (title, key, tempo, form, style, etc.), as a text file.
Press the [Save As] button and select Save Song(s) to Text on clipboard or file(s), or go to menu File | Save
Special | Save Song(s) to Text on clipboard or file(s). This will open the Song(s) to Text dialog.
In the dialog, check the items you want to include in text. By default, the song metadata (title, key, tempo, form,
style, etc.) and memo will be included, but if you don’t want them, you can exclude them. Select the Whole Song
mode, and press the [Save as .txt file] button. If you want to copy the song to the clipboard instead of saving it as a
text file, press the [OK - Copy to Clipboard] button instead.
The dialog also has an option to copy or save all songs in a specific folder. Select the Batch save all songs in this
folder mode, press the folder icon to select the folder, and choose the option to include subfolders of that folder.
Also select the destination with the Batch Save As option. You can copy all songs to the clipboard, save them as
individual text files in the same folder, save them as individual text files in another folder, or save them as a single
text file. Then, press [OK -Batch Save TXT] to copy or save the song.

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Saving MIDI and Karaoke Files
Your Band-in-a-Box songs can be saved as Type 0 and Type 1 MIDI files as well as Karaoke files and
General MIDI lyrics. Click on the [.MID] button or press [F6] key to launch the dialog.

Select the type of MIDI file you want to save in the dropdown “MIDI File type” combo box.

By default, Band-in-a-Box writes Type 1 multiple track Standard MIDI Files. You can also save Type 0 MIDI files,
they have all of the parts on a single track and are used by many hardware modules and other devices that play MIDI
files because they are simpler to play (since they only have 1 track).
Karaoke files (.KAR) are a special type of sing-along MIDI file with text events for the lyrics and a specific order for
the tracks. There is an option to write the MIDI file with separate tracks for each drum instrument. In the “MIDI
File type” combo box, select “Drums on separate tracks.”
MIDI File Options

Press the [Options] button to set custom MIDI file settings in the MIDI file options dialog. This
dialog is also available from the [MIDI File] button in the Preferences dialog (Options | Preferences).

Include Patch Changes in MIDI files will include the patch (instrument) changes.

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Include Part Marker text markers writes descriptive text part markers to the MIDI file if selected. If “Include Part
Marker text markers” is selected the resulting MIDI file will have text markers. Then, in PowerTracks Pro Audio or
RealBand (in the Bars window) you will see the descriptive text markers.

For example, at bar 3, there is an “A, Chorus 1” marker, to indicate a part marker “a” substyle and chorus 1. Text
markers are also read in from MIDI files and displayed as Section Markers on the Notation.
Include 2 bar lead-in in MIDI file: If you don’t want to create a MIDI file containing the first 2 bars of the 1—2—
1-2-3-4 count-in you can select this option. If there is a Melody pickup, then the 2-bar lead-in will remain in the file.
Write Lyrics in General MIDI format: The GM specification has agreed upon specific requirements for writing
lyrics in MIDI files, which are supported, so that lyrics that you save in Band-in-a-Box should show up identically in
other MIDI programs. This is one of the MIDI File options in the Preferences dialog. We recommend the GM
format.

Write Section Text as Text Events: Your section text can be included in the MIDI file as text events.
Include Volume/Reverb/Chorus/Panning: This will include the volume, reverb, chorus, and panning settings that
you have made in the Band-in-a-Box synth window in your MIDI file.
Include Forced Channel Meta Event: This will include the forced channel META event. It is recognized by
PowerTracks Pro Audio and other PG Music Inc. programs only.
Include Guitar Position Controller: This will insert a controller 84 which PG Music uses to indicate the fret
position. Since some synths also use this for Portamento Control, you should use this setting with caution.
Write Soloist Part On Channel 5: Normally the program writes the Soloist part on channel 8. Since that could also
mean the left hand of a piano track using the convention of channel 8/9 for piano, this option allows you to write it
on channel 5 instead.
Write Harmony To MIDI File: If set to YES, the harmony will be written to the MIDI file. If not, just the melody
will be written to the MIDI file.
MIDI File Harmony on separate tracks : If set to YES, the harmony will be written to the MIDI file on separate
tracks for each voice. You could use this to print out individual parts to your printer for example.
Write Guitar part on 6 channels: If set to YES, the styles that are Intelligent Guitar Styles will result in a MIDI file
that has the Guitar part written on 6 channels (11-16). Then, when you read it in PowerTracks, or another sequencer
that uses the convention of 11-16 for guitar strings, the guitar part will display correctly.
For partial range MIDI files, chop off sustaining notes at end turns off notes that would be “hung” because their
associated Note Off event does not fall within the range of bars saved to the MIDI file.
If song has RealDrums
Also generate MIDI Drums in the MIDI file can be unchecked if your song uses RealDrums and you don’t want
MIDI drums included in the MIDI file.
Also generate RealDrums in xxxx_RealDrums.WAV file saves the RealDrums (which are audio) as a separate
wave file. This allows you to easily import the entire Band-in-a-Box song into another program for editing.
Set range of bars for MIDI files
When making a MIDI file, you can select a range of bars to be included. Highlight any
range of bars, and the MIDI file will be made for just that range.

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For example, you could select Chorus #2 if that is the chorus that you want.
The resultant MIDI file will be made from the selected range.
Alternatively, without selecting a range on the Chord Sheet, you can make a MIDI file for a partial
range by pressing the MIDI file button, and then the “Set Range” button.
Batch convert a folder of songs to MIDI files
You can convert an entire folder of Band-in-a-Box songs to MIDI files with a single command and choose the
resultant file names to be based on either the file name or the song title name.
Press the [Batch mode] button in the MIDI file dialog to access this feature.

Save Options
[File on Disk] saves a MIDI file to your hard drive or floppy disk. You can then load the MIDI
file into your sequencer for further editing.
[Clipboard] copies the MIDI file to the Windows® clipboard as a standard MIDI file. This
feature allows clipboard enabled programs to Edit | Paste the Band-in-a-Box MIDI file directly
into the program. For example, you can clipboard-paste Band-in-a-Box MIDI data to PowerTracks Pro Audio,
CakeWalk, Musicator, etc.
The Melody/Soloist (with harmonies) will be written to the MIDI file. If you’ve set a Melody or Soloist/Thru
Harmony, that MIDI data will be written to the MIDI file also. See the settings in the Options | Preferences dialog to
control how the harmony is written to a MIDI file.
The Chord Sheet part markers are written to the MIDI files. They can be read by PowerTracks Pro Audio and by
Band-in-a-Box if re-importing the MIDI file with the Chord Wizard.

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Recording to External Hardware Sequencers
Many people use Band-in-a-Box in live situations. If you are unable to bring your computer with you, a good
alternative is a hardware sequencer or a keyboard with a built-in sequencer that reads Standard MIDI Files. To
transfer songs to the Sound Brush, follow these simple steps:
­ Make a MIDI file of the song by pressing the button.
­ Either save the file directly to a floppy disk or copy it to the floppy from your hard drive.
­ The Sound Brush is then able to read the IBM formatted disk with MIDI files on it.
MGX Files
When a MIDI file is loaded onto the Melody (or Soloist) track, the Track Type for the Melody (or Soloist) gets set to
Multi-Track. When the file is saved, the extension will be MGX, allowing you to easily identify the Band-in-a-Box
songs that you have that contain entire MIDI files.
Saving Audio Files
If you have recorded an acoustic instrument, Band-in-a-Box can render the MIDI data to an audio file and merge it
with your live audio recording to produce a complete digital audio file.
Press the [.WAV] button and choose Export Song as Audio File from the menu. This will open the
Render to Audio File dialog.

Format: Select the format of the audio file: WAV, WMA, WMA (lossless), M4A, or MP3.
Note: If you are using Windows® XP or Vista, the M4A option requires Apple® QuickTime® Library for Windows®, available from
www.apple.com.
Channels: When “Auto” is selected, individual tracks will be rendered as either mono or stereo, depending on the
original source. You can also force to render all tracks as stereo or mono.
Bit Depth: Select 16, 24, or 32 bit.
Sample Rate: Select 44.1, 48, or 96 kHz.
Quality: The bit rate selection is available for compressed audio files (WMA, M4A, and MP3).
Normalize mix: Enable this option if you want the audio file normalized. Normalizing boosts the volume to a
maximum level without distortion, but it takes longer to render.
One file per track: If this option is enabled, you will get separate audio files, one for each track.

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Normalize individual tracks: Enable this option if you want each track normalized individually. This applies if the
“One file per track” option is enabled or when you drag and drop an individual track out of Band-in-a-Box.
Individual tracks flat, dry, and center: If this option is enabled, each track will render ignoring its Mixer settings
(Volume, Pan, Reverb, and Tone), and the default settings will be used instead. The default settings are Volume=0
db, Pan = 0, Reverb= 0, Tone = 0). If this option is disabled and there is no lead-in in the Melody track, the lead-in
will be skipped in the rendered file.
Include 2 bar lead-in: If this option is disabled and there is no lead-in in the Melody track, the lead-in will be
skipped in the rendered file.
Include drums lead-in: Enable this if you want to include the drum count-in the rendered file.
Include ACID info: If you are rendering to a WAV audio file, you can include ACID information such as tempo,
key, and time signature. The ACID information can be read by many DAW programs.
Render using highest quality tempo stretching: If this option is enabled, the highest quality tempo stretching
setting for élastique will be used when rendering. You may be using a lower quality setting for playback in order to
increase performance, but this is not necessary when rendering to an audio file.
Delay at start (seconds): This allows you to add silence in seconds at the start of the audio file.
Delay at end (seconds): You can also add silence in seconds at the end of the audio file.
[Burn to Audio CD] will open the MiniBurn program, which allows you to burn your own CD.
[Batch] allows you to render all songs in a folder to audio files.
To render the song, press the [Render] button and select the name and destination for the audio file.
Batch convert a folder of songs to audio files (MP3, WAV, or WMA)
Do you need to convert an entire folder of Band-in-a-Box songs to audio files? This can be done easily by a single
command with an option to name the resultant audio files based either on the original file name or the song title
name.
Press the [Batch] button in the Render to Audio File dialog to open the Batch create audio files dialog.

Select the folder that you want to use (e.g., C:\bb\my songs).

Add a suffix for each file name.

For example, if the suffix is _Demo, then MySong.MGU will render as
MySong_Demo.WAV.
Choose whether you want the filenames to be based on the filename or the song title.

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 Select the file type for the output file from the “Audio File Type” group box.
When rendering to WMA or MP3 files, there is an option to also write WAV files.

This option resets the DXi synth after each render. This ensures that no audio (stuck notes
etc.) from previous file is retained.

Press the [Go - Create audio files] button to render all of the Band-in-a-Box files in the folder
to the selected audio format.

There is a Cancel button in the Batch Rendering dialog.

Burn your own Audio-CD
Press the [Burn to Audio CD] button in the Render to Audio File dialog to launch the MiniBurn program and burn
your wave file to a CD, which will then play in a standard CD player.
Note: This feature uses your computer’s CD or DVD drive. If your drive is not recognized by MiniBurn you may need to download
and install the latest drivers from the manufacturer’s web site. As an alternative, you can always burn the rendered Band-in-a-
Box file to disc using the software supplied with your CD/DVD drive or with Windows® Media Player.

If launched from Band-in-a-Box, the current BIAB song has automatically been added to the Burn List. If MiniBurn
is running standalone, you must add Wave files to the Burn List.
Burn List
Burn list files are displayed in MiniBurn’s central file list region.
Column 1- Track Number
Column 2- Path and name of Wave files
Column 3- Play time of each Track, formatted in minutes:seconds:frames
Burn Time indicates the sum of all the burn list track times.
Avail Time indicates the time available on the blank CD-R in the CD Burner. If no disc has been inserted, Avail
Time reads “No Disc.” If an unwriteable disc has been inserted (CD-ROM disc or already-finalized CD-R, CD-
RW), Avail Time reads “UnWritable.”
Add Files to the Burn List
Wave files can be added three ways:
1. Use the menu item File/Add Track…

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2. Right-click on the Burn List and select “Add Track” from the pop-up menu.
3. Drag wave files into the MiniBurn window from an open Windows® folder view.
Note: Only Wave files are accepted, and Wave files must be 16 bit stereo, 44.1 K sample rate (the standard format for Audio
CDs).
Remove Files from the Burn List
Files can be removed two ways:
1. Left-click to select a track, then use the menu item File | Remove Selected Track.
2. Left-click to select a track, then right-click on the Burn List and pick “Remove Track” from the pop-up menu.
Clear All Files from the Burn List
The list can be cleared two ways:
1. Use the menu item File | Clear All Tracks from Burn List.
2. Right-click on the Burn List and select “Clear All Tracks” from the pop-up menu.
Change the Order of Tracks in the Burn List
Left-click on the “Trk” column of the file you wish to move and drag the file to a new location in the list.
Audition Tracks in the Burn List
Left-click to select a track in the Burn List, then right-click and pick “Play Selected File” from the pop-up menu.
To stop playback, right-click on the Burn List and pick “Stop” from the pop-up menu.
It is not necessary to stop a wave file before playing a new wave file. It is not necessary to stop playback before
burning. Playback stops automatically before burning begins.
Burner Controls
Eject: Open the drive tray using the menu item CD Recorder | Eject. Of course, you can also press the eject button
on the CD drive.
Close the Drive Tray: Close the drive tray using the menu item CD Recorder | Close Tray. You can also press the
eject button on the CD drive, or gently push the drive tray to close it. Some manufacturers advise against closing the
tray with a push.
Select a Burner
If the computer contains multiple burners, select a drive with the Burner drop-down menu. If a computer doesn’t
have any supported drives, the Burner menu will be empty and burning is not possible.
Set the Burn Rate
MiniBurn automatically selects the fastest rate reported by your drive. It is typical to use the fastest rate, unless you
know from previous experience that your computer doesn’t burn well at high speed. In that case, set a slower burn
rate to ensure a good burn.
Test Mode Checkbox (Simulate Burn)
To test the CD Burner without actually writing a CD, turn on the Test Mode checkbox. After your PC has “proven
itself” with a couple of good burns, routine testing is not necessary.
Cache Files Checkbox
If Cache Files is turned ON, MiniBurn writes an encoded temporary file before burning the CD. Unless burn errors
are encountered, performance is faster with this option turned OFF. It is not usually necessary to Cache Files, but
there are some situations where Caching is helpful:
1. On a very slow PC, the computer may not be fast enough to translate the wave file to CD audio while burning.
Caching may be necessary to avoid errors.
2. If Burn List audio files are stored in another PC on your local network, the network transfer delay may cause
errors. Caching will pre-fetch the files to your local hard disk before burning the CD.
Use Burn Proof Checkbox
Burn Proof is a technology available on many newer CD/DVD burners. With Burn Proof, it is less likely to
accidentally make a bad CD. If a burner has the Burn Proof feature, the checkbox is automatically enabled and
turned ON. If a burner does not have this feature, the checkbox is grayed-out and cannot be adjusted. Unless Burn
Proof seems to be causing unlikely strange problems, always use this feature if it is available.

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Burn CD + Finalize (Make Playable CD)
Start CD burning. This button is the preferred way to make CDs for use with standalone Audio CD Players. With
the other options, “Burn CD – No Finalize” and “Finalize Only,” the tracks will typically be readable by computer
CDROM drives, but all of your recorded tracks may not be visible to standalone Audio CD Players, even after the
disc is finalized.
Note: If you want the disc to be playable in standalone audio CD Players, remember to use CD-R (CD Recordable) discs rather
than CD-RW (CD Rewritable) discs. Most stand-alone audio CD players cannot read CD-RW discs.
Burn CD – No Finalize (allow tracks to be added later)
Audio CDs must be “finalized” before they can be recognized by the majority of stand-alone audio CD players
(stereos, boom boxes, portable CD players, automobile CD Players), or television DVD players. However, many
computer CD drives can play “Un-Finalized” audio CDs, so you can play them on your computer until all the songs
have been added to the CD.
Use “Burn CD – No Finalize” if you wish to add tracks to an audio CD over more than one session.
Note: Be sure to use “Burn CD + Finalize” or “Finalize Only” when you add the final track(s) to a multi-session Audio CD.
When adding tracks to an “Un-Finalized” audio CD, the Available Time field displays the “empty” time remaining
on the CDR (the disc currently loaded in your burner).
Example: If you have already recorded 40 minutes to a 74- minute CDR, MiniBurn will display about 34 minutes of
Available Time. Take care not to add more tracks than will properly fit on the CD’s remaining empty space.
Make sure that the Total Time does not exceed the Available Time!
Finalize Only (Make Playable CD without adding new tracks)
Audio CDs must be “Finalized” before they can be recognized by the majority of stand-alone audio CD players
(stereos, boom boxes, portable CD players, automobile CD Players), or television DVD players. If you have
previously added tracks to a disc with the Burn CD – No Finalize function, you can finalize the disc with the Finalize
Only button.
Stop Burn
Stop burning before the disc is finished.
Note: If you prematurely Stop, the CD will almost certainly be ruined.
Burning Progress
While a CD is burning, progress is indicated in the lower-left of the MiniBurn window. Progress messages are also
displayed in the Status Bar at the bottom of the window.
Read Buffer % - The computer’s disk read buffer usage. If Burn Proof is not available, you may have burn errors if
this drops to zero in mid-burn. In this case, try a slower Burn Rate.
Drive Buffer % - The CD Burner’s write buffer usage. If Burn Proof is not available, you may have burn errors if
this ever drops to zero. In this case, try a slower Burn Rate.
If a bona-fide buffer under-run actually occurs, MiniBurn also displays an error dialog at the end of the burn.
The two Buffer fields are most useful for diagnosing problems-- If the Read Buffer gets too low, it may mean that
the Hard Drive (or network connection) is not fast enough. If the Drive Buffer gets too low but the Read Buffer
remains adequate, it may mean that background processes are stealing too much CPU time from MiniBurn.
Track Written - Indicate the current track’s progress.
Total Written - Indicate the progress of the entire burn.
Freeze Tracks
Any track can be frozen (MIDI or RealTrack). When frozen, it won’t get changed or re-generated. This saves time
when replaying previous songs and allows you to freeze an arrangement that you like. If you freeze the whole song,
you don’t have to wait at all for the song to regenerate. Next time you play, it is ready to go.
Save Track as Performance
This feature takes “freezing” a track one step further and saves the audio itself. So, you can send your Band-in-a-
Box song to your friend, who will be able to play that track without needing to have the RealTracks installed.

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To save the track, right-click on the track radio button and go to Track Actions | Save Track as Performance File.
You have a choice of a WAV file or a WMA file. When you choose, the track will be rendered to C:\bb\<Song
Title><track name>(e.g., Bass).WAV or .WMA.

You can use the Erase Performance Track command to remove the Performance Track.

Technical Note: A Performance Track can be made by simply making an audio file (WAV, WMA) and naming it the same as the
song, but with the track name (Bass, Piano, Drums, Guitar, Strings, Melody, Soloist) added.

For example, if the song is MySong.mgu, you put a file named MySong Melody.wma in the same folder, and that will be a
performance track on the Melody track.

Saving your Configuration

The [Prefs] button opens the Preferences dialog, which allows you to set the program settings that are
saved in the Band-in-a-Box for Windows® configuration file called intrface.bbw. The various
Preferences are described in detail in the Reference chapter.
Custom Preferences
You can save and load custom preferences files with your current settings saved and restored. For example, you can
have a preference that remembers a certain group of songs, notation transpositions, etc.
The Options | Return to Factory Settings menu command saves preferences to disk, so that the settings can be
restored at any time.
Choose the menu item Options | Save Preferences As to save a configuration or Options | Open Preferences File to
load a saved configuration.

Congratulations!
You have been through the full process of song production in Band-in-a-Box.
You can now produce a complete song in Band-in-a-Box with a melody, solo, and harmonies plus RealDrums and
RealTracks and your own audio track with harmonies and professional effects.
You can print out beautiful notation in a professional “handwritten” Jazz font, complete with chord symbols, lyrics
and your own text markers and annotations. And you can save your song in various MIDI and audio formats for
playback from your computer, over the Internet, or from an audio CD.
You are ready for endless hours of fun and great music with Band-in-a-Box.

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 Chapter 7: RealTracks and RealDrums
RealTracks
What are RealTracks?
RealTracks create Band-in-a-Box tracks with live audio recordings of top studio musicians and recording artists.
These tracks take the place of the MIDI track for that instrument but can still be controlled just like the MIDI
instrument (volume changes, muting, etc.). Best of all, they follow the chord progression that you have entered, so
that you hear an authentic audio accompaniment to your song.
RealTracks are not “samples,” but are full recordings, lasting from 1 to 8 bars at a time, playing along in perfect sync
with the other Band-in-a-Box tracks. There are many Band-in-a-Box styles that use RealTracks, and they can be
built into any style to replace the Bass, Guitar, Piano, or Strings track. They can also be generated to the Soloist (or
Melody) track using the Soloist feature and saved with the song.
More RealTracks
There are hundreds of RealTracks available, either as separate add-ons, or bundled into the various Band-in-a-Box
PAKs for better value. To see which RealTracks you have, visit the (main menu) Options | What add-ons do I have?
dialog. This will list the RealTracks sets that you have. This feature is also available from the Help menu.
When a song is loaded, played or saved, a yellow hint message will appear if any RealTracks are missing, listing the
files that are missing.
RealTracks Settings
Ctrl+click on the [RealTracks] toolbar button to go directly to the RealTracks Settings dialog, or
Shift+click to open the RealTracks Picker. A single click on this button opens a menu with selections for
the RealTracks Picker Dialog, the RealTracks Preferences (RealTracks Settings dialog), an option to
Select better RealTracks for this tempo for the Bass, Piano, Guitar, and Strings parts if there are any
available, and options for replacing MIDI styles with RealTracks.

The RealTracks Settings dialog can also be accessed by selecting the [RealTracks] button
from the Preferences dialog.

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 In the RealTracks Settings dialog, you can enable/disable the RealTracks feature.
RealCharts (notation from some RealTracks)
Most RealTracks now display notation, i.e. RealCharts, showing the notes that are being played. Some Guitar
RealTracks also show tablature and an accurate on-screen fretboard guitar display to show what is being played on
guitar.
To see which instruments have RealCharts, visit the Assign RealTracks to Tracks dialog and sort column 11,
“Chart.” Instruments with an “N” or “Gt” in this column have RealCharts.
- Instruments with “Gt” in the Chart column have RealCharts with accurate guitar tab and on-screen guitar fretboard
display.
- If the instrument is Acoustic Piano and there is an “N” in the Chart column, the instrument has a Jazz piano
RealChart. RealTracks piano parts that are on the piano track will appear with the right and left hands split in
notation.
- The various other instruments with an “N” (Pedal Steel, Slide Guitar, Resophonic, Trumpet, Alto Sax, Tenor Sax)
have RealCharts in standard notation.
At the top of the screen, if a track has RealTracks, but is NOT a RealCharts track, then the track name is
green.
Real Instrument charts: If a track has a RealChart, the track name is green and underlined with a short
line.
RealGuitar charts: If a track has RealChart and is a guitar track with accurate tab and on-screen guitar
fretboard display, then it is green and underlined with a long line.
The RealCharts can be saved to MIDI files or with Band-in-a-Box songs (MGU).
RealCharts are optional and are selected in the RealTracks Settings dialog.

 “Show RealCharts notation from styles and songs” will show RealCharts that have been generated from styles or
songs stored with RealTracks.
 “Show RealCharts notation for Soloists” will show RealCharts that have been generated from the Select Soloist
dialog.
 “Save RealCharts in MIDI files” will save the RealChart to a MIDI track so you can analyze it in other
programs.
 “Save RealCharts in BB Songs (MGU)” will save the RealChart MIDI information to the MGU file.

RealTracks Folder
RealTracks are stored in C:\bb\RealTracks (assuming that C:\bb is your Band-in-a-Box folder).
You can choose an alternate location by pressing on the folder button and picking an alternate folder. Then,
click on the [Update] button to confirm the new location.
Tip: The custom folder location is remembered in
C:\bb\Preferences\intrface.bbw and C:\Users\Public\Ticket\Band-in-a-Box
Folder Locations.txt.

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You don’t need to visit this folder when using RealTracks; it is used internally by Band-in-a-Box, so you shouldn’t
add or remove files from this RealTracks folder unless you “know what you’re doing.” If Band-in-a-Box cannot find
your RealTracks folder, a yellow hint message appears at boot up to alert you to that and tells you how to fix it.
Applying RealTracks Settings
You can apply an overall Volume Adjust to the RealTracks. If they are too loud overall,
try a Global Volume Adjust of about -10 dB.
“Allow soloing to crescendo” can be applied to some RealTracks to have the intensity of
the solo building up, with the flashiest part of the solos playing as the solo builds.
If you have similar RealTracks available at different tempos, Band-in-
a-Box will automatically choose the best one to use. For example, if you have a ballad loaded, with an Acoustic
Bass RealTracks at tempo of 60, and you speed up the tempo to 140, and press [Play], Band-in-a-Box will
automatically choose an Acoustic Bass RealTracks closer to tempo of 140, if it is the same genre and feel. This
means you can use a simple Jazz style, and play it at various tempos, without having to set the best RealTracks based
on tempos.
For example, if we load in a Ballad Jazz style like _BALFRED.STY, we can see that the name of the Bass
RealTracks style has a tilde (~) symbol at the beginning. This indicates that it could be changed to a different
RealTracks style at a higher tempo.

Now let’s increase the tempo of the song to a higher tempo, like 115. We will see that the name of the RealTracks
instrument switches to one that is suitable for a tempo=110. So, when you press play, you will hear the RealTracks
closest to your tempo, without having to do anything to make this happen.

The default for the tempo swapping feature for RealTracks is “true.” (It was originally false.) There is an option in
the RealTracks Settings dialog to disable automatic tempo swapping. When automatic RealTracks substitution is
disabled (unchecked) the “Show message when better RT are available at this tempo” setting will be turned on.

A yellow message appears if RealTracks are selected, but better RealTracks are available for the current tempo.

You can then substitute them by pressing the RealTracks toolbar button and then clicking on Select better
RealTracks for this tempo.

The Tempo Swapping (TS) column of the RealTracks Assign dialog shows which RealTracks are eligible for Tempo
Swapping. The tempo swapping only occurs if you have the RealTracks in your installation.

This “speed up” feature works automatically and uses CPU

resources during playback. If you have a multi-core machine, you may not notice this at all, since it will use
different cores than the main Band-in-a-Box thread. If you have an older machine, low on memory, slow hard drive
etc., or notice audio glitches during playback you can disable this feature to ensure that your machine is doing less
CPU work.

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This allows you to select quality of the tempo and pitch stretching. You can select “High” if you have a fast
computer, but you should select “Low” if you have a slower computer and are hearing stuttering sounds during
playback.
This setting is normally left off, but enable it if you have a
slower machine.
4-bar endings allow time for a natural decay of the instruments. By “4-bar-
endings” we are referring to a 2-bar ending that has an additional two bars to allow for the natural decay of the audio
instrument (instead of being quickly faded out). 4-bar endings are on by default. You can disable 4-bar endings
globally by leaving this box unchecked or on a song-by-song basis in the Song Settings dialog, Edit | Song Form |
Settings (for this song).

When this is set, reverb will be added to the RealTracks and

RealDrums.
RealTracks support Shots, Holds, and Pushes. Simply type in the chords as
you normally would, adding periods (…) for shots and holds, and the RealTracks will play them.
Note: You need a Library\Holds folder in your RealTracks folder.
The RealTracks Assign dialog that lists each RealTrack has the last column called “Holds” that lists
whether that RealTrack supports Shots, Holds, and Pushes. If there is a number there (other than a blank
field), then they are all supported.
If there is an “n” this means that they are supported, but you don’t have the Holds_## files in the
RealTracks\Library\Holds folder.
Assuming that you have the Holds files for the RealTracks that you are generating, then you just use Band-in-a-Box
as you would normally, and type chords with shots (C..), holds (C…), or pushes (^C or ^^C for 8th or 16th note
push), or combinations of push and hold (^C….).
Many Jazz comping styles play triads (instead of 7ths) when simple triads
are entered, instead of “jazzing them up” to 7ths chords. Enable this setting if you prefer to have triads automatically
“jazzed up” when comping using Jazz RealTracks.
If this is set, when an old song with a MIDI style loads a
RealStyle may get substituted automatically, making your songs sound better. You can reverse the substitution in
the RealTracks toolbar menu by selecting Restore Style prior to Style Alias.

When Load/Save VST and FX with Songs is set, songs or styles with VST synths and
FX will have them loaded with the song.
Uncheck to preserve the original levels of the audio, and not reduce it to
match the lower levels of MIDI tracks. This is useful while rendering and transferring files to a DAW.
If you find that RealTracks (other than Drums) pushes or shots
are too loud (soft), then put negative (positive) numbers here. (Note: Drums are set in RealDrums Settings dialog.)
If this is enabled, gaps between generated riffs will be filled automatically. (Note:
This option will be overridden for individual RealTracks by the Edit Extra Soloist Information dialog.)

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 The [Defaults] button sets RealTracks Settings back to default settings.
The [Demos] button displays a menu of song demos with RealTracks in the
C:\bb\Demos\RealTracks - Demos folder.
The [Assign to Track] button launches the Assign RealTracks to Track dialog, where
RealTracks instruments are listed and assigned to Band-in-a-Box tracks.
Save the new settings you have made in this dialog by pressing the [Update Settings] button.
Most changes will take effect the next time you press [Play].
Press the [Erase Un-needed +/- Files] button to erase unneeded files from the RealTracks
folder.
IMPORTANT: If you plan on continuing to use older versions of Band-in-a-Box with the same RealTracks folders, then DON’T
erase these +/- files, because the older versions of Band-in-a-Box still need the larger size RealTracks.
Q. What are RealTracks +/- files?
With RealTracks from Band-in-a-Box 2010 or earlier, we included extra WMA files in the RealTracks folders. These have
transposed versions of the WMA files, which have + or - in the file names. For example, BG057+1.wma would be a +/- file,
whereas BG057.wma would not be one.
We call them RealTracks “+/- files.” They are not included with Band-in-a-Box 2011 or higher because they are not needed and
they take up extra space.
Q. I bought Band-in-a-Box for the first time with version 2011. Do I need to do anything?
No, there are no +/- files included with Band-in-a-Box 2011 or higher, so there is nothing to do
Q. I have upgraded to Band-in-a-Box 2011 and have existing RealTracks folders with +/- files. Do I need to do anything?
You don’t need to do anything. But if you want to save a lot of hard drive space, and you have a newer/faster machine (Vista or
W7), you can go to the RealTracks Settings (Preferences) and click on [Erase Un-needed +/- files] (see details in #2 below). If
you have an older/slower machine, you may want to select the “Use +/- RealTracks for generation (enable on slow machines)”
checkbox (see details in #1below).
Customers with existing RealTracks collections (2010 or earlier) don’t need to do anything, as their existing RealTracks will work.
In summary:
1. If using an older/slower machine (XP):
- In the RealTracks Settings dialog (Preferences), select the “Use +/- RealTracks for generation (enable on slow machines)”
checkbox.
- Don’t press the [Erase Un-needed +/- files] button.
2. If using a newer machine (Vista/W7)
- In the RealTracks Settings dialog (Preferences), leave “Use +/- RealTracks for generation (enable on slow machines)”
unchecked. The program won’t use them.
- Use the program for a few days, playing all kinds of songs, including ones with lots of RealTracks, and in different keys (e.g.,
Gb). If you look at the CPU usage of bbw.exe during playback, you can see how hard your machine is working. If it is less than
60% CPU use, things are fine.
If you have no playback issues (stuttering, or instruments dropping out during playback), then indeed you do have a “fast
machine,” and can safely press the [Erase Un-needed +/- files] button.
The [Verify] function checks your installation to find if RealTracks are properly installed, or
any files are missing.

1. It checks the Bt0 status of the RealTracks st2, compared to the Bt0 found in the RealTracks folder.
2. It issues error messages if a st2 is found, but not the RealTracks folder.
3. Issues a message if xt2 not found (for a chording RealTracks).
This searches for missing RealTracks ST2/XT2 files in the C:\bb\Soloists folder and reports
any installation errors.
Press [OK] to make your selection and exit the RealTracks Settings dialog.
Using RealTracks
There are three ways that you can use RealTracks with Band-in-a-Box.
1. RealTracks in songs. The [Assign to Track] button in the RealTracks Settings dialog allows you to assign
specific RealTracks instruments to a track in a song. It launches the Assign RealTracks to Track dialog, which

Chapter 7: RealTracks and RealDrums 225

 also displays the current RealTracks that are assigned to each track. This dialog is also available with a right
mouse click on any Band-in-a-Box track name. Then select the Select RealTracks menu command.
2. RealStyles. These are Band-in-a-Box styles (.STY) that have at least one RealTrack. For example, the style
called “=GeorgeP.sty” is a RealStyle because it uses RealPedalSteel for the Strings part, as well as other
instruments (MIDI bass, MIDI piano, MIDI guitar, RealDrums).
Technical note: You can add a RealTrack to an existing style in the StyleMaker, using [Misc] [More] “Assign RealTracks to
style.” The RealTracks gets generated on one of the Band-in-a-Box style tracks (Piano, Guitar, or Strings).
3. RealSoloists. These are Soloists that are generated on the Soloist track, by pressing the Soloist button on the
main screen. Soloists 361 and above are using the RealTracks.
Tip: You can quickly go to Soloist 362 by typing 362 and pressing [Go To #] or using the Favorites if you’ve previously chosen
this soloist.

Using RealTracks in Songs - Assign RealTracks to Track Dialog

The Assign RealTracks to Track dialog assigns a RealTracks instrument to any of the Band-in-a-Box instrumental
tracks. It also shows any RealTracks that are assigned to Band-in-a-Box tracks.
Note: RealTracks can either be assigned from the style or from the song. This dialog allows you to assign the ones in the song.
This dialog is launched by several ways.
1. Click on the [RealTracks] toolbar button and select RealTracks Picker Dialog, or shift-click on this button.

2. Right-click or double-click on a Track radio button at the top of the main screen and choose Select RealTracks
from the menu.

3. Press the [Assign to Track…] button in the RealTracks Settings dialog.

4. Press the r t Enter keys.
The Assign RealTracks to Track dialog (RealTracks Picker) allows you to assign a specific RealTracks
instruments to a track in a song. It also displays any RealTracks that are currently assigned to each track.

To use the dialog, first select the track that you want to assign.

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Then, select the RealTracks that you want from the list below it.

Instant Preview of RealTracks

You can instantly hear an audio demo of RealTracks by double-clicking a RealTrack on the list. Since this doesn’t
affect your song, you can quickly audition many different RealTracks and find the best ones for your song.
You can choose which of band or solo plays first when you double-click
on the list, by the “Band (on DblClick)” checkbox. Otherwise, press the
[Band] or the [Solo] button.

The preview sometimes plays files from the internet. You can download a file that is being played from the
internet by clicking the folder button. If the file is being played on your hard drive, this button will show the file in a
folder.
You can control the volume of the demos with the speaker button.
Assigning RealDrums
Pressing the [RD] (RealDrums) button on the RealTracks Picker (Assign RealTracks to Tracks dialog)
allows you to select RealDrums, rather than needing to go to a separate dialog for that.
The current RealDrums set in use is displayed on the RealTracks Picker.
When [Save Style] is pressed in the RealTracks Picker, the current drum volume will also apply to the style.
Tip: RealTracks in styles are assigned in the StyleMaker. Press the [Misc.] button or use the StyleMaker menu command Style |
Misc. Settings to go to the Misc. Style Settings dialog, then click on the [More] button for the More Settings dialog.
Assigning RealTracks

The list can be sorted by clicking on any column heading. As well as Name, Instrument, Type (Rhythm or Soloist),
Feel (Even or Swing), Tempo, Genre, and Number there are more columns with additional information about each
RealTrack instrument.
- The “Tempo” shown is the “base” (or typical) tempo for the RealTracks instrument as it is played, but RealTracks
have a tempo stretching capability that enables their application over a wide range of tempos. If saving a song with
RealTracks and the audio base tempo is different from the song tempo, a warning message will show, asking you to
confirm that you want to save it like this.
- The “N/A” column shows “N/A” for RealTracks that you have not installed yet or haven’t purchased, if “Show
RealTracks that are N/A” is checked.
- “Set” is the number of the RealTracks set that includes the instrument. This column also tells you whether a video
is available for the RealTracks.
- The “Stereo” column shows whether the instrument playback is stereo or mono.
- Instruments with an “N” or “Gt” in the “Chart” column will display the RealTrack in notation.

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- The “Artist” column has the name of the musician playing on the RealTrack instrument. See the “Artist Bio” box
for information about the player.
- The letter “Y” in the “TS” column means that Tempo Swapping is supported for the instrument. If you have
similar RealTracks available at different tempos, Band-in-a-Box automatically chooses the best one to use.
- “Holds” indicates whether that RealTrack supports shots, holds, and pushes. If there is a number there (other than
a blank field), then they are all supported.
- “Simpler Available” will have a letter “s” in the column if the RealTracks instrument has simpler options available.
These are parts with less busy, less embellished playing for generating simpler arrangements.
- “Direct Input Available” has a letter “y” if the instrument offers the option of clean recordings without effects.
This allows you to start with a clean track and add your own effects.
“Memo” field - This describes the currently selected RealTracks
style, and includes some useful tips, such as a suggested tempo
range and Band-in-a-Box styles to use it with.

“Artist Bio” - The RealTracks have been recorded by top studio musicians.
The artist names and bios are displayed for the RealTracks. Double-click
here to open the Artist Browser, which lists all artists and allows you to see
more info.
“User Memo” - You can enter your own comments about any style in this
field. The comments are saved in RTUserMemos.txt.

Use the song and style demos to audition RealTracks.

The [Song Demo (MGU)] button will display a list of songs in the C:\bb\Demos\RealTracks -
Demos folder that use the selected RealTrack instrument. Click on the song name and then press
the [Play] button to hear it.
The [Style Demo (.STY)] button shows a list of styles that use the currently highlighted
RealTracks instrument. Clicking on a style name will load the style into the current Band-in-a-Box song. Press
[Play] to hear your current song played with the RealTracks style that you want to audition.
Options for selected RealTracks
With the “Timebase” option, you can play any RealTracks at normal,
half time, double time or triple time. Half time is used for fast tempo
songs when a much slower tempo RealTrack has been chosen. Double
time is used for slow tempo songs (e.g., ballads) when a much faster
tempo RealTrack is chosen. This allows you, for example,
in a ballad at a tempo of 70, to add a RealTracks Sax solo with a tempo of 140, and play it as a double time, which
will match the ballad tempo of 70.
If “Bluesy” is checked, the selected RealTracks will play in a bluesy style, where major triads are treated like 7th
chords.
If “Simpler” is checked, the selected RealTracks will play a simpler arrangement (less busy, less embellished). See
the “Simple Available” column for availability of simpler RealTracks.
If “Direct Input” is checked, the selected RealTracks will use a “clean signal” guitar so that you can add your own
effects. See the “Direct Input Available” column for availability of clean recordings.
Sometimes you want the very simplest comping part possible, which is just “held chords” for the whole piece. This
would mean that the piano player, for example, just plays a single chord and holds it for the duration until the next
chord. If you check “Held” option, the selected RealTracks will play held chords.
The [Defaults] button sets the dialog to default values.
The [Prefs] button launches the RealTracks Settings dialog.
The [Save Style] button saves the current style, but with RealTracks assigned to the style equal to the
current song’s RealTracks. The volumes used in the style will match the volumes set on the main screen in Band-in-
a-Box (compared to a default of 90). For example, if you set the bass volume to 40, the Style will be saved with a
negative decibel (dB) setting, so that it will playback at a quieter volume (when all volumes are set to 90).

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 The [None] button sets the current track to no RealTracks assigned for the song.
This sets all RealTracks for the song to “None.” It will also optionally disable RealTracks present in
the style for this song.
Select “Disable RealTracks for this track (Force this track to
MIDI)” if you want to have no RealTracks instrument for this track, even if the style specifies a RealTrack.
Since RealTracks are add-on purchases for Band-in-a-Box, your version may not
contain all RealTracks. Selecting the “Show RealTracks that are N/A” checkbox will show you all available
RealTracks.
Tip: Options | What add-ons do I have? will tell you what RealTracks sets you have.

Some RealTracks have variations available, such as the Acoustic Jazz Bass, which has
variations that play in “2” only, in “4” only, or in “2”and “4” (for “a” and “b” substyles). Normally you will want to
“Show RealTracks Variations.”
Use “Show if Tempo is out of Range” checkbox to show/hide RealTracks that are out
of compatible tempo range.
A filter is available. Type a filter text, (e.g., bass) and press
[Update] and you will then see the list filtered to show only
RealTracks that have the word bass somewhere in the title, memo,
genre, etc. The [#] button allows you to quickly filter the list by many elements including type
(soloist/background/chording), feel (even/swing, 8th/16th), time signature, artists, etc. Pressing [Show All] will
cancel the filter and show all RealTracks again. Multiple search terms work with the filter. If you separate terms
with a space, each term is searched for separately. So, a search for “Country Guitar Ev 120” will find any Country
Guitar styles with an even feel that would work with a tempo of close to 120. Adding a search term that has a
number will filter for RealTracks that match the tempo or within a compatible range.
[Generate Track] will generate a RealTracks instrument on the currently selected track.
[Copy List] will save the current RealTracks list to a tab-delimited .txt file in the C:\bb\Data folder
and open it in Notepad. In Notepad copy all and paste it into an Excel file. You can then apply a
hierarchical sorting of the list.
The [Close] button will close the dialog and assign the RealTracks instrument to the current track. Then,
when play is pressed, the RealTrack will generate.
Press the [Cancel] button to leave the Assign RealTracks to Track dialog without generating any
tracks.
This rebuilds the list of RealTracks and reports any installation errors. Press after you have
installed new RealTracks.
If this option is checked, Band-in-a-Box will display RealTracks installation errors when you
open the dialog. Press [Rebuild and Fix] for more information.
Artist Browser
Clicking on the artist bio in the RealTracks/RealDrums Picker or the [Artist Bios] button in other
RealTracks/RealDrums selection dialogs will open the Artist Browser dialog.
- It lists all artists and the instruments they play.
- It shows the total number of artists.
- You can read the biography of the artist.
- There is a text filter.
- The [More Info] button will launch the PG Music web page.
- The [OK - Show Artist RealTracks] button will go back to the RealTracks/RealDrums selection dialog and list all
the RealTracks/RealDrums that the selected artist plays.

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12-Key “Woodshedding” RealTracks
Many people use the RealTracks feature in Band-in-a-Box to learn how to “play like the pros.” This is because you
can see notation, tab, on-screen guitar, and more as you hear the music. Now we’ve taken this to a higher level, by
providing some “12-Key” RealTracks that have been recorded in all 12 keys. In previous versions, you might decide
to learn to play by studying the parts played by the RealTracks artists and watch the notation to do so. Many people
have found this a great way to learn, but it had the following issues.
- Since RealTracks were based on only 5 keys, they were transposed much of the time, which would make the guitar
part unplayable for a student in some cases.
- The tab/notation was good for guitar, but lacked some precision and graphical representation of bends, pull-offs,
hammer-ons, and slides.
So, we have solved that by creating some Guitar RealTracks with:
- recording in all 12-keys. So, you can see what a pro would play over an Ab chord, and you won’t see them play
on a G transposed up to an Ab,
- and carefully transcribed notation, with correct bends, pull-offs, hammer-ons, and slides.
So now you (we!) students have no more excuses! You can watch and learn from the pros!
Tip: Remember to use some of the Woodshedding features for looping (loop but mute the Guitar track every Nth loop, or loop but
advance to the next loop every Nth time).
We have made some of these for country guitar (Brent Mason), piano (Mike Rojas), and pedal steel (Eddy Dunlap).
For guitar, this means that they are typically generated with no transpositions on any chord so that you can learn by
copying exactly what you see on the fretboard. In combination with another new feature, we have (Hi-Q RealCharts
and guitar display), this gives you great notation and guitar display.
Using RealTracks in Songs - Select Best RealTracks
This dialog shows you the RealTracks that best match the genre, tempo, feel of your song. The list is displayed from
best to worst. For example, if you have a Jazz Ballad style loaded (tempo 60), the list will show Jazz RealTracks
that will work well at a tempo of 60 at the top of the list.
To add a “best” RealTracks to any track, right-click on the use the track radio button. You will then see menu items
for “All” RealTracks, “Chording” RealTracks, and “Soloist” RealTracks.

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The Select Best “All” RealTracks menu command will list all types (background and soloist) of RealTracks. The
Select Best “Chording” RealTrack menu command will show you a list of ill background (chording or melodic)
RealTracks, and Best “Soloist” RealTracks will list the best soloist or background soloist RealTracks. Selecting one
of these menu commands will open a dialog that lists the best RealTracks, sorted from best to worst for the current
style.

If you want to filter the list, enter text or press the [#]
button.
You can audition the RealTracks by double-clicking on the list or using the
transport control buttons.
You can choose options (timebase, bluesy, simple, etc.) for the selected
RealTrack.

Enabling the “List best subs for the current RealTracks” option will
list RealTracks that are similar to the currently selected RealTracks.
Pressing the [Artist Bios] button opens the Artist Browser, which lists all RealTracks artists and allows you to see
more info.
The [OK and Generate Now] button closes the dialog, entering the currently selected item, and generating the track.
You can also make your choice and press [OK] to return to the main screen. When you press [Generate and Play]
the song will be generated with the new RealTrack instrument.
Select Best Sub RealTracks
Musicians with bands are familiar with the need to “find a sub” when you’re looking for a replacement. In Band-in-
a-Box, “Find-a-Sub” means to find a different RealTracks that is the most similar in sound (genre, feel, tempo, and
time signature). This helps to “freshen up” or vary the sound of an arrangement and allows you to explore different
sounds for the band.
To find a sub for a RealTracks, if the RealTracks to be subbed is on a track, right-click (or double-click) on the track
radio button, and then go to Select RealTracks | Find Best Sub.

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You will then see the Find a Sub dialog, which lists the RealTracks that would work best as a sub, sorted from best
to worst. You can double-click on the list to audition, and when you find one you like, press OK.

If you don’t have a RealTracks already on the track, go to Select RealTracks | Select Best “All” RealTracks.

In the dialog that opens, select a RealTracks that you want to sub, and enable the “List best subs for the current
RealTracks” checkbox.

This will sort the list showing you the best subs. Select a RealTrack from the list and press OK.

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MultiRiffs
The MultiRiffs feature allows you to quickly generate 7 variations of riffs from the same RealTracks for either a
portion of the song or the whole song. Once the tracks are generated, the 7 files are saved as .WAV files and can be
accessed from the Drop Station (noted by the green highlight of the [WAV] box).
To use the feature, click on a track radio button at the top of the screen, either one with the instrument you want to
use for the MultiRiffs or a blank track. Then right-click (or double-click) on it and go to Select RealTracks |
Generate MultiRiffs (for whole/part of song).

Tip: The Add extra bar before and after the MultiRiff menu item adds an extra bar before the riff begins to ensure that the riffs with
“pickup” (early) notes will be heard. It does not add an extra bar at the end of the riff unless there are trailing notes.
You will then see a dialog with a list of available RealTracks. Select a RealTrack and press OK. If there is one
already on the track, it will be the default option in the dialog and you can just press OK.

Chapter 7: RealTracks and RealDrums 233

Then choose the range of the song or the whole song, and press OK.

Tip: If you highlight the region in the Chord Sheet before using
this feature, that region will be automatically set.

The MultiRiffs will then be generated.

They show up as 7 different tracks, numbered from 1 to 7.

They are rendered as WAV files and are ready to be dragged from the Drop Station and dropped into your DAW
program.

Or you can just find them in your C:\bb\DragDrop folder.

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You can audition them individually by enabling the [S] button on the Mixer. Playing them all at once will result in a
“cacophony” of 7 instruments at once, which might be OK for strumming guitars, but not so good for 7 solo
saxophones playing different phrases.

If you’ve generated a region of the song, pressing the F10 key will play the song looped with the current highlighted
region so that you can just hear the riffs.

Changing RealTracks at any bar

You can have RealTracks styles change within a song. There are two ways to change RealTracks at any bar.
Change of RealTracks Styles at any bar
You can change styles with RealTracks at any bar. For example, switch from Jazz Swing to Bossa style at any bar.
To do this, first open the Edit Settings for Bar dialog (press F5) at the bar that you want the
style change. Then press the [.STY] or [Open] button to select a style.
Note: If the track type changes by the style change, the track will be silent from the current bar. For
example, when the style with a MIDI piano track is selected for the song, if you select a style with a
RealTrack piano track at the current bar, the piano track will be silent after the style change.

Change of individual RealTracks instrument for any track at any bar

You can change specific RealTracks without changing the style by inserting a specific RealTracks instrument into a
track at any bar to create a customized performance. For example, you can change an Acoustic Bass comping part to
an Acoustic Bass Solo.
To change the RealTracks instrument for any track at any bar, first open the Edit Settings for
Bar dialog (press F5) at the bar that you want the style change. Then press the [RealTracks]
button and you will see the RealTracks changes dialog where you can choose which tracks you
would like to have RealTracks changes on.

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 Select the track you want to change, and then press the “Change RealTracks to...” dropdown arrow.
You will see a huge list of RealTracks, so you will likely want to narrow it down. Type a word that will be included
in the RealTracks name, like “bass.” Then the list will only show bass RealTracks.

You can preview the selected RealTracks by double-clicking on the list or using the transport control buttons.
Click on your selection and then choose [OK].
RealTracks Soloist Medleys
In Soloist Medleys, the RealTracks is made to switch instruments every “N” bars or every chorus. For example, you
can add a Bluegrass Medley Soloist that switches between solos from Mandolin, Guitar, Banjo, and Fiddle every 4
bars. Or a Jazz Medley Soloist that switches between Alto Sax, Trumpet, Piano, and Guitar solos every chorus. Or
insert “Silence” as one of the instruments, which allows you to play your own instrument. Use the pre-made Soloist
Medleys included or create a custom one yourself on any track.
There are 3 ways that you can get RealTracks with Medleys (changing soloists).
1. Some styles have them built-in. (See StylePicker for details.)

2. Some RealTracks have Medleys built in, applicable to all songs. Look in the RealTracks Picker, and search for a
filter term “Medley.” You will then see Medleys that are available.
3. You can define your own Medley, to be saved with the current song only. To do this, start in the RealTracks
Picker, with the RealTracks that you want as the first of the medley.

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 Then press the [Medley] button. You will then see the Create a Medley of different RealTracks
dialog.
In this dialog, you can specify how often you want the RealTracks to change and create a list of instruments that
you want to have included. You can also control the loudness of each instrument. In the example shown, we have
created a Medley from RealTracks 361 (Tenor Sax), by adding Clarinet and Flute, and having them change
soloists every 4 bars.

When you are choosing RealTracks to use, note that there is a RealTracks available
called “Silence.” This is to be used when “you” want to play, for example, if you want
to trade 4’s with the band.

The option to “Start on second item in the list” is useful if you want to start on a
different instrument or start with Silence.
Multiple RealTracks at the same time on the same track. You can use this feature to add up to 10 RealTracks
to play simultaneously on the same track. This is useful if you want to generate a lot of RealTracks, the
theoretical limit would be 7 tracks x 10 per track = 70 RealTracks instruments playing at the same time.
Multiple RealTracks are created like Soloist Medleys (as described above), but you can also
select the “Play all simultaneously” option. Then all of the instruments will play at all times.
RealTracks Thickening and Panning
When you select multiple RealTracks on the same track and have them play simultaneously, the followings are
possible.

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- The RealTracks can be the same but will play differently on each sub-track.
- You can set the stereo panning (-64 to +64) for each sub-track.
To do this, select a RealTracks at the top row, and press the [Duplicate] button. This will create a specified number
of duplicates of the RealTracks selected. Set the stereo panning for each to create a “thickened” sound.

When you play the song, you will hear a fuller sound with smooth transitions from chord to chord.
Thickened and Panned Multiple RealTracks
The C:\bb\Documentation\Tutorials\Tutorial - BB2020 folder has demo songs that have multiple RealTracks on the
same track with the stereo panning set for each sub-track.

To find styles with the thickened and panned RealTracks, open the StylePicker, and type “thickened” in the text
filter.

In the RealTracks Picker, you can easily identify the RealTracks with this feature by Multi[Thickened=#] in the
name.

If you select one of these RealTracks and press the [Medley] button, you can see how the panning is set for each sub-
track to achieve a thickened sound.

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Using RealTracks in Styles
For this discussion, we will assume that we are using RealPedalSteel, in the style “=GeorgeP.sty.”
Note: We use this naming convention for Real Styles. This is optional.
The first letter of “=“ indicates that at least one instrument is a RealTrack.
The last letter(s) indicate(s) which instrument it is.
“P”= Pedal Steel, “G”=Guitar, “PG”=Pedal Steel and Guitar.
So the name “=GeorgeP.sty” tells you that it is a style called George, that has RealPedalSteel. The MIDI tracks will be the same
as another country style that we have called C_George.STY
Load in the song C:\bb\Documentation\Tutorials\Tutorial - BB2008\=GEORGEP Pedal Steel Demo.mgu.
You will see that the Strings track button at the top of the screen is highlighted in green. That indicates
that this is a RealTrack.
To play the song, just press [Generate and Play]. You will then hear pedal steel guitar on the String track.

You can adjust the volume of the pedal steel in the Mixer with the
Volume control for the Strings track, just as with any Band-in-a-Box
part or mute it by right-clicking on the Strings track.
Note: The RealTrack can optionally be generated on the Piano, Guitar, or Strings track in a Band-in-a-Box style.
Finding all styles that have RealTracks
RealTracks can be built in to styles, so you can have styles that are all MIDI, a mix of MIDI tracks and RealTracks,
or all RealTracks. Styles that use RealTracks only are called RealStyles.
Open the StylePicker and locate the Type button above the styles list. This button allows you to filter
the list by the type (Real or MIDI).

If you want to see the RealStyles, select Real (no MIDI). If you want to see the RealStyles and styles with
RealTracks and MIDI tracks, select Real and Real w/MIDI.
The style names for RealStyles are prefaced by an underscore, _.

The style names for styles with RealTracks and MIDI tracks are prefaced by an equal sign, =.

Chapter 7: RealTracks and RealDrums 239

Selecting RealStyles from Band Styles List
When you choose Band Styles from the [Style] button menu, you see a list of the
RealStyles categories with submenus listing the most popular styles in each category.
For example, in the Jazz Swing section you will see styles for Ballads, Slow Swing,
Medium Slow Swing, Medium Swing, Bebop, and Waltzes.

Note: You should have tempo swapping so that the styles will work over a widest range of tempos. BB will remind you about this
(by a yellow message) if you have turned off tempo swapping.
The instruments used in each style are displayed, giving a “thumbnail” summary (e.g. Bass, Piano, Guitar, Brushes,
Alto Sax Soloist).

Song Demos
You can load in a song demo for the current selection by
choosing the menu item Load Song Demo.
Customize the Band List
This list of styles can be customized by the user. You can create a text file of styles to add to the top and/or bottom
of the list (i.e. above or below the list of styles provided by PG Music). To customize this list at the top, create a file
called C:\bb\Data\RealCombos_User_Top.txt, or C:\bb\data\RealCombos_User_Bottom.txt for the bottom.
The format of the file is identical to the one that PG Music includes, which is called C:\bb\Data\RealCombos.txt.
You can list a line of text (for a heading), e.g.,
---- My Favorite Country Styles ----
or a line with a style on it, e.g.,
_JAZFRED$ Jazz Style with 4 in the bar Guitar
On this line, the $ character is a delimiter between the style name and the description.
Press the [Video Help] toolbar button in Band-in-a-Box for a tutorial on editing the Band styles list. To
learn more about the Band Button, open this folder: C:\bb\Documentation\Tutorials\Tutorial - BB2012
and open the file <_JAZFRED Demo (‘Band’ button which selects common RealCombos).SGU>.
Press the [Memo] button to read about the feature and the demo song.

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Using RealTracks in Solos

Press the [Soloist] button (Shift+F4) and launch the Select Soloist dialog.
Get to Soloists in the range 361and higher. You can do that either by:

1. Typing 361 and pressing [Go To #].

2. Pressing the [All RealTracks] button.

3. Unchecking “All Genres” and selecting “RealTracks (audio soloists)”

from the list of genres.

As with other Soloists, press the [All Solo] button to make sure that the Soloist will be
generated for all choruses, or [Melody & Solo] if you just want the Soloist for a certain chorus.
Your RealTracks solo will be saved with the song and the Soloist track will be frozen and marked with
an asterisk (*).
Video RealTracks
When you load a video RealTracks, you can use it just like an audio RealTracks but you can also generate a video,
which will display the musician playing your song exactly as you hear it. If you load one of the video RealTracks
bands, you will have video RealTracks on 5 tracks, and you can make a video of 1-5 musicians. You can also
include a chord sheet or notation in the video.
You can easily find the video RealTracks in the RealTracks or RealDrums Picker. The “Set” column will show
“VideoFound” if the video RealTracks is installed.

Note: The “Set” column will show “VideoNA” if a video is available but not installed. Not all video RealTracks/RealDrums are
included with a regular Band-in-a-Box package, so seeing VideoNA is normal unless you have purchased add-ons.
When you select video RealTracks, [V] will show at the track buttons.

To make a video of RealTracks that are selected for your song, right-click on the Master button or one of the track
buttons and select Render Video(s) from the menu.

This will open the Generate Video dialog.

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Drag one of the available tracks listed at the top of the dialog and drop it onto the layout selector below. You can
also drag and drop the chord sheet or notation (if available). You can even drag a video file (.mp4 files and some
.avi files) from Windows® Explorer and drop it onto the video layout selector.

If you are making a video of multiple tracks, you can choose a track layout. For example, you can stack 3 tracks
vertically for a 3-track video, or 3 tracks on the left and 2 tracks on the right for a 5-track video.

242 Chapter 7: RealTracks and RealDrums

 Right-clicking on the layout selector will show you a menu with
options to flip a video, make a video for the left-handed, or
select alignment for each video.

You can select the resolution for the video. The aspect ratio is determined by
which tracks are included and how they are arranged, but this allows you to
make the final video smaller if you want.
When you are ready, press this button and select the name and location for the video.
While the video is being rendered, you can close the dialog and use other features in
Band-in-a-Box.
When the video has been rendered, you can click on the .mp4 file on the
Windows® Explorer to play the video.
Here is an example of a video for modern country band (electric bass, electric guitar, piano, drums, and pedal steel).

Saving Your RealTracks

RealTracks that have been frozen will be saved with the song. Frozen tracks will play back instantly, not requiring
time to generate. They play back the same way each time, so if you like a solo, you can “freeze it.” If you send a
song to a friend as “frozen,” they will hear the same performance.

RealDrums
The RealDrums are recordings of top studio drummers, playing multi-bar patterns. MIDI drums are patterns based
on single drum hits, being programmed, typically on a quantized grid, of what people assume drummers are typically
playing. We record drummers at multiple tempos, so the playing you hear at various tempos is also musically
different, not just “sped up.” Drummers play different types of fills etc. at slower/faster tempos, and these are
captured with RealDrums.
Technical note: If interested, you can see which tempos have been recorded by looking in the C:\bb\Drums folder for the
particular style you are interested in.

How Do RealDrums Work?

There are several ways to hear RealDrums with new or existing Band-in-a-Box songs. The simplest way is to select
a style that already uses RealDrums.

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In the StylePicker, styles with RealDrums can be identified in the list by a style name beginning with a minus sign.
For example, “-ZZJAZZ.STY” is a version of the ZZJAZZ.STY that uses RealDrums.
You can see what RealDrums set is used in a particular style is in the StyleMaker’s Misc. Style
Settings dialog. Open the StyleMaker and click on the [Misc] button to get there.

You can change the RealDrums style or assign RealDrums to a style that doesn’t have them, by clicking on
the [RD] button and making a selection from the RealDrums Picker dialog.
RealDrums can also be enabled to substitute for MIDI drums when a song is played, or they can be assigned to a
specific song. This is done in either the RealDrums Settings or the RealDrums Picker.
RealDrums Settings
RealDrums can be substituted for MIDI drums on existing styles in the RealDrums
Settings dialog, which opens from the [RealDrums] toolbar button (Ctrl+click) or with
the [RealDrums] button in the Preferences dialog.

With “Enable RealDrums” checked, RealDrums may be used rather than MIDI. There is also a
hot key combination to turn RealDrums on/off (Ctrl+Shift+F6). The hot keys also work while the song is playing.

This will substitute RealDrums for MIDI styles. You can change the setting from 1 to 5. If set to 1, almost all MIDI
drums will get substituted by RealDrums. If set to 5, only RealDrum styles that match the style perfectly will get
substituted.
This feature selects variations of RealDrums instruments
with each PLAY. Most RealDrums styles (starting with RealDrums set 5) contain may instrument variations
(“brushes vs. Sticks”, “HiHat vs. Ride Cymbal” “Percussion only” etc.). Now, by selecting [Prefs] [Real Drums]
“…choose different variations with each PLAY,” you can hear a different variation each time play is pressed, so the
song sounds fresh each time. One time you will hear it with brushes, the next time with sticks and ride cymbals, etc.

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 When selecting RealDrums styles to use for a style, BB will use your
preferences for brushes and sticks. For example, if you choose “Favor
Brushes,” BB will always choose from among variations that include brushes
(when available).
We have “artist” support. This allows you to choose among different drummers playing
the same style. For example, we have multiple artists playing the “JazzBrushes” style.
You can set Band-in-a-Box to choose a different artist with each play, or always choose
a specific artist.

This will replace the RealDrums that you don’t have with ones that you do have.
Technical note: The text file a_pgmusic.ds provided by PG Music controls this, and users can make other files MySubs.ds if they
make their own RealDrums styles.

This will let the current song use the specific RealDrums style. Click on the [RD] button to select a specific
RealDrums style to use in a particular song. This will launch the RealDrums Picker with a list of all available
RealDrums styles. The [Clear] button clears the currently selected RealDrums for the song.
When this is set, if you save a specific style with a song, you will
hear a new variation of that style each time you press PLAY, with different drum instruments.
This allows the RealDrums to change styles with MultiStyles, style changes,
or specific RealDrums style changes entered at any bar in the Edit Settings for Bar dialog (F5).
Normally, no reverb is added to Drums, but if you want some reverb
added, you can set it here.
You should normally leave this at 0, unless you are having problems with
synchronization between the MIDI tracks and RealDrums.

If the RealDrums track is too loud or quiet in relation to the MIDI parts, you can adjust
the volume here. This will affect all RealDrums styles.
If you find that RealDrums pushes are too loud, put a negative value in this field. Enter
a positive value if they are too soft.
If you find that RealDrums shots are too loud, put a negative value in this field. Enter a
positive value if they are too soft.
These buttons will, for a chosen RealDrums style, enable you to (1) play the
RealDrums demo song, (2) show a menu of BB styles that would work with the
Real Drum style and (3) play a song demo of various BB styles that work with the
Real Drum style.
When the [Install] button is pressed, WAV files will be created from any RealDrums styles that
are still WMA files. Make sure that you have enough space available on your hard drive prior to installing the
RealDrums. The small button installs WAV files for a single folder.
Note: Usually the WAV files have already been created upon installation, if so this feature isn’t needed.

This will erase the WAV files in the Drums folder when there is a smaller WMA available.
The WAV files can be restored by pressing the [Install] button. The small button archives files for a single folder.
You can choose any folder (e.g. E:\Drums) for your
RealDrums. This allows you to, for example, conserve
space on your C:\ drive. If Band-in-a-Box cannot find
your Drums folder, a yellow hint message appears at

Chapter 7: RealTracks and RealDrums 245

boot up to alert you to that and tells you how to fix it: Note: You have RealDrums installed, but none are found in
your Drums folder. You should point to your correct Drums folder in Prefs | RealDrums Settings.”
Technical Note: The custom folder location is remembered in C:\bb\Preferences\intrface.bbw and C:\Users\Public\Ticket\Band-
in-a-Box Folder Locations.txt.
Tempo checking for chosen RealDrums styles. If you choose a RealDrums style, and the tempo is out-of-
recommended-range for the style, then Band-in-a-Box will inform you of that – you can still use the style of course.
RealDrums styles that get chosen automatically by Band-in-a-Box will always be compatible with your song.
Selecting RealDrums - RealDrums Picker
Shift+click on the [RealDrums] toolbar button to open the RealDrums Picker.
Or click on this button and select the menu command RealDrums Picker Dialog.

The RealDrums Picker is also available from the RealDrums Settings dialog, by selecting “For this song only, use
this RealDrum style” and clicking on the [RD] button.

You can also press the r d Enter keys to open the RealDrums Picker.
RealDrums can be added to any track, not just the Drums track, so you can have more than one drums track.
To do this, right-click on the track button and select Choose
RealDrums.
When there are multiple drums tracks, they will be automatically
called Drums 1, Drums 2 etc.

The RealDrums Picker is used to assign a particular RealDrums style for just the one song you are working on.
RealDrums made by you (or others) that are added by you to the Drums folder also appear in the RealDrums Picker
dialog.

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Instant Preview of RealDrums
You can double-click on a RealDrums, or on the Variation name of the RealDrums, to audition each variation of the
RealDrums. For example, if you’ve found CountryWaltz^, you can now hear demos of the variations
(CountryWaltz^1-HiHat,Ride, CountryWaltz^2-Brushes etc.).

Each demo has a “band” version with all instruments, and a “solo” version with
drums only. You can choose which of band or solo plays first when you double-click on the list, by the “Band (on
DblClick)” checkbox. Otherwise, press the [Band] or the [Solo] button. The demos play 4 bars of “a” substyle, and
then 4 bars of “b” substyle, using the current RealDrums (left hand panel) and the variation (right hand panel).

The preview sometimes plays files from the internet. You can download a file that is being played from the
internet by pressing the folder button. If the file is being played on your hard drive, this button will show the file in a
folder.
You can control the volume of the demos with the speaker button.
Choosing From Favorites
Your recent RealDrums selections are saved, and available in the various dialogs that allow
you to choose RealDrums. In the RealDrums Picker, click on the [Choose from Favs] button to open a list of up to
400 most recent selections. Use the Filter String to narrow the selection by entering a term like “bossa” or “swing”
to see only RealDrums with those words in the name.

Chapter 7: RealTracks and RealDrums 247

Filter

A filter is available in the RealDrums Picker. Type a filter text, (e.g. bossa) and press [Update], and you will then
see the list filtered to show only RealDrums that have the word “bossa” somewhere in the title, memo, etc. If you
separate terms with a space, each term is searched for separately. So, a search for “Bossa Rock Ev 120,” will find
any Bossa Rock styles with an Even feel that would work with a tempo of close to 120. Adding a search term that
has a number will filter for RealDrums that match the tempo or within a compatible range.
Pressing the [#] button allows you to quickly filter the list by many elements including feel, time signature,
RealDrums with notation, artists, etc. The [Clear] button will cancel the filter and show all RealDrums.
“Show RealDrums that are N/A” These are styles not found in the Drums folder, likely because they are add-on
styles not purchased yet. Press the [Rebuild] button and check the RealDrums Settings to confirm that you have the
correct Drums folder selected.
“Show if Feel does not match” will show a song where the drums are in Even feel and the style is Swing (or vice
versa).
“Show if Tempo is out of Range” will show styles that wouldn’t work well at the current song tempo. The
acceptable range is shown in the list of styles Lo/Hi (9th and 10th) columns.
“Show RealDrums that are not Favorites (*)” You can assign a style as one of your favorites by clicking in the first
column. Then you can sort by favorites or use this option to only see favorites.
RealDrums for the current song
This is the current RealDrums for this song. This can either come from the style, or a
specific RealDrums for this song, set in this dialog.
Tip: RealDrums in styles are assigned in the StyleMaker. Press the [Misc.] button or use the menu command Style | Misc.
Settings to go to the Misc. Style Settings dialog and make your selections in “RealDrums Settings.”
Force Simple Arrangement
If this is enabled, RealDrums will play a simpler arrangement without fills.
Force MIDI Drums
Set this if you want MIDI drums and want to override a RealDrums that is set in the
style.
This sets the drums to no RealDrums override for the song, and optionally also forces MIDI drums
(i.e., no RealDrums for the style either).
Timebase
You can select a timebase (normal, half-time, double-time, or triple-time) for any
RealDrums.

For example, if you have:

- an even 16ths Folk drums track at tempo 90, then you can choose Half-Time, and it will play even 8 feel with a
style at tempo 180.
- an even 8 feel style at tempo 190, then you can choose Double-Time, and it will play at tempo 95 (Cut-Time) even
16ths feel.
- a fast waltz style at tempo 150, then you can choose Triple-Time, and it will play with a slow 4/4 style at tempo 50,
which gives a triplet 12/8 feel.
Timebase can be stored with song, style, or RealDrums. If the RealDrums is named with the timebase appended, it
will function in that timebase. For example, “BossaBrushes” is a normal Ev 8 timebase, but “BossaBrushes
[Double-Time]” would play this in a Cut-Time ev 16 feel.

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Memo

“Memo” is a memo description of the style. These are stored in C:\bb\Data\RDPGMemos.txt file. You can also add
your own memos in the User Comments box below.
Artist Bio

The “Artist Bio” shows brief summaries of the careers of the top drummers featured in RealDrums. Double-click
here to open the Artist Browser, which lists all artists and allows you to see more info.
List Columns

The RealDrums list can be sorted by any of the column headings.

- * Click on this column to enter an asterisk, indicating that this is a favorite style.
- Click on the name of the RealDrums style name that you want to select for the song. Names ending in a caret ^
have variations available.
- ^ Clicking in the caret column will show the variations for the selected RealDrums style (if available).
- Genre is the type of music that the RealDrums style comes from, such as Jazz, Rock, or Country.
- Genre (more) suggests additional types of music that the RealDrums style might work for.
- /4 indicates the time signature, which is 4/4 by default. If the column is empty, the time signature is 4/4; if there is
a 3 in this column, the time signature is 3/4.
- Ev* indicates the feel of the RealDrums style, either Even or Swing.
- The listing in the 8 column indicates whether the meter is based on eighth notes (8) or sixteenth notes (16).
- Lo is the slowest tempo for which the RealDrums style is suited.
- Hi is the fastest tempo recommended for the style.
- X indicates a style with a tempo that is out of range for the song.
- N/A are styles not found in the Drums folder.
- Artist is the name of the drummer who recorded the RealDrums.
- # is the number of the RealDrums set for the style. This column also tells you whether a video or notation
(RealChart) is available for the RealDrums.
User Comments
You can type in your own comments about any style in the “User Comments” field and they will be saved in a file
called RDUserMemos.txt.

Variations
RealDrums styles ending in a caret (^) have variations available. They are listed here. Where there are two
instruments shown, such as Brushes/Sticks, the first one plays in the “a” substyle and the second in the “b” substyle.
You can double-click on each variation to hear the demo.

Chapter 7: RealTracks and RealDrums 249

Compatible Songs and Styles

[RD Demo] loads and plays a demo of the chosen RealDrum style.
[Song Demo] shows Band-in-a-Box styles that will use this RealDrums style if “Substitute RealDrums” is selected.
The song demo for the style will get loaded.
[BB Styles] shows Band-in-a-Box styles that will use this RealDrums style if “Substitute RealDrums” is selected.
The style will get loaded if the menu selection is made.

The [Settings] button opens the RealDrums Settings dialog.

[Rebuild] builds the list of RealDrums present as folders in the C:\bb\Drums folder. If you add new RealDrums,
press this button to update the list. (These are stored in a C:\bb\Data\DrumFolderNames.txt file.)
[Copy List] saves the current list with all information to a tab-delimited .txt file and opens it in Notepad. In Notepad
copy all and paste it into a spreadsheet such as an Excel file. You can then apply a hierarchical sorting of the list.
[Defaults] returns the dialog to default settings, which will show all available styles.
[Play Now] loads the selected RealDrums and starts playback. If you haven’t played the song yet, since you haven’t
generated non-drums tracks, you will only hear drums. In that case, press Shift+Click to generate all tracks.
The [Stop] button stops the song playback. Click (or Shift+Click) on [Play Now] to resume.
The [Audition] button doesn’t load the style but instead uses your audio player to play a demo .WAV file for the
style.
Press [OK] to make your selection.
Press [Cancel] to close the dialog without making a selection.
Note: When a song is loaded, played or saved, a yellow hint message will appear if any RealTracks or RealDrums are missing,
listing the files that are missing.

Changing RealDrums at any bar

The Edit Setting for Current Bar dialog opens with the menu command Edit | Bar Settings or with the F5 function
key.
In this dialog, you can change RealDrums at the current bar. The change can affect all choruses, or just a selected
chorus.

The [RealDrums] button opens the RealDrums Picker to select a new RealDrums from the list.
Click on the [Clear RD] button to remove the change.
RealDrums QuickList
This is the simpler dialog for choosing RealDrums, an alternative to the RealDrums Picker. It displays all available
RealDrums in a simple list, which can be easily filtered by genre, time signature, feel, and more. The list can be set
to show only RealDrums that are compatible with the current style of the song. You can also set the highlighted
RealDrums as a prototype RealDrums to find alternates to that RealDrums.

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 To open the dialog, right-click on the Drums track button, and select
[QuickList] RealDrums in Song from the menu.
Tip: Pressing the r d 3 Enter keys also opens the dialog.

You can filter the list by genre, time signature, feel, tempo, and text. Use the [Set to Style: ] button to see
RealDrums that are compatible with the current style of the song. The [Set to RD: ] button allows you to set the
highlighted RealDrums as a prototype RealDrums so you can find alternates to that RealDrums. Press the [Clear]
button to clear any filter.

Pressing the [Artist Bios] button opens the Artist Browser which lists all RealDrums artists and allows you to see
more info.
Multi-Drums
You can put multiple drum/percussion parts, drum loops, UserTracks drums, and even RealTracks on the same
Drums track, with volume mixer adjusting levels.
For example, you can add single drums instruments (e.g. Tambourine and Shaker), a bass drum loop, and/or
UserTracks drums to BossaBrushes Drums track. To do this, click on the Drums track button and go to Multi-Drums
| Edit-Multi Drums for this song.

Chapter 7: RealTracks and RealDrums 251

You will then see the Create Multi-Drums dialog.

Make sure that you enable the “Enable Multiple Drums” checkbox.

Then type a title for your Multi-Drums.

To add drums, click on the [...] button on an unused slot. This will show you a menu where you can choose a second
RealDrums, [single] drum/percussion (e.g. tambourine), loop, UserTracks, or RealTracks. You can adjust volume
for each selection with the “dB Offset” option.

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If you want to use a pre-made Multi-Drums, select the Choose Existing Multi-Drums menu option from the Drums
track button menu.

This will list pre-made Multi-Drums. (Note: These drums are found in the Drums folder, and all have names ending
in [Multi-Drums].)

UserTracks
UserTracks allow anyone to create their own audio styles for use in Band-in-a-Box. With a UserTracks style, you
can type in any chords into Band-in-a-Box, and the UserTracks style you made will play that chord progression! For
example, if you’ve made a UserTracks style by recording yourself playing a guitar groove, you can then type any
chords into Band-in-a-Box, and the result will be that it will play your guitar groove over these completely new,
original chord changes! You can even change the tempo, or enter songs in ANY key, and it will still be able to play
it!
You can make a UserTracks style in any digital audio workstation (or “DAW”), such as RealBand, Pro Tools, or
Reaper, and you don’t need Band-in-a-Box or RealBand to make the style (though you do need one of those
programs to use the finished style).

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You can also download backing tracks to record along with.

There is much more choice here, including a variety of different genres of music, and a variety of different tempos.
Each one, however, will conform to either the Pop, Jazz, or Blues template. You do not NEED to use these backing
tracks to make your style, but they can make the process easier.
Selecting UserTracks in Songs
You can use the UserTracks in a similar manner to using RealTracks.
To select a UserTracks for a track, first select the track at the top of the screen. For example, if you want
to add a UserTracks to the Guitar Track, launch the menu on the Guitar track button (by right-click or double-click),
and choose the “Select a UserTrack for this Track” option.

An alternative to the menu would be to select the Guitar Track, and then press the UserTracks
button on the main screen.

Now you will see the Pick a UserTracks dialog.

You can preview the selected UserTracks by double-clicking on the list or using the transport control buttons.

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 The speaker icon in the transport control allows you to control the volume of
the demos.
You can select a timebase (normal, half-time, double-time, or triple-time) for any
UserTracks.
Tip: UserTracks can be made and preset to a timebase by the user. For example, if you have a
UserTracks in Ev 8 called “Santur,” you can clone the folder and rename the cloned one as
“Santur [Double-Time].” Then it will play in Double-Time Ev 16 half of the tempo.
In this example, we want to add the UserTracks called “Guitar, Electric, Boom Chic Ev 140.” We simply select this
UserTracks and press OK. We now see our UserTracks listed on the Guitar Tracks on the Mixer.

Now the track behaves like other RealTracks.

You simply press “Generate and Play” to hear it.
Note: UserTracks support “Avoid transpositions in RealTracks” and “Ignore Slash Root of Slash Chords, except Bass Track”
options in the Song Settings dialog.
Tip: UserTracks work with rests. Just add rests to chords, and UserTracks will follow them. Note that there is no specific support
for shots or hold by UserTracks. They will just rest when these are encountered.

Adding new UserTracks

RealTracks are made by PG Music. UserTracks are made by you, or other Band-in-a-Box users. So you will have a
different list than displayed above. We include a small number of UserTracks with Band-in-a-Box package. There
is a UserTracks forum in the PG Music forum, where users can notify others about their UserTracks creations, and
share them if they choose to.
For example, if your friend makes a UserTracks of his accordion playing, and wants to give it to you...
- He can name it whatever he likes, and has called it “Accordion, Rhythm CountryWaltz Sw 110.”
- He has sent you a ZIP file of this folder.
- You will unzip it to your UserTracks folder.
A UserTracks consists of a single Folder, with the name of the UserTracks as the name of the folder. To add the
UserTracks to your collection, you simply put the folder into the C:\bb\RealTracks\UserTracks folder. (Note: if you
use a location like H:\MyMusic\RealTracks as your RealTracks folder, then your UserTracks folder would be in
H:\MyMusic\RealTracks\UserTracks.)
Creating your own UserTracks
Creating your own UserTracks is a simple process! It consists of the following steps:
- Create a folder in the UserTracks folder (i.e. usually C:\bb\RealTracks\UserTracks) and let’s call it “Guitar,
Acoustic, Brian Fingerpicking Ev 140.”
- Now, in that folder, you need to put at least one Band-in-a-Box song. This song can have any chords but should
have a wide variety of chords and chord types. Let’s say you call that file MyGuitarPlaying1.sgu
- For each BB song that you put in the folder, there needs to be a corresponding AUDIO file (WAV or WMA) that
matches the BB song. So, the name must be MyGuitarPlaying1.wav or MyGuitarPlaying1.wma. You can make
that WAV file in any program, (Band-in-a-Box, RealBand, Sonar, Pro Tools etc.). It needs to have a 2-bar lead-in
like BB songs always have, and of course it needs to be at the same tempo and be playing over the same chords as
the BB file.
That’s it!
You now have a folder that looks like this, and you are ready to use your UserTracks.

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To use it, follow the same routine as described above, opening the Pick a UserTracks dialog, where you will now
see your UserTracks listed with the others.

Now, you can leave it at that, or you can record more files, (i.e. more pairs of files with a Band-in-a-Box file and a
corresponding wav file). These can be any other names. And you simply add them to the folder. Band-in-a-Box
will automatically add these files to your UserTracks, simply by you putting them there.
UserTracks support 3/4 waltz time signature.
Just make a UserTracks as normal and save the Band-in-a-Box song with your UserTracks in 3/4 waltz time
signature (i.e. save using a waltz style). Make sure that the options.txt file in the folder says “ThisIsWaltz=true.”

You can find lots of help about making UserTracks on our website, and this page is a good start.
https://www.pgmusic.com/usertracks1.htm
UserTracks Tutorial
Part 1 - Making a basic UserTracks style
This tutorial will show you how to go about making a style, starting with the most basic, simple style that you can
make, and then progressing to other ways to make your style even better, with more features and greater variety.
The easiest way to start is by using one of our pre-made templates. You can find templates in the
C:\bb\Data\TemplatesForUserTracks folder, or download additional templates from pgmusic.com.
Each template contains .pdf chord charts and Band-in-a-Box files. The files are numbered PopSong_1_...,
PopSong_2_..., etc. You do not NEED to use these backing tracks to make your style, but they can make the process
easier. For the most basic UserTracks style you can make, you ONLY need to use Song_1. We will start off by
showing you how to make a basic pop style.
The first thing you need to do is download and unzip the template, UserTracks_Template_Files.zip. Out of the files
from that archive, you need to find and print PopSong_1_FirstSong.pdf. This is a 7-page chord chart. The next step
is to set up your DAW with the tempo you want your UserTracks style to be at. You are now ready to record your
part.
The first two bars are allotted as a count-in, and will NOT be used in Band-in-a-Box, so your playing should begin in
the DAW at bar 3. This will correspond to bar 1 in the chart. You can then record the song in full (punching in, or
doing retakes as much as you like or need). You will notice that the chart follows basic Pop progressions (examples:
I-VIm-IV-V; I-V-VIm-IV; etc.), and that it is in the key of C for the first 80 bars, then switches to E for 80 bars, and
then switches to G for 80 bars.
Once you have finished recording the entire chart, render the track you recorded to either a .wav or .wma file. The
two bars at the beginning for the count-in need to be in the final file.

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Then, the audio file you made can be named whatever you like, for example: MyGuitarStyle.wav, AND, the Band-
in-a-Box template file (it has a file extension .SGU) has to be saved with the exact same name, which would have to
be: MyGuitarStyle.sgu). The only difference between the two names will be that your file ends with .wma or .wav,
and the Band-in-a-Box file ends with .sgu.
To use the style you made, the files need to be placed in a particular place in the Band-in-a-Box folder. If Band-in-a-
Box was installed to C:\bb, then the files need to be in a subfolder of C:\bb\RealTracks\UserTracks. So, for
example, if you wanted your UserTracks name to be “My First Guitar UserTracks style,” then the two files would go
in: C:\bb\RealTracks\UserTracks\My First Guitar UserTracks style. Note: It is the folder name that determines the
name of the style as it appears in Band-in-a-Box or RealBand, NOT the names of the individual wav/wma/sgu files.
Once this is done, the style is now available for you to use in Band-in-a-Box or RealBand!
Part 2 - Adding to your basic style by recording more material.
Once you have the basic style done from Part 1 of this tutorial, you may find that you want to add more material to
make your style even better. There are several reasons for this. To start with, that first basic template has a limited
number of chord types. For example, the first song of the pop template only uses major or minor triads. Another
reason is that certain features won’t work with only the first song recorded. Endings of songs, for example, will stop
at the right time, but you won’t have dedicated recorded endings. The final reason you may want to record more
material is simply to have more variety in your song. With only the first song recorded, when you use the style you
may notice certain licks repeating. The more material you record, the less likely it is that you will notice that kind of
repetition when the style is used.
So, we have specific templates set up to address these different issues. So, you are free to record some or all of the
additional templates. You can pick and choose if there are certain issues that are more important to you and your
style, or you can record all of them to make sure your style can handle ANY musical situation!
For all of the additional templates, the method of recording them is exactly the same as with the first song.
When the recordings are finished, again you simply need to render your recorded track to wav or wma, save it in the
C:\bb\RealTracks\UserTracks folder in the same location as the song1 file, and give it a unique name, which needs
to be the same name as the corresponding Band-in-a-Box .sgu file.
When this is done, when the UserTracks style is used in Band-in-a-Box or RealBand, all additional material you put
in that folder will now be part of the style! For most of the additional templates, the method is EXACTLY the same
as it was for recording song1.
You can find lots of help about making UserTracks on our website, and this page is a good start.
https://www.pgmusic.com/usertracks1.htm

Audio Controls for RealTracks and RealDrums

Tone Control
There is a bass/treble Tone control for individual tracks with RealTracks or RealDrums, so you can easily adjust the
bass/treble EQ for any RealTrack. The Tone settings save with the song.
Choose an instrument and then use the tone control to adjust the tone from -18 (maximum bass) to
+18 (maximum treble). Default is 0.
Audio Reverb Control
There is a Reverb control for individual tracks with RealTracks or RealDrums, so you can easily
add reverb (0 to 127) for any RealTrack. Reverb type is also settable and saved with the song.
Auto-Add Reverb
There is also a feature that automatically adds reverb to RealTracks, according to instrument type. No reverb is
added to the Bass part, for example, but most instruments get reverb.
This feature defaults to on, but you can turn it off in the PG Music Reverb dialog, which opens by
pressing the [Plugins] button and choosing the menu command Audio Reverb Dialog.

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 If you just want more or less reverb added, you can adjust the
Strength %. For example, the default Band-in-a-Box reverb setting is 40 for most tracks. If you set the strength to
75%, the setting becomes 30.
Reverb Settings
The default is a “room” type of reverb, but you can also set the type of reverb. To do this, press
the [Plugins] button and choose the menu command Audio Reverb Dialog, and adjust the various
parameters in the PG Music Reverb dialog.

Reverb can be enabled/disabled globally for all songs,

in which case the setting will still appear, but no reverb will be applied. Or you can enable/disable the audio reverb
for the current song only. This will save some CPU cycles if you are using a slower machine.
Click on the green Select a Preset button to open the list of presets. This list will show only the “Band-in-a-
Box Default Reverb” until you save some presets of your own.

As you adjust the settings, they will be applied to the current song. The
[Swap “Default”] button toggles between your current settings and the default settings. This allows you to hear the
effect of the changes you make to the settings.
Use the row of “room” buttons to load typical settings for different types of spaces. These buttons are a convenient
way to either apply a particular effect or to load settings that you can then tweak to make your own preset.

Reverb Parameters
Pre-Delay is the time delay of first reflections.
Decay is the time it takes for reverb to decay. Reverb time is measured as RT60, the time it takes for reverb to decay
to a level -60 dB below the dry signal level.
LF Roll off gradually reduces the bass frequencies. If you can’t add enough reverb because the sound gets too
muddy, try increasing the LF Roll off slider. It is adjustable between 50 Hz and 500 Hz.
HF Roll off is the rate at which the high frequencies die away as the reverb decays. Rooms with hard surfaces are
typically bright, but rooms with soft surfaces are usually darker. It is adjustable between 1 KHz (dark) to 11 KHz
(bright).
Density is the density of low-level echoes near the end of the reverb tail. High Density settings add sheen to the
sound.

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Mix is the proportion of original signal to the reverb signal.
Output adjusts the final level of the plug-in.
Typical Reverb Settings
- A large hall might have long Pre-Delay, long Decay, and moderate Density.
- A hard, large space such as a Gymnasium might have long Pre-Delay, high Density and high HF Roll off.
- A soft large space such as a concert hall with carpet, padded seats, hangings, might have medium Density and low
HF Roll off.
- A small hard space such as a tile washroom might have short Pre-Delay, medium-to-long Decay, high Density, and
high HF Roll off.
- A small soft space such as a large living room might have short Pre-Delay, short Decay, medium-to-low Density,
and low HF Roll off.
Saving Settings to Presets
You can save your reverb types as presets, and the current settings will also be saved with the song in the C:\bb\DX
Settings\PGReverbSettings.bin file.
To save the current settings to a preset, type in a name for your preset in the “Preset Name” field.

Then click on the Save Preset arrow and choose a location in the Preset list. You can write over an existing
name.

A prompt will ask you to confirm that you want to save the preset.

Select [Yes] to save the new preset to the chosen location.

Auto Reverb

Enable “Auto-Add Reverb to RealTracks” to automatically apply

preset amounts of reverb to RealTracks according to instrument type. No reverb is added to the Bass part, for
example, but most instruments get reverb.
If you just want more or less reverb added overall, you can adjust the Strength %. For example, the default Band-in-
a-Box reverb setting is 40 for most tracks. If you set the strength to 75%, the Band-in-a-Box setting becomes 30.

You can save the current settings as the Default Reverb.

Click on the [Restore Defaults] button to go back to the original “factory” reverb settings for
Band-in-a-Box Default Reverb.

Chapter 7: RealTracks and RealDrums 259

 Chapter 8: Notation and Printing
Band-in-a-Box offers a variety of notation and printing features, both for viewing parts on-screen as they play and
for printing them as sheet music.
To view the notation, open the Notation window by pressing the notation button on the main screen. Close
the window by pressing this button again.

Band-in-a-Box Notation screen displaying the melody track in Standard Notation mode
Tip: You can view the window in full screen with Window | Fullscreen Chord Sheet View or with Ctrl+T keys.
Band-in-a-Box offers multiple modes of notation for different purposes. The notation defaults to Standard Notation
mode; other modes are selected with buttons on the Notation window toolbar.
Standard Notation to display or print Notation and enter lyrics. The grand piano staff and/or guitar tablature
with notes, chord symbols, and lyrics.
Editable Notation to enter or edit notation. A special staff with time divisions for mouse-based editing.
Staff Roll Notation to enter or edit notes, velocity, and duration. The note heads are shown with editable
velocity and duration lines.
Lead Sheet Notation to display or print notation as full arrangements or in fake sheet style. This is a full
screen notation window with notes, chord symbols, and lyrics.

Exploring the Notation Window

With the Notation window open, the toolbar at the top of the window gives you access to its many features and
options.
Options Button Opens the Notation Window Options dialog.
Lead Sheet Button Press to launch the Lead Sheet window.

Print Button Press this button to print the notation to any printer supported by your Windows®
system.
3-stage buttons to select a Notation window mode - Standard Notation, Editable
Notation Mode Buttons Notation, or Staff Roll mode.
Current Note This box displays the name of the note that will be inserted when you click the
mouse.
These determine whether a Note or a Rest will be inserted when the mouse is clicked.
Note / Rest checkboxes
Mono Mode When this is selected, the notation is entered as monophonic (one note only) to avoid
extra notes in a single note melody line.
Clean Notation The Clean Notation Mode cleans up the notation by eliminating display of redundant
grace notes and glitches for easier reading.
Time Signature Notation supports various time signatures (4/4, 3/4, 2/4, 2/2, 12/8, 9/8, and 6/8).
Press this button to select one of the time signatures from the list.
Visual Transpose This button allows you to visually transpose the notation.

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 Click on the button to select a track to display, or hover the mouse cursor over it and
Track Selector use the mouse wheel to quickly switch tracks.

Event List Editor You can edit events including all MIDI events and lyric events using the Event List
Editor.
Lyrics Button To enter note-based lyrics press the Lyrics button on the Notation toolbar.
Zoom Buttons The zoom buttons make it easy to increase or decrease the font size of the notation.
Holding down the Ctrl key and pressing these buttons results in finest possible
incremental adjustment in size.
Section Text Add or edit Section Text on the Notation.

Scrub Mode When this button is pressed, you can drag the mouse over notes to hear them.
This will generate a vocal track using an online third-party vocal synthesizer called
Generate Vocal Synth Sinsy for a MIDI melody track with lyrics.
Video Tutorial Button This will launch an internet browser and show a video about Notation window.

Bars per Line This allows you to quickly change the number of bars per line.

Big Note Mode This will display notation with larger font size and note names within note heads.
Press the button again to return to the normal size.
Loop Screen Click on this button and the song will loop the bars shown on the notation screen.
The Notation window displays an improved system of Bar Lyrics, Section Text, and Bar Settings, and additional
chord mode (Roman Numeral, Nashville Notation, etc.) above the Standard chord symbols.
Click on the [Chord Display] button on the toolbar, go to Layers, and make a selection.

Drum Notation Support

Play the song and open the Notation window. Then, select the Drums track and you will see drum notation.

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 In the clef area, you see a guide telling you what drum notes are used in that line of notation
(e.g. Kick, Snare, HiHat).

For the Melody or Soloist track, you need to set the track type to “Drums” either in the Notation Window Options
dialog or with the menu Melody (or Soloist) | Track Type.
Note: For this to work properly, you need to have the Melody track with drums that are using GM Drum notes.)

Chord Step Advance

Use the Ins and Del keys on the numeric keypad to step advance on any track by one chord. The track MIDI data
can display on the on piano, guitar, lead sheet, drums, and notation window(s).
This feature advances the current track and displays the next group of notes on that track. For example, if the current
track is set to the Melody track, pressing the chord advance buttons will display the next note or chord of the melody.
The Chord Advance feature is a great way to study the notes being played, and to navigate around the track.
Note: In this context, “chord” is referring to any group of notes, or a single note, that occurs in a track at or near the same time.
You can adjust the width of what Band-in-a-Box determines a “chord” to be in the Notation Options - More dialog.

Standard Notation Mode

This mode displays the notation for any individual track and allows the entry of chords and lyrics. Features include:
- Notation display for the Bass, Piano, Drums, Guitar, Strings, Melody, or Soloist track.
- Optional display of guitar chord diagrams.
- As the song plays, the notes that are sounding are highlighted in red. This helps with sight reading or following the
music.
- You can set the notation to scroll either 1 or 2 bars ahead of the music without interfering with your view of the
current notation.
- Handles Jazz eighth notes and triplet figures correctly.

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- Double-clicking on the window or pressing the space bar plays the song from the current time location.
- Automatic options such as auto durations, clean notation, mono display, minimize rests,
hard rests, and engraver spacing produce very musical and readable notation.
- Beamed notes are automatically given slanted beams.
- Groups of 5 notes will automatically display as groups of 3+2 or 2+3 or can be set this
way manually. If you’d prefer to see them as a group of 5 notes, you can right mouse
click on the time line, and set the resolution to 5 for that beat.
Right-click menu for Standard Notation
This menu opens with a right mouse button click in the Standard Notation window.

Use this menu to access major editing features and dialogs. You can change to another notation mode by selecting it
in the list.
Keystroke Commands
To change between notation views, press Ctrl+Alt+N.
- To open the Print Options window, press Ctrl+P.
- To enable the screen loop, press 1 on your numeric keypad.
- To jump 4 bars ahead, press the DOWN arrow key.
- To step 4 bars back, press the UP arrow key.
Non-Concert Visual Transpose
This feature displays the chords and notation for non-concert key instruments like trumpet and saxophone in the non-
concert key (Bb, Eb) while the music plays in concert key.
Note: This does not transpose the music. To do that,
use the song key box to the right of the Style area.
Pressing the [Chord Display] menu button opens a list of concert and non-concert instruments.

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The type of chord display can be selected from the Choose type of Chord Display submenu.

There are also settings for guitar capo, tuning the guitar down, and visual transpose of any number of semitones.
Guitar Settings

For example, with “Capo at Fret 2” selected,

if you enter a D chord it will play as an E chord but display as a D chord. This is also
true for notes entered in notation. An alert shows on-screen.

You can also tune the guitar down from 1 semitone to 8 semitones. If you tune down by
1 semitone a song entered in E will display in E but play in Eb.

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Editable Notation Mode
Enter the Editable Notation mode from the notation screen with a single mouse click on the Editable Notation
button.
In the Editable Notation mode, the time line is more visible as it shows with a thick yellow vertical line. You can
play the song from the current location by pressing the space bar or double-clicking on the time line. You can enter,
move, and edit notes and rests using standard mouse techniques – point and click, drag and drop, and right-click to
open the Note Edit dialog.

This is the screen for step-entry of a melody or for editing existing parts. Notice the grid of vertical lines, which sub-
divide each beat. These lines indicate where the notes will be placed according to the resolution of the song.
When mousing over notes in this window, summary information about the note is
displayed (pitch/channel/velocity/duration).
To enable this feature, click on the [More..] button in the Notation Options dialog
to open the Other Notation Options dialog. Then select the “Show Popup Hint for
Note Properties” checkbox.

Easy Method of Guitar Tab Entry

Click on the string (on the tab), then click on the note (on notation, or on-screen guitar) to get it entered on that
string/fret. To access this feature, for melody (or soloist) track, first set menu Melody | Track Type to Guitar. Then
open the Notation window and choose editable notation. You will now see Guitar Tab below the Treble Clef. You
can now highlight a note, using Shift+Arrow Right (or Left). When a note is highlighted in red, you can click on
the tab on the string that you would like the note played on. This will change the note to that string, and the tab will
be updated to reflect this.
For Editable Notation with Guitar Tab, you can easily change the string for a note, by dragging the note from one-tab
string to another.
Select the Melody track in the Notation window.
Enter the Editable Notation.
And set the track type to Guitar (via main menu Melody - Track Type = Guitar).

Now you have Editable Notation and tab. After you insert notes on the notation, you can drag notes from one-tab
string to another to change the channel and fret position that plays on the guitar.
For example, here you can drag the “1” down a
string to have the middle C note played on the
third string instead of the second.

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Resolution
The above example is in Jazz Swing style. so Band-in-a-Box has automatically set the grid resolution to 3 per beat
(triplets). This resolution can be changed in the Notation Options dialog, but the program automatically sets the
resolution to the correct value based upon the Band-in-a-Box style that is in use.
- Swing styles use 3 lines to divide each beat into eighth note swing triplets.
- Straight styles use 4 lines to divide each beat into sixteenth notes.

Example of swing (triplet) resolution. Example of straight (16ths) resolution.

Beat Resolution
The user can manually set the resolution for any beat in the Beat Resolution dialog, which opens with a right-click
on the time line. You can also open this dialog by right-clicking on the window and selecting Change Beat
Resolution from menu.

Setting the “Treble Clef Resolution for this Beat” to 5

allows a group of five notes to be placed on one beat.

Entering Notes
To insert a new note on the staff move the mouse to the location that you want. If you want beat 1, move to the first
dotted line in the bar. Click on the staff over the note that you want.
Confirmation dialogs show warnings to prevent accidental entry of a duplicate note (same pitch near same time) and
of a very high or very low note (large # of ledger lines).
The Current Note box in the toolbar will give you the name of the note that you’re on.
Click with the left mouse button to insert the note:
- To insert a sharp: Hold down the Shift key as you click on the note.
- To insert a flat: Hold down the Ctrl key as you click on the note.
- To insert a natural: Hold down the Alt key as you click on the note.
Brackets (#) are drawn around accidentals after a bar line as a courtesy, where no accidental is
required.

How is the length of the notes determined?

Band-in-a-Box uses an intelligent auto-duration feature to determine how long the note should be. Auto-durations
mean that you can enter a lead sheet style melody by just clicking once per note, dramatically speeding up the entry
of notation.
Any note that is entered will initially have a duration of 2 bars (2 whole notes). When the next note is put in 2 beats
later, Band-in-a-Box will adjust the duration of the previous note to just shorter than 2 beats. This means that you
don’t have to worry about durations at all and can simply point and click to enter the notes where you want them. If
you want to override the auto duration, you can edit the note using the right mouse key, which will permit you to
type the exact duration that you want.

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Entering Notes Entirely with Keystrokes
There’s a keystroke entry mode, which lets you enter a melody entirely using keystrokes. The keystrokes are N to
enter a note, up/down cursor to change its pitch, M to enter an additional note a third above the existing note,
left/right cursor to move the time line, and R to enter a rest.
Hit the N key to enter a note at the current time line.

While the note is highlighted, use the up/down cursor keys to change its pitch.

If you want to add a note a third above the existing note on the current time line,
hit the M key.

Use the right/left cursor keys to move the time line.

Hit the R key to enter a rest at the current time line.

Entering Drum Notes

You can enter drum notes to the Drums track or the Melodist/Soloist track with the track type set to Drums. Right-
click on the window and use the Insert (or change) Drum Note menu item. For drum notes shown on the left in the
drum guide (e.g. China, Splash, Crash2, etc.), you can click on the corresponding vertical position of the drum note
you want.

Entering Rests
Insert a rest by holding the back-quote key (tilde key without pressing Shift) then clicking on the Notation window.
Another way to enter a rest is to click on the Rest checkbox and then point and click where you want the rest to
appear. This automatically shortens the duration of the previous note.

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 Tip: If it is important to see rests less than a quarter note, make sure you de-select the “Minimize Rests” checkbox in the Options
dialog.

Forced Rests (Hard Rests)

This allows you to insert a rest in the notation, which will be in effect even if you have Minimize Rests set to false.
For example, we are able to display a 16th note rest even though the Minimize Rests feature is on. To do this, click
on the [Rest] button and then click on the notation at the location that you’d like a 16th note rest. The Hard Rest will
show up in blue in the editable notation window and can be removed by holding the [DEL] key and clicking on the
rest.
Moving a note in time
If you want to change the start time of a note, drag the note with the left mouse button to the new location. This is a
simple way to move the note. Alternatively, you could edit the note numerically with the right mouse button.
Changing the pitch of a note
Similarly, you can drag the note vertically to change the note value and release it when you’re on the note you want.
Hold down the Shift, Ctrl, or Alt key to have the note inserted as a sharp, flat, or natural respectively.
Insert Bends in Notation
In the Editable Notation window, any note can be made into a bend by right-clicking on the note and changing its
type to “Guitar Bend” with the Edit Note command.
The “Quarter Step” option will make a bend displayed as a quarter step
below the target note.

Right-click Editable Notation menu

A right-click of the mouse in the Editable Notation window will open this menu.

Edit Note opens the Note dialog and lets you edit the current note.
Delete Note deletes the current note.
Forced Accidental lets you quickly add an accidental to the current note.

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Insert (or change) Drum Note enters a drum note. (Note: This menu item will appear for Drums track or
Melody/Soloist track with the track type set to Drums.
Edit Current Chord
This opens a text box with the name of the chord at the current location. Type in any changes and press Enter or
Tab to return to the Editable Notation window.
Duplicate previous groups of notes quickly duplicates the previous chord (a group of notes on the same location)
without having to reenter it.
Delete Highlighted Red Notes deletes all notes that are currently highlighted in red.
Change Beat Resolution allows you to change the beat resolution of the current beat.
Insert Lyrics allows you to enter note-based lyrics.
Edit Lyrics opens the lyrics event list editor.
Edit Section Text opens the Text Events list where section text can be inserted, edited, or deleted.
Insert Section Text opens the Section Text Event dialog where either regular or boxed section text is entered along
with its time and vertical position in the window.
Precise Placement Section Letters
Select a letter or number from the list and it will be inserted at the current location of the time line bar. Use this
same item to remove section letters/numbers.
Bar-Based Section Letters
Select a letter or number from the list and it will be inserted at the top of the bar line so that it doesn’t overwrite
chords or notes.
Notation Symbols
The notation symbols are entered from the Notation Event dialog, which is accessed from the right-click menu in
the Editable Notation window. This dialog lets you insert (or remove) notation symbols such as,
Slur Accent
Crescendo Legato
Decrescendo Marcato
Staccato Staccatissimo
Select a notation symbol from those listed and the Notation Event dialog will open. In this dialog, you can further
define the event and its precise location, then press [OK - Insert Event] to insert it into the notation. Use the [OK -
Remove Event] to delete an existing event that is no longer needed.

The Event Type list box lets you choose the event type (slur, decrescendo, etc.).
The Length of Event field determines the length of a slur, crescendo, or decrescendo. The length is specified in
beats and ticks. If an event is a “single-peg” event, such as a staccato or accent, then this field will cause multiple
events to be inserted if the range is greater than zero (and the range spans multiple pegs). If you had highlighted an

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 area of the Notation window prior to right-clicking on it (to launch the pop-up menu and choose the notation
symbols menu item) then this field is set based on the length of the highlighted area.
Note: The highlighted area does not actually include the very last peg at the very edge of the highlighted area.
The Clef field, if present, indicates the clef in which the event will be inserted (or removed from). Most events
affect only one clef at a time, and therefore you must choose the clef and this field will be preset based on where
you had initially right-clicked with the mouse on the Notation window (you did this to get the pop-up menu that
launches this dialog). For example, if you had right-clicked on the treble clef, then this will be set to treble.
When Snap to notes toward beginning / end of range is enabled slurs, crescendos, and decrescendos will be
based on notes that exist at the beginning and end of the specified range.
The Offset field, if present, lets you adjust make adjustments to the
vertical position of an event, e.g. slurs or chord height.
The Start Time field is the start time of the event (in Measures:Bytes:Ticks).
[OK - Insert Event] exits this dialog and then inserts the event into the notation track.
[OK - Remove Event] exits this dialog and then REMOVES the event (if it exists in the specified time range) from
the notation track.
Cleanup Orphaned Notation Controller Events
This command will remove notation symbol events (such as staccato) that are no longer close enough to a note to
display properly.
Chord height adjustment
Use this to adjust the height of a certain chord by adjusting the “Offset:” value in the Notation Event dialog. Note
that a positive value moves the chord symbol lower, and vice versa.
Modes
Clicking on another notation mode will change to that screen while staying at the same location in the song.
Vocal Synth (Auto)
Your Melody or Soloist track with lyrics can be rendered to a vocal audio track by sending it to the 3rd party vocal
synthesizer Sinsy.
Choose the language, Japanese or English, and one of the female or male vocalists. You can adjust the gender of the
voice in a range from -0.8 to +0.8. Higher values are more masculine. If your track does not include lyrics you can
enter a syllable to use for notes with no lyrics.
With the “Auto” command, your song will be sent automatically to the song server and returned as an audio file on
the Audio track. This may take a few minutes. When the vocal synth has been generated, the Import Audio File
dialog opens. Press [OK] to import it to the Audio track.

Manually generate Vocal Synth track

With this command, Band-in-a-Box will generate a file named Sound.XML and save it in C:\bb\Data\SRequest. Use
your browser to navigate to www.sinsy.jp and upload the xml file. A file named sound.wav will be returned and
loaded into the Audio track of your song.
Editing Note Values
Right-click on a note. This brings up a variation of the right-click window with added commands for editing or
deleting notes. Click on Edit Note to launch the Note dialog. In the Note dialog, you can manually change the
characteristics of a note by entering the exact values you wish for any given note. For example, you can change the
velocity and duration by increments of 1 tick, as well as the note’s pitch and relative positioning in the bar.

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 There are spin buttons in the note attributes window. Holding the spin increments continuously, and Shift-
clicking (or right-clicking) increments by a higher amount.
Shift+clicking on the spin buttons changes:
- The pitch of a note by an octave instead of a semitone.
- The velocity, duration, or time stamp by 5 instead of 1.
For example, to change the octave of a note, Shift-click (or right-click) on the spin arrows.
Select a region of notation to edit
To select a region of the notation you can Shift+click on the end point to easily select a large area.
- Select a small region by dragging the mouse.*
- Enlarge the region by Shift-clicking on the end point.
*Note: Shift-click is also used to enter a sharp (#) note, so the selection via Shift-click requires that a small region be already
selected.
Force Accidental - If a note is being displayed as a sharp, but you want it to appear as a flat (or vice versa), you can
force that here. Notes like Fb, Cb, E#, B# can be entered. To do this, right-click on a note (like F), and set the
forced accidental to #, and the note will appear as E#.
Note Type - You can choose for the note to be Normal, Invisible (note will sound but will not appear in regular
notation), Guitar Bend (a B will appear above the note), Hammer-On, Pull-Off, or Guitar Slide. Note that the guitar
bend is for notation only and does not affect the sound of the note.
Keystroke Note Editing
You can easily edit notes using only keystrokes. By stepping through the notes one-by-one, when a note is
highlighted you can change the pitch using the cursor keys, and other values (timing, duration, channel) with other
hot keys. This speeds up editing of notes. To use this function, you do the following:
1. Open the Notation window.
2. Move the mouse cursor to the note that you want to edit, and then press the Chord Advance (INS or DEL key on
the Numeric Keypad). This highlights the current note.
3. With the note highlighted in red, use the cursor up/down keys to change the pitch of the note. You hear the pitch
change as the note changes.
4. Use the cursor left/right keys to change the note’s start time, duration, channel, or velocity (depending on the
setting of the “Right/Left Cursor Edits” field in the Notation Options dialog.
Press the Esc key or [Stop] button when you’re done.
Section Text for Notation
You can add custom Section Text and Boxed Text messages at any position in the notation track, with optional
box to appear around the text.
To put a section text comment on the notation track:

- Open the Notation window, and switch to the Editable Notation mode.

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- Right-click on the track at the point that you want to enter the section text. Then, select Insert Section Text from
the menu.
- This launches the Section Text Event dialog that allows you to type in the text. You can set the Text Event Type
to “Boxed” or “Regular.”

Easy Entry of Section Text on Notation Window

Typing a backslash “\” followed by any text puts that text at the beginning of the current bar as a boxed section text
message. For example, \Hello would put “Hello” in a boxed section text event.
Typing \ launches the edit dialog for the section text.

Type the section text that you want, such as “Guitar Solo,” and then press Enter.

This text can be entered once per bar. You can use this for section headings, or even to enter lyrics bar by bar.

Staff Roll Notation Mode

Click on the Staff Roll notation mode button to enter the Staff Roll mode.

This mode is similar to the Editable Notation Mode, except that the beats begin right on the bar line. You can see the
duration of the note visually represented by a horizontal blue line and the note’s velocity displayed as a vertical blue
line.
Tip: If you can’t see these lines, press the [Opt.] button to check that “Show Note Durations, Show Velocity Lines,” and “Show
Bar/Beat Lines” options are enabled.

Using the Mouse to Edit Velocity and Duration

There is an additional function available in this mode: right mouse drag. Place the mouse cursor on the note head
and hold down the right-mouse button. Then, starting at the note head, drag the cursor horizontally to set the note’s
duration, or drag it vertically to set the note’s velocity.

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Piano Roll Window
For advanced editing of notes plus graphic controller editing, go to the Piano Roll window, either by
selecting the [Piano Roll] button on the toolbar, or the Window | Piano Roll Window menu item.

Notation Window Options

Press the [Opt.] button in the Notation window to open the Notation Window Options dialog.

Track Type: You can set the track type to use for the Melody or Soloist track. Normally you’d leave the track type
set to Single Channel, but you can also set it to other types.
Multi (16)-Channel: All MIDI channel assignments are preserved and output on playback. This would be useful for
importing an entire MIDI file and playing it from the Melody channel using a silent style.
Guitar: MIDI channels 11 to 16 are assigned to the guitar strings 1 to 6. Correct guitar tablature replaces the bass
clef, the notation will be up an octave, and guitar channel assignments are saved with MIDI files.
Piano: In this mode, channels 8 and 9 are treated as the left and right hand of a piano part.
Selecting any one of Bass, Ukulele, Mandolin, Banjo (5-string), or Violin will display the correct tablature in the
Notation window and the correct fretboard in the Guitar window.
Set the track to match any of the 11 alternate guitar tunings, such as DADGAD, Open G, or Double Drop D,
supported by Band-in-a-Box. Then you will see the correct notes on the guitar fretboard, in the notation and
tablature.
If the track has drums that use GM Drum notes, you can select Drums to see drum notation.
Triplet Resolution (Swing): Band-in-a-Box automatically sets the resolution whenever a style is loaded. When a
style has a triplet feel (such as Jazz Swing or a Shuffle style), Band-in-a-Box selects Triplet Resolution. This ensures

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that Jazz eighth notes (swing triplets) are handled correctly. When a style with a straight feel loads (Pop, Latin) the
Triplet Resolution setting is automatically turned off. Then the notation shows even eighth notes, not triplets, and
each note and duration is rounded to the nearest sixteenth note when displaying the music.
Show Bar/Beat Lines: This setting is for the Staff Roll mode only. When turned off (unchecked) only the staff lines
will show, helpful for editing note Duration and Velocity lines.
Show Note Durations: A Staff Roll mode setting to show or hide the horizontal Duration lines.
Duration Line Color (Green /Blue) : There are two color choices for the Duration lines, green or blue.
The [Update] button applies the changes made in this dialog. Pressing [OK] will have the same effect.
Snap to grid lines: If this is checked, the inserted note will be lined up with the closest grid line. This is similar to
the way a graphics or typesetting program aligns elements accurately on a page. This means that you don’t have to
click exactly on the beat to have the note inserted precisely on the beat.
Scroll Ahead: The Notation window can be set to scroll 1 or 2 bars ahead of the music without interfering with your
view of the current notation. To enable this feature, select the number of bars (1 or 2) you wish to scroll-ahead.
Select zero bars to disable this feature. When the notation scroll-ahead feature is enabled, the lyrics will also scroll
ahead.
Highlight playback notes in Red: Good sight-readers who like to read ahead can use this option to disable the
highlighting of notes in red as the song is playing so it won’t be distracting.
Note Colors: Notation can display notes in different colors based on absolute note names or relative to chord or key.
Colors are definable; the default color scheme is one that was introduced by the Russian composer Alexander
Scriabin (1872-1915). Colored notes will appear in color for printout on color printers or when saved in a color
graphics file.
Pressing the [Edit] button launches the Note Color
Editor dialog. Change the colors by clicking on the color
above the note name. Pressing the [OK-Save] button will
close the dialog and save the file as
C:\bb\Data\default.NCL. You can also save/load different
NCL files for different color sets.

Note Names: There is an option to display note names in the center of the note head. You can display absolute note
names (A, Bb etc.) or you can display numbers relative to the key or the current chord. This is helpful for learning to
read music. Combined with the ability to display large font sizes, this achieves the big note look common to “EZ-2-
Play” music books.
Channel numbers can also be displayed on the notation. When editing notes, it is often helpful
to see the channel number of each note. By setting Note Names to “Channel Numbers” you will
see the channel number for each note written into the note head of the notes. This is useful
when viewing an entire MIDI file that you’ve loaded onto the Melody track, and want to
examine the channel information, or for editing a guitar track that uses channels 11 to 16.
Notation Fonts: You can use the PG Music fonts or Jazz fonts for your chords and notation. Or you can choose
Arial or any other font on your system for chords, lyrics, text, and titles. The Jazz fonts have the “handwritten
manuscript” look. It’s a great alternative to music fonts that look too “computerized.”

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 To select just the Jazz music font, enable the “Use Jazz Music Font”
option, then choose your Chord, Lyrics, Text, and Title fonts.
Click [Regular Fonts] for a quick overall change to regular fonts in the
Notation window.
The [Jazz Fonts] button installs a pre-selected group of Jazz fonts.
The [Arial] button installs the regular notation font and Arial for
everything else.
Check “Use Jazz Music Font” to use the Jazz font, and check “Jazz
Symbols Font” to use shorthand Jazz chord symbols in the notation.
”BeStPlain Chord Font” is a very clear and readable font. The [+] button
beside this checkbox will open the dialog with options to use triangle for
major, minus sign for minor, and half or full circle for half or full
diminished chords.

Note: The Jazz Chord Symbol Graphics can be displayed independently on the Chord Sheet and the Notation window. For the
Chord Sheet, open the Display Options dialog (Options | Preferences | [Display]) and select “Jazz Chord Symbols” or “BeStPlain
Chord Symbols” for the “Chord Sheet Font” option.
The Lyrics and Text fonts appear in the Notation window, the Lead Sheet, and the printout.
The Title font is used for the Titles, Composer, and Styles names that appear on the Lead Sheet window and printout.
The “Slash Font” is used for slashes / / / / which appear in the empty bars.
The “Bar # Font” is used for bar numbers.
The “Bar Lyrics Font” is used for bar-based lyrics.
Note: Using the PG Music notation and text fonts requires that they be installed in your Windows | System directory. The fonts
are installed automatically with the program.
Bars/Screen: This option lets you to choose the number of bars per line for both the on-screen notation display and
printing.
Guitar Chord Diagrams: These are available on the Notation, Lead Sheet, or printout for Folk, Pop, and Jazz
voicings. There is an option to show the fret numbers on the diagrams.
Tab: When this is enabled, the Guitar and Bass tracks show tablature notation.
Show fret #s on chord diagrams: This will display the fret numbers for each string on the guitar chord diagrams.
Load notation layout w/songs: When this box is checked, your Notation Option settings will be saved with the song
and restored the next time you load the song.
Show Key Signature: If turned off, you won’t have the key signature displayed on the Notation window. This will
save some space on the screen.
Transpose Options
These preset transpose settings for non-concert instruments like brass and woodwinds
will auto-select the correct transpose settings and clef split points for the instrument.
For example, Trumpet +2 will write the music up 2 semitones, and the split point will
be adjusted to display the music in treble clef.
Guitar and bass settings are also included.

If the Chord Sheet or Notation window transpose setting is in

effect, a yellow hint message opens on boot up as a reminder.

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Transpose: The Transpose setting lets you manually adjust the Notation window to display notes either higher or
lower than their actual pitches.
Clefs split at: This setting determines the split point for placing notes on the Bass or Treble clef. The default setting
is C5, displayed as C5* to indicate it is middle C. Use a higher split point, such as C6, if you want notes up to a B
above middle C written on the bass clef with ledger lines.
Max Ledger Lines: You can specify an upper limit of a note range so that high notes won’t result in an excessive
number of ledger lines. The default is 6, which would show a maximum of 6 ledger lines above the treble clef staff.
Show Velocity Lines: This is a Staff Roll mode setting to show or hide the vertical Velocity lines. Line color is
determined by the Duration Line Color setting.
Use chord scale for enharmonics: The sharps and flats in Band-in-a-Box notation are context sensitive to the chord
names. For example, if you are in the key of Eb, and the chord is E7, a G# note will show up as G#, and not Ab.
This means that the notation accidentals will automatically show up correctly.

Enharmonics for chord tones are automatically based on the chord.

Enharmonics for passing tones are based on chords if “Use Chord Scale Enharmonics” is set to true.
For example, on an F#7 chord in the key of Eb, the Ab note is part of the F#7 scale (as a G#, the 2nd of the scale),
but is also part of the Eb key of the song. If you want to display based on the chord scale, setting “Use chord scale
enharmonics” will display the note as a G# instead of an Ab.
Enharmonics on slash chords: A chord like Gm7b5/Db will display correctly using a Db instead of a Gm7b5/C#,
since Band-in-a-Box bases it on a Gm scale.
Engraver Spacing: This is another one of the intelligent features which spaces the notation appropriately to avoid
overlapping notation while accounting for space required by accidentals, rests, etc. This feature is visible only in
Standard Notation mode.
Tick Offset: The Tick Offset is one of the keys to great looking notation. It accounts for playing that is before or
behind the beat. The track is automatically scanned to determine the best tick offset so that you don’t have to set this
yourself. This results in better looking notation. You can change/override this setting, but normally the best tick
offset is set automatically.
For example, to properly notate Jazz performances, it is sometimes necessary to set the tick offset to approximately -
15. This effectively adjusts for a performance that has been played slightly “behind” the beat or, in Jazz terms, “very
laid back.”
In Editable Notation mode, notes entered with the mouse take the notation offset into account. So, if a note is
clicked on the beat 1:1:0 will get entered at 1:1:7 if the notation offset is -7. This gives a more human feel to the
arrangement.
Auto Set Tick Offset: When this is enabled, Band-in-a-Box will automatically determine the tick offset by
analyzing the notes on the track. If you want to set the tick offset manually, disable this and enter the value in the
“Tick Offset” option above.
Minimize Rests: When this is enabled, Band-in-a-Box will eliminate unnecessary rests. For example, if staccato
eighth notes are displayed as sixteenth notes separated by sixteenth rests the setting will remove the rests and show
the notes as eighth notes.
Detect Fine Resolution Notation: Improved auto-transcription identifies and correctly displays up to 128th notes. If
for some reason you prefer to disable it, there is an option to do so. To set a beat to a certain specific resolution right
mouse-click on the time line located at the top of the Notation window. You will then see the Beat Resolution
dialog where you can set the resolution for both the Treble and Bass clefs.
New Line each

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 Use this setting to automatically start a new line on each chorus, on each chorus and the intro, or
on each part marker. It applies to the Lead Sheet notation screen and to printing.

If you want to control how many bars per line get displayed for a regular (non-
fake sheet mode) display, use the Edit Settings for Current Bar (F5) dialog, and select “Chord Sheet and Notation
- Start a New Line” on bars that you’d like a new line of notation. That setting, in combination with the Notation
Window Options setting for “Bars/Screen,” and “New Line each” allow you to save custom settings for bars per line
in non-fake sheet mode.
R/L Cursor Edits: This is used in the Keystroke Note Editing features.
Bar Number Font and %: Select any installed font for the bar numbers and adjust its size in a percentage range
from 10% to 1000%. These settings affect the notation, lead sheet, and printout.
Display Font Size %: To select the notation font size for display, enter the Display Font Size as a percentage, either
more or less than 100%. The same setting is available in the Lead Sheet window and the Print dialog.
Chord Vertical Position : This controls how high
the chords will be written above the staff. If this
is set to 5, the chords will be written 5 notes
above the top of the staff. If your piece contains
a lot of high notes, then set the chord position to a
high setting.
Lyric Position
You can adjust the height of the lyrics by setting the lyric height (smaller values like –8 are higher on the notation).
Auto-Hand split Piano track: When this is enabled, the Piano track (not any other track) will be displayed on both
clefs with intelligent hand-splitting. You can print out the Piano track with the hands separated.
You can also manually split a piano part on the Melody or Soloist track using the intelligent hand-splitting routines.
The left/right hands display in red/blue on the big piano, and on the bass/treble clefs on the notation. For example, if
you have a MIDI file that is a solo piano piece, File | Open Special | Open MIDI file will put the music on the
Melody track.
Then choose Melody | Edit Melody Track | Piano Hand Split. Make sure that Melody | Track Type is set to “Piano.”
You will then see the piano part split into 2 hands intelligently.

Display Patch Names on Notation: When this is enabled, the patch name for the track is displayed on the notation,
lead sheet, and printout.

Show Slashes (/) for blank bars: If this is enabled, then slash marks / / / / will show for empty bars.

Restate Chords

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 If this is set to “Don’t Restate,” then the program works as in previous versions, and
if the chord stays the same, it will never be stated again in the arrangement until it
does change. If set to “Every Bar,” “Every Line” or “Every Page,” then the
Notation, Lead Sheet and Printout will restate the chord every bar, line or page. The
setting of “Every Page” is the default, which means that the first bar of the Lead
Sheet window will always have a chord as will the top of each Notation window.

The [More..] button opens the Other Notation

Options dialog.
Inserted Note Defaults: These settings determine the default
values for notes that you enter manually.
Duration %: Notes are not always played for their full
duration. If a whole note is inserted with a duration of 80%, the
note would play for 80% of 4 beats = 3.2 beats.
Velocity: The loudest possible note has a velocity of 127; a
velocity of 0 is silent.
Channel: Assign the MIDI channel of the inserted notes.
Play Inserted Notes: When checked, notes that you insert will
sound briefly as they are inserted. This lets you hear that the
note you inserted sounds correct.
Confirmation Required to enter a note over X Ledger Lines:
To prevent accidental entry of very high/low notes, this means
that a confirmation dialog would be needed to enter notes with
more than X ledger lines.
Advanced Notation Settings: These advanced settings give
you control over the clean notation feature.

Chord Note Separation in MS and Chord Total Separation in MS: This lets you set the width of chords. Band-
in-a-Box will display a new group of notes on the notation for every chord. If you know that a track is single notes
and therefore couldn’t have any chords, set the chord note separation to a small value like 10ms and then every note
will be displayed on a new note stem. The chord width parameter is also used for the “chord step advance” feature.
Glitch Duration in MS and Glitch Velocity: When set properly, “Glitches” will not be shown on the notation. Any
note less than a certain length of time or less than a certain velocity can be filtered out.
Line Thickness Settings: These settings allow you to control the thickness of various line elements of the notation.
For example, if you set the Bar Line width to 200%, the bar lines will be twice as wide, and easier to see. This
affects display and printout.

Options for BeStPlain Chord Symbol Font: With these options, you can see a triangle for major, a minus sign for
minor, and a half or full circle for half or full diminished chords when you use the BeStPlain chord font.
Show Popup Hint for Note Properties
If this is checked, the note properties pop-up will open if you hover
the mouse cursor over a note in the Editable Notation window.

Defaults button

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 Click [Defaults] to have all modifications revert back to factory settings.

Lead Sheet Window

The Lead Sheet window displays a full screen of notation with one or more parts. Other options include a selectable
number of staffs per page, clefs to show, font size, margin, scroll-ahead notation, guitar chord diagrams, and lyrics.
If you like to sight-read along with Band-in-a-Box, this is the window for you.
The Lead Sheet window can be resized. As you resize the window, all of its elements resize in proportion.
Launch the Lead Sheet window from the main screen by pressing the [Lead Sheet] button (or Alt+W
keys), or with the Window | Lead Sheet Window menu option. This button is also available from the
Standard Notation window.

You can easily change the bars per line by pressing this button. (Note: This feature works in the Fake Sheet
mode.)
This button will display notation with larger font size and note names within note heads. Press the button
again to return to the normal size.
As the notation scrolls ahead, you can read ahead without waiting for a page turn. During playback, red rectangles
highlight the current bar. If the bar is empty (or in Fake Sheet mode), the Lead Sheet will draw the staff lines and
bar lines in red.

The Lead Sheet is also useful as a kind of “Print Preview” feature, as it offers you the ability to correlate the on-
screen notation to a printout.
You can move around the Lead Sheet window in various ways. Cursor keys and mouse clicks will move a small
blue rectangle around the screen, which lets you type in chords at that location. Double-clicking the mouse at any
bar will start playback from that position.
Selecting Tracks in the Lead Sheet
Click on the track selector button and select a track from the menu to view notation of
that track.
To view multiple tracks, first select the track that you want to show at the top, and then
click on the [+] button and select the tracks in the order that they should appear from top to bottom. To remove an
extra track from the display, click on that track name and select remove from the menu. To remove all extra tracks,
click on the [+] button and select remove extras from the menu.

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 There is an option in the Lead Sheet Options dialog to allow you to display the chords
above each track, or just the top track of the notation. If you press [Print] from the Lead Sheet window you will be
able to print out the multiple tracks of notation.
Fake Sheet Mode
The Lead Sheet window has its own Fake Sheet Mode checkbox. When it is NOT selected, the Lead Sheet will work
as it always has (in linear mode).
When Fake Sheet Mode is selected, the form will show like a lead sheet, with only one chorus
showing, and 1st/2nd endings and repeats displayed.
The Fake Sheet can show multiple lines of lyrics for 1st and 2nd endings or several verses stacked in multiple lines.

Multiple lines of Lyrics on Fake Sheet

If your song has 1st and 2nd endings or multiple verses of lyrics, multi-line lyrics can be displayed, so you will see
all verses on the same fake sheet.
Load in the song C:\bb\Documentation\Tutorials\Tutorial - BB2005\Listen Multi-line lyrics Demo.MGU.

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 Open the Lead Sheet and select “Fake Sheet Mode.”

This song has a 1st/2nd ending entered, with separate lyrics for each ending. Multiple lines of lyrics will also appear
if there are lyrics in multiple verses (choruses).
In the Notation Window Options, “Lyric Position” allows you to vertically
position the height of the lyrics.
Harmony Notation Display
Harmonies can be displayed on the Lead Sheet window (or printed) with separate notation tracks for each
harmony voice. View each harmony on a separate track, or view/print a single harmony voice. To examine the
harmony display features, load in the song “Night_T.MGU.” The melody of this song was previously converted to a
harmony using the Melody | Edit | Convert Melody to Harmony option, so this song contains a harmony on the
Melody part.
Open the Notation window (Ctrl+W) and you will see all four voices of the harmony on the same treble
clef.

Four-part harmony on single staff.

Now open the Lead Sheet window. Band-in-a-Box now recognizes that this is a harmony (generated by
Band-in-a-Box) and displays each voice on a separate track of the lead sheet.
For example, you can see the first Bb note has the other harmony voices playing G (drop 2), F, and D.

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 Four-part harmony on four separate staves.
Press the [Print] button to print out “Voice 2.” If needed, press the notation “Transpose Options” to first
visually transpose the instrument to Eb for an “Alto Sax” chart.
Multi-Channel Notation (Sequencer Mode)
Normally, you would want a single part on the Melody and Soloist tracks. However, since MIDI information can
have separate channels, it is possible to store 16 separate parts on each of the Melody and Soloist parts. When one of
these tracks has been set to “Multi (16)-Channel” we refer to this as sequencer mode.
Now, when you are in this multi-channel mode, output from the Melody/Soloist track will be on whatever MIDI
channel the information is stored on and will not be using the Melody/Soloist MIDI channel.
If you open the Lead Sheet window, you will see the entire MIDI file displayed on separate tracks of
notation. This is likely “too much information” to read, unless you are a symphony conductor.

To customize the notation display for sequencer mode, press the [Opt.] button on the Lead Sheet window
toolbar and see the settings for Multi-Channel Track display.
Note: These settings are only visible when the track type for the Melody or
Soloist is set to Multi (16) – Channel.

Select “CUSTOM channels play/display” and press the [Set…] button to launch the Sequencer Window (Multi-
channel track on Melody/Soloist) dialog. Then you can customize which channels will play and display.
This dialog can also be opened by clicking on the [SEQ] toolbar button on the main screen.

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In the example picture, we have set Channel 2 (Bass) and Channel 4 (Trumpet) to show on the notation and have set
all of the channels to play (to hear them).

For a specific channel, (e.g. channel 3: piano), we see the following information.
Channel 3: Acoustic Piano (this is the patch name found on the track).
842: There are 842 events in the track; usually every note is an event.
We have customized the piano track so that it can be heard (play=true), but not seen in notation (Show=false).
There is a small button at the right of the track line that allows
you to delete, rechannel or merge the channel with another
channel.

You can also change the patch (instrument) for that track by using
the instrument patch combo box.

Now that we’ve customized the display, we are seeing bass and trumpet on the notation, and hearing the entire track.

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Lead Sheet Options Dialog
Pressing the [Opt.] button in the Lead Sheet window or the [Leadsheet] button in the Preferences dialog
launches the Lead Sheet Options dialog.
The settings in this dialog are applicable to the Lead Sheet window only. If you want to set options that are shared
by the Lead Sheet window and the Notation window, press the [Notation Options…] button.

Treble Clef / Bass Clef: These checkboxes choose which clefs will display in the Lead Sheet view.
AutoSet Clefs: When set, Band-in-a-Box will attempt to pick the clef for you automatically displaying the bass clef
when you are on the bass track or any other track with low bass notes. It will show both clefs when on the piano or
drum track.
Clef Sign Every Line / Key Signature Every Line: By default, the Clef and Key will be shown at the beginning of
every page, but if you want one every line, you can check these options.
Chords and Staff Lines: Both are shown by default. Uncheck this box if you don’t want them to display.
Show Bar #s: Choose whether the bar numbers will be shown for each bar, only at part markers, or not at all.
Show Title: If set, the song title will be displayed along with other information like Composer Names and Style
information that is set in the Print Options dialog of the Notation window. To set these options choose File | Print
from the menu.
Fake Sheet displays multiple lines of lyrics shows lyrics for 1st and 2nd endings or multiple choruses stacked as
multiple lines on the fake sheet.

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Fakesheet bars/line: You can set a custom number of bars to display on each row of the fake sheet. For example,
enter “4,6,4,” and the program will show 4 bars for the first row, 6 for the second, and 4 for the rest.
Fakesheet include ending bars: Fakesheets can optionally include the 2-bar song ending.
Restore Defaults: You can reset all the Lead Sheet Options back to default settings by pressing the [Restore
Defaults] button.
Notation Options: To set options that are shared by the Lead Sheet window and the Notation window, press the
[Notation Options…] button.
Margins
Set margins for the Lead Sheet window just like the margins in a word
processor. For example, if you want the lead sheet window to only take up the
top part of the screen, set a bottom margin (of, say, 2 inches) and then make the
lead sheet window smaller by pulling the bottom up.
This feature has no effect on printout; the Print dialog has its own margin
settings.

Show Chords above each track: When using multiple tracks of Notation, this determines whether each track will
show the chord names or not.
Show track names for multi-track notation: If checked, the Band-in-a-Box track names will be inserted at the start
of each track in the multitrack notation display.
Harmony display

[Convert Harmony to track] will add a harmony to an existing Melody.

[Remove] will remove the harmony from the track.
Split Harmonies to different tracks enables the splitting of the harmonies to different tracks on the lead sheet.
Show Harmony Voice allows you to select ALL tracks, which will cause each track to display on a different track
on the Lead Sheet. Or select a specific Voice to display only that voice. For example, if you choose “Voice 2” and
press OK, you will now see just voice 2 of the harmony.
You can control the volume of the selected harmony voice relative to the other voices in the harmony. The Play
Volume of harmony voice setting can be set to:
­ Normal: Harmony plays as normal.
­ Solo: Only the selected voice will play.
­ 50% Solo: Selected voice is much louder than other voices.
­ Quiet: Selected Voice is much quieter than other voices.
­ Muted: Selected Voice is muted.
These settings are useful to sight-read along on harmonies and learn to hear inner voices of a harmony.
Staves Per Page: The number of staves shown in the lead sheet can be set by typing in a number or using the [+] and
[-] buttons. If “Auto-Set” is selected, the number of staves will be set automatically, attempting to fit the lead sheet
on a single page.
Font Size: Choose the font size with one of the preset buttons for popular sizes, or type a number between 45% and
300% in the Lead Sheet Options dialog.
Lead Sheet Memo
You can enter a memo to add to the Lead Sheet printout. Click on the [Memo] button in the Lead Sheet to
open the Lead Sheet Memo window. You can copy/paste from/to this memo.

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The memo will be automatically positioned after the end of the Lead Sheet and printout. Use extra blank lines in the
Lead Sheet Memo to control where it displays on the page.

There is an option to print the Lead Sheet Memo on a new page of the printout.
Press the [Choose Font] button to select the font you would like for the memo.
A text block will be appended to the Lead Sheet window and printout. This could be song lyrics that you want
appended to the end, multiple verses of lyrics, or any other text.

Lyrics
Band-in-a-Box supports lyrics in three different ways: Note-based lyrics, Bar-based lyrics, and a Big Lyrics
(Karaoke) window. Note-based lyrics can be entered on the Notation window, and bar-based lyrics can be entered
either on the Chord Sheet or on the Notation window.
In the previous versions, there were line-based lyrics, which could be entered for each line on the Notation window.
You can longer enter this type of lyrics, but if your existing song has line-based lyrics, Band-in-a-Box can convert
them to bar-based lyrics. In the Global Song Override dialog, there is an option which allows you to choose how
the conversion should occur when the song with line-based lyrics opens.

The default is “Always (auto-split),” which will convert line-based lyrics to bar-based lyrics
and splitting them into 4 bars. If you choose “Always (don’t split),” line-based lyrics will
be converted but they won’t be split into 4 bars. You can also choose not to convert line-
based lyrics automatically. If the current song has line-based lyrics, you can press the
[Convert now] button to convert them to bar-based lyrics.

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Bar-based Lyrics
To see the bar-based lyrics that you have entered on the Chord Sheet, click on the [Chord Display] toolbar button
and check Bar Lyrics.

Note-based Lyrics
Note-based lyrics offer accurate placement of lyrics by placing a word under each note.

You can enter note-based lyrics by pressing Ctrl+L keys or pressing the [L] button on the Notation toolbar to
open the Lyric Edit window.
Lyric Edit Window

The [Line] button enters a forward slash “/” line break marker in the current lyric.
The [Para] button enters a backslash “\” paragraph break marker in the current lyric.
The [Enter] button enters the current lyric, equivalent to hitting Enter key or Tab key.
The [Close] button closes the Lyrics Edit mode, equivalent to hitting the [L] button again.
The [Sec Text] button enters the text in the lyric box as section text at the current bar.
The [Edit] button opens the Edit Lyrics dialog where lyrics and section text can be edited.
As you enter the lyrics, the note is highlighted. Pressing the Tab or Enter key moves to the next note. You can
“undo” lyrics with the Edit | Undo command.
When you are finished a line of lyrics, hit the [Line] button. This enters a backslash “\” line break marker in the
current lyric.
Note-based lyrics are saved with the MIDI file, so you can use them in your other MIDI programs.
Vertical placement is set in the Notation Options dialog. A setting of -10 puts the
lyrics directly under the treble clef, higher values put them lower.
Lyrics Event List
You can edit the lyrics using an event list as well. This allows you to enter lyrics at any point, not just tied to a note.
Press the [#] button on the Notation window toolbar.

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 Then, press the [Edit Lyrics] button. You can then see the Edit Lyrics dialog.

From here, you can edit lyrics, insert new lyrics, append lyrics to the end of the track, or delete lyrics. A single lyric
event can be 128 characters.
The Lyrics Menu
The complete list of Lyrics functions is found in the Edit | Lyrics submenu.

- Enter Lyrics at current bar: Opens the Lyric entry box at the current location of the time line or highlight cell.
- Big Lyrics Window: Opens the Big Lyrics window for viewing lyrics and, optionally, chord symbols.
- Lyric Document Window: Displays a full screen of formatted lyrics. Easily copy and paste lyrics to and from
your favorite word processor.
- Copy Lyrics to Clipboard: This function allows you to copy a song’s lyrics (and/or the chords) to the Standard
Windows® clipboard. By pasting this data into a word processor, you can print out the lyrics in the font of your
choice. The dialog has options to allow copying of note-based and/or line-based lyrics. With either option you
can choose to include the chord symbols, have double or single line spacing, and make margin settings.
- Copy 1st chorus Lyrics to whole song: Copies the note-based lyrics for the first chorus to the rest of the song.
- Erase Bar-Based Lyrics: Erases the bar-based lyrics from the song.
- Erase Note-Based Lyrics: Erases the note-based lyrics from the song.
- Kill Lyrics Choruses: Select to kill lyrics in the First Chorus, Middle Choruses, or Last Chorus from a list box.
- Move Lyric ahead to time line / Move Lyric back to time line: If you have a note-based lyric that you want to
time shift ahead or back, you can click on the time line at the destination that you want, and then choose this item.
You can also shift lyric times using the Lyric Event list.
- Timeshift Lyrics (ticks) / Insert Beat(s) in Lyrics / Delete Beat(s) from Lyrics: These are functions that apply
to the entire lyric track. They are useful when you’re inserting bars or beats into the song and need to move the
lyrics around to keep them in sync.
- Edit Lyrics as Event List: Opens the Edit Lyrics dialog with Edit, Insert, Append, and Delete functions.
- Vocal Synth - Auto Mode / Manual Mode: This will generate a vocal track using an online third-party vocal
synthesizer called Sinsy for a MIDI melody track with lyrics.

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 Tip: Lyrics are printable above or below the chord line or printed separately after song end. Lyrics will also support international
characters such as è, š, and ó.

Lyric Document Window

The Lyric Document window displays a full screen of fully formatted lyrics so you can easily copy and paste lyrics
to and from your favorite word processor. If you have the lyrics available, you can quickly paste them into Band-in-
a-Box.
You may already have the lyrics to your song typed into a word processor, nicely formatted with font/color/bold
choices etc. Previously, you would need to retype them into Band-in-a-Box and would lose your formatting. Now
you can simply Copy/Paste them to/from your word processor. This allows you to quickly add lyrics to any Band-in-
a-Box song.
You can open this window by choosing Window | Lyric Document Window, or pressing Ctrl+Alt+Shift+L. In
addition, if “Auto-open lyrics window for songs with lyrics” is set to true in the Lyric Window Options dialog
(Options | Preferences [Big Lyrics]), the Lyric Document Window will open automatically when the song is
loaded, and close when the next song is loaded.
To use the window, type or paste in text from a word processor. You can select fonts and colors as you would in a
word processor. Since the data is stored in RTF format, it should look very similar to the appearance it would have
in WordPad.

You can transfer “line based” or “note based” lyrics from the Notation Screen of Band-in-a-Box to the Lyric
Document window. Press the Copy Lyrics button to do this. This launches the Options for Copy Lyrics to
Clipboard dialog allowing you to select which elements to copy (line lyrics/ note-based lyrics/ chords) and
formatting options. Then click on [OK Copy to Text Clipboard]. A message will tell you that the lyrics have been
copied to the clipboard. Click on [OK] to paste the lyrics into the Lyrics Document Window.

You can also print directly from this window and copy to/from the Song Memo (using copy/paste).
Big Lyrics Window
The Big Lyrics Window is great for sing along or Karaoke. It opens from the Edit | Lyrics or Windows| Lyrics
submenu, with the keystrokes Ctrl+Shift+L, or with the [L] toolbar button.

Each word is highlighted as it plays, and the window can be customized by clicking on the [Options] button. Click
on any word in the Big Lyrics Window to start the song playing from that point.
Lyric Window Options
Add chord symbols, customize your color scheme, choose a favorite font, and
select a size in the Lyric Window Options dialog.

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 If you set “Show chord symbols above the lyrics,” you then see the chords written
on a separate line. When there are no lyrics for a few bars, the Big Lyrics Window displays the chords in a line
divided by bars so that they are easy to read.
Separate chord colors are used for the Chords and Lyrics, allowing these elements to be visually separated.

You can also select the color for the chords in the options dialog.
With this option selected, the Big Lyrics Window scrolls a page at a time. When the
lyric cursor reaches the next-to-last line of the lyrics it will scroll to the top of the page, allowing uninterrupted
reading of lyrics.
If you have this option selected, and a MIDI file (or .KAR) containing lyrics
is opened, then the Big Lyrics Window will open to show the lyrics.
The popular Karaoke file format (.KAR) can be opened directly into Band-in-a-Box just like MIDI files. Chord
symbols are displayed (Band-in-a-Box intelligently analyzes the chords of the song), as well as the lyrics from the
Karaoke files.
Karaoke MP3/CDG Files
Audio Karaoke files are popular using several formats. The most common is CDG format, which includes the lyrics
in graphic format on audio CDs. Since the computer user doesn’t always use audio CDs, there is a format that
combines MP3 (containing the music) and CDG (the graphical lyrics). You can open MP3/CDG files inside Band-
in-a-Box and see the scrolling lyrics from your Karaoke files. If you want to play along on your own instrument,
you can use the Audio Chord Wizard to figure out the chords and display them in its Chord window.
To open a Karaoke File, use File | Open, and find a WAV, MP3, or WMA file that has a same
named CDG file in the same folder. Then the Karaoke window will open and display the lyrics.

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The Big Lyrics Window has some options for the Karaoke window.
You can choose to have a background to the window, either a
moving one or fixed picture. These pictures are in the
C:\bb\Data\KaraokeBMP folder, and you can add your own
BMP or JPG image to that folder.

The [Print] button opens the Options for Copy Lyrics to Clipboard dialog.
This function allows you to copy a song’s lyrics (and/or the chords) to the
standard Windows® clipboard.
By pasting this data into a word processor, you
can print out the lyrics in the font of your choice.
The dialog has options to allow note-based and/or
bar-based lyrics to be copied to the clipboard.
With either option, you can choose to include the
chord symbols, have double or single line
spacing, and make margin settings.

The [Vocal Synth] button offers Auto and Manual modes for sending the
Melody track and lyrics to the 3rd party Sinsy vocal synthesizer. A
synthesized vocal track will be generated and imported into the Band-in-a-
Box Audio track.

Printing
Band-in-a-Box prints Lead Sheet style notation with chords, melodies, lyrics, and text notes. It will also print
instrument parts from your Band-in-a-Box arrangements, either individual instruments or multiple parts. Most songs
will fit on one page, so your printout will look similar to a standard fake book.

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You can easily make and print out a custom fake book of all of your tunes. Instantly transpose and print parts for
brass or reed instruments. Print options include title, bar numbers, composer, style, and copyright information.
Print Options
Pressing the printer button launches the Print Options dialog. Print options include title, bar numbers,
composer, style, and copyright.
This dialog also opens by clicking on the [Print] button in the Notation, Lead Sheet, or Preview window.

Chords
If selected, this will include the chords of the song on the lead sheet. Remember that you can set the height that the
chords will appear in a different dialog (Notation Window Options Dialog).
Notes
If you want only a chord lead sheet with no Notes, then turn this off. Otherwise, it should be ON.
Staff Lines
Set to off (uncheck) to print a “chords only” fake sheet with chord symbols and bar lines but no staff lines or
notation.
Treble Clef
Normally you will want to include the treble clef unless you’re printing a bass track or left-hand piano part alone and
want to save space.
Bass Clef
For melodies or solos, you probably won’t want the bass clef printed. For other parts (piano, bass, drums, etc.) you
should set this option to YES.
AutoSet Clefs
With this setting, the program will print only the clefs that are necessary. For example, a Melody would probably
print with just the treble clef, while a bass track would use only the bass clef, and a piano track would use both clefs.
Tab
This enables tablature display and printout for guitar and bass tracks.
Clef split at
This determines where the notation will split the treble and bass clefs. Middle C is normally considered to be C5,
and C4 is one octave below. For the Melody or Soloist track, you will probably want the entire track to be printed on
the treble clef, so you could choose to split the clefs at C4.
Show Bar #s
There are options to include the bar # on the printout (e.g., every bar, every part marker, every row, every page).
Template\

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There are print templates in the print dialog to achieve various printout styles - Normal/Lyrics Only/Chords and
Lyrics/Chords Only/Blank Paper. In the Print dialog, select the desired print template. To return to default settings
choose the “Normal” template.
Bar #s Below By
This sets the vertical position of the bar numbers in the printout between 1 and 7. 1 is closest to the staff and 7 is
farthest from the staff (lowest).
Lyrics
Lyrics can either be printed above the chords, below the staff, separately at the end (on a separate page), or not
printed at all. Normally lyrics are printed below the staff.
Clef Sign Every Line
Leave this unchecked if it’s not needed and you want an uncluttered look.
Key Signature Every Line
Most modern fake books don’t include the key signature every line. If you would like to see a key signature at every
line, set this to “Yes.”
Print Note-based Lyrics
Set to “Yes” to print the Melody part with Lyrics, or turn off to print just the music for the melody line.
Print Range (First Chorus/Last Chorus/Whole Song)
You can print the First chorus, the Last chorus, or the whole song. When you change this setting, Band-in-a-Box
will reset the number of staves per page setting in order to auto-fit the printout to one page, if possible.
Tip: You’ll want to print the last chorus in a song that has a tag ending, or if you want to see a 2-bar ending printed.
[Custom]
A specific range of bars can be printed, by either
highlighting a region or entering a range of bars. To
print out, for example, bars 11 to 16 of a song, press this
button, and enter the range bar 11 for 5 bars. The song
will then print only that range of 5 bars.

Include Lead-In
If your song has a lead-in (pickup) to bar 1 then make sure you’ve checked the Lead-In. Actually, Band-in-a-Box
sets this for you by looking for notes in the lead-in measure. You can override this automatic setting, if necessary.
Font Size
This is the font size for the printed music. Changes will be seen in the Print Preview.
Staves per page
Band-in-a-Box will automatically auto-fit on 1 page, use this to override the auto setting. Remember that the title
takes up 1 stave. The “Auto-Set” option will set the number automatically and will try to fit the lead sheet on a
single page.
Bar Line %
This allows you to set the bar line thickness.
[More]
Press this button to open the Margins & Misc. Settings dialog.
You can also select the “Always fill tempo” option, which automatically writes
the current tempo on the song sheet.
On print out, if “Include “a” / “b” part markers” is set bar numbers will include
“a” or “b” after them (the name of the substyle).
Use “Offset Bar Numbers by” to offset the display of bar numbers on the
printout or lead sheet. For example, if you want bar 1 to display as bar 17,
enter an offset of 16.
Title/Style/Tempo/Composer/Copyright
Enter this information in the fields provided. If the title is long the font size will be reduced, and the title won’t be
underlined. Titles are limited to 60 characters.
Click on the [A] button to print the title in upper case.
The [T] button automatically inserts the current tempo setting for the song.

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The [©] button will insert the copyright symbol into the copyright field.
The [S] button will enter the full style name into the Style field.
[Setup Printer]
This launches the setup dialog for your printer. You can then set paper size, resolution, page orientation and other
settings controlled by the printer driver.
Tip: In the Notation Window Options dialog you can specify an upper limit of a note range with the “Max Ledger Lines” setting
high so notes won’t have an excessive number of ledger lines.
[OK - Print Chords Only]
This button lets you quickly print a “chords only” fake sheet.
[Print to PDF]
You can save your printouts directly as a PDF file. From the Print dialog, press [Print to PDF]. This opens a Save
As dialog for the Pdf995 printer driver. Choose a location for your file and assign a name to the PDF, then press
[Save] to create a fully portable file that you can view, print, post, or upload.
Print Preview
This feature allows you to preview what the printed pages will look like by displaying them on-
screen.

Use the [Prior], [Next], [First], and [Last] buttons to navigate additional pages.

Press the [Opt] button to open the Preview Options dialog.

In the Preview Options dialog, you can set the exact number of
pixels to display for the print preview. The same settings are also
used if you choose to save the pages to a graphics file in the popular
.JPG, .TIF, or .BMP file types.
Printing your song to a graphics file allows you to embed your
notation in a document, or in an HTML file for use on your web site.
This feature is only limited by available memory. This allows high
resolution BMPs like 2400 x 3000. A BMP of 2400x3000 is 300 dpi
for an 8”x10” image.
When saving to a JPG file there are additional quality settings.
When you have selected your file options, press the [OK] button.

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You will then see a high-resolution graphic on screen, and you can
save that to a BMP using the [Save…] button.

To save a JPG file, press the [Save…] button and then select “Save
to File Type:” JPG.
You can then see the estimated size of the file and can change
settings by pressing the Low/Medium/High resolution buttons.

Display Options
Use the [Screen Width] button to display the notation across the full width of the screen.
The [Full Page] button will shrink the notation to display a full page at a time.
Saving the page(s) as Graphics files
The [Save…] button saves the current page as a Graphics file.
The [Save + +] button saves all of the pages to graphics files named songnamexxx.bmp, where xxx is
the page number.
With the clipboard button, you can quickly copy a bitmap to paste into other applications.
Printing from the Print Preview
You can print the page(s) by pressing the [Print…] button to return to the Print Options dialog and then
pressing the [OK – Print] button.
In the Print Options dialog, you can set the number of copies to print.
Press the [PrintPage] button to enter a page number and print only that page, not the complete song or a
full chorus.
Printing Multiple Tracks
To print more than one track of notation:
- Open the Lead Sheet window.
- Click the mouse on the track that you want on the top stave.
- Ctrl+click (hold down the Control key and click the mouse) on the tracks that you want below the top stave.
You will then see a group of tracks, displayed in the order you selected them.
Note: When you are viewing multiple tracks of notation, the clefs will be auto-set for you, ignoring the clef settings in the Lead
Sheet Options dialog. For example, the bass would always be on bass clef, you won’t be able to see it on bass and treble clef.
Press [Print] from the Lead Sheet window to print the multipart Band-in-a-Box notation.

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 Print Preview of Band-in-a-Box multipart notation including guitar chord diagrams.
Printing Multiple Songs
To print out a single song you use the [Print] button in the Notation window. If you want to print out several songs,
use the Print Multiple Songs feature to print them all out at once.
This allows you to print all of the songs in a subdirectory with one command. This feature is accessed from the File
| Print Multiple Songs menu item.

You can set options to refine which songs will get printed. For example, you might want to only print songs in a
certain style (e.g. Bossa Nova), or only songs beginning with letters R to Z, or only songs with melodies.
Before you print out a whole bunch of songs, it is important to set the options that you like, as the program will use
the same options for each song. Use the Print Options dialog. Perhaps you want to print out only the first chorus of
each song, for example. The program will automatically set each song to print out on 1 page if possible.
First, make sure that you are in the correct directory that you want to print. This is displayed in the [Change
Directory] button.

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For example, if the box under the [Change Directory] button says C:\bb, then the songs in C:\bb will be printed. If
you want to print songs in a different subdirectory, then press the [Change Directory] button.
If you want to print all songs in a subdirectory, then press the [All Songs] button. Pressing this button sets the
“Start” and “Finish” ranges to start at “0 “ (blank) and finish at “ZZ.”
Since song files with names like 8dayweek.mgu will appear before the letter A when sorted alphabetically, the blank
string “0” is used instead of the letter A to ensure the inclusion of all songs.
Normally, you would want the “Range of Songs to Print” set to “All Songs,” but if you’ve already printed out songs
from A to M, and want to resume printing starting at N, you can specify this range N to Z so that you don’t have to
print out everything again.
If “Only print songs with melodies” is set, then only files that have a melody in them (i.e., song files ending in mg?)
will print.
“Only print songs with style extension of _” is useful if you want to only print out certain styles. For example, if you
only want to printout Jazz Swing songs, then you can set this to style 1, which is Jazz Swing. Style 4 is Bossa Nova.
The 24 built-in styles each have a number associated with them. All user styles have a style character of U.
Here are the style #s for the built in styles.
Jazz Swing 1 Heavy Rock D
Country 12/8 2 Miami Sound E
Country 3 Milly Pop F
Bossa 4 Funk G
Ethnic 5 Jazz Waltz 3/4 H
Blues Shuffle 6 Rhumba I
Blues Even 7 Cha Cha J
Waltz (Old) 3/4 8 Bouncy 12/8 K
Pop Ballad 9 Irish L
Shuffle Rock A Pop Ballad 12/8 M
Light Rock B Country old 12/8 N
Medium Rock C Reggae O
If your printer requires loading each sheet, you might want the program to beep after each printed song. The “Beep
after each printed song” setting is useful to monitor the printout if you aren’t near your printer, because if it stops
beeping, then printout has stopped, and you may be out of paper.
“When completed, beep x times” will notify you that the job is finished by beeping a specified number of times.
These buttons start and stop printing the multiple songs.
Band-in-a-Box monitors the Print Manager to avoid overloading it with songs to print. So if the Print Manager has
more than 2 songs waiting to print, Band-in-a-Box will pause before printing a new song. If your printer runs out of
paper, the Windows® Print Manager and Band-in-a-Box will wait for you to put more paper in before automatically
resuming printout. The status of the Printout is displayed at the top of the dialog.

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 Chapter 9: Automatic Music Features
Automatic Medleys - “The Medley Maker”
Would you like to make a medley of various Band-in-a-Box songs (MGU) using Band-in-a-Box? This is easily done
with the Medley Maker. Inside the Medley Maker, simply select the songs that you want, and Band-in-a-Box will
make the medley for you. A medley is not simply joining songs together. A good medley uses a transition between
songs to introduce the new style, key, and tempo. The Medley Maker automatically creates a nice transition area
for you, writing in chords that would smoothly modulate to the next song, style, key, and tempo!
To open the Medley Maker, click on the [Song Form] button in the Tools toolbar and choose Medley
Maker from the menu. You can also go to menu File | Import | Medley Maker to open this dialog.

To make a medley,
- Add songs by pressing the [Append] or [Insert] button.
- Remove songs using [Delete].
- Change the order of the songs using [Move Up] or [Move Down].
- For any song, customize using the “Settings for this song” group box, including changing the style, tempo, key,
start bar, # of bars, and # of transition bars. Press [Update] to see your changes in the medley list.
- Choose the type of information to include with your medley (styles, key signature changes, lyrics, etc.) in the
“Include with Songs” group box
- Choose a number of transition bars (the default is 4). Transition bars are automatic bars of chords inserted by
Band-in-a-Box to transition from one song to the other, generating an “outro” and an “intro” between songs.
Press the [Make Medley NOW] button to generate a medley.
The maximum size of the medley is 255 bars (about 7 minutes).
The current size and time of your medley is displayed in the Length label.

You can have multiple choruses, so if you had 3 choruses of a 250-bar medley, it would
last 750 bars.
Tip: Your medley will use RealDrums if you have RealDrums enabled. If so, you should keep the various tempos of the songs
within a close range. Because the quality of the RealDrums stretching would go down if a song in the medley had a much lower
tempo than the previous one, it is tempos that slow down to avoid.

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Automatic Songs - “The Melodist”
Feel like composing a brand-new song? Using the “Melodist” feature, you can compose a new song in the style of
your choice, complete with intro, chords, melody, arrangement, etc. All you have to do is choose from one of the
many “Melodists” available and press [OK] button. The program then creates the intro, chords, melody, and
arrangement in any given style. The Melodist will also generate a melody over an existing chord progression.
Once the song is generated, the chords and melody are part of the regular Band-in-Box tracks, and as such can be
edited, printed, saved as MIDI file, etc. You can also regenerate any part of a song to further refine your Band-in-a-
Box compositions.
A Melodist “Jukebox” mode creates and performs new compositions in succession. Besides the compositional
advantages of the Melodist, utilizing this feature can also be a powerful practicing aid for improving your sight
reading by reading the melodies generated in various keys using the Lead Sheet window, and improving your ear by
playing along with the chord progressions in the generated songs using the ear training window.
This feature can be a powerful practicing aid for sight reading and improving your ear.
Press the [Melodist] toolbar button to launch the Generate Chords and/or Melody dialog.

The left side of this screen displays the list of the Melodists available, including Pop, Swing, Bossa, Waltz, Rock,
Bebop, and Jazz Ballad.
Selecting the “All” checkbox displays all available Melodists, or they can be filtered by genre (e.g.
Dixieland) to show only Melodists in that genre.
To filter the Melodists, de-select the “All” checkbox and then check on
the genre that you are interested in.
You can also filter to show/not show Melodists from Melodist
sets that you don’t have.
Scroll down the list and pick the Melodist that you’d like to use.

The Melodist will generate Intro, Chords, Melody Harmony, Style, and Solos using the group of settings preset with
the selected Melodist.
Generate Chords / Generate Melody / Generate Intros / Auto-Titles

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The items that are selected will be generated. The convenient preset buttons will automatically set the appropriate
settings to popular presets.
The [Chords & Mel.] button will set the checkboxes to Generate
Chords & Melody (but not Solos).
The [All] button will generate Chords, Melody, and Solos.
The [Chords] button sets the options to generate Chords only (no
Melody).
The [Melody] button will set the options to generate only a Melody
(no chords) over an existing chord progression.
Insert Bass Pedals When selected, a Pedal Bass figure will be
inserted during the intro and at the end of sections.
Solo in Middle Choruses This will generate an improvisation in the middle choruses of the song. Any Soloist can
be selected.
Allow Style Change When selected, this option allows a Melodist to load in an associated style. If you don’t want
Melodists to change the current style that you have loaded, then de-select this option.
Form
This selection box allows you to choose between a song generated with a specific form
(AABA 32 bars) or “free” form. The AABA defaults to 32-bar form, which is the most
popular song form. If you’d prefer for the song to have no form, you could set the song
- to “no form” This wouldn’t be a very musical setting, but might be useful for practicing or ear training.
Tip: Melodists may alternatively be set to 64 bars (e.g. Melodist # 18 ColeP 64 bar form). The song form refers to the pattern that
the verse and chorus repeat. An “AABA 32” form has 4 sections of 8 bars each: the “A” section is the verse and the “B” is the
chorus (or bridge) of the song.
# Choruses

This determines how many choruses of the song form (Melodies) are to be generated. For
example, if set to 5, the Melodist will generate 5 choruses, enough for an intro chorus, ending chorus, and 3 Middle
Choruses. The # choruses setting defaults to the # choruses present in the current song.
Defaults
This button sets the Melodist back to its default settings.
Tempo / Auto Tempo

The Tempo Setting determines the tempo of the song, and defaults to the current
tempo of the previous song. If “AutoTempo” is checked, the tempo will be set at the tempo range stored within that
Melodist. For example, if a Melodist is called “Fast Waltz,” it would have a fast tempo range stored inside the
Melodist, and the song would be generated at a fast tempo if the “AutoTempo” option is set.
A2 Transpose
In songs with an AABA form, it is common for the second “A”
section to be transposed. For example, the first “A” section might
be in the key of Eb, and the second would be transposed up to the
key of Gb.
Melodists store these settings, and some Melodists are set to transpose the A2 sections. If you don’t want to allow
Melodists to transpose the form in this way, set the A2 transpose to none. If set to “section plus,” it will transpose
the A2 section, and might also transpose 2 bars early or 2 bars late. The song will only get transposed if the
particular Melodist is set to transpose the section. This feature is discussed in more detail in the Melody Maker
section.
Key
This area determines the key for the song. If set to “Any Key” the program will randomly
pick a key for the song, weighed more heavily toward the popular keys (C, F, etc.). “min.
key%” determines what % of songs are generated in minor keys vs. major keys.
If set to 20, then 20% of the songs would be generated in minor keys.

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Part of Song / Whole Song
Select whether you want to generate the Whole Song or just part of it. If you select Part of
Song, you can specify which bar and chorus to start at, and how many bars to generate.
Tip: You can also set the “Song Key Combo” box to a specific key or set it to use the current key of the
previous song. If you want to generate only part of a song, an easy way to set the range of bars is to
highlight/select the bars by dragging the mouse over the chord area prior to launching the Melodist
dialog. Then the “Generate” form will be automatically set to “Part of Song” and the range of bars will be
set to the selected area.

Replace Thru form

If you have set the Melodist to “Generate Part of Song” you might choose to generate only bars 5
and 6 of the song form in the “A” section of an AABA form. If the form of the song is AABA, you’d normally want
the regenerated section to be repeated throughout the form in all of the “A” sections. This option will instruct the
Melodist to copy the generated bars 5 and 6 to the other “A” sections (bars 13 and 14 and bars 29 and 30).
Tip: If you’d like to remove the current Intro, Melody, or Soloist Track, press the [Kill Intro], [Kill Melody] or [Kill Soloist] button.
Search / Go To #
Press the [Search] button and type in part of a Melodist name, memo, style name, or other text
associated with a Melodist. This will cause the Melodist selection to change to the next item containing
the text. Similarly, you can type in a # of a Melodist and press the [Go To #] button.

Memo / Database

The Memo area displays a memo for the current Melodist, as well as the name of the database (e.g. MELPOP1.ST2)
used for that Melodist.
Instrument / Harmony / Style / Change Instruments

Melodists can store patch and harmony settings, and these are displayed in the Instrument area of the Melodist
selection screen. By default, Melodists use RealStyles instead of MIDI styles, but if you prefer the MIDI styles,
disable the “Use RealStyles” checkbox. You can also set the instrument to change each chorus. You can override the
settings of the current Melodist and choose your own patch, harmony and change instrument settings in these
controls.
Melodist Juke Box
Press [Juke Songs Now] button to launch the Melodist Jukebox. It will continuously
generate new songs and play them in Jukebox fashion. Using the “From…To” setting, you
can set the range of Melodists to include in the Jukebox or keep the Jukebox on the same
Melodist by deselecting “Change Melodists.”
Write to track
Usually, the Melodist is written to the Melody track. If you prefer the
Melody to be written to the Soloist track, perhaps as a counter-melody,
then change this setting to Soloist.
Favorite Melodists
The Favorites button allows you to pick a Melodist that you’ve used recently.

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 The Favorite Melodists dialog keeps track of the last 50 melodists that
you’ve used, so you can easily recall them. Highlight the melodist you
want to use and press the [OK] button or double-click on the selection
you would like to make.

Melody Maker
If you’d like to create your own Melodists, or permanently change the settings of existing
Melodists, press the [Edit…] button to launch the Melodist Maker.

Automatic Intro - Song Intros

With a single button, you can generate a 2, 4, or 8-bar intro for any song. The chords will be different each time, and
you can keep pressing until you get the progression that you want. The intro generated is an appropriate chord
progression in the chosen style of music (e.g. Jazz/Pop), with optional pedal bass, and leads correctly to the first
chord of the song. Intros can also be removed.
Press the [Song Form] toolbar button and select Generate Intro from the pulldown menu. You can also
select menu Edit | Song Form | Intro Bars. This will open the Generate Chords for Intro dialog.

[(Re)-Generate Intro Chords] will insert or replace an intro in the song, with the given settings.
Chord Types: You can choose between Jazz and Pop styles of chords.
Intro Length (bars): This sets the duration of the intro to 2, 4, or 8 bars.
Starting chord (after intro) is: This setting assures the generated intro smoothly transitions into the song.
[Remove Intro] will remove the intro.
Pedal Bass: This inserts a pedal bass figure throughout the intro.
Drum Cont-in (This song only): Select the lead-in option for the current song.
Use Maj7 instead of Maj6: Choose between using Maj7 or Maj6 chords.
Instruments: You can have the intro be played by the whole band, a specific track, or any combination of tracks.
Note: The Melodist also has settings to auto-generate intros and song titles.

Automatic Song Title Generation

The Song Title generator names every song that the Melodist writes, if the Auto-Titles checkbox is selected. This
feature can be used on its own to suggest titles for your own compositions. It will keep making titles until you get
one you like.

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 Press the [Generate Title] button and select the menu command Auto-generate a song title, or press the
Alt+Shift+T keys.

A new title will appear immediately in the title area of the screen. Select Edit | Undo Title to go back one title.

Customizing the song title generator

These word lists stored in a text file called TITL1.TXT. This file has several sections, each with two sets of words
that will be put together. You can add new sections, with an adjective section and a noun section. Please see the
comments included in the file TITL1.TXT for details on adding text to the file.

Automatic Sound Track Generator - “SoundTrack”

The SoundTrack feature allows you to generate music in the style you choose for any length of time you specify. As
the “producer,” you select the genre, length of time, instruments, and fade-in/fade-out options. The SoundTrack
adjusts the tempo and duration to match the settings, and then allows you to save the file as a WAV, WMA
(Windows® Media Audio), or MP3 file for further use in your own projects.
Generate original music (over 20 genres) or select from over 50 supplied SoundTrack types
(Bluesy/Excite/Healing/Jazzy/Tropics, etc.). For example, you can generate a 30-second audio music clip in the
genre of your choice in just a few seconds!
To use the SoundTrack feature, choose the Melody | Generate Soundtrack menu item.

You will then see the Generate SoundTrack window.

Note: The SoundTrack feature renders to audio files (WAV/WMA/MP3) using DXi or VSTi synths only. You need to have at least
1 DXi/VSTi synth installed for the feature to work. Typical Band-in-a-Box installations include the Coyote WaveTable DXi.
First, you should load in a song. There are several types of songs that you can load in:

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 You can generate a brand-new-royalty free composition
by pressing the [Generate Song Now] button, after
choosing a Genre and variation.

You can choose from over 100 premade “SoundTrack” compositions that we have
made. These are designed to be suitable for background music for various uses.

You can load in existing songs, song demos that we have provided for the styles, or songs that have RealDrums, or
finally there is a button to load in any song. Please note, if using an existing song (composed by someone else),
make sure that you have sufficient rights to use the song for your project.
Once you have loaded in a song, you can now choose a portion of the song to
use for your project. Assume that you want a 30 second clip of music.
Set the desired duration to 30 seconds.
Then press the [Adjust # of bars and Tempo] button. This will give a number of bars at
a tempo that closely matches your current settings, which will last 30 seconds.
Adjust the “Starts at Bar” of the music. To start at the beginning, choose bar 1.

You can choose which instruments to include in the arrangement.

Use the [Play] and [Stop] buttons to hear the work-in-progress. You can also loop the song
playback.

Set Fade-in and Fade-Out options in seconds for the audio clip.

Now, generate your SoundTrack file by pressing the [Save SoundTrack] button
and choosing a file format (WAV, WMA, MP3, MP4 or M4A).

You can hear your finished audio clip by pressing the [Preview] button.

Automatic Solo Generation – “The Soloist”

There are two ways to select and add a solo to your song. The “Best Soloist” feature presents a pre-selected list of
soloists to choose from. The Select Soloist dialog gives you the full list of soloists to choose from, plus additional
settings you can apply to the solo. Clicking on the [Soloist] toolbar button shows the two choices.

Pick “Best” Soloist RealTracks

This dialog shows you the best soloists that match the genre, tempo, and feel of your song. The list is displayed from
best to worst. For example, if you have a Jazz Ballad style loaded (tempo 60), the list will show jazz Soloists that
will work well at a tempo of 60 at the top of the list, and something like a fast, Heavy Metal Guitar Soloist at the
bottom of the list.
How to Use This Feature

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To add a Best Soloist to the Soloist track, press the [Soloist] button, and choose the menu option Add Best
RealTracks Soloist to Soloist Track. Or Shift+click on the [Soloist] button.

To add a best Soloist to any track, right-click (or double-click) on the instrument radio button (e.g. Piano) and choose
the Select Soloist | RealTracks Select Best Soloist RealTracks menu command.

You will then see a dialog that lists the best soloists for the current style.

It will include “Soloists” and “Background (Melodic).” You can de-select

these if you want to see only “Soloists” (and not “Background”).

If you want to filter the list, enter text or press the [#]
button.
You can audition the RealTracks by double-clicking on the list or using the
transport control buttons.
You can choose options (timebase, bluesy, simple, etc.) for the selected
RealTrack.

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 Enabling the “List best subs for the current RealTracks” option will list
RealTracks that are similar to the currently selected RealTracks.
Pressing the [Artist Bios] button opens the Artist Browser which lists all RealTracks artists and allows you to see
more info.
Select Soloist Dialog
To select a pre-made Soloist, press Shift+F4, or choose Soloist | Generate and Play a Solo. The Select Soloist
dialog will open.
You can also Ctrl+click on the [Soloist] button, or select Open Soloist Dialog to choose MIDI or RealTracks Soloist
from the Soloist button dropdown menu.

Pick a type of Soloist in the “Soloist type” list box and choose the appropriate style or enable the “Auto” checkbox
and press the [Suggest] button next to it. This brings up a list of Soloists in that style; simply choose which one you
like.
You can select genres of soloists (e.g. Modern Jazz) and see only soloists in
that genre. To do this, de-select the “All Genres” checkbox, and then check
on the genre that you are interested in.

The [Fav] button brings up a list of the most recently used (favorite) 50 Soloists. The Soloists that you use
most often will likely be at or near the top of this list, making it easier to select the Soloist you want than scrolling
through your entire list of available Soloists.
Enable the “Double Time?” option if you want a double-time solo; 16th notes instead of 8ths.
You can choose whether the list shows soloists from Soloist sets that you don’t have.
If you can’t find the Soloist you’re looking for, press the [Search] button and type in part of a name.

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 [Go To #] allows you to select from the list exactly which Soloist to choose (if known).

The “Memo” field has a brief description of the Soloist style, and the name of the current database is shown.

The pre-made Soloists may set the style, instrument, and harmony, but you can change these settings to your own
choices.

The [Clear] buttons will remove the currently selected Instrument, Harmony, or Style.
Use the [Choose(1)] button to select an instrument and automatically set the soloist note range for that
instrument.
For a harmonized solo, choose a harmony from the Harmony list.
Use the [Choose(2)] button to select any style from the C:\bb\Styles folder.
RealTracks: “Real” instruments replace the MIDI track for that instrument and can be controlled just like the MIDI
instrument (volume changes, muting etc.). Best of all, they follow the chord progression that you have entered, so
that you hear an authentic audio accompaniment to your song. These are not “samples,” but are full recordings,
lasting from 1 to 8 bars at a time, playing along in perfect sync with the other Band-in-a-Box tracks. RealTracks can
be generated to the Soloist (or Melody) track.
Get to Soloists of #361 and above. You can do that either by:

1. Typing 361 and pressing [Go To #].

2. Pressing the [All RealTracks] button.

3. Unchecking “All Genres” and selecting “RealTracks (audio soloists)”

from the list of genres.

As with other Soloists, press the [All Solo] button to make sure that the Soloist will be
generated for all choruses, or [Melody & Solo] if you just want the Soloist for a certain chorus.
Your RealTracks solo will be saved with the song, and the Soloist track will be frozen and marked with an
asterisk (*).
Soloists generated with RealTracks are saved with the song, so you will hear the RealTracks play the same solo
when you reload the song.
Solo Mode
In Normal Solo Mode, Band-in-a-Box solos in the normal way of improvising choruses of the
song.
Several other options are provided for adding improvisation to your song in a variety of ways,
including Fills, Around Melody, Trade, Solo Wizard, and a user-defined Custom setting.
Fills% Fill instructs the Soloist to play fills or “noodle” on the song for a user-defined period of
time (% box).

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Around Melody: To solo around the Melody, do the following:
- Open a song that has a Melody, preferably a sparse Melody with some space in it so that a Soloist might be able to
“jump in.”
- Press the [Soloist] button. Select the Solo Mode “Around Melody.”
- Set the Soloist to play in All Choruses and uncheck the “Mute Melody in Middle” option.
- Press [OK] and the Solo will be generated, playing riffs at times when the Melody isn’t playing.
Tip: For added effect, add a guitar chord solo to the Soloist part using the Chord Solo button in the Guitar window and choosing
Solo as the destination, or simply choose a Guitar Harmony like 32 J Pass.
Trade: There is a type of soloing where different soloists trade phrases. For example, “trading fours” refers to a solo
lasting four bars, usually followed by a different melodic solo or drum solo for the next four bars. Band-in-a-Box
can trade 2, 4, or 8-bar phrases. This means that you can alternate your own phrases with those played by the
Soloist. Click on the number button beside the “Trade” radio button to toggle between trading 2’s, 4’s, or 8’s.
Band-in-a-Box can generate the first phrase or the second phrase.
Soloist Wizard: This option in the Select Soloist dialog enables the Soloist Wizard. As you play notes on either a
MIDI keyboard connected to the computer or on the QWERTY keyboard, the program will play correct notes in the
style of the current Soloist! This means that you can play a “perfect” solo every time, simply by pressing any key on
your MIDI keyboard or QWERTY keys.
Tip: The Soloist will use the velocities you play or pick its own, depending on the setting in Options | Preferences |
Soloist | Use MIDI velocity for Soloist Wizard.
Custom Solo Generation
The [Custom] button launches the Generate Solo for a Specific Range of Bars dialog. This allows you to set the
range for the solo.

Tip: You can have these values preset to the values you’d like by
first selecting/highlighting the range of bars that you’d like from
the Chord Sheet screen, then clicking on the Soloist button.

OK to solo for an extra beat: Usually, Soloists end a little after a bar’s end – they play a couple of extra notes,
spilling over to the next bar. Selecting this option gives Band-in-a-Box soloist this ability also.
Overwrite existing solo in range: If you want to “overdub” a solo and have multiple solo tracks going at once,
deselect this checkbox, and avoid getting a little messy.
Generate Solo Now: Once you press this button, the portion of the solo that you have selected will be generated.
The song will start playing two bars before the new part, so you can quickly hear the new solo. Remember that the
custom solo generation can be used with different soloists, so you can use a “tenor sax jazz” soloist for a few bars,
and then insert a custom “bluegrass banjo” soloist for four bars and so on.
Tip: Band-in-a-Box even solos over the “slash chords.” The Band-in-a-Box Soloist feature analyzes slash chords like C/Bb to
determine the best scale type to use (e.g. Bb Lydian). There’s nothing you need to do, as this happens automatically!
Auto-Suggest: If the “Auto” checkbox in the Select Soloist Dialog is on, you will find that an appropriate soloist is
already selected for you. If you would like a different soloist, press the [Suggest] button and Band-in-a-Box will
suggest another appropriate choice. Keep pressing until you are satisfied with the choice.
Load/Save settings w/song: These settings allow the saving and loading of Soloist settings. Enable these
checkboxes if you wish to load and save these settings with a song.
Force to # of Choruses: Allows you to set a song to a definable number of choruses (e.g. 5) so that there are enough
choruses for everyone to take a turn Soloing. This box allows you to quickly decide how many choruses you would
like Band-in-a-Box to generate without having to open the Play | Looping | Force loaded songs to # choruses menu
item. The default is 5. Note that when this setting is enabled (by setting the checkbox to “true”), all songs
subsequently loaded using this Soloist will also change to the number of choruses indicated in this box.

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Solo Which Choruses?:
Select which choruses you would like the Soloist to solo over. Choose from first, middle, last, any combination, or
all three choruses.
Press the [All Solo] button if you wish to have the Soloist play over everything.
Press the [Melody & Solo] button to have the Melody play the first chorus, then have the Soloist come in on the
second chorus, then have the Melody “play the tune out” on the last chorus.
Melody Influenced Solos
When musicians solo for a song, the solo is typically influenced by the melody as well as the chords. Band-in-a-Box
can also allow the melody to influence the type of solo generated by its Soloist feature. The result is a much better
solo generated for the song.
A strength (%) setting allows you to control how much the solo will
be influenced by the melody. Choose the melody influence (%), and
one of several presets to control the type of influence
(pitches/rhythms/note density, etc.).
To generate a solo that is influenced by the Melody, select the “Enabled” checkbox.
Then choose the type of influence by choosing a strength (0 to 100%)
and a type. The default method works best on simple melodies or Pop
tunes, and others work on Jazz and complex melodies.

Melody Influenced Soloist Settings

A “Custom” method is available, allowing you to launch a dialog that lets you change various parameters to control
how the solo will match the notes, rhythm, and density of the melody. When this method is selected a [+...] button
will display.
Click on this button to open the Melody Influenced Soloist Settings dialog.
Enable Melody Influenced Soloist – enables melody influenced soloing when selected (true).
Overall strength – how much you want the melody to influence the solo.
First melody note MUST match riff – the first note of the riff must match the pitch of the melody at this point in
the song.
Last melody note MUST match riff - the last note of the riff must match the pitch of the melody at this point in the
song.
Overall Melody MUST match riff – the pitch needs to be found somewhere in the riff for this condition to be true.
Target Phrase Anchor Point score – phrase anchor points are points where both the pitch and timing of the Melody
note and the riff match each other.
Rhythm Matches – per cent of time that a melody note is found at the same time as the note in the riff at the same
point (pitch is irrelevant).
Density -# of Notes Matches – the number of notes in the melody compared to the number of notes in the solo. For
example, 8 melody, 10 solo = 80%. Note: If set to exactly 49, 59, 69 etc., soloist will stay quieter when the melody
is not playing.
If Melody is not playing, then soloist is not playing
Passing Notes acceptable % - percentage of time that passing notes in the riff are OK (if not found in the melody).
For example, a setting of 20% means it is OK if 20% of the notes are passing notes.
Melody – Favor phrases that match melody – higher numbers will make the soloist follow the melody more.

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Soloist Maker
The Soloist Maker [Edit] button launches the Soloist Editor module where you can make your own
or modify an existing Soloist. This feature allows you to define your own Soloists.

More Soloist Settings

This button launches the More Soloist & Melodist Settings dialog. This dialog can also be accessed
from the Options | Preferences [Soloist] button.
Set Use MIDI Volume for Soloing Wizard to true if you want MIDI
velocity information sent to the Soloing Wizard. If you have a velocity
sensitive MIDI device attached to your computer and you want to control
the dynamics of the Soloist, you should enable this feature.
Set the Trigger Playback Early to true to enable song playback to start
before the Soloist has actually completed composing a solo. Otherwise,
Band-in-a-Box will completely compose a solo before song playback
begins.
Soloist/Melody Velocity Adjust This box allows you to quickly boost or
reduce the volume of the Soloist track relative to the other tracks. For a
realistic mix the soloist instrument is set slightly louder than the other
instruments/parts in a song. The default is 5.
Use large soloist files (ST3) is selected to use the optional large soloist databases, *.ST3 files, instead of the smaller
ST2 files. The ST3 files have improved phrases, but the solos take longer to create.
Create Long Phrases Set this checkbox to “true” (enabled) if you would like the Soloist to use the longest musical
phrases it “knows.”
If OK to treat the V Major triad as a V7 is set, all Jazz MIDI soloists and some Jazz and Country RealSoloists will
treat the V chord as V7 (dominant seventh).
Using the Soloist Feature
1. Generate a Soloist and practice the solo by looping it, slowing it down, or printing it out, until you can perform a
great solo on any chord changes!
2. Generate a Soloist and attach a Harmony such as “Big Band Brass” to create phenomenally quick and interesting
Big Band Arrangements automatically. Generate a standard MIDI file or print them out for you and your friends.
3. Have the Soloist play a solo according to your accompaniment and arrangement (along with the other members of
your Band-in-a-Box, of course!)

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4. Trade 4’s in a call-response fashion with the Soloist (you solo for 4 bars, Band-in-a-Box solos for 4 bars, etc.)
5. Concentrate separately on different aspects of your playing with assistance from the “Wizard.” From soloing with
proper phrasing and “feel” (the best notes are included automatically) to accompanying a soloist with confidence
and authority
Tip: Try muting out one of the accompaniment tracks such as the piano or guitar track and play along to the Soloist in a
supportive role - it’s fun!
6. Use the Soloist track to record another part in addition to the Melody and other parts provided by Band-in-a-Box.
7. Generate a Soloist on chords/keys that you would like to practice. Band-in-a-Box will play and solo with you all
day without getting bored. For example, if you want to work on your II-V7-I progressions (“two-five-one”), you
can just type the chords you want, and generate a solo to play over those changes. As the solo plays, you see the
notation, can you can sight read along. Pressing the “Loop Screen” checkbox on the notation will loop the
notation the screen so you can master each 4-bar phrase (II-V-I) and then move ahead to the next one!
Technical Notes:
1. The Soloist has its own separate channel and settings. But when the Soloist uses a harmony, it becomes linked to the Thru
Harmony channels and settings. Since we are already using 12 of the available 16 MIDI channels in Band-in-a-Box, we didn’t
want to use up another 2 channels on dedicated Soloist Harmony channels. So, if you want to hear a Soloist with harmony, use
the THRU Harmony settings. In other words, wherever a Thru harmony is selected, the Soloist track will use the Thru Harmony
settings.
2. We have designed the Soloist to not repeat any solo ideas so that the solos are always fresh, with new ideas forming and
playing all the time. As a result, we have included a refresh Soloist menu item (under the Soloist menu) that, when selected, will
allow the Soloist to think about all of its musical notions again.
Choosing the Refresh Soloist option is like telling the soloist “It’s O.K., you can play whatever you like, even if it’s something that
you played 5 minutes ago...” It’s a good idea to refresh the Soloist regularly to ensure maximum “idea” availability.
3. The Soloist menu contains many options. It has all of the same editing options found in the melody menu, so you can treat the
Soloist track as a 2nd melody track. Even if you don’t plan on using the Automatic Soloist feature, you can just use the Soloist
track as a 2nd track for counter melodies, overdubs etc. The result: two melody tracks, two solo tracks, or one melody and one
solo track all at your disposal for any song, without having to resort to an outboard sequencer.

Auto Piano Hand-splitting

This feature applies to the Piano, Melody, and Soloist tracks. It is found in the Notation Window Options and in
both the Melody and Soloist menus.
Piano Track (Notation Options)
The Piano track can be displayed on both clefs, using intelligent hand-splitting routines
that dynamically the split point. This happens automatically.
When you do this, the Piano track (not any other track) will be displayed on both clefs with intelligent hand-splitting.
You can print out the Piano track with the hands separated.
Melody and Soloist Tracks
You can also manually split a piano part on the Melody or Soloist track using the intelligent hand-splitting routines.
The left/right hands display in red/blue on the big piano, and on bass/treble clefs on the notation. Import a piano
MIDI file to the Melody track to get a split-hands display and printout!

For example, if you have a MIDI file that is a solo piano piece, File | Open MIDI file will put the music on the
Melody track. Then choose Melody | Edit Melody Track | Piano Hand Split. Make sure that Melody | Track Type is
set to piano. You will then see the piano part split intelligently into 2 hands.
When this is done, the left hand will be stored on channel 8, and the right hand on channel 9, on the Melody track.
You can export the MIDI file to a sequencer, and these 8/9 channel assignments will be preserved.

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Automatic Guitar Solos – “The Guitarist”
The Guitarist allows you to generate a guitar chord solo for any melody. Band-in-a-Box will intelligently arrange
the melody to a guitar chord solo by inserting real guitar voicings throughout the piece. You can select from among
many “Guitarists” in order to create your arrangement. You can also define your own Guitarists; choosing
parameters such as strum speed, types of voicings (Pop/Jazz), embellishments, and much more.
Guitar Solos are selected from the Guitar window, which opens with the [Guitar] button.

Press the [CH Sol…] button to open the Generate Guitar Chord Solo dialog.
It is also accessible from the Melody | Edit Melody Track | Generate Chord Solo menu item.

Here are the steps to generate a Guitar Chord Solo:

1. Select the Guitarist to use.
In the main list at the left of the Window, you see the list of the Guitarists that
are already defined. For example, you can see that Guitarist #2 is called “Jazz
Guitar, single position.” That will create chord solos that stick to a single
position on the guitar neck whenever possible.
2. Select Melody (or Soloist) track.

Normally, the Guitar Chord solo is written to the Melody track, but you can
also select the Soloist track as the destination.
3. Confirm the Guitar Patch selection.

The Guitarist that you pick (see item #1) will already have chosen the
guitar patch to use, but you can override it with this setting.

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4. Select the Range of the song to use.
You can either generate a chord solo for the whole song, or just a region of the song. In either
case, remember that you need to have an existing melody to work with.

5. Select the Main Guitar Position to use.

The “Auto-Set” feature sets the main guitar position for the solo based on
the key signature. For example, in the key of C, Band-in-a-Box will choose
the 5th position as the best position for the chord solo to be played.
If you wanted the solo to be in the 12th position, you could de-select the “Auto-Set” and then set the guitar position
to 12th position.
If you already have a guitar track that has guitar channels (if it was played on a
guitar controller as a single string guitar part), then you might want to tell Band-in-a-Box not to change the guitar
positions of the notes that it finds. Otherwise set “OK to change existing guitar channels” to true.
6. Press OK to generate the Solo.
You will then see a message that tells you a solo has
been added to the track.

As you listen to the solo, you will notice the following:

- Some of the notes are left as melody, and some are assigned to chords.
- A wide variety of guitar chords are used, including some advanced chords. All of them are popular chords played
by real guitarists – there are no theoretical chords.
- The chords are strummed, to simulate a real guitar player.
- The Track Type for the Melody has been set to Guitar – so the notation shows [Tab], and the MIDI file will be
saved with the Guitar Channels (11-16) preserved which preserves the fret positions.
- All of these items can be customized in the Guitarist Editor.
Technical Note: Since some of the guitarists can be assigned to strum the chords in a delayed fashion, if you repeatedly re-
generate the solo, the melody will become more and more delayed. The solution(s) for this occurrence would be to choose Edit |
Undo Solo prior to regenerating the solo or picking a Guitarist that doesn’t delay the strum. The Strum Delay Status is indicated
on the “Info” panel of the Select Guitarist screen.
ONCE YOU HAVE GENERATED A GUITAR CHORD SOLO…
The chord solo is now part of the notation track. You can edit it like any other part, by deleting/inserting notes, etc.
You can use the special guitar features discussed in the Guitar Window section to change the guitar voicings or
replace a note with a chord and vice versa.
When you have a note or chord highlighted press the [Ch-] or [Ch+] Insert Guitar Chord button on the
guitar window (or [7] or [8] on the NUMPAD keypad). Each time you press the [Ch-] or [Ch+], you will see that
the guitar chord changes to a different voicing, cycling through the available 5-10 voicings possible for each chord.
Some notes won’t have any chord voicings, for example a C# note on a Cmaj7 chord, because it is always a passing
tone.
In a similar manner, you can convert a chord to a guitar note, and use the Insert Guitar Note button for
this. Pressing the [N+] (or [3] or [4] on the NUMPAD keypad) repeatedly cycles through playing the same note on
all 6 strings.
The solo will be saved with the song (.MGU) and exported to a MIDI file with the string positions intact because we
use channels 11 to 16 for the Guitar part. You can remove the solo at any time, even after the solo has been saved or
reloaded, by choosing Melody | Edit Melody Track | Remove Harmony (or guitar solo) from Melody Track menu
item.
Guitarists can be customized using the Guitarist Maker, described in the User Programmable Functions chapter of
this manual.

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Automatic Embellishments – “The Embellisher”
Overview
When musicians see a lead sheet that has a melody written out, they almost never play it exactly as written. They
change the timing to add syncopation, change durations to achieve staccato or legato playing, add grace notes, slurs,
extra notes, vibrato and other effects. You can have Band-in-a-Box do these automatically using the Embellisher so
that you hear a livelier, more realistic Melody - and it’s different every time. The Embellisher is only active while
the music is playing; it doesn’t permanently affect the Melody track. There is an option to make the embellishment
permanent, so that if you like a certain embellishment you can add it to the Melody track.
Using the Embellisher
The Melody Embellisher feature is turned on and off with the [Embellish Melody] toolbar button or with
Ctrl+Alt+E keys. The Embellisher only functions during playback.

You will see the Embellished Melody on the notation as the Melody plays, so you can see the Embellished notes.
When [Stop] is pressed, the notation will revert to the original (unembellished) melody. The embellishment changes
timing of notes, durations, velocities, legato, as well as adding grace notes, additional notes and turns. Here is a
“before and after” example that shows a typical embellishment of a Melody.
Normal (unembellished) Melody…

Embellished Melody…
As you can see in the notation examples, the embellished melody adds
an anticipation in bar 9, and in bar 10 adds extra notes, timing changes,
and grace notes to “spice up” the melody.

If you disable the Embellisher, by de-selecting the Embellish Melody during playback or by pressing the Ctrl+Alt+E
keys, then the melody (or solo) will play as normal with no changes.

Melody Embellisher Settings

The Embellisher settings are accessed during playback with the Embellisher button in the
main screen toolbar, or with the menu item Melody | Embellish Melody | Embellish Melody
Dialog, or with the key strokes Ctrl+Alt+L.

There is a Melody Embellisher dialog that allows you to:

- Customize the settings of the Embellisher or choose Embellisher presets.
- Make a particular embellishment permanent.
“Live Auto-embellish during every playback” is the same setting as the
Embellish Melody during playback checkbox in the [Embellish Melody] toolbar button. If enabled, embellishment

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will occur during every playback. If disabled, embellishment will not occur unless you choose the [Embellish
NOW] button in the dialog.

Settings
The settings that affect the embellishment can be turned on and off and given a percentage strength.
Humanize
The velocities, durations (legato), and timing of the notes are humanized. The
original velocities etc. of the notes are ignored. The option to only humanize
the timing of the music if the timing was “stiff” to begin with allows the
Embellisher to leave the timing of human input melodies alone and humanize
only the ones that were entered in step-time.
Adjust Octave
The octave of the Melody is changed to the best octave for the current Melody instrument. For example, if the
instrument were a piccolo, the octave would be raised to the best range for a piccolo.
Anticipations
An anticipated note is playing a note early (“ahead of the beat”).

Unembellished notes. ANTICIPATIONS on beat 1 and 3.

Less Anticipations
This is the opposite of anticipations. This finds notes that are anticipated, and “embellishes” them by playing them
later (on the beat).
Grace Notes
The grace notes are brief notes played just before, and a semi-tone below the original note. The grace notes
intentionally don’t show on the notation, so that it will remain easily readable. They can be heard.
Doubled Notes
Melody notes are doubled with the same pitch.

Unembellished. Quarter note doubled.

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Extra Notes
Extra notes are added between melody notes.

Unembellished. With extra notes added.

Note Turns
With a note turn, a single note is replaced by a group of notes that include the original note and semitone or scale
tones above and below the note. In this “before and after” example, the C note is replaced by a turn of 3 notes with a
note a scale tone above the C.

Unembellished. Embellished with turn.

Vibrato
Vibrato can be added according to the additional vibrato settings available in the “More” dialog. The vibrato can’t
be seen on the notation window, but you can examine the events in the Event list.

If set, the Melody will be delayed a little, providing a laid-back feeling.

The Embellisher is usually referred to as the Melody Embellisher, because
you would usually want to have it on the Melody track. But if you like, you
can choose to embellish the Soloist track.
If you have done this, and want to restore the original Melody, you can press
the [Restore Original Melody] button.
Embellisher Presets
The presets allow you to quickly choose common combinations of settings
for the Embellisher.
The Embellisher Memo describes the current embellishment, with statistics
counting the number of embellished notes.

If the song is playing and the Embellisher is enabled, you can update the
embellishment by pressing this button. This is useful if you’ve changed
settings and want to hear what the new embellishment sounds like.
The [Defaults] button reverts to the original Embellisher settings.
There are additional settings, in the Embellisher Additional Settings dialog. This allows you to set
advanced settings for the Embellisher. These include:
­ Vibrato Depth: The amplitude of the vibrato, in a range from 0-127.
­ Vibrato Speed: This is the speed of the vibrato (slow-fast) range 0-127.
­ Only use Vibrato if Note is this many ticks: For example, if set to 120 ticks (one quarter note), then only notes of
duration at least 120 ticks will get vibrato.
­ Start the Vibrato after this many ticks: For notes that will get vibrato, the vibrato will start after this many ticks.
­ Adjust Octave Method: If the octave is to be adjusted, it will either only adjust it if the notes are outside the
playable range, or always adjust it to the best octave, according to the setting you make here.
­ Dynamic Range: Refers to the range of velocities used for the humanization. Useful range 30-50.

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­ Legato Settings: Refers to the amount of legato for the notes. Useful range 55 to 75.
This displays the same thing that appears in the Memo field but will display it even when there is no
current embellishment.
You can save/load your own presets for the Embellisher. When you have made a custom setting in the
Embellisher dialog, press the [Export] button to save the data as an .EMB file. When you want to recall
the saved preset, press the [Import] button, and load in a previously made .EMB file. You can share
your favorite presets with other installations of Band-in-a-Box using the EMB files

If the song is not currently playing, you can still create an embellishment
and have it apply permanently by pressing the [(Re-)Embellish NOW – Permanent] button. The original melody is
not affected permanently unless you have pressed the [(Re-)Embellish NOW – permanent] button.

Normally the embellishment occurs live when the song is playing and
doesn’t affect the melody permanently. But if you like the Embellishment, and want to apply it permanently to the
melody, you can choose the “Make Current Embellishment Permanent” option.

You can use the [Undo] button to reverse a permanent embellishment before the song is saved to file.

Use these transport controls for song playback within the Melody Embellisher dialog.

Chapter 9: Automatic Music Features 317

 Chapter 10: Working with MIDI
Band-in-a-Box has two built-in MIDI sequencer tracks. They are named the Melody and Soloist tracks, but they can
be used to record any MIDI part you like – such as drum overdubs or layered accompaniments. MIDI can be
recorded in Band-in-a-Box
- Live with a MIDI keyboard, MIDI guitar, or MIDI wind controller.
- In step time by entering notes in the Notation window with the mouse.
- Using the Wizard feature to “play” notes with your QWERTY keyboard.
- Importing a pre-recorded Standard MIDI File into the Melody or Soloist.

Recording Live in Real Time

You can punch in/out, do unlimited overdubs, record directly to the tag or the ending, and start recording
from any bar. To record live using your MIDI keyboard, guitar, or wind controller, click on the [Record
MIDI] button, press the Ctrl+R keys, or choose the menu option Melody | Edit Melody Track | Record
Melody. The Record MIDI dialog will appear.

Set the start point for the recording and select the destination track. If there are underlying MIDI notes in the
destination track, you can choose the option to merge or overwrite them.
Pressing the [Filter] button will open the Record Filter dialog, which allows you to choose the types of MIDI data
to be recorded.
Press [Record] or the R key to begin recording.
Stop recording by pressing the Esc key or the spacebar, or by clicking the [Stop] button. The Melody Notes
Recorded dialog will then open.

[OK - Keep Take] saves the take you just recorded. Remember that it’s easy to fix small glitches in the Editable
Notation window or in the Event List editor.
[Take Again] lets you quickly reject a take and start the recording again. Press the A key to do this with a
keystroke.
[Cancel] ends the recording session; nothing is saved. To start again, press the [Record MIDI] button or the
Ctrl+R keys.

Chapter 10: Working with MIDI

Copy 1st chorus to whole song: If you have recorded one chorus of the song, checking this at the end of the
recording will copy the same recording to all of the choruses.
Overdub Underlying melody: You have the option to merge the recording with the existing melody. If there is no
underlying melody, this option will be grayed out.
Retain Melody past last recorded: You have the option to erase any melody after the last recorded melody note or
keep it. Use this feature when you want to punch out at the end of a take.
If you have recorded to a multi-channel track, the dialog shows additional options to select the output channel and
the instrument for that channel.
Recording to an external sequencer
Many people use Band-in-a-Box in live situations. If you are unable to bring your computer with you, a good
alternative is a hardware sequencer or a keyboard with a built-in sequencer that reads Standard MIDI Files. To
transfer songs to the Sound Brush, follow these simple steps:
- Make a MIDI file of the song by pressing the button.
- Either save the file directly to a floppy disk or copy it to the floppy from your hard drive.
- The Sound Brush is then able to read the IBM formatted disk with MIDI files on it.

Entering Notes Manually

You can enter melody notes directly to the track in the Notation window in either the Editable Notation Mode or the
Staff Roll Mode.
Enter the Editable Notation mode from the Standard Notation screen with a single mouse click on the Editable
Notation button. In the Editable Notation mode, you can enter, move, and edit notes and rests using standard mouse
techniques – point and click, drag and drop, and right-click to open the Note Edit dialog.
Confirmation dialogs prevent accidental entry of a duplicate note (same pitch near same time) and accidental entry of
a very high or very low note (large # of ledger lines).
Once you have some melody entered, you can copy and paste chunks
of it as you would in a text document. To copy and paste notation,
highlight an area of notation by dragging the mouse over the region.
Then select Edit | Copy.

Click on the place where you want to paste to (by clicking at the time line on top of the Notation window) and then
choose Edit | Paste. You can specify a precise paste location in the Paste Melody dialog.

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Recording with the Play Along Wizard Feature
This is a very helpful feature if you don’t have a MIDI keyboard but you want to record with a “live” feel. Use the
Wizard to record notes from the computer’s QWERTY keyboard for a track that’s more natural than step time.
Here’s how it works.
1. Click on the [MIDI] toolbar button and check MIDI Keyboard Wizard Enabled.

2. Press Ctrl+R keys to record.

3. As the song plays, play the melody on any keys on the bottom two rows of the QWERTY keyboard, in the rhythm
of the melody. The “wizard” notes won’t be the correct melody of course, but don’t worry about that as you record.
When you’re finished, look in the Notation window. You will see the wrong notes in the right places with the
correct durations.
4. Drag the notes (with the left mouse button) to the correct place on the staff. You will hear the notes play as you
drag them, and the names will show in the note name box. For sharps, flats, and naturals, hold down the Shift key,
Ctrl key, or Alt key respectively. You will end up with a melody that sounds like it was recorded live, without the
rigid feel of tracks entered in step time.
Tip: If you have the Wizard “On” the spacebar won’t stop playback. You need to press the Esc key to stop playback when the
Wizard is on. This is to prevent stopping the song if you mistakenly hit the spacebar while playing the Wizard.

Melody Wizard
For songs with melodies, there are QWERTY keys (Enter, \ , T, 6) that trigger notes from the melody as the song is
being played. Other keys trigger 1-4 approach notes from below or above. The notes can be recorded, to humanize a
stiff melody with better timing, and approach notes also useful for sight reading, rhythm practice, or to perform.
This feature works with harmonies.
- Melody notes: T, 6, Enter, \
- Same Melody note: 5
- Approach notes: QWER YUIO
- Octave set: 1, 2, 3
MIDI notes also work (if Preferences [Transpose] is set to “Allow Melody Wizard on THRU part”).
- Octave set: E(40), F(41), G(43)
- Melody notes: F(53), G(55)
- Approach notes: B(47), C, D, E A, B, C, D(62)
To use the Melody Wizard, make sure the Keyboard Wizard is enabled. This will also enable the MIDI Wizard on
the QWERTY keys.

If you also want to use the Melody Wizard on MIDI notes, go to Preferences [Transpose] and enable “Allow
Melody Wizard on THRU part” in the Settings for transposing songs when loaded or “Do it Now” dialog.

*.MGU Then, choose a song that has a Melody track.

Mute the Melody track by right-clicking on the Melody track (Alt+8).
Play the song.

Enter or \ As you play the song, you can use the Enter key or the \ key (or T or 6 above the T) to play Melody
notes.
W,E,R,T These will be approach notes up to the melody. You can start on any note.
Q,E,R,T Starting on a Q instead of W will use wider voicings for approach notes.
I,U,Y,T These will be approach notes down to the melody. Start on any note.

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O,U,Y,T Starting on an O instead of I will use wider voicings for approach notes.
MIDI Keyboard Wizard
The Wizard can also be used with a connected MIDI keyboard. The keyboard wizard always plays correct notes and
is a fun way to play along with Band-in-a-Box. The MIDI keyboard also sends volume information (unlike the
QWERTY keyboard), so is a better choice if you have a MIDI keyboard connected.
This feature is accessed with the [Transpose] button in the Preferences dialog.
To turn on the Wizard to allow MIDI control, choose “Use Wizard for THRU part.”
Make sure that the Keyboard Wizard feature is enabled.

Now, when you play notes on the MIDI keyboard (during playback), they will get remapped to chord tones.
C/E/G/Bb notes played on a THRU keyboard will be mapped to chord tones, and D/F/A/B will be passing tones.
This scale - C D E F G A Bb B - is considered the “Bebop” scale, useful for playing over dominant 7th chords.
The Wizard is useful for entering notation quickly. If you can’t play piano well, play the wizard in the correct
rhythm. The pitches will be wrong, but you can fix them in the Editable Notation window later, and the durations,
volume, and timing are already correct.

Melody/Soloist Sequencer
There are 2 tracks in Band-in-a-Box to add your own recordings. These are the Melody and Soloist tracks.
Normally you would want a single part on each of them. But, since MIDI information can have separate channels, it
is possible to store 16 separate parts on each of the Melody and Soloist parts. For the following discussion, we will
assume that you’re using the Melody track, but the same functions are available for the Soloist. When the Melody
track has been set to “Multi(16)-Channel” we refer to this as “Sequencer Mode.”
Also, for this discussion we will assume that you have a multi-channel track loaded in. Let’s load a MIDI file, using
File | Open MIDI file, and choosing a MIDI file like C:\bb\Documentation\Tutorials\violet.MID.
If you want to use the 16 separate parts for the Melody track, you need to set the Melody Track type to “Multi-
Channel.”

This is done from the Melody menu or with the [Sequencer] button.

Now, when you are in this multi-channel mode, output from the Melody track will be on whatever MIDI channel the
information is stored on and will not be using the Melody MIDI Channel.
You can examine the track to see the channels by looking at the event list, which you can access by pressing the
[#] button on the Notation window.
You will notice that the information in the event list is color coded by channels for multi-channel tracks. For
example, channel 7 is pink, and channel 10 is gold.

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 If you open the Lead Sheet window, you will see the entire MIDI file displayed on separate tracks of
notation. Since this represents 6 separate tracks (in the case of violet.MID), this is likely “too much
information” for you to read, unless you are a symphony conductor.
To customize the notation display for sequencer mode, press the lead sheet options button, and see the
settings for Multi-Channel Tracks.
Choose the “CUSTOM channels play/display” option and press the [Set]
button to launch the Sequencer Window. Then you can customize which
channels will play and display.

In the example picture, we have set Channel 2 (Bass) and Channel 4 (Trumpet) to show on the notation, and have set
all of the channels to play (to hear them).

For a specific channel, (e.g. channel 3: piano), we see the following information.
Channel 3: Acoustic Piano (this is the patch name found on the track).

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 842: There are 842 events in the track, usually every note is an event.
We have customized the piano track so that it can be heard (play=true), but not seen in notation (Show=false).
There is a small button at the right of the track line that allows
you to delete, rechannel or merge the channel with another
channel.
You can also change the patch (instrument) for that track by using
the instrument patch combo box.

So now that we’ve customized the display, we are seeing the bass and trumpet on the notation and hearing the entire
track.
Removing All Tracks Except Melody from a MIDI File
One use for the Sequencer mode is to load in a MIDI file, and then delete all of the channels except
the melody, so that you can allow the Band-in-a-Box rhythm section to provide the
accompaniment. To do this, open the Sequencer window, and use the Edit pull down menu to
delete all tracks except the melody.
Once you have done this, you don’t need the Melody | Track Type to be multi-channel anymore, so you should set it
to be Track Type [Single Channel], so that it will be like any other Band-in-a-Box song and use the Melody channel
for playback.

Recording Your Own Parts to The Melody Sequencer

Normally, you would record your parts to the Melody track, and not be concerned about what MIDI channel they are
using, because Band-in-a-Box uses the Melody channel (usually channel 4) for this.
But if you have set the Track type to be multi-channel, the output on the Melody track will be whatever channel is
stored in the tracks.
When you record a melody and the track type is set to multi-channel, the “Keep
Take” dialog will have a selection for the channel that should be used for the recording.
Also, make sure that you have “Overdub underlying melody” checkbox set, or you won’t
hear the other melody parts during the recording.
Example: Recording 4 Separate Counter Melodies on The Melody Track
So, if you want to record, for example, 4 separate parts to go along with a Band-in-a-Box song, you should do the
following.
1. Set the Melody track to Multi(16)-Channel (Sequencer).

2. Record a melody. At the end of the recording, pick a channel that is not already used by Band-in-a-Box.
BB uses channels 2-10, so channels 11 to 16 are available for your counter melody.
3. Repeat step 2 by recording additional melodies.

4. Assign patches to the melodies using the Sequencer Window.

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Importing MIDI Files
Importing MIDI Files
Standard MIDI files can be read into the Melody, Soloist, or Utility track from MIDI files or from the Windows®
clipboard. You can read in all of a MIDI file, or selected channels and a specific range of bars. Use one of the
following two commands.
1. Melody | Edit Melody Track | Import Melody from MIDI File – to select a MIDI file from disk using the
Windows® Open File dialog.
2. Melody | Edit Melody Track | Import Melody from Clipboard - when the MIDI data is already copied from another
program to the Windows® clipboard. The clipboard option will be grayed out if there is no MIDI data in the
clipboard.
Tip: You can also drag a MIDI file from the Explorer and drop it anywhere on the Band-in-a-Box screen.
The Import MIDI File dialog will open.

Destination Track: You can choose the destination track for each track for multi-track MIDI files.
Include Channels: You can hover the mouse cursor over the channel selector check boxes to see how many events
are on each channel. If you select all of the channels, Band-in-a-Box will read in all of the channels and merge them
to the destination track.
Merge with Existing Data on the track: You can choose to merge the imported data with the existing data in the
destination track.
Include Continuous Controllers / Include Pitch Bend / Include Patch Changes / Include Lyrics: If you don’t
need these items, you can save space by not importing them.
# bars to offset from start of MIDI file: If you want to start reading from the beginning of the MIDI file, select 0 as
the offset. If you want to start at bar 32, for example, select an offset of 32 (bars).

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How Many Bars to import?: Leave this setting at the default of 1000 to read-in the entire file (unless it’s longer
than 1000 bars!), or set it to the number of bars that want.
# blank bars to insert at beginning: This will insert blank bars into the track. Remember that Band-in-a-Box
normally has a 2-bar lead-in count. If your MIDI file has no lead-in, then you need to set this to = 2 to compensate
for the 2 bars of lead-in.
Include notes early by (120 PPQ): If you’re reading in a MIDI file starting at bar 5, it would be annoying to have a
note that was played 1 tick earlier than bar 5 left out of the MIDI file that is read in. To include it, you can set this,
and the note will be read in.
Import to the Melody with the MIDI Chord Wizard
You can open an entire MIDI file into Band-in-a-Box using the MIDI Chord Wizard. The chords will be auto-
interpreted by the Chord Wizard and the MIDI file will play and display on the Melody track. A “silent” style will
be loaded so you will only hear the MIDI file. When the file is saved, the extension will be MGX, allowing you to
easily identify the songs that contain entire MIDI files.
The MIDI Chord Wizard is opened from the File | Import Chords from MIDI File menu item. In the Interpret
Chords from MIDI file dialog, select the “Open ENTIRE MIDI File to Melody” radio button, and then click on
[INTERPRET CHORDS NOW].
The chords will be interpreted and written to the Band-in-a-Box Chord Sheet and an “X” will appear in front of the
style name, indicating that the style is silent.
Press [Play] to hear the MIDI file play on the Melody track.

Additional Options for Melody/Soloist Track

Choose Melody | Edit Melody Track | Quantize, Time Adjust | Time Shift Melody. This will move (slide) the melody
a certain number of ticks. There are 120 ticks per quarter note. For example, to give the song a more laid-back feel,
shift the melody about 10 ticks ahead.
In the same submenu, choose Insert Beats or Delete Beats to insert or delete beats in the Melody. For example, to
insert 2 bars in the melody at bar 5, choose Melody | Edit Melody Track | Quantize, Time Adjust | Insert Beats, select
bar 5, and select 8 beats (2 bars) to insert.
Intelligent Humanize of Melody and Soloist Track
Quantize routines can leave the music sounding stiff and unmusical. Some routines attempt to humanize a track by
adding “randomization,” which rarely has the desired effect since humans don’t randomly change timing or volume.
Band-in-a-Box uses intelligent humanization routines to humanize a melody from one feel to another, from one
tempo to another, and vary the amount of swing to 8th notes. The results are very musical, with natural sounding
melodies.
Let’s look at some of the parameters found under Humanize.
In this example, Melody | Edit Melody Track | Quantize, Time Adjust | Humanize Melody was selected. The window
for Humanize Soloist is the same.
As you can see, we have broken down the Humanize effect into
5 main categories: tempo, lateness, 8th note spacing, legato, and
feel.
The best way to learn how these parameters combine is to try
them (you can always press the UNDO button if you don’t like
the results.)
For example, try changing the tempo of a song to see the
changes that this will make to the 8th note spacing and lateness.
Press the [Quantize NOW] button to apply your changes to
your song.

Tip: Often, when musicians play at faster tempos they play the swing
8th notes closer together and a little later.

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We feel that these categories are straightforward and you should have no trouble achieving the desired results.
Remember to apply such parameters as Legato and Lateness sparingly, then press the Quantize NOW button to
apply your changes to your song.

Editing the Melody Track

Event List Editor

You can edit events including all MIDI events and lyric events using the Event List Editor. It can be launched in
several ways.
- In the Melody menu, choose Edit Melody Track | Step Edit Melody.
- In the Soloist menu, choose Edit Soloist Track | Step Edit Soloist Part.
- In the Window menu, choose Notation | Event List Editor.
- In the Notation window, by pressing the event list button [#]. The dialog will display events on the selected track
in the Notation window.
The list uses a color coding based on Event Type, Channel, Duration, or Velocity.
If the color coding is based on “Event Type,” the list shows the event as follows.
- Notes starting near the beat boundary are dark pink.
- Notes starting on the off-beat are light pink.
- Patch changes are cyan.
- Controller changes are yellow.
- Pitch Bends are grey.
The Event List Editor allows you to modify, insert, and delete notes.
- Double-click on an event to edit it (or press the [Edit] button.)
- [Insert] puts an event before the current event.
- [Append] puts an event at the end of the track.
- [Delete] removes an event.
- [Show] exits the dialog and highlights the note in the Notation window.
- [Play] plays the current event moves the next event.
- [Update] redraws the notation screen.
- [Edit Lyrics] – [Edit Soloist] – [Edit Melody] selects which track to edit.
Event List Filter
There is a filter for the Event List Editor, allowing you to quickly spot all patch changes.

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 For example, to examine the patch changes on the Melody track, choose “Use Event Filter,”
and then press the [Filter…] button.

In the Event List Filter, select the type of information you want to display. In this case, it is program changes
(patches) only.

The track will then display with the program changes only.

The Event Type to Edit dialog opens when either the [Insert] or [Append]
buttons are pressed in the Event List Editor.
This dialog allows you to select which type of event to insert or append -
note, controller, pitch bend, etc. – and then opens the selected edit dialog.

Notation Window Editing

You can often get better results by using the Notation window to edit notes instead of the Event List Editor. To do
this, open the Notation window in either Editable Notation or Staff Roll Notation mode. In both of these modes,
notes can be dragged and dropped with the mouse.
For precise note editing, right-click on the note you want to edit and choose “Edit Note” in the contextual menu.
This opens the Note dialog where all of the parameters of the note can be addressed.

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Piano Roll Window
The Piano Roll window enables precise graphic editing of note timing and duration. You can also
graphically edit note velocity, controllers, program changes, channel aftertouch, or pitch bend.

The Piano Roll may be opened as a movable window, which floats above the Band-in-a-Box main window or
opened embedded in the same position as the Chord Sheet/Notation panels in the Band-in-a-Box main window.

Note: A demo song PianoRollDemoSong.MGU in the C:\bb\Documentaion\Tutorials\Tutorial – BB 2005 Demo folder contains
some MIDI data, which can be seen in the Piano Roll window.

Track Selection
Click here to select the track to display.
Note: The accompaniment tracks will be overridden every time you press the [Generate and Play] button, so if you want to retain
your edits, press the [Play] button instead or freeze the track.

Snap-to-Grid
Selections, Inserted Notes, or Edited Notes will snap to the grid spacing. If you do not want snap-to-
grid, select [NONE] in the drop-down menu.

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Note Duration
Set the default duration of new inserted notes. It is easy to mouse-edit a note’s duration after a note is
inserted, so it is usually sufficient to select a typical note duration that makes sense for your purposes
and then mouse-edit the duration of “exception” notes after they are inserted.

View/Insert Channel
If a track contains multiple channels, “All” will display MIDI events on all channels. Otherwise, select
the channel that you need to see. If “All” is selected, new MIDI events are inserted on the Band-in-a-Box
track’s assigned channel.
Except for perhaps multi-channel Guitar tracks, Band-in-a-Box plays all track events on the assigned
track channel. Therefore, in almost all cases, the channel of track events does not matter.
For instance, if the Melody track is set to transmit on channel 4, all events on the Melody track will be
sent on channel 4 regardless of the “actual channel” of each track event.
Ghost Notes
When viewing a single channel, notes on other channels can be ghost-displayed in light gray. This is useful
when viewing multi-channel tracks.
View/Edit Graphic Data
Determine what graphic data to view or edit in the bottom Graphic Event panel. Choose
Velocity, Controller, Program Change, Channel Aftertouch, and Pitch Bend. If “Chan” is not
set to “All,” only the selected channel events will be displayed.

Track Auto Vertical Scroll

If you check this, the Piano Roll will automatically scroll vertically when switching tracks to
keep the average note range in view.
Keyboard Pitch Panel
1. Click on a single note of the keyboard to select all notes of the clicked pitch.
2. Click-drag on the keyboard to select all notes in a pitch range.
3. Shift-click-drag to add another set of notes to the selection.
4. Ctrl-click-drag to invert a pitch selection.
For instance, you could drag C5 thru C6 to select an octave of notes. Then Shift-click C3 to add all C3
notes to the selection. Then Ctrl-click C5 to remove all C5 notes from the selection.

Cursor Location Info Panel

The Info Panel shows the cursor’s Bar:Beat:Tick and MIDI note or controller value (depending on the
cursor location). In cursor locations where a value would be nonsensical, the status text values are
blank.
For instance, in the Note panel, Bar:Beat:Tick and Pitch are displayed. In the Ruler panels, only Bar:Beat:Tick is
displayed. In the left Piano panel, only Pitch is displayed. In the Graphic Event panel, Bar:Beat:Tick and Event
Value are displayed.
Chords Ruler and Note Time Ruler
There are two top rulers. The top Chords Ruler displays chords and the Playback Location Indicator. The Note
Time Ruler displays bars and bar subdivisions. When zoomed-in, more subdivisions are displayed. When zoomed-
out, fewer subdivisions are displayed.

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Click or drag in the Chords Ruler to set the Insertion Point (useful if you wish to use the menu Edit | Paste (Ctrl+V)
to paste into the Piano Roll). If a song is playing, a Chords Ruler click will stop playback.
Double-click in the Chords Ruler to start playback at the indicated bar. You can also set the Insertion Point and then
tap Ctrl+F to start playback at the desired location.
Splitter Bar
A vertical Splitter Bar sits between the Note and Graphic Event panels. If you want to maximize the Note Panel to
see more notes, drag the Splitter down. If you want to maximize the Graphic Event Panel for more accurate event
editing, drag the Splitter up.

Zoom Buttons
These buttons will zoom the Note Panel vertically.

Select notes and click this button. The vertical pitch range and horizontal time range will adjust to fill the Note
Panel with the selected notes.
This will return to the previous view range after zooming in on a region.
This will zoom the window so that all track notes are visible at a glance.
These buttons will zoom the window horizontally.
Note Panel

Horizontal bars represent notes. Notes can be selected, edited (start time, pitch, duration), inserted, and deleted.
Overlapping notes are displayed in bold aqua color, making them easy to identify. Overlapped notes can be
eliminated from the right-click menu in this window.

Note Selection
Selected notes are red.

1. Click on individual notes to select.

2. Shift-click on individual notes to add to the selection.
3. Ctrl-click on a note to invert (toggle) its selection.
Click on white space and then drag a rectangle around notes to select a group of notes.

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 Note: Only notes that start within the rectangle are selected. If the left edge of a note is not inside the rectangle, it will not be
selected.
1. Shift-drag a rectangle to add another group of notes to the selection.
2. Ctrl-drag a rectangle to toggle the selection of the notes in the rectangle.
Notes can be selected with the Note Time Ruler.

1. Click-drag on the Note Time Ruler to select a time-range of notes.

2. Shift-click-drag to add a time-range of notes to the selection.
3. Ctrl-click-drag to invert the note selection of a time range.
For instance, you could drag to select all notes in bars 2 thru 7. Then you could Ctrl-drag to toggle off note
selections in bar 4. By using the Shift and Ctrl keys, very flexible time selections can be made.
Edit Note Time Stamp (start time)
Hover the cursor over the left of a note. An east-west cursor appears. Then click-drag the note to a new time
(horizontal dragging).

If multiple notes are selected and you want to move all selected notes, use Shift-click-drag. Otherwise, a click on a
note will deselect the previous selection, and it will only select/edit the clicked note.

Edit Note Pitch

Move the cursor over the middle of a note. A north-south cursor appears. Then click-drag the note pitch (vertical
dragging).

If multiple notes are selected and you want to transpose all selected notes, use Shift-click-drag. Otherwise, a click
on a note will deselect the previous selection, and it will only select/transpose the clicked note.

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Edit Note Duration
Move the cursor over the right of a note. A right-arrow cursor appears. Then click-drag the note duration
(horizontal dragging).

If multiple notes are selected, and you want to change duration of all selected notes, use Shift-click-drag. Otherwise,
a click on a note will deselect the previous selection, and it will only select/edit the clicked note.

Insert a Note
Hold the Shift+Ctrl keys. The cursor becomes a pencil. Click where you want the note and it is inserted with a
duration from the “Dur” drop-down menu, and on the channel selected by the “Chan” drop-down menu.

If “Snap” is enabled, the note is inserted at the nearest grid boundary. For instance, if the snap-to-grid setting is a
quarter note, inserted notes will snap to the nearest quarter note boundary.

There are many on-screen visual cues to assist cursor positioning. The Cursor Position Time Markers in the Time
Rulers can assist time positioning. The Cursor Pitch Marker in the Keyboard can assist pitch positioning. The
Cursor Location Info Panel gives precise time and pitch info. Also, the Note Panel has time grid markings, and pitch
accidentals are marked in light gray on the background.
Delete a Note
Select a note (or a group of notes), then tap the Delete key. Alternately, select notes, right-click, and choose Delete
Selected Events in the pop-up menu.
You can also use an eraser tool. Hold the Shift+Ctrl keys and hover the cursor over a note. When the cursor
becomes an eraser, click on a note to delete it. If multiple notes are selected, all selected notes will be deleted.

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Graphic Event Panel

This panel graphically displays non-note MIDI events, which are specified in the Chan, View/Edit, and Controller
Type controls.
Zero-value events are drawn as small hollow squares, to make them easy to identify.
When graphically inserting controller and pitch bend events, the event density is adjustable from one event per 1 tick
up to one event per 30 ticks.
With events such as pitch bend or controllers like modulation and sustain, it is important to take care to end a
“gesture” with a zero-value event. Otherwise, subsequent notes will be affected, with an unwanted “hanging”
permanent pitch bend, permanent vibrato, or sustain pedal locked down.
Velocity
Set the “View/Edit” control to “Velocity,” and the velocity events will display in the
Graphic Event panel.

Control
If “View/Edit” is set to “Control,” the Controller Type control
becomes visible. The Graphic Event Panel will display the chosen
controller type. If “Chan” is not set to “All,” only the selected
channel events will be displayed.

Select “11 Expression MSB” in the Controller Type control.

The Expression controller is recognized by most modern synthesizers including most General MIDI synths.
However, some older synths do not recognize this controller. Expression is an alternative to “7 Main Volume
MSB.” Use the Expression controller for individual tracks and reserve the main Volume controller for overall track
loudness. That way, you can use the Band-in-a-Box main window Volume controls without affecting individual
notes in the track.
In the example shown, the intro flute ostinato pattern fades in, and then fades back out, via the expression controllers.
These events were entered with the Line Tool. Notice that before the trumpet comes in, there is a single expression
event of value 127, to kick the loudness up to normal.
Single controllers are inserted by moving the mouse cursor to the desired position and then clicking the mouse button.

Select “1 Mod Wheel MSB” in the Controller Type control.

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The Modulation controller is not firmly defined, but it is usually a Vibrato or Tremolo effect (especially in General
MIDI synths).
Play the demo song and watch how Modulation has been added to some notes to add Vibrato. It is usually best to
use a modest amount. With graphic edits, too much is almost always too much!
Program Change

Set the “View/Edit” control to “Program,” and the program changes will display in the Graphic
Event Panel. The demo song intro has a flute program change. Then the first chorus is trumpet, the second chorus is
flute, and the third chorus is soprano sax.

Channel Aftertouch
Set the “View/Edit” control to “ChnAfter” and you can see the Channel Aftertouch events in
the Graphic Event Panel.

Pitch Bend
Set the “View/Edit” control to “Pitch Bend.” Play the demo song and watch how a few pitch
bends have been inserted to “scoop” some note attacks, “sting” the middle of a note, or “fall off” some note releases.

Event Selection
Selected Events are red.

Graphic events can be selected with the Graphic Event Ruler.

The Graphic Event Ruler will only select non-note events. In addition, it will only select the type of MIDI events

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specified in the Chan, View/Edit, and Controller Type controls. When you make a Ruler Time selection, ONLY
THE VISIBLE events in this time range are selected. Other MIDI events in this time range are not selected.

Graphic Events Editing Modes

There are two modes for editing graphic events.
1. Add Mode: This will add/subtract the same amount to all selected events.
2. Scale Mode: This will scale the selected events. Select one or more Graphic Events and move the mouse over one
of the events. Shift-drag vertically, and the events are scaled in a proportional fashion. Large-value events are
scaled more than small-value events. This keeps the same shape of a gesture but makes the gesture bigger or
smaller.
Note Velocity Line Tool
With the Add Mode, note velocities will exactly match the slope of your drawn line.

With the Scale Mode, the Line Tool will shape the dynamics, but note velocities are scaled to follow the
approximate shape of your drawn line. With this mode, you can insert a velocity fade, or change the velocity of a
region, while preserving the Velocity dynamics of the music.

Edit Event Value

Move the cursor over the top half of an event. A north-south cursor appears. Click-drag vertically to scale event
values.

To scale a selected group of events, Shift-click-drag vertically on one of the events in the selection.

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Edit Event Time
Move the cursor over the bottom half of an event. An east-west cursor appears. Click-drag horizontally to slide the
event in time.

To slide a selected group of events, Shift-click-drag horizontally on one of the events in the selection.

Insert Events
Line Tool
With no modifier keys, the “white space” cursor is a Line Tool. Move the cursor to white space and then click-drag
to draw a line. When the mouse button is released, a series of events are inserted which follow the line slope.

To avoid choking the MIDI stream, the maximum event density is one event per 10 ticks. Repeated events of the
same value are not inserted. Therefore, long gradual Line Tool fades have a lower density than short extreme Line
Tool fades.
The Spacing controls how often the events are drawn. For example, if this is set to 30, events will be
spaced apart by 30 sticks.

Spacing=1 Spacing=30
Pencil Tool
Move the cursor over white space and hold the Shift+Ctrl keys. A Pencil Tool appears. Shift+Ctrl-drag to
freehand-draw a curve. If you don’t get the curve quite right on the first pass, just keep holding the mouse button
and move the mouse back-and-forth to draw your desired freehand curve. When the mouse button is released, a
series of events are inserted to follow the freehand curve.

To avoid choking the MIDI stream, the maximum event density is one event per 10 ticks. Repeated events of the
same value are not inserted. Therefore, many freehand curves have a fairly low density.

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Delete Events
Make a selection of events with the Ruler or by clicking on events. Then tap the Delete key. You can also right-
click and choose Delete Selected Events in the pop-up menu.
You can also use an eraser tool. Hold the Shift+Ctrl keys and hover the cursor over an event. When the cursor
becomes an eraser, click on an event to delete it. If multiple events are selected, all selected events will be deleted.

Right-Click Contextual Menu

The pop-up menu can be accessed by right-clicking on the notes, graphic events, or any of the rulers.

Undo:
Duplicates the Band-in-a-Box Edit | Undo (or Ctrl+Z) action.
Delete Selected Events:
Deletes any selected events (highlighted in red). This can also be accomplished by tapping the Delete key.
Select All Notes and Graphic Events:
If the “Chan” combo box is set to “All,” this item will select ALL EVENTS on ALL CHANNELS (all events in the
track). Otherwise, ALL EVENTS are selected which match the CURRENT MIDI CHANNEL.
Select All Note Events (Of Current Channel): (right-click on the Note Panel or Note Ruler)
If the Chan combo box is set to “All,” this item will select ALL NOTES on ALL CHANNELS, but it will not select
any non-note events. Otherwise, ALL NOTES are selected which match the CURRENT MIDI CHANNEL.
Select All Note Events (Of Current Channel): (right-click on the Graphic Event Panel or Graphic Event Ruler)
If the “Chan” combo box is set to “All,” this item will select ALL GRAPHIC EVENTS of the CURRENT
VIEW/EDIT TYPE on ALL CHANNELS. Otherwise, ALL GRAPHIC EVENTS of the CURRENT VIEW/EDIT
TYPE are selected which match the CURRENT MIDI CHANNEL. For instance, you could select all channel 4
modulation events, then Delete, to easily remove all of those events from the track.
Cut:
Copy selected events to the clipboard and then remove them from the track. Can also be accomplished with the
menu Edit | Cut (or Ctrl+X) action. If you wish, it is possible to cut from the Piano Roll, and then paste into the
Notation window, or vice-versa.
Copy:
Copy selected events to the clipboard can also be accomplished with the menu Edit | Copy (or Ctrl+C) action. If
you wish, it is possible to copy from the Piano Roll, and then paste into the Notation window, or vice-versa.
Paste - Replace:
If no events are on the clipboard, this item is dimmed.

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The paste occurs at the time location of your right-click. Move the mouse cursor to the desired insert location.
Right-click on the Note Panel, Graphic Event Panel, or any of the Rulers. Then choose this item from the pop-up
menu. Any previous event types in the paste range which match event types in the clipboard are removed before the
clipboard data is added to the track.
If the “Chan” combo box is set to All, pasted events keep their original (copied) MIDI channel. Otherwise, the
pasted events will be re-channeled to match the “Chan” combo box.
Paste - Merge:
If no events are on the clipboard, this item is dimmed.
The paste occurs at the time location of your right-click. Move the mouse cursor to the desired insert location.
Right-click on the Note Panel, Graphic Event Panel, or any of the Rulers. Then choose this item from the pop-up
menu. Events from the clipboard are merged with existing data in the track.
If the “Chan” combo box is set to All, pasted events keep their original (copied) MIDI channel. Otherwise, the
pasted events will be re-channeled to match the “Chan” combo box.
The feature can also be accomplished with the menu Edit | Paste (or Ctrl+V) action (to match the Notation window,
which also uses a merge style of pasting). Before using the main menu Edit | Paste (or Ctrl+V), first make sure the
insertion marker is set to your desired paste time location.
This is easy to do. Just click or drag in the Chord Ruler to place the insertion marker where you want it. Then tap
Ctrl+V.
Re-Channel All Events to the Track Channel (Ch = xx)
Re-channel all notes and graphic events (the entire track) to the MIDI Output channel assigned for this track.
Sometimes this can come in handy to bring some “sanity” into Piano Roll editing.
For instance, though the default Melody output channel might be channel 4, meaning that Band-in-a-Box transmits
any events in the Melody track on channel 4. The actual events in the Melody track might be channel 1, or a mixture
of several channels.
For ordinary playback or note tweaking, it doesn’t matter if the event channels are “mixed up,” as long as you have
the view channel set to All. But if you wish to use Paste - Replace, the Paste - Replace function is smart enough not
to “stomp on” a track’s events that differ from the channels of the clipboard MIDI data. So if you force all events to
the track channel, the Paste - Replace function will always replace appropriately.
Re-Channel Selected Events to the Track Channel (Ch = xx)
Re-channel only the selected events to the track channel.
Re-Channel Selected Events to the View Channel
When editing a multi-channel guitar track or editing an imported multi-channel MIDI file, this command may be
useful. Beware that it might initially appear confusing.
For instance, one might set the view channel to ALL, and make a selection (intending to set these events to Ch 12).
Then set the view channel to 12, and of course the selected events disappear (if the events had some other MIDI
Channel). But then when you invoke “Re-Channel Selected Events to the View Channel,” the MIDI events will
reappear on the Piano Roll.
Eliminate Overlapped Notes
Overlapped notes are displayed in bold aqua color, making them easy to identify. Selecting this menu command will
remove the overlap.

338 Chapter 10: Working With MIDI

 Chapter 11: Working with Audio
About Band-in-a-Box Audio Files
You can open an audio file by clicking the [Open] toolbar button and selecting Open Audio (wav, wma,
mp3, wmv, cda) from the pulldown menu.

Audio files can also be opened from the File menu with the command Open Special | Open Audio (WAV, WMA,
MP3, WMV, CDA). Open an MP3/WAV/WMA or audio CD track, and play back at 1/2, 1/4, or 1/8 speed. This is
great for transcribing or analyzing audio.
If you load in an audio song (WAV file, MP3), when the song plays you can:
- Change the tempo of the audio to slow/speed up the song.
- Press Ctrl+[-] for half speed, Ctrl+[=] for full speed.
- Highlight an area in the Audio Edit window and press [Loop Selected Area]. This will loop the audio.
- Use the Audio | Set Audio Master (Base) Tempo menu item to ensure that tempo stretches are based on correct
master tempo.
These features are useful as an aid for transcription.
If MySong.MGU is loaded, and a same named audio file (MySong.WMA, MySong.MP3, MySong.WAV, etc.) is
present, Band-in-a-Box will open the audio file to the Audio track.
This allows third parties to make audio files with chords in them, by making a MySong.MGU and MySong.MP3 pair
of files, which will load into Band-in-a-Box yet will have the audio compressed to take up little disk space. For
example, make a teaching set of trombone files for Band-in-a-Box, with audio trombone track, and Band-in-a-Box
file with chords, all fitting in a small file size.
Equalize Tempo
If you have an audio file that wasn’t recorded at a fixed tempo, you can change so that the tempos in the audio are all
at the same. We call this an “equalization” of the tempos.
Open the Audio Edit window, press the [Marker Mode] button, and select Audio Chord Wizard.

Set bar lines for the whole audio, and press the [Equalize Tempos] button.
Tip: Press the video button on the Audio Edit window toolbar to see how you can set bar lines.

Audio Track
The Audio track includes only your live recording or the imported audio file, whereas the rendered audio file
includes everything in the file: MIDI parts plus the Audio track.

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Import Audio File
Most types of audio files can be opened directly in Band-in-a-Box, but you may want to import an audio file into
your Band-in-a-Box song. A Mono or Stereo audio file can be imported to the Audio or Utility track, optionally
merging or replacing any existing Audio track. Most popular types of audio files are supported, including WAV,
WMA, MP3, WMV, and CD audio.
Choose the menu item File | Import | Import Audio (WAV, WMA, MP3, WMV) or Audio | Import Audio (WAV, WMA,
MP3, WMV)…. You then choose an audio file to import. You can also drag an audio file from the Explorer and
drop it anywhere on the Band-in-a-Box screen.
This will open the Import Audio File dialog. Select the destination, the point to insert the audio file, and the option
to merge or overwrite existing audio in the destination track.
If the audio file contains Acid Loop or Apple® Loop information, the dialog shows an option to set the audio base
tempo of the current song to the tempo of the audio file.

Using the Half-Speed Audio feature to help you transcribe a piece of music
Once you open the audio file, open the Audio Edit window and you can see the audio data on the
destination track.

Choose “Half-speed tempo” (Ctrl+minus (-) hot key). Ctrl+equals (=) returns to normal tempo. (Use the Edit |
Tempo menu for slower speeds like 1/4, 1/8.)
Highlight the range that you want to hear, and then press [Loop Selected Area].
You can then move around the window to play different sections as you transcribe the recording.
Audio Offset
The Audio Offset feature allows you to synchronize any point of the audio file with bar 1 of the Band-in-a-Box song
– usually to sync the audio file with the rest of the song.
Let’s say you have a home recording of a live performance of one of your songs, saved as a WAV file (or
MP3/WMA). File | Open Special | Open Audio will load the song into Band-in-a-Box.
Now open the Audio Edit window, right-click where you would like to be considered bar 1 and select Mark
this point as Bar 1 of the song from the menu.

340 Chapter 11: Working with Audio

Then, as the song is playing, use the tap tempo feature (the minus key, pressed 4 times in tempo) to set the tempo of
the piece.
Your audio file will then start playing at bar 1 of the Band-in-a-Box song in sync with the audio starting at the place
you have marked as bar 1, and the bars will be in sync (approximately in sync, they will drift as the tempo of your
live performance varies.) You can put tempo changes on certain bars to keep it perfectly in sync if you want to.

Recording Audio

You can record your live vocal or instrumental performance and save it to an audio wave file along with the Band-in-
a- Box accompaniment. Make sure that you have a microphone plugged in to your sound card, or a connection from
a mixer, keyboard, or other audio device connected to the Line In jack on your sound card

The [Record Audio] button opens the Record Audio dialog.

Set the recording properties.

Tell your sound card (and Band-in-a-Box) what sources you would record from. You may be recording from a
microphone or a line-in plug into your sound card. In that case, you need to have those items selected in the
recording properties panel for your sound card.
Most sound cards are capable of recording from the following sources:
- Microphone - plugged in to the sound card to record vocals or live instruments.
- Line-In - from the Line-Out of a mixer or keyboard, or a guitar direct box.
- CD-ROM player - to record the audio from an audio CD.
- “What You Hear” or “Stereo Mix” is used if “rendering” the whole Band-in-a-Box song to Audio. This is an
important point to understand when using audio in Band-in-a-Box: the soundcard should be capable of recording
the outgoing MIDI that is being sent from your soundcard out to the speakers. When recording an audio track
(vocals etc.), you’d almost never want to record the outgoing MIDI as well or it would get mixed in with the audio
track. However, when rendering your whole composition to a single .WAV file to distribute on a CD or the
Internet you always want to record the outgoing MIDI.
Technical Note: This is only true if you are using the sound card for your output MIDI driver. If you have an external MIDI device
like the Roland Sound Canvas you’d need to route the Line Out from your Sound Canvas back in to the Line-In of your sound
card in order to record (render) the MIDI.

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When you press the [Set Recording Levels] button, you will see the Sound settings for your computer. This is
where you select your recording source.
The panel displayed here is for a typical Windows® 7 computer with an
add-on sound card. Different makes and models may not look exactly
like the example, but the basic layout and operation is the same. From
this panel, you select the items you want to record. Let’s take the
example of recording live with a microphone.
- We select the microphone as the recording device.
- In the [Properties], we can set the microphone level and other
properties such as the sample rate and bit depth.
- Then, we test the level of the recording input for the microphone with
the aid of the built-in VU meters in Band-in-a-Box.

Set the start point for the recording.

You can record from the start of the song, somewhere in the middle, or punch in by choosing a bar and chorus # to
start recording.
Select the destination track.
Audio can be recorded to the Audio or a Utility track.
Select the destination track for recording MIDI.
If you also want to record MIDI at the same time, choose the destination track with the “Record MIDI to” option.
Select the punch-in recording option.
Punch-in audio recording allows you to punch-in record or overdub a section of audio. You can select a section to
punch-in by highlighting it in the Audio Edit window. You can also hear the existing audio part when you are
overdubbing. This is automatic.
Select the overdub underlying audio option.
If you have previously recorded audio on the track, and want to overdub (to add a harmony for example), then you
should select the “Overdub underlying Audio.” It is not essential to select it at this point, since you will get another
chance at the end of the recording. Note that the Audio track will not play during record, so you’d have to sing the
harmony without hearing the original audio part.
Set the track type (stereo/mono) for recording
The dialog displays the mono/stereo status of the recording, but if you want to change it, press [Audio Options]
button.
Test the recording level with VU Meters.
The VU Meters will close or stay open when the dialog is exited depending on the “Leave VU Meters open” setting
in the Record Audio dialog. The VU Meters show the average strength of the signal, with a dB scale, and a clip
indicator. Clipping indicates that the signal has overloaded and will sound distorted (clipped).
The green area represents normal levels, while red indicates an overload.
Ideally, the sounds should remain in the green and avoid the red altogether. Unlike analog
recording, where it’s good to get a “hot” high signal, digital recordings need to absolutely avoid
high levels since any overload of the signal will result in clipping and a ruined recording.

Press [Record].
Audio recording begins. If you have set the “Show VU Meter while recording” option, then the VU Meter will open
and display during recording so you can monitor the VU meters.

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Press the [Stop] toolbar button or press the [Esc] key.
You will then see the “Keep Take?” dialog.
Copy 1st chorus to whole song: If you’ve recorded only 1 chorus
of the song, you can choose the option to copy that first chorus of
audio to the whole song. This will fill up the whole song with the
audio by repeating it as many times as necessary. Then you’d just
need to record the ending of the song.
Overdub underlying audio: At the end of recording, you receive
an option to overdub with the underlying audio. This means that
both recordings will be merged together to form a new file, with
both recordings preserved.
Retain audio past last recorded: This allows you to “punch out” and preserve the rest of a previously recorded
take.
If you are happy with your recording, you should choose [OK -Keep Take] and the audio will be added to the
destination track. You can listen to the results by pressing [Play].
If you are not happy with the results, you can choose Edit | Undo Keep Audio Take and you will be back to where
you were prior to the recording. You can also choose the option to [Take Again], which reopens the Recording
dialog.
Technical Details: The recorded take is recorded to a temporary wave file called TEMP_REC.WAV. This resides in the C:\bb
directory or the directory of the current song. Once you decide to keep the take, the TEMP_REC.WAV is merged with the main
wave file for the program, which is usually titled with the same name as the song (e.g. MySong.wav).

Playing Audio
You can play the Audio file that you’ve recorded by pressing [PLAY].
The size of the audio file will be displayed at the top of the screen. In this example, there is a 5.6
MB .WAV file associated with the file, and that’s 1 minute and 4 seconds of audio.
Once the song is saved, the wave file will be called with the same name as the song. If you ever need to work with
the .WAV file in another program, you can just directly edit the wave file. If you do this, make sure the .WAV stays
a 44K mono .WAV file.

Converting Audio Channels

You can easily convert the Audio track from stereo to mono, or vice versa, with the Audio | Edit Audio | Convert
Channels (mono/stereo) menu command. When you convert the channel, you can choose the percentage of each
channel.

Generating Synthetic Vocal

Your Melody or Soloist track with lyrics can be rendered to a vocal audio track by sending it to the third-party vocal
synthesizer Sinsy.
To access this feature, you should first enter melodies and lyrics to the Melody or Soloist track. If no Lyrics are
present, you can still generate a vocal synth using the syllable of your choice (la la la etc.).
You can launch the Vocal Synth generation by one of the followings.
- Press the [Big Lyrics] button on the main screen toolbar and select either of the Vocal Synth menu items.

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- Press the [Vocal Synth] button on the Notation window toolbar and select either of the Vocal Synth menu items.

- Go to menu Edit | Lyrics | Vocal Synth.

With the manual mode, Band-in-a-Box creates a Sound.XML file, which you need to upload to the Sinsy server.
When the Sinsy has generated an audio file with a vocal synth, import it to Band-in-a-Box.
Normally, you would use the auto mode, which does this process automatically for you. When you choose an auto
mode, the Generate Synthetic Vocal dialog will open.

Language: The choice is English or Japanese. Select English unless your lyrics are entered in Japanese.
Vocalist: Choose one of the female or male vocalists. If the language is set to English, you can only select an
English singer.
Gender Parameters: You can adjust the gender of the voice in a range from -0.8 to +0.8. Higher values are more
masculine. The default is 0.55.
Vibrato Intensity: This controls the amount of vibrato in the voice. The range is from 0 to 2. The default is 1.
Pitch Shifting: This setting will shift pitch in semitones. The range is from -24 to +24. A setting of -12 would be
down one octave. The default is 0.
For Melody notes with no lyrics use: If the track does not include lyrics, you can enter a syllable (e.g. la) to use for
notes with no lyrics. (Note: If you select a Japanese vocalist, you need to enter a Japanese syllable.)
When you press [OK], your song will be sent automatically to the Sinsy server and will be rendered to a vocal synth.
This may take a few minutes. When the vocal synth has been generated, the Import Audio File dialog opens. Press
[OK] to import it to Band-in-a-Box.

Editing Audio
In the Audio Edit window, you can edit audio data using Copy, Cut, and Paste. Launch the Audio Edit
window with the toolbar button, by the Audio | Audio Edit Window menu item, or by pressing the
Ctrl+Shift+A keys.
Note: The window can display audio data on any track, but it allows editing only for the Audio and Utility tracks.

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The window displays stereo WAV files as 2 separate tracks.
The numbered scale at the top of the window indicates bars and beats, with a full height vertical division for each bar
and a short vertical line for each beat or quarter note. Bars with part markers also include the A or B part marker
letter with the bar number (1a, 9b).
Note the decibel (dB) scale down the right side of the window.
To select a region of the Audio Edit window, you can Shift+click on the end point to easily select a large area.
- Click on the starting bar.
- Shift-click on the ending bar.
Following hotkeys are available.
- Home will move the cursor to the beginning of a track.
- End will move the cursor to the end of a track.
- Shift+Home will move the left cursor of the selected region to the beginning of a track. If no region is selected,
this will select a region from the cursor to the beginning of a track.
- Shift+End will move the right cursor to the end of a track. If no region is selected, this will select a region from
the cursor to the end of a track.
- Ctrl+A will select the whole track.
This button zooms out horizontally to display a larger area of the audio. Zoom focus will be on audio cursor.
You can also zoom with the mouse wheel, which focuses on the mouse cursor.
This button zooms in horizontally to display a smaller area of the audio. Zoom focus will be on audio cursor.
You can also zoom with the mouse wheel, which focuses on the mouse cursor.
This button zooms out as far as possible, showing the entire audio track.
This button zooms down to the finest level possible, and at these levels you will see interpolation between
the sample points. This is bandlimited interpolation which represents the waveform as it will be heard in
reality once converted from digital to analog.
These buttons change the height of the waveform display. [+] increases the height of the waveform display, [-]
decreases the height of the display.
This setting allows you to select audio by snapping to a 16th note (or a triplet in Swing styles). A section
of the wave file can be selected by clicking and dragging the mouse over an area of the wave file. To
expand or reduce the selection, hold down the Shift key while clicking on the desired new boundary.
This button plays the selected area, and then stops. The other instruments are all muted; you
just hear the audio.
This button selects the whole track, useful for applying one of the built-in audio plug-ins.
This button lets you access various editing features. They will apply to the highlighted region of
audio, but if no region is highlighted, then they will apply to the entire track.

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 Note: The editing functions are available for the Audio and Utility tracks only.
Silence - This will silence the audio.
Amplify - This will increase or decrease the volume of the audio by a chosen number of
decibels. A positive value will make the audio louder, or a negative value will make the
audio quieter.
Normalize - This will increase or decrease the volume of the audio in order to make the
loudest point match the chosen decibel level. For example, if you choose -6 decibels and the
loudest point in your audio is -8 decibels, then the audio will be increased by +2 decibels.
Fade In - This will gradually change the volume of the audio. The audio will begin silent,
and then gradually increase to full volume at the end. You can change the type of
amplification curve in the Audio Edit Settings dialog.
Fade Out - This will gradually change the volume of the audio. The audio will begin at full
volume, and then gradually decrease to silence at the end. You can change the type of
amplification curve in the Audio Edit Settings dialog.
Cut - This will cut the selected region of audio.
Copy - This will copy the selected region of audio to the clipboard.
Paste (Mix) - This will mix the audio from the clipboard with the existing audio instead of
overwriting it. You will be given the option to set the percentage of the existing audio to
keep and the pasted audio to mix in.
Paste (Insert) - This will insert the audio from the clipboard to the current location, instead of overwriting the
existing audio. The audio to the right of the insertion point will be shifted to make room for the new audio.
Delete - This will delete the selected region of audio.
Insert Silence - This will insert silence at the cursor. The duration of the silence inserted will be equal to the duration
of the selected region.
Convert Channels - If the audio is stereo, this will convert it to mono. If it’s mono, this will convert it to stereo.
You will be given the option to set the percentage of the left and right channels to include.
Transpose - This will transpose the audio by a specified number of cents.
Harmonize - This will add harmonies to the audio.
Transcribe - This will transcribe the audio as MIDI data and write it into the same track. Note that the audio in the
source track should be monophonic (e.g. vocal, saxophone).
Fix Tuning - This will automatically correct the tuning according to the key of your song. For example, in the key of
C, if a C# is detected then it will be transposed down to C or up to D depending on which one is closer.
Fix “Sour” Notes - This will automatically correct notes in polyphonic audio. When chord is played with multiple
notes at once, this feature can fix certain notes within that chord so that the note won’t clash with the chord
progression or other tracks. In the dialog, you can select one of the rules for the auto-fix.

Rules: This defines the rules for the auto-

fix. You can see the description for each
rule in the above area.
Process MIDI: If this option is enabled,
any MIDI note on the track will be
processes as well. Notes within the
selected region will be changed according
to the chosen rule.
Sensitivity Level: Increasing the
sensitivity level will cause weaker notes to
be detected. Decreasing it will cause
weaker notes to be ignored and unaffected
by the auto-fix.

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Transient Level: Increasing the transient level will make transients (e.g., beats like plucking sounds or drum hits)
louder. Decreasing it will make transients quieter.
Smoothing ms: This is the length of time that notes will take to change in milliseconds. Increase this for
instruments that sound better with slower bending between notes like vocals or pedal steel. Decrease for rigid
sounding instruments like piano.
Pitch Correction: This will correct the tuning of notes. For example, a guitar might have one string out of tune, and
notes played on that string will be pitch corrected.
Settings - This allows you to customize the appearance of the window.
This button will open the Audio Edit Settings dialog, which allows you to customize the appearance of the
window.

Draw interpolation: If this is enabled, the curved lines will be drawn between sample points, representing real sond.
Interpolation quality: This is the accuracy of the interpolation drawing.
Default fade type: Choose the type of curve used for the automatic/manual cross-fading. “S-Curve” is good for
most situations and is the best for very short fade durations since it will not introduce a noise.
Auto cross-fade regions: When a region of audio is being modified or replace, the beginning and ending of the
region will be cross-faded with the existing audio to make a smooth transition. This applies to Cut, Paste, Silence,
Amplify, and Normalize.
Default duration in sample for cross-fades: This is the number of samples that will be used for audio cross-fading.
This duration will be shortened automatically when processing very short regions of audio.
Synchronize insert/delete edits with MIDI on track: If this is enabled, then when inserting or deleting regions of
audio, MIDI on the same track will be shifted accordingly to keep the MIDI and audio in sync.
Mouse wheel zooms to edit cursor instead of mouse pointer: If this is enabled, the mouse wheel will zoom to the
edit cursor instead of zooming to the mouse cursor.
Center screen to edit cursor when zooming: If this is enabled, the edit cursor will scroll to the center of the
window when zooming with the mouse wheel. This is only applicable if “Mouse wheel zooms to edit cursor instead
of mouse pointer” is enabled.
This button allows you to change the Marker Mode. When you select the Audio
Chord Wizard or UserTracks mode, the markers will be visible and editable.
Each marker mode displays editable markers for various purposes. The Audio Chord Wizard mode shows bar line
markers for making a tempo map, and the User Track mode shows bar/beat markers for defining rules in your
UserTrack.
Audio Chord Wizard (Built-in)
The built-in Audio Chord Wizard can be accessed from the [Audio Chord Wizard] toolbar button

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Alternatively, you can press the [Audio Edit] button, and when the Audio Edit window opens, press the [Marker
Mode] button on its toolbar and select Audio Chord Wizard from the menu.

The first task is to locate bar lines in the audio so that the Audio Chord Wizard can detect chords accurately and the
audio will play in sync with the Band-in-a-Box song.

You can add bar lines with the [Add Bar Line] button or with the L key on your keyboard. A bar
line will be placed at the audio edit cursor or at the playback cursor if the song is currently playing.
When you start entering bar lines, the program automatically sets the tempo of the song to the tempo of the first bar
of the audio.

Once the tempo of the first bar is set, the program automatically moves the location of the first bar of audio over so
that the visual space of the count-in bars is visible.

After you’ve added the bar lines, if you adjust the first or second bar and the tempo of the first bar changes
accordingly, the program automatically changes the tempo of the song to match.

The [Add/Delete Bar Lines] button menu has options to add bar lines based on your song
structure or tempo. You can delete all of the existing bar lines or only the ones within the highlighted region.

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 If “Auto Marking” is enabled, then Band-in-a-Box will automatically add and arrange bar lines
based on the bar lines you have added manually. The “auto” bar lines will show in light blue, and the “user” bar
lines will show in purple. You can change these colors in the Audio Edit Settings dialog if you want.

If “Auto Analysis” is enabled, then Band-in-a-Box will re-analyze the chords in the audio
whenever you add or move a bar line, or when you edit the audio data. Keep this setting disabled if you prefer to set
all bar lines first (i.e. establishing tempo), and then analyze the chords when you are done.
Bar lines can be moved with the mouse. Just click and drag the thumb control at the bottom. If you move an “auto”
bar line, it will become a “user” bar line.
You can also right-click on the thumb control to get a context menu with options to switch a marker type (“user” or
“auto”), delete the bar line, or set the time signature for the bar. The menu also shows you the tempo of the bar,
based on the time signature of the bar and the position of the next bar line.

Use the [Analyze] button to analyze the chords in the audio. The chords detected in the audio
will be written into the Chord Sheet. You don’t need to do this if you have “Auto Analysis” enabled, but you might
want to if you have erased or made changes to the chords in the Chord Sheet.
When you add or move bar lines, Band-in-a-Box will automatically make a tempo map, so your song is in sync with
the audio.
Any changes you make in the Audio Chord Wizard mode are undo-able. This was previously not possible with the
standalone Audio Chord Wizard.
When you open the Chord Sheet, you will see the Audio Chord Wizard has entered the chords and the tempo map.

If “Transcribe MIDI to Track” is checked, the wizard will send the transcribed MIDI notes
to the track for further analysis by the user (via Piano Roll or Notation window). Note that this is a “snapshot” view
every 8th note of the pitches present, not an attempt at polyphonic transcription.

The [Equalize Tempos] button will remove tempo changes by stretching regions of audio so
that the tempos are all equal.

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 The wheel button opens the dialog for customizing the chord analysis.
Song Key: Choose the key in which to look for chords. For example,
if the song key is set to G major, the wizard will search for chords in
the key of G major. These G major chords are further specified by the
Chord Preset.
Chord Preset: Choose which set of chords to look for, from the chosen
key.

Pre-tune audio: Auto-tune the track to a reference of A440 before performing the chord analysis. This is useful for
songs that were recorded slightly out of tune.
Minimum chord duration 1 bar: This forces the wizard to choose only 1 chord per bar (i.e. no half-bar chords).
Automatic Range Selection for Audio Editing
When you perform various editing tasks from the Audio | Edit Audio menu, the Choose Range dialog will
automatically use the region that is selected in the Audio Edit window.

Non-Destructive Audio Track Editing

The changes you make to the Audio track are non-destructive and only become permanent if you save the file.
If you have a song file called MySong.MGU, the Audio track is stored in a MySong.WAV file. If you are editing the
audio, the edits are now made to a temporary WAV file called TEMPMAIN.WAV, and not to MySong.WAV. If
you save the song, the changes get written to the MySong.WAV audio file, but if you don’t save, the original file is
preserved.

Harmonizing Audio
The audio harmonies include following features.
- Harmonizing the audio with up to 4 voices.
- Correcting out-of-tune notes.
- Transcribing the audio to notation.
First, open an audio file (WAV/WMA/MP3/M4A) or a Band-in-a-Box song file with audio. Then, go to the menu
Audio or Harmony, and select Audio Harmonies, Pitch Tracking, Fix Tuning (Audio Edit).
or
This will open the Audio Edit window and the Audio Harmony dialog.
Tip: If the Audio Edit window is already open, press the [Edit] button on its toolbar and select Harmonize to open the Audio
Harmony dialog.

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Choose one of the 3 harmonizing modes.

- The “Chords” mode will harmonize the audio based on the chords in your song. Choose a type of harmony from
the “Harmony type” option. Choose either the intelligent mode, which allows you to select the number of voices
and other options, or one of the harmony presets. When you select the intelligent mode, you can also use the
“Melody Double” option to make one of the harmony voices double the original melody. For the 2-part harmony,
you can make the harmony voice 3rds or 6ths above/below the original melody depending on the “Voice above”
setting or a combination of 3rds and 6ths with the “Duet Voicing” setting.
- The “MIDI” mode will add voices to the audio, based on MIDI notes in the source track. You can choose the
number of voices (up to 4 voices).
- The “Fix Tuning” mode will analyze the source track and corrects out-of-tune notes in the selected region
according to the key of your song.
Source track is the track that the selected harmonizing mode will apply to.
The Output to separate tracks option is selectable when the source track is the Audio or a Utility track. If you
uncheck this, harmony voices will be written into the source track and merged with the existing audio in that track.
You can also set the volume and stereo balance for each harmony voice. If you check this option, harmony voices
will be written into other tracks that you select with the Destination track option. After harmony voices are
generated, you can use the Mixer to control volume, panning, reverb, and tone, or add effects for each voice.
You can enable the Transcribe option for the source track and/or harmony voices. Note that the audio in the source
track should be monophonic (e.g. vocal, saxophone).

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Applying Audio Plug-Ins
When you have recorded audio, you’d likely want to apply some type of effect to the audio. The usual one is reverb.
Choose the audio plug-in that you want from the Audio | Plugin menu. For reverb, choose the Reverb option. You
will then see a plug-in with its own settings, specific to the type of plug-in.
Inside the plug-in, you can preview the plug-in effect, and if you like it you can then proceed with processing the
entire .WAV file. You can undo the effects of any plug-in by choosing Edit | Undo.
VST/DX Plugins for Individual Tracks
VST and DX audio effects can be applied to individual tracks. The control of effects plugins can be managed from
the Mixer, on the [Plugins] tab.

MIDI tracks have 4 slots. The first slot can take a synthesizer (e.g. Sforzando, Coyote GM, Garritan Aria, and
HyperCanvas) and the other 3 can take audio effects (e.g. reverb, compression etc.).
Audio tracks (RealTracks, the Audio track, or Utility tracks) have 4 slots. There is no synthesizer slot, so they have
4 for audio.
Click on a plugin name, and use the menu to choose a plugin, load or save a preset or a group of plugins, change
plugins settings, and do more.

Reading the Audio and MIDI Tracks into Other Programs

If you have a Band-in-a-Box song that has an audio track as well, and want to export that song to a sequencer like
PowerTracks Pro Audio, follow these steps:
- For a song called MYSONG.MGU, the associated .WAV file (audio track) will be called MYSONG.WAV.
- You should make a MIDI file (by pressing the .MID button). Save the .MID in the same folder as the song. Then
your sequencer can read the entire file by doing the following inside your sequencer:
- Open the MIDI file.
- Import the .WAV file track into the sequence.
Tip: PowerTracks Pro Audio recognizes that this is a Band-in-a-Box file with a wave file associated with it, and will offer to read
them both in. In earlier versions of PowerTracks Pro and other sequencers you need to follow the steps above.

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 Chapter 12: Wizards, Tutors, and Fun
Video Window
You can load a video that you have already downloaded from YouTube or elsewhere into Band-in-a-Box Video
Window. The audio is extracted from the video to the Audio track.
To load and play a video, select the Open File menu item from the [Open] button and choose a
video file (mp4/wmv/avi).

Alternatively, click on the [Video] button and select Video Player. Then, when the Video
Window opens, click on the [Open] button on its toolbar and select a video file.

Play, Stop or Move to a position in the video using the Transport toolbar.
As the song plays, you can slow down the video, and the audio will slow down and
stay in sync.
The quality of the audio at slower tempos is great - better than most video player programs. The video slowdown
range is 50-100%. If you want slower than that, you can select values as low as 12%, which is an 8X slowdown (1
second would take 8 seconds), and still has good quality. Note: When set to values lower than 50%, the Video
Window is disabled, but the audio continues at the extreme slow tempo. This is a great tool for transcription. You
can select a range in the Chord Sheet window and use Transport - [Loop] button to loop a section of the video at a
low tempo for example.
You can size the window by dragging the corner.

There is a [Full] button to make the video full screen, and the [Esc] key will go out of the full screen
mode.
This will open the Video Settings dialog which allows you to adjust the audio and video playback
time.

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Offset in MS:

Sync method:

Minimum sync interval

Sync drift tolerance
This will adjust the video playback in milliseconds. A positive value will make the
video play later while a negative value will make it play earlier.
When the video and the audio are out of sync. “Video to
main program” will change the video position. “Main
program to video” will change the audio position which
may cause a noise. “Do not sync” will never attempt to re-
sync.
This allows you to set a minimum number of seconds between attempts to
re-sync the video and the audio.
This allows you to set a maximum drift time in milliseconds between the
video and the audio. If they are out of sync less than this value, then the
program will not try to re-sync.

“Woodshed” Tempo Feature

When practicing (or “woodshedding”) a tune, it is useful for the tempo to speed up every time the section loops or
the song restarts from the beginning.
Press the [Practice] toolbar button and select Woodshed (increasing) Tempo… from the pulldown menu.
This will open the Tempo Woodshedding dialog.
For example, if you set the “Woodshed tempo” value to 5 in this dialog, the tempo will speed up by 5 each time the
song (or a highlighted section) loops to the beginning. The idea is that you start off with a slow tempo, playing the
part perfectly, and keep this up as the song tempo increases.

When you press Stop, the tempo reverts to the original tempo.

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There are 4 modes to the woodshed tempo field.
1. “Up only,” which is getting faster each loop “forever,” well until tempo = 500, which is BB’s maximum tempo.
2. An “up then down” mode that goes up by [a settable increment] up to [a settable maximum] and then starts going
down by the increment back to the original where it restarts. For example, a song with a tempo of 140, if you set
the tempo to increase by 5, to a maximum increase of 100, the song will go from 140,145,150 etc. to 240, then go
to 235,230… back to 140 and cycle again.
3. An “Up then Reset” mode, that goes up in increments up to the settable maximum, then resets to the original and
starts again. For example, a song with a tempo of 140, if you set the tempo to increase by 5, to a maximum
increase of 100, the song will go from 140,145,150 etc. to 240, then go to 140 and start again.
4. An “Up and stay at Max” mode that goes up until the settable maximum and stays there.
Modes 2 and 3 are analogous to a “treadmill workout,” with programmed changes in speed.

Audio Chord Wizard (Stand-alone)

This amazing wizard automatically figures out the chords from an audio file (MP3/MP4/WAV/WMA) and displays
them in Band-in-a-Box. Just load an audio file and you will instantly see the chords.
You can access this feature from the Audio | Launch Audio Chord Wizard menu item.
Chord Sheet Overview
There’s a Chord Sheet window in the Audio Chord Wizard that shows the chords for the whole song on a single
screen. This allows you to click on a bar on the Chord Sheet to jump to that area of the song.
You can mark sections of the song using part markers, and the sections will begin on a new line with a line space
between so they are clearly seen. So, you can then also learn the form of the song, as you can see the various
sections (intro/verse/chorus/break) at a glance, or quickly jump to the any section simply by double-clicking on that
part of the Chord Sheet.
For this discussion, open C:\bb\Documentation\Tutorials\Tutorial - BB2007\Frontier.MP3.
You will now see the song, and the Chord Sheet window in the Audio Chord Wizard is visible.
Play the song.
When a new bar starts, hit the Enter key (or F8). This is called “tapping in a bar line.”
The first time you do that, the program will consider that point to be “bar 1.” Tap in a few more bar lines.
Click on the Chord Sheet, and the music will jump to that location.
Now, let’s define some sections in the song.
If a bar begins a new section, click on the bar # on the Chord Sheet, or press the P key to put in a part marker.
Pressing P again will change the part marker, and then turn it off.

Now the song is divided into sections, with space between each section, and each section starting on a new line.

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If we want to renumber the bars, right-click on the waveform time line at the place that you would like to be bar 1,
and choose “Set Bar One.”
To change the # of bars per row, or rows per screen, right-click on the Chord Sheet.
The +/- buttons at the bottom right of the window also change the row height.

Chords may be edited in the Audio Chord Wizard with a right mouse click on the
chord. When Edit Chord is selected, a highlight cell opens at the chord location.
Type in the name of the new chord using standard Band-in-a-Box chord entry
characters and press the Enter key to make the edit.

The edited chord name is blue in color.

Individual edits can be removed with the Remove Chord Edit command, or all edits in the song can be removed with
the Remove All Chord Edits command. Part markers, chord symbols, key signature, and tuning setting are saved in
Band-in-a-Box and are passed back and forth to the Chord Wizard.
The Audio Chord Wizard is a great way to learn the chords of songs. You can add section markers and divide the
song logically into sections, so it is also a great way to learn the “form” of the song, an essential part of learning
popular songs.
As well as the chords of the song, the Audio Chord Wizard also figures out,
- the tempo of the file,
- bar lines throughout the song,
- fine tuning detection (e.g. 5 cents sharp from A440),
Note: Audio Chord Wizard estimates the chord progression of an audio file. It is NOT an Audio-to-MIDI transcriber, which would
be a much more elaborate program.

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Audio Chord Wizard Window

Primary Program Controls

Toggle Play/Pause (Space bar or Play/Pause key).
Stop play, rewind to start with Esc key.
Set the bar 1 location. F6 key also sets the bar 1. Audio Chord Wizard works best if you set the bar 1
location before any other actions. During playback, press this button at the beginning of bar 1.
Moves nearest bar line to current play position. F8 or Enter key also sets bar lines.
Song time signature, 2/4 to 12/8 supported.
Average tempo, right-click for options.
Song key signature.
Use to correct pitch of song if necessary.
Exit and send chords to Band-in-a-Box.
Exit without sending chords to Band-in-a-Box.
Chord Detection
Chord Detection accuracy depends on the accuracy of the bar lines. If bar lines are not well-aligned then the Chord
Detection can be expected to be rather poor. It is quick and easy to align the bar lines on most songs, once you get
the hang of it.
The first task is to locate the beginning of Bar One. Since an audio file could have an arbitrary amount of silence at

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the beginning of the song, and many songs begin with a pickup partial bar, ACW cannot easily guess the first bar
without a hint from you.
The shortcut keys and mouse playback controls make it easy to find Bar One. Tap the space bar to begin play, watch
the Location Cursor, and listen for the downbeat. If the Location Cursor passes the downbeat and you were not
completely certain of the location, you can tap the W key to rewind to the song beginning and replay the first part of
the song, to audition the downbeat as many times as necessary to make sure of its location.
You can also single-click in the Chords panel to jump the playback position. If the rhythm is unusually complicated
near the downbeat, you could repeatedly click just a little before the suspected Bar One location, to zero-in on the
exact downbeat.
In the following example song, we have discovered the downbeat of Bar One, so we Right-click on that location to
Set Bar One.
Now the Bar One bar line is red (shown below). The red Triangle bar
indicator indicates that we have edited that bar line. The Red
Triangles are called Good Bar Lines (GBL’s). The green Triangle
bar indicators are bar lines which ACW has automatically inferred
from its automatic tempo detection PLUS your edited Good Bar
Lines. We call the green automatic bar lines Inferred Bar Lines
(IBL’s).
On this example song, the initial automatic tempo detection did a
pretty good job. Simply setting Bar One has caused the first four bars
to be properly aligned to the music. On some songs, Set Bar One is
the only action necessary to get good bar alignment for the ENTIRE
tune.

As playback continues in this example (below), we notice that ACW has made its first error approaching Bar 5.
Audio Chord Wizard has estimated the tempo of Bar 4 too slow. But that is easy to fix. If you prefer real-time
control, just tap F8 or the Enter key where the downbeat should actually be.
If you prefer stopped-time editing, you can either mouse-drag Bar 5 to its desired position or drag the Playback
Location Cursor to the desired position and then tap F8 or the Enter key.

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When satisfied with the Bar lines and Chords, click on the [OK] button to return the Chords and Tempo Map to
Band-in-a-Box.
Keyboard Shortcuts
Keyboard shortcuts make it easier to navigate the song and tap in bar lines without having to work the mouse with
start/stop/scroll actions.
Play/Pause- SPACE BAR, or Multimedia keyboard PLAY/PAUSE key or (certain keyboards) PLAY key
Stop- ESC key, or PAUSE key, or Multimedia keyboard STOP key
Tap Barline- F8, or ENTER key
Jump To Song Start- W key, or HOME key
Jump To Song End- END key
Jump Forward One Bar- RIGHT ARROW key
Jump Back One Bar- LEFT ARROW key
Jump Forward Four Bars- PAGE DOWN key, or DOWN ARROW key, or Multimedia keyboard NEXT TRACK
key
Jump Back Four Bars- PAGE UP key, or UP ARROW key, or Multimedia keyboard PREVIOUS TRACK key
Special Cases
Time Signature:
If a song is not in the default 4/4 time signature, set the Time Signature very early before you do anything else.
Bad Initial Tempo Estimates
Double/Half Tempo:
Sometimes Audio Chord Wizard will guess double or half of the tempo you might prefer.
Slightly Wrong:
Sometimes syncopated songs can have musical anticipations which make ACW guess a tempo slightly too fast or
slightly too slow.
Completely, Horribly Wrong:
Some songs have rhythms difficult for a computer to understand. Sometimes a song’s rhythmic beats are spaced in
such a way that a song with a perfect Tempo of 120, might mathematically BETTER fit the audio beats at some
simple (but wrong) related ratio such as 80, 100, 160, or 180 BPM.
If the initial Tempo Estimate is pretty good, the Tap Bar line function will be the easiest way to fix such errors,
requiring only a few keyboard taps during playback.
But if the initial tempo estimate happens to be horribly wrong, it helps to make the initial tempo “in the ballpark”
BEFORE you tap a few F8’s to make it completely right.

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Right-click on the Avg Tempo control for some easy automatic fixes.
Note: If you want to use the Avg Tempo Menu functions, use the menu very soon after you have opened a song, before you have
done much bar editing. If you invoke the Avg Tempo Menu functions after you have laboriously edited a lot of bar lines, the
automatic nature of these functions can ruin your previous editing.
In some cases, there is a good reason to initially set the tempo artificially slow by using the “Find Best Half Tempo”
function.
For example, if the initial tempo estimate is considerably faster than the tempo that you want to tap in, the Tap Bar
line function can mistakenly think that you want a very fast tempo, which fills the remainder of the song with
unwanted fast-tempo bars. In that case, if you initially set the tempo very slow, ACW will be unlikely to
misinterpret your Tap Bar Lines.
Set Key Signature
Once the chords look reasonable, for instance if your song looks like it is probably in the key of F, set the Key
Signature control to F for better chord spelling. This only affects the cosmetic display of notes and chords (flats and
sharps). The Key Signature control does not currently affect the basic accuracy of Chord Detection.
Adjust Fine-Tuning
If a song is significantly mis-tuned from concert pitch, the notes are “in the cracks,” which makes Chord Detection
less accurate.
If your Chords look reasonable, there is no need to bother with Tuning. Most songs are recorded pretty close to
Concert Pitch.
But if you see numerous Chord errors, it may help to adjust the Fine Tuning control.
If you are playing along with a song on your keyboard, you might decide to make an ear-estimate of how far out-of-
tune is the song:
For instance, you could adjust the fine-tuning control on your keyboard until your keyboard matches the song’s pitch
(according to your ear). Then you could look at your keyboard’s tuning readout and adjust ACW’s Fine Tune
Control to match. Either click-drag ACW’s Fine Tune control (like a slider control), or right-click on the Fine Tune
control then type in a number.
The Fine Tune Control currently does not change the pitch of playback (though that would be an excellent future
feature). Currently ACW’s Fine Tune control only improves Chord Detection on mis-tuned songs.
The Fine Tune control is calibrated in cents, 1/100th of a semitone. Therefore, if a song is perfectly in the key of C,
but if you set Fine Tune to +100 Cents, ACW would display chords in the key of B. Similarly, if you set Fine Tune
to -100 Cents, it would display that song’s chords in the key of C#.
That simple use of the Fine Tune control is just a backwards way to transpose the Chords. But if you set Fine-Tune
somewhere in the middle, ACW looks for notes that are somewhere “in the cracks” between the piano keys. For
instance, if your song SHOULD be in the key of C, but it was unfortunately recorded 50 Cents sharp--
There could be many reasons that a song was recorded off Concert Pitch. Maybe the recording studio had a broken
tape recorder, or the singer couldn’t quite hit the highest note. Perhaps the vinyl record cutter was off-speed, or some
Record Executive decided that the song was 10 seconds too long for airplay and instructed the Mastering Engineer to
speed it up a little bit. In such cases ACW can get confused, mis-identifying some pitches too high and other pitches
too low, detecting nonsense Chords.
So, if your favorite song was unfortunately recorded 50 Cents sharp, you can set the Fine-Tune control to +50 Cents
so that ACW will properly display in the “original” key.

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Auto Estimate Tuning
ACW can automatically estimate the tuning, which helps in some cases. Since the
estimation is math-intensive, ACW only analyzes one bar of music at a time.
Right-click somewhere inside a bar and pick the Estimate Tuning function.
After the process is finished, up pops the results dialog.
As advised in the dialog, results can be improved by carefully picking the bar. Bars with
relatively long notes are easier to analyze, compared to bars containing flashy fast
melodies.
It can be useful to spot-check a few bars. If several spot-checks give similar answers
(within a few cents), you have good confidence that the results are actually meaningful,
not being randomly affected by out-of-tune melodies or loud drums.
However, if the first estimate reads +43 and the next measurement reads -12, then it
probably means that your song is not a good candidate for automatic Tuning Estimation.

Odd Length Bars and Drastic Tempo Changes

If a 4/4 song contains occasional bars of 3/4, 5/4, or whatever, or if there are sections where the music has an
extreme ritard or accelerando, sometimes you can just Tap Bar Lines to adjust it.
But it is sometimes more convenient to manually add or delete bar lines. The following example song has an overall
Time Signature of 4/4, but Bar 9 should have a time signature of 2/4. If you simply Tap Bar Line on 9:3 to shorten
the bar, then ACW will mistakenly decide that you wish to make all the following bar lines double-tempo 4/4.

Solution
First, Right-Click on the beat 9:3, and Insert a bar line.

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Now a new bar line is added, and three new GBL bar lines are flagged red.

Right-Click on the new shortened Bar 9 and set the Time Signature to 2/4.

Change Bar 10 to its desired duration. Hover the mouse over the red triangle marker at Bar 11, and the mouse cursor
becomes a drag cursor. Click and drag the bar line to the location marked 11:3

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Now we have edited bar 9 to have its proper 2/4 Time Signature and preserved the song tempo on both sides of the
2/4 bar.
Notes Display
The Notes Display looks like a MIDI Piano Roll, but it is not exactly the same as a MIDI Piano Roll. Audio Chord
wizard detects the strongest frequencies found in each eighth-note time slot and displays them in the Notes Display.
Sometimes the displayed frequencies REALLY ARE instrument notes played in the audio file. But they could be
spurious information, such as the accidental loudest frequency of a drum beat. A midrange frequency note-bar might
be showing the sum of harmonics from several instruments, each instrument’s harmonics contributing to the strength
of that frequency.
The Notes Display information is real and useful but try not to assume that every displayed note-bar is a real note in
the audio.
Display Controls
Horizontal Scroll Bar

Scroll forward/back in the wave file.

Plus/Minus Zoom Buttons
Zoom the display to show more or less detail.
Audio Chord Wizard Utilities Dialog

The Audio Chord Wizard Utilities dialog can be launched at any time from the menu item (File | Open Special |
Audio Chord Wizard Utilities, or Audio | Audio Chord Wizard Utilities).
It is also launched automatically after returning from the Audio Chord Wizard

Automatic detection of key signature based on the chords only. This is useful for a song from the Audio Chord
Wizard, where you forgot to set the key signature or for any song without the key signature set.

If you agree with the analysis, you can accept the chord signature recommended for
the song, by pressing the [Set the song key signature to -] button.
Make a Tempo Map

After an audio song (MP3/WAV/WMA) has been loaded into the

AudioChordWizard, there will be bar lines assigned automatically by ACW, and perhaps modified by you. If you

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would like Band-in-a-Box song file to follow these bar lines, so that the BB file will play in sync with the audio file,
press the [Make a tempo map in BB] button.

You will then see red boxes on the BB Chord Sheet, indicating tempo changes and the presence of a tempo map.

Press this button to remove the tempo map, and the “red boxes” will disappear around the bar
lines.
Note: You can always get the tempo map back, by pressing “Make a tempo map” at any time.

This erases the Audio track from Band-in-a-Box. If you have loaded in an MP3 file, the
audio track isn’t the MP3 file, it is the WAV file copy that Band-in-a-Box has made of it. So, you wouldn’t be
erasing your MP3 file! Note that you also have to SAVE the BB file to have the erasure be complete.
If you enable the style, you will hear the audio file as well as the Band-in-a-Box style. Otherwise, you
can mute the Band-in-a-Box style by disabling it here.

You can revisit the Audio Chord Wizard by pressing this button (this can also be done from
the Audio menu). Revisiting the AudioChordWizard is useful to refine the bar lines.
Tip: How to preserve chords if you revisit the Audio Chord Wizard

If you do revisit the Audio Chord Wizard and want to preserve the chords that you may have edited, first select all of
the chords, choose Edit-Copy, and then, after the AudioChordWizard, choose Edit-Paste. Otherwise, the
AudioChordWizard might re-interpret your chords!

MIDI File Chord Interpretation Wizard

Many MIDI files lack chord symbols, making them difficult to play along with by ear. Now you can open any MIDI
file in Band-in-a-Box, and Band-in-a-Box will automatically figure out the chords of the song for you. The chords
are written onto the Band-in-a-Box Chord Sheet like any other song. You can also read tracks into the Melody and
Soloist tracks.
Importing Chords
You can import the chords from a MIDI file. To do this, first blank the Chord Sheet by choosing File | New. Then
select the menu item File | Import | Import Chords from MIDI file or press the Ctrl+Alt+I keys to launch the
Interpret Chords from MIDI file dialog.
Press the [Open (Change)…] button to select the MIDI file that you’d like to import.
Once you’ve selected the file, you can press the [INTERPRET CHORDS NOW]
button. When you do that, the chords will be interpreted from the MIDI file, and written onto the Chord Sheet. Prior
to pressing the [INTERPRET CHORDS NOW] button, you might want to make some custom settings.
When you load in the MIDI file, Band-in-a-Box interprets many things from the MIDI
file for you automatically. Normally you’d want this to happen, but if you’d prefer to make the settings yourself,
you can set the Auto Interpret settings from MIDI file to false.
Once you have loaded in the MIDI file, and assuming that you have the “Auto Interpret” set to true, you will see that
the dialog displays the settings that the Chord Wizard has found for the key signature, and channels used for the
song.

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Let’s work with an example song called violet.MID. This should be included in the C:\bb\Documentation\Tutorials
folder.
- Start with a blank worksheet by choosing File | New.
- Choose the MIDI File chord Wizard dialog by choosing File | Import | Import Chords from MIDI file.
Press the [Open (Change)…] button to select the MIDI file, and then choose the file that you’d like to import. In
this case, it is C:\bb\Documentation\Tutorials\violet.MID.
Once you load in the MIDI file, you will see that the Chord Wizard has analyzed it and made these determinations.
It has automatically determined that the violet.MID file
- has 2 bars of lead-in.
- has 103 bars of chords.
- is in the key of F with a 4/4 time
signature, and a tempo of 120.
- has the Bass part on channel 2.
- has the chording (comping) parts on
channels 3, 6 and 7.
- has the Melody on Channel 4.
- has no other parts like the Melody to
put on the Soloist track.
Now, after loading in the MIDI files, you’d normally have a look at these settings above, to see if they seem
reasonable for your MIDI file. If not, you can change the settings. For example, if you knew that the Melody
channel was on channel 3, you could override the Chord Wizard settings.

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Once you have done that, you should choose one of the Presets, to quickly put the settings to the type of song that we
are trying to interpret.
Chord Options: When you choose one of these presets, it makes a number of settings in the Chord Options section
of the dialog. You can override them in this dialog.

Chord Resolution: This is the minimum number of beats for a chord. For example, if you set it to “2 beats” then the
Chord Wizard will never attempt to come up with different chords that are only a beat apart. If you have a song that
has a short section that does include chords every beat, you can redo that section of the song with a “1 beat”
resolution. (Default = 2 beats)
Include Slash Chords: If set, the Chord Wizard will include “slash chords” like F7/A or Cm/G.
Bass Part is mainly: You can set this to “Root,” “Root-3-5,” or “Walking Bass.” If you choose “Root,” the chord
Wizard will assume that any bass note is the root of the chord. Choosing “Root-3-5” will cause the Chord Wizard to
assume that the bass pattern is mainly on the root, 3rd and 5th of the chord. If you choose “Walking bass,” it will
assume that the bass notes can be changing and can include many notes beside the root. Setting the Walking bass
line will likely result in fewer chords overall than setting the “Root only” option.
Allow Sus Chords / Allow 7th chords / Allow chords with no thirds: The setting for “Allow Sus chords”
determines if chords like Csus or Bbsus7 will be included. The “Allow 7th chords” specifies if 7th chords like C7 or
Bbm7 would be allowed. Simple Rock songs might not have 7th chords or Sus chords. Allowing chords with no
thirds should be set in a hard rock song, or similar song with “power chords” that might not contain the 3rd of the
chords.
Lowest bass note is delayed: Usually a bass player plays the root of the chord at or near the time when the chord
changes. But in solo piano playing or some bass styles, the bass doesn’t state the root until later on, and this setting
should be set to “delayed” in a solo piano style of this type.
Method: Set the primary style of the song to Jazz or Pop/Country from the combo box.
Using the Chord Options Presets to quickly make settings
For the song violet.MID,” we know that this is a Jazz Swing type of song, so we press the Preset
Called “Jazz Standard.” By doing this, we see that the chord options have then been set to Chord Resolution of 2
beats, no slash chords, walking bass, sus chords, 7th chords, and Jazz lead sheet. These settings look OK for our
Jazz song, if we wanted to customize it (e.g., to allow slash chords) we could do it at this point.
So, to recap, using the Chord Wizard is a 3-step process.
1. We’ve loaded in the song violet.MID.
2. Pressing the preset button called [Jazz Standard], we then looked at the Chord Options settings
for the various channels and they looked OK, so we didn’t make any changes.

3. We then press [INTERPRET CHORDS NOW]. This gets the Chord

Wizard to interpret the chords and write them onto the Chord Sheet.

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Once we’ve pressed the [INTERPRET CHORDS NOW] button, we can see the results, by looking at the Chord
Sheet. Here are the chords that were interpreted.

So that we can see how well the Chord Wizard did, we can compare it to the “correct chords” of the song, input by a
musician listening to the song.

As you can see, by comparing the two sets of chords, the Chord Wizard got almost all of the chords correct in this
example. The Chord Wizard purposely avoids chords like “C13.” It will put a simpler “C7” instead, since this is
more like a typical lead sheet.
If you’ve read in the entire MIDI file, you have 103 bars of chords on the Chord Sheet. This actually contains 3
choruses of the song. You might want to reduce that to a single chorus by setting the chorus end of the song to bar
36 and then erasing the excess bars (after bar 36) by choosing Edit | Erase.
Examining the song that has been interpreted by the Chord Wizard.
You will notice that the title (Violet Song), key (F), and tempo (120) have been set to the values found in the file.
Part markers are not set; the Chord Wizard doesn’t try to guess where part markers might be occurring. You need to
put the part markers in yourself. You also need to choose the style to use (a Jazz Swing style in this case). If you
examine the Melody track (by opening the Notation window and right-clicking on some notes or pressing the Event
List (#) button), you will notice that the Melody track contains notes from Channel 4, which is what we specified in
the Chord Wizard dialog.
Importing Part of a MIDI file or re-doing a section of the Chord Sheet)

Normally, we’d want to import an entire MIDI file worth of chords. But if you want to import some bars, then
deselect the “Import Complete song” checkbox, and specify where to start in the MIDI file (i.e. the number of lead-in
bars in MIDI file), what bar to start at in Band-in-a-Box (Insert to BB starting at bar #), and the number of bars to
import (How Many Bars to import?).
Using the violet.MID file, we could redo a section of the song using different settings. (For example, a chord
resolution of 1 beat instead of 2 beats.) If we were unhappy with the results at bar 7 and 8, we could redo this by
making the settings as follows:

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Other Settings for the Chord Wizard
Band-in-a-Box and PowerTracks Pro Audio songs contain special events
that write the exact chord names into the MIDI file. So if the Chord Wizard sees these events, it will use them
instead of interpreting the chords, since they are likely to be completely accurate. If you prefer to ignore these chord
events, set the “OK to use PG Music Chord names from MIDI File” to false.
The setting for “Write Chord Summary Notes to Soloist Track” is only used for
diagnostic or special purposes. When set, the Soloist track will contain a special track that has a chord written every
2 beats (or whatever the setting for chord resolution is) that contains every note found for the chord. This shows you
the type of logic that the Chord Wizard is basing its decisions on. If you encounter a song that gives incorrect results
for the chords, you can try this setting and then examine the Soloist track to see the actual notes of the chords.
Chord-stepping through the track (using [Ins] and [Del] on the Numpad) allows you to quickly hear the chords.
You can optionally include controllers, pitch bend, patch changes, and
lyrics from the MIDI file.

Practice Window
The Practice Window allows convenient “1-click” access to many Band-in-a-Box features that help you with
practicing.
These include the Ear Training dialog, games (Pitch Invasion etc.), Metronome, CopyMe, Sight Reading, 101 Riffs
series, and more.
To launch the Practice Window, press the [Practice] button on the toolbar and choose Practice Central
from the pulldown menu. You can also go to menu Window | Practice Window or use hot keys
Alt+Shift+L.

There are several purposes for the Practice Window.

Quick access to your favorite/preferred “practice” folders, so that you can setup load in
songs without having to navigate dialogs.
One-click access to many of the education-related features of Band-in-a-
Box (play along soloing, Ear Training, games).

Handy buttons for on-screen transposition for non-concert instruments

and for playing at fractions of the original tempo.

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 One button access to many of the Band-in-a-Box add-ons “101 Riffs”
series and “Master Solos.”
N/A indicates other Band-in-a-Box add-ons that are available, but not
installed on your computer.

One button access to many other PG Music educational programs and lessons.
Most of these items are “add-on” products, available separately, and are
not included in the Band-in-a-Box program. If you have these items
installed to your hard drive, the Practice Window will find them if they are
installed them to the default directories, and if not, you will be able to
point the program to the location of the program, which will be
remembered in future sessions.
This button opens a page with more information about each of the stand-alone programs and
add-ons referred to in this dialog. Internet access is required.
PowerTracks Pro Audio is PG Music’s multitrack digital audio and MIDI sequencer. Many people
import their Band-in-a-Box songs into PowerTracks and work on them further in that program.
For items that you don’t have, you can choose to display or not display them on-screen using
the “Show add-ons if N/A (not available)” setting.
Press this button if you have just installed an add-on or a program. This will allow you to access it
from the Practice Window.
More information about all of the add-on programs can be found at www.pgmusic.com/practice.htm
Making and Using Practice Folders
If you are preparing for a performance or a jam session with friends, you likely have a list of songs that you are
working on. Let’s say they are in a folder called C:\Bob’s Tunes.
Click on the Folder icon. You will then see a menu that lists a Manage Folders submenu, allowing you to
create/remove Practice Folders.
This is list of all Practice Folders defined (there likely won’t be any to
start with, so you can add them using the Manage Folders menu
command). Add a folder that you use frequently to this list.

After the list of Practice Folders, you see a list of “Favorite Folders” – these are the folders that
you have visited recently.
Once you have selected a folder, you then press the [Songs] button, and you will see a pop-up
menu of the file names for that folder, with the current song having a check mark. Load in a
song by choosing the menu item.

Ear Training Tutor

Ear training is an important exercise for all musicians. Now you can practice your ear training with help from Band-
in-a-Box. In addition to the common interval exercises (perfect 4th, minor 2nd, etc.), learning to “play-by-ear” for
Jazz and Pop music is further enhanced by ear training exercises to recognize common chord types (e.g., Major,
Minor, Dominant, etc.).
For example, Band-in-a-Box will play a chord and you will have to identify the correct root and chord type. Your
score can be tracked, allowing you to monitor your progress. Clicking on the various chord types lets you instantly
hear the differences between various chords. Other options include “types of roots and chords to use,” and “voicing
types” (open, closed, etc.) – allowing you to customize the ear training exercises for beginner through to advanced.

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Interval recognition is also customizable from beginner to advanced, with such options as instrument type, octave
range, up/down intervals and more.
Press the [Practice] toolbar button and select Ear Training from the pulldown menu to launch the Ear
Training Window. Alternatively, press Ctrl+Shift+J or go to menu Window | Ear Training.
There are 2 modules in the Ear Training Window.
1. The Interval Tutor plays note intervals for you to identify.
2. The Chord Tutor plays chords (root + extension) for you to identify.
Interval Tutor
Click on the [Interval Tutor] button to launch the Interval Tutor module.

Click on the intervals to hear them. For example, click on “Minor 3” to hear a minor 3rd interval.
Set the interval types to guess. Pressing the [Easy] button will set it to the easiest (within one octave, second note is
always higher, etc.).

Start the game by pressing the [Guess Interval] button.

You can control the starting note and the second note in the dialog.

Once the game starts, click on the interval that you think is being played.

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Chord Tutor
Click on the [Chord Tutor] button to enter the Chord Tutor module.

Press the [Play Tonic] button to familiarize yourself with the root note of the scale as a reference
point.
- Click on any of the other note names to hear that root.
- Click on any of the chord extensions to hear that sound.
Guessing the root
You can test yourself on roots only or root AND extension. Press “Guess a New Root” and you
will hear a root played.
Press this button to hear the root-to-guess replayed. If you need help, press [Play Tonic – C] to
hear the root again.

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 When you think you know the root, press the root name on the list of note names at the left.
If you guess incorrectly, you will see a message that says, “Wrong Root.” You will then hear the note
that you guessed playing, followed by the root-to-guess note again.
If you guess correctly, you will see a confirmation of that, and can play again.
Press the [Stop] button to stop the game.

Guessing the Root and the Extensions

The Guess a New Chord game works in the same way as the Root game, except that here you
are guessing chord extensions. The root is always whatever the setting is at
the left. Click on the extension to guess, and [Replay Chord] button to hear the chord again.
In this mode, you need to guess both the Root and the Extension. You can guess them in any
order.
Click on the root, and when you get it correct you can move on to the extension.
Types of Roots to Include
For the Roots, you can choose which types of roots to include. This can be any of the 12 semitones, or just the scale
tones, or just the 1-4-5 of the scale.
Extension to Include
For the extensions, you can include all of the extensions listed in the dialog, or just the subset that are common
extensions.
Types of Voicings to Include
The chord extension will be played using the voicing type that you specify in the voicing types combo box. These
can be open, closed, or root position voicings. This setting also applies to the voicing used when you are previewing
a chord.
Show notes on piano during guessing
If you were an advanced musician, seeing the notes on the piano during the guessing game would be “cheating,”
since you’d probably quickly recognize the chord. However, a beginner might benefit from seeing the notes played
on the piano screen. If this “show notes on piano during guessing” option is selected, these chords will play on the
small piano located on the main program screen.

The score is displayed on the window. You can reset these results to zero by pressing the [Reset] button.

Ear Training Games

Learning is best when it’s fun, so we’ve included these exciting games in the Band-in-a-Box Ear Training module for
fun times in “the woodshed.”

The programs are available via buttons in the ear training dialog, or by dedicated buttons on the toolbar.
Pitch Invasion
Pitch Invasion helps to develop perfect pitch as you shoot down “alien” notes invading from
above. You hear the note sound and click on the on-screen piano/MIDI or QWERTY
keyboard to shoot it down.

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 For Pitch Invasion, choose a level that will specify the # of note types that will be
invading. The LEVEL determines the speed of the notes.
To shoot the aliens, click on the on-screen keyboard, MIDI keyboard or QWERTY keys.

The program settings allow you to customize the game.

Press the [?] button for more information.
Music Replay
Music Replay develops your pitch, rhythm, and melody recognition by replaying what the
program plays, in note, rhythm, or melodic modes.

For Music Replay, choose the MODE of the game.

There are three modes:
1. Note Replay
2. Rhythm Replay
3. Melody Replay

Set the Level to make the game harder.

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 Press the [HELP] button for more information.

Vocal Wizard
The “Vocal Wizard” displays the best song keys for your vocal range!
This feature helps you choose the best song key for your vocal range. Open the Vocal Wizard, enter your vocal type
(baritone, tenor, etc.), or choose a custom range. Then the wizard analyzes the song and recommends the best keys
for that song. Options available to “include/exclude falsetto range,” “restrict choices to these keys […],” and
“transpose now.”
Before we enter the Vocal Wizard, we’re going to load in the song Old Folks at Home.MGU (present in the
C:\bb\Documentation\Tutorials\Tutorial - BB2005 folder). This song is in the key of F, so we will use the Vocal
Wizard to find the best key for a baritone.
To enter the Vocal Wizard, choose the menu item Window | Lyrics | Vocal Wizard.

You can see from the screenshot that the Vocal Wizard has picked the key of D (colored green) as the best key for
the song, using the baritone vocal range. Other recommended keys are colored yellow. Un-recommended keys are
colored grey and include the current key of the song (F).
Let’s explore the areas of the Vocal Wizard screen.
There are 4 areas that require your input.
1. Entering your Vocal Range.

Here you enter your “comfortable” vocal range, from lowest note to highest note. If you can sing falsetto, you
can also enter the highest falsetto note, and the % of falsetto notes that would be acceptable as falsetto notes.
You can also select a preset (like Baritone Male or Contralto Female). Or you can select one of 8 “User Preset
slots” to enter and save a custom range (if you press the [Save & Name User Preset] button)
2. Selecting the keys that would be “allowable.”

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 Most musicians have favorite keys, so this area allows selection of keys that would be acceptable for the Vocal
Wizard to choose. For example, if we choose “Jazz” keys, we will see that the Vocal Wizard now recommends
the key of C instead of D.
3. Setting the range of the song to analyze (usually the whole song). Normally you’d want to analyze the whole
song, but this allows you to select a partial range.

4. Selecting the track to analyze. You’d usually pick the Melody track but can also choose the Soloist track.

You can then analyze the Melody by pressing the [Analyze] button.
Most functions automatically re-analyze the song but pressing the [Analyze] button forces
a re- analysis of the song. This displays the analysis of the song.
1. A purple area describes the current range of the song, low note to high note, and compares it to your vocal range.

2. The radio buttons show each of the 12 semitone keys and show a score for each key. The lowest score is the best.

In the example Old Folks at Home, you can see that D is the best key, but any of the keys from G to Db are also
good keys in the selected vocal range.
3. The area in black at the bottom gives an analysis of the vocal range if the song was transposed to the chosen key.

Now that the Vocal Wizard has told us the best key for this song, we can either close the dialog,
or transpose it now to the recommended key (or any other key that we have selected with the radio buttons.

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The Vocal Wizard can also work in an automatic mode, transposing a song to the best key as soon as it is loaded,
without having to visit the Vocal Wizard dialog. This is done by checking the “Auto-transpose” checkbox. By
doing this, you can ensure that any song you load will be in the best key for your vocalist! And if the key isn’t
deemed to be ideal, just visit the Vocal Wizard to see an analysis of the ranges to pick an alternate key.

Rhythm Guitar Chord Tutor

Use the Guitar Tutor to analyze any song. This feature will show the chords that are playing on the virtual guitar
fretboard, in your choice of a Jazz, Pop, or Folk perspective. The Guitar Tutor is a fun way to learn about new guitar
chords while playing along with your favorite Band-in-a-Box tune.
The Rhythm Guitar Chord Tutor is most useful on styles that aren’t guitar styles, because the guitar styles already
have a guitar part that you can learn from. Using the tutor, you can see (and optionally hear) guitar chords played on
the guitar fretboard. This teaches you how to play the chords on guitar.
To turn the Rhythm Guitar Chord Tutor on, launch the Guitar Window and press the [Tutor]
button.

Enable Chord Tutor Display

This setting silently displays the chords on the guitar fretboard.
The Display Chords EARLY by (120/PPQ) is an “anticipate” mode that plays the next chord X beats in advance,
allowing time for the user to prepare. If set to 120, the tutor chords will appear a full beat early.
Play Chords through MIDI
To hear the chords, select the “Play Chords through MIDI” checkbox.
Tip: The Tutor uses the MIDI THRU part to playback on. You can control volume, panning, etc. by using the THRU settings on
the main Band-in-a-Box screen.
Guitar Patch
You can select the patch to use directly from the Tutor dialog.
Type of chords to display

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 The tutor will display Jazz, Pop, and Folk voicings in easy, medium, and advanced
forms. The advanced forms use inversions, and changing patterns of chords, while
the easier ones just stick to the common “campfire” chords.
Half Note (sax) chords use the advanced Jazz Guitar “highest-4-strings-comping
mode.” This usually plays on the 4 highest strings, and it plays several chords over
a single chord. For example, for 2 bars of Cmaj7 it might play Cmaj7-Dm7-
Ebdim-Em7 all played as half notes.
There are also tutors for the alternate tunings like DADGAD, Open G, etc. They
can be selected from this drop-down list.

Show muted high note of 3 note comping

One of the tutors uses 3 note Jazz voicings to simulate the famous Big Band chord guitar comping styles. If you use
this, you will only see 3 notes in the chords of course. Since it sometimes helps to see the entire 4 chord voicing in
this case, there is the option to show the muted note as well.
Note: This applies to the guitar tutor. There is also the option to show this for the guitar styles. This option is present in the
Guitar Options dialog.
Copy to melody track / Copy to Soloist track
Pressing either one of these buttons will send the chord to the appropriate track.
The Guitar Tutor stays enabled until you change the Guitar track to another track (for example, to change it to the
Bass track). You can easily re-enable it by clicking on the [Tutor] button again.

Chord “Breaks”
This feature is great for practicing tempo control.
Select the # of bars, and Band-in-a-Box will play for, say 4 bars (selectable), and then will rest all instruments for the
next 4 bars. During the silence, you keep playing (comping, drums, melody, etc.), trying to stay in tempo.
Drummers can mute the drum part. When the band comes back in after the 4 bars, you will get instant feedback on
how well you have maintained the tempo, as indicated by whether the band comes back in time with you or not.
Once set, this feature works automatically with all songs until you turn it off.
To access the Chord Breaks feature, press the [Chord Breaks] button from the Practice
Window and then select “Insert Breaks.”

It can also be launched from [Prefs] [Arrange].

You then choose how many bars the program should play, and how many bars the
program should not play.
This setting remains in effect for all songs. Turn it off if you want to resume
normal playing of songs.

Scale Wizard
The Scale Wizard allows you to easily generate scales, which appear as notation on the Soloist track. Options
include Instrument Range, Patch Selection, Jazzy Mode (will use Lydian dominant scales for some 7th chords), and
Diatonic Mode (keeps scales relative to the song key).
You can access this feature from the Soloists | Scale submenu.

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The menu item Generate Scales opens the dialog, which allows you to set options for scales that will be generated.
If Auto-Generate Scales when play pressed is checked, scales will be automatically generated when a song is played.
You can view the scales in the notation and the on-screen guitar and piano.

Scale Direction - When playing a new scale, either start on the root of the scale (going up) or start with the closest
scale tone (moving up or down). The two modes are:
1. Ascending. The scales will always start on the root that is in the octave above the Lowest Note that is set and
will play in ascending order.
2. Walking. The scales will start on the nearest scale tone to the previous tone that was played. The notes will
ascend to the Highest Note setting, and then descend (by scale tones) down to the Lowest Note.
Write to Track - Choose Melody or Soloist track to write the scales to
Lowest Note is the lowest note to play for any scale. C5 (note 60) is middle C.
Highest Note is the highest note to play, used when the scale direction is up and down (Walking).
Scale Tones Diatonic to Key Signature - If diatonic, minor scales will be according to the key (VI minor is Aeolian
etc.). Otherwise all minors will be Dorian.
Use Jazz Scales - If set, will use Lydian b7 chords. Chords like Bb7 in the key of C will have Lydian b7 scales (i.e.
A#4 in the scale).
Patch - Send this MIDI patch (instrument) when playing the scale.
[Defaults] sets to default values.
[OK- Generate Scales] writes the scales to the notation of the selected track, Soloist or Melody.

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 Chapter 13: Tools, Utilities, and Apps
Download Manager
The Download Manager automatically downloads and installs all of the Band-in-a-Box content (mainly RealTracks
files) in background. It is located in the C:\bb\Data\DownloadManager folder and can be launched from inside the
program by selecting the Help | Utilities | Run Download/Install Manager now menu command.
You will first see a message that asks you where you want to store
the downloaded installer files. Choose the location and press OK.
If you get a User Account Control prompt, answer Yes to allow
DownloadManager.EXE to make changes to your computer.

You will then see the PG Music Download Manager window. It will show you a list of files available for
download based on the package that you own (e.g. Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK). It determines what files need to be
downloaded to complete your installation and selects those files for download.

Download Settings
Before you start the download, check your download folder location where the installers will be downloaded to. If
you want to change the location, click on the [Change Download Folders] button.
The “Download at most X files at a time” setting
allows you to choose the number of files to
download simultaneously. Default is 4. Increasing
this number will usually reduce the total download
time if you have a reliable internet connection but
will degrade internet performance for other
programs.
Install Settings
You should also check the folder locations. If you are installing an upgrade, the locations should match your
existing installation.

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 There are three install locations, since you are allowed to have the
larger RealTracks and Drums audio content in a different location
than the rest of the Band-in-a-Box files. The default Band-in-a-
Box folder is C:\bb. Typically, RealTracks and Drums folder
locations are also C:\bb. If you want to change these locations,
click on the [Change install folders] button.

If “Install automatically when all downloads are finished” is checked, the files will be automatically installed when
they are downloaded.
Download/Install
You can start the download by pressing the [Download/Install Selected Files] button. The
Download Manager will then begin downloading all the selected files in sequence and installing
them if you have the “Install automatically” option checked.
Once the download starts, you will see the status in the progress bar and the estimated elapsed/remaining time in the
install status indicator.

Downloads can be paused at any time and continued later. To pause individual download, click on the small pause
button to the right, and to pause all downloads, click on the large pause button at top-left of the window.
If you close the program while it’s doing work, it will minimize to your system tray and continue running in
the background.

When all selected files have been downloaded and installed, you can check the status of each file download. They
should all say “Downloaded 100%” in the progress bar, and “Installed” in the install status indicator to the right.
However, some might show a “Failed Download” or “Failed Install” if there was a problem with them. You can
retry the files by using the small individual download buttons, or by selecting all problem files and pressing the big
[Download/Install Selected Files] button again.

BB Remote
Remote control for desktop Band-in-a-Box for Windows®
BB Remote is an app for your iPhone. It is used as a remote control to control your existing desktop version of
Band-in-a-Box 2011.5 or higher. The sounds will come out of the desktop program, not the iPhone. You must have
the desktop version of Band-in-a-Box 2011.5 to use the program at all.
Note: There is another application for iPhone that we make, called Band-in-a-Box for iPhone that lets you generate new songs
– with the sound coming from the iPhone - and it isn’t a remote control like this one. More about Band-in-a-Box for iPhone at
pgmusic.com/help100.
If you use Band-in-a-Box for Windows®, you may want to be somewhere else other than sitting at your PC as you
play songs. For example, you might want to sit at the piano, or at your music stand, or be sitting on the couch with
your guitar in hand.
The BB Remote app installs to your iPhone (via the iPhone app store), and then connects to the desktop version of
Band-in-a-Box 2011.5.
Note: To allow BB Remote to connect, make sure that Band-in-a-Box Server is running on your desktop Windows® PC. You
need to have a program called C:\bb\bbhelper\BandInABoxServer.exe running. If it is running, you will see a musical note icon on
your Windows® system tray in the right lower corner of the Windows® taskbar. You can run or install the server from the main
Band-in-a-Box Windows® program, using the menu item Windows | BB2Go. You need to have BandInABoxServer.exe running
in the system tray- see pgmusic.com/help102 for details.
The BB Remote app has different screens, accessible by “swiping” the screen to the left/right.

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BB Remote Main Screen- Chords View
The Chords view lets you see the chords of the song, and the current bar of
the song highlights during playback. For example, you could be seated at
your piano, far from the desktop PC, and be loading in and playing songs,
with the sound coming from your desktop PC, but you see the chords and
current bar on the iPhone.

BB Remote Conductor Window

This allows fine control of playback, including jumping to sections,
choruses, # bars etc. and looping.

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Mixer Window – BB Remote
The Mixer window of BB Remote for iPhone allows you to mute/solo or
adjust volumes, panning, reverb, tone, or patches of the desktop program in
real time.

Patch Selection – BB Remote

The patch selection window of BB Remote for iPhone allows you to view
or select patches. If you press play again, the changed patches will sound
in the song.

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File Menu – BB Remote Server Connect Window – BB Remote

DAW Plug-In Mode

Band-in-a-Box has a “plug-in” mode for your favorite sequencer (RealBand, Sonar, Reaper, Pro Tools, FL-Studio,
Nuendo and more). With the plug-in mode, Band-in-a-Box is open as a small always-on-top window, and acts as a
plug-in for your favorite DAW/sequencer, so that you can drag-and-drop MIDI and audio (WAV) tracks from Band-
in-a-Box to your favorite sequencer. Work in your favorite sequencer, type a progression in Band-in-a-Box, and
then simply drag the track from Band-in-a-Box to your sequencer’s track at the desired track and bar location.
The DAW Plug-in mode is a mode within the regular Band-in-a-Box program. This mode allows you to transfer
tracks, or parts of tracks, to other DAW Sequencers easily, by simply dragging the track icons from Band-in-a-Box
(BB) to the tracks window of your DAW.
For the Drag and Drop to work, you need to have your MIDI driver set to use a DXi or VSTi synth (like Coyote
WaveTable DXi).
You can enter and exit the plug-in mode easily by pressing the small [DAW] button on the main toolbar.
When you select the DAW mode…
1. The window size of Band-in-a-Box changes to a small size (you can resize it to the size/position that you want,
and it will remember that).
2. Band-in-a-Box becomes an always-on-top window, if the option is set in the Plugin settings dialog.
Drag and Drop Tracks
This is the Drop Station where you drag a track radio button at the top of the screen or a track label from
the Mixer and drop it to get an audio or MIDI version of the track. It shows six different file types: audio
files (WAV/WMA/M4A/MWAL/MP3) or MIDI file (MID).
The Drop Station makes it faster and easier to make different file types. It also allows you to make MIDI versions of
the RealTracks (RealCharts), by simply dragging a RealTrack to the “MIDI” area of the Drop Station.

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 If you want the entire performance dragged to the DAW, drag the Master button to the Drop Station. By
default, a single file is dropped with the entire arrangement. But if you want all tracks transferred as separate files,
uncheck the “Drag Master as separate tracks” option in the Plug-in Setting dialog.
If you want a single track transferred, drag that track name. For example, drag the Bass icon to transfer the
bass track. If the track is a RealTrack with RealCharts, you can drop it to the “MIDI” area.
If you want to transfer only a portion of the performance, you can do this by
selecting the region in Band-in-a-Box, and then dragging the track button to the Drop Station. (Don’t drag the
selected region.)
When you drop the track onto the Drop Station, you will see an orange color, indicating that the track
is accepted and the file is being prepared.
When the file is ready, the Drop Station turns green. You can now drag it to your favorite DAW
(Sonar, Pro Tools etc.) or Windows® Explorer.
When you drop the track to the [+], you are presented with a dialog, where you can choose a file
format and other render options.
You can choose a format (WAV, WMA, WMA lossless, M4A, MP3, or
MID) of the file.
When you have dragged the Master radio button, you can select the
“Separate files for each track” option.
If “Normalize audio files” is selected, the file will be normalized.
Normalizing boosts the volume to a maximum level without distortion.
Most professional music tracks are normalized.
If you want to add ACID information (tempo, key, and time signature) to
the WAV file, check the “Acidize WAV files” option.
The dialog also has settings for bit depth (16, 24, 32 bit) and sample rate
(44.1, 48, 96 kHz).

Plug-In Settings
To get to the DAW Plugin settings dialog, press the [Plugin] button and
choose the menu item Options for DAW Plug-in.

Alternatively, go to the Preferences dialog and click on the [DAW Plugin] tab.

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You will then see the plug-in options.
Allow Drag n Drop (default=true): If this is disabled, the Drag & Drop feature will not work. There shouldn’t be a
reason to disable this.
Drag Individual MIDI tracks as audio (using VST/DXi) (default=false): This option applies when you drag a
track directly to a DAW. When this is enabled, the chosen MIDI tracks get converted to audio, using your currently
selected VST/DXi (e.g. Coyote WT or Forte).
Drag Master track as audio (using VST/DXi for MIDI tracks) (default=true): This option applies when you drag
a Master track directly to a DAW. When this is enabled, each track will get converted to audio using your currently
selected VST/DXi (e.g. Coyote WT or Forte). When this is disabled, the MIDI tracks in the arrangement get
transferred as MIDI, in a single file.
Drag Master as separate tracks (default=false): If this is enabled, then when you drag the Master radio button, the
drop will result in multiple files, one for each track.
Drag Audio as: You can select a type of audio files to create.
Always on Top If this option is enabled, the Band-in-a-Box window will be always-on-top. Note that if you
change this in the dialog, it won’t take effect until you exit the dialog.
Recycle (trash) all dropped files in this folder on bootup (default=false): If you enable this option, the DragDrop
folder (C:\bb\DragDrop) will get erased on bootup. Many DAWs require the files to remain permanently, so do not
enable this option unless you are sure that your DAW does not require the files to remain.
You can use a Custom Drag n Drop Folder for the temp files if you prefer, inside your DAW’s folder for example.
Then the dragged files will also be in Explorer in a folder near your DAW’s audio project.

Find File
So many files, so little time? This feature is a “Swiss Army Knife” that allows you to find a Band-in-a-Box song (or
any file that Band-in-a-Box can open), including filtering by words found in the file name or any text in the file. Go
to File | Open Special | Find File to open this dialog.

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You can define your search by the name and location of the file, or by the date and size.
Name & Location
This includes filtering by words found in the file name or any text in the file. For example, you can
- get a listing of all Band-in-a-Box songs on your PC with the word “Blues” in the title.
- get a listing of all Band-in-a-Box songs in the BB folder with the word “Reggae” in them.
Date & Size
Use this window to search in a particular range of dates or times. This can be useful if you have multiple versions of
a file from different dates and sessions.
The listing stays between sessions, so you can then take your time to explore all the songs that Band-in-a-Box offers
that match your find term.

CoyoteWT
The Coyote Wavetable DXi synth is included with Band-in-a-Box. This works with Band-in-a-Box and other DXi
compatible host programs to produce realistic instrument sounds and is compatible with all the latest Windows®
operating systems, including the 64-bit version of Windows® 7, 8, or 10.
The CoyoteWT can be installed automatically when you install Band-in-a-Box, or you can install it at a later date by
running the file SetupCoyoteWT.exe from the C:\bb\Data\Installers folder.
Selecting the CoyoteWT
To use the Coyote Wavetable as your driver, press the [MIDI] toolbar button and select
MIDI/Audio Driver Setup from the dropdown menu. This will open the MIDI/Audio
Drivers Setup dialog.

Enable the “Use VSTi/DXi Synth” option and press the [VST/DXi Synth] button.

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Then select the <DXi> CoyoteWT from the list.

Coyote WT Overview
The main display panel lists the sixteen available MIDI
channels down the left side with the program, bank number,
and name of each instrument patch assignment. During
playback the number of voices (notes) being used by each
instrument is displayed.

What does CoyoteWT do?

CoyoteWT (WaveTable) works in conjunction with Band-in-a-Box or other DXi-compatible host programs, to
produce realistic audio output. It plays “samples” of actual instruments in response to commands from the DXi host.
For instance, when Band-in-a-Box says to play a loud middle C using an acoustic steel-string guitar, CoyoteWT
looks up that note of that instrument in its sample-bank database and then outputs that note to the sound card, at the
requested volume, for the requested duration.
System Requirements
Generating a realistic emulation of dozens of instruments at a time requires a fairly powerful computer. The
following requirements should be considered as absolute minimums:
- Pentium III CPU at 500 MHz.
- 128 MB RAM.
- 20 GB disk, 7200 rpm.
- a 16-bit sound card.
- Windows® 2000, XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, or 10.
For best performance, the following specifications are recommended:
- Pentium-4 or Athlon XP CPU at 1.7 GHz.
- 256 MB RAM.
- 40 GB disk, 7200 rpm, 30 MB/s read rate.
- a 20-bit or 24-bit sound card.
- Windows® 2000, XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, or 10.
Coyote Settings
Program settings for the CoyoteWT are made in its context menu.

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 The context menu can be accessed by right-clicking on the CoyoteWT
property page (that is, its main display).
Click on the features in the list to enable or disable them. Several of the
features open dialog boxes with additional controls.
For help, click on the Help Index item.

Reverb: Clicking on this menu item brings up a dialog in which you can control the reverb parameters. The available
controls are:
- Room Size: select one of:
- Club (the smallest simulated room)
- Stage
- Hall (the largest simulated room)
- Damping: Setting the slider to the leftmost position simulates a room with hard, reflective walls. Setting the slider
to the rightmost position simulates a room with absorbent walls. The effects of this control are fairly subtle.
Click on OK to apply the changes.
Enable Compressor: Clicking on this menu item turns the compressor on or off. When it is on you will see a check
mark beside the menu item.
When the compressor is enabled, the overall dynamic range will be slightly compressed (mostly by boosting the
quieter signals), and the sound will have a little more “presence.”
Enable Limiter: Clicking on this menu item turns the limiter on or off. When it is on you will see a check mark
beside the menu item.
When the limiter is enabled, the overall volume level is increased, and in order to keep momentary peaks from
clipping or distorting, CoyoteWT briefly reduces the volume just before the peak occurs and then increases it again
after the peak is over. The volume changes are performed smoothly and are usually inaudible. The increased
volume is desirable because it increases the overall signal-to-noise ratio.
Tuning Adjust: Clicking on this menu item brings up a dialog in which you can enter an adjustment to be applied to
all samples in the sample-set. The adjustment is specified in terms of cents, where one cent is 1/100 of a semitone.
Limit Polyphony: Clicking on this menu item brings up a dialog in which you can specify the maximum polyphony
(number of simultaneous notes that can be played). If your CPU is not powerful enough to handle 100 notes at once
(some are not) you may be able to reduce audio clicks by choosing a number lower than 100. This is usually
preferable to the artifacts produced when you run out of CPU power.
EQ: Clicking on this brings up a dialog in which you can specify the amount of boost or cut to be applied to the low
or high frequencies. You can use this to compensate for the frequency response of your speakers, your sample file,
or just to accommodate your preference.
The bass (low frequencies) and treble (high frequencies) can each be boosted or cut by up to 12 dB. Positive
numbers produce a boost; negative numbers produce a cut.
You can also specify an overall volume adjustment. The allowable range is limited to plus or minus 3 dB.
Enable High-Quality Resampler: CoyoteWT modifies the pitch of a note by resampling. Normally you should leave
the default, high-quality, enabled. However, if you are using a slow PC (say, 500 MHz or less) you may get better
results by disabling high-quality mode.

Fretlight® support
Major new feature for Band-in-a-Box! The Fretlight® is a cool electric hardware guitar that
has LED lights on the frets. Now, if you have a Fretlight, you can mirror the output of the
Band-in-a-Box on-screen guitar to the Fretlight fretboard.
So, you can just look at the Fretlight as you play along to any of the great guitar RealTracks or guitar Artist
Performances as you hear the playing, and see the fret positions on your Fretlight Guitar.

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 For the Fretlight Support to be enabled, you need to set “Fretlight
Guitar Support” in the Guitar Settings dialog.
Plug in the Fretlight, and Band-in-a-Box will find it. Then, any output that happens on the Band-in-a-Box Guitar
Window will automatically get mirrored to the Fretlight so that you see the guitar played on your Fretlight. Now you
can, using your Fretlight:
- See the Artist Performance Tracks played by Nashville Legend Brent Mason show up on your Fretlight guitar as
you hear the tracks.
- Set the Guitar Tutor in Band-in-a-Box to play strumming chord shapes, which works for any song in Band-in-a-
Box (choose your chord types jazz/pop/folk etc.)
- See RealTracks played on your Fretlight guitar, as you hear them played by the Masters in audio.

TranzPort® Support - Wireless Remote Control

The Frontier Design TranzPort® is a wireless remote-control hardware unit (Electronic Musician
Editors’ Choice 2006) that allows you to control Band-in-a-Box through walls from 30 feet away!
Note: The TranzPort is not currently in production. It’s still a great product if you can find one.

The backlit LCD provides a two-line readout, and buttons and a wheel allow control of many Band-in-a-Box features.
Select songs and play/stop/pause/loop. Select/mute/solo tracks and volume/tempo changes are all supported. And
best of all, when the song is playing, the chords of the song are displayed in time on the backlit LCD screen.
You can, for example, put the TranzPort unit on your piano at home (or your music stand on a gig) and
load/play/control and view chords for songs, all while far away from your computer – all wirelessly up to 30 feet –
even through walls! Selectable transpose lets the TranzPort show chords in a non-concert key (e.g. Eb Alto) while
the computer shows concert -great for jam sessions! Or display the scrolling lyrics of the song on the TranzPort for a
wireless Karaoke session! The TranzPort also works “right-out-of-the-box” with other popular music software,
including Sonar™, Logic®, and many others.
Using TranzPort with Band-in-a-Box
First, you need to purchase a TranzPort unit, and install it.
Now, make sure that the TranzPort is installed and working. You can determine that it is installed and working by
running Band-in-a-Box and looking at the list of MIDI Drivers (Options | Audio/MIDI Driver Setup). If “TranzPort”
appears on the list of MIDI-IN and MIDI-OUT drivers, then the TranzPort is installed correctly.
Important: DO NOT SELECT the TranzPort drivers, since it is not a sound module. Band-in-a-Box will automatically find the
TranzPort unit to send/ receive data.

To start using the TranzPort

- While Band-in-a-Box is running, “wake up” the TranzPort by pressing a key on the TranzPort (STOP key for
example).
- The TranzPort display will show
“Title of BB song” <tempo> <Current Track> <track volume> <patch #/name>
For example, the screen might say
- “My Tune”
- 120 Mel v 122 p1 Acoustic Piano
- Track < and Track> buttons change the current track Bass/Drums/Piano/Guitar/Strings/Melody/Soloist/Thru
Controlling Patches/Tempo/Volume
- The WHEEL changes the tempo.
- Shift-WHEEL changes the volume of the ALL TRACKS.
- [Prev] [WHEEL] changes the volume of the current track.

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- [ADD] [WHEEL] changes the patch of the current track using Favorite Patches.
- [NEXT] [WHEEL] changes the patch of the current track, cycling through all patches.
- MUTE AND SOLO mutes or solos the current track.
- [SHIFT] MUTE, will mute/un-mute ALL tracks.
Loading Songs
- [IN] button opens the “Favorite Songs” dialog. The LCD screen of the TranzPort displays the current song, and
the WHEEL cycles through the various songs. When you’ve found the song that you want, press PLAY to load
and play the song (or “Solo” to function like the OK button in the Favorite Songs dialog, note if “Play song when
chosen” is set or not in that dialog). Press UNDO to cancel the dialog.
- [OUT] button functions in a similar manner, except it uses the Song List dialog.
- [Shift]- [IN] loads the previous song in alphabetical order, by filename, in the same folder.
- [Shift]- [OUT loads the next song in alphabetical order, by filename, in the same folder.
Playing Songs
- PLAY button plays the song.
- [RED button beside play] pauses the song.
- STOP button stops the song.
- [<<] and [>>] buttons jump to the previous or next section of the song. You can define custom sections of the
song (using the Conductor in Band-in-a-Box), but if you haven’t, the sections default to lead-in, intro, first chorus,
middle chorus, last chorus, ending.
- LOOP button will loop the current section
- SHIFT LOOP button loops 4 bars
- UNDO is panic button (turn MIDI notes off)
Playback Display
During playback, you will see the chords (and/or lyrics) to the song, scrolling along in time to the music. For
example, you might see this…
*5| D | D7 |
7| G | Gm
The * marks the current bar (bar 5), which is a D chord. The screen always scrolls to show you 2 bars ahead of the
current time.
TranzPort Dialog

There is a TranzPort Settings dialog inside Band-in-a-Box with additional settings.

If you are a non-concert instrument player, you can set the transpose display in Pref | TranzPort. For example, an
Alto sax player would press the “Eb Alto” button, and then the TranzPort display would show chords transposed to
his key. This feature is useful if you have a friend over for a jam session. One of you can look at the PC screen, and
the other can look at the TranzPort, and they can be in different keys for non-concert instruments!
If you want lyrics to display on the TranzPort during playback, set these options in Pref | TranzPort.

- [REC] has no action.

- [PUNCH] has no action.
- [Footswitch] has no action.

Guitar/Bass Tuner
The Tuner is optimized for guitar and bass, though it may be useful with other instruments. Connect an electric
guitar or bass to your computer’s sound card Line-In, or tune an acoustic instrument using a microphone connected
to the sound card Mic input. Play a pitch and the tuner will auto-range to determine the nearest note and display the
intonation of your instrument.

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 Press the on-screen [Tuner] button or select the Window | Guitar Tuner menu item to launch the Tuner
Window.

Tip: There are detailed Guitar Tuner instructions in the online Help topic connecting an Instrument.
The Tuner must be able to receive audio from your instrument via the line-in or microphone input of your sound
card. Please make sure that either the Microphone In or Line-In is enabled in the Recording Properties of the
Windows® Mixer (or the appropriate Mixer application for your sound card).

Master Tuning
This function allows you to tune your sound card or module to another instrument, as well as adding a testing
function to see if your sound card supports Master Tuning. This is useful if you’re playing along with an instrument
or recording that can’t easily be re-tuned like an acoustic piano. A setting of 0 is the default A = 440.
Select the Options | GM Settings, etc. | Master Tuning menu item to launch the Master Tune dialog.

Tip: Not all sound cards/modules support the Master Tuning feature. To see if your sound card supports Master Tuning, press
the [TEST] button in the dialog shown above.

Dynamic 3D Drum Kit Window

This sizeable drum window is an animated 3D display of a complete MIDI drum kit with all 61 drum sounds
displayed on their respective instruments. Watch the drums being played or play-along/record by using QWERTY
keys or a mouse.
To launch the Drums Window, click on the [Drums] button in the View Panel.
You can do several things with the Drums Window.
- Watch the drums being played on the Drums window in real time.
- Play along with the drums in real time by mouse clicking on the drum instruments or using the QWERTY keys.
The computer keyboard, the piano key number, and sound names can all (optionally) be made visible on the hint
line by moving your mouse cursor over a given instrument.
- Record a drum part into Band-in-a-Box.

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Drum Display
All the General MIDI percussion instruments are shown. Some percussion instruments are triggered by multiple
MIDI notes. When a sound is controlled by more than one MIDI note, a percussion instrument will show different
behavior in response to the different notes. For instance, the Hi-Hat responds differently to Close Hat, Pedal Hat,
and Open Hat MIDI notes.
The Drum Kit window can be resized to tile or fit with other windows of interest, or the drums can be moved off-
screen. The window looks best if your computer display is in High Color (16 bit) or True Color (32 bit) video mode.

The onscreen instruments may be played by mouse clicking or by pressing the appropriate computer keys. There is
an option to display all the QWERTY names on the drums at the same time, so that you can see what keys to hit
without having to mouse over the instrument. When playing by mouse click or computer keys, the Shift key can be
used to switch the velocity between two user-specified levels (i.e. loud=100 and soft=50).
The drums that you play show up in green; the computer played drums are red.
The multi-note instruments send different MIDI notes to your sound source, depending on where you “click” on the
instrument. For instance, the Kick Drum can send three different notes: Ac. Bass Drum (MIDI note 35), Bass Drum
1 (MIDI note 36), and Square Kick (MIDI Note 32).
Tip: The hint line at the top of the window describes the current control under the mouse cursor. Use the hint line to learn the
mouse-responsive areas of each drum instrument.

Control Buttons
- Record: Puts Band-in-a-Box in Record mode so drums can be recorded.
- Play: Starts song playback.
- Rewind: Stop and return to song start.
- Stop: Stops song playback.
- Size Buttons 1/1 - 1/2 - 1/4: Clicking on these buttons changes the size of the drums window to full size, half size,
or quarter-size. (You can also resize the drums window to any size by dragging a window border.)
- Settings: Adjusts program behavior. See settings window section below.
- Help: To launch the drum Help File, press F1.
Computer “QWERTY” Keys

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Numeric keypad
Press computer keys to play drums.
Drums are grouped on the computer keyboard by category. The kick, snare, and hi-hat
sounds are on the lowest keyboard row. The lower-middle row contains toms and cymbals.
The upper-middle row contains Latin drums, and the top row contains Latin hand
percussion. The Numpad keys contain the rest of the Latin hand percussion plus the
electronic tones.

Multi - Note Instruments

Kick Drum - Ac. Bass Drum, Bass Drum 1, Square Kick
Snare - Acoustic Snare, Side Stick
Hi-Hat - Closed, Pedal, Open
Floor Tom - Low, High
Electronic Pad - Multi-zoned for Hi-Q, Slap, Electric Snare
High Conga - Mute, Open
Surdo - Mute, Open
Cuica - Mute, Open
Metronome - Bell, Click
Whistle - Long, Short
Triangle - Mute, Open
Guiro - Long, Short
Scratch - Push, Pull
Settings Dialog
Press the Settings button (to the left of Rewind button), to adjust the various Drum Kit Settings.

Drum window is always on top

Use this checkbox to keep the Drums window on top of other program windows.
Note Velocity
When playing drums with a mouse or computer keys, the shift key toggles between two levels of note velocity. The
two velocity levels can be set any way desired. For instance, if you want the shift key to send quieter notes you can
set the shift velocity lower than the non-shift velocity.
Randomize
Use this checkbox to enable the program to send random velocity levels when playing the drums. This is handy
when using non- velocity sensitive devices. “Range” controls the amount of velocity randomization. Usually a

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small range works best, around 10% to 30%. For example, if velocity is set to 127, and the random range is set to
20%, notes would randomly vary between a maximum velocity of 127 and a minimum velocity of 102.
Instrument Hints
Customize the appearance of the Hint line.
- Show Note Name
- Show MIDI Note Number
- Show Computer Key
Show
- “Show All Instruments” shows all instruments in the drum window.
- “Show Used Instruments” displays the basic trap kit but does not display any extra instruments unless they are used
in a song.
The drum window is cleared each time Play or Stop is pressed.

MIDI Monitor
MIDI Monitor displays a listing of data received from computer MIDI Input and/or Band-in-a-Box output, useful
for educational or diagnostic purposes.
The MIDI Monitor opens with the [MIDI] button on the main screen toolbar, or with the menu command
Window | MIDI Monitor.

Tip: To display the data received from the computer MIDI Input, the MIDI THRU option must be enabled in Band-in-a-Box.
The MIDI Monitor has options for 1-based patch numbering and patch name display. Quick View Filter presets
(such as “Notes Only,” “Controllers Only,” “Program Changes Only,” “Programs including Bank Changes”).
MIDI Monitor - Main Window
MIDI Display Controls
Event: The current event number since the display was last cleared.
Clear: Clears MIDI Display, Event counter, and Channel Activity panel.
Save Text: Save a tab-delimited text file of the data in the MIDI display. The file can be opened with a word
processor or spreadsheet program, for printing or further study. Various Save Text options can be adjusted in the
Settings window.
Settings: Open the Settings dialog, to adjust display behavior. The display can be modified to suit the task at hand.
Filter: Open the Filter dialog, where receive settings can be adjusted.
Sequencer Control
The [Play], [Rewind], and [Stop] buttons control song playback without the need to return to the main Band-in-a-
Box screen.
Timer
A millisecond timer is useful for viewing timing relationships between messages. To use Band-in-a-Box to measure
in milliseconds, set Band-in-a-Box PPQN to 480, and Band-in-a-Box tempo to 125 BPM. With this special
resolution and tempo, tick values in the Event List window will correspond to milliseconds.

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Current Time - The millisecond count since the timer was last started. Click anywhere in the Timer area to clear
the Current time, setting it to zero.
Channel Activity Panel
This panel has an array of “LEDs” to show which channels are active.
MIDI Display Area
The MIDI Display area at the bottom of the main window, displays the data generated by Band-in-a-Box and/or data
received at the computer MIDI input. Each row is a single MIDI event.
Evt #: Event number, starting from when the display was last cleared.
Time (mS): The time in milliseconds of the event, from when the timer was last cleared.
Source: Int means the event was generated by Band-in-a-Box, and Ext means the event was generated by an external
MIDI Device attached to the computer MIDI In port.
Raw: The raw bytes representing each MIDI message. Most MIDI Message types contain three bytes, but some
messages contain one or two bytes. SysEx messages can contain an arbitrary number of bytes. This field is blank in
the case of SysEx messages. With SysEx messages, up to 16 “Raw” bytes are displayed in the Data fields. Long
SysEx messages are displayed on multiple lines, 16 bytes per line.
Status: Text name of the Event type.
Chan: MIDI channel of the Event. This field is blank for System messages (values from $F0 to $FF). System
messages do not have an associated channel.
Data 1: Text name for the meaning of the first data byte of the MIDI message. For some messages such as Pitch
Bend or Song Position Pointer, the value of both bytes 1 and 2 are displayed in Data 1.
Data 2: Text name for the second data byte of a MIDI Message.
Note: Some MIDI messages, such as Program Change or Channel Pressure, have only a single Data byte, and the Data 2 field
will be blank. Also, some MIDI Messages have no data bytes, in which case both Data fields will be blank.

Display Filter
The Display Filter dialog allows you to select what MIDI events will be recognized by the MIDI
Monitor program.

Tip: Virtually any combination of display events can be selected in the filter. It is therefore possible to select combinations that do
not display any MIDI events at all. The MIDI Monitor will warn you about the more obvious “nil” combinations, but if you find that
you are not receiving what you expected, carefully re-examine these filter settings.

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Event List Editor
You can edit events including all MIDI events and lyric events using the Event List Editor. It can be launched in
several ways.
- In the Melody menu, choose Edit Melody Track | Step Edit Melody.
- In the Soloist menu, choose Edit Soloist Track | Step Edit Soloist Part.
- In the Window menu, choose Notation | Event List Editor.
- In the Notation window by pressing the event list button (#). The dialog will display events on the selected track
in the Notation window.

Different colors are used for different event types in the event list, to visually distinguish notes, patch changes, etc.
The Event list for the notation colors the events differently as follows:
The list uses a color coding based on Event Type, Channel, Duration, or Velocity.
If the color coding is based on Event Type, the list shows the event as follows:
- Notes starting near the beat boundary are dark pink.
- Notes starting on the off-beat are light pink.
- Patch changes are cyan.
- Controller changes are yellow.
- Pitch Bends are grey.
The Event List Editor allows you to modify, insert, and delete notes:
- Double-click on an event to edit it (or press the [Edit] button.)
- [Insert] puts an event before the current event.
- [Append] puts an event at the end of the track.
- [Delete] removes an event.
- [Show] exits the dialog and highlight the note in the Notation window.
- [Play] plays the current event moves the next event.
- [Update] redraws the notation screen.
- [Edit Lyrics] – [Edit Soloist] – [Edit Melody] selects which track to edit.
Event List Filter
There is a filter for the Event List Editor, allowing you to, for example, quickly spot all patch changes.
For example, to examine all of the patch changes on the Melody track, choose “Use Event
Filter,” and then press the [Filter…] button.
In the Event List Filter, select the type of information you want to display. In this case, it is
program changes (patches) only.

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The track will then display with the program changes only.

The Event Type to Edit dialog opens when either the [Insert] or [Append]
buttons are pressed in the Event List Editor.
This dialog allows you to select which type of event to insert or append -
note, controller, pitch bend, etc. – and then opens the selected edit dialog.

Band-in-a-Box for iPhone

Band-in-a-Box for iPhone (BB iPhone) is an app for iOS devices including iPhone®, iPad®, and iPod Touch®. The
BB iPhone version is meant to function as a client to the regular Band-in-a-Box desktop version. If you don’t own a
copy of the BB Desktop software, the usefulness of the BB iPhone version will be quite limited.
Band-in-a-Box for iPhone is available from the Apple® App Store, https://www.apple.com/iphone/apps-for-iphone/.
If you have a copy of Band-in-a-Box 2011 or higher, then with the Band-in-a-Box iPhone version you can:
- Quickly transfer your existing library of songs from BB Desktop to BB iPhone, including chord lead sheets and
audio (M4A). See the chord lead sheets and play the songs anytime on your iPhone, without re-connecting to BB
Desktop.
- Enter songs from scratch on your BB iPhone by typing in chord symbols to the song.

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- Generate audio on your BB iPhone for the songs by pressing play. The songs play on the iPhone and are stored on
the iPhone as M4A files. This connects across your home network or the internet to your desktop version of Band-
in-a-Box
- Send songs from BB iPhone to BB Desktop.
Here are some typical uses for your BB iPhone version. This assumes that you have the BB Desktop version:
- Jim has entered lots of songs over the years into his BB Desktop version. He now wants to practice his guitar
playing on these tunes using only his BB iPhone. As a one-time procedure, at home (over his home network WiFi)
he first transfers his entire song library to BB iPhone, including lead sheets and audio. This takes about 10 seconds
per song. Now he has his BB song library on his BB iPhone and doesn’t need to connect to his BB Desktop again
(unless he wants more songs, or to generate different chords for the songs). He plays the songs on his iPhone,
either using the iPhone speakers, headphones, or plugging the iPhone line out into his stereo system. He will only
ever need to connect to BB Desktop again if he wants to get more songs, or regenerate them in different styles etc.
- Joan is playing a solo vocal gig, using BB iPhone as her backup band. She connects the iPhone audio out to the
PA system. A customer requests one of her compositions, a song that she knows, but doesn’t have a backing band
arrangement for. On her break, she types in the chords to the song, presses PLAY, and the audio file generates and
is ready to play on her BB iPhone (by connecting to BB Desktop over the Internet). After the gig, she sends the
song to her BB Desktop, so that is available there too as part of her song library.
BB2Go Dialog
The iPhone version of Band-in-a-Box will see the BB2Go folder (C:\bb\BB2Go). Any Band-in-a-Box songs that you
put in this folder are visible to the BB iPhone. You can send files back and forth from BB iPhone to Band-in-a-Box
for Windows®, and the files go to the BB2Go folder.
You can add audio to the Band-in-a-Box files in the BB2Go folder from the Band-in-a-Box Windows menu with the
BB2Go command and select the files that you want to have MP4/M4A audio added. You can also generate the audio
from the iPhone version.
Note: If you are using Windows® XP or Vista, these features require Apple® QuickTime® Library for Windows® to be installed,
which you can download from www.apple.com.
More documentation for the BB iPhone version is available at https://www.pgmusic.com/help100/.

Use this button to refresh the list when additional files have been added externally.

398 Chapter 13: Tools, Utilities, and Apps

 Use the filter to search the songs for a particular word or term.
The [Clear] button removes the search term.
Generate mp4 file(s)
There are three options for generating mp4 files for the iPhone. “For
selected song” generates an mp4 file for the selected song, you can then
send the Band-in-a-Box song and the mp4 to iPhone BB using the Band-in-
a-Box service.
“For all songs in folder of selected song” generates mp4 files for all songs
in the same folder as the selected song. When generated, the files will be
green in the list, indicating that mp4 audio is present.
“For All Song in current list” generates mp4 files for all songs in the BB2Go folder (C:\bb\BB2Go). It takes about 1
minute per song, then you can send the songs and the mp4 audio to the iPhone.
This opens the C:\bb\BB2Go folder in Windows® Explorer. You can add files to the folder
in Explorer and then press [Refresh] to see them in this dialog.
This opens the currently highlighted song in Band-in-a-Box.
Band-in-a-Box Service is the program that connects your iPhone over the Internet to Band-in-a-Box. It is located in
the C:\bb\BBHelper folder.
When the server is running you will see this button in the Windows® system tray. Right-click on the button to
open the menu of server commands and click Show to access the Options and set the password and server
name.
Use the buttons to run, auto-run, and install the service.

Program Tutorial
Instructions for using Band-in-a-Box iPhone version
Run the BB iPhone program by clicking on the icon. You will then see the Band-in-a-Box screen. This consists of:
- Top Toolbar area (File Mixer Settings Play/Stop Chord Keyboard).
- Title display line.
- Chords area.
If you want to edit information in a song, press the Chord Keyboard icon. This will open the Chord Keyboard and a
“Song Parameters” section at the top to choose style, tempo and song form.
Let’s open and play an existing song.
Press FILE and then OPEN. You will then see a list of the demo songs that are included with BB iPhone. You
should see “Blues Shuffle Demo” and “Jazz Swing Demo.” You will notice that these file names are in green. The
green indicates that audio (M4A) is available for these songs, and they are “ready-to-play” and don’t have to be re-
generated.
Choose “Jazz Swing Demo.” This song was previously generated using BB iPhone, and the arrangement was made
entirely from the chord progression. The arrangement sounds realistic because it is using the high quality
RealTracks present in Band-in-a-Box.

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Press the Green PLAY button. (Note: If the play button is Red, it indicates that the song will need to be generated,
by connecting to BB Desktop).
Press STOP at any time.
Let’s enter our own song from scratch.
We will enter a simple blues progression, which is 12 bars long, in the key of C.
Press File and then NEW.
Open the Chord Keyboard, so that the song is editable.
Choose a style for the song. Press the Style button (at the left of the screen, below the title), then choose the genre
Blues, and select the style _BLSHUFF (Blues Shuffle) which is the 3rd one on the list.
Leave the tempo at the default of 140 (or change it by clicking on it).
Leave the key signature at C (or change it by clicking on it).
The song formula will say something like [1] [16] [3]. That means the song form begins at bar 1, and ends at bar
16, and repeats 3 times. Since this is a 12-bar blues (not 16 bars), we click on the “16” and change it to 12. We can
leave the number of repeats of the form at 3 (or change it by clicking on it).
Type in the chords. Click on bar 1 on the chord sheet. Then use the chord keyboard to type in a chord. To move to
a new bar, click on the bar so that the highlight bar moves to that bar. Once you are in the bar, type the chord on the
chord keyboard.
Type “C” in bar 1.
Type “F” in bar 5.
Type “C” in bar 7.
Type “G7” in bar 9 - do this by typing “G” and then “7.”
Type “F7” in bar 10.
Type “C” in bar 11.
Enter a title for your song. Call it “My Blues” and then save it by choosing File-Save.
That’s it! You’ve entered your first song.
Close the Chords Keyboard window.
Now to hear your song, you are going to need to be connected to your Band-in-a-Box Desktop version.
Connecting to the BB Desktop Version
Since the song has not been generated yet, the PLAY button will be RED, indicating that the song audio needs to be
generated. Press the red Play button, and this will launch the Server Connection dialog. Here you will either enter
the IP that is displayed from your home network (if BB Desktop is on the same home network as your iPhone), or
your IP address of your BB Desktop version (or router). Details of router setup are available on the File-Help menu.
Once you have entered the Server IP, then press OK, and then enter the password (the default password is admin, so
if you haven’t changed it, that will work).
You will then see “Loading styles” … this only happens when it is a new connection, and BB desktop is telling BB
iPhone what styles are available.
After that, you will see “Generating song” and then “Downloading file.” After a wait of 15-30 seconds, your song
will start playing. Press STOP to stop the song. At this point, the song “My Blues” now has audio saved with it and
will be ready to play next time without connecting to the BB Desktop version.
Let’s get an existing song from the BB Desktop version.
Press File and then Server, then “Get Song(s).” You will then see a list of the songs that are available on the BB
Desktop program (i.e., the songs present in the BB2Go folder inside the BB folder).
Choose a song, and then press DOWNLOAD. This will download the song. Press PLAY to generate it and hear it.
That concludes the tutorial.

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 Chapter 14: User Programmable Functions
The StyleMaker
The StyleMaker is the section of the program that allows you to create brand-new styles or edit existing styles. This
is done by recording patterns for each of the drums, bass, piano, guitar and strings tracks, or by entering these tracks
in the StyleMaker Pattern Editor Notation window. If you don’t want an instrument in a style you don’t need to
record any patterns for it.
The StyleMaker window is accessed by pressing the [StyleMaker] toolbar button on the main screen and
selecting the Edit current style in Stylemaker menu command.
The window is also accessible from the File | StyleMaker menu by choosing any one of:
- New – Make a New Style to create an entirely new style from a blank template.
- Edit a Style (Alt+F9 keys) to open any style for editing.
- Edit Current Style (Ctrl+Shift+F9 keys) to open the current style in use for editing.

StyleMaker Pull-Down Menus

The StyleMaker has a separate pull-down menu to the main program. Many of the menu commands can be
accessed directly with the on-screen buttons in the StyleMaker window.
File
Save Style (F2) Saves the style, using the current style name. This will overwrite a previous style!
Save Style As (Alt+F2) This saves the style, allowing you to rename the style if desired.
Exit (Alt+F4) Exits the StyleMaker, prompting you to Save the Style. If you don’t save the style upon
exit you will lose any changes that you’ve made.
Edit
Cut Pattern Cuts whichever pattern is highlighted in a row.
Copy Pattern Copies a pattern to the clipboard.
Paste Pastes a single pattern from the clipboard. Can paste between styles by opening and
closing styles and copying and pasting.
Delete Pattern (Delete) Erases a Pattern. Can also delete a Pattern by typing a weight of 0.
Cut from Notation Highlight and cut notes from a pattern.
Copy from Notation Highlight and copy notes in a pattern.
Paste from Notation Paste notes into a pattern.
Pattern
Play Pattern (F4) Plays the pattern using the currently selected style. Loops after 2 bars. If you want to play
the song while the StyleMaker is open, you need to press the PLAY button on the Main
screen, as the F4 key will not play the song, it will play the StyleMaker pattern.
Play Pattern on Chord This plays back a pattern as it would sound in a song on a certain chord. This is useful to
(F8) see the effects of smooth voice leading or macro notes in a pattern.
Record Pattern (F3) Records a pattern. For drums it enters the STEP EDIT Drum Editor. For the other
instruments, it starts a real time record (2 bar lead in then record 2 bar pattern).
Options (F10) Allows you to set or change options (masks) for a specific pattern. This same dialog also
appears at the end of recording a pattern.

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Quantize Pattern Quantifies a pattern to a given resolution. You can apply a percentage setting to adjust the
(Alt+Q) “strength” of the quantization.
Slide Pattern This time shifts the pattern X ticks (120 ticks per beat).
Volume adjust (this The Pattern | Volume adjust (this pattern) command displays the average velocity
pattern) (volume) of the pattern and lets you set a new volume. Styles sound smoother if all
(Ctrl+Alt+W) patterns of one instrument are at similar volumes.
Volume adjust (this Pattern | Volume adjust (this row) sets the volume of all patterns in the selected row.
row) (Alt+V)
Volume Adjust (all You can quickly set the volume for an entire instrument by using the Pattern | Volume
patterns) (Alt+J) Adjust (all patterns) command. For example, if the strings are too loud, turn the [Strings]
button “on,” select Volume Adjust (all patterns), then type a number from 0 to 127 lower
than the number that is currently displayed.
Legato Adjust This adjusts the legato of each note. Units are 120 ticks/beat. Legato is the length of each
note. Useful if you find a pattern that’s too percussive or too legato.
Transpose Pattern This transposes the pattern X semitones. For example, +12 would transpose the pattern
one octave up.
Trim Pattern This deletes notes from the end of a Pattern.
Velocity Adjust This function adds or reduces the velocity of a single pattern, row of patterns, or all
patterns in an instrument. Choose the menu items for 1 pattern, 1 row, or the whole
instrument and input the velocity change to make for the pattern(s). This will add or
subtract a certain velocity value to the patterns, useful for reducing or increasing the
volume of an entire instrument or fine-tuning the velocities in a style.
When adjusting When this menu item is selected, only the MIDI note number that is specified will have its
velocities, use a single velocity adjusted, unless a note number of 0 is entered. If the note number is entered as 0
note only then all notes in the pattern(s) will have their velocity adjusted.
Import Pattern This allows you to import pattern(s) from the Melody track, MIDI file, or MIDI data on
- from MIDI File the clipboard. The dialog that appears allows you to select the # of patterns you want to
- from Clipboard import. Normally this will be one. If it is more than one (say, 4), then 4 consecutive
- from Melody patterns would be imported on to the current row of the StyleMaker.
Style
Patch Assignments Assign patches to a style. See Patch Assignment dialog.
(Alt+F10)
Misc. Settings Assign miscellaneous settings to a style. See Misc. Settings dialog.
(Ctrl+F10)
Next Instrument (F6) Changes the instrument setting between Drums/ Bass/ Piano/ Guitar/ Strings.
Previous Instrument
(Shift+F6)
Import Instr. from Style Import an instrument from one style into another. See Import Instrument dialog.
(Alt +F3)
Import Drums from Since you can define a custom drum kit for the grid editor, this function allows you to use
.MID to Drum Kit the instruments that are found in a MIDI file. A quick way of building up a kit. For
example, if you are making a Latin style called “mambo” you could load in a Mambo
MIDI file that you made, and then the StyleMaker’s “Style | Import notes from .MID to
Drum Grid…” menu command would extract the drum notes from the MIDI file and put
them on the drum grid.
Define a Custom Drum Since the Drum Grid Editor uses 19 instruments, this allows you to define which
Kit instruments will be used and create a custom drum kit.
Copy all “a” substyle Copies all “a” substyle patterns to “b” slots. This feature is handy when only a volume
patterns to “b” increase tweaking is required for the “b” substyle.

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Copy Current Row to Copies an entire row of patterns to the new row specified.
Row ___
Delete all Patterns in Deletes all of the patterns in the selected row.
this Row
Delete Instrument (all Completely removes the selected instrument from the style leaving rows of blank cells in
patterns, all rows for the StyleMaker grid. This function is handy if you need to remove an instrument from a
this instrument) style.
Style Checker Analogous to a “Spell Checker,” this function analyzes your style-in-progress and
identifies possible problems.
The Style Checker results are output to a text window, allowing you to examine the patterns and fix them if required.
It identifies patterns that might be “too busy” or incorrect macro notes etc. in a text report about the style, listing
possible problems with the style. Here is a sample printout.
-----Start of style checking ------JAZQUINT.STY
Drums: Row 1, Column 1 First pattern of instrument shouldn’t contain masks in it. It should be generic.
Bass: Row 1, Column 1 First pattern of instrument shouldn’t contain masks in it. It should be generic.
Piano: Row 1, Column 3 Non Chord tones found (other than C, E, G, Bb) and pattern is not set to a chord mask, riff
based or MACRO
…etc., etc.
-----end of style checking ------
Style Summary This displays a text window summary of the style, including lots of information about the
style such as # patterns, # patterns for each substyle, patches, pushes, volume changes, guitar
patterns, and more.
Add required 8 beat Styles must have some 8-beat patterns and at least one “a” substyle pattern if “b” substyle
and blank patterns patterns are present. This will create them by duplicating lower rows.

Flip current Swaps the “a” substyle and “b” substyle patterns for the current instrument.
instrument

Flip entire style Swaps the “a” substyle and “b” substyle patterns for the entire style.

Set embellish … Opens options for embellishing the currently selected instrument part. Embellish does not
current instrument apply to bass and drums.

Set embellish …all Opens options for embellishing all Piano, Guitar, and Strings parts. Embellish does not
Piano/Guitar/Strings apply to bass and drums.

Reduce style (to 16th For styles that you want to reduce from 8th notes to 16th notes, e.g., an 8th note style at a
notes) tempo of 260 to a 16th note style at a tempo of 130.

Expand style (to 8th To expand a 16th note style to 8th notes, e.g., a 16th note style at a tempo of 130 into an 8th
notes) note style at a tempo of 260.

Help
These menu items are quick links to the main Help and to StyleMaker topics in particular.
Index (F1)
Topic Search (Ctrl+F1)
StyleMaker Overview
Tutorial 5 Editing an Existing Style
Tutorial 6 Making a New Style
Drum Patterns
Bass Patterns

Chapter 14: User Programmable Functions 403

Piano/Guitar/String Patterns
How To (Shift+F1)
StyleMaker Toolbar Buttons
These options are also available from the StyleMaker window pull-down menus.
Saves and overwrites existing style using current name.
Saves the style but allows you to rename it first.
Plays the current pattern.
Stops the playback of the current pattern.
Plays the current pattern over a specific chord.
(Drum Grid Editor) Allows creation or editing of a drum grid pattern.
(Record) Begins live recording of a Bass/Piano/Guitar/Strings pattern after a 2-bar intro.

(Notation) Displays current pattern in notation, allowing editing of pattern in notation.

(Options) Change the volume of the selected pattern.
(Quantize) Increases or decreases note durations for the pattern.
(Volume) Assign instruments to the style.
(Legato) Overall style settings including master volumes.
(Patch) Assign instruments to the style.
(Miscellaneous) Miscellaneous settings for the style.
Plays the current song using the new style you’re making.
Exits the StyleMaker and closes the window.
A right-mouse menu has options to Play Pattern, Play Pattern on
Chord, or Mute Pattern.

Exploring the StyleMaker

To become familiar with the StyleMaker, it is easiest to begin with an existing style and examine its makeup. This
example uses ZZLITROK.STY, a basic Light Rock style. Patterns are played back from the main StyleMaker
screen.

The StyleMaker displays current patch numbers for the parts on the main window.

Band-in-a-Box StyleMaker window showing Drums patterns window.

404 Chapter 14: User Programmable Functions

The StyleMaker always opens to the Drums window, as indicated by the highlighted button to the left of Drums.
Other parts are selected by clicking on their buttons, just as in the main Band-in-a-Box screen.
The rows of cells are for the musical patterns that have been recorded for the style. Each numbered cell is a pattern;
the blank cells are for new patterns. The numbers are the weights assigned to the pattern, a higher number, or
weight, means that a pattern will be played more often. The average weight is 5.
In the example above, you will notice that there are 4 rows of drum patterns.
- A pattern is the row to record drum patterns for the A substyle.
- B pattern is the row to record for the B substyle.
- Drum fills are recorded on the drum fills row.
- End drums are ending patterns (2 consecutive patterns of 1 bar).
This style shown has nine drum patterns for its “a” substyle, and eight more for the “b” substyle variation. It also has
eight drum fills and four ending patterns.
What’s a pattern?
A pattern is one musical figure, a single element of a musical style. When Band-in-a-Box combines the various note
patterns into arrangements we hear what the different instrumentalists would play for a song in that style.
Drum Patterns
In our example, the drum patterns are what the drummer plays for a Light Rock song.
You can view any drum pattern in the row if you click on the box and then on the drum grid button to open
the Drum Pattern Editor.
The Drum Pattern Editor grid shows which drums in an 18-piece kit are being played on what beats and with what
velocity (force) they are being hit. Each group of columns separated by a vertical line represents one beat in a four-
beat bar, sub-divided into 16th notes. If there was a number in each cell across the row for any instrument, that
instrument would play sixteenth notes for the whole bar.
In a swing style each beat would be sub-divided into eighth-note triplets, with three columns to a beat.
Let’s examine the pattern in detail.
The highlighted cell shows that the Bass Drum is being played on beat 1 at a velocity of 83. (The loudest possible
note has a velocity of 127, while 0 is silent.) Moving to the right, you will see that the Bass Drum plays again on the
second eighth note of beat 2 with a velocity of 73, and then on beat 3 with a velocity of 93, the familiar “boom-ba-
boom” Pop/ Bossa Nova beat.
The Closed High Hat plays straight eighth notes at different velocities.
The Snare Drum plays on beats 2 and 4 in a typical Light Rock backbeat.
You can easily create new patterns of your own by selecting an empty box in a row of patterns and then clicking the
[Rec] button to open a blank Drum Pattern Editor grid. To hear the pattern you have made, click on the [Play]
button. Click on the [Help] button for more tips and details.

Chapter 14: User Programmable Functions 405

Defining a Custom Drum Kit
To set up a custom drum kit, select the menu item Style | Define Custom Drum Kit in the StyleMaker window to
launch the Define Custom Drum Kit dialog. You can choose the 18 drum instruments to be used on the drum grid.
Any of the GM instruments may be chosen. Kits may be saved and loaded to disk.

In defining a custom drum kit in the StyleMaker, you can use the drum notes found in a MIDI file.
For example, if you are making a Latin style called “mambo,” you could load in
a Mambo MIDI file that you made, and then the [Import notes from .MID…]
function would extract the drum notes from the MIDI file and put them on the drum grid.
Drum Screen Alternate Notes
What are alternate notes?
Alternate notes can be entered for any note. This tells Band-in-a-Box to randomly choose a different note to the one
specified. For example:
- You might want a note to be a closed high hat 80% of the time, and an open high hat 20% of the time.
- You might want a note to be high conga 60% and low conga 40% of the time.
- Or high tom 30% of the time and NO note the other 70%.
This allows one drum pattern to sound like many, because it will be played different ways depending on which of the
notes are picked.
How To Put In An Alternate Note
Click on the cell in the Drum Pattern Editor where you want to add an alternate note. Then press the [Alt.] button
or press the F5 key to open the Alternate Drum Note dialog.
Type in the #s as you see here.
- The Alternate will play 50% of the time.
- The Alternate note #4 is Open High Hat (you will see the list of note #s at the
side of the screen.
- The Alternate note will play at a velocity of 90.
Check the “Double note (32nd note)” checkbox to have the alternate note play as
a doubled 32nd note.
“Omit first note” works together with the Double note feature to play only the
second 32nd note.
When you exit the dialog, you will see that the note cell now
has a red border indicating that an alternate note is located there.
Tip: All Band-in-a-Box styles must have at least one drum pattern, even if there are no drums in the style. In that case, open the
Drum Grid Editor and enter a value of 0 on beat 1 of the pattern for any drum and then save the pattern.

406 Chapter 14: User Programmable Functions

Click on the [Exit] button to return to the Drum window.
The Drum Pattern Options dialog will open, click on [OK] and it
will close.
These options determine how and when an individual drum pattern
gets played.

Relative Weight (Usual Setting =5)

Relative Weight is the number that you assign to the pattern from 1-9. Numbers from 1-8 indicate how often you
want the pattern to be played in relation to the other patterns on the same row. A weight of 9 is a special setting that
ensures that the pattern will ALWAYS be played. Patterns assigned a weight of 9 usually have other options set
which instruct the pattern to only be played at certain times (bar after a drum fill for example).
Playback Bar Mask (Usual Setting =0)
Playback Bar Mask determines on what bars of the song the pattern will play. The bar numbers are counted relative
to the last part marker. Bar 1 is the first bar after a part marker for example. A bar mask setting of 0 is the default.
This lets the pattern be played at any time.
Other bar mask settings:
- Bar 1 of 4
- Bar 2 of 4
- Bar 3 of 4
- Bar 4 of 4
- Bar 5 of 8
- Bar 6 of 8
- Bar 7 of 8
- Bar 8 of 8
- pre-fill - refers to the bar before a fill
- fill - refers to the bar of a fill. This is not applicable to drums because there is a special row for drum fills.
- post-fill - refers to the bar after a fill, which is the same as the first bar after a part marker.
Drum Fill On Substyle (Usual Setting =0)
This setting is only relevant on the Drum Fills line. It lets you specify if you want the drum fill to be used on the “a”
substyle, the “b” substyle, or either. The default setting is “either.”
Late Triplets (Usual Setting =0)
This is only relevant in drum patterns with time base =12 (triplet feel). If you want the 3rd triplet to be played late,
as is usually done in slow Jazz styles, then set a number from 0-10. The default is 0 = not late at all. A typical
setting for a slow triplet style is triplets late =5 where one unit is 120/beat.
This type of pattern is found in earlier Band-in-a-Box styles. Later styles use live MIDI drums, which are edited as
notation. The same options are used.
Editing Live Drums Patterns (or patterns imported from a MIDI file)
Live drum patterns are recorded in real time from a MIDI controller - either MIDI drum pads or a velocity sensitive
MIDI keyboard. You can also import MIDI patterns from any standard MIDI file with the StyleMaker’s Pattern |
Import Pattern from MIDI file command.
To edit these patterns, press the notation button in the StyleMaker toolbar to open the Pattern Editor Notation
window. Edit the drum notes in the Editable Notation or Staff Roll view, just as you would edit regular notation.

Chapter 14: User Programmable Functions 407

RealDrums Styles
RealDrums are actual recordings of studio drummers, pieced together by Band-in-a-Box to create a unique “real”
drum track that is played along with the MIDI tracks created by Band-in-a-Box styles.
It is possible to assign RealDrums (audio drums) to a particular Band-in-a-Box style in the Misc.
Style Settings dialog.

RealDrums Settings (Audio Drums, instead of MIDI drums)

Enable “Style uses RealDrums (audio drums)” in order to designate a RealDrums style, and then press the [RD]
button to select your RealDrums style. Whenever the current style is played, it will use your RealDrums style
provided that RealDrums are enabled in the RealDrums Settings dialog. There are also additional volume controls
here.
To make your overall dB setting a bit higher or lower for this particular Band-in-a-Box style you can enter a setting
here. There are also fields for adjusting the “a” or “b” subsection volumes only.
If you remove the check mark from either “Allow “a” substyle RealDrums” or “Allow “b” substyle RealDrums” the
one with the checkmark remaining will be used for the entire song, regardless of what substyle is currently called for
in the song.
See the following tutorial on Making RealDrums Styles.
Bass Patterns
Click on the button to the left of Bass to open the bass pattern window. Notice that the status bar gives the Row and
Column number for the current pattern.

You will see that this window is different from the Drums window, it has rows for different lengths of patterns – 8
beat, 4 beat, 2 beat and 1 beat – for both the A and B substyles, and a row for endings.

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 To see a bass pattern, select any numbered box and click on the notation button. The StyleMaker Pattern
Editor will open, showing the selected pattern as notation.
Click on this button to enter the Editable Notation mode. In this mode notes can be edited, added, or deleted as
in the regular notation

A new pattern can be created by selecting an empty cell in the StyleMaker grid and then opening the StyleMaker
Pattern Editor window to enter notes with your mouse. A quicker way to make a new pattern is to record it live from
a MIDI keyboard or any other MIDI controller that is connected to your computer.
Recording a New Pattern
New patterns are recorded by playing them live in real time as the StyleMaker plays an accompaniment on the drums
and other instrument parts for the style. If you don’t want to hear other tracks - say you just want to play along to the
drums – any track can be muted with a right mouse click on the track name in the Band-in-a-Box main screen.
Go to the correct row for the length of the pattern you want to record (8 beat, 4 beat, etc.) and click on an empty cell.
Recording is started with the [Rec] button. When it is clicked, the drums and any other tracks that are present will
start to play but recording has not begun.
The StyleMaker gives you a 2-bar intro to get ready to record the new pattern, so you can play along with the intro
for a “flying start” or just use the 2 bars to count yourself in. Recording then begins and continues for another 2 bars,
no matter what length of pattern you are recording. If you are just recording a 4-beat pattern you will still hear the 2-
bar intro and then another 2 bars of accompaniment while the pattern records. You would just play your 4-beat
pattern and then wait until recording stops.
Tip: Remember that patterns can be edited in the StyleMaker Pattern Editor, so you don’t have to redo an otherwise good take
because of a small mistake.
When recording stops, the Bass Pattern Options
dialog opens. The options determine how and
when each individual Bass pattern gets played.
They can always be changed after the style has
been saved.
Click OK to save the pattern with the default
options. Click Cancel to erase the take and
record the pattern again.
To hear the pattern you have just recorded,
click on the [Play] button or, better yet, click
on the [Chord] button in the StyleMaker
toolbar to hear how it sounds playing different
chords.

Bass Pattern Options

Relative Weight (Usual Setting = 5)
Set this # higher/lower if you want the pattern to be played more/less often than the other patterns on the same row.
This number is also displayed on the main StyleMaker screen. A setting of 9 (always) is a special setting that
instructs the pattern to always be played instead of the other patterns on the same row. These patterns always have
other options set which specify the times that this pattern would be eligible to be played.
Playback Bar Mask (Usual Setting = 0)
Playback Bar Mask determines on what bars of the song the pattern will play. The bar numbers are counted relative
to the last part marker and range from 1-8. Bar 1 is the first bar after a part marker for example.

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Other bar mask settings:
- Bar 1 of 4
- Bar 2 of 4
- Bar 3 of 4
- Bar 4 of 4
- Bar 5 of 8
- Bar 6 of 8
- Bar 7 of 8
- Bar 8 of 8
Special Bar Masks:
- pre-fill - refers to the bar before a fill
- fill - refers to the bar of a fill (this allows you to put in “bass fills” for example)
- post-fill - refers to the bar after a fill, which is the same as the first bar after a part marker.
Playback Beat Mask (Usual Setting = 0)
Set the beat mask to a beat from 1-4 if you want the pattern to only be played on certain beat #s. 1= Beat 1, 2= Beat
2, 3= Beat 3, 4= Beat 4.
Roman Numeral Mask (Usual Setting = 0)
If you have a pattern that should only be played on the I chord or the IV chord (of the key), you can use these Roman
Numeral Masks. This setting is rarely used.
Chord Type (Usual Setting = Any)
This setting is very useful. This allows you to record patterns that will only work on certain types of chords. For
example, you can record a specific riff that will only work on a minor 7th chord. You then play the pattern on a
Cmin 7 (not a C7). There are chord types for most types of chords.
Interval To Next (Usual Setting = Any Interval)
This setting allows you to restrict the pattern to be played only if the next chord is a certain interval away. For
example, you can record a bass pattern that is walking up a fourth and then assign an Interval of Up 4th so that the
pattern would only be played if you’re going up a 4th.
Half Octave range (Usual Setting = Full Octave)
This is a new setting in the StyleMaker. Usually a pattern will be picked on any of the 12 roots. You can select a
smaller range, either A to D, or Eb to Ab. In this case the pattern would only be picked if the chord in the song is in
that range.
Play Pattern Pushed how often (Usual Setting = 0 %)
# Ticks to Push Pattern (Usual Setting = 0)
Pushed patterns are patterns that are played before the chord begins. Jazz styles typically use pushed patterns for the
piano. Patterns are recorded in the normal way (non-pushed) and then you assign the % of time and amount (in ticks,
120 ticks = 1 beat) to push the pattern. The pattern only plays pushed in the song, not when played in the
StyleMaker window.
OK to use Macro Notes (Bass Usual Setting = No)
Bass macros are special notes that you record. When they are played back, they are replaced by a function.
List of Bass Macro Notes
Note# 72 (C): Pop Walking Note(s). Playback with the [F8] key and note #72 will be replaced by up to 4
intelligent notes per pattern walking in a Pop/Country mode to the next chord.
Note# 76 (E): Note a semitone below root of next chord.
Note# 77 (F): Root of next chord.
Note # 78 (F#): Note a semitone ABOVE root of next chord.
Note # 79 (G): Best fifth (a fifth above or below the root depending on how high the root is. Stays on the root if in
a slash chord (C7 /E).
Remember that to get Bass Macros working you must:
- Hit the right note # (you may be out by an octave).
- Set “OK to use macros” to “Yes.”

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- Playback the Pattern with [F8] key or [CHORD] button. The [F4] playback key gives you a literal playback with
strange sounding high macro notes.
Chord Selection Dialog
This section is accessed by the [Chord] button, the
F8 key or by choosing Pattern | Play Pattern on Chord
from the pull-down menu.
This plays back a pattern on a specific chord that you
choose in either the key of C or the key of F. You can hear
what patterns will sound like in a style by “trying them out”
on certain songs. Macro notes recorded in a pattern will
play their corresponding chords; smooth voice leading is
demonstrated etc.
Just choose a chord and press OK.
Note: Does not apply to drum patterns, since drum patterns don’t
play any differently on different chords.

Piano, Guitar, and String Patterns

Piano, Guitar, and String patterns are recorded in the same way as live Drums or Bass patterns, but with added
features and options. Guitar styles can be created with authentic strumming and rhythm patterns using correct fret
positions.
Piano/Guitar String Pattern Options dialog
The StyleMaker shows summary information about non-default
settings in a pattern at the top title bar, so they are easy to spot.

Relative Weight (Usual Setting = 5)

Set this # higher/lower if you want the pattern to be played more/less often than the other patterns on the same row.
This number is also displayed on the main StyleMaker screen. A setting of 9 (always) is a special setting that
instructs the pattern to always be played instead of the other patterns on the same row. These patterns always have
other options set which specify the times that this pattern would be eligible to be played.
Playback Bar Mask (Usual Setting =0)
Playback Bar Mask determines on what bars of the song the pattern will play. The bar #s are counted relative to the
last part marker, and range from 1-8. Bar 1 is the first bar after a part marker for example.
Other bar mask settings:
- Bar 1 of 4
- Bar 2 of 4
- Bar 3 of 4

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- Bar 4 of 4
- Bar 5 of 8
- Bar 6 of 8
- Bar 7 of 8
- Bar 8 of 8
Special Bar Masks:
- pre-fill - refers to the bar before a fill
- fill - refers to the bar of a fill (this allows you to put in “bass fills” for example)
- post-fill - refers to the bar after a fill, which is the same as the first bar after a part marker.
Playback Beat Mask (Usual Setting = 0)
Set the beat mask to a beat from 1-4 if you want the pattern to only be played on certain beat #s. 1= Beat 1, 2= Beat
2, 3= Beat 3, 4= Beat 4.
Roman Numeral Mask (Usual Setting = 0)
If you have a pattern that should only be played on the I chord or the IV chord (of the key), you can use these Roman
Numeral Masks. This setting is rarely used.
Chord Type (Usual Setting = Any)
This setting is very useful because it allows you to record patterns that will only work on certain types of chords.
For example, you can record a specific riff that will only work on a minor 7th chord. You then play the pattern on a
Cmin 7, not a C7. There are chord types for most types of chords.
Interval To Next Chord (Usual Setting = Any Interval)
This setting allows you to restrict the pattern to be played only if the next chord is a certain interval away. For
example, you can record a bass pattern that is walking up a fourth and then assign an Interval of Up 4th so that the
pattern would only be played if you’re going up a 4th.
Half Octave Range (Usual Setting = Full Octave)
Usually a pattern will be picked on any of the 12 roots. You can select a smaller range, either A to D or Eb to Ab. In
this case the pattern would only be picked if the chord in the song is in that range.
Play Pattern Pushed – how often (Usual Setting = 0 %)
# Ticks to push pattern (Usual Setting = 0)
Pushed patterns are patterns that are played before the chord begins. Jazz styles typically use pushed patterns for the
piano. Patterns are recorded in the normal way (non-pushed) and then you assign the % of time and amount (in ticks,
120 ticks = 1 beat) to push the pattern. The pattern only plays pushed in the song, not when played in the
StyleMaker window.
OK to use Macro Notes (Usual Setting = No)
Piano Macros are special notes that you record. When they are played back they are replaced by a function, as listed
below.
List of Piano Macro Notes (same as Guitar/String macro notes)
MIDI Note # 83 B: Pop Chord Diatonic Below
MIDI Note # 84 C: Pop Chord
MIDI Note # 85 C#: Pop Chord Diatonic Above
MIDI Note # 88 E: Jazz Chord Chromatic Below
MIDI Note # 89 F: Jazz Chord
MIDI Note # 90 F#: Jazz Chord Chromatic Above
Remember that to get macro notes working you must:
- Hit the right note # (you may be out by an octave).
- Set OK to use macros to Yes.
- Playback the pattern with [F8] key or [CHORD] button. The [F4] playback key gives you a literal playback with
strange sounding high macro notes.
Check “Use Guitar Macros” to enable guitar macro notes for this pattern.

Click on the [Guitar Options..] button to specify guitar macro note parameters.

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Transpose Root Pattern (Usual Setting = No)
This is a rarely used setting. It only is relevant when voice leading is set to smooth. It determines where the center
of the pattern is considered to be. If set to “Yes,” the center of the pattern will be moved to the key of the song.
Embellish Pattern (Usual Setting = None)
If set to “embellish 1” the pattern will be embellished. This is useful in Jazz styles. “Embellish 1” embellishes the
chord once in the pattern, whereas “embellish 2” changes the embellishment during the pattern.
Transpose Down Limit (Usual Setting = 6)
This setting is quite useful. It controls the range that the pattern will be played over. For example, if the transpose
down range is set to =2 the pattern (recorded in C) will be transposed a maximum of 2 semitones down, and
therefore up to 10 semitones up to play all 12 possible roots of the chords.
Voice Leading (Usual Setting=Transpose)
The easiest type of voice leading is transpose only. If the notes C-E-G-Bb were played as a C7 pattern, then Band-
in-a-Box would transpose that voicing to an F7 chord as F-A-C-Eb, which is fine but not very smooth. A more
pleasant setting would be “smooth” voice leading. Then the F7 would be voiced automatically as C-Eb-F-A. “Riff
based” voicing is used when you have recorded a pattern with a melodic riff in it. This setting ensures that Band-in-
a-Box will not try to transform any of the notes into chord tones.
Guitar Styles with the StyleMaker
Guitar Styles with incredible authenticity are possible in the StyleMaker. You can use new macro notes to be played
back as a Jazz, Folk, or Pop guitar chord using correct fret positions for accurate guitar-friendly chords.
Playing back Guitar Styles
Guitar Styles are identified by the exclamation point (!) in the style name. This is not a requirement but is usually
present in the style name. For the typical user who is just using the styles for playback and isn’t making their own
styles there’s not much that you need to know about the styles, since they play normally like other Band-in-a-Box
styles.

You can see which tracks have intelligent guitar parts by looking at the title window of the Guitar fretboard, when
the track is highlighted. If it is a Guitar Style track, it will say [Guitar Voicings] after the name of the track. The
usual track that has the intelligent guitar styles is of course the Guitar Part. Some of the styles have more than 1
guitar, so the piano and/or strings part might also have an intelligent guitar part. In these cases, you can also view
the guitar on those tracks.
The styles can be set to use different types of voicings for guitar. For example, there are Jazz, Pop, and Folk (open
position) voicings. Also, some of the styles allow the guitar to play advanced chords and inversions. Some of the
styles play chord patterns, so the chord in the song might be F7, but the guitar plays a “walking-chord” pattern of F7,
Cm7/G, Abdim, F7/A on each beat. There can be fingerpicking styles that have a lowest note alternate between root
and 5th.
Guitar Parts use channels 11 to 16 for the notes, corresponding to strings 1 to 6 of the guitar. When you make a
MIDI file, the notes will all get written on a single guitar channel. Sequencers like PowerTracks Pro Audio will
recognize guitar parts on all 6 channels, so if you want to write the MIDI file from an intelligent guitar style, you can
set Band-in-a-Box to do this from the Options | Preferences | Write Guitar part on 6 channels option.
To make a Guitar Style:
Press the [Misc] button to enter the Misc. Style Settings window, and then press the
[Guitar Macros] button to launch the Settings for Guitar chord macros dialog.
Note: A macro is a single note that triggers a preset chord pattern.

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 In the Settings for Guitar chord macros dialog choose the tracks
that you want to put guitar parts on. Use the Piano and Strings to
layer multiple guitar parts.

In the dropdown “Guitar Chord Types to Use” combo box, set the type
of chords to use: Jazz, Pop, Folk, Half Note (sax), Ukulele, Mandolin,
5-string Banjo or alternate guitar tunings.

Set the complexity of the chords to use. These can be single chords, chords with variations, inversions, and chord
“walking” patterns. If you want a simple guitar style, set the first one to 100%, and the rest to 0%.

Set the strum speed and fret range that should be played on the guitar.

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 The Guitar styles have an option to keep the same chord for the whole pattern when using
databases that have changing chords within the pattern. If set, databases that have changing chords like the “Half
Note (sax)” chords will only use the first chord in the pattern.
Exit the dialog and record a guitar pattern using Guitar Macro notes.
When the recording of the pattern finishes, set “OK to use Macro Notes” and “Use Guitar
Macros” to Yes.
Save the style, using the convention of putting an exclamation (!) somewhere in the name
(e.g., as the first character in the filename) to indicate that it is an intelligent guitar style.
Guitar Macro Notes

Tip: Middle C is C5 or note number 60.

The main Guitar Macro notes to use are:
Strummed Chords
C6 note Plays a guitar chord, with a slow strum.
D6 Plays a guitar chord, with a faster strum.
For example, if you want a simple 4-in-the-bar pattern that plays a slow-fast-slow-fast strumming pattern, play the
notes C6 D6 C6 D6 for the pattern.
Additional strumming macros are:
F#6 Back strum, chromatic below.
G6 Back strum.
G#6 Back strum, chromatic above.
A6 Back strum, chromatic above, fast strum.
Single Strings in chord
C4 Plays a single string that is the low root of the chord.
G4, C5, E5 Plays single string (D string, G string, B string).
G5 Plays high E string.
F5 Plays high E string, but if none available will play G string.
Additional notes for fingerpicking, not part of chord
G3 Fifth below the low root of the chord for fingerpicking.
E4 Fifth or third above the low root for fingerpicking.

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Override Guitar Style Options for this pattern only
You don’t need to set any Guitar Style Options, unless you want to override the settings already made in the Misc.
Style Settings dialog, for this pattern only. In the StyleMaker window, press the [Opt] button and then the [Guitar
Options..] button to see the options for the current pattern.

Check the “Over-ride Guitar Settings for this pattern only” checkbox to set new parameters for this pattern only.
Guitar Chord Types to Use
Use this feature to set the type of guitar chords to use for this pattern from the list, which includes alternate tunings.
Single Chords CHD1
The Single Chords feature will play the chord as intended in the pattern for the percentage value entered.
Single Chord - slight variation CHD2
This will play a slight variation of the specified chord for the percentage value entered.
Chord with 5th in bass (inversion) INV0
This feature will play your chord with a 5th in the bass.
Chord with inversion later in pattern INV1
This feature will play your chord with inversion later in the pattern.
Starting on Chord Inversion INV2
This feature will play your pattern starting on chord inversion.
Single Chord w/ some Chromatic movement WK1
This feature will play single chord with some chromatic movement.
‘Walking’ pattern of chords WALK 2
Walking pattern of chords.
Starting on chord substitution WALK 3
Walking pattern starting on chord substitution.
Strum Speed (ms)
This setting in milliseconds (ms) affects the rate in which the guitar chord is strummed.
Faster Strum Speed (ms)
The Faster Strum Speed setting affects the rate in which the guitar chord is strummed. Note that a lower setting in
ms equals a faster strum.
Include Highest Note in Strummed Chord
Check to include the highest note (for Strummed Macros) when played as a macro.
Include Highest Note in Finger Picking
Check to include the highest note (for Single String Macros) when played as a macro.

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Only include first chord of pattern
Check to play the first chord only.
Lowest Fret
The Lowest Fret feature will limit the notes not to be played beneath the fret specified.
Highest Fret
The Highest Fret feature will limit the notes not to be played above the fret specified.
Embellish pattern OK (Sax db)
This allows embellishment of the pattern from the Sax patterns database.
[Zeros]
Click this button to reset all percentage fields to zero.
[100s]
Click this button to set all percentage fields to 100.
Miscellaneous Style Settings

This dialog allows you to set some miscellaneous settings for the style. They are:
Long Name (32 chars)
A long style name can be stored in the style (up to 32 characters), and this will appear on screen and in StylePicker.
Waltz?
If you want to make a waltz with the StyleMaker, check the “Waltz?” checkbox in the Misc. Style Settings dialog.
Then the StyleMaker will record and play patterns in 3/4 time. The “8 beat row” will record “6 beat” (2 bar
patterns); the “4 beat” will record 3 beat (1 bar) patterns. The “2 beat” and “1 beat” still record 2 and 1 beat patterns.
The new style is made as a waltz, and will play with a 3/4 lead in. There is no need to put a 3/4 time signature
change in bar 1.
Jazz Style?
This lets Band-in-a-Box know if the style you’ve made is a Jazz style or not. If it’s a Jazz style it will use the Jazz
Snare/Bass Drum instead of the Pop Snare/Bass Drum, and makes some other decisions based on this setting.
Tempo
This allows you to set the tempo of the style. This is stored with the style. You can also change this tempo by the
tempo button on the StyleMaker main screen. Tempos can also be changed by the [ and ] keys. When you create a
new song, the tempo will be set to the tempo of the style.
Resolution
Styles can either have Triplet (swing eighth notes) Straight (even eighth or sixteenth notes) resolution.

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Use Latin Drum Kit
Check to use a Latin drum kit in this style with instruments like maracas, cabasa, and agogo.
Velocity Boost of pushes
Pushes can get a velocity boost, so that they are played louder than other patterns. A usual setting would be 10.
# ticks to push
Styles can be pushed with the StyleMaker. This will cause the patterns to be played a little ahead of the beat, a
certain % of time, which gives your arrangement a more human (musical) feel.
Band-in-a-Box uses a resolution of 120 PPQ, i.e., 120 ticks to a quarter note.
- 30 ticks = sixteenth note
- 40 ticks = triplet eighth note (Swing)
- 60 ticks = eighth note
Choose the number of ticks for each push to use.
Substyle Pushes
The % of notes that are pushed can be set separately for each track and for the “a” and “b” substyles.
In this example, the Bass track patterns will get pushed (randomly) 10% of the time in the “a” substyle and 20% of
the time in the “b” substyle.

Allow Volume Changes with Style (Usually = No)

Usually you don’t want specific volume changes in a style. But if you decide to change the volume of instruments,
you can do it by setting this to YES and then entering the Volumes you want in the settings below. (A better way to
change the volume of a track is to use Pattern | Volume Adjust (Alt+W) to set the volume of each pattern
individually.)
MultiStyles
Styles can now have names stored for the substyles. This is especially useful for Multistyles to describe the various
substyles.

When MultiStyle names are set, they are visible when right-clicking on a bar number.

‘Riff’ voicing type uses chord tones

This is an option for piano, guitar, and string patterns. If selected, voicing modifies to match the chord and scale.
Deselect for a simple transpose ignoring chord type.
RealDrums Settings (Audio Drums, instead of MIDI drums)
It is also possible to assign RealDrums (audio drums) to a particular Band-in-a-Box style.

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Enable “Style uses RealDrums (audio drums)” in order to designate a RealDrums style, and then press the [RD]
button to select your RealDrums style. Whenever the current style is played, it will use your RealDrums style
provided that RealDrums are enabled in the RealDrums Settings dialog. There are also additional volume controls
here.
Note: There is a hot key combination to turn RealDrums on/off (Ctrl+Shift+F6). This also works while the song is playing.
To make your overall dB setting a bit higher or lower for this particular Band-in-a-Box style you can enter a setting
here. There are also fields for adjusting the “a” or “b” subsection volumes only.
If you remove the check mark from either “Allow “a” substyle RealDrums” or “Allow “b” substyle RealDrums” the
one with the checkmark remaining will be used for the entire song, regardless of what substyle is currently called for
in the song.
Choose “Vary ^ styles with each play” to hear a different variation each time [Play] is pressed, so the song sounds
fresh each time. One time you will hear it with brushes, the next time with sticks and ride cymbals, etc.
The [Set MultiDrums] button will open the Create Multi-Drums dialog, which allows you to create the Drums
track with multiple drum/percussion parts, drum loops, UserTracks drums, and even RealTracks.
You can select a timebase (normal-time, double-time, half-time, or triple-time) for the Drums track with the
‘Timebase” option.
Guitar Macros
These settings determine what type of guitar chords will be used, and only apply if the
patterns are recorded using the guitar macro notes, and if the pattern is set to use guitar macro notes.
Allow Late Notes
This opens the Settings for Making Late notes quieter dialog. Notes played near the end of
a pattern will usually conflict with the next chord. So, it’s best to prevent notes near the end of a pattern from
playing. In the Arrangement Options dialog under Options | Preference | [Arrange] button there a global setting
for “Allow late notes in pattern, just before chord change” and a percentage setting for how often they will be
allowed.
Extra Style Settings
This opens the Extra Style Settings dialog, which allows you to enter a memo, examples,
genres, and other parameters to the style.

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To enter information, you first need to enable the “Enable Extra Settings for this style” check box. Then, enter a
memo, examples, feel, genres, etc.
You can import information from the current style or other styles. This is useful when you are making a similar
style. For example, if you are making a country style and want to import information from another country style,
press the [Import from Style] button, and select a style in the StylePicker. This will enter all the information from
the selected style to the style you are making.
Save the style, close the StyleMaker, and open the StylePicker. Then, press the [Rebuild] button, and select
Rebuild of PG Music and 3rd party styles.

The StylePicker will then show the information you have entered to the style.

More Settings (for Rests, Pushes, RealTracks)

Press the [More..] button for the More Settings (for Rests, Pushes, RealTracks) dialog.

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Since rests can be “shots” that play a chord on beat 1, the style can define what instrument to use for this, and at what
volume.
Similarly, each push is accompanied by a drum stab, and the style can define what instrument to use and at what
volume.
The Lowest Bass Note setting defaults to the low E on the bass guitar or acoustic bass. It can be changed to match
the range of other bass instruments, such as a tuba, or to extend the range of the bass for keyboards or 5-string and 6-
string basses.
Assign Soloist (MIDI) or RealTracks (audio) to style
Styles can contain RealTracks and RealDrums or MIDI soloists.
To assign RealTracks to a style set the “Instrument” to use, and the RealTracks #. In the following example, we are
using RealGuitar for the Guitar track.

Styles can have multiple RealTracks. For example, you could have a Real Guitar and Real Bass - and also
RealDrums for the drum track.
Styles can also use MIDI soloists. For example, make a style with a banjo part that has the same quality as the Band-
in-a-Box Banjo Soloist. Here we are assigning an Earl Scruggs Bluegrass solo to the Strings part.

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Use the dB or volume offset to match the level of your RealTracks audio or MIDI soloist to the rest of the style. To
apply the MIDI volume offset, enable the “MIDI Velocity Changes supported” checkbox.

The Timing offset can be used to offset the selected track by a certain number of ticks, either plus or minus. A
minus number will give the style a laid-back feel, a plus number will “push” the part.

Timebase allows styles to use Half-Time and Double-Time RealTracks. We include some of these styles.
For example, you can make a Jazz Ballad style (tempo 65) that uses a Sax
Soloist at tempo 140 (playing double time).

Custom Settings
Styles can have settings such as custom panning, reverb, and tone, plus plug-ins and loops. Simple versions of
RealTracks, ‘held’ notes only versions of RealTracks, and Direct Input (DI) instruments can be used.

Note: For styles that store extra information (such as panning, reverb, tone, substyle names, plug-in names etc.), an extra file
with a .stx extension is saved. STX files are not needed for most styles, just ones that need to store this extra information.
[Multi/Medley]
A style can have a huge number of RealTracks by using the RealTracks multi/medley feature which allows a single
track to have up to 10 RealTracks. For example, you can have choirs with different singers and several guitars on the
same track. To do this, press the [Multi/Medley] button, and when the Create a Medley of different RealTracks
dialog opens, select RealTracks to use and the playing option (switching or playing sumultaneously).
Plugin
If you want to save a style with specific plug-ins (MIDI synths or audio plug-ins) you can set them here. Plug-ins
use .tgs files, which must be in the C:\bb\DX Settings folder.
Loop/UserTracks/RealDrums
You can assign a loop, UserTracks, or RealDrums for any track.
[Add Custom MIDI track from another style]
You can add a custom track from another MIDI style by using the main menu of the StyleMaker, Style | Import
Instrument from Style.
Assign Instruments to Style Dialog
Select the [Pat.] button in the StyleMaker tool bar to open the Assign Instruments to Style dialog.

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This dialog allows you to assign instruments to a style. When the song is played back using the style, these patch
changes will be sent to your synthesizer. Remember, these are General MIDI Instrument numbers, not the patch
numbers of your synth (unless you have a General MIDI synth).
If you don’t require a specific instrument for the style, leave the setting at 0 < No Patch Change >.
Styles can have different instruments (patches) for the “a”
and “b” substyle. For example, you can have drum brushes
on the “a” substyle, and sticks on the “b” substyle, or
acoustic piano for the “a” and electric piano for the bridge.
The patch changes take effect immediately in the style, so that when you are recording Bass part for example, you
will hear the bass patch that you have selected.
Melody Patch/Soloist Patch
If set to other than 0 < No Patch Change >, all Melodies/Soloists will be played on the specified instrument. If
you’re making a “Grover Washington” style for example, you might want any melodies to be automatically set to
saxophone.
Thru Patch
If you set the Thru patch to other than 0 < No Patch Change >, the instrument that the user plays along to your style
will be the patch that you set. If you’re making a “Heavy Rock” style, you might want to set the Thru patch to be
Rock Guitar if you expected that the user would want to always play along on Rock Guitar.
Advanced Editing of Patterns
Patterns can be “tweaked” with the other advanced features in the StyleMaker - Trim Pattern, Late Notes, and the
Event List Editor.
Trim Pattern
The Trim Pattern routine deletes notes past the end of a pattern, or (optionally) a specified distance from the end of a
pattern. This can be accessed from the Pattern | Trim Pattern(s), row(s) command.

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In the dialog displayed, we are trimming 50 ticks from an 8-beat pattern. This means that the information past 8
beats (less 50 ticks) will be deleted. This feature is useful to erase “busy playing” that is present near the end of a
pattern, and also delete notes that are just taking up space in the style.
Pattern Velocity Adjust
This function adds or reduces the velocity of a single pattern, row of patterns, or all patterns in an instrument. It is
useful for reducing or increasing the volume of an entire instrument or fine-tuning the velocities in a style. Choose
the StyleMaker menu item Pattern | Velocity Adjust for 1 pattern, 1 row or all patterns, and input the velocity change
to make for the pattern(s). This adds or subtracts a certain velocity value to the patterns.
Tip: There is another velocity command, “Volume adjust,” but it works differently. It will change the velocities to a certain value,
useful for “smoothing out” velocities.
Late Notes
The [Allow Late Notes] button is found inside the StyleMaker’s Misc. Style Settings dialog. It opens a dialog with
“Settings for Making Late notes quieter.” There are settings for allowing or not allowing late notes, and for how late
the notes can be.

The global setting for late notes in Options | Preferences [Arrange] will reduce the volume of the late notes for a
smoother transition from one chord to another.
Event List Editor
The [#] button in the StyleMaker Pattern Editor notation window opens an event list for editing, inserting, or
deleting notes in the patterns.

Style Log Options

For people making styles, the Style Log text file shows exactly which pattern was used in the song generation for
every instrument and bar/beat. This is useful in fixing errant patterns.
To set a style log, choose the StyleMaker Style | Write BBStyleLog##.txt file menu option Display BB
StyleLog##.txt” in Notepad with each play.

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Then, a file called BBStyleLog##.txt will be displayed. Here is a sample:
Bass: Bar 1 Beat=1, Row= 1, Col=12, Location=13, Chord= C
Piano, Bar 1 Beat=1, Row= 1, Col=17, Location=140, Chord= C
Guitar, Bar 1 Beat=1, Row= 5, Col=8, Location=287, Chord= C
Strings, Bar 1 Beat=1, Row= 5, Col=23, Location=274, Chord= C
This tells you that when the song was generated, for the bass track, at bar 1 the pattern found in row 1, column 12 of
the StyleMaker was chosen.
Alternatives to Recording Patterns
It’s not always necessary to record every pattern for a style, or any patterns, for that matter. The import features in
the StyleMaker make it possible to assemble an entirely new style from existing styles, or to import patterns from
favorite MIDI files.
Hybrid Styles
The “Hybrid Styles” feature allows you to play and create a style that has instruments from up to five different
styles! You can, for example, play a song with a Reggae bass, Rock drums, Salsa piano, or any combination of up to
five styles that you want. Create a name for your hybrid style and you can save it with the song so that it will play
that way in the future.
To use the Hybrid Styles feature, choose File | StyleMaker | Make a Hybrid style, or click on the
[StyleMaker] button in the toolbar and select Make a hybrid style from the pulldown menu. You will
then see the Make a Hybrid style dialog.

Your hybrid style can be up to five instruments, each from a different style. For example, you can have a Latin drum
part, with a Zydeco bass, and Jazz guitar part, and strings from a Classical style!
Select the instrument (e.g. Bass), and then select a style by pressing the [.STY] button. Repeat for up
to five instruments.
When you’re ready to generate the style, press [OK- (re) Generate style with name
---〉] and choose a name for your style.
Remember that style names in Band-in-a-Box can be a maximum of eight characters, with no spaces! (This is to
ensure compatibility with Macintosh® and previous versions of Band-in-a-Box.)
Press [Play] in Band-in-a-Box and you can hear the results. You can revisit the Make a Hybrid style dialog to
make any changes.
Editing a Hybrid Style
You can edit a hybrid style just like any other style. Open the StyleMaker to view the patterns.
Importing Instruments from Other Styles
This is a great way to have fun with the StyleMaker, and to create great new styles in no time. The dialog is
accessed from the Style | Import Instrument menu item.
Choose the instrument you want to import and select the desired options. Click on [OK] and a standard Windows®
Open dialog will be launched so you can select any style on your computer as the source for the instrument. Mix and
match instruments from different styles to create fresh new arrangements.

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 Notice the selector box to choose an instrument to import and the
destination instrument in “Import to this instrument.”
For example, to add a second guitar to your style, you could import it
to the Strings track if it is empty (or if you want to replace the strings
with another guitar).
Note that Piano/Guitar/Strings can be interchanged here, but Bass can
only be imported from Bass, and Drums from Drums.
Try some instruments from dissimilar styles for fun and surprises!
You can also add parts that were not present in the original style this
way.

Importing Patterns from a MIDI file

You can use any MIDI file as a source for new StyleMaker patterns by accessing Pattern | Import Pattern from MIDI
file menu item.

Use the options to specify the channels and the exact bars to import, and also to include or exclude controllers.
The import # patterns option allows you to import more than one at a time.
In the StyleMaker, when you choose Pattern | Import from a MIDI File (or clipboard
or Melody track) the dialog shows a further option at the bottom.
For example, if you import 8 patterns, the 8 patterns will be inserted in the first available 8 positions on the current
row. They will be offset by the # of beats present on the current row. For example, if you are on the “4 beat” row,
the patterns will get inserted offset by 4 beats, so you’d get patterns for each bar in the 8 bars imported.
Convert Track to C7 chord
Choose Melody | Edit Melody Track | Map Melody track to C7 chord. The purpose of this function is to allow you to
quickly import any MIDI file track into the StyleMaker and make a style from it.

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Once you choose the option, you select whether it is a bass track to import, or a piano track (actually any track other
than bass or drums). A bass track uses notes below C4 (MIDI note #48) and above the lowest note you select in the
dialog.
If you select piano track the notes will all be mapped to a C7 chord, it is not important that the chords on the
spreadsheet are correct. However, if you are importing a bass track, it is important that the chords are correct. You
can select options to allow patterns that are anticipations, and also convert chords to “macro notes.” Force mapping
to “tritones” is useful for guitar or string parts that you might only want 2 notes for.
Once you have mapped the track to the notes, you can examine the Melody track to make sure the results are what
you want, and then use the Pattern | Import From Melody track command, and set the # of patterns to import, etc.
This function allows you to read in any track of music from a MIDI file that you’ve created, and quickly convert it to
patterns in the StyleMaker. Since the StyleMaker requires all patterns based on a C7 chord, this function
automatically maps the entire track to notes on a C7 chord. You can then import any # of patterns (using the
function to choose the number of patterns to import).
Editing Patterns
Slide Pattern X ticks
This is another option available on the StyleMaker menu. This allows a pattern to be time shifted any number of
ticks, based on a PPQ setting of 120.
The StyleMaker screen displays the number of patterns, which combined with the map to C7 function, allows you to
quickly import any MIDI file track into the StyleMaker and make a style from it.
There are other additional StyleMaker features such as definable instruments on the drum grid, 32nd notes on the
drum grid, “live” drums, the ability to load-in patterns from MIDI file to the drum grid or live drums, etc. to facilitate
importing patterns from MIDI files.
Velocity Adjust
This function adds or reduces the velocity of a single pattern, row of patterns, or all patterns in an instrument. It is
useful for reducing or increasing the volume of an entire instrument or fine-tuning the velocities in a style.
Choose the menu items Pattern-Velocity Adjust (for 1 pattern, 1 row, or whole instrument) and input the velocity
change to make for the pattern(s). This will add or subtract a certain velocity value to the patterns.
Style Checker
Analogous to a “Spell Checker,” this function analyzes your style-in-progress and identifies possible problems. The
results are output to a text window, allowing you to examine the patterns and fix them if required. It identifies
patterns that might be “too busy” or incorrect macro notes etc.
To access the Style Checker, open the StyleMaker (Ctrl+F9), and choose Style | Style Checker. You will then get a
text report about the style, listing possible problems with the style. Here is a sample printout:
-----Start of style checking ------JAZQUINT.STY
Drums: Row 1, Column 1 First pattern of instrument shouldn’t contain masks in it. It should be generic.
Piano: Row 1, Column 3 Non Chord tones found (other than C, E, G, Bb) and pattern is not set to a chord mask, riff
based, or MACRO.
Style Summary
This displays a text window summary of the style, including lots of information about the style such as # patterns, #
patterns for each substyle, patches, pushes, volume changes, guitar patterns, and more. To access the style summary,
from the StyleMaker, choose Style | Style Summary. You will then see a detailed text summary of the Style.

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MIDI File to Style Wizard
The Style Wizard is used to generate a Band-in-a-Box Style from a MIDI file. The Style Wizard does this by
analyzing the file and creating patterns emulating the notes and rhythms for the style.
Important: You should use a MIDI file that you have composed and arranged – if not, you need to first get permission of the
composer and arranger before making a style from the MIDI file.
In this tutorial, we’re going to load in the violet.MID found in the C:\bb\Documentation\Tutorials folder and convert
it to a style, which we will call Violet.STY.
Press the [StyleMaker] button and select Style Wizard from the pulldown menu to launch the Style
Wizard. Or choose File | StyleMaker | Style Wizard.

Press the [Open] button and load in the file C:\bb\Documentation\Tutorials\violet.MID.

The Style Wizard then does the following automatically.

The chords for the MIDI file are interpreted and written on the Chord Sheet.
The “part markers” for the file are displayed on the Chord Sheet. For violet.MID, the Style Wizard has found the
correct part markers – by looking for drum fills and other signs of a part change – and has assigned substyle “a” to all
of them. We will change some of them to “b” later.

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The channels used in the MIDI file are displayed in the
dialog, with the patches used and # of notes played on each
channel. (For violet.MID you can see that channels 2, 3, 4,
6, 7, and 10 are used.)
The Style Wizard analyzes the parts and guesses at which
Band-in-a-Box part - Bass, Piano, Drums, Guitar, or Strings
to use for each track. Band-in-a-Box has correctly assigned
5 instruments – not assigning a part to the Melody.

The Style Wizard suggests which bars (“snapshots”) to

include in the style. The suggested bars are bars with
all of the “BB Part” instruments.

Usually you’d want to customize these snapshot bars to control which bars get included in the “a” or “b” substyle. In
the violet.MID style, the Style Wizard has offered to include Bars 9-101 (inclusive) and wants to put them all on the
“a” substyle. Continuing on, we want to make a great sounding style, so it is important that we have the following
two items correct:
The “BB Parts” have to be correct. We can audition the MIDI file by playing a loop and listening to the
MIDI file and muting channels by clicking on the “Channel” checkboxes. From that, we can hear the
individual parts and assign them correctly, as we would like them in the style. By playing the MIDI file
inside the Style Wizard we can tell which bars to use for the “a” and “b” substyles.
Note: The Style Wizard has entered some of these settings automatically – but you have to type in the data as shown.
The Snapshot Bars should be correct for the “a” and “b” substyle. You need to tell the program what bars to use
for the “a” substyle and for the “b” substyle. The program makes an attempt to guess at this, but since MIDI files
can contain many different substyles (and a Band-in-a-Box style allows only 2), you’d likely want control over these
snapshots yourself.
Tip to help you choosing which bars to use
To listen to the MIDI file, you can either exit the Style Wizard dialog and just
play the song like any other Band-in-a-Box file or play a looped section inside
the Style Wizard using the [Play], [Stop], and “Loop at Bar” settings.
OK, the Style Wizard has already made the correct settings for the “BB Parts” for us, so we don’t need to make any
changes there. Let’s move to the Snapshots section and enter the bar numbers that correspond to the substyles that
we’d like for the Jazz tune. After listening to the tune, we notice that there is a “2-feel” Jazz section, and a “4-in-the-
bar” section. We want those as “a” and “b” substyles, so we enter the bar #s that correspond to these settings.

In the Snapshots area of the Style Wizard:

­ Enter “1-20” for the bars for the “A” Substyle.
­ Enter “21-28, 37-68” for the “B” Substyle.
­ Enter “12, 20” for the “A” Drum Fills.
­ Enter “28, 36, 44, 52, 60, and 68” for the “B” Drum Fills.

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 Note: Of course, you don’t need to enter this much detail. You could just enter a single range like 1-20 for the “a” substyle and
make a quickie style. We’re illustrating “advanced” style-generation here.
Press [Generate NEW style…] and choose a name for your style.

Let’s call it Violet.STY. Now to hear your style! You could play the style with any song of course, by loading in a
song and then loading in the Violet.STY. It is easily available from the Favorite Styles dialog (Shift+F9).
For this tutorial, load in the song V_TEST.MGU that we made for you. That’s a Jazz Swing song using different
chords than Violet, and it uses the Violet.STY (So you need to have made that style before you try to play the song
or you will get a “Violet.STY not found” message.)
Save the existing song before loading in the new song. When Band-in-a-Box saves a song that has an entire MIDI
file on the Melody or Soloist tracks it gives it a special MGX extension. So, you will be saving the file as
Violet.MGX.
Alternatively, if you’d prefer to play the Violet.STY style without loading in another song, you can do it as follows.
Since the Violet.MGX file currently has the entire MIDI file on the Melody track, the first thing we need to do is
mute the Melody (Alt+8 or right-click on the Melody track at the top of the screen). The next thing is enable the
style, by choosing File | Load Style Special | Style is Enabled so that this item has a checkbox.
Auto Endings for Styles without Endings
If you’ve made a style, and haven’t included an ending, a 2-bar ending can be generated automatically, based on the
style. This makes it easier to make complete styles using the Style Wizard. To hear an example, load in the song
C:\bb\Documentation\Tutorials\Tutorial - BB2005\No Ending.MGU. This song uses NOENDING.STY, a style that
doesn’t have an ending. An ending will be generated automatically for this style.
So, we’ve made our first style! In summary, making styles with the Style Wizard is a process involving:
1. Loading a MIDI file into the Style Wizard.
2. Listening to the MIDI file by muting channels to identify parts.
3. Picking the channels to use for the BB Parts.
4. Picking the snapshot bars for the “a” and “b” substyle.
5. Pressing the [Generate NEW style…] button.
Advanced Settings and Preferences

Click on the [More] button to open the Style Wizard Advanced Settings and Preferences dialog.

There are 2 sections to this dialog: Advanced Instrument Settings and Preferences.

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Advanced Instrument Settings
The advanced instrument settings allow settings for the instruments (drums / bass / piano / guitar / strings) to be
included in the style. The settings are:
The Substyles determines whether the instrument is included in the “A,” “B,” or both “A&B”
substyles. For example, if you want to make a style that only uses the strings on the “B” substyle, set
the strings instrument part to “B” only.

The Voicings settings determine, for the various instruments:

Drums (“voicings”): Whether the patterns will use live or grid style patterns.
Default mode is “auto,” which normally uses live patterns, but you can force it to
use live or grid style patterns. Live patterns have higher resolution and can use
more instruments, so in general are the better choice.
Bass (“voicings”) determine if the bass part will use All notes / Scale tones only
/ Root 3rd, 5th,7th / Root, 3rd, 5th / Root and 5th / or just the Root. The default
is “Auto-select” which usually allows all 12 semitones.

Piano, Guitar, and Strings Voicings determine how the Piano patterns will be
voiced. The choices are “Auto,” “Include Full Voicings,” “Tritones only
(3rd/7ths),” “Power Chords (Root/5th),” “Chord Mask Half Octave,” and “Chord
Mask Full Octave.”
The auto-setting usually uses the “Include full voicings.” If the part uses 2-note
chords, you should over-ride this setting to “use tritones” so that the most
important notes of the chord (the tritone) will get included.
You can also use chord masks so that specific patterns over chords will get added to your style, and they will play
exactly as in your MIDI file (just transposed). Set the voicings to use “Chord Mask Full Octave” or “Chord Mask
Half Octave.”
You wouldn’t make a Style Wizard style from scratch using chord masks because there
need to be generic patterns in the style. Therefore, you do it as a 2-stage process.
First, make the style using generic patterns (e.g. Voicing type “Auto”) and then change voicings to Chord Mask, and
add those to the style. As with other Style Wizard features, it is important that the chords and part markers on the
Chord Sheet be very accurate. If they aren’t, you should fix them before generating a style.
The Emb. (Embellish) checkbox determines if the patterns for Piano, Guitar, and Strings will be
embellished. If embellish is selected on a chord like D7 (in the key of C) 13ths, 9ths, and #11 notes might be added
to embellish the chord. A Jazz piano style would likely use this.
The Include Empty Patterns Threshold setting defaults to None. Possible settings are None / 2
beat / 1 bar / 2 bars. If set to “None,” the instrument will always play in the style, and if set to “1
bar,” there will be “spaces of silence” up to 1 bar long (perhaps longer if chained together) in the
style for that instrument. If an instrument is used sparsely in a style, set this setting to something
higher than none.

The Velocity Adjust will make an instrument louder or softer in the style.

Preferences
Preferences affect the style itself.

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 Save settings with songs: The song will be saved as an
MGX file, since the Melody track type is Multichannel and
contains the MIDI file. If you select this, the Style Wizard
settings are all saved with the MGX file.
Leave StyleMaker open after creating style: If set, after
generating the style, the StyleMaker is left open for you to
examine/edit the style directly.
Auto-interpret MIDI file (Default = Yes) :When set, the Style Creation Wizard will set the channels, BB Parts, and
snapshots for you. Normally this setting should be left on.
Delete existing patterns (when adding to the style) (Default = No) : If this option is set when you create style
patterns to add to an existing style, the entire instrument will first be erased in the style for any instrument used in the
new style. When you generate a style by adding to an existing style, the StyleMaker is then opened up, allowing you
to pick a new name for the style (so you don’t overwrite the existing style).
# columns to leave unused in the style (Default = 0): If set to zero (the default), the Style Creation Wizard can
create the biggest style possible – filling up the rows completely with patterns. But if you set this to a non-zero value
it will limit the # of patterns that can be made. Since there are 30 rows in the StyleMaker, you can set this setting
from 0 to 29.
Generate new pattern after # duplicates: The Style Creation Wizard won’t insert patterns unless they are unique
compared to the ones already entered. But (with this setting at the default of 8), after 8 duplicates of the same
pattern, a 2nd pattern will get entered that is a duplicate of another pattern. Setting this to zero would mean that every
pattern would get entered (regardless of whether it was unique); setting it to a high number like 200 would mean that
only truly unique patterns are entered. To maintain the correct balance in the style, since the maximum weight of a
pattern in the StyleMaker is 8, this setting should be left at 8 in most situations. If your style is “filling up” all the
available columns, then set this to a higher number.
Allow Pitch Bend in style: If set, pitch bend present on the MIDI file will be included in
the style. Make sure that the MIDI file pitch bend range = two semitones.
Allow pushes in style: If set, the style will allow pushes (playing instruments before the beat). This is done by
setting the push values in the individual pattern’s options.

Making RealDrums Styles

Introduction to RealDrums™
RealDrums are actual recordings of studio drummers, pieced together by Band-in-a-Box to create a unique “real”
drum track that is played along with the MIDI tracks created by Band-in-a-Box styles. You can combine any
RealDrums style with any Band-in-a-Box style, so the potential combinations are endless!
A RealDrums style consists of a wave file containing various bars of drum patterns, and a text file with instructions
on how Band-in-a-Box should interpret the wave file. In order for the style to work, the text file needs to be located
in the main Band-in-a-Box directory in the “Drums” folder, and then in a sub-directory that is the name of the style
group. The file-name needs to be the same as the style group, followed by an underscore (_) and a three-digit
number representing the tempo. Additionally, “_Style” has to be in the filename after the tempo.
For example, for a “JazzBrushes” style that is 120 beats-per-minute, this text file needs to be present:
C:\bb\Drums\JazzBrushes\JazzBrushes_120_Style.txt
The wave file also needs to be in a subdirectory of the “Drums” folder. It is usually located in the same place as the
text file:
C:\bb\Drums\JazzBrushes\JazzBrushes_120_Style.wav
However, it can be in a different directory, and there are some instances where this is necessary (see “Reduced
Styles” below).
“RealDrums style groups” are multiple RealDrums styles that have the same basic feel but were recorded at different
tempos. In the example above, “JazzBrushes” is the group, and “JazzBrushes_120_Style” is the style. In that
particular example, the JazzBrushes group contains 10 RealDrums styles:

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 JazzBrushes_045_Style
JazzBrushes_060_Style
JazzBrushes_070_Style
JazzBrushes_100_Style
JazzBrushes_120_Style
JazzBrushes_145_Style
JazzBrushes_175_Style
JazzBrushes_210_Style
JazzBrushes_250_Style
JazzBrushes_300_Style
The easiest way to make a style is to use a text-file template.
Making a RealDrums Style Using an Existing Template
Templates are available for download from
https://nn.pgmusic.com/pgfiles/support/patches/realdrums_stylemaking_templates.zip.
The information given below is all you need to create a RealDrums style using any of several provided templates.
For a more in-depth look at the intricate details of creating styles, please read on to the following topics under
Elements of RealDrums Styles.
Recording your wave file
For the wave file that will be used for your RealDrums style, you can either record a drummer, or you can piece
together a wave file using drum loops. If you use drum loops, just make sure you have the necessary permission
from the original artists and/or publishers of the loops.
Regardless of the method that you choose for creating your drum wave file, you need to have it conform to one of
these descriptions in order to have it match the accompanying template:
1. 32_bars_of_drumming.txt
2. 32_bars_of_drumming_with_shots.txt
3. 32_bars_of_drumming_with_shots_two_endings.txt
4. 64_bars_of_drumming.txt
5. 64_bars_of_drumming_with_shots.txt
6. 64_bars_of_drumming_with_shots_two_endings.txt
1. 32_bars_of_drumming.txt
Bars 1-2 – count-in for two bars (i.e., “one, two, one-two-three-four”)
Bars 3-18 will use the same basic groove:
3 – PostFill (usually a bar of playing with a cymbal shot at the downbeat, or some kind of bar that
would sound good after a fill)
4-9 – normal playing
10 – Fill
11 – PostFill
12-17 – normal playing
18 – Fill
Bars 19-34 will use a slightly different groove (‘B’ section) than 3-18
19 – PostFill
20-25 – normal playing
26 – Fill
27 – PostFill
28-33 – normal playing
34 – Fill
35-36 – ending, lasting two bars (usually the second bar ends on the downbeat, with a cymbal decaying)
2. 32_bars_of_drumming_with_shots.txt
This is exactly the same as 1, with these bars added:

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 37 – single drum hit, which will be used for “shots” in Band-in-a-Box
38 – single drum hit, which will be used for “pushes” in Band-in-a-Box
3. 32_bars_of_drumming_with_shots_two_endings.txt
Bars 1-2 – count-in for two bars (i.e., “one, two, one-two-three-four”)
Bars 3-20 will use the same basic groove:
3 – PostFill (usually a bar of playing with a cymbal shot at the downbeat, or some kind of bar that
would sound good after a fill)
4-9 – normal playing
10 – Fill
11 – PostFill
12-17 – normal playing
18 – Fill
19-20 – two bar ending
Bars 21-36 will use a slightly different groove (‘B’ section) than 3-20
21 – PostFill
22-27 – normal playing
28 – Fill
29 – PostFill
30-35 – normal playing
36 – Fill
37-38 – ending, lasting two bars (usually the second bar ends on the downbeat, with a cymbal decaying)
39 – single drum hit, which will be used for “shots” in Band-in-a-Box
40 – single drum hit, which will be used for “pushes” in Band-in-a-Box
4. 64_bars_of_drumming.txt
Bars 1-2 – count-in for two bars (i.e., “one, two, one-two-three-four”)
Bars 3-34 will use the same basic groove:
3 – PostFill (usually a bar of playing with a cymbal shot at the downbeat, or some kind of bar that
would sound good after a fill)
4-9 – normal playing
10 – Fill
11 – PostFill
12-17 – normal playing
18 – Fill
19 – PostFill
20-25 – normal playing
26 – Fill
27 – PostFill
28-33 – normal playing
34 – Fill
Bars 35-66 will use a slightly different groove (‘B’ section) than 3-18
35 – PostFill
36-41 – normal playing
42 – Fill
43 – PostFill
44-49 – normal playing
50 – Fill
51 – PostFill
52-57 – normal playing
58 – Fill
59 – PostFill
60-65 – normal playing
66 – Fill

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 Bars 67-68 – ending, lasting two bars (usually the second bar ends on the downbeat, with a cymbal
decaying)
5. 64_bars_of_drumming_with_shots.txt
This is exactly the same as 5, with these bars added:
69 – single drum hit, which will be used for “shots” in Band-in-a-Box
70 – single drum hit, which will be used for “pushes” in Band-in-a-Box
6. 64_bars_of_drumming_with_shots_two_endings.txt
Bars 1-2 – count-in for two bars (i.e., “one, two, one-two-three-four”)
Bars 3-36 will use the same basic groove:
3 – PostFill (usually a bar of playing with a cymbal shot at the downbeat, or some kind of bar that
would sound good after a fill)
4-9 – normal playing
10 – Fill
11 – PostFill
12-17 – normal playing
18 – Fill
19 – PostFill
20-25 – normal playing
26 – Fill
27 – PostFill
28-33 – normal playing
34 – Fill
35-36 – 2 bar ending
Bars 37-70 will use a slightly different groove (‘B’ section) than 3-18
37 – PostFill
38-43 – normal playing
44 – Fill
45 – PostFill
46-51 – normal playing
52 – Fill
53 – PostFill
54-59 – normal playing
60 – Fill
61 – PostFill
62-67 – normal playing
68 – Fill
69-70 – 2 bar ending
71 – single drum hit, which will be used for “shots” in Band-in-a-Box
72 – single drum hit, which will be used for “pushes” in Band-in-a-Box
Editing the text file
For the most part, the text files are ready-to-go. There are, however, a few small essential changes that you need to
make to the text file, and some other small changes you can make to improve your style.
Essential Changes
The first thing you need to do is change the filename of the wave-file and the text file to match the RealDrums style
group to which to which you want your style to belong. For example, if you want your style group to be called
“MyFunkyStyle,” and the style you recorded was at 70 beats per minute, your wave file would have to be called
“MyFunkyStyle_070_Style.wav” and your text file would have to be called “MyFunkyStyle_070_Style.txt.” Both
files would have to be placed in your main Band-in-a-Box directory (usually C:\bb) in the “Drums” folder, and from
there in a folder that is named for the style group. In this case, it would be C:\bb\Drums\MyFunkyStyle\.
The second thing you have to do is to change the first line of the text file so that it has the same name as the wave
file. In this case, you would change “wavename=mystyle.wav” to “wavename=MyFunkyStyle_070_Style.wav”

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The last thing you would need to do would be that if your style were a waltz (3:4) style, you would need to change
“TimeSig=4” to “TimeSig=3”. If, however, you are making a 4:4 style, your style is ready to be used!
Additional Changes
There are a few additional changes that could be made to fine-tune your style. The first is to enter a different value
in the “Offset=“ line. Drummers often hit a drum a few milliseconds before the beat, because the actual sound of the
drum tends to peak a few milliseconds after it is hit. Because of this, you want Band-in-a-Box to “grab” a bar of
drums a few ticks (1 beat = 120 ticks) early to compensate for this. The amount entered in the template is –5 (ticks),
but if you are finding that the drum hits at the beginning of bars are not starting properly, you can experiment by
setting a different offset value. –6 or lower (since it’s a negative number “lower” means –7, -8, -9, etc.) will mean
the bar is “grabbed” earlier, and a higher number (-4, -3, -2, -1, 0, etc.) means that it will be “grabbed” closer to the
bar line.
Another thing you can change is the volume. If you are finding your style is too loud in Band-in-a-Box, you can
reduce this by entering lower numbers in the “dbAdjust=“ line. The default is 0, but if you enter –1, -2, -3, etc., the
drum volume will be lowered.
For the patterns and the shots, all the patterns that are entered in the templates will match your wave file, provided
that the wave file was recorded to the specifications listed above. You can make changes to the patterns and shots,
but it is a good idea to read further into the specific meaning of all the elements of these lines. This can be done in
the complete RealDrums style making documentation.
Testing your RealDrums style
Once you have made your RealDrums style, you can test it in Band-in-a-Box by loading a song and setting the tempo
near to the tempo of the style you just created. You would then go into the RealDrums Settings dialog (either by
selecting Options | Preferences | RealDrums or by pressing the [RealDrums] toolbar button) and make sure
RealDrums are enabled. Put a checkmark beside “For this song only, use this RealDrum style,” and then select your
style from the “RD” button. When you close the dialog and play your song, your RealDrums style should be playing
as well. To make sure that it is playing, you can look at the Band-in-a-Box title bar. If your style is
“MyFunkyStyle_070_Style,” you should see [RealDrums=MyFunkyStyle_070].

Elements of RealDrums Styles

For an in-depth explanation of all elements of creating a RealDrums style, please read below.
Elements of the Wave File
The wave file must contain a 2-bar count-in. This can be a metronome sound, a drummer actually counting in, or
even a two-bar drum fill. These two bars will always be played at the beginning of a Band-in-a-Box song, unless the
count-in is disabled in the preferences. It is important to note that the beginning of the wave file should not contain a
bar of drum playing that is intended to be used in the middle of a song. If this bar were to be chosen, there would
likely be an audible gap of silence at the beginning of the bar when playing in Band-in-a-Box (this is due to the “ms
offset” which will be discussed later)

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The majority of the wave file can then contain any number of bars of drumming, keeping in mind that there are two
“substyles” available in Band-in-a-Box. This means that the basic groove should be the same throughout the first
half of the drum bars, and then the groove can change and should remain basically the same through to the end.
Keep in mind also when you either record or piece together your wave file, that in each “substyle”, there need to be
examples of fill, normal bars, and post-fills (bars specifically designed to come after fills, often containing a crash
cymbal which completes a fill). You also need at least one 2-bar ending.
After the bars of drumming should be a short section of single drum hits. These will be used to mix in with the bars
of drumming to emulate pushes and shots.
Example 1 shows an entire RealDrums style wave file. You can see that the first two bars contain the count-in, then
the majority of the file is taken up by regular drumming (you can see that halfway through the pattern is different –
this represents the “B” subsection), then at the end there are 4 “shots” (single drum hits).

Example 1: Wave form of an entire RealDrums style wave file

Elements of the Text File
The text file contains three main portions, global settings, pattern definition, and shots definition. We will
examine each one separately.
Global Settings
Wavename=x.wav
The first line of the text file must be “wavename=x.wav”, where “x” is the name of the filename. For example, the
first line of the JazzBrushes_120 text file is “wavename=JazzBrushes_120_Style.wav”. This file usually is in the
same directory as the text file but does not have to be. For example, you could make an alternate style that used
JazzBrushes_120_Style.wav called JazzBrushesAlternate. The text file would have to reside in
C:\bb\Drums\JazzBrushesAlternate\JazzBrushesAlternate_120_Style.txt, but the first line would still be
“wavename=JazzBrushes_120_Style.wav”.
ForceWavTempo=x
This is only used if the tempo of the style in question is different from the tempo that is in the filename of the wave
file being used. These are called “reduced” or “expanded” styles and will be discussed further below.
TimeSig=3
This would be used if you are making a waltz style. The line can simply be omitted when making 4:4 styles.
OFFSET=x
Often a drummer will hit a drum or cymbal slightly before a beat so that the actual peak of the sound occurs on the
beat itself. The offset determines how many ticks (1 beat =120 ticks) before the downbeat a bar of drums will be
taken from the style wave file, which is intended to compensate for any occurrence of this early playing on the drum
track. It is important to note that iv a bar is taken 10 ticks early from the style wave file, it is also placed 10 ticks
early on the Band-in-a-Box drum track, so there will be no shifting of the actual groove.
If no offset amount is entered, the program defaults to an offset of 0.

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To determine a good offset amount for a particular wave file, you can use an audio editor (such as PowerTracks Pro
Audio) to zoom in on the downbeats of all (or a sampling) of the bars. You can then measure the number of ticks
between the start of the drum hits and the actual bar line. The highest example would be entered as the offset
amount.
In example 2, the beginning of the drum hit at bar 15 occurs at 14:04:118, or 2 ticks before the downbeat of bar 15.
If all other bars were similar, you would enter an offset of –2.

Example 2: The left edge of the highlighted area represents the beginning of the drum hit that occurs at bar 15, and
the right edge of the highlighted area represents the actual downbeat of bar 15.
dbadjust=x
If a value is entered here, when the RealDrums track is played in Band-in-a-Box, the volume will be raised (or
lowered if a negative value is entered) by the amount entered. This is used to balance the RealDrums against the
other DXi instruments. This amount can be fine-tuned once the style is completed and it is possible to test it in
Band-in-a-Box.
If no dbadjust amount is entered, the program defaults to an adjust of 0.
dbadjustA=x
dbadjustB=y
You can adjust the volume of the A section and B section patterns separately in the same manner as “dbadjust” using
“dbadjustA=“ and “dbadjustB=.” The final volume of the parts will be based on the “dbadjust” amount added to the
adjust for the substyle in question. For example, let’s assume these values were entered:
Dbadjust=-5
DbadjustA=-2
DbadjustB=3
The total volume adjust for the A section would be (-5) + (-2) = -7. The total volume adjust for the B section would
be (-5) +3= -2.
MultibarPatternPercent=x
When Band-in-a-Box is choosing a RealDrums pattern (see “patterns” below) for a particular bar in a song, it
randomly selects from all possible patterns that fit based on their relative weight. If, however, a percentage is
entered here, then before this step it determines whether the current bar will be use a multi-bar pattern based on the
percentage. If this occurs, Band-in-a-Box eliminates all 1-bar patterns as possibilities for the current bar of music.
For example, if “MultibarPatternPercent=20” is entered, then every time Band-in-a-Box searches for a pattern, there
is a 20% chance that it will eliminate 1-bar patterns as possibilities. If “MultibarPatternPercent=80” is entered, then
every time there will be an 80% chance that 1-bar patterns will be eliminated as possibilities. If such an instance
occurs, but no multi-bar patterns will fit in the Band-in-a-Box bar in question, a 1-bar pattern will be allowed.

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If no amount is entered here, then Band-in-a-Box simply always picks between all possible patterns based on their
relative weights.
PushAmount8=x
PushAmount16=x
When pushes are entered in Band-in-a-Box (with either “^” for an 8th note push or “^^” for a 16th note push, entered
before a chord”), the RealDrums mix single drum hits with the bars of regular playing to emphasize the push. These
settings determine how many ticks prior to a beat the pushes are played.
Mathematically, since 1 quarter-note is 120 ticks, in a straight 8th style the 8th note will be 60 ticks and the 16th note
will be 30 ticks, and in a swing 8th style the 8th note will be 40 ticks. However, since drummers (thankfully!) do not
play mathematically, these numbers will vary based on their individual style, and the amount of “swing” in their
playing. A good amount to enter for these values can be determined by closely examining the drummers playing in
an audio editor and measuring the number of ticks between a few 8th notes prior to beats.
In this straight-8ths style (example 3), this eighth note played prior to the downbeat of bar 6 is played at 5:04:058, or
62 ticks before the downbeat. The rest of the file could be examined in a similar fashion (or random samplings), but
based on this example you would enter PushAmount8=62.

Example 3: The left edge of the highlighted area represents the eighth note before the downbeat of bar 6, and the
right edge of the highlighted area represents the downbeat of bar 6.
If no amount is entered for these values, Band-in-a-Box determines the amount based on whether or not the Band-in-
a-Box style being used is a swing or straight 8th style.
ASubstyleAllowed=NO
BSubstyleAllowed=NO
Using either one of these lines blocks all patterns for the specified substyle, and then uses the patterns of the
remaining substyle for the entire song, regardless of the substyle selected in Band-in-a-Box.
This can be useful for altering an existing style. For example, if you have a style made that uses brushes at the A
section and sticks at the B section, but you want to change it so that it only uses sticks, you can enter the line
“AsubstyleAllowed=NO” into the text file. All of the B section patterns will be used for both A section parts and B
section parts in Band-in-a-Box. This is also a useful tool in making “Alternate” styles (see “Alternate Styles and
Expanded/Reduced Styles” below).
It is important, however, to not enter both of these lines. If you do this, Band-in-a-Box will not be able to find any
patterns at all, and you will get an error message.
Pattern Definition
All patterns are defined in the text file using lines of text containing seven elements, with each of the seven elements
separated by a comma. The seven elements are: 1) the text “pattern”, 2) type of pattern, 3) section definition (A, B

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or all), 4) weight (how often the pattern will be played), 5) Mask (restrictions on where the pattern can be played), 6)
duration of the pattern in bars, 7) the location of the pattern in the style wave file.
Here are some examples of defined patterns:
pattern,Normal,A,2,1,2,75
pattern,Fill,A,1,0,1,58
pattern,PostFill,B,8,0,8,3
pattern,Ending,0,6,0,2,114
pattern,Count-in,0,5,0,2,-1
As you can see, each example here starts with the text “pattern.” This simply lets Band-in-a-Box know that the line
contains information regarding drum parts that will be inserted into the RealDrums track. The next element is the
type of pattern, and here we have examples of “normal,” “fill,” “PostFill”, “Ending” and “Count-in” types of
patterns. The next element is the section definition, and we have examples of “A” section patterns, “B” section
patterns and “0” patterns, for which sections are not applicable. The next element is the weight. In these examples
we have weights of 2, 1, 8, 6, and 5. The higher the weight, the more frequently the pattern will be chosen. The next
element is the mask. There are examples here of “0” masks, which impose no additional restrictions on where the
pattern can be played and a “1” mask, which does impose certain restrictions. The next element is the duration in
bars, and we have examples here of patterns that last 1, 2 or 8 bars long. The final element is the location of the
pattern in the style wave file. These numbers represent bars; however, you will notice that one of the examples has a
location of –1. This is because Band-in-a-Box uses a –1 based numbering system for bars of music in a song, which
will be explained in more detail below.
The six elements that come after the text “pattern” are explained here in further detail:
1. Type of pattern
There are 5 different types of patterns, “Fill,” “PostFill,” “PreFill,” “Normal,” “Ending” and “Count-in.”
Fills
Fills always occur in the bar immediately prior to part markers. In Band-in-a-Box songs, part markers (A or B) are
used to delineate musical phrases. Since drum fills are also used to conclude musical phrases, drum fills always
occur in the last bar before a part marker. Unlike other patterns, fills can only be 1 bar long.
Here are some examples of Fill patterns defined:
• pattern,Fill,A,1,0,1,8
• pattern,Fill,B,6,0,1,32
• pattern,Fill,B,5,0,1,58
PostFills
As the name implies, PostFills bars occur after Fills. That means that PostFill bars always occur in bars in which
there are part markers. Typically, PostFill bars are generally bars that have a cymbal crash on the downbeat, which
is intended as a completion to the fill that occurred in the previous bar. PostFills can be any number of bars long.
Here are some examples of PostFill patterns defined:
• pattern,PostFill,A,8,0,8,1
• pattern,PostFill,A,5,0,1,9
• pattern,PostFill,B,4,0,2,17
PreFills
PreFill bars occur immediately before Fills. PreFills are not essential for a style to work but can be useful in
situations where a drummer begins an elaborate fill a bar early. When Band-in-a-Box picks patterns for bars that
precede fills, it picks from among the pool of normal and prefill patterns. PreFills can either be 1 or 2 bars long.
Prefills can be 1 or 2 bars long, with the 2-bar prefill containing the actual fill as well.
Here are some examples of PreFill patterns defined:
• pattern,PreFill,A,4,0,2,7
• pattern,PreFill,B,7,0,1,57
Normal patterns
Normal patterns generally make up the bulk of a Band-in-a-Box song. Any bar that is not immediately before or
after a part marker, and is not a count-in or ending, will be taken from the pool of normal patterns.

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 Example 4: All of the highlighted bars in this example are “normal” bars.
Here are some examples of Normal patterns defined:
• pattern,Normal,A,2,0,1,3
• pattern,Normal,A,5,3,2,11
• pattern,Normal,B,5,1,2,75
• pattern,Normal,B,2,5,2,64
Endings
Endings are always 2 bars long, and generally have characteristics of fills for the first bar, but then end with a
drum hit on the 2nd bar, sometimes with a cymbal on the downbeat, but also often with a particular rhythmic
figure. You should check the ending in the Band-in-a-Box style that you will be using the RealDrum style with to
see what kind of rhythm should be used in the drums to match up. Endings can only be 2 bars long, and you need
to have at least one ending defined for a style to work.

Example 5: The two highlighted bars show where an ending is played in Band-in-a-Box.
Count-ins
Count-ins are always 2 bars long, and always occur at the beginning of a song (unless the count-in is disabled in
settings). Count-ins are usually sidestick tapping “one… two… one, two, three, four”, but you can put anything in
these two bars. You can have a person actually counting in, or you can have 2 bars of drum fills as your count-in,
etc.
2. Section Definition
Band-in-a-Box styles and RealDrums styles have two “subsections,” an “A” subsection and a “B”‘ subsection.
When defining patterns, you need to specify whether the pattern is intended to be played during “A” section or the
“B” section. For patterns to which the section is not applicable, you can fill this space with a “0.” These include
the count-in and the ending. You can make an exception for the ending, if you want to specifically designate an
ending to occur only when the preceding bar is “A” or “B.” Instead of “0,” you would enter “Aending” or
“Bending.” Just remember that if you do this, you need to cover both eventualities. If you enter a “0” ending, this
on its own covers both cases.
Here are some examples of “A” patterns:
• pattern,Fill,A,1,0,1,8
• pattern,PostFill,A,8,0,8,1
• pattern,PostFill,A,5,0,1,9
• pattern,PreFill,A,4,0,2,7
• pattern,Normal,A,2,0,1,3
• pattern,Normal,A,5,3,2,11
Here are some examples of “B” patterns:
• pattern,Fill,B,6,0,1,32
• pattern,Fill,B,5,0,1,58
• pattern,PostFill,B,4,0,2,17
• pattern,PreFill,B,7,0,1,57
• pattern,Normal,B,5,1,2,75
• pattern,Normal,B,2,5,2,64
Here are some examples of “0” patterns:
• pattern,Count-in,0,5,0,2,-1
• pattern,ending,0,1,0,1,33
Here are some examples of special-case endings:
• pattern,ending,Aending,5,0,2,37
• pattern,ending,Bending,5,0,2,77

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3. Weight
Every time that Band-in-a-Box needs to find a RealDrums pattern to insert into a Band-in-a-Box bar, it first finds all
possible patterns that would fit (based on the type of pattern, the section definition, the mask and the length), and
then it picks randomly from those patterns based on the weight assigned.
The weight is a number between 1 and 8 (there are special cases where you can use 0 or 9 which we will examine at
the end of this section). When Band-in-a-Box has amassed the list of possible patterns, it then adds up the weights of
all of these patterns, and then the chances that each pattern will be selected is based upon a percentage determined by
the weight of the pattern divided by the total.
For example, if Band-in-a-Box is finding a “normal” pattern for bar 3 of the song, and it has determined that these
four patterns are the only possibilities:
• pattern,Normal,A,5,1,4,11
• pattern,Normal,A,1,0,2,17
• pattern,Normal,A,7,3,2,13
• pattern,Normal,A,2,1,1,20
The first thing it would do would be to add up all of the weights. In this case, 5+1+7+2=15. The chance that each
pattern will be picked in this instance is determined by its own weight divided into the sum. Here then, are the
chances for each pattern to be picked in this instance:
• pattern,Normal,A,5,1,4,11: 5/15=0.333 or 33%
• pattern,Normal,A,1,0,2,17: 1/15=0.066 or 7%
• pattern,Normal,A,7,3,2,13: 7/15=0.466 or 47%
• pattern,Normal,A,2,1,1,20: 2/15=0.133 or 13%
When 9 is entered as a weight, the program treats it slightly differently. A 9 weight means that any possible patterns
that have a weight of 8 or less are completely eliminated as possibilities.
With the previous example, if you changed the weight of the first two patterns to 9, but left the last two as 7 & 2,
then the last two would be eliminated as possibilities, and the percentages would change to:
• pattern,Normal,A,9,1,4,11: 50%
• pattern,Normal,A,9,0,2,17: 50%
• pattern,Normal,A,7,3,2,13: 0%
• pattern,Normal,A,2,1,1,20: 0%
It is therefore important that you are very careful when using a weight of 9. It is usually used in conjunction with a
mask (masks will be explained in greater detail below). For example, if you had a mask that stated that a normal
pattern could only be played 7 bars after a part marker, if you then gave it a weight of 9, any time Band-in-a-Box
needed to find a pattern 7 bars after a part marker it would always use that pattern. However, it would not affect any
other bars.
The other special case is a 0 weight. This is only used for fills. When Band-in-a-Box finds possible patterns, if a
particular pattern is going to end where a fill is required due to the part-marker placement, then the pattern will only
be included as a possibility if that bar in the style wave file has been designated as a fill at some point in the text file.
Likewise, a pattern that ends with a fill will not be considered a possibility if the fill doesn’t match up in the Band-
in-a-Box song.
For example, let’s say that Band-in-a-Box is searching for a pattern to place at bar 5, where bar 6 will need to be a
fill:

Example 6: Pattern needed for bar 5.

It will be looking for a normal pattern, and it can use a normal pattern that is 1 or 2 bars long. However, if it picks a
2 bar pattern, it needs to make sure that in the style wave file, the second bar is designated as a fill.
Let’s assume that this pattern is entered in the text file:
Normal,A,5,0,2,15

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This is a 2-bar normal pattern beginning on bar 15 of the style wave file. This pattern could only be picked in this
instance if there was another line somewhere in the text file defining bar 16 of the style wave file as a fill:
Fill,A,5,0,1,16
However, it may be that this fill would not work well as a stand-alone bar (perhaps there is a cymbal decay that
crosses over bars 15 & 16 that you do not wish to break up – see “Duration” for more information on this). In this
case, you would still want to define the bar as a Fill, so that multi-bar patterns ending in this fill would be used at the
right place, but you would never want the fill to be picked on its own. In this case, you could give it a weight of 0:
Fill,A,0,0,1,16
4. Mask
A Mask can be used to specify that a pattern should only be used a certain number of bars after a part marker. It only
applies to Normal patterns, and all other patterns should be given a weight of 0 (0 means no mask).
Here is a list of the possible masks, and what effect they will have:
0 – No mask: This pattern can be used anywhere
1 – Odd bars only: 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, etc. bars after a part marker
2 – Even bars only: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, etc. bars after a part marker
3 – 3, 7, 11, 15, etc. bars after a part marker
4 – 4, 8, 12, 16, etc. bars after a part marker
5 – 5, 13, 21, etc. bars after a part marker
6 – 6, 14, 22, etc. bars after a part marker
7 – 7, 15, 23, etc. bars after a part marker
8 – 8, 16, 24, etc. bars after a part marker
etc.
Many drum beats use 2-bar rhythms that then repeat, so it’s very common for the “1” and “2” masks to be used. If
you have assigned a “1” mask to several Normal patterns, and a “2” mask to several others, you will always be sure
that the 2-bar grouping remains consistent. Just remember that you have to make sure that there are enough patterns
to cover all possibilities. If you have only patterns with “1” masks, and no patterns with “2” masks, then Band-in-a-
Box will not be able to find any patterns for even bars. The safest thing to do is to use a mask of “0,” but this may
not be the most musical approach. A mask of 4 is often used for more subtle fills that would highlight 4 bar phrases.
Masks higher than 8 are not commonly used, as it would mean that the pattern would be played very rarely.

Example 7: Normal pattern needed for bar 13.

In example 7, if Band-in-a-Box is trying to find a normal pattern for bar 13, it will look for patterns with a mask of 0,
1 (because it is an even number of bars from the part marker) or 5. If it were trying to find a normal pattern for bar
14, it would look for patterns with a mask of 0, 2, or 6.
5. Duration
PostFill and Normal patterns can be any number of bars long, however there is a practical range that is commonly
used. Other patterns are restricted to a certain number or range of bars. Here is a list of the pattern types, and the
ranges of durations:
Fills – 1 bar long only
PostFills - 1 bar or higher, generally no higher than 8 bars
PreFills – 1 or 2 bars long only
Normal – 1 bar or higher, generally no higher than 8 bars
Endings – 2 bars long only
Count-ins – 2 bars long only
The difference between favoring short patterns and long patterns is a balance between consistency and variation.
Long patterns may sound more consistent, because you will be hearing large portions of raw audio, exactly as the

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drummer played it. On the other hand, with short patterns, there will be more variety in the phrases, because there
will be many more possible combinations when single bars are mixed and matched together. Many people will favor
a combination of long and short patterns. Also, while it is possible to have very long patterns, it is important to
remember that patterns will not cross part markers, so if you designate 16 bar patterns, but in your Band-in-a-Box
songs you have part markers every 8 bars, those 16 bar patterns will never be played.

Example 8: Normal pattern needed for bar 5.

In example 8, if Band-in-a-Box is trying to find a Normal pattern for bar 5, it can pick a 1, 2, or 3 bar pattern, or a 4-
bar pattern that ends with a fill. It cannot pick a pattern that is more than 4 bars long.
Another thing to keep in mind is that for any given bar in the style wave file, you can have as many different patterns
defined as you like. So, for example, you can define a 1 bar pattern that starts at bar 5, you can then also define a 2-
bar pattern that starts at bar 5, a 4 bar pattern, 8, etc.
In deciding what lengths of phrases will work well, an important thing to consider is whether or not certain bar lines
make good cut-off points. For example, let’s assume that in a style wave file, at the 4th beat of bar 15 there is a
crash cymbal that decays into bar 16, but fades out before the end of bar 16. Bar 15 would likely not be very good as
a 1 bar pattern, because you would have situations where bar 15 would be used and would then go directly to a
different random bar that likely does not have a cymbal decay, so you would hear an abrupt cut-off which would
greatly reduce the musicality of the drum part. In situations like these, you would then make sure that other patterns
did not end with bar 15 as well. For example, a pattern at bar 14 would not be good as a 2-bar pattern, because it
would cut off in the same place, but it would be good as a 3-bar pattern. Conversely, bar 16 would not likely make a
good pattern at all, because it will start with a cymbal decay that had no start to it. This doesn’t mean that bar 16 will
never be used, it will just never be the start of a pattern.
A good rule to follow is to try and have at least one 1-bar PostFill, Normal, and Fill patterns for each subsection, just
to make sure that all possible circumstances will be covered. Once you have that, you can determine what other
patterns will work well based on the phrasing of the drummer.
6. Location
The final element in pattern definition is the location of the pattern in the style wave file. This number represents the
bar number in the wave file, but it is important to remember that this is a –1 based numbering system. The first two
bars of the wave file are reserved for the count-in, which are considered to be bars –1 and 0. The drumming starts at
the third actual bar of the wave file but is referred to as bar 1. So, if you are viewing bars in an audio editor,
remember that when you reference these bars in your text file, you need to subtract 2 before you enter them in the
patterns.
If this is confusing to you, there are two ways you can simplify this. Some audio editors allow you to designate bar
“1” at any point in a wave file. Simply go to bar 3 and designate that as bar 1. Then, any bar number you see will
directly match what needs to be entered into the text file. The other thing you can do is that while you are actually
working on the style, you can cut the 2 count-in bars, which will shift the rest of the track back by 2 bars, and any
bars you see will be the same bar numbers you need to enter into the text file. Once you have finished the text file,
you can then paste the count-in back in to the beginning of the file.
Shots Definition
In Band-in-a-Box, shots and holds are entered by putting either 2 or 3 periods after a chord (2 periods for a shot, 3
for a hold). With RealDrums, when a shot or hold is entered, the drums stop for the duration of the chord, and a
single drum hit is played in place of the drum beat. Pushes are entered by typing either 1 or 2 caret symbols (“^”)
before the chord in question (1 caret for an 8th note push, and 2 carets for a 16th note push). With RealDrums, when
a push is entered, the regular drum beat continues throughout, but a single drum hit is added to the mix to emphasize
the push.

Example 9: Bar 1 shows a shot, bar 3 shows a hold, bar 4 shows an 8th note push, and bar 7 shows a 16th-note push.

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The single drum hits are generally recorded at the end of the wave file, after the main drum groove, but they do not
have to be.
Like patterns, shots are also defined in the text file using lines of text containing several elements: 1) the text “shot”,
2) type of shot (0 for shot or hold, 1 for pushes), 3) the bar number of the shot in the style wave file, 4) the number of
ticks (1 beat = 120 ticks) before or after the bar number the shot occurs, 5) the duration of the shot in ticks, 6)
weight, 7) volume of the shot
Here are some examples of defined shots:
Shot,1,82,-2,455,1,100
Shot,0,83,5,360,1,90
Shot,1,171,240,200,1,80
The six elements that come after the text “shot” are explained here in further detail:
1. Type of shot
The type of shot needs to be either 0 or 1. If 0 is entered, the shot will be used when chords are entered with two
periods (shot) or three periods (hold). If 1 is entered, the shot will be used when chords are entered with two or three
carets before them (8th & 16th note pushes).
2. Bar number in style wave file
Like with patterns, you need to remember that RealDrums styles use –1 based numbering, so you need to subtract 2
from the bar number as you see it in your audio editor. More than one shot can be played in a single bar, and you
would use the tick adjust amount to distinguish between the two.
3. Tick adjust
The shots do not necessarily have to occur at the bar lines, and the tick adjust can be used to tell Band-in-a-Box
exactly where the shot starts. Simply measure the number of ticks from the downbeat of the bar number entered to
the start of the shot, and that is the number that should be entered here. If the shot starts before the bar number that
was entered, a negative number should be entered here.
For example, if a shot is recorded at bar 82, but on closer examination it appears that the shot was played two ticks
early, it would be entered as such:
Shot,1,82,-2,455,1,100
In another example (see example 10 below), a shot is played at the third beat of bar 171. In this case you need to use
the tick adjust to indicate that it a full two beats after bar 171. Since one beat is 120 ticks, two beats would be 240
ticks, and it would therefore be entered as such:
Shot,1,171,240,200,1,80

Example 10: Here the shot begins at bar 171 (173-2), at the third beat, or 240 ticks into the bar.
4. Duration
Unlike patterns, which use numbers of bars for durations, the shots use ticks for durations. So, for example, if a shot
lasts for three beats, you would enter 360 (3 beats * 120 ticks per beat).
Here is an example of a shot that lasts for three beats:

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 Shot,0,83,5,360,1,90
For the best effect, the sound of the shots should decay naturally, and the entire length of the shot including the
decay should be entered in the text file. This is especially important when all other instruments are silent, and all
you hear is the decaying sound of the drum hit.
5. Weight
The weight for shots works exactly the same as the weight for patterns, except that there is no need for the use of 0 or
9 weights. This number should be between 1 and 8, with higher numbers representing a greater chance that the shot
will be selected each time.
6. Volume
The volume of the shots is represented by a number between 1 and 127. If 90 is entered, the volume will not be
adjusted at all. If a number between 1 and 89 is entered, the volume will be lowered accordingly, and if a number
between 91 and 127 is entered, the volume will be raised accordingly. It is generally easiest to test the volume
amounts once the style has been completed.
Additional Entries in the Text File
Bars Blocked
During the testing of your style, you may come across instances where a particular bar from the style wave file
simply does not sound good going into another specific bar from the style wave file. When this happens, you can
enter a “BarsBlocked” line into your text file to ensure that these bars are never played back-to-back.
When “BarsBlocked” is typed into the text file, followed by bar numbers separated by commas, Band-in-a-Box takes
the first number, and all of the bar numbers that follow are “blocked” from ever following the initial number.
So, for example, if this line is entered:
BarsBlocked,24,35,41
then bar 24 can never be followed by bars 35 or 41.
However, when using this feature, you need to be very careful that you are not creating situations where Band-in-a-
Box will not be able to find a possible match for a bar. When you block a bar, you need to make sure that there are
patterns defined starting on other bars that would also work.
Comments
When you create your style, you may want to add comments into the text file as reference points, or as reminders
about certain aspects of the style. This can be done in two ways: 1) semicolon comments 2) Pascal-style comments.
If you type a semicolon into the text file, whether it’s at the beginning of a line, or at the end of a pattern definition,
and text that is typed after the semicolon is ignored, which allows you to type comments. For example:
;this entire line will be ignored by Band-in-a-Box
pattern,normal,A,5,0,4,15;this text will also be ignored by Band-in-a-Box
Pascal-style comments are comments that are enclosed by { and } characters. Any text enclosed by these characters
will also be ignored by Band-in-a-Box. Unlike the semicolons, these comments can occur in the middle of a pattern
definition, and the line can continue after the comment. For example:
{this entire line will be ignored by Band-in-a-Box}
pattern,normal,{this text will be ignored}A,5,0,4,15
Alternate Styles & Expanded/Reduced Styles
Alternate Styles
It is possible for a wave file to be used for more than one style. For example, you may want to duplicate a style, but
omit certain fills, or assign different weights to certain patterns.
In this case, you still need to create a new RealDrums style group by creating a new sub-directory in the “Drums”
folder, and the text file for the style needs to be present. The only difference is that in the text file you would have
the name of the wave file you are using, and that name will be different from the text file name.
For example, if you have a “MyFunkyStyle” style at 90 bpm, these files would be present:
C:\bb\Drums\MyFunkyStyle\MyFunkyStyle_090_Style.txt
C:\bb\Drums\MyFunkyStyle\MyFunkyStyle_090_Style.wav
To make an alternate style, you could create this file:

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 C:\bb\Drums\MyFunkyStyleALT\MyFunkyStyleALT_090_Style.txt
The first line of this text file would be:
wavename=MyFunkyStyle_090_Style.wav
Expanded/Reduced Styles
Often you will find examples of drum grooves where the pulse can be treated as 8th notes or 16th notes. For
example, different musicians may disagree on whether a groove is 90 bpm with a 16th note pulse, or 180 bpm with
an 8th note pulse. In Band-in-a-Box, some styles are treated as 8th note styles and others are treated as 16th note
styles, and you may find examples where a drum beat that is intended for 8th note styles may work equally well on
16th note styles at half the tempo. In these cases, you can create two separate styles that both point to the same wave
file and treat it as two different tempos. The same method as described in “Alternate Styles” above could be used,
with one addition. For the style in which the tempo is different in the text file then it is in the wave file filename,
you would need to add the “ForceWavTempo=“ line to the text file.
For example, if you have a “MyFunkyStyle_90” Style, the following files would be present:
C:\bb\Drums\MyFunkyStyle\MyFunkyStyle_090_Style.txt
C:\bb\Drums\MyFunkyStyle\MyFunkyStyle_090_Style.wav
For an expanded style, you could create this file:
C:\bb\Drums\MyFunkyStyleEXP\MyFunkyStyleEXP_180_Style.txt
The first line of this text file would be:
wavename=MyFunkyStyle_090_Style.wav
And an additional line would be needed:
ForceWavTempo=180
There some additional points in making expanded and reduced styles. First of all there is the issue of bars correctly
matching up. If the number of bars in a particular group of bars in the higher tempo version are an odd number, this
can throw off the slower tempo version. For example, if your high tempo version has an A Postfill, an A Normal,
and an A Fill, then a B Post, this will mean that in the slower tempo version, the A Postfill and A Normal will
become a single PostFill bar, which is fine, but the A Fill and the B Post will also become a single bar, which will
not work. This could then mess up everything that came after. It would have been better if the high tempo version
had an A Postfill, an A Normal, another A normal, then the A Fill, and then the B Post. For this reason, if you know
a drum part is going to be used at two tempos, it is quite a bit easier to record or piece together the drum part with the
slow tempo version in mind first, and this can then be expanded.
The other things you need to take into account are the count-in and endings. The count-in will be different for the
two tempos, so it’s best to record two completely different count-ins. The alternate one can be pasted onto the end of
the file if necessary. For endings, it’s also good to simply record two versions of them, which also can be at the end
of your file.
Testing Your RealDrums Style
Once you have made your RealDrums style (or, depending on the level of completion, even during the making of it)
you can listen to it and test it in Band-in-a-Box. If your text file is named with the convention detailed in the
introduction, and is located in the correct directory, it should automatically appear in Band-in-a-Box. The easiest
way to select your RealDrums style is to enter the RealDrums Settings Dialog in Band-in-a-Box (Options |
Preferences | RealDrums), or simply pressing the RealDrums toolbar button). Make sure RealDrums are enabled,
and then put a checkmark beside “For this song only, use this RealDrums style.” If you then click on the RD button,
a list of all available RealDrums should appear, and your style should be among them. When you exit this dialog
and play your song, you should be hearing your RealDrums style.
You can make and save changes to the text file, and when you press play again in Band-in-a-Box, any changes in the
text file will take effect. If, however, you make any changes to the wave file, the wave file needs to be reloaded for
the changes to take effect. To do this, simply select a song that uses different RealDrums, press play. Then stop and
reload the song you were working on.
Adjusting volume levels
If the balance between the RealDrums and the MIDI instruments needs to be adjusted, you can do this by simply
adjusting the dbadjust= setting in your text file, saving it, and pressing play again in Band-in-a-Box. You can
continue to do this until you have found a good balance.

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For the volume levels of the shots and pushes, the best way to test this is by testing one at a time. If you have more
than one shot or push, you can “comment-out” all but one, then you will always be hearing only that shot or push.
For example, let’s assume you have three shots entered:
Shot,0,82,120,547,1,110
Shot,0,83,188,1151,1,90
Shot,0,85,380,1058,3,90
To test the first one, add a semicolon to the beginning of the 2nd and 3rd lines:
Shot,0,82,120,547,1,110
;Shot,0,83,188,1151,1,90
;Shot,0,85,380,1058,3,90
Band-in-a-Box will therefore ignore those lines, and you will only hear the first shot. You can then adjust the
volume level until you have it right, then do the same with the second shot, etc.
Developer Mode
It is also extremely useful when testing RealDrums styles to use “Developer mode.” This is a checkbox in the
RealDrums settings. When it is turned on, Band-in-a-Box does two things. First of all it spell-checks your text file
when you play a song. If it finds an error, it reports the error to you before beginning the song. When Developer
mode is off, if there are typos in the text file, the entire pattern definition is simply ignored. For example, if you
misspell “pattern” as “pattrn,” you will see an error message when you start that will tell you the typo as well as the
line number where you can find it in the text file. When you press OK, the song resumes.
The other thing that developer mode does is generate a “DrumAudioResults.txt” text file every time you press play.
This text file tells you exactly what patterns from your text file were picked for every Band-in-a-Box bar. The file
also has other global and statistical information. This information can be extremely valuable as you fine-tune your
style.
Developer mode for RealDrums enhanced. (Note: This feature is only for those people developing their own
RealDrums files). If the file C:\bb\NumberedDeveloperFiles.txt exists, the DrumAudioResults.txt with information
get numbered and written to C:\bb\Results folder (Note: you need to create a C:\bb\Results folder first).
DrumAudioResults.txt file
The first information that the DrumAudioResults.txt file gives you is global information about the style and song. It
tells you the wave file that was used, the song tempo, the total number of bars, and the total number of times you’ve
played the song in the current session.
The next information it displays is a separate line for every bar of the song. The first item for every bar is the actual
bar number in the song, but the type of information that is displayed after that depends on whether the bar represents
the start of a pattern, or a subsequent bar in a multi-bar pattern.
If the file C:\bb\NumberedDeveloperFiles.txt exists, the DrumAudioResults.txt file with information gets numbered
and written to C:\bb\Results folder.
Note: You need to create a C:\bb\Results folder first.
Here is an example of a bar where a pattern begins:
Bar# 12,relbar=4, MaxBars=5, Chose pat#21, line #26
Normal,a sub.,mask=2,dur#bars=2, wrote 2,WavBar=14, Candidates=11 ,time=0:26
Here is an example of a bar where a pattern is continuing:
Bar #13 WavBar=15 ,time=0:28
For bars where patterns begin, here are the items that follow the bar number:
1. relbar=x
This number represents the number of bars since the last part marker. This number therefore determines whether or
not Normal patterns with masks assigned can be used. For example, if relbar=4, a normal pattern with a mask of 0, 2
or 4 could be chosen, but patterns with masks of 1, 3, 5, 6, etc. could not be chosen.
2. MaxBars=x
This number represents the number of bars to the next part marker. Since patterns cannot cross part markers, any
patterns that have a duration greater than the MaxBars= amount cannot be chosen.

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3. Chose pat#x, line #y
This is the actual pattern selected, shown in two different ways so that it’s easy to identify in the text file. If you
count down from the first pattern in the text file, pat#x will show you how many patterns to count to find the one that
was used and does not take the global info at the beginning of the file into account. Line #y shows you the actual
line of the text file, which would include lines for the global settings and any comment lines. If your text editor has
line numbers, this is the easiest way to find the pattern that was chosen.
4. Type, subsection, and mask
The next information is the type (Normal, PostFill, etc.), subsection (A or B) and mask of the pattern chosen.
5. dur#bars=x, wrote y
The dur#bars= amount tells you the number of bars in the pattern, and the “wrote y” amount tells you the actual
amount of bars written. In most cases, this number should be the same, because Band-in-a-Box will always try and
keep the defined patterns intact. Sometimes, however, multi-bar patterns may need to be cut short, for example if it
needs a 1 bar pattern but you have only designated 2 bar patterns.
6. WavBar=x
This tells you the bar of the actual style wave file that was used for the current Band-in-a-Box bar. Remember that
this is using –1 based numbering.
7. Candidates=x
This tells you how many possible patterns there were for Band-in-a-Box to choose from for the current bar. If there
were 3 or less possible candidates, this line appears instead as “FEWCandidates=“. This lets you know that perhaps
there are not enough of a certain type of pattern. As long as there is at least 1, you will not get any actual errors, but
for the sake of variety, the more possibilities the better. If there are no possible candidates, you will get an error
message “******* Unable to pick a drum audio bar for bar #x”. In this case, you need to examine your text file to
see why this is occurring. It could be because there are simply not enough patterns defined, but it could also be
because of the overuse of the “barblocked” feature.
8. time=
This tells you the time in minutes and seconds where the bar is located. This is useful if you have rendered a file,
and you are listening to the rendered audio file for problems.
For bars where patterns are continuing, the only items shown are “WavBar=x” and “time=“. The one exception is
where Fills are concerned, in which case you may see one of two messages tagged on to the end of the line. “BB
song has fill, WAV is at end of multi bar pattern. WAV file has a fill also” means that a Fill was designated in the
text file, and the current pattern is ending with that Fill. The other message you may see is “*** BB song has no fill,
but WAV has a fill ***(Could be Error2 if mask0)” This means that Band-in-a-Box has recognized that a bar that is
designated as a Fill occurred within the pattern, but not at a place where a Fill is required. Fills often sound good 4
bars into phrases, even if no fill has been designated, so in these cases, this could be fine. If, however, the Fill
sounds out-of-place, you made need to examine this further in your text file.
At the end of the DrumAudioResults.txt file there is statistical information about the song you just played. Because
of the random nature of styles, this information will likely be different every time you play the same song, however
you may see some patterns develop that can help you fine tune your style.
The total bars will always be the same for the same song, but the number of patterns written will be different
depending on how many short or long patterns were randomly selected. The average bars per pattern gives you an
overview of the length of patterns selected. Long patterns are desirable because they generally sound more
consistent, while short patterns are desirable because they lend themselves to greater variation. It’s therefore good to
get a balance between the two, and a good average is between 2 and 4 bars.
It’s also good to have a high average candidates amount, as this is also a sign that your style will have good
variation. If any Band-in-a-Box bars had 3 or less patterns to choose from, they were flagged as “FEWCandidates,”
and the total number is listed at the bottom. This lets you know if you need to define more patterns.
“MultiBarPatternPercent=“ simply lets you know the setting you have entered in your text file.
Using your RealDrums style in Band-in-a-Box
As we have shown above, you can select your RealDrums style for a particular song in the RealDrums Settings. It is
also possible to assign your RealDrums style to a particular Band-in-a-Box style. This is done in the StyleMaker. If
you have either a new or existing Band-in-a-Box style open in the StyleMaker, simply select “Style | Misc. Settings”
or press Ctrl+F10. This opens the Misc Style Settings dialog. At the bottom of this is the RealDrums Settings.

Chapter 14: User Programmable Functions 449

Example 11: RealDrums settings in the StyleMaker.
You can enable “Style uses RealDrums” in order to designate a RealDrums style. If your style is in the correct
directory, it should appear when you press the “RD” button. You can then select your RealDrums style, and
whenever the current style is played, it will use your RealDrums style (provided that RealDrums are enabled). There
are also additional volume controls here. If you have your dB setting exactly where you want it in your style file, but
with this particular Band-in-a-Box style you want it a bit higher or lower, you can enter a setting here. There are also
fields for adjusting the “A” or “B” subsection volumes only.
You can also remove the check mark from either “Allow ‘a’ substyle RealDrums” or “Allow ‘b’ substyle
RealDrums”, which means that for this style, the one with the checkmark remaining will be used for the entire song,
regardless of what substyle is currently called for in the song.

The Harmony Maker

The Harmony Maker allows you to create or edit your own or existing harmonies. This can be used in the program
to harmonize melodies or for live playing on the Thru channel. Sophisticated options control usage of passing
harmonies (diatonic, dominant approach and chromatic), drop octave voicings (e.g., drop 2), octave doubling, patch
selection, and more.
You can open the Harmony Maker by pressing the [Edit] button in the Select Melody
Harmony dialog.

You will see the voices down the left side of the dialog.

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Each harmony can use up to 3 channels.
Harmony Channel A, B, and C. If your harmony only has one instrument, then you will use Channel A for all the
voices. If your harmony uses Flute and Bass, then you could use Flute on Channel A and Bass on Channel B.
Tip: When you want to hear the harmony as you are developing it, have a song with a melody playing before you enter the
Harmony Maker. After you have made changes to the harmony, hear the changes by pressing the [Update] button.
Settings for Each Voice

Chan.: A 1-instrument harmony will use Channel A only. Additional instruments can use Channel B and C.
Tip: These channels are set to numbers in the Harmony Channels Dialog, accessible by selecting the [Harmony] button under the
Options | Preferences | MIDI Channels, options… menu.
Octave: This allows the harmony to “drop-down” or “go up” by a number of octaves. This octave change will only
happen in a certain range, as chosen in the LOW, HIGH settings.
Tip: There is also an Overall Harmony Octave setting that changes the octave of the entire harmony setting (accessible by
pressing the [More] button).
O. Double (Octave Double): This setting lets you double any voice. Usually you want to do this by doubling an
octave below (i.e. octave = -1), but you can set the octave from -2 to +2. The doubling will always be on the same
channel, if you want a different instrument to double the voice, and then use the Melody Doubling Voices.
V. Boost (Velocity Boost): This allows you to increase or decrease the velocity (loudness) of each voice, to make
the voice stand out more or less in the harmony. Default = 0.
The Patches setting at the bottom allows you to assign a patch to the harmony. If you
set “No patch,” the harmony won’t change the patch. This is a useful setting for
making a generic harmony that doesn’t change the patch of the Melody or Thru
channel, for example.
Changes that you make to the harmony settings won’t take effect until you press the [Update] button.
You may Copy a Harmony to the clipboard, and then move to a new harmony and Paste the
harmony to the new location.
Because the harmony is saved automatically for you, you won’t need to ever press these
buttons.
All the 256 harmonies are saved in a single .har file called DEFAULT.HAR. If you have run out of harmonies, you
can start a new harmony file by pressing the [Save As] button. For example, if you make a third-party disk of add-
on harmonies, save it as your name MYNAME.HAR. Then you can load in your bank of harmonies (from the
Harmonies | Harmonies Editor | Edit a Harmonies File) without disrupting the existing DEFAULT.HAR file.
Each .har file has 256 harmonies, so you probably need only 1 DEFAULT.HAR for all your
harmonies. However, if you’ve made a great harmony and want to give it to a friend, you can export a single
harmony as an .h1 file. Your friend can then import this harmony into their own .har file.
The best way to develop a harmony is to hear it as it’s playing. The preferred way to do
this is to have a song playing that has a melody in it. Any changes to the harmony will be
heard on the melody as soon as you press the [Update] button.
You can also play along as the song is playing and hear the new harmony on the Thru channel.

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If you don’t want to have a song playing, and want to hear the harmony, then set the [Test Chord] to a certain chord.
If set to CMAJ7, then you can play on the MIDI keyboard (with no song playing) and hear your harmony. This
allows you to examine exactly what notes the program is using to make your harmony.
Additional Harmony Options

Press the [More…] button to launch the

Additional Harmony Options dialog.

Use Close Harmony: This only applies to 2 and 3-part harmonies.

If set to = 0 it will use only close harmonies, mainly 3rds for 2-part harmonies.
If set to = 1 it will use mostly 3rds, with some 6ths for 2-part harmonies.
If set to = 99 it will use mostly 6ths, with some 3rds for 2-part harmonies.
If set to = 100 it will use only wide harmonies, mainly 6ths for 2-part harmonies.
If set to > 2 < 98 it will vary between close and open harmonies.
Use Passing Chords (melody) (DEFAULT = 100 %): Band-in-a-Box will sort out when to use passing harmonies,
based on factors like the duration of the note, the next note, the chord tone, the velocity, previous notes, and other
factors. You can visually see when the harmony is using a passing chord. The harmony display is usually blue, but
when there is a passing chord, it displays as RED. If you don’t want passing chords, set this value to 0.
Lowest Harmony Note: You can set a lowest note for the harmony to play. When the melody is low, harmonies
begin to sound “muddy,” so you can avoid the harmony being played below a certain note.
Overall Harmony Octave: This sets the overall octave of the harmony. For example, in the 5-part Trumpets
harmony the harmony is always be played an octave higher than the recorded melody. This is because the 5-part
harmony is spread over 2 octaves.
No Harmony if duration less than xx milliseconds: You can specify a harmony to only occur for notes longer than
a given duration. If every note is harmonized unrealistic harmonies result, since a piano player doesn’t harmonize
notes of a short duration. You can specify a harmony to only occur for notes longer than a given duration. Notes
shorter than that will not be harmonized. There are also options for how the program “fixes” the harmony when
chord changes occur during a sustained note harmony.
OK to make new harmony with new chord: Most harmonies have a feature that changes the pitch of the harmony
voices under the Melody note when the chord changes if the underlying voice wouldn’t be a chord tone. For some
harmonies it would be unrealistic for the instruments to change the inner voicings in this manner. Deselect this
option and the voices that conflict with the new chord stop playing instead of changing to new notes.
Use Guitar Harmony Voicings: Harmony Maker will use real guitar chord voicings that display correctly on the
guitar fretboard. Selecting this checkbox means that guitar chord voicings will be used, instead of any other voicings
specified in the Harmony Maker. Check out Harmony #32 (J Pass) for an example of this
Use voicings in 4ths
Modern Jazz harmonies often voice chords in 4ths. For example, a C chord with C melody might
be voiced C, G, D, A, E. You can select 4ths voicings easily in Band-in-a-Box to harmonize the
Melody, Soloist, or Thru parts using 3, 4, or 5-part voicings in 4ths. We’ve added presets for these
harmonies, so you can easily select them. Use these sophisticated 4ths harmonies on your existing
melodies to create a new sound.

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 Tip: To quickly hear what some of the 4ths harmonies, sound like, look in the C:\bb\Documentation\Tutorials\Tutorial - BB2005
folder for pre-made songs with 4ths harmonies.
To use the harmonies with any song, choose harmonies in the range 213
to 219. Each of these is a harmony using 4ths. For example, Harmony
218 uses 4 trombones in 4ths.

To make your own harmony using 4ths for the harmonies, enter the Harmony Maker, press
the [More] button, and select the “Use Voicing in 4ths” checkbox. Then the harmonies will be voiced in 4ths. You
can make a 2, 3, 4, or 5-part harmony (+ melody doubling, + low root note).

The Soloist Maker

This module allows you to define your own soloists. For example, let’s say you want to create a soloist in a style
similar to John Coltrane - the legendary jazz saxophonist. The Soloist Maker allows you to define the parameters
essential to the particular soloist’s playing, such as instrument range (i.e. tenor saxophone), extra legato playing,
playing more on top of the beat than most Jazz musicians, and playing straighter 8th notes than usual swing 8th
notes.
In addition, you can set phrasing options, such as how long the phrase should be, and how much “space” to leave
between phrases. You can also set how “outside” the playing should be. (For Coltrane it would be set to
maximum!)
Access the Soloist Maker by pressing the Soloist Maker [Edit] button within the Select Soloist
dialog.
Tip: To share Soloists with your friends, use the [Export] button to save your Soloist to a disk, and use the [Import] button to bring
in a soloist from a disk. You can save your soloist to another Soloist file (*.s1) by pressing the [Save As] button.

Insert the title of your “soloist” in the Title box, and any memo note you wish to add. (The Num field will be filled
in for you.)

For the Memo box, you can put in information like “extra legato, straighter 8th notes, on top of the beat, laid back,
etc.

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The “Soloist is” box allows you to define what type of notes the Soloist will play (i.e. swing 8th notes, straight 8th
notes, 16th notes, etc.)

There are several databases of Solo ideas to choose from.

This button will launch an Open File dialog for the

C:\bb\Soloists folder where you can select a database (ST2 or ST3)
appropriate for the type of song the Soloist will be playing over
(e.g., J_SWING.ST2 for Jazz Swing songs).
Note: If you have an .ST3 database available for the style of soloing you want to generate, you can still choose the .ST2, and the
program will automatically substitute the appropriate .ST3 file if, (a) it is available and, (b) you have selected the “Use Large
Soloist files” checkbox in the “Select Soloist” dialog.
Press the [Choose] button in the Soloist Editor to select the instrument the Soloist should play (i.e.
Tenor Saxophone).
You may also select an instrument from the “Patch Change”
window but selecting an instrument with the [Choose]
button also fills in the specific note range for that
instrument.

If you wish to have a harmonized solo, select the harmony type by

clicking on the Harmony box and choosing from the drop-down list.
“Change Instrument” allows you to quickly set how the Soloing
will “take turns” with other instruments. Use this option to change instruments every chorus, every 4, 8, 16 bars, etc.
Press the [Set..] button to choose the instruments you would like to change to, including the appropriate note rang for
each instrument.
The Sub-Soloist checkboxes are for use ONLY
with add-on hybrid soloists such as the ones found
on the SOLOISTPAK for Band-in-a-Box. These
checkboxes can be used to “sub” a different
instrument and playing style in a Soloist which
contains more than one playing style, such as
BG_BAND.ST2 found on Soloist Disk Set #5. For more information on additional Soloist Disk Sets and the
additional features available with them, contact PG Music.

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 To modify (if required) the “Phrase Length,” “Space
Length,” and “Outside Range” parameters, simply click in
the box you wish to change and type-in the new number.
For example, change the “Legato Boost %” to 10 %. This
will add 10% to the duration of the notes.
Adjust the lateness by -5 to have the Soloist play the notes
more “on the beat” than other Jazz soloists.
Adjust the 8th note spacing by -5 to have your Soloist play
8th notes in a more even feel than other Jazz soloists.

The “Increase Velocity” setting will increase the velocity of each note in the solo by the value entered or
DECREASE the velocity if a negative value is entered.
You can control the maximum number of notes per quarter note
that the Soloist will use. For example, you can set a “Rock Guitar” Soloist to use nothing shorter than 16th notes.
This would produce less “guitar hero” solos with bursts of 32nd notes etc. Or you could create a Jazz solo that uses
only quarter notes or longer to help with sight-reading or student study.
Use the [Import] button to bring a soloist in from a disk and use the [Export] button to save
your Soloist to a disk to share Soloists with your friends.
Individual Soloists can be copied and pasted to make variations.
The Soloists are saved in the DEFAULT.SOL file, but if you want to save them in another file, press the
[Save As] button.
Pressing the [OK] button will update the DEFAULT.SOL file with the current settings.
Editing RealTracks Soloists
The Soloist Editor dialog allows editing of many RealTracks parameters.
Press the [More…] button in the Soloist Editor.
This launches the Edit Extra Soloist Information dialog. This allows you to change parameters about the
RealTracks.

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 If you have the number of the RealTracks instrument to edit, you can select it by clicking on the [#] button
and typing in the numbers.
These buttons will step back and forth through the list of RealTracks soloists to make your selection.
The “Artist Name” is given, and also the “Style Names” for styles that use the particular instrument.
The “Holds Number” and “Holds Number B Substyle” identify the location of the files played when shots or held
chords are entered into a song. The “Normal” column applies to the normal version of RealTracks (e.g. an electric
guitar RealTracks that was recorded with an amplifier), and the “Direct Input” column applies to the Direct Input
version of RealTracks (e.g. an electric guitar that was recorded directly, bypassing an amplifier).
The volume level of the “Holds” that play can be adjusted in a range of +/- 64 dB. There are separate settings for “a”
and “b” substyles.
The “Audio Reverb” for the instrument can be adjusted.
Similar to the Soloist Medleys, it is possible to have multiple RealTracks instruments change in
sequence.

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 There is also the option to have all ten instruments in the list of RealTracks for the track play
together.
The option to “Start on second item in the list” is useful if you want to start on a
different instrument or start with “Silence.”
The new élastique Pro V2 time stretching and pitch transposition engine by zplane.development expands the
possibilities for playing RealTracks in half, double, or even triple-time.

Technical Tip: This information is stored in a file called RTExtra.bin. If you plan to change these settings and want to preserve
them, you should make a backup copy of this file, because PG Music upgrades may overwrite it.
Fill riff gaps automatically: If this is enabled, the settings below will be determined automatically based on the type
(rhythm/soloist/background, 8th/16th, even/swing, etc.)
Min gap ticks for stretching: For filling silent gaps between riffs, the end of the previous riff will be stretched.
This is the minimum duration of the gap in ticks for this to take effect.
Max gap ticks for stretching: For filling silent gaps between riffs, the end of the previous riff will be stretched.
This is the maximum duration of the gap in ticks for this to take effect.
Max source ticks for stretching: For filling silent gaps between riffs, the end of the previous riff will be stretched.
This is the maximum duration of audio in the previous riff (in ticks @ 1200ppq) to be used for stretching. A longer
duration will result in a better quality stretch but should be set to a shorter duration to avoid including note starts.
Force Use +/- files if available
If this is checked, RealTracks will be generated using source files that have + or - in the file name.
Ending type (ends on bar/beat) specifies the ending type of the RealTracks and the beat that the last held chord
occurs on. Do not edit this value.
Exclude Ending being truncated to match other RT endings is used for RealTracks that have various endings,
such as soloing RealTracks. Do not change this setting.
For RealTracks that are variants, such as Bluesy variants, the parent is the non-bluesy variant or the main RealTrack
that uses the database. Do not change the Parent RealTracks setting.
Simpler Variation is available by turning off embellishment is a PG Music setting only and is set if a simpler
RealTrack is available.
If Held Chords only for this RealTrack is checked, the RealTracks will only play held chords instead of the normal
style.
If Force this RealTrack to a Direct Input Guitar is set, the RealTracks will always use a Direct Input guitar.
This is a MIDI SuperTrack sets the soloist to play as MIDI SuperTrack instead of a RealTrack.
12 Key RealTracks (recorded in 12 keys) : If this is checked, the RealTracks were recorded in all 12 keys. This is
set by PG Music.
If Hi-Q RealCharts Notation (High Accuracy) is selected, highly accurate and readable notation in available
including new graphical markings for bends, slides, hammer-ons, and pull-offs, for the RealTrack. This is set by PG
Music.
If Includes video RealTracks is checked, a video is available for the RealTrack. This is set by PG Music.
SuperPatch to use (tgs file) allows you to load a custom synth with the MIDI SuperTrack.
Use the [Choose Plugin] button to make your selection and [Clear] to remove the selection.
10 easy steps to make a Soloist
1. Bring up the Soloist window by pressing the [Soloist] Button.
2. Select a blank spot in your list of soloists and press the [Edit] button.
3. Insert the title of your soloist and any memo note you wish to add. The Num field will be filled in for you. Call
this one Bebop Saxophone. The memo might say, “extra legato, straighter 8th notes, on top of the beat.”

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4. Choose the type of soloist (i.e. swing 8th notes, straight 8th notes, 16th notes, etc.) This should be set to Swing
8ths.
5. Press the [Choose] button to select the instrument the soloist should play (i.e. Tenor Saxophone).
Tip: You may also select an instrument from the Patch Change window but selecting an instrument with the [Choose] button
will also fill in the note range information specific to that instrument. You will notice that the correct range for tenor saxophone
has been filled in to the Note Range settings.
6. Modify (if required) the phrase length, space length, and outside range parameters.
7. Change the Legato Boost to 10 %. This will add 10% to the duration of the notes. Press the [Help] button in the
Soloist Editor window if you require additional details.
8. Adjust the Lateness by -5. This will play the notes more “on the beat” than other Jazz soloists.
9. Adjust the 8th Note Spacing by -5. This will play the 8th notes in a more even feel than other Jazz soloists.
10. Press [OK], and you’re done. Then, give the program a few moments to load its “knowledge base” of solo ideas
and new parameters, and a few moments more to analyze the chords. Playback will begin automatically as soon
as the Soloist has performed the operations mentioned above.

The Melodist Maker

In addition to the Melodists supplied with the program, this module lets you define or edit your own Melodists. You
can choose the parameters to control the type of chords, melody and intro to be generated, as well as a number of
settings controlling song form, theme continuity, endings type, anticipations, feel, style, harmony, soloist, patch
changes and more.
Press the Melodist Maker [Edit] button from the Select Melodist dialog to launch the Melodist
Editor.

The Num selection box allows you to select the Melodist that you’d like to edit.
The top area of the Melodist Maker screen also allows you to set the Title of the Melodist and supply a Memo.
Choose ST2 Database: Select the associated ST2 database for the Melodist. Some ST2 Melodist databases are
MEL1.ST2=Jazz Swing (8th notes), MELPOP1.ST2 (Pop Ballads, 16th notes), MELWLZ1.ST2 (Waltzes, 8th
notes), and MELROK1.ST2 (Rock, 8th notes).

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 Tip: Soloist databases also have extensions of ST2, but they are not compatible with Melodists. Melodist databases are easily
identified; they all begin with MEL.
The Patch Change area allows you to select an instrument and
Harmony, and to set Change Instrument setting for when you
would like to change to a new Melody patch (e.g. Each Chorus).

In the Change Style to .. window you can choose a style for the
Melodist and specify the feel for the style in the .STY is box.

Legato Boost % changes the legato (length) of the notes

generated. Instruments like Saxophone have longer legato
phrasing.

Increase lateness by (/120ppq) refers to how much after the beat the notes are played. This is normally left at zero
for Melodists.
Increase 8th note spacing by (/120ppq) is usually left at zero (0). If set to a nonzero value, the 8th notes will be
farther apart (based on units of 120 PPQ).
The rest of the settings in the Melodist Maker allow you to select options that control what type of melody will be
generated.
Unique Themes: This is normally left at 100%. But if you want to force the Melodist to stick with the same theme
throughout the song, set this to a lower value (say 80%). It shouldn’t be set much lower than 80. Default = 100.
Unusual Placed Phrasing: The Melodist tries to make phrases that are appropriate for the position in the song. For
example, the first 2 bars of the melody are appropriate for “opening phrases.” But if you want to experiment with
phrases that don’t follow these rules, set the Unusual Placed Phrasing to a value higher than 0%. Default = 0.
Simple 1st and 2nd Endings: This setting only applies to Melodists that are using the Jazz Swing (MEL1.ST2) or
Waltz (MELWLZ1.ST2) databases. This determines the % of time that endings of the A sections (in AABA forms)
will be simple endings (1 or 2 notes) instead of complete phrases. Usually AABA tunes end with simple phrases at
the end of the A section, so this option is normally left at 80% or higher. Default = 80%.
Choose Unusual Chord Progressions: If set to a value other than zero, the Melodist will generate atypical chord
progressions. For example, instead of a Dm7 | G7 | Cmaj7, the Melodist might generate Dm7 | Db7 | Cmaj7 Am7.
Default = 0.
Force Long Phrases: This determines the % of time that the Melodist will try to generate long phrases (4 bars or
more). The downside to setting it higher than 20 will be a loss of uniqueness in the phrases generated. The setting
shouldn’t be set much higher than 20. Default = 20.
Mix Minor and Major Chord Progressions: Typical major key chord progressions have progressions like (in the
key of C) Dm7 | G7 | Cmaj7, whereas in the key of Am, they would be |Bm7b5| E7 |Am6. This setting determines
how much the two types of progressions should be mixed in a single song. Default = 0.
Chord Substitutions Throughout the Form: Normally an AABA song has identical chords for each A section. If
this setting is greater than zero, the Melodist will generate chord substitutions throughout the various A sections,
while preserving the identical melodies! Default = 0.
Number of Variations to Choose From: As the Melodist is determining what type of phrase to generate, it will
narrow the possibilities to the number of variations set in this variable. Setting a higher number results in more
interesting melodies, but the chord progressions are more unusual. Default = 15.
Tempo Range / Auto Tempo: The Tempo Range setting determines the tempo range that the tune will be created
with (it will be a random tempo in the range). The Auto Tempo setting must be set on the Melodist Selection screen
for the tempo range to work. Default from 110 to 180 bpm.
Transpose A2 Section: In songs with an AABA form, it is common for the second “A” section to be transposed.
For example, the first “A” section might be in the key of Eb, and the second would be transposed up to the key of
Gb. Melodists store these settings, and some Melodists are set to transpose the A2 sections. This setting determines

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the % chance that the song will be generated with a transpose. The transpose will be usually 2, 3, or 4 semitones.
The song will only get transposed if the A2 transpose setting isn’t set to “none” on the Melodist selection screen.
Default = 30.
Anticipations in Phrases: Melodic phrases often begin a little before the beat. This is referred to as anticipation.
This setting determines what % of the phrases will be anticipated. Default = 20.
Always Use this Soloist: Since Melodists can also generate Solos, a specific Soloist can be set in this setting. If set
to “0 - no Soloist” the program will intelligently make a selection from all the Soloists in the list.
Melodists can be copied and pasted to make new Melodists that are variations of each other.
You can export (save) and import (load) individual as Melodists.M1 files. This would be
useful if you wanted to send a Melodist to a friend, for example.
The entire Melodist file, with up to 256 Melodists, can be saved to a .MEL file. The usual file is
DEFAULT.MEL.
The DEFAULT.MEL file is saved every time the [OK] button is pressed, so you don’t need to explicitly save this
file by the [Save As] button unless you want to save alternate .MEL files and go beyond 256 Melodists.

The Guitarist Maker

Band-in-a-Box will intelligently arrange any melody to a guitar chord solo by inserting real guitar voicings
throughout the piece. There are many preloaded Guitarists to choose from, or you can customize existing Guitarists’
settings or make your own Guitarists from scratch in the Guitarist Maker.
The Guitarist Maker is accessed from the Guitarist window. Click on the [Ch Sol…]
button to open the Generate Guitar Chord Solo dialog, and then press the Guitarist
Maker [Edit…] button to launch the Guitarist Editor.

Num: Select the Guitarist from this field.

Title: Title the Guitarist.
Memo: This field allows a 100-character memo about the Guitarist.
Guitar Patch: Select the guitar patch in this field.

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Frets To Move: If set to zero, the guitar chord solo will be limited to chords that can be played within the current
position. If set to 5 (for example), the chords will be limited to chords that can be played within the current position
and up to 5 frets away from the current position.
Force Open Position: This option forces all the guitar voicings to the open position. The exception is when the
Melody notes are so high that they can’t be played using open position voicings. If the Melody is in a high range,
and you want a “forced open position” you should likely transpose the Melody to a lower octave prior to generating
the solo.
Note Duration thresholds: The settings for Note Duration thresholds to get a chord refer to how long a note must
be before a chord will be generated. (Quarter note = 120 ticks)

Looking at the settings above these would be interpreted as follows:

- If a note occurs and it is the “First Note of a New Chord” and the note is not followed by another note for at least
50 ticks (120 ticks = 1 quarter note), then a chord will get voiced 90% of the time.
- If a note occurs (not the first note of a chord), that is on “Beat 1 of a bar,” and the note is not followed by another
note for at least 50 ticks (120 ticks = 1 quarter note) then a chord will get voiced 90% of the time.
- Similar interpretations for notes occurring on “Beat 2, 3 and 4.” You can see that the threshold is higher for notes
on beat 2 and 4, which is how a guitar player makes chord solos.
- “Passing notes” are defined as short duration notes that aren’t on the beat and are followed by a note that is on the
beat. In this example, passing notes will never be voiced as chords since the tick threshold is set to zero.
Time Threshold to get a chord

A further threshold is applied to the possibility that a note is voiced to a chord. These are defined as durations in
milliseconds. In the settings shown, if the note occurs less than 100ms (Time to Previous Note) after the previous
note, the note will not be voiced as a chord. If the note is followed by another note within 80ms (Time to the next
note), the note will not be voiced as a chord.
Strumming Settings: If the Guitar Chord is all played at the same time, it will sound as if it was plucked. Guitar
playing is more typically a strum.

Speed of the Strummed Chords: If the setting is 80ms, then the guitar chord will be “strummed” over a period of
80milliseconds.
Delay start time of strum by %: If the Delay start time is left at zero, the strum will end at the original time of the
melody note. If you set it to 50% delay, the strum will be in its midpoint at the original start time of the Melody
note, while if it’s set to 100%, the strum won’t start till the time of the original note. The most musical setting is
about 50% delay. A delay of 0% also sounds good and has the added advantage that it doesn’t shift the actual time
of the Melody note (relevant if you keep regenerating the solo on the Melody track).
Plucked / Strummed: Pressing these buttons will set the settings to preset values.
Chord Types to Include: You can decide which types of chords should be included in the chord solo.

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 Best Chords: The most commonly played chords by pro guitarists.
Good Chords: Popular alternate chords.
Advanced Chords: Chords that are difficult to play, advanced
voicings.
Unusual Chords: Voicings that should be avoided in most cases but
have some uses.
Barre Chords: Chords that require the index finger to be played in a
Barre position.
Lenny B. Chords: This sets the percentage of shell-type Lenny Br
voicings.
Close Voice: This sets what percentage of chords will use close
voicings.
Include Open Strings: If set to Never, no chords that require and open
string will be played. If set to Favor, it will play open strings whenever
possible.
Include Chords with this # of Notes
You can select the # of notes for chords to be included in the chord solo.
In the example above, chords with 2-6 notes will be included.

Embellish Chords

Embellish how often: Allows you to specify the frequency of embellishment.

Embellishment types: Allows setting of the types of embellishments to do.
- Pop Guitarists should be set to use 9ths only. This will change C7 chords to C9 and Cm7 to Cm9.
- The “7ths/9ths” setting should be used for Jazz. This adds the embellishments of C to Cmaj7 and Cm to Cm7.
- The “7/9/11/13” embellishment should be used for “Advanced Jazz” Guitarists add 11ths and 13ths voicings.
Individual Guitarists can be copied, pasted, exported, or imported
to/from disk.
The Guitarists are saved in the DEFAULT.GIT file, but if you want to save them in another file, press the
[Save As] button.
Pressing the [OK] button will update the DEFAULT.GIT file with the current settings.

462 Chapter 14: User Programmable Functions

 Chapter 15: Reference
Band-in-a-Box Menu Descriptions
This chapter gives line-by-line descriptions for all Band-in-a-Box menus.

File Menu

New is used to blank the Chord Sheet and start a new song.
Open shows and opens all available file types (MGU, WAV, WMA, MP3, MID, KAR, CDG, and CDA). And it
remembers your preference, so you can restrict it to a certain file type.
Open Special opens a submenu with more options for opening songs.

Open Next Song and Open Previous Song will open the next/previous song in alphabetical order. If the song
loaded has a file name of “Paul,” choosing load-next-file will find the next file in alphabetical order after Paul,
maybe it would be “Peter.” Shift+F8 and Ctrl+Shift+F8 are the hot keys for this.

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Tip: If you’re working with a lot of Band-in-a-Box songs doing editing etc., remember the “Open Next Song”
commands – they will save you a lot of time!
Open (Using Standard Dialog) uses the standard Windows® dialog.
Open Filtered by Style loads only song in current style.
Open with Melodies lists only song files that have melodies (*.mg?).
Open Favorite Songs opens the dialog that shows the last 150 songs played.
Favorite Folders… opens a list of recently used folders for quick access.
Open Karaoke (KAR) File opens Karaoke files directly in Band-in-a-Box, displaying the lyrics and chord
symbols for the song.
Open Song by Title opens the SongPicker, which shows information for up to 60,000 songs. It has many filter
features for finding songs. You can also search songs that have similar chord progressions or melody fragments.
Open SongPicker in Current Folder opens the SongPicker in the current folder of the last loaded song.
Open SongPicker in Home Folder opens the SongPicker in the home folder, which is C:\bb\Songs or as set in the
SongPicker.
Open SongPicker in Favorite Folder launches the Favorite Folder dialog which allows you to choose any
previously used folder where a song was loaded from, and then open the SongPicker in that folder.
Open MIDI file loads a MIDI file into Band-in-a-Box and the MIDI file will play with the chords intelligently
interpreted on-screen. MIDI files read in Section Markers and show them as part markers.
Open MusicXML File imports a MusicXML file (.musicxml/.XML/.MXL) from your notation programs such as
Finale, Sibelius, and Guitar Pro to Band-in-a-Box.
Open ABC Notation Music File imports an ABC notation file.
Open Audio (WAV, WMA, MP3, WMV, CDA) will open an audio file in WAV, MP3, Windows® Media Player
(WMA, WMV) or CD Audio (CDA) format. Play back at 1/2, 1/4, or 1/8 speed for transcribing or analyzing.
Find File finds a Band-in-a-Box song (or any file that Band-in-a-Box can open), including filtering by words found
in the file name or any text in the file.
Open Audio w/Chords (WAV, WMA, MP3, WMV, CDA) command will open a WAV, WMA, MP3, WMV, or
CD Audio file and also figure out the chords and bar lines.
Launch Audio Chord Wizard… (WAV, WMA, MP3, WMV, CDA) will open the Audio Chord Wizard to
analyze chords in an existing Band-in-a-Box song (that has a WAV file on the audio track).
Audio Chord Wizard Utilities opens a dialog with handy options to
- Make/Remove tempo map in Band-in-a-Box.
- Remove audio file from song.
- Auto-set Key signature, with button present in the Audio Chord Wizard.
- Enable/disable the Band-in-a-Box style.
Revert to saved reloads the current song in the last saved state.
Save song saves the current song under original title.
Save song as... is to save the current songs with a different name or in a different location.
Save Special opens a submenu with more options for saving songs.

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 Save Song with Patches & Harmony
All settings are normally saved with Band-in-a-Box files. If you would like to save certain patches with a song,
then type in the number of the patch (instrument) that you would like. Leave the other instruments at zero (0) for
No Patch Change. Remember that - as with all other Band-in-a-Box functions - you use the General MIDI number
for the instrument, regardless of the synth you are using. You can also freeze selected tracks in this dialog.
Save Song as MIDI File saves the song as a Standard MIDI file. You can save in Type 1 (multi-tracks) or Type 0
(single track) files. Karaoke MIDI files are also supported.
Save Song as MusicXML File
Band-in-a-Box supports MusicXML so you can easily export your Band-in-a-Box songs into notation programs
such as Finale, Sibelius, and Guitar Pro, while still retaining the chords from the Band-in-a-Box song.
Save Song as ABC Notation File allows you to save the song as an ABC notation file. ABC notation is the simple
text-based notation system used by musicians worldwide to store chords, melody, and lyrics of songs. You can find
out more information about the songs and ABC notation at abcnotation.com.
Save Song to Favorite Folder allows you to save the current song in one of your favorite folders.
Save Song(s) to Text on clipboard or file(s)
You can copy the current song, including the chords and other information (title, key, tempo, form, style, etc.), as a
text file or save it as a text file. You can also use a batch mode to apply the feature to all songs in a folder.
Save Song as wav/wma/mp3/mp4/m4a renders the song in the audio format you choose and saves it to the
specified location.
Email song file(s) as attachment(s) allows you to email a song (.MGU or .SGU), style (.STY and .STX) or
rendered audio file (m4a, wma, wav, mp3) as attachments.
Import opens a submenu with options for importing a file to the current song.

Import Melody from MIDI File allows you to import MIDI data from a file (*.MID) into the Melody track.
Import Melody from Clipboard allows you to import MIDI data that has been pasted into the clipboard (e.g.,
from a sequencer such as PowerTracks) into the Melody track.
Import Soloist Part from MIDI File allows you to import MIDI data from a file (*.MID) into the Soloist track.
Import Soloist Part from Clipboard allows you to import MIDI data that has been pasted into the clipboard (e.g.,
from a sequencer such as PowerTracks) into the Soloist track.
Import Audio (WAV, WMA, MP3, WMV) allows you to import an audio file into your Band-in-a-Box song. A
Mono or Stereo audio file can be imported to the Audio track, optionally merging or replacing any existing Audio
track.
Import Chords from PG Music MIDI file will read in the chord symbols from PG Music MIDI files made by
programs like Band-in-a-Box or PowerTracks Pro Audio. Note that it won’t read in the chords from a MIDI file
that doesn’t have special chord symbols typed in to it, i.e., it doesn’t interpret chords. If you want to interpret
chords from any MIDI file, use the File | Import | Import Chords from MIDI File option instead.
Import Chords from PG Music MIDI file on CLIPBOARD
Chords from most PG Music programs can be copied to the clipboard and imported with this command.
Import Chords from MIDI File uses the MIDI File Chord Wizard to interpret chords from any MIDI file, and
also import tracks to the Melody and Soloist tracks.
Import MGU Song imports part or all of an existing Band-in-a-Box song to your current song, with options to
specify source and destination range, type of information to import (chords, melody, lyrics, etc.), and more.

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 Medley Maker opens the Medley Maker, allowing you automatically make a medley of Band-in-a-Box songs.
Load Style from StylePicker will open the StylePicker window with complete style information.
Load Style Special opens a submenu with options for loading a style.

Load a User Style from disk

Styles can be selected and loaded with Long File Name dialogs.
Choose styles similar to current
This opens the StylePicker window showing a list of styles that are similar to the current style.
Select Favorite Styles
This opens the Favorite Styles dialog, which contains a list of the most recent 150 styles used. Since these are
ordered based upon how often they are used, we call this the “favorite styles” list. Since you can also store user-
definable favorite lists, we also refer to them as Set Lists.
Load Previous Style / Load Next Style
This function, like the Load Next Song function, loads in the previous (or next) style in alphabetical order of the
file name. These functions are in the File | Load Style Special menu, and accessible with the hot keys
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+F8 (or Alt+Shift+F8).
Find a RealTracks Replacement for current MIDI style
This will find the best RealTracks replacement for your current MIDI style and ask if you want to use it.
Load Style demo for current style
This loads the demo song for the currently loaded style. This feature is also available with a click on the name of
the style on the main screen. The menu that displays will include the option to “Load Song Demo” for the current
style.
Style is Enabled
This item will Enable or Disable the style. When disabled, the name of the style will have an X at the beginning,
which indicates a disabled style. The disabled style won’t sound or write any data to the MIDI file. The most
common use for disabling a style is when a MIDI file is loaded to the Melody track. Then the style won’t sound
and conflict with the full arrangement on the Melody track.
OK to load style with songs
This allows you to keep a style in memory. This way, all subsequent songs that are loaded will not change the style
(even if they have a different associated style), so you can easily play songs in the same style. If you’ve found a
new favorite style, you can try it out in all kinds of songs without having to reload the style each time.
For example, let’s say we’ve discovered the GARNER style, and want to try it out on many different songs. Select
File | Load Style Special | OK to load styles with songs to ensure the item is NOT checked. Then when you load a
song the saved style associated with the song doesn’t load and the song will play in GARNER.STY. You can over-
ride this style by loading in another style using the [Style] button or the File | Load Style Special menu. The new
style loaded will stay in until you choose another one, or until you turn off the forced styles option and load a song
that uses a different style.
Style Aliases
You can create an alias so that when Band-in-a-Box looks for a style, it will load its alias instead, so when you have
found a new favorite style just change the alias and you don’t have to change all of your songs.

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 Restore Style Prior to Style Alias reverts to the original MIDI style after you have used a RealTracks
replacement. It also turns off the style alias feature for the song.
Auto-Replace MIDI styles with RealTracks styles when songs loaded
If you have made a lot of songs using older MIDI styles, and would prefer that they play with RealTracks, you can
now do this easily by selecting the menu option File | Load Style Special | Auto-Replace MIDI styles with
RealTracks styles when songs loaded. Then, if you have the needed RealTracks installed, your MIDI style will be
intelligently replaced with a RealTracks style. There is also a manual option to do this on as-needed basis, disable
the feature for a certain song, or to reverse it if you prefer the MIDI style.
Suggest RealTracks style replacements when songs are loaded
This feature is the manual option for Auto-Replace MIDI styles. It suggests RealTracks style replacements but
doesn’t automatically load them. That is done manually from the RealTracks toolbar button menu. It is disabled
when “Auto-Replace” is checked.
StyleMaker opens a submenu with options for making and editing styles.

New - Make A New Style

This function allows you to begin to create a new style, using the StyleMaker feature. See online Tutorial #6:
StyleMaker - Making a New Style.
Edit a Style
This allows you to edit an existing style (*.STY) from disk. The resulting style can then be saved with the same
name or a different name. This function uses the StyleMaker. See online Tutorial #5: StyleMaker – Editing Styles.
Edit Current Style
This allows you to quickly get into the StyleMaker to edit the current style. The current style is the style that is
displayed in the Style Box on the main screen. Usually, you would use Ctrl+Shift+F9 to do this quickly. See
online Tutorial #5: StyleMaker – Editing Styles.
Save Current Song (except muted instruments) as a Style
Saves the style that is in use to the C:\bb\Styles folder with the parts that are currently selected. If, for example, a
MIDI style has had RealTracks added, the RealTracks will be saved with the style and the style name will get an =
sign prefix. So, if you were to add an acoustic bass RealTracks to the ZZJAZZ style and save it with this feature,
the name would change to =ZZJAZZ.STY. It also saves MIDI SuperTracks and Hi-Q instruments (or other TGS
files), and automatically calculates dB offsets based on volume, taking existing offsets into account.
Press the [Rebuild] button in the StylePicker and the new style name will be added to the list of Other Styles.
Make a Hybrid Style
The “Hybrid Styles” feature allows you to play and create a style that has instruments from up to five different
styles! You can, for example, play a song with a Reggae bass, Rock drums, Salsa piano, or any combination of up
to five styles that you want.
Style Wizard (Auto-Create Style from MIDI file)
This launches the Style Creation Wizard, which automatically converts a MIDI file (.MID) to a Band-in-a-Box
Style (.STY). Simply open a MIDI file, select your options, and press “Save-As Style.”
File Utilities opens a sub-directory of file utilities.

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 Change Directory (Path) opens the Browse Folder window where a new directory can be selected.
Run Explorer in Current Directory launches the Explorer. Pressing Ctrl+Alt+F3 is the usual way to get to this
item and will quickly open Explorer. Once the Explorer is open, you could double-click on a song or style to load
it in. (Assuming that there is a file association for Band-in-a-Box songs and styles made in Explorer.)
Run Explorer (choose folder) opens a Browse for Folder dialog where you can choose a folder.
Auto-rename song files to Long File Names will rename all song files in the current directory to long file names,
using the song title as the name.
Rename Any File on disk… or Rename CURRENT song filename allows you to rename files.
Delete File from disk deletes a song file without exiting the program
“Nuke It!” (Delete CURRENT song file from list) deletes the current song.
Associate File types (songs, styles) with Windows… / Remove File Associations (songs, styles) with
Windows… will associate (or remove associations for) the file types for Band-in-a-Box songs and styles in
Explorer. Once set, you can double-click on a song or style in Explorer and Band-in-a-Box will open with that
song or style.
Batch create MIDI files convert an entire folder of BB songs to MIDI files. You can choose the file names to be
based either on the original file name or song title name. This feature is also accessed with the [Batch mode…]
button in the MIDI file dialog.
Change all songs in current folder to a specific TEMPO will set all the songs in the folder to the tempo you
enter, but it is NOT UNDOABLE. (Tempos can be reset individually.)
Change all songs in current folder to a specific STYLE name is also NOT UNDOABLE.
Change all song in current folder to default Mix applies the default mix as set in the Combo right-click context
menu. Not undoable.
Print Song - Chords/Melody opens the Print Options dialog.
Print Multiple Songs… prints all songs, or just selected songs, in a song directory.
Exit to exit completely from the Band-in-a-Box program.
The last five files opened are listed at the bottom of the menu, numbered 0 through 4.

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Edit Menu

Note: If you select (highlight) a region by dragging the mouse and then choose one of the Edit menu commands, the dialog will
automatically adjust to the correct values, based on the region that you’ve highlighted.
Undo and Redo allow you to undo or redo most operations.
Cut functions like a delete command to remove bars from a song.
Copy is to copy chords to a clipboard. Copying a section of chords can be done in the same manner as copying text
in a Windows® word processor. To select the region to copy, place the mouse cursor at the bar to begin the selection.
Then, holding down the left mouse button, drag the mouse over the region. As you do this you will see that the
region will be inverted (i.e. looks dark). When you have selected the desired region of chords to copy, release the
mouse button. Copy the selected region to the clipboard by using the keystrokes Ctrl+C or selecting the Edit | Copy
menu item.
Copy Special opens a submenu with more options for copying.

Copy From…To… / Copy Rests

One of the best ways to copy chords is the Copy From… To… command, or pressing Alt+C, which launches the
Copy Chords and/or melody dialog. The Copy Rest command will similarly bring up the Copy Rests dialog to
allow copying of rests. These dialogs allow you to specify the number of bars to copy, the location to copy to, and
the option to copy the Chords, Melody, Soloist, and/or Lyrics.
Copy/Move Tracks allows copying or moving data (audio and/or MIDI) from one track to another.
Copy Song(s) to Text on clipboard or file(s) allows you to select the items to include when you copy the chords
in the song. It also allows you to copy or save all songs in a specific folder to the clipboard or save them as text
file(s).

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Paste
Assuming you have already copied some chords to the clipboard, you are then ready to paste the copied chords into
another part of your Chord Sheet. Move the highlight cell to the bar to begin the paste of chords. Copy the chords at
the highlighted bar by using the keystrokes Ctrl+V or selecting the Edit | Paste menu item.
Tip: The copied section remains in the clipboard and can be used repeatedly. If your song is in the form verse-verse-bridge-
verse, you can simply copy the first verse to the clipboard, and then paste in the other verses. The clipboard contents remain
even if you load in a new song, so you can copy and paste between songs.
Paste Special - from Clipboard text to Song(s) allows you to select the items from the clipboard and the
destination of the paste. You can paste them into a new song or the current song, or save them as a new song. If
multiple songs are copied on the clipboard, you can use an option to save them all as song files.Erase From… To…
launches the Erase Chords and/or melody dialog, which allows you to specify the number of bars to erase and
option to erase the Chords, Melody, Soloist, and/or Lyrics.
Insert Bar(s) inserts a certain number of bars into the Chord Sheet.
Delete Bar(s) removes a certain number of bars from the Chord Sheet.
Nudge Chords/Melody feature allows moving a range of chords by any number of bars and beats.
Song Form opens a submenu with options for a song form.

Settings (for This Song)

The Song Settings dialog can also be accessed by pressing the [Song Settings] button on the main screen. These
settings are fully explained in the Making Songs chapter.
Repeats/codas/1st-2nd endings
You can add repeats and endings so that the Lead Sheet window will display and print using 1st /2nd endings. You
can add your own repeats and endings by choosing this menu command to open the Edit Repeats and Endings
dialog.
Intro Bars - Auto Generate (or Remove)
This command will launch the Generate Intro dialog where you can specify the characteristics of the intro you
wish to generate. For more information on this feature please refer to the Automatic Intro section.
Reduce (durations of chords by 1/2) cuts chord durations by 50% (e.g., 4beats>>2beats; 2beats>>1beat).
Expand (durations of chords by 2) doubles the durations of chords (e.g., 1beat>>2beats; 2beats>>4beats).
Unfold (convert to 1 BIG chorus)
Choose this command to unfold a multi-chorus song into one BIG chorus. When selected, Band-in-a-Box will
display all choruses and verses of a song without loops or repeats. It is useful, for instance, when you have a song
with 3 choruses and want to convert it to a single large chorus, or to customize a song with the “Edit Settings for
Current Bar” feature to change meter, tempo, patches, styles, and/or harmonies and generate a MIDI file for export.

becomes
Fold (convert 1 chorus to multiple) converts a song with a single big chorus to multiple smaller choruses based
on the information you enter in the Fold Song dialog (chorus begins, chorus ends, tag etc.).
If you have imported a MIDI file, you might have a file that is 96 bars long, but really consists of 3 choruses of 32
bars each. You can convert this to a 32-bar song by using the Edit | Fold song option, including inserting tag
endings, and 2-bar endings.

becomes
Transpose opens a submenu with both manual and automated options for transposing the complete song or selected
parts of the song.

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 Transpose From ... To ... launches the Transpose dialog for transposing a particular section of the song. The bar
values can be typed in manually or you can transpose a portion of a song by highlighting the region you wish to
have transposed, selecting this menu item, and typing in the new key you wish to transpose to.
Transpose DOWN 1 semitone or Transpose UP 1 semitone transposes the entire song. This can be done while
the song is playing. Band-in-a-Box will pause briefly, and then resume playing in the new key at the same place in
the song.
Transpose # of semitones opens a dialog where you can type in the number of semitones to transpose the song.
Tempo opens a submenu with options for setting the song tempo.

- When a new song is started the tempo is set based on Style. This is the tempo that is embedded in the style file.
It can be reset to any tempo.
- You can quickly enter a specific tempo for a song with the Set Tempo… command (hot key is Ctrl+Alt+T), or by
clicking on the tempo. A dialog opens up where you can type in a tempo.
- You can quickly change to different speeds with the menu commands or hot keys. For example, choosing Half
Speed (or the hot keys Ctrl -) will change the playback speed to half, and Normal Speed (Ctrl =) will revert to
normal speed.
- Load an audio file and use the tempo feature to play it at reduced speed without changing the pitch, a big help for
analyzing and transcribing songs.
- For practicing tunes, it can be useful to play them at slower or faster tempos. You can enter an amount to change
tempos for each song that is loaded.
Change Tempo of all loaded songs by…
For practicing tunes, it can be useful to play them at slower or faster tempos. You can enter an amount to change
tempos for each song that is loaded.
Set Audio Master (Base) Tempo is used to ensure that tempo stretches are based on correct master tempo.
Lyrics opens a submenu with options for showing or editing lyrics.

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 Enter Lyrics at current bar opens the Lyric entry box at the current location of the time line or highlight cell.
Big Lyrics Window opens the Big Lyrics window for viewing lyrics and, optionally, chord symbols.
Lyric Document Window displays a full screen of formatted lyrics. Easily copy and paste lyrics to and from your
favorite word processor. The lyrics will then display in the Big Lyrics window.
Copy Lyrics to Clipboard
This function allows you to copy a song’s lyrics (and/or the chords) to the standard Windows® clipboard. By
pasting this data into a word processor, you can print out the lyrics in the font of your choice. The dialog has
options to allow copying of note-based and/or line-based lyrics. With either option you can choose to include the
chord symbols, have double or single line spacing, and make margin settings.
Copy 1st chorus Lyrics to whole song copies the note-based lyrics for the first chorus to the rest of the song.
Erase Bar-Based Lyrics erases bar-based lyrics.
Erase Note-Based Lyrics erases only the note-based lyrics.
Kill Lyrics Choruses
Select from a list box to kill lyrics in the selected chorus.
Move Lyric ahead to time line / Move Lyric back to time line
If you have a note-based lyric that you want to time shift ahead or back, you can click on the time line at the
destination that you want, and then choose this item. You can also shift lyric times using the Lyric Event list.
Timeshift Lyrics (ticks) / Insert Beat(s) in Lyrics / Delete Beat(s) from Lyrics
These are functions that apply to the entire lyric track. They are useful when you’re inserting bars or beats into the
song and need to move the lyrics around to keep them in sync.
Edit Lyrics as Event List opens the Edit Lyrics dialog with Edit, Insert, Append, and Delete functions.
Vocal Synth - Auto Mode (Generate Vocal Audio from Lyrics & Melody)
Your Melody or Soloist track with lyrics can be rendered to a vocal audio track by sending it to the third-party
vocal synthesizer Sinsy. Choose the language, Japanese or English, and one of the female or male vocalists. You
can adjust the gender of the voice in a range from -0.8 to +0.8. Higher values are more masculine. If your track
does not include lyrics you can enter a syllable to use for notes with no lyrics.
With the “Auto” command your song will be sent automatically to the song server and returned as an audio file on
the Audio track. This may take a few minutes. When the vocal synth has been generated, the Import Audio File
dialog opens. Press [OK] to import it to the Audio track.
Vocal Synth - Manual Mode (Generate Vocal Audio from Lyrics & Melody)
With this command, Band-in-a-Box will generate a file named Sound.XML and save it in C:\bb\Data\SRequest.
Use your browser to navigate to www.sinsy.jp and upload the xml file. A file named sound.wav will be returned
and loaded into the Audio track of your song.

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Chords opens a submenu with options for editing chords.

Chord Substitution Dialog (choose your own)

This allows you to see a list of possible chord substitutions for the current chord progression. You can also access
it from a right mouse click on the Chord Sheet, and by pressing the Chord Substitution button.
Auto-Generate Chord Substitutions
This will automatically pick chord substitutions for all or part of the song.
Chord Reharmonist Dialog (choose your own) shows you the current bar in the song with a list of suggested
chord progressions for the current melody, based on the melody and genre that you choose.
Auto-Generate Chord Reharmonization generates an entirely new chord progression for a complete song or a
portion of a song. Selecting this menu option opens the Reharmonist dialog.
‘Jazz Up’ The chords
This menu command will “Jazz Up” the chords by changing chords like C and Cmaj to 7th and 6th chords. Song
embellishment will be turned on for the song. Select the type of 7ths from the list box, and then click on the [OK –
Jazz UP] button.
’Jazz Down’ The chords
This will “Jazz Down” the chords by changing chords with 7ths (e.g. C7) to triads (e.g. C) and 9ths and 13ths to 7th
chords. Song embellishment is turned off. Press [OK – Jazz Down] to proceed.
Search/Replace Chords will search and replace chords, including support for asterisks (*) as wildcards.
Edit Chord Shortcuts file (shortcut.txt) / Refresh Chord Shortcuts
If you have found a chord that Band-in-a-Box doesn’t recognize, you can add your own shortcuts in a text file that
you make yourself called C:\bb\Data\shortcut.txt and Band-in-a-Box will allow you to type in that chord in the
future. Click on this menu command to open or create your own chord shortcuts file. Make sure to save the file after
editing. Changes won’t take effect until you choose Edit | Chords | Refresh Chord Shortcuts…
The text file C:\bb\Data\shortcut.txt allows you to add new chord shortcuts. If you find a chord that Band-in-a-Box
won’t accept, like Csus2 when it expects C2 instead, you can enter this on a single line (without the quotes)
“Csus2@C2.” Then Band-in-a-Box will enter the chord C2 whenever you type in Csus 2. You can also use it for
shortcuts. For example, if you entered j@maj7 Band-in-a-Box would let you type Cj for CMaj7. See the file
C:\bb\Data\pgshortc.txt for examples of shortcuts.
Note: The shortcut.txt file doesn’t ship with Band-in-a-Box or it would overwrite your file! The file C:\bb\Data\pgshortc.txt should
be used only by PG Music Inc. for shortcuts supplied with Band-in-a-Box.
Chord Builder allows you to build up chords using mouse clicks.
Play Current Chord
This function plays the current chord on the Chord Sheet. It is most commonly accessed by pressing Shift+Enter on
the Chord Sheet.
Chord Settings
This launches the Chord Options dialog, where you can put in rests and pushes. You can launch the Preview,
Chord Builder, or Chord-Substitution Functions from this window.
Slide Tracks
This allows you to move any of the Bass, Drums, Piano, Guitar, Strings or Melody track ahead or behind by a certain
amount. You could, for example, slide the Bass track so it plays a little ahead of the rest of the band. This has the
effect of making the bass player “drive the band,” and is useful in Jazz styles to make the music sound more exciting.

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Settings for Current Bar
This command opens the Edit Settings for Current Bar dialog where you can change meter, tempo, volume,
patches, styles, RealDrums styles, and/or harmonies at the current bar. This dialog is covered in detail elsewhere in
this manual and in the online Help. You can specify the changes to happen for every chorus and/or a specific chorus.
Song Memo
A song memo of up to 2000 characters may be added.
Set Time Signature (range of bars)
In Edit | Set Time Signature (range of bars) you can assign a specific time signature at any bar and apply it to a range
of bars, as often as you want. For example, to have one 5/4 bar, bar 13, select this menu item, and toggle the 5/4
button. Then, type in the bar beginning (13) and number of bars (1) in the space provided.
Auto-Generate Song Title allows you to generate a title for a song. There is also a button on the main screen for
this.

Options Menu

MIDI/Audio driver setup

Select MIDI Input and MIDI Output drivers and choose a Synthesizer / Sound Card patch map. Select the [Run
Driver Wizard] button for help with your selection. Click on the [Audio Settings] button if you need to set up
audio drivers, such as ASIO drivers. This topic is discussed in detail in the MIDI and Audio Setup instructions.
Use/Set ALTERNATE MIDI output driver for session
The Option menu item Use/Set Alternate MIDI Driver for session, allows you to set a temporary MIDI Driver for a
session, useful when your main MIDI Driver is “in-use” by another application.
Return to Factory Settings
Choosing this command will reset all settings to the default at the time of shipping. Return to Factory Settings also
offers to nuke the drum kit and MIDI Driver choice, making the return to factory settings complete.
If you choose MOST settings, the patch map and drum kit
will be left intact, and not reset.
If you choose ALL settings, all settings will be reset to
factory.
If “Preserve location of RealTracks and RealDrums
folders” is checked, the folder locations will be
remembered even after you reset to factory settings or
erase the intrface.bbw configuration file.
What add-ons do I have?
An intelligent dialog, also accessible from the Help menu that will search your directory to tell you which add-ons
you have and which you don’t.
Language Selection

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This item in the Option menu allows you to
change language from English to another
language for display. If there are other
languages supported by your version of
Band-in-a-Box, then they will be displayed
in this dialog. International language
versions are available for download from
www.band-in-a-box.com.

MIDI Patch Maps, etc.

Save Default Configuration (Mysetup.DK file)

This will rewrite the Band-in-a-Box configuration file (Mysetup.DK) with your current settings. This file contains:
- MIDI Channels/Patches/Volumes/Reverb/Chorus/Bank
- Patch Map
- Favorite Patches, Favorite Combos settings
- Drum Kit
Save / Load alternate Drum/Patch File .DK
Allows you to save different custom drum kits or load preset or custom kits.
Display General MIDI Patch Numbers
This opens the General MIDI Patch List for reference.
Send a SysEx file (*.SYX) is a command that sends SysEx information to your MIDI device.
Whether you want to load different patches (or ones you have “tweaked” with a patch editor/librarian such as the
SC-Pro Editor/Librarian) into your MIDI device or whether you have a synth that requires a SysEx to set it to a
certain mode, you can easily send SysEx files with a configurable delay (the default is 100 ms).
If you would like to send a SysEx file to your MIDI device automatically at the start of each session, you need to
make a file called STARTUP.SYX, and put it in the C:\bb directory. Then, each time the program is started, it will
send the appropriate SysEx commands contained in this file to your MIDI device.
If you need to send a SysEx file at any time during a session, choose the Options | MIDI Patch Maps, etc. | Send a
Sys-Ex File (*.SYX) option. This launches a window from which you can choose a file to send. Since some MIDI
devices require a delay time between parts of a SysEx message, there is a default delay value of 100 ms between
each part of the message.
If you need to change the default delay, go to the Options | MIDI Patch Maps, etc. | Make an Advanced Patch map
menu item and enter the Sys-Ex Delay to a value in milliseconds (ms). If it is set to 0 ms, the program will revert
to the default of 100ms. The smallest delay setting is 1(ms).
Technical Notes:
SysEx files are files that can be made with programs such as PG Music’s PowerTracks Pro Audio or SC-Pro Editor/Librarian.
They begin with a F0(hex) byte and end with a F7 byte.
Examples where you might want to use a SysEx file with Band-in-a-Box are:
- Employing a custom setting or patch you have made with the SC-Pro Editor /Librarian.
- Sending a General MIDI mode ON message automatically when Band-in-a-Box boots up.

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 Choose Patch from General MIDI Patches allows you to select a patch for the currently selected instrument from
an organized list of GM patches.
Choose Patch from Higher Bank allows you to select a patch using the advanced search and higher bank/patch
support capabilities.
Make an Advanced Patch map
Patch maps contain information for mapping the patches and drum notes to your synthesizer as well as Velocity
offset, Octave offset, bank Controller 0 setting, bank Controller 32 setting, etc. There are also advanced options
like sending a SysEx file by loading the .DK file.
Edit these settings in the Options | MIDI Patch Maps, etc. submenu by choosing Make an Advanced Patch map.

These options are useful either if you have a newer synthesizer that supports bank changes and has nice patches in
higher banks or if you have an older synth that requires custom mapping of sounds. To access these features,
enable the “Enable Advanced Settings” option. Then, type in the values you would like to change. Say, for
example, you have some great string sounds on your synth on Bank 4, Controller 32. With this feature you can
save them as part of your Band-in-a-Box setup by clicking the [Save] button. This will append your
MYSETUP.DK file to include all of the patches you like to use, regardless of where they are on your synth.
Some basic soundcards don’t have volume responsive drums. The result of this limitation can be rather unpleasant,
since the drums might be too loud and there is no way of lowering the volume. Band-in-a-Box overcomes this so
that you can boost or reduce the velocity of the drums on virtually any sound source.
To adjust the drum velocity, access Options | MIDI Patch Maps, etc. | Make an Advanced Patch map and tick the
option to “Enable Advanced Settings.” Then, enter a Number from -127 (quietest) to +127 (loudest) in the “Drum
Velocity Boost” box.
Whether you want to load different patches (or ones you have “tweaked” with a patch editor/librarian such as the
SC-Pro Editor/Librarian) into your MIDI device or whether you have a synth that requires a SysEx to set it to a
certain mode, you can easily send SysEx files with a configurable delay (the default is 100 ms).
If you would like to send a SysEx file to your MIDI device automatically at the start of each session, you need to
make a file called STARTUP.SYX, and put it in the C:\bb directory. Then, each time the program is started, it will
send the appropriate SysEx commands contained in this file to your MIDI device.
If you need to send a SysEx file at any time during a session, choose the Options | MIDI Patch Maps, etc. | Send a
Sys-Ex File (*.SYX) option. This launches a window from which you can choose a file to send. Since some MIDI
devices require a delay time between parts of a SysEx message, there is a default delay value of 100 ms between
each part of the message.
If you need to change the default delay, go to the Options | MIDI Patch Maps, etc. | Make an Advanced Patch map
menu item and enter the Sys-Ex Delay to a value in milliseconds (ms). If it is set to 0 ms, the program will revert
to the default of 100ms. The smallest delay setting is 1(ms).

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GM Settings, etc.

Roland GS has settings for Roland GS keyboards and sound modules.

Reset Roland GS (Quick) and Reset GS (all ID’s) reset the module to factory settings.
Set Reverb Type or Set Chorus Type (GS Module): Roland GS instruments allow different type of reverb and
chorus settings. These settings boxes allow you to select them.
Assign Part/Channel etc. for GS Module: The GS Part settings are for GS compatible synthesizers only. These
synthesizers have 16 parts. The default is for part 1 to be channel 1, part 2 channel 2 etc., but you can change a
part to another channel. This allows you to use the same channel for 2 parts, so that you hear a layer of 2
instruments playing the same part.
Send MIDI Message

The GM functions work on MIDI sound devices that support the GM (General MIDI) standard, which includes
most newer MIDI Keyboards and sound cards.
The GS functions work on instruments that support the Roland GS specification. This includes the Roland Sound
Canvas, SCC1, and JV-30.
The XG functions work on instruments that support the Yamaha XG specification.
Send General MIDI mode ON, & BB Patches sends a General MIDI mode ON message to the external MIDI
device and the sends the startup Band-in-a-Box patch changes.
Send General MIDI mode ON (no patches) sets the external module to General MIDI mode. This command
will ensure that the module is ready to accept GM-specific MIDI data such as Bank, Controller, and Patch
information.
Send GS Mode On Message (Roland) / Send XG Mode On Message (Yamaha)
Since the inception of the GM (General MIDI) standard, there have been two major subsets/extensions of this
standard; GS (Roland) and XG (Yamaha). Therefore, in addition to the GM Mode-on menu item feature there are
additional commands to send a GS mode ON or a XG mode ON message at any time by accessing the GM menu.

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 Auto-Send GM Mode On at startup sends a “General MIDI mode on” message when the program boots up.
Auto-Send GS Mode On at startup sends a Roland GS system on message when the Band-in-a-Box program
boots up.
Auto-Send XG Mode On at startup sends a Yamaha XG system on message when the Band-in-a-Box program
boots up.
Turn Local OFF / ON (external MIDI keyboard)
“Local” refers to music playing on an external MIDI keyboard. If set to “Off,” Band-in-a-Box will play the
keyboard via the THRU part. If set to “On,” both Band-in-a-Box and the keyboard might be playing the same
Thru part.
When program quits, turn Local ON automatically turns the external MIDI keyboard back on at the end of the
Band-in-a-Box session.
Master Tuning allows you to master tune your sound card or sound module. This is useful if you’re playing along
with an instrument or recording that can’t easily be re-tuned like an acoustic piano. A setting of 0 is the default A =
440.
Note: Not all sound cards/ modules support Master Tuning. To see if your sound card supports Master Tuning, press the [Test..]
button.
Master (Combo) Volume Adjust submenu

Master Volume uses MIDI messages instead of GS/GM SysEx should be set by all users except if you have a
Roland GS synth, Roland Sound Canvas, or Roland VSC. If set, the Combo settings will allow Master Volume
and other MIDI settings to work. This submenu allows you to set whether to use Roland - GS or General MIDI
for Master Volume messages. Unless you have a Roland, you should select General MIDI.
If you want to “turn it all up or down,” this can be done quickly with menu commands or hot keys to set the
Master Volume. There are also hot keys that control the overall volume by reducing (or increasing) volumes on
all parts by 5 to simulate a Master Volume effect (especially useful for sound cards that don’t support Master
Volume changes). These items also have hot keys as listed on the menu (Ctrl+Alt+Shift Q, W, and E).
Commands and hot keys are also provided to change the volume of the current part only.
Set Panning to MONO sets the panning of your Band-in-a-Box parts (Bass, Drums, Piano, etc.) to mono.
Set Panning Mode to Stereo sets the panning of your Band-in-a-Box parts (Bass, Drums, Piano, etc.) to a typical
stereo setup, which is saved with the preferences.
Run Other Programs

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 Sound card Volume / Playback VU Meter launches the Windows® Mixer to adjust volumes on your sound card
with the Playback panel.
Sound card Recording / Recording VU Meter launches the Windows® Mixer to adjust volumes on your sound
card with the Recording panel.
Note: This uses the C:\windows\sndvol32.exe Mixer program. You may need to have the Windows® 98 version of this
program for the Recording Panel to open properly. If you don’t, you’d see the “Volume Control” panel and will have to
manually set it to the Recording Panel (by choosing Options | Properties | Recording).
Run Windows Control Panel runs the Windows® Control Panel, which lets you examine MIDI and Audio
settings in the Multimedia, Add New Hardware, and System panels.
Run Other Application and Choose ‘Other Application’ allows you to specify and run any other application
(mixer application, PowerTracks etc.).
Run DLL or &EXE plugin and Choose DLL or EXE Plugin allows you to run a plug-in that has been made
specifically for a PG Music product.
Convert Patch list from PowerTracks or Cakewalk
This will let you convert a PowerTracks Pro Audio .INI file or a Cakewalk .INS file to a Band-in-a-Box .PAT file.
Open Preferences File / Save Preferences As
You can save and load custom preferences files with your current settings saved and restored. For example, you can
have a preference that remembers a certain group of songs, notation transpositions, etc.
The Options | Return to Factory Settings menu command saves preferences to disk, so that the settings can be
restored at any time.
Preferences
The Preferences dialog allows you to set various settings that are saved in the Band-in-a-Box for Windows®
configuration file called intrface.bbw.

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Keystroke Shortcuts
You can open the dialogs with keystrokes by typing the underlined letter shown on the tabs. For example, you can
open the “Arrange” Prefs tab by the keystrokes.
- Ctrl+E to open the Preferences dialog, then
- A to open the Arrangement Options dialog.
OK to Save/Load Reverb, Vol etc. w/Songs
Select this checkbox in the Preferences dialog if you wish to embed Reverb, Volume, Pan, Chorus, and Bank
information with songs for later recall, or if you wish to enable any such embedded information with songs that are
loaded. The last settings that are in effect on the main screen instrument panel when you save the song will be
recorded. Individual settings can be enabled/disabled in the File | Save Special | Save Song w/Patches and Harmony
menu item.
OK to Prompt to Reduce/Expand Song
If a style is changed with a different feel (16th notes instead of 8th notes), Band-in-a-Box will automatically offer to
expand or reduce the duration of the chords and change the tempo to accommodate the new style.
StylePicker defaults to current style
Since the StylePicker can now default to the current style, this option is available. If you want the StylePicker to
stay at the style that you left it, de-select this item.
OK to “beep” with messages
Now that people have their sound cards hooked up to big speaker systems, a simple “beep” issued by Windows®
when an incorrect key is pressed can seem loud enough to “wake your neighbors.” Setting the “silent beep” option
allows Band-in-a-Box to visually flash the window title bar to get your attention, instead of generating an audible
“beep.”
Always save songs with “U” extension
Older Band-in-a-Box songs had additional extensions for last letter (1-9, A-O) to indicate style type. Setting this will
resave those old songs with a “U” extension, MGU or SGU (if no melody is present).
At program bootup…
When the new session starts, Band-in-a-Box can automatically open the song or style that was used in the last
session.
Boot up in directory of the last session
On program boot up, the current directory will get set to the last directory used in the previous session.
Show Custom Track Labels and Descriptions
If this option is enabled, the Track buttons at the top of the main screen and the track labels on the Mixer will display
custom track labels and descriptions that you have customized.
Auto-Generate Track Labels
If this option is enabled, the Track buttons at the top of the main screen and the track labels on the Mixer will display
auto-generated labels. For example, if the track contains Banjo, then the label will show “Banjo” instead of the
default track labels (Bass, Piano, Drums, Guitar, Strings, Melody, and Soloist). Also, the track buttons in various
windows (Notation, Lead Sheet, Guitar, Piano, etc.) will display initials of auto-generated labels. For example, [H]
will show for a track that plays Harmonica.
When opening BB song, open MP3/WMA file same name
If MySong.MGU is loaded, and a same named audio file (MySong.WMA, MySong.MP3, MySong.WAV, etc.) is
present, Band-in-a-Box will open the audio file to the audio track. This allows third parties to make audio files with
chords in them, by making a MySong.MGU and MySong.MP3 pair of files, which will load into Band-in-a-Box yet
will have the audio compressed to take up little disk space.
Number of levels of Undo for the Edit | Undo command can be as high as 999. The default is 99.
Automatically check for updates every __ days
If this is enabled, the program will automatically check for new updates. This will occur as often as you choose. A
setting of 0 days will check every time you run the program.
Enter Key Advances Highlight Bar
The Enter key advances the highlight bar on the Chord Sheet. This speeds up the entry of songs for people who
prefer to use the Enter key. When you enter a chord on the chord worksheet, press the Enter key to place your
chord in the highlighted cell. The highlighted region will then move automatically to the next cell. The right arrow
key can also be used to move the highlight cell.

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SPACEBAR Key
There are three options for spacebar operation.
- Enters no chord (deletes current chord)
- Plays from current position (Ctrl + Space from start)
- Plays from start (Ctrl + Space from current pos.)
The default setting is to play from current position and stop the song.
Simulate NUMPAD keys (for notebook users)
Notebook users often don’t have a number pad so they can’t use the Band-in-a-Box looping features
(Ctrl+NUMPAD 1-6 keys). With this option the regular numbers can be used to trigger the looping feature. For
example, pressing Ctrl+2 will start playback of looped choruses.
Pause Play until MIDI or Key received
This allows playback to be started by a MIDI note received at the MIDI In port, or by pressing a key on the computer
keyboard. Band-in-a-Box generates its arrangement, and then “stands by” for your start command.
Move current cell when playback stops
If this is enabled, the current cell will move to the last played bar when playback stops.
Text Hints
Choose to enable or disable the fly-by text hints, the comprehensive program hints, and/or the dialog box hints. Set
the time delay in ms before the hint pops up, and the length of time it will display.
Allow multiple instances of Band-in-a-Box to be running allows you to have more than one copy of Band-in-a-
Box open at a time.
Allow Fast Bootups
Normally, this option should be enabled. This should only be disabled if you are having some problem with bootup.
Write a detailed log of bootup times (used for troubleshooting)
This will be used as a diagnostic tool only. When this option is enabled, you will get a message on bootup, which
displays a detailed description of times for bootup.
Preferences Buttons
Most program settings and options can be accessed from the rows of buttons at the top of the Preferences dialog.

Display Options
The [Display] button opens the Display Options dialog, which allows you to customize the display for
the Chord Sheet.

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The colors all elements on the Chord Sheet can be customized with the color palette in this dialog.
Use Gradients: This option gives the part markers with a gradient look. This also makes smoother seams between
layers.
Draw part marker borders: This option lets you choose whether a border around the part markers is drawn or not.
Show bar numbers: This determines how often bar numbers appear. Choices are: never, always, only at part
markers, or only at new rows
Show bar lines: Check this option if you want to see a bar line to left of bar numbers.
Show Time signature changes: Enable this to show time signature changes on part markers.
Use substyle colors for bar #s, etc. : This option controls the color of bar lines, bar numbers, and section letters. If
this is enabled, bars without part markers will use the color of the current style. If this is disabled, everything will be
displayed using a single color which is set for “Non-Part Marker (text)” in the color picker.
Highlight selected cell: If this option is selected, the currently selected cell will be highlighted instead of just out-
lined. You can change the highlighting color by selecting “Cell highlighting” in the color picker. This feature is
useful for JAWS Screen Reader users.
Enable display of Repeats/Endings allows repeats signs and 1st/2nd ending markers to be shown on the Chord
Sheet.
Display bars higher than end of song in gray will “gray out” the bars on the Chord Sheet after the end of the song.
Show chords with push/rest characters: The push character is the caret symbol (^). So, a C chord with a push is
displayed as ^C. The rest character is a period (.) so a C chord with a rest is displayed as C. (C period). If you prefer
to not see these characters displayed, then set this to false. These characters won’t show up on the printout
regardless of this setting.
Show chords with pushes/rests in color: If this is enabled, pushes will be displayed in GREEN and rests are
displayed in RED. This only applies to the Chord Sheet, not the notation.
Display ‘C9sus’ as ‘C11’: This option allows display of “9sus” chords as “11” (e.g., Bb11 instead of Bb9sus). This
only affects how the chord is displayed, not how it is stored. And you can type either C11 or C9sus to enter the same
chord.

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Display ‘2’ as ‘sus2’ / Display ‘sus’ as ‘sus4’: These options will show suspended chords more explicitly. “sus”
implies “sus4,” and “2” implies “sus2,” but you might want to see the full extension name.
Treat ‘dim’ chord as a diminished triad (Cdim5) instead of Cdim7 controls if Cdim will represent Cdim5 or
Cdim7. When set, Cdim means the diminished triad (Cdim5) and the diminished 7th is entered as Cdim7.
For Roman Numerals of Chords in minor keys, use relative major: For minor keys, base roman numerals on the
relative major. For example, in key of Am, Am is either the Im chord or the VIm chord.
Gray out chords beyond time signature: This setting grays out chords that won’t play in the song. For example, if
you switch a song of 4/4 time signature to a waltz style, the chords on beat 4 will be grayed out.
Auto-open/close editable layers: If this is enabled, any editable layers (Bar Lyrics and Section Text layers) will
automatically open or close when you open a song.
Transpose: This will visually transpose the chord sheet and notation display by a number of semi-tones for concert
or non-concert instruments, either by typing in a number or choosing a preset.
If a Chord Sheet or Notation window transpose setting is in
effect, a yellow hint message opens on boot up as a reminder.
Chord display: This setting allows you to choose a chord display for the main layer.
[Choose font] : This button allows you to choose a font, style, and size for the selected item in the combo box to the
right.
Chord Sheet Font: This allows you to choose a font for the chords on the main layer. If you click on the [Jazz
Symbols] button, then “Jazz Chord Symbols” will be selected and you will see shorthand Jazz chord symbols on the
Chord Sheet. The [Default font] button selects BigBand Chords. The [Custom] button allows you to choose the
size as well.
Superscript chord extensions (main) / Superscript chord extensions (additional) : The superscript feature shows
the chord extensions using smaller raised text. This makes the root of the chord more distinguishable, and also helps
maximize space on the Chord Sheet. “Superscript chord extensions (main)” is for extensions of the chords on the
main layer, and “Superscript chord extensions (additional)” is for extension of the chords on the additional layer.
Number of Columns: You can select the number of columns displayed on the Chord Sheet screen.
Number of Rows: The number of rows displayed on the Chord Sheet screen can be selected manually to best match
your screen size and resolution. This only applies if Auto-adjust # rows” is disabled.
Auto-adjust # rows: If this is set, when songs are loaded, the number of rows will change depending on the number
of bars in the song, and the number of rows will vary within the supplied range between “min rows” and “max
rows.”
New line for every section: When this is set, most part markers will start a new line on the Chord Sheet. This
makes the sections more readable. It can be disabled for a song using Edit | Settings (for This Song). The “minimum
section” setting is the minimum number of bars that is required for a section to automatically start a new line.
Extra line space between sections (pixels) is the amount of space to add on a new line when there is a part marker.
Extra space between rows (pixels) : This allows you to set a border thickness between rows.
Extra space between columns (pixels)
This allows you to set a border thickness between columns.
Height % of Additional Chord Display layer: This sets the percentage of additional chord display layer. For
example, if you want to see Nashville Notation on the additional chord display layer as big as the main chord display
below it, set this option to 100%.
[Choose Skin] allows you to see the small toolbar buttons in color.
[Load scheme] [Save scheme] All settings and colors can be saved and loaded as a .csc file.
Arrangement Options
The [Arrange] button opens the Arrangement Options dialog

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Boost Velocity of pushes by: The pushes in Band-in-a-Box are the chords that get played before the beat. Typically
pushes are played a little louder than other patterns. You can leave this setting at 0 or set it to between 0 and 10.
Boost shots by: Shots can be accented with this setting.
Boost ‘Holds’ by: Use this setting to boost the velocity of held chords.
Allow Any Rests: You can disable the rests feature. You might want to do this if you’ve got a song with a lot of
rests in it and are then having difficulty recording a melody because you don’t hear the drums providing the beat
(due to the drums resting). If so, you can temporarily disable the rests so that you can record and listen to the drums.
Allow Any Pushes: If for some reason you don’t want a style or a song to have pushes, you can set this to no.
Allow Style Pushes: If for some reason you don’t want a style to have pushes, you can set this to no.
OK to Load Style with Songs: This loads the style that is saved with the Band-in-a-Box song. Set it to NO if you
don’t want the saved styles to load, perhaps to audition a new style with several different songs.
Concert Pitch Adjust: This is useful for non-concert instruments such as Saxophone or Trumpet. The output is
transposed so that you see the music in one key, and it plays in another.
Trumpet players and other Bb instruments should set Concert Pitch Adjust to –2.
Alto Sax and other Eb instruments should set Concert Pitch adjust to +3.
Note: This concert pitch adjust setting is an old one. It is preferable that you use the Notation-Transpose Option instead.
Allow Any Endings: You can disable the endings from all the songs by using this setting.
Lowest Bass Note: Styles will normally play bass notes (down to the low E) if the pattern won’t go below a low E
note. This happens with all styles automatically, but there is also an option to set the lowest note that the bass can go
real low (so you can get a low C if you want to!).
Prevent “too low” guitar notes
For styles using a guitar patch on the Guitar, Piano, or Strings part this will prevent any note from being lower than
the low E on a guitar.
Allow late notes in pattern, just before chord change: Styles will normally play notes near the end of a pattern,
before a chord change. Sometimes this makes the style sound “too busy.” If you set this to, say 70%, then 30% of
the time, the note at the end of the pattern will play quieter, typically at half the volume.
Drum Brushes: Most GM modules have brushes available on patch 41 on the drums. On some Sound Blasters you
need to load a GS sound font for this to occur, and you need to use the Sound Blaster software to do this (AWE
Control Panel). On the Yamaha XG, you likely need to send a “GS mode on” message from the GM menu in Band-
in-a-Box. But if your module just doesn’t have brushes available, then you can set this option, and the style will
remap the notes to different drum instruments that don’t have brushes.

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First bar of first chorus of song gets a drum cymbal crash: If selected, the first bar of the song (following the
intro) might get a cymbal crash. Usually this is left unselected, since most drummers wouldn’t play a crash cymbal
on bar 1 of the song.
Natural Arrangements (re-interpret complex chords): If you give a pro musician a complicated chord progression
with fancy extensions like C7b9b13 or Gm11, the musician may reinterpret these rather than playing them exactly as
written. This can achieve a much better sounding arrangement because the musician has freedom to choose from
similar chord extensions. You can get Band-in-a-Box to do the same thing with this option for all tracks in all songs.
(Note: To set this feature for all tracks in the current song, use the option in the Song Settings dialog. To set this for
specific track(s) in the current song, right-click on the track radio button, go to Track Settings | Set Natural
Arrangement, and select an option.).
Show Messages: You can select to show a flash message when chords are re-interpreted. The choices are: Always,
Never, and Once per session.
Normalize MIDI velocities to: If performing live, or at a jam session, it helps to have the volume of all songs be
similar. With the “Normalize MIDI velocities” feature, you can level the volumes to a setting you enter. For
example, you can set all volumes to be 70 and the program will make each song play within those levels.
When you have set the normalize to “on,” the title window at the top of the screen reports
that Normalization is set to 70, and that the velocity of the currently playing song has been increased from 49 to 70.
Including Melody, Soloist: The normalization will affect bass, drums, piano, guitar, and strings. If you select the
“Including Melody, Soloist” option, the normalization will also affect the Melody and Soloist parts.
When a song is loaded, but the required style is not found: In this group of settings, you can control the behavior
of the program when a required style is not found. Text files like C:\bb\Data\A_PGMUSIC.NA list the substitute
styles to use. You can make your own *.NA file but call it something like MYSTYLES.NA. Don’t edit the
A_PGMUSIC.NA file.
OK to substitute with a similar style: If set, this will enable the substitution of styles using the
C:\bb\Data\A_PGMUSIC.NA text file and any other *.NA files supplied by third-party styles developers.
If nothing similar found, use this style: This is the style that will be substituted if no better substitute is found in
the A_PGMUSIC.NA text file or any other *.NA files.
Message if no style or substitution found: If no substitute style is found, what type of message (if any) should be
displayed?
Message if substitution style found: When a substitute style is found, what type of message (if any) should be
displayed?
Woodshed Tempo (increase tempo every loop): When practicing (or “woodshedding”) a tune, it is useful for the
tempo to speed up every time the section loops or the song restarts from the beginning.
Woodshed tempo by (default=0 bpm): This sets the number of bpm that the tempo will change each time through.
There are 4 modes to the woodshed tempo field. They are only active when you set a woodshed tempo value other
than 0.
1. “Up only,” which is getting faster each loop “forever,” well until tempo=500 which is BB’s maximum tempo.
2. An “up then down” mode that goes up by [a settable increment] up to [a settable maximum] and then starts going
down by the increment back to the original where it restarts. For example, a song with a tempo of 140, if you set
the tempo to increase by 5, to a maximum increase of 100, the song will go from 140,145,150 etc. to 240, then go
to 235,230… back to 140 and cycle again.
3. An “Up then Reset” mode, that goes up in increments up to the settable maximum, then resets to the original and
starts again. For example, a song with a tempo of 140, if you set the tempo to increase by 5, to a maximum
increase of 100, the song will go from 140,145,150 etc. to 240, then go to 140 and start again.
4. An “Up and stay at Max” mode that goes up until the settable maximum and stays there.
Modes 2 and 3 are analogous to a “treadmill workout,” with programmed changes in speed.
Insert Breaks (silence) in arrangement: This feature is great for practicing tempo control. Select the # of bars, and
Band-in-a-Box will play for, say 4 bars (selectable), and then will rest all instruments for the next 4 bars. Once set,
this feature works automatically with all songs until you turn it off.
Count-in and Metronome Options
This Preferences button opens the Count-in and Metronome Options dialog.

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Drum Count-in (this song only): This allows you to set the lead-in option for the current song only.
Allow Lead-In Bars: People who use Band-in-a-Box for soloing practice will likely turn the lead-in off to allow
endless looping uninterrupted by the lead-in count. To eliminate the lead-in count, select Allow Lead-In Bars to =
NO, this will start the song from bar 1 with no lead in.
1 bar lead-in: If this is set, the count-in will be a single bar instead of 2 bars.
Play Lead-In Even If Intro Present: If a song has an intro, it’s usually not necessary to play the 2-bar lead-in
count. There’s a new option to always OMIT the lead-in if an intro is present.
Lead-in type: This can be drum patterns instead of “1-2-1234.” You can specify to play two bars of drum patterns
instead of the count-in. You may prefer hearing the drum beat to a simple count-in, since it provides more
information about the upcoming groove. If you’re playing with Band-in-a-Box live on a “dance floor,” this setting
will avoid “dead air” between songs, and keep the drumbeat going. Includes options to have “a” or “b” drum fills or
patterns play for the two bars.
Audible Lead-In/Volume: Enables audible count-in. If you would like the lead-in bars to be played, but just want
the drum lead-in quieter (or silent) set the Drum Volume to = 0 (for silent).
Instrument/ Pattern: You can select any drum instrument for the count in. You can choose different count-in
rhythms, e.g., tap on 2 and 4 instead of 1-2-3-4. There’s a new “smart lead-in” option to silence the drum count-in if
a melody lead-in has begun.
Smart Lead-in: A smart lead-in avoids playing the count-in drum sound during a Melody pickup.
Lead-in drum count if drums muted/disabled: Previously, when the drum track was muted (or disabled in a song),
the count-in drum click wouldn’t play. This option can play the drum count-in in all circumstances. Drummers who
play along with BB by muting the drum track should find this feature useful. To set this option, choose Options |
Preferences and set “Lead-in drum count if drums muted or disabled” to true (default is true).
Visible Metronome: You can display a visible metronome on-screen during the entire song (or just the lead-in).
Choose the screen position (top-right or center), and the size (up to near full screen size). Also choose the visual
metronome pattern (1234, 1-3, 1---, or –2-4). Seeing a metronome on-screen is a great way for a student to learn to
keep on the beat, and with a settable size, students can view this from across the room.
Audible Metronome: The three settings for the audible metronome are None, During Record, or During Record and
Play.
MIDI File Options
The Preferences [MIDI File] button opens the MIDI file options dialog.

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Include Patch Changes in MIDI files will include the patch (instrument) changes.
Include Part Marker text markers will write descriptive text markers to the MIDI file, such as “bar 23, part A.”
Text markers are also read in from MIDI files and displayed as Section Markers on the Notation.
Include 2 bar lead-in in MIDI file is selected if you don’t want to create a MIDI file containing the first 2 bars of
the 1—2—1-2-3-4 count-in. If there is a Melody pickup, then the 2-bar lead-in will remain in the file.
Write Lyrics in General MIDI or PG Music format: The GM specification has agreed upon specific requirements
for writing lyrics in MIDI files, which are now supported, so that lyrics that you save in Band-in-a-Box should show
up identically in other MIDI programs. To set this option, choose either General MIDI format or PG Music format.
We recommend the GM format.
Write Section Text as Text Events: Your section text can be included in the MIDI file as text events.
Include Volume/Reverb/Chorus/Panning: This will include the volume, reverb, chorus, and panning settings that
you have made in the Band-in-a-Box synth window in your MIDI file.
Include Forced Channel Meta Event: This will include the forced channel META event. It is recognized by
PowerTracks Pro Audio and other PG Music Inc. programs only.
Include Guitar Position Controller: This will insert a controller 84 which PG Music uses to indicate the fret
position. Since some synths also use this for Portamento Control, you should use this setting with caution.
Write Soloist Part on Channel 5: Normally the program writes the Soloist part on channel 8. Since that could also
mean the left hand of a piano track using the convention of channel 8/9 for piano, this option allows you to write it
on channel 5 instead.
Write Harmony to MIDI File: If set to YES, the harmony will be written to the MIDI file. If not, just the melody
will be written to the MIDI file.
MIDI File Harmony on separate track: If set to YES, the harmony will be written to the MIDI file on separate
tracks for each voice. You could use this to print out individual parts to your printer for example.
Write Guitar part on 6 channels: If set to YES, the styles that are Intelligent Guitar Styles will result in a MIDI file
that has the Guitar part written on 6 channels (11-16). Then, when you read it in PowerTracks, or another sequencer
that uses the convention of 11-16 for guitar strings, the guitar part will display correctly.
For partial range MIDI files, chop of sustaining notes at end: If you have made a MIDI file for part of the song
this setting controls whether the notes will sustain at the end of the range in the MIDI file or be cut off.

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If song has RealDrums: Also generate MIDI drums in the MIDI file - If your song uses RealDrums for the drum
track you may want to uncheck this option.
Also generate RealDrums in xxxx_RealDrums.WAV file - saves RealDrums audio track as a separate wave file so
it can be imported into another program for editing.
Save RealCharts in MIDI File: This allows you to save RealCharts MIDI data in MIDI files so that you can study
the performances in other programs.
Resolution for MIDI file sets the resolution for MIDI files that you output in a range from 120 to 1920 PPQ. The
default is 120 PPQ, which is 4 ms resolution at a tempo of 125.
MIDI Driver Setup
The [MIDI Driver] button launches the MIDI/Audio Drivers Setup.

MIDI Input Driver: Select the Driver that you would like to use for input from a MIDI keyboard. If you don’t have
a MIDI keyboard, you can select <No MIDI/sound Input>.
MIDI Output Driver: Select a Driver for MIDI Output. This also includes Sound Card output (like Sound Blaster).
Perhaps the easiest way to configure Band-in-a-Box is to press the [Run Driver Wizard] button. The MIDI
Output Driver Wizard dialog will take you step-by-step through the process of auditioning and selecting an
appropriate driver. This assumes that the appropriate Windows® sound drivers are installed and correctly configured.
Synthesizer / Sound Card: Every sound card or General MIDI sound module can choose “General MIDI Instrument
Miscellaneous.” Only older non-GM external modules require a custom patch. Selecting the type of synth allows
Band-in-a-Box to automatically load in the appropriate Drum/Patch kit file (*.DK). If you leave this as <synth card
not listed > it will automatically default to the General MIDI patch list.
Get Patch/Drum Kit Info: This contains information on setting up custom patch/drum kits.
Use VSTi/DXi Synth: Check the “Use VST/DXi Synth” checkbox to enable VSTi or DXi playback. To use this
option, you must have a polyphonic VSTi or DXi synthesizer installed on your computer, such as the Coyote WT or
the Cakewalk TTS-1. It will also be most convenient if your VSTi/DXi synthesizer can use General MIDI or GM2
patches.
Route MIDI Thru to MIDI Driver: If this is unchecked, MIDI Thru (live playing) will be routed to the DXi synth
rather than the MIDI Thru drive while the song is playing. (This applies with MME audio drivers only.)
Click on the [VSTi/DXi Synth] button to select the VSTi/DXi synthesizer.
Driver Latency: Software synths (like Coyote WaveTable DXi) have a specific timing issue associated with them;
“latency.” This means that it takes about 430ms from the time Band-in-a-Box sends the MIDI information to the
Virtual Synthesizer to generate and hear the sound. To keep everything (i.e. the notation display, etc.) “in sync,” you

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should set this latency option. In most cases, Band-in-a-Box will prompt you to do this. If you are using a regular
sound card or MIDI module you should not encounter any latency, so you should set the latency option to zero (0) if
it’s not already set this way. Latency is set automatically for DXi/VSTi software synths. Click [Latency Adjust] to
manually offset the latency of your driver with the Soft Synth Latency Adjust routine.
GM2 support: The type of GM2 support is set here. The choices are:
General MIDI 2 support: If you are using a newer Sound Canvas (i.e. newer than 1999, or newer than the Roland
SC88), then choose this GM2 support.
Roland GS (older Modules): “Older” Sound Canvases (SC55/SC88) support GS, but not GM2. The good news is
that they have the same patches available, just at different locations. So, if you choose this option, Band-in-a-Box
will find the patches at the “GS” locations instead of the “GM2” locations. If you have a newer GS module like the
SC8820, it supports both GM2 and GS - you should likely choose GM2.
No GM2 support: Most sound cards (Sound Blasters etc.) don’t have GM2 support yet, so just support the 128
sounds. Band-in-a-Box will use the closest instrument in these cases.
The [Audio Settings] button opens the Audio Settings dialog to set up audio drivers.
MIDI Options
This Preferences button opens the MIDI Options dialog.

Send GM Mode On at startup / Send XG Mode On at startup: You can elect to have Band-in-a-Box
automatically send a GM or XG Mode On command every time the program is started. Toggle this option ON if you
have a GM or XG unit to ensure that it is always set to the appropriate mode.
Local ON (Ext. Keyboard): If you are hearing the information played on your keyboard played twice (an echo
effect) then set Local ON to “No.” If you can’t hear what you are playing at all, set Local ON to “Yes.”
Turn External Keyboard’s Local On at end of session: If you have set the Keyboard Local to Off (usually to
eliminate MIDI echo) this setting turns it back on at the end of your Band-in-a-Box session.
Zero the ModWheel Controller when stop pressed: If you use Garritan synths, don’t enable this option, because
Garritan uses Modulation Wheel for Volume. If you have a MIDI keyboard, and use Modulation Wheel, you might
set this.
MIDI Thru: Set to “No” if you don’t want the information played on your MIDI keyboard to be sent through Band-
in-a-Box to the output driver.
Controllers Thru: Guitar synthesizers and wind controllers contain large amounts of additional MIDI data which
may not be required for Band-in-a-Box and may only serve to hinder the system performance of your computer. To
prevent this information from being sent Thru, set this option to “No.”
Use Thru Channel: Band-in-a-Box uses the Thru channel as a part, just like the Bass/Drums/Piano, etc. The Thru
Channel is re-channeled to the Thru channel as assigned in the MIDI settings dialog. If you would prefer to set the
Thru channel yourself from your MIDI controller, set this to “No.”
Boost THRU Velocity by: When playing along on a keyboard to the Band-in-a-Box “band,” if the sound of your
keyboard is too quiet and increasing the THRU Volume doesn’t help enough, use this option to boost the THRU
velocity and make your THRU playing louder.
Output Sync/Start info: Syncs Band-in-a-Box with an external sequencer.

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Send Extra Note Offs: Leave this option to “No” unless you are having trouble with “Stuck Notes” when you press
[Stop]. If you set this option to “Yes” the program will send a “global sweep” of all notes off in addition to the
selected notes off that are playing when you press the [Stop] button.
Allow Any Patch Changes: Set to “No” to disable All Patch changes.
Song Patch Changes: Songs can be saved with patch changes. If you want to prevent specific instruments loading
for a given song, set this option to “No.”
Style Patch Changes: Styles contain patch change information for the instruments that were used when the Style
was created. To use your own instrument selection, not the original instruments, change this setting to “No.”
Drum Patch Changes: To disable patch changes in Drums, set to NO.
Drum Bank Changes: This should usually be left unchecked since most synths don’t use bank changes on drums.
But, if you require drum bank changes then select this option.
Allow Volume Changes: To prevent any volume changes set to “No.”
Style Volume Changes: To stop embedded style volume changes set to “No.”
Style Panning, Reverb, Tone Changes: If set, styles are allowed to set panning, reverb, and tone if they are set that
way in the style.
MIDI Settings
The [Channels] button opens the MIDI Settings dialog.

MIDI Channels: Range 0 to 16. If set to 0 the part will be Off/Disabled, which is not the same as muted.
Octave: Adjusts the octave of the part. Range (-2 to +2). Usually set to 0. (Bass is usually set to -1 for most
General MIDI (GM) instruments.)
Patch: Range 0 to 128. These are General MIDI patch numbers.
Volume: Range 0 to 127. Average volume setting is = 90. This can also be set from the main screen.
Note: Only General MIDI, XG, and GS instruments respond to Reverb, Chorus, and Bank changes.
Reverb: Range 0 to 127. Default setting = 40.
Chorus: Range of 0 to 127. Default setting = 0.
Panning: Panning refers to the stereo placement (i.e. Left to Right) of a given part’s sound. The range of this
parameter is -63 to +63. A setting of 0 is centered in the middle of the stereo field.
Bank0 and LSB(32): Many General MIDI instruments have extra instruments available on higher banks. Usually
set to 0. Other settings are multiples of 8 (0, 8, 16 etc.).
These can use either Controller 0 (Bank 0), which is also known as MSB for Most Significant Byte, or Controller 32,
also called LSB for Least Significant Byte, or combinations of the two controllers.
Harmony Channels and Settings
The [Harmony] button opens the Harmony Channels and Settings dialog where settings for the

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 harmonies are made.

OK to Load Harmonies with Songs: If set to YES, the harmony

settings for each song will be loaded and saved with each song. If set to
NO, the harmony setting won’t be saved or leaded with the songs. If you
are using a certain harmony, you should set this setting to NO, otherwise
you have to keep re-selecting the harmony when you load in new songs.
Change Harmony with New Chords: Example: If a harmony is played
on bar 1 on a C chord, and then the note is held as the chord changes to a
Fm7 chord, (if this setting is set to YES) the harmony notes will change
so that they will be still be playing chord tones. If they don’t the
harmony sounds dissonant. Leave this setting to YES, unless you have a
specific reason to disable it. The harmony is changed by moving the
voices to the nearest chord tone.
Overall Harmony Volume Adjust: Sets a level for the overall harmony in a range of -128 to 128, with 0 leaving the
settings as programmed in the Harmony file.
Harmony Channels: Band-in-a-Box already uses 7 channels (Bass, Drums, Piano, Guitar, Strings, Melody and Thru
channels). Adding these 4 harmony channels produces potentially 11 channels of information.
More Soloist & Melodist Settings
The [Soloist] button launches the More Soloist & Melodist Settings dialog.
Set Use MIDI Volume for Soloing Wizard to true if you want MIDI
velocity information sent to the Soloing Wizard. If you have a velocity
sensitive MIDI device attached to your computer and you want to control
the dynamics of the Soloist, you should enable this feature.
Set the Trigger Playback Early to true to enable song playback to start
before the Soloist has actually completed composing a solo. Otherwise,
Band-in-a-Box will completely compose a solo before song playback
begins.
Soloist/Melody Velocity Adjust: This box allows you to quickly boost or
reduce the volume of the Soloist part relative to the other instrument parts.
For a realistic mix the soloist instrument is set slightly louder than the other
instruments/parts in a song. The default is 5.
Use large soloist files (ST3) uses larger databases with improved phrases when checked.
Create Long Phrases, when set to “True” (enabled) instructs the Soloist to use the longest musical phrases it
“knows.” Normally, this is used in conjunction with the “Use large soloist files” setting.
OK to treat the V Major triad as a V7: If set, all Jazz MIDI soloist and some Jazz and Country RealSoloists will
treat the V chord as V7.
Color Selection
The [Colors] button in the Preferences dialog opens the Color Selection dialog.
You can choose from several color sets using the 256-color palette in Windows®. Choose from pre-made color
schemes or make your own. This is like changing the Windows® color scheme in the control panel.
To select a pre-made color scheme, press the [Import] button and choose from the list of schemes. Select [OK] to
make the changes permanent. Use the [Export] button to save and share your customized color schemes.
To make your own color scheme, click on the name of the element you wish to change (Chord Area, List Box, etc.),
then click on the [Choose] button to bring up the Windows® Color palette and click on the color you desire. Or you
can enter the appropriate Red, Green, and Blue values in the boxes provided.

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General MIDI Patch Edit
This opens the General MIDI Patch Edit dialog, where you can make a customized General MIDI
patch map.

Type in the patch number that your synth uses for each instrument listed. For example, if your sound source has its
Acoustic Piano at patch location 41select the box to the left of Acoustic Piano and type 41. Do the same for all
instruments in the General MIDI patch list. If your synth doesn’t have an exact match, use a close sounding patch
that it does have. Once you have made a patch map in this way, whenever Band-in-a-Box encounters Acoustic Piano
(which is General MIDI instrument #1), it will look up this Patch Map Location and then send out Patch 41 to your
synth/sound module.
Drum Kit Definition
If you have been unable to find a preset drum map that matches your synth’s drum notes, then you may
need to type in the drum notes that your sound source uses. To do this, you need to hook your MIDI controller up to
play the drum sounds from the keyboard. Play up and down the keyboard to hear all the drum sounds.

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Type the MIDI note numbers for the various instruments as you find them on your drum machine or keyboard. Press
the [Save] button to save the kit as MYSETUP.DK. If you are making a kit to save under a different name then save
the kit under Options | MIDI Patch Maps, etc. | Save Alternate Patch/Drum Kit.
Customize the Relative Volumes of the Drum Kit Instruments.
Perhaps when you listen to Band-in-a-Box, you feel that the crash cymbal is too loud or the kick
drum is too quiet.
The [Set Drum Volumes] button allows you to make the crash cymbal 10% quieter, boost the kick-drum by 15%,
and turn off the “tambourine” entirely. Changes apply to any song when this feature is enabled, and playback and
written MIDI files will reflect the changes.

The default settings are to change the volumes by 0 %, which would leave them as they are. If there were a drum
note with a velocity of 50, it would be affected as follows:
+40% would change it from 50 to 50+(40%x50)=70
-40% would change it from 50 to 50-(40%x50)=30
The current settings for your drum velocities are saved in the intrface.bbw configuration file.
Favorite Instruments
This button opens the Favorite Instruments dialog.

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For each of the Band-in-a-Box parts you can assign up to 10 “favorite” General MIDI instruments.
Note: If you use a custom patch map it will convert your synth’s non-GM patch numbers, always enter GM patch numbers for the
favorite instruments.
The [Patch List] button displays the General MIDI Patch List of instrument names and patch
numbers.
The [Combos] button opens the Favorite Combos dialog.

The Favorite Combos dialog allows you to save up to 10 of your favorite instrument combos. For example, you
could setup Combo #1 to be an Acoustic Jazz combo which would send out patches like Acoustic Bass, Acoustic
Piano, Acoustic Guitar, Flute, etc. After you finish typing in the instrument patch numbers select the [Save] button.
Output Chords on Channel
The Preferences [OutputCh.] button opens the Output Chords on Channel dialog. Some external
music hardware devices require chords played in root position to drive them in real time.

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 An example of this is the TC-Helicon Voice Live,
which lets you sing into a microphone and harmonize
your voice according to the chords that are input to
the device.
Band-in-a-Box has the capability of outputting a
separate channel with the chords in root position to
support such external devices automatically.

Transpose
The Preferences [Transpose] button opens the Settings for transposing songs when loaded or “Do
it Now” dialog.

When playing along on your MIDI keyboard, you can set the Thru transpose to transpose semitones or octaves. You
can define a “favorite key” and Band-in-a-Box will optionally transpose any and all loaded songs to that key. This is
a great feature for practicing in a certain key.
You can also set the THRU transpose to the favorite key to transpose the THRU part so that you can always play
along in your favorite key (regardless of the actual key of the song). To activate this feature by key strokes, press
Ctrl+Shift+K.
To practice a song in different keys, have it transpose by a specified number of semitones each chorus, or let Band-
in-a-Box transpose it a random number of semitones for more of a challenge.
This launches the Vocal Wizard, which shows the best keys given a singer’s vocal range.
When “Auto-transpose to best VOCAL key when a song is loaded” is checked, the song will be automatically
transposed to the best key for a vocalist, depending on the settings in the Vocal Wizard.
If you have an external keyboard, enable the “Use Wizard for Thru part” option and also the Wizard checkbox on the
main screen. Band-in-a-Box will make sure you never hit a wrong note when playing live!
When “Allow Melody Wizard on THRU part (F and G below middle C is melody)” is set, the F and G below middle
C on a connected MIDI keyboard will play melody notes, assuming a Melody track exists. A, B, C, D, and E are
approach notes from below. F# = repeat note. D, C, B, and A are approach notes from above. Low E, F, and G
change the melody octave.

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Record Filter
The Preferences [Rec. Filter] button opens the Record Filter dialog.

Record Filter supports all MIDI controllers and sustain pedal. You can record any type of MIDI information to the
melody or soloist tracks by using the Record Filter feature to select which types to include. With this dialog you can
choose what types of MIDI information Band-in-a-Box will record.
Notation Window Options
The [Notation] button opens the Notation Window Options. If the Notation window is not open, the
program will launch it.

The options in this dialog are described in Chapter 8.

Lead Sheet Options
The [Leadsheet] button opens the Lead Sheet Options dialog. If the Lead Sheet window is not open
the program will open it

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The options in this dialog are described in Chapter 8.
Audio Settings
The Preferences [Audio] button opens the Audio Settings dialog.

Audio Driver Type: You will see the following options for Audio Driver Type: MME, ASIO, or WAS.
MME is the default audio driver type that is used in Windows®. MME is good, but there is latency (delay)
associated with MME drivers.
ASIO is a faster audio driver developed by Steinberg. It has much lower latency than ordinary MME drivers, but
usually can be used by one program at a time.
Note: Most low-end sound cards do not include an ASIO driver, so you may not have an ASIO driver yet. In this case, you need
to get an ASIO driver from the Internet.
WAS (Windows® Audio Session) has ultra-low latency (< 25 ms on a typical Windows® PC), so audio operations
like playing or sending out information via MIDI happen with no noticeable delay. When you boot up Band-in-a-
Box, it will be already set to use this driver without any action from you, but if you want to change the settings, press
the [Audio Settings [WAS]] button.
The DMA Size and DMA Offset settings are set automatically by the auto-testing of the sound card. The default
value for all of these settings is 0 (zero). You can override these settings if required, but it is usually not necessary.

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The Offset in mS is not a setting that gets set automatically. It defaults to zero. This allows you to adjust the timing
that the sound card plays audio in relation to MIDI. Normally you’d leave this at zero, but if you need to fine tune
the synchronization of audio to MIDI you could try changing this setting.
Audio Latency in mS: DirectX audio plug-ins and DXi synthesizer plug-ins can have playback latency (the delay
between when a note is played, and when it is heard). Adjust “Audio Latency in mS” to fine-tune for your computer.
If you have a fast computer and excellent sound card, the audio latency can be adjusted rather low. However, if you
hear audio dropouts, you can set the latency as high as 2000 milliseconds.
Display warnings for detected audio stuttering: If this is enabled, then when audio stuttering is detected, a flash
message will be displayed after playback has stopped. This only applies to MME audio drives (not ASIO). (Note:
This option is visible only when MME is selected for the audio driver type.)
Audio Track Type for THIS song: You can choose between mono and stereo for the audio track. Tracks can be
edited in either format and converted from stereo to mono or vice versa. You can change a project from mono to
stereo at any time. For example, if you have already recorded a mono track, changing the setting will convert the
track to stereo for you.
Note: The built-in audio plug-ins work for either mono or stereo tracks.
Preferred default track type for new songs: This setting (mono/stereo) sets the default recording type for new
songs that you record. For example, if you have a stereo microphone, you should likely record in stereo.
When opening songs, show message if WAV file not found: A Band-in-a-Box song called “My Song.MGU” will
have the associated wave file called “My Song.wav.” If Band-in-a-Box loads this song file and it can’t find its
associated file, it will put up a message to that effect. If the warning message is distracting, and for some reason you
don’t have the wave files that were recorded with the songs then you can disable that message with this option box
(disable).
Peak Limit Enable: Check the “Peak Limit Enable” checkbox to restrict excessive levels from being recorded
(Filter).
Mixer requires keystrokes to open Record Panel (Windows 95 only) : If you are running Windows® 95, check
this box to allow access to the Record Panel from Band-in-a-Box. Do not check if using Windows® 98 or greater.
Correct RealDrums Sync for ASIO with hardware modules: Some systems have a sync problem when using
RealDrums with hardware modules (zero latency). If this is set, the sync problem is fixed as the song starts to play
(bar 1).
Guitar Settings
The Preferences [Guitar] button opens the Guitar Settings dialog.
The Guitar Settings dialog allows you the ability to adjust various parameters on the virtual guitar fretboard so that
music can be displayed effectively (and easily) on this window, regardless of the original instrument intended for the
track data. It also offers the ability to enter notation using the virtual guitar and play back track data in specific
fretboard positions for educational and sight-reading purposes.

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Fretboard
You can choose the regular guitar, bass, ukulele, mandolin, banjo, and violin as well as the alternate tunings
available in Band-in-a-Box, such as DADGAD, Double Drop D, and Nashville high-strung tunings.
Fretboard Octave: For example, if the music is very low and you need to boost the octave to display it on the guitar,
set the octave to 1 or 2.
Note Display Options: You can choose what will be displayed on the guitar fretboard. If MIDI Thru is selected,
the fretboard will display the music played on a MIDI keyboard. If Current Track is selected, the current track will
be displayed. You can select to display both.
Multi-Channel Mode: If this is enabled, the guitar will display information on multi channels on guitar strings 1 to
6. The channels will be determined by the Base Channel below.
Base Channel (default=11): This determines the starting channel when the Multi-Channel Mode is enabled. If this
is set to 11, channels 11 to 16 will be used for guitar stings 1 to 6.
AutoSet Octave: If this is enabled, the octave will be set automatically.
Use Index Finger position: If this is enabled, the scale will use the index finger, instead of the little finger, to play
notes that are one fret outside of the normal position.
Show out-of-range notes: Enable this if you want to see any note displayed on the guitar even if it is out of the
guitar range.
Show muted high note of guitar style comping: If this is enabled, the applicable high note that is muted or left out
with three note jazz voicings will be displayed.
Left-Handed: With this option, the Guitar window displays for the left-handed users.
Student View: This is a view a student (or YouTube video watcher) would have of the (right-handed) guitar facing
him, with the head at the right and low notes at the top. (With the combination with Left-Handed and Tutor Mode
options, the Guitar window has 4 possible views - Right-Handed, Left-Handed, Right-Handed & Student View, Left-
Handed & Student View.)
Fretboard color: The fretboard color can be brown or black.
Use Inlays: Enable this option if you want to see a guitar inlay along the neck.
Send Notes to Notation Window: If this is enabled, clicking a guitar string will insert a note at the current time line
on the Notation window.
Output guitar tracks on 6 channels for this song: If this is selected, notes played on each of the six guitar strings
will be assigned to one of six different MIDI channels.
Show Guitar Notes at Aeolian Pos. / Show Guitar Notes at Phrygian Pos: The note names can be displayed at the
Aeolian position, the Phrygian position, or both.
Note Names: You can choose which notes will be displayed on the fretboard. Options are None, Root Only, Chord
Tones, and Scale Tones.
Auto-Set Position: Positions can be set automatically to None, Aeolian, or Phrygian.
Auto-Switch position: This option automatically chooses the best position when a track is loaded.
Fretlight Guitar Support: The Fretlight is a hardware guitar, which has red LED lights on the frets. (See
www.fretlight.com for more information.) If this option is enabled, information on the Guitar window will be
displayed on the Fretlight.
Left-Handed Fretlight: Enable this if you have a left-handed Fretlight guitar.
Open Guitar with Playback: The Guitar window must be open for the Fretlight to receive guitar notes in Band-in-
a-Box. Enable this option so that the Guitar window will open every time play is pressed.
Show Scales on Fretlight: If this is enabled, the scales that show on the Guitar window will also show on the
Fretlight guitar.
Guitar Width /Guitar Height / [Update]: The Guitar window can be sized by typing in the values or pressing the
preset buttons. When you type in values, press the [Update] button.
Big Piano Settings
This Preferences button opens the Big Piano Settings dialog.

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This dialog allows you to set various options on the Big Piano.
- You can set a specific range for the Big Piano, a starting note and a number of octaves, by over-riding the “auto”
settings.
- “Show out-of-range notes” ensures that all notes will be displayed.
- If the “Send Notes to Notation Window” checkbox is enabled, clicking a virtual key on the big piano will insert a
note to the notation track. (Note: The Notation window must be opened and set to editable notation mode.)
- If “Note Guides” is selected, guide notes will be shown on the keyboard. The guide notes can be scale tones,
chord tones, or roots only.
- Note Names and Note Colors can be used as in the Notation settings.
- There is an option to Show Out-of-Scale notes in Yellow.
- The size of the piano keyboard can be entered in pixels, or set with the preset buttons, or set by dragging the
bottom border of the window.
Lyric Window Options
The [Big Lyrics] button opens the Lyric Window Options.
Individual color elements can be picked or you can choose one of the
presets.
Display Chord Symbols will interleave the chord symbols with the
lyrics.
Show chord symbols above the lyrics will show the chords on a
separate line.
With the Scroll lyrics a page at a time option selected the Big Lyrics
scroll a page at a time. When the lyric cursor reaches the next-to-last
line of the lyrics it will scroll to the top of the page, allowing
uninterrupted reading of lyrics.
Auto-open lyrics window for songs with lyrics automatically opens
the Big Lyrics window when a song with lyrics is opened in Band-in-
a-Box.

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Karaoke CDG Window Settings: To open a Karaoke CDG file use File | Open, and find a WAV, MP3, or WMA
file that has a same named CDG file in the same folder. With “Load CDG file when opening audio file” selected the
Karaoke window will open and display the lyrics.
You can choose to have a background to the window, either a moving one, or fixed picture. These pictures are in the
C:\bb\Data\KaraokeBMP folder, and you can add your own BMP or JPG image to that folder.

Print Options
The [Print] button opens the Print Options dialog.

The options in this dialog are described in Chapter 8.

Global Song Overrides
Overrides are available to see which other information gets loaded from a file, such as patches,
harmonies, volume/reverb/chorus/panning/banks. For example, you can set every song to load with looping ON, and
don’t load any reverb settings from songs.
Global Song overrides allow you to set the overall song looping (always OFF, always ON, or as set in the song).

For example, if you want every song loaded to have looping set to on, then set “Always set loop to ON.”

But if you are going out on a playing job, and don’t want any songs to loop, then set it to “Always set loop to OFF.”

If you want the settings to work the same way they did in previous versions, use the “As set in the song” setting, or
press the [Defaults] button.

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Allow Songs to load settings for: If set, these items will be allowed to be loaded from songs. If not, the settings will
be ignored when loading songs.
Convert line-based lyrics to bar-based lyrics: In the previous versions, there were line-based lyrics, which could
be entered for each line on the Notation window. You can no longer enter this type of lyrics, but if your existing
song has line-based lyrics, Band-in-a-Box can convert them to bar-based-lyrics. This option allows you to choose
how the conversion should occur when the song with line-based lyrics opens. The default is “Always (auto-split),”
which will convert line-based lyrics to bar-based lyrics and splitting them into 4 bars. If you choose “Always (don’t
split),” line-based lyrics will be converted but they won’t be split into 4 bars. You can also choose not to convert
line-based lyrics automatically. If the current song has line-based lyrics, you can press the [Convert now] button to
convert them to bar-based lyrics.
OK to Load Notation Symbols with songs: If this is not selected, notation symbols (slurs, staccato, crescendos)
will not be loaded from the song.
The options under Defaults for new songs are settings from the Song Settings dialog.
When Vary Style in Middle Choruses is selected (default), the song will play in substyle B throughout the middle
choruses, playing substyle A for the first and last choruses only. If this setting is not selected, then the substyle
changes will follow the part markers entered on the Chord Sheet.
When Force to Simple Arrangement is selected, the song play a simpler (less busy or embellished) arrangement.
The [Pop/Country] preset button turns both of these settings off for a typical Pop or County arrangement that
follows part markers and does not embellish chords.
The [Jazz] preset button turns both of these settings on for a typical Jazz arrangement to support soloing over the
middle choruses and allow Jazz chord embellishments.

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Use the options under Force Tracks to Simple Arrangements for All Songs to set individual tracks or all tracks to
simple arrangements for all songs. If you want to force simple arrangements on a song-by-song basis, use the
[Simple] button on the toolbar.
RealDrums Settings
The [RealDrums] button opens the RealDrums Settings dialog.

The options in this dialog are described in Chapter 7.

RealTracks Settings
The RealTracks Settings dialog lets you control the RealTracks.

The options in this dialog are described in Chapter 7.

Tranzport Settings
Tranzport is a wireless hardware device that provides remote control for Band-in-a-Box.
Note: The Tranzport is not currently in production. It’s still a great product if you can find one.
First, make sure that the TranzPort is installed and working. This can be determined by running Band-in-a-Box and
looking at the list of MIDI Drivers (Options | MIDI/Audio Driver Setup). If “TranzPort” appears on the list of MIDI-
IN and MIDI-OUT drivers, then the TranzPort is installed correctly.
Enable TranzPort support for Band-in-a-Box in the Tranzport Settings dialog.

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If you want lyrics to display on the TranzPort during playback, set these options.
Players of non-concert pitched instruments can use “Transpose the display.” For example, an Alto sax player would
press the “Eb Alto” button, and then the TranzPort display would show chords transposed to his key.
Practice Window
The Practice Window allows convenient “1-click” access to many Band-in-a-Box features that help you
with practicing.

The details of this dialog are described in Chapter 12.

PG Music Reverb
The PG Music Reverb window lets you select the Audio Reverb type or make your own.

The settings in this dialog are described in Chapter 7.

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Plugin Settings
This gives access to the DAW plug-in options available in the Plugin Settings dialog.

The options in this dialog are described in Chapter 13.

Play Menu

Note: Most commands in the Play menu are performed by onscreen buttons or by the keystrokes listed to the right of the menu
command.
Play
This plays the current arrangement from the start without regenerating the parts, unless they have not yet been
generated. Edits to accompaniment parts are kept.
Play Special opens a submenu with more options for playing the song.

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 Play (and Generate)
This generates a new arrangement and plays the song.
Play with no Generation
This plays the song without generating a new arrangement.
Generate (even if tracks are frozen)
When you do this, the song will regenerate, the tracks will get rewritten, and the song will stay frozen. So, if
you’re freezing songs to get the instant playback with RealTracks but get tired of the “same-old” frozen
arrangement, just press Shift+Play, generate a new arrangement, and press Save. Then the new “fresh-frozen”
arrangement will play instantly, even with many RealTracks.
Tip: Obviously, you wouldn’t use this feature to force regeneration of a frozen song if you have made custom edits to the song
that you don’t want to lose, unless you’ve saved the song and have a backup copy.
Play From Bar #…
Choose a chorus and bar to play from with the current arrangement. Tracks won’t be regenerated. Use this
command during playback to jump to any bar in the song.
Play From Current Position
When the song is stopped this command starts playback again at the bar with the highlight cell.
Go (Open and Play)
This launches an Open File dialog for selection of any song in any directory. The selected song loads and plays
automatically in Band-in-a-Box.
Stop
This stops playback or recording. To resume playback from the current bar, use the Play From Current Position
command or the [Play from Bar…] toolbar button. To play from the start of the song, press the [Play] toolbar button.
Pause
This pauses the song. Repeating this command resumes play from the exact location where the song was paused.
Play & Loop Highlighted Section
Drag the mouse cursor to select a region of bars in the Chord Sheet and then use this command to play the selected
region as a loop.
Looping

- You can loop any section of the song. The program will then start playback at the first loop point and play the
looped section until stop is pressed or looping is turned off.
- Looping of a section of the song is enabled with the Loop Section Enabled command in the [Loop] toolbar button,
the Loop Section Enabled command, or the keystroke NUMPAD 1.

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- Open the Loop Section Settings dialog with the menu command, by clicking the [Loop] button in the toolbar, or
pressing NUMPAD 2.
The remaining commands in this submenu are also found in the Loop Section Settings dialog.
Force loaded songs to # choruses will set every song that you load to the same number of choruses.
Juke Box Play
This opens the Options for Juke Box dialog to select and play a jukebox list.
Previous Juke Box Song / Next Juke Box song
This allows you to navigate back and forth in a juke box set list.
Wizard Play Along feature
The Wizard is a play along feature that allows you to use the QWERTY keyboard or your connected MIDI keyboard
to play along with Band-in-a-Box. The Wizard is only active during playback.
Wizard uses “Smart” notes
Toggle this on so the Wizard will only play notes based on the chord/key of the song. Toggle “Smart” notes OFF
(unchecked) to have the Wizard provide you access to the chromatic scale.
Panic!
Select this if your MIDI notes are stuck ON and it’s driving you crazy!
Panic should also Reset DXi synth
When selected, hung DXi/VSTi notes are also cleared by the Panic feature.
Freeze all tracks
This freezes all tracks – MIDI, RealTracks, and RealDrums – for fast replay without regenerating tracks.
Un-freeze all tracks
This unfreezes tracks to allow normal regeneration.
Freeze track
This allows the selection of a single track to freeze.
Step Advance submenu
When a song is paused these commands can be used to navigate step-by-step through the currently selected track.
For example, if the current track is set to the Melody track using the row of buttons on the Notation window, Lead
Sheet window, or Guitar window; pressing the advance buttons will display the next note or chord of the melody on
the piano display, guitar display, lead sheet, and notation. This is a great way to study the notes being played, and to
navigate around the track.

Melody Menu

Track Type
Normally you’d leave the track type set to Single. But you can set it to:

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 - Multi (16) -Channel – All channels get preserved, and outputted on the
channels, this would be useful for importing an entire MIDI file and
playing it from the Melody channel (using a silent style).
- Guitar – Channels 11 to 16 will display on the guitar as strings 11 to
16, TAB will show, the notation will be up an octave, and the MIDI file
will contain the channels preserved.
- Piano – In this mode, channels 8 and 9 are treated as the left and right
hand of a piano part.
- Selecting any one of Bass, Ukulele, Mandolin, Banjo (5-string), or
Violin will display the correct tablature in the Notation window and the
correct fretboard in the Guitar window.
- Set the track to match any of the 11 alternate guitar tunings, such as
DADGAD, Open G, or Double Drop D, supported by Band-in-a-Box.
Then you will see the correct notes on the guitar fretboard, in the
notation and tablature.
- If the track has drums that use GM Drum notes, you can select Drums
to see drum notation.

Melodist – Generate Melody and Chords launches the Melodist feature.

Melody Maker submenu items allow you to edit Melodist files using the Melody Maker.

Sequencer Window for multi-Channel Melody

There are 2 tracks in Band-in-a-Box to add your own recordings. These are the Melody and Soloist tracks.
Normally, you would want a single part on each of them, but since MIDI information can have separate channels, it
is possible to store 16 separate parts on each of the Melody and Soloist tracks. When the Melody or Soloist track has
been set to “Multi (16)-Channel” we refer to this as “Sequencer Mode.” Selecting this command will then launch the
Sequencer Window. Then you can customize which channels will play and display.
Edit Melody Track submenu

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Import Melody from MIDI File allows you to import MIDI data from a file (*.MID) into the Melody track.
Import Melody from Clipboard allows you to import MIDI data that has been pasted into the clipboard (e.g.,
from a sequencer such as PowerTracks).
Record Melody launches the Record Melody dialog to record a MIDI melody.
Record Melody from Bar # starts recording at the current location of the highlight cell after playing a two-bar
lead-in.
Step Edit Melody allows you to enter/edit a melody in step time from the Notation window. This uses an event
list.
Quantize, Time Adjust

Quantize Melody opens the Quantize Melody Options dialog. The Humanize Melody… feature is an advanced
version of this function.

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 - Resolution: Choose the division you would like the track quantized to.
Choosing 16 will Quantize to 16th notes.
- Starting at Bar# and Chorus #: Quantization will begin at the place
you select and applied for the number of bars.
- % strength: Choose 100% if you want the notes quantized exactly to
the division. Otherwise, the notes will be moved the % toward the target
quantization.
- Quantize Start Times: By default, this option is set to “Yes.” If you
don’t want the beginnings of the notes quantized, set it to “No.”
- Quantize Durations: This quantizes the END of the notes. By default,
this is set to “Off.”
Humanize with Straight Feel / Humanize with Swing Feel
Band-in-a-Box uses intelligent humanization routines, which can humanize a melody from one feel to another,
from one tempo to another, and vary the amount of swing in 8th notes (but not randomly). The results are very
musical with natural sounding MIDI melodies.
Humanize Melody
Opens the Melody: Quantize to New Tempo or Feel dialog. The humanize effect is broken down into 5 main
categories: Tempo, Lateness, 8th Note Spacing, Legato, and Feel.

Loosen up Start Times is a dedicated function to vary the start times of notes on the Melody or Soloist tracks,
with options for what notes to affect (harmony, chords) and amount of variance.

Eliminate Note Overlap - Preserve Double Stops / Eliminate Note Overlap – Remove Double Stops opens a
Choose Range dialog to select the range of bars where note overlap will be eliminated while double stops are
either preserved or eliminated. There is an option to treat channels as a separate track.
Timeshift Melody (ticks) allows you to move the Melody forwards or backwards in small increments relative to
the rest of the song tracks. (Measured in ticks or parts per quarter, PPQ.)
Insert Beat(s) in Melody allows you to insert a blank beat or beats into the song relative to the current time
signature.

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 Delete Beat(s) from Melody allows you to delete a beat or beats from the song relative to the current time
signature.
Transpose shows a submenu with functions for transposing the Melody track.

Transpose Melody only allows you to transpose the melody track without affecting the other tracks in the song.
Transpose One Octave DOWN / Transpose One Octave UP transposes the Melody track one octave in either
direction. This is often useful if the Melody instrument has been changed. Transposing can be done while the
song plays.
Form

Copy 1st chorus to whole song stretches the melody track out over the entire song (i.e. first, last, and middle
choruses).
Kill entire melody erases the melody track and any data that was contained therein.
Kill First Chorus / Kill Middle Choruses / Kill Last Chorus
These menu commands allow you to eliminate the Melody from any chorus.
Transform Waltz Melody & Soloist to 4/4
If you have a song with a 3/4 time signature, you can instantly hear it as a 4/4 feel. Simply load the Waltz song
and then change the style to a 4/4 style. Band-in-a-Box uses intelligent algorithms to transform the melody to the
new time signature.
Transform 4/4 Melody & Soloist to Waltz
You can automatically transform any 4/4 song/melody to a Waltz 3/4 feel. Simply load in any 4/4 song and
change the style to a Waltz style. The program will offer to transform the melody so that it works as a Waltz. It’s
fun and educational to hear and play familiar songs in a Waltz feel.
Adjust Level of melody allows you to increase or decrease the volume (velocity) of the Melody track without
affecting the other tracks.
Copy to Soloist Track copies the entire contents of the Melody track to the Soloist track. This is useful as a
temporary holding area for your Melody or bouncing tracks.
Move to Soloist Track copies the entire contents of the Melody track to the Soloist track and erases the original
data from the Melody track, preparing it for a new track or data.
Swap Melody and Soloist Track performs a “double copy/move” so that the data that was in the Melody track
gets transferred to the Soloist track and vice versa. This is also known as track bouncing.
Convert Harmony to Melody Track… converts a single line Melody track to include the current harmony
selection.
Remove Harmony (or guitar solo) from Melody Track removes a harmony from a track, providing that the
harmony was put there by Band-in-a-Box in the first place using the Convert Harmony to Melody Track command.
Generate Guitar Chord Solo opens the Guitar feature dialog for generating a guitar chord solo.
Auto-Rechannel to Guitar Display converts channels on a track to channels 11 to 16. Channels 11 to 16 are used
by Band-in-a-Box to indicate strings 1 to 6 of a guitar. It uses the current position marker on the guitar for this
command. A popup question will ask if you want to include events that are already on the guitar channels.
Rechannel to Specific Guitar Fret Position over Range changes the fret position over the selected range.

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 Map Melody track to C7 chord is a useful tool when making styles.
Change Pitch Bend Range lets you set the range in semitones.
Insert Guitar Bend events when pitch bend found will insert controllers so the guitar will display bends.
Piano Hand-Split manually splits a piano part on a Melody or Soloist track using the intelligent hand-splitting
routines. The left/right hands display in red/blue on the big piano, and on bass/treble clefs on the notation. Import
a piano MIDI file to the Melody track to get a split-hands display and printout.
Adjust Legato/Staccato by…
This allows you to increase legato of the Melody track by N ticks, avoiding the next note by M ticks, or reduce the
length of notes by N ticks, preserving a minimum of M ticks duration of notes. To increase legato of the notes,
enter a positive number in the first dialog. The duration of notes in the track will be increased by this number of
ticks. Then, in the next dialog, specify the number of ticks to avoid next note. To reduce the length of notes, enter
a negative number in the first dialog. The duration of notes in the track will be decreased by this number of ticks.
Then, in the next dialog, specify the minimum duration of notes.
Adjust Channels by will adjust all MIDI channels by the number value entered.
Embellish Melody shows a submenu with options for enabling and customizing the Melody embellishment feature.

Embellish Melody during playback launches the Embellisher dialog. This optionally embellishes the Melody
during playback.
Embellish Melody Dialog allows you to customize the settings of the Embellisher, choose an embellisher type
from presets, and make a particular Embellishment permanent.
Mute Melody during Middle Choruses to allow for soloing.
Generate Soundtrack launches the SoundTrack feature, which allows you to generate music in the style you choose
for any length of time you specify. As the “producer,” you select the genre, length of time, instruments, and fade-
in/fade-out options. The SoundTrack adjusts the tempo and duration to match the settings, and then allows you to
save the file as a WAV, WMA (Windows® Media Audio), or MP3 file.

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Soloist Menu

Track Type
Normally you’d leave the track type set to Single. But you can set it to:
- Multi (16) -Channel – All channels get preserved, and outputted on the
channels, this would be useful for importing an entire MIDI file, and
playing it from the Melody channel (using a silent style).
- Guitar – Channels 11 to 16 will display on the guitar as strings 11 to 16,
TAB will show, the notation will be up an octave, and the MIDI file will
contain the channels preserved.
- Piano – In this mode, channels 8 and 9 are treated as the left and right hand
of a piano part.
- Selecting any one of Bass, Ukulele, Mandolin, Banjo, or Violin will
display the correct tablature in the Notation window and the correct
fretboard in the Guitar window.
- Set the track to match any of the 11 alternate guitar tunings, such as
DADGAD, Open G, or Double Drop D that are supported by Band-in-a-
Box. Then you will see the correct notes on the guitar fretboard, in the
notation and tablature.
- If the track has drums that use GM Drum notes, you can select Drums to
see drum notation.

Generate and play a Solo

Opens the Select Soloist dialog where a preset Soloist style can be selected or your own Soloist can be defined.
Soloist Maker submenu

Start a Soloists File allows you to make and edit Soloist styles saved under the filename of your choice. See
Soloist Edit dialog for additional details on importing/exporting/saving Soloists.
Edit a Soloists file opens an Open File dialog where you can select any Soloist file (*.SOL) to edit. To edit the
soloist you are using, use the Edit Current Soloist File command.
If you want to make your own soloists or modify an existing Soloist, use the Soloist Maker (edit) module. The
Soloist Maker allows you to define the parameters essential to a soloist’s playing, such as instrument range (i.e.
tenor saxophone), extra legato playing, playing more on top of the beat, playing straighter 8th notes than usual

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 swing 8th notes. In addition, you can set phrasing options, such as how long the phrase should be, and how much
“space” to leave between phrases. You can also set how “outside” the playing should be.
Edit Current Soloists File opens the Select Soloist dialog with the currently installed Soloists file.
Refresh Soloist allows the Soloist full access to all solo ideas contained in its database. Use to refresh after several
Soloists have been made.
OK to Load Soloists w/Songs. Enable this option if you want Soloists to be automatically loaded with a song that
was saved with Soloist information.
Allow Soloist Harmony (on THRU Harmony). Enable this option to permit the Soloist to utilize the Harmony
features. This will allow the Soloist to make a harmonized solo with the harmony of your choice. See the Select
Soloist dialog for additional details.
Sequencer Window for multi-Channel Soloist
There are two tracks in Band-in-a-Box to add your own recordings. These are the Melody and Soloist tracks.
Normally you would want a single part on each of them. But, since MIDI information can have separate channels, it
is possible to store 16 separate parts on each of the Melody and Soloist tracks. When the Melody or Soloist track has
been set to “Multi (16)-Channel” we refer to this as “Sequencer Mode.” Selecting this command will then launch the
Sequencer Window. Then you can customize which channels will play and display.
Edit Soloist Track is a submenu of editing options.

Import to Soloist Part from MIDI File allows you to import MIDI data from a file (*.MID) into the Soloist track.
Import to Soloist Part from Clipboard allows you to import MIDI data that has been pasted into the clipboard
(e.g., from a sequencer such as PowerTracks).
Record to Soloist Part in the Soloist | Edit Soloist Track submenu records a MIDI part to the Soloist track instead
of recording to the Melody track, so you can record a second Melody track.
Record to Soloist Part from… starts recording at the current location of the highlight cell after playing a 2-bar
lead-in.
Step Edit Soloist allows you to enter/edit a soloist in step time from the Notation window. This uses an event list.
Quantize, Time Adjust

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 Quantize Soloist opens the Quantize Soloist Options dialog. The Humanize Soloist Part… feature is an
advanced version of this function.
Humanize Soloist Part w/Straight Feel / Humanize Soloist Part w/Swing Feel Band-in-a-Box uses intelligent
humanization routines, which can humanize a Soloist from one feel to another, from one tempo to another, and
vary the amount of swing in 8th notes (but not randomly). The results are very musical, with natural sounding
MIDI solos.
Humanize Soloist Part opens the Soloist: Quantize to New Tempo or Feel dialog. The humanize effect is
broken down into 5 main categories: Tempo, Lateness, 8th Note Spacing, Legato, and Feel.
Loosen up Start times Loosen up Start Times is a dedicated function to vary the start times of notes on the
Melody or Soloist tracks, with options for what notes to affect (harmony, chords, and amount of variance).

Eliminate Note Overlap – Preserve Double Stops / Eliminate Note Overlap – Remove Double Stops opens a
Choose Range dialog to select the range of bars where note overlap will be eliminated while double stops are
either preserved or eliminated. There is an option to treat channels as a separate track.
Timeshift Soloist Part (ticks) allows you to move the Soloist forward or backwards in small increments relative
to the rest of the song tracks. (Measured in ticks or parts per quarter, PPQ.)
Insert Beat(s) in Soloist Part allows you to insert a blank beat or beats into the song relative to the current time
signature.
Delete Beat(s) from Soloist Part allows you to delete a beat or beats from the song relative to the current time
signature.
Transpose shows a submenu with options for transposing the Soloist track.

Transpose Soloist Part allows you to transpose the Soloist track without affecting the other tracks in the song.
Transpose One Octave DOWN / Transpose One Octave UP transposes the Soloist part one octave in either
direction. This is often useful if the Soloist instrument has been changed. Transposing can be done while the
song plays.
Form

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 Copy 1st chorus to whole song stretches the Soloist track out over the entire song (i.e. first, last, and middle
choruses).
Kill entire Soloist Part erases the Soloist track and any data that was contained therein.
Kill First Chorus / Kill Middle Choruses / Kill Last Chorus
These menu commands allow you to eliminate the Soloist from any chorus.
Transform Waltz Melody & Soloist to 4/4
If you have a song with a 3/4 time signature, you can instantly hear it as a 4/4 feel. Simply load the Waltz song
and then change the style to a 4/4 style. Band-in-a-Box uses intelligent algorithms to transform the Soloist track
to the new time signature.
Transform 4/4 Melody & Soloist to Waltz
You can automatically transform any 4/4 song to a Waltz 3/4 feel. Simply load in any 4/4 song and change the
style to a Waltz style. The program will offer to transform the Soloist track so that it works as a Waltz. It’s fun
and educational to hear and play familiar songs in a Waltz feel.
Adjust Level of Soloist Part allows you to increase or decrease the volume (velocity) of the Soloist track without
affecting the other tracks.
Copy to Melody Track in the Soloist | Edit Soloist Track submenu copies the entire contents of the Soloist track to
the Melody Track. This is useful for a temporary holding area for your soloist or for bouncing tracks.
Move to Melody Track copies the entire contents of the Soloist track and erases the original data from the Soloist
track, preparing it for a new track or data.
Swap Melody and Soloist Track performs a “double copy/move” so that the data that was in the Soloist track gets
transferred to the Melody track and vice versa. This is also known as track bouncing.
Convert Harmony to Soloist Track… converts a single line Soloist track to include the current harmony
selection.
Remove Harmony (or guitar solo) from Soloist Track removes a harmony from a track, providing that the
harmony was put there by Band-in-a-Box in the first place using the Convert Harmony to Soloist Track command.
Generate Guitar Chord Solo opens the Guitar feature dialog for generating a guitar chord solo.
Auto-Rechannel to Guitar Display converts channels on a track to channels 11 to 16. Channels 11 to 16 are used
by Band-in-a-Box to indicate strings 1 to 6 of a guitar. It uses the current position marker on the guitar for this
command. A popup question will ask if you want to include events that are already on the guitar channels.
Rechannel to Specific Guitar Fret Position over Range changes the fret position over the selected range.
Piano Hand-Split manually splits a piano part on a Melody or Soloist track using the intelligent hand-splitting
routines. The left/right hands display in red/blue on the big piano, and on bass/treble clefs on the notation. Import
a piano MIDI file to the Soloist track to get a split-hands display and printout.
Adjust Legato/Staccato by…
This allows you to increase legato of the Soloist track by N ticks, avoiding the next note by M ticks, or reduce the
length of notes by N ticks, preserving a minimum of M ticks duration of notes. To increase legato of the notes,
enter a positive number in the first dialog. The duration of notes in the track will be increased by this number of
ticks. Then, in the next dialog, specify the number of ticks to avoid next note. To reduce the length of notes, enter
a negative number in the first dialog. The duration of notes in the track will be decreased by this number of ticks.
Then, in the next dialog, specify the minimum duration of notes.
Adjust Channels by will adjust all MIDI channels by the number value entered.
Scales shows a submenu with options for generating scales.

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 The menu items Generate Scales and Auto-Generate Scales when play pressed allow you to generate scales for a
certain song or auto-generate them for all loaded songs. You can view the scales in the notation and the on-screen
guitar and piano.

Audio Menu

The Record Audio function is used to Record Audio using a microphone plugged into your sound card or a guitar
(or mixer) plugged into the line-in on your sound card. This launches the Record Audio Dialog and the Record
Audio – Keep Take dialog.
The next two items, Record Audio and MIDI (Melody) and Record Audio and MIDI (Soloist) refer to the
situation where you want to simultaneously record an audio track (vocals etc.) as well as a MIDI piano part. You can
record the MIDI to the Melody or Soloist track.

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The Plugin menu command refers to running a plug-in audio effect. This
applies an audio effect such as Reverb or Chorus to the already recorded
audio part.
Band-in-a-Box comes with a large selection of high-quality audio effects
built-in, such as Compressor, Gate, Distortion, Reverb, Echo, Chorus,
Flanger, Ring Mod, Tremolo, Tone Control, Graphic EQ, Parametric EQ,
Gain Change, De-Ess, Auto-Wah, Pitch Shift, Exciter, Enhancer and Hum
Filter. DirectX plug-ins from PG Music and other makers are also supported.
The plug-ins are fully documented in the online Help.

Edit Audio shows a submenu with options for editing the Audio track.

Copy 1st chorus to whole song copies the first chorus of audio to the rest of the song.
The Kill entire Audio menu item is used to erase the Audio Track.
Erase Audio Choruses will erase the First Chorus, Middle Choruses, or the Last Chorus as chosen from a list box.
Erase Region of Audio will erase a specified region of bars/beats of audio.
Adjust volume level of audio track changes the volume of the Audio track itself. It uses a sophisticated peak-
limiting algorithm to ensure that increases in the volume do not result in clipping of the sound, which would be
heard as a loud distortion. It accepts units of decibels (dB). Zero means no change in the level, whereas +6 would
be a doubling of the sound, and –6 halves the sound level.
Timeshift Audio (ms) is used to time shift the whole Audio track a certain number of milliseconds. Normally you
wouldn’t have to time shift a track at all. There are settings in the Audio Settingss dialog that can adjust for
synchronization differences between your sound card and MIDI devices (for example, the VSC has a 430ms
latency). But the time shift audio command can be useful in special cases.
Tip: 1000ms = 1 second. Positive values move the Audio track ahead, negative values move it back.
Insert silence in audio track lets you insert silence of the specified length at the specified location. For example,
if you decide to add an extra 2 bars to the intro in Band-in-a-Box, and you’ve already recorded an audio, you
should insert 2 bars (8 beats in a 4/4 time signature) into the Audio track as well.
Delete region of audio track will delete a region of audio, eliminating the created gap.
Convert Channels (mono/stereo) allows you to convert the Audio track from stereo to mono, or vice versa. There
is an option to choose the percentage of each channel.

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Audio Drivers/Settings opens the Audio Settings dialog where you can select an audio driver (WAS, ASIO, or
MME) or the settings.
Playback Mixer / Playback VU Meter takes you directly to the Windows® Playback control to adjust volumes on
your sound card. Note that not all sound devices have VU meters.
Recording Mixer / Recording VU Meter takes you directly to the Windows® Recording control to adjust volumes
on your sound card. Note that not all sound devices have VU meters.
Export Song as Audio File allows you to save the song as an audio file.
Import Audio (WAV, WMA, MP3, WMV) will open an audio file in WAV, MP3, Windows® Media Player, or
CD Audio format.
Launch Audio Chord Wizard will open the Audio Chord Wizard to analyze chords in an existing Band-in-a-Box
song (that has a WAV file on the audio track).
Audio Chord Wizard Utilities opens a dialog with handy options to:
- Make/remove tempo map in Band-in-a-Box.
- Remove audio file from song.
- Auto-set key signature, with button present in the Audio Chord Wizard.
- Enable/disable the Band-in-a-Box style.
Audio Edit Window launches the audio edit window where the wave file can be viewed and edited.
Audio Harmonies, Pitch Tracking, Fix Tuning (Audio Edit) opens the Audio Harmony dialog, which allows you
to harmonize the audio or correct out-of-tune notes.
Audio Transcribe (monophonic) transcribes the audio data to the Melody or Soloist track as MIDI data.
Audio Chord Wizard (Audio Edit) opens the Audio Edit window and allows you to use the built-in Audio Chord
Wizard feature.
Set Audio Master (Base) Tempo is used to ensure that tempo stretches are based on correct master tempo.
Move Audio to Performance Track copies the Audio track to a selected track as either a WAV or WMA file.
Move Performance Track to Audio renders the selected track (e.g. Melody) and moves it to the Audio track.
Render Song to Audio Tracks (and mute tracks)
Use this to render all tracks to the Audio track and mutes the MIDI tracks.
Un-Render Song from Audio Tracks (Enables tracks, erase audio track)
Use this to erase a rendered Audio track and restore MIDI playback.

Harmony Menu

Melody Harmony (select)

This option brings up the complete Harmony styles list and allows you to choose one for the current Melody track.
Thru Harmony (select)
This option brings up the complete Harmony styles list and allows you to choose one for the current Thru track.

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Favorite Melody Harmonies
This option brings up your favorite 50 Harmony styles (based on recent usage) and allows you to choose one to use
on the Melody track.
Favorite Thru Harmonies
This option brings up your favorite 50 Harmony styles (based on recent usage) and allows you to choose one to use
on the Thru track.
Real Time MIDI Harmonies
This feature allows you to play harmonies in real time. Use this with your MIDI keyboard (while Band-in-a-Box is
stopped).

When this dialog (shown above) is open, you can play a chord with the left hand (below the split point set in the
dialog), and the chord you play is and displayed in the dialog. Then, the notes that you play in the right hand will get
harmonized according to this left-hand chord. If you set the “Only Harmonize if Left hand chord held down,” you
will be able to control what notes get harmonized by holding down the chord when you want a note to be
harmonized.
Audio Harmonies, Pitch Tracking, Fix Tuning (Audio Edit) opens the Audio Harmony dialog, which allows you
to harmonize the audio or correct out-of-tune notes.
Harmonies Editor shows a submenu with options for making or editing harmonies.

Start a New Harmonies File

This allows you to make and edit Harmony styles saved under your own filename.
Edit a Harmonies File
This allows you to edit a Harmony file that is in the C:\bb\Data directory.
Edit Current Harmonies File
This allows you to edit the Harmony file that is currently loaded on your system.
Convert Harmony to Melody Track
This converts a single line Melody track to include the current harmony selection, with options to convert the whole
song or specify a range of bars, to eliminate note overlaps, and loosen note start times.
Convert Harmony to Soloist Track
This converts a single line Soloist track to include the current harmony selection (On the Thru harmony), with
options to convert the whole song or specify a range of bars, to eliminate note overlaps, and loosen note start times.
Harmonies Settings shows a submenu with options for using harmonies.

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 OK to Load Harmonies with Songs
Toggle this option “On” if you want to load any harmony settings that were saved/embedded in a given song.
Save Harmony with this song
Toggle this option “On” to allow Band-in-a-Box to embed the harmony settings for the current song so that they
may be recalled automatically at a later time.
Change Harmony with new chord
Toggle this option “On” to allow the program to vary the harmony characteristics (i.e. inversions) each time a new
chord is encountered in the song.
Allow Melody Harmony
Toggle this option “On” to allow harmonies on the Melody MIDI channels.
Allow Thru Harmony
Toggle this option “On” to allow harmonies on the Thru MIDI channels.
Allow Soloist Harmony (on THRU Harmony)
Toggle this option “On” to allow the Thru MIDI channels to utilize the harmony features for the Soloist track.
Use Passing Harmonies for THRU
When playing along on a MIDI keyboard (or the Wizard) using a Thru harmony, you can use passing harmonies.
For example, on a C7 chord, with an Ab note, the harmony might be a B diminished chord, which is a passing
harmony.
Only THRU Harmonize if note held down = 36 (C3)
By setting this option you can specify to only harmonize the note if a certain note is held down. (The default note
is a C two octaves below middle C.)

Window Menu
The Window menu launches various windows in Band-in-a-Box.

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Notation opens a submenu with options for Notation display for your song.

Notation (or Chords) Window toggles between the notation and the chord sheet views.
Movable Notation Window opens a movable and resizable notation window.
Notation/Edit/Note roll mode moves the notation window through its various entry modes.
Note Insert mode
Toggling this to “on” allows you to insert notes graphically with your mouse or keyboard on the notation window.
Mono Entry Mode
Toggle this “on” if you are inserting single notes (not chords) on the notation window.
Clean Display Mode
Toggle this “on” if you want notes displayed on your notation window in a quantized view (does not affect song
playback).
Event List Editor
This opens the Event List window. You can edit events including all MIDI events and lyric events using the Event
List Editor. You can edit the Melody, Soloist, Lyrics, or StyleMaker patterns using this event list. The information
in the Event List is color coded by channels for multi-channel Melody and Soloist tracks.

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 The event list can also be launched from the Notation window by pressing the event list button (#).
Play Previous Screen backs the song up four bars.
Play Next Screen moves the song to the next four bars.
Instrument Displayed
Since there is not enough room on the screen to display the notation for all instruments, only one is displayed at a
time. You can choose which one you want to display from this menu option or with the instrument buttons on the
Notation window.
Switch to Next Track / Switch to Previous Track
Select parts from left to right in the Instrument row buttons.
Lead Sheet Window launches the lead sheet notation.
Lyrics shows a submenu with options to open lyrics windows or Vocal Wizard.

Big Lyrics Window launches a window that displays lyrics in a Karaoke format.
Lyric Document Window displays a full screen of formatted lyrics. You can easily copy and paste lyrics to and
from your favorite word processor. The lyrics will also display in the Big Lyrics window.
Show Karaoke Window and load Karaoke MP3/CDG files to see scrolling Karaoke lyrics in the CDG window.
Vocal Wizard selects and transposes the song to the best key for the singer’s vocal range.
Audio Edit shows a submenu with options to open two types of windows.

Audio Edit Window allows you to edit audio data, using copy, cut, and paste. You can zoom the audio in to the
sample level so that you can see the actual sine waves present.
Moveable Audio Edit Window opens the regular Audio Edit window but lets you reposition it on the screen.
Piano Roll shows a submenu with options to open two types of windows.

Piano Roll Window launches the Piano Roll window where you can edit the Melody or Soloist track in a
traditional piano roll format.
Moveable Piano Roll Window opens the regular Piano Roll window, but lets you move and reposition it on the
screen.
Big Piano Window launches a window that displays a Big Piano.
Drum Kit Window launches the animated Drum Kit.
Guitar Window launches an on-screen Guitar.
Floating Mixer Window opens or closes the “always on top” mixer to quickly set volumes, panning, reverb, tone
and patches.
Fullscreen Chord Sheet View displays Notation screen or Chord Sheet in full screen mode.
The MIDI Monitor and Guitar Tuner items launch the selected module. Each one has extensive help available
inside the module. There are also buttons available for these items.
Ear Training Window
You can practice your ear training with help from Band-in-a-Box. In addition to the common interval exercises
(perfect 4th, minor 2nd, etc.), learning to play-by-ear for Jazz and Pop music is further enhanced by ear training
exercises to recognize common chord types (e.g., Major, Minor, Dominant, etc.)
You will also see buttons that launch musical games for fun while you train your ear. [Pitch Invasion] helps to
develop perfect pitch as you shoot down “alien” notes invading from above (you hear the note sound, and click on

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the on-screen Piano, MIDI or QWERTY to shoot them down). [Music Replay] develops your pitch, rhythm, and
melody recognition by replaying what the program plays in note, rhythm, or melodic modes.
Practice Window allows convenient 1-click access to many Band-in-a-Box features that help you with practicing.
These include the Ear Training dialog, games (Pitch Invasion etc.), Metronome, CopyMe, Sight Reading, 101 Riffs
series, and more.
Conductor Window
As the song is playing, many “single key” hot keys are available to control the playback and looping of the song.
For example, pressing the “4” key will ensure that the middle chorus is the next one played, and pressing the “S” key
will ensure that the middle section is looped. This would be useful to extend a song that has the last chorus playing.
Custom loop points can also be set for each song.
These settings are ideal for live performance, or “jam sessions” where you aren’t entering new Band-in-a-Box songs
but want full control of the playback. These loops happen seamlessly at the end of the chorus, so are suitable for the
“dance floor.” In addition, you can control Band-in-a-Box from a standard MIDI keyboard, pressing MIDI keys
corresponds to program functions. For example, load the next song, play/pause/tempo adjust/change thru patch/jump
to middle choruses/open the notation or lead sheet window – all from your MIDI keyboard!
Chord Builder

Chord Builder allows you to build up chords using mouse clicks.

Play Current Chord
This function plays the current chord on the Chord Sheet. It is most commonly accessed by pressing Shift+Enter
on the Chord Sheet.
MIDI Chord Detection
This Window menu command brings up a submenu for entering chords from a keyboard.

Select MIDI Chord Detection… and play any chord on your MIDI keyboard. Band-in-a-Box will then provide you
with up to 4 interpretations of the chord you played, with its best suggestion at the top and alternates below.
Plug-in Mode for DAW puts Band-in-a-Box into plug-in mode, open as a small always-on-top window that acts as
a plug-in for your favorite DAW/sequencer so that you can drag-and-drop MIDI and audio (WAV) tracks from BB
to your favorite sequencer.
The DAW Plug-in mode is a mode within the regular Band-in-a-Box program. This mode allows you to transfer
tracks, or parts of tracks, to other DAW Sequencers easily, by simply dragging the track icons from Band-in-a-Box
(BB) to the tracks window of your DAW.
BB2Go (prepare mp4 files for iPhone or Android version)
Band-in-a-Box for iPhone (BB iPhone) is an app for iOS devices including iPhone®, iPad®, and iPod Touch®. The
BB iPhone version is meant to function as a client to the regular Band-in-a-Box desktop version. The BB iPhone
app is available separately from the Apple® App Store, https://www.apple.com/iphone/apps-for-iphone/.
Note: If you don’t own a copy of the BB Desktop software, the usefulness of the BB iPhone version will be quite limited.
The iPhone version of Band-in-a-Box will see the “BB2Go” folder (C:\bb\BB2Go). Any Band-in-a-Box songs that
you put in this folder are visible to the BB iPhone. You can send files back and forth from BB iPhone to Band-in-a-
Box for Windows®, and the files go to the BB2Go folder.
You can add audio to the Band-in-a-Box files in the BB2Go folder from the Band-in-a-Box Windows menu with the
BB2Go command and select the files that you want to have MP4/M4A audio added. You can also generate the audio
from the iPhone version.

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Help Menu

Help Index
Lists all the Help topics. Type in a keyword under the “Index” tab to go to the topic you want.
Help Topics shows a submenu with options to open help topics.

Topic Search opens the Help file where you can search the Table of Contents or the Index or use the Search
feature to find your topic.
Using help has Windows® tips for using Help files.
How to…opens a categorized list of topics. It’s a fast way to find out about a particular feature or operation.
Basics goes directly to the “Basics” introduction to Band-in-a-Box.
Tutorials shows submenus with options to open detailed, step-by-step instructions for Band-in-a-Box.
Update, Add/On and other Product info
Other Band-in-a-Box add-ons, PG Music Inc. products, and contact information.
ReadMe (for Latest info not in manual) documents the latest features, plus an archive of earlier updates.
Newest Features describes the new features in the current version.
Program Manuals (pdf) has a submenu with options for opening the program manuals.

Display Program Manual

This opens a .pdf file of the full Band-in-a-Box manual in Acrobat Reader. Follow the bookmarks to find specific
topics.
Display Program UPGRADE Manual
This will open a .pdf of the upgrade manual for this particular version of Band-in-a-Box, which may include new
documentation not yet added to the full manual. The upgrade manual is often a more convenient way to reference
the new features in Band-in-a-Box without looking through the full manual.
Show help hints

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 Band-in-a-Box has comprehensive fly-by hints that appear when you move over an item. These include hints for
the dialog boxes and various windows. You can set the hints to display none, basic, or detailed information.
Tip of the Day
Power user tips. This feature can be set to run automatically when Band-in-a-Box opens. If you want to add your
own tips, you can edit the BBW.TIP file. Just put a tip on a single line (no carriage return till the end of the tip).
Tips are limited to 255 characters per tip. Band-in-a-Box automatically compiles the BBW.TIP file at startup of the
program to a binary file called BBW.TPB.
Check for Updates
User can check/download/pause/continue/install for a newer version (not free), newer build (free), and updated
RealTracks files (free).

You can set whether you want any checking for

updates at boot up to be done, and if so, how often. (Note: A setting of 0 days will check every time you run the
program.)
You can also press the [Refresh] button to check for a major or minor upgrade of the program and RealTracks
patches. Download free updates within this dialog when available.
What add-ons do I have?
One of the greatest strengths of Band-in-a-Box is the ability to add-on and enhance the program through add-on
RealTracks, RealDrums Styles, Soloists, and more. The “What Add-ons” feature in the Help menu scans your
computer’s Band-in-a-Box directory and displays what add-ons are and aren’t found. To see the latest add-ons, click
on the [www.pgmusic.com/addons.htm] button to go directly to the add-ons page on the PG Music Inc. web site.
Web www.pgmusic.com
Links to some important pages on the PG Music Inc. web site. Selecting one of these topics will automatically
launch your Web Browser, and direct you to the PG Music web site.

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About Band-in-a-Box launches a dialog with key information such as the version number you are running and
computer system information.
Utilities

Display Log Text file of Yellow/Green Messages

The yellow/green flash messages and date/time are saved in a file called C:\bb\Data\Logs\FlashMessageLog.txt.
You can open this file inside the program at any time by choosing this menu command.
Install Coyote WaveTable Synth runs the setup program for the Coyote WT 1.0 software synthesizer. This soft
synth is compatible with 64-bit operating systems including Windows® Vista, 7, 8, 8.1 and 10.
Write BandInABoxRequest file creates a file that you can email to [email protected] if you have a problem
activating the program.
Run Cleanup routine
The Band-in-a-Box folder (usually C:\bb) has become full of lots of files over the years. Up to 10,000 files are
present in the folder on a full install of the UltraPAK. This menu command will run a utility app
C:\bb\Data\BB_cleanup.exe, which will unclutter the folder and move files to various subfolders. (Note: This
utility will run automatically during the Band-in-a-Box program installation, so normally you don’t need to run this
manually.)
Run Download/Install Manager now
The Download Manager automatically downloads and installs all of the Band-in-a-Box content (mainly
RealTracks files) in background. It is located in the C:\bb\Data\DownloadManager folder and can be launched
from inside the program with this menu command.
Activate Band-in-a-Box (Serial Number Required) allows you to activate Band-in-a-Box if you haven’t done so
yet. Band-in-a-Box needs to be activated within 30 days after you first run Band-in-a-Box.

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Shortcuts: Keystroke Commands - Hot Keys
Quick Song Settings
Typing special words, instead of chord names, will make the following settings:
begin<Enter> Sets the beginning of the chorus to the current bar.
chorusend<Enter> Sets the end of the chorus to the current bar.
end<Enter> Sets the end of the song to the current bar.
tkc<Enter> Sets key signature to C, tkbb would set it to Bb.
trc<Enter> Transposes song to key of C.
t125<Enter> Sets tempo to 125.
s<Enter> Launches the StylePicker window.
You can use hotkeys to set the time signature for the current bar. Just type a time signature (4/4, 3/4, 2/4, or 1/4),
and it will be entered to the current bar. Typing 0/4 clears the time signature from the current bar.
K Quick Copy
k<Enter> copies the last 8 bars to the current location.
By adding additional keys, you can specify the number of bars to copy. For example, k12,3 would copy 12 bars
from bar 3 to current location.
There is a hotkey to insert N bars at the current location. For example, i8<Enter> would insert 8 bars, i4<Enter>
would insert 4 bars, etc.
There is also hotkey to copy the last N bars and insert them to the current location. For example, ki8<enter> or
ik8<Enter> would copy the last 8 bars and insert them to the current location.
By adding additional keys, you can specify the copy source location. For example, ik8,9<Enter> or ki8,9<Enter>
would copy 8 bars from the bar 9 and insert them to the current location. ikk8,9<Enter> or kki8,9<Enter> would
do the same, but launch the Copy Chord and/or Melody dialog, which allows you to choose what to copy.
Quick-Load Songs and Styles
You can quick-load a song by typing only. In chord entry mode (Chord Sheet or Notation window) type the word
“song” followed by a file name or partial file name + Enter and the song will get loaded if it is in the current folder.
Typing “bossa” would load in the first song with bossa in the name AFTER the current song name in the current
folder.
To change to another folder, type “song” followed by the full path and file name. For example, type song and then
C:\bb\zzjazz.mg1+Enter to load in that exact song name.
Quick-load a style by typing “style” followed by a style name, e.g., stylezzbossa+Enter loads in zzbossa.sty.
Here is a list of keystrokes for loading songs and styles.
ss<Enter> Opens the SongPicker.
ss1<Enter> Opens the SongPicker.
ss2<Enter> Opens the Recently Played Songs dialog.
ss3<Enter> Opens the Favorite Songs dialog.
ss4<Enter> Opens a song from the disc.
ss5<Enter> Opens the SongPicker.
ss6<Enter> Opens the Favorite Folders dialog.
ss7<Enter> Opens the previous song (alphabetical).
ss8<Enter> Opens the next song (alphabetical).
ss9<Enter> Opens a MIDI file.
ss10<Enter> Opens an audio file.
ss11<Enter> Opens the Find Song Files dialog.
ss12<Enter> Opens the song demo for the current style.
ss13<Enter> Opens a Karaoke file.

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ss14<Enter> Launches the Audio Chord Wizard.
s<Enter> Opens the StylePicker.
s1<Enter> Opens the StylePicker.
s2<Enter> Shows the Best RealStyles list.
s3<Enter> Opens the Song Titles Brower.
s4<Enter> Opens the Recently Played Styles dialog.
s5<Enter> Opens the Favorite Styles dialog.
s6<Enter> Loads a style from the disc.
s7<Enter> Loads the previous style (alphabetical).
s8<Enter> Loads the next style (alphabetical).
s9<Enter> Loads the song demo for the current style.
s10<Enter> Plays the audio demo for the current style.
Quick-Open RealTracks/RealDrums/Loops Dialogs
rt<Enter> Opens the RealTracks Picker.
rt1<Enter> Opens the RealTracks Picker.
rt2<Enter> Opens the RealTracks Settings dialog.
rt3<Enter> Opens the Select Best All RealTracks dialog.
rt4<Enter> Opens the Select Best Chording RealTracks dialog.
rt5<Enter> Opens the Select Best Soloist RealTracks dialog.
rd<Enter> Opens the RealDrums Picker.
rd1<Enter> Opens the RealDrums Picker.
rd2<Enter> Opens the RealDrums Settings dialog.
rd3<Enter> Opens the RealDrums QuickList dialog.
rl<Enter> Opens the Pick a Loop dialog.
Muting Parts
Alt+3 Mutes the Bass
Alt+4 Mutes the Piano
Alt+5 Mutes the Drums
Alt+6 Mutes the Guitar
Alt+7 Mutes the Strings
Alt+8 Mutes the Melody
Alt+9 Mutes the Soloist
Selecting Parts
Ctrl+3 Selects the Bass
Ctrl+4 Selects the Piano
Ctrl+5 Selects the Drums
Ctrl+6 Selects the Guitar
Ctrl+7 Selects the Strings
Ctrl+8 Selects the Melody
Ctrl+9 Selects the Soloist
Instrument Part Settings
Ctrl+Shift+Q / W Decrease/increase the current track’s volume by 5.
Ctrl+Shift+E / R Decrease/increase the current track’s panning by 5.
Ctrl+Shift+T / Y Decrease/increase the current track’s reverb by 5.

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Ctrl+Alt+Shift+R Set the current track’s volume.
Ctrl+Alt+A Decrease master volume by 5.
Ctrl+Alt+S Increase master volume by 5.
Ctrl+Alt+D Set master volume.
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Q Reduce all tracks’ volumes by 5.
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+W Increase all tracks’ volumes by 5.
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+E Set all tracks’ volumes.
Looping / Song Navigation Keystrokes
NUMPAD 1 Toggle looping on/off.
NUMPAD 2 Open Loop Section Settings dialog.
Ctrl+NUMPAD 1 Play with last chorus looped.
Ctrl+NUMPAD 2 Play with middle choruses looped.
Ctrl+NUMPAD 3 Play with middle and last choruses looped.
Ctrl+NUMPAD 4 Jump to last chorus.
Ctrl+NUMPAD 5 Jump to ending.
Ctrl+NUMPAD 7 Loop Notation screen.
NUMPAD [DEL] Advances the notation, lead sheet, and guitar window by one chord (group of notes).
NUMPAD [INS] Backs up the notation, lead sheet, and guitar window by one chord.
Transpose Settings
Ctrl+Alt+1 Transpose Melody down one octave
Ctrl+Alt+2 Transpose Melody up one octave
Ctrl+Alt+3 Transpose Soloist down one octave
Ctrl+Alt+4 Transpose Soloist up one octave
Ctrl+Alt+5 Transpose down 1 semitone.
Ctrl+Alt+6 Transpose up 1 semitone.
Ctrl+Alt+7 Transpose setting dialog.
Windows
Ctrl+W Toggle Notation and Chord Sheet windows.
Ctrl+O Movable Notation window.
Alt+W Lead Sheet window.
Ctrl+T Display Notation screen or Chord Sheet in full screen.
Ctrl+~ Conductor window.
Ctrl+Shift+A Audio Edit window.
Ctrl+Shift+D Drum Kit window.
Ctrl+Shift+G Guitar window.
Ctrl+Shift+J Ear training window.
Ctrl+Shift+L Big Lyrics window.
Ctrl+Shift+M Mixer Window
Ctrl+Shift+N Big Piano window.
Ctrl+Shift+S Plug-in mode for DAW.
Alt+Shift+L Practice window.
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+L Lyric Document window.
StyleMaker Hot Keys
F1, Shift+F1, Ctrl+F1 Help

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F2 Save style
Alt+F2 Save style as ...
R or F3 Record pattern
<Spacebar> or F4 Play pattern
F8 Play pattern on chord
F10 Edit pattern options
F6 or Shift+F6 Change instrument
Cursor Keys Move around screen
Alt+F4 Quit the StyleMaker
StyleMaker Drum Screen Hot Keys
F5 Drum alternate notes
Bottom row (ZXCVBNM,. /) Drum note entry
F6 Time base
F10 or Alt+F4 Exit
More Hot Keys
/ <Enter> Feature Browser
Spacebar twice or F4 Play song.
Spacebar or Esc Stop playing song
F1 Help.
Ctrl+F1 Help – Topic Search.
Shift+F1 Help – How To.
Ctrl+R Record (melody or pattern).
Ctrl+Alt+R Record from any bar.
F8 Jukebox start/stop.
F2 Save song.
Alt+F2 Save song with patches.
F3 or s6<Enter> Load song.
Shift+F3 or ss2<Enter> Load song using favorite song list.
Ctrl+F3 or ss<Enter> Load song using the Song Picker window.
Alt+F3 Load songs with melodies.
Alt+Shift+F3 or ss4<Enter> Load song with standard dialog.
Shift+F8 or ss8<Enter> Load next song (alphabetically by file name).
Ctrl+Shift+F8 or ss7<Enter> Load previous song (alphabetically by file name).
Alt+Shift+F8 or s8<Enter> Load next style (in alphabetical order).
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+F8 or s7<Enter> Load previous style (in alphabetical order).
F7 or ss9<Enter> Open MIDI file.
F9 or ss4<Enter> Choose a user style.
Ctrl+F5 Notation – switch to next track
Ctrl+Shift+F5 Notation – switch to previous track
Ctrl+F9 or s<Enter> Open StylePicker.
Shift+F9 or ss3<Enter> Select favorite styles.
Alt+F9 Edit user style.
Ctrl+Shift+F9 Edit current style.
Shift+F7 Refresh Melodist or Soloist

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Alt+F10 Select Melody Harmony
Ctrl+F10 Favorite Melody Harmonies
Shift+F10 Allow Melody Harmony
Alt+F11 Select Thru Harmony
Ctrl+F11 Favorite Thru Harmonies
Shift+F11 Allow Thru Harmony
Ctrl+Alt+E Turn song Embellisher on/off.
Ctrl+Alt+I Import chords from MIDI file.
Ctrl+Alt+Q Send GM mode on message.
Ctrl+Alt+T Set tempo.
Ctrl+E Open the Preferences dialog.
Ctrl+N Open the Song Settings dialog.
Ctrl+Shift+B Launch Chord Builder.
Ctrl+Shift+F6 Enable/Disable RealDrums
F5 Edit current bar options.
F6 Save MIDI file.
Alt+C Open the Copy Chords and/or Melody dialog.
Ctrl+Shift+V Open the Paste text to Song(s) dialog.
Alt+Shift+T Auto-generate a title.
Alt+Shift+F Open the Favorite Folders dialog.
Alt+Shift+S Save the song to a favorite folder.
Alt+F4 Quit the program.
Additional Keystrokes
There are additional keystrokes available, listed on the pulldown menus beside the function. Hot keys may access
any function on the pull-down menu by pressing the Alt key and the first letter of the Menu followed by the
underlined letter of the command. For example, Alt+F+O would access File | Open.

Chord List
Commonly used chords are displayed here in bold type.
Notes:
It is not necessary to type upper or lower case. The program will sort this out for you.
Any chord may be entered with an alternate root (“Slash Chord”) e.g.: C7/E = C7 with E bass.
Separate chords with commas to enter 2 chords in a 2-beat cell, e.g., Dm,G7
Major Chords
C, Cmaj, C6, Cmaj7, Cmaj9, Cmaj13, C69, Cmaj7#5, C5b, Caug, C+, Cmaj9#11, Cmaj13#11
Minor Chords
Cm, Cm6, Cm7, Cm9, Cm11, Cm13, Cmaug, Cm#5, CmMaj7
Half Diminished Chords
Cm7b5
Diminished Chords
Cdim
Dominant 7th Chords
C7, C7+, C9+, C13+, C13, C7b13, C7#11, C13#11, C7#11b13, C9,
C9b13, C9#11, C13#11, C9#11b13, C7b9, C13b9, C7b9b13, C7b9#11,
C13b9#11, C7b9#11b13, C7#9, C13#9, C7#9b13, C9#11, C13#9#11, C7#9#11b13
C7b5, C13b5, C7b5b13, C9b5, C9b5b13, C7b5b9, C13b5b9, C7b5b9b13,
C7b5#9, C13b5#9, C7b5#9b13, C7#5, C13#5, C7#5#11, C13#5#11, C9#5,

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C9#5#11, C7#5b9, C13#5b9, C7#5b9#11, C13#5b9#11, C7#5#9, C13#5#9#11,
C7#5#9#11, C13#5#9#11
Suspended 4 Chords
Csus, C7sus, C9sus,
C13sus, C7susb13, C7sus#11, C13sus#11, C7sus#11b13, C9susb13, C9sus#11, C13sus#11, C9sus#11b13, C7susb9,
C13susb9, C7susb9b13, C7susb9#11,
C13susb9#11, C7susb9#11b13, C7sus#9, C13sus#9, C7sus#9b13, C9sus#11, C13sus#9#11, C7sus#9#11b13,
C7susb5, C13susb5, C7susb5b13, C9susb5, C9susb5b13, C7susb5b9,
C13susb5b9, C7susb5b9b13, C7susb5#9, C13susb5#9, C7susb5#9b13,
C7sus#5, C13sus#5, C7sus#5#11, C13sus#5#11, C9sus#5, C9sus#5#11, C7sus#5b9, C13sus#5b9, C7sus#5b9#11,
C13sus#5b9#11, C7sus#5#9, C13sus#5#9#11, C7sus#5#9#11, C13sus#5#9#11
Add2 Chords
Cadd2, Cmadd2
Tricky Chords
C5b This is “C flat 5.” It is spelled this way to avoid confusion.
C2, C5, C4, C69, C7alt, Cm7#5
You can type C-7 for Cm7 (i.e. use the minus sign) or C7-9 for C7b9.
Chords Shortcut
If you enter a lot of songs, you will appreciate these shortcut keys.
J = Maj7 (For example, to type CMaj7, just type CJ.)
H = m7b5 (H stands for Half Diminished.)
D = dim
S = 7sus
Add your own chord shortcuts.
Have you found a chord that Band-in-a-Box doesn’t recognize? If so, add it to your chord shortcuts file, and Band-
in-a-Box will allow you to type in that chord in the future. This also lets you define chord “shortcuts,” one-letter
abbreviations for longer chord names (“J” for “Maj7” etc.). If you find a chord that Band-in-a-Box won’t accept like
Csus2, when it expects C2 instead you can enter this on a single line (without the quotes) “Csus2@C2.” Then Band-
in-a-Box will enter the chord C2 if you type in Csus 2.
The text file C:\bb\Data\Shortcut.txt allows you to add new chord shortcuts. Note that this file doesn’t ship with
Band-in-a-Box (or it would overwrite your file!). The file C:\bb\Data\pgshortc.txt for shortcuts supplied by PG
Music. You can add your own shortcuts in a text file you make yourself and name C:\bb\Data\shortcut.txt.

Band-in-a-Box Files and Folders

By default, Band-in-a-Box is installed to the C:\bb folder. This folder contains following subfolders.
AudioChordWizard
This folder contains the standalone Audio Chord Wizard, which interprets the chords from audio files (MP3, WAV,
M4A, etc.).
BB2Go
The iPhone version of Band-in-a-Box will see this folder. You can send files back and forth from BB iPhone to the
desktop version of Band-in-a-Box, and the files go to this folder. You can add audio to the Band-in-a-Box files in
this folder with the Windows | BB2Go menu command in the desktop version of Band-in-a-Box and select the files
that you want to have MP4/M4A audio added.
BBHelper
This folder contains the program called BandinaBoxServer.exe. You need to have this program running to allow the
BB Remote app to connect to your desktop version of Band-in-a-Box.
Data
This folder contains data for the various Band-in-a-Box features.

Chapter 15: Reference 533

Demos
This folder is packed with many demo songs.
Documentation
This folder contains the program manual, the upgrade manual, the Help file, and additional documentations. It also
contains the Tutorials folder, which includes the files provided for use with the tutorials found in the manual or the
help file.
DragDrop is the location for files rendered by dragging tracks to the Drop station.
Drums
This folder has subfolders containing the files for all RealDrums sets installed in your program. It is the default
location recognized by Band-in-a-Box. If this folder is moved or the RealDrums files are installed in a custom
location, the new location must be entered in the RealDrums Settings dialog so that Band-in-a-Box knows where to
find them.
DX Settings
The .tgs files that stores VST/DX plugin settings are saved in this folder. It also contains presets of a Hi-Q MIDI
instrument and a VST plugin (e.g. sforzando).
Preferences
The preferences you set in the program are saved in this folder. It includes a file named intrface.bbw, which stores
all the program settings including MIDI and audio driver setup. If you delete this filer, the program will open like a
new installation the next time it runs. This is useful as a “global reset” if system settings have been changed by
accident and are difficult to restore.
RealTracks
This folder has subfolders containing the files for all RealTracks installed in your program. It is the default location
recognized by Band-in-a-Box. If this folder is moved or the RealTracks files are installed in a custom location, the
new location must be entered in the RealTracks Settings dialog so that Band-in-a-Box knows where to find them.
Soloists
All Soloist files (ST2 and XT2 files) are stored in this folder.
Songs
This is your “home” folder for the SongPicker. You can put any songs to this folder.
Songs and Lessons
Band-in-a-Box comes with a large library of songs that demonstrate some of the most popular styles of music as well
as songs for listening, learning, and jamming. This folder is packed with musical content for a variety of tastes and
purposes.
Styles
Band-in-a-Box styles use the file extension .sty and are stored in this folder. These are the styles that are listed in the
StylePicker. If you add new styles, they will be installed in this folder and added to the StylePicker list by clicking
on the [Rebuild] button.
TicketsActivated
When you successfully activate Band-in-a-Box, a .bin file will be created in this folder.
Undos
Most undo data are stored in RAM, but bigger data are stored as files in this folder. For example, if you edit audio in
the Audio Edit window, the undo data will be created in this folder.
uninstall
The uninstall programs for the Band-in-a-Box program and addons are saved in this folder.

534 Chapter 15: Reference

 PG Music Inc.

Band-in-a-Box®
is protected by copyright and is the property of
PG Music Inc. and its licensors.
Copyright © 1989-2021 PG Music Inc.
All rights reserved.

PG MUSIC INC.
29 Cadillac Avenue
Victoria, BC V8Z 1T3
Canada

Sales:
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: Toll-free in USA & Canada: 1-800-268-6272 or 1-888-PG-MUSIC (746-8742)
Phone: Toll-free outside USA & Canada where International Freephone service is available:
+ 800-4PGMUSIC (800-4746-8742)
or 1-250-475-2874 (tolls apply)
Fax: Toll-free in USA & Canada: 1-877-475-1444
or 1-250-475-2937 (tolls apply)
Technical Support:
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: Toll-free in USA & Canada: 1-866-9TECHPG (866-983-2474)
or 1-250-475-2708 (tolls apply)
Live Internet Chat: www.pgmusic.com

Be sure to visit the FAQ pages at www.pgmusic.com for information about known troubleshooting issues as well as the latest
technical support bulletins.

Chapter 15: Reference 535

 Appendix A: RealTracks Sets
The Band-in-a-Box Pro package includes a basic set of RealCombos for Pop, Country, and Jazz. In addition, there
are hundreds more RealTracks instruments available and we’re always making more!
A larger set of RealCombos is included in the Band-in-a-Box MegaPAK, and you get every RealTracks set we’ve
made so far in the Band-in-a-Box UltraPAK and UltraPAK+. You can also order individual sets, or RealPAKs of
Country, Rock/Pop, and Jazz sets.
Please see https://www.pgmusic.com/products_realtracks.htm for full descriptions and demos of all of the
RealTracks sets. While you’re there be sure to check for new releases.
RealTracks Set 1: The Originals, New and Improved
Improved versions of the original RealTracks – Tenor Sax, Tenor Sax (Bluesy), Pedal Steel, and Acoustic Guitar.
RealTracks Set 2: Country Ballad
Acoustic guitar, both strumming and fingerpicking, a beautiful “spacey” electric guitar with delay effects, as well as
a sweet pedal steel part and a RealBass.
RealTracks Set 3: Swingin’ Country
Two Swing RealPedalSteel styles and five Swing 8ths acoustic guitar RealTracks, including both strumming and
fingerpicking.
RealTracks Set 4: Modern Country
Rock, Pop, Folk, and Country with RealResonatorGuitar, RealAcousticGuitar & RealBass plus a modern syncopated
groove that includes both acoustic & electric guitars.
RealTracks Set 5: Rockin Guitar
Smokin’ Rock & Country Rock rhythm guitar grooves, as well as slide guitar soloists and R&B RealBass.
RealTracks Set 6: All Metal
Three different tempos of killer Metal rhythm guitar parts and totally tight bass parts plus the RockHardEven8
RealDrums style.
RealTracks Set 7: Acoustic Jazz Bass and Rock Sax
Real Double Bass with either the straight-ahead, fluid approach of our PaulC bass style, or the aggressive approach
of our RayB style. Also in this set is the “Motown Rock” sax soloist.
RealTracks Set 8: Country Folk
Resonator Guitar, sweet RealFiddle, and basic acoustic guitar strumming patterns.
RealTracks Set 9: Country Electric Guitar
Great Country guitar grooves and soloists played by top Nashville session musicians. Included are two rhythm
guitar parts, “Cowboy,” which is a true classic country groove, and “Train,” which is a fast train-beat groove.
RealTracks Set 10: All Blues (Shuffle)
A smokin’ blues band a Real rhythm guitar player, a Real bassist, a Real B3 player and even a Real harmonica player
all backing you up on a groovin’ Blues Shuffle. Killer soloing on electric guitar and harmonica.
RealTracks Set 11: All Bluegrass (Rhythm)
Step out in front of your very own Bluegrass band and take charge. Mandolins, fiddles, guitars, and banjos abound –
all held to a steady beat by a fat Bluegrass bass.
RealTracks Set 12: All Bluegrass (Solos)
Banjo, Fiddle, Guitar, and Mandolin solos. Spice up any Bluegrass song with a foot-stompin’ Banjo solo, or you can
really get things going by adding multiple solo instruments.
RealTracks Set 13: “Older” Jazz Swing Soloists
The essential instruments of Jazz Soloing - alto sax, trumpet, and trombone - recorded by top studio musicians. With
the stretching features in Band-in-a-Box and RealBand, they can be used over a wide tempo range.
RealTracks Set 14: Mainstream Swing – Jazz Rhythm Section
A world-class Jazz rhythm section with a choice of either acoustic piano or Jazz electric guitar as your comping
instrument, and an acoustic bass style to round out the bottom end.
RealTracks Set 15: Mainstream Swing – Jazz Soloists
Alto sax, trumpet, and trombone RealTracks plus bass soloing and piano soloing, complete with left-hand comping!
Combine with RealTracks Set 14: Mainstream Swing - Jazz Rhythm Section for a complete Real Jazz band!

536 Appendix A: RealTracks Sets

RealTracks Set 16: Bossa - Rhythm Section
This authentic sounding Latin-Jazz set includes a balance of piano, acoustic bass, and electric guitar RealTracks for
use in all keys. Combine with RealTracks Set 17: Bossa - Soloists for your dream Bossa band!
RealTracks Set 17: Bossa - Soloists
This set includes hours of trumpet, trombone, alto sax, and even acoustic bass soloing. You will have all the tools
available to generate a killer Bossa solo with the most authentic sounds available.
RealTracks Set 18: Jazz Ballad - Rhythm Section
This set includes rhythm tracks for piano, acoustic bass and electric guitar. You can really focus on your melody
while the bass, piano and guitar provide solid rhythm and harmony all around you.
RealTracks Set 19: Jazz Ballad – Soloists
This RealTracks Set comes equipped with alto sax, trombone and trumpet soloing in every key for your Jazz ballad.
Every time you press play, you get a brand-new solo. Your Jazz ballad composition deserves these killer lines!
RealTracks Set 20: Dual Rock Guitars
This set features two tempos of Rock ‘n’ Roll guitar recorded by two different top studio musicians, each playing off
of the riffs of the other. These are classic Rock guitar tones for both laid-back and up-tempo tunes.
RealTracks Set 21: Clean Strat Rock
Add a clean, even, classic Rock guitar sound to all your songs, old and new, with Clean Strat Rock rhythms and
solos. Use the Rhythm Guitar with your verses while letting the Soloist fly during a chorus.
RealTracks Set 22: Funk & Pop Bass
A variety of Funk styles, including Funk Finger Bass, Funk Slap Bass, and Pop Bass, which suits a wide range of
musical styles. Using all electric basses, this set adds another color to your PG Music palette!
RealTracks Set 23: Pop Acoustic Guitar
A solid rhythm section of acoustic guitars playing an even style, whether it be strumming or fingerpicking. These
RealTracks can be used for more than just Pop; they blend well with many other styles of music too.
RealTracks Set 24: Pop Swing 8ths Guitar
Fill in a rhythm section with this dynamic set of acoustic strumming and fingerpicking guitar styles. With a wide
range of tempos RealTracks Set 24 completes your Swing 8ths Pop or country song with an understated touch!
RealTracks 25: Pop Swing 8ths Bass 1
Use these RealTracks with many styles of music to add a delicate touch and a human feel. Turn to RealTracks Set
25 whenever you need a bass player to stick to the basics and back you up!
RealTracks Set 26: Pop Swing 8ths Bass 2
Add the solid foundation of Swing 8ths Bass to your song. With a wide range of tempos and electric and acoustic
basses to choose from, you can always rely on this RealTracks set to keep perfect timing.
RealTracks Set 27: “Dreamy” Pop Guitar and More
With these simple, tasteful, and dreamy guitar licks, you can add a new level of atmosphere to your song. Whether
you’re composing a fast pop masterpiece or a mellow country ballad, these styles are for you!
RealTracks Set 28: Jazz Waltz
This set redefines what it means to swing in ¾ time with this Jazz waltz collection of acoustic bass, piano, and
electric guitar RealTracks.
RealTracks 29: Freddie and Wes - Jazz Guitar Comping
If you’re looking for the “four-on-the-floor” beat with a tasteful groove that will keep the dance floor full all night
RealTracks Set 29 is the answer. Some of the sweetest comping this side of bebop!
RealTracks Set 30: Blues (Slow Swing)
Electric guitar, bass and resophonic guitar provide the solid rhythm foundation, in a variety of combinations. Then
to fill up the band we also have the soloists: electric guitar, harmonica and a sweet slide guitar!
RealTracks Set 31: Blues (Slow Even 8ths)
This set features some straight-8ths, slow rockin’ grooves on the electric guitar, electric bass, harmonica, and even
the resophonic guitar! All styles in this set were recorded at the same tempo, so they blend together perfectly.
RealTracks Set 32: Blues (Fast Even 8ths)
A solid even 8ths rhythm section of electric guitar, electric bass and resophonic guitar. In addition, this set comes
with harmonica, tenor sax, and Blues harmonica soloists to complete the band.

Appendix A: RealTracks Sets 537

RealTracks Set 33: Bluegrass (Medium Tempo)
All you need to play a medium tempo Bluegrass song. This set of RealTracks is full of awesome features like A and
B substyles for the fiddle and banjo as well as RealCharts for the acoustic guitar soloist.
RealTracks Set 34: Country Train Beat
Solid train rhythm that doesn’t miss a beat plus RealCharts to see the notation for all of the instruments. You get
RealCharts for fiddle, harmonica, and pedal steel so you can see exactly what the top studio musicians are playing.
RealTracks Set 35: Chet and Travis Pickin’
This set comes with four different RealTracks styles in this unique genre, two played with that sweet mellow nylon
guitar, and two played with the warm tones of the electric guitar.
RealTracks Set 36: Swingin’ Country 2
Five swing 8ths RealTracks styles featuring a sweet pedal steel style, as well as two tempos of resonator guitar and
swing 8ths mandolin. Medium slow and fast tempos are included.
RealTracks Set 37: Swingin’ Country 3
Get ready to swing! RealTracks Set 37 provides some swinging Country licks at a variety of tempos with mandolin,
harmonica, pedal steel, and resonator guitar playing at tempos ranging from 130 to 190 beats-per-minute.
RealTracks Set 38: Classic Country - Pedal Steel n’ More
Classic Country with three variations of Pedal Steel at a range of tempos plus a fiddle that is always ready to play a
solo. You also get the added bonus of RealCharts that show you the notation for all of the RealTracks in this set.
RealTracks Set 39: Slow Country
Ballad stylings on pedal steel, fiddle, banjo, harmonica, and acoustic guitar with the added bonus of RealCharts for
the pedal steel, harmonica and fiddle to show you the notation for these instruments.
RealTracks Set 40: American Pop-Rock
There are 4 Electric Guitar styles included in this set, and each style includes two different substyles. The two
“American” guitar styles are meant to be used together, as are the two “Roots Rock” styles, so either way you get
that polished, radio-friendly sound that will make you sound like a professional producer.
RealTracks Set 41: Rockin’ Hard
This set comes with 4 different RealTracks guitar styles, and each of those styles has 2 different substyles. “Hard
Rock Thrash” and “Hard Rock Thrash Hollow” are two slow hard-rockin’ styles that can be used together, or
individually. “Pop Rock Brit Edgy” and “Pop Rock Brit Heavy” provide that modern British sound.
RealTracks Set 42: Boogie ‘n Texas Rock
“Texas Boogie” and “Texas Rock” guitar RealTracks styles. “Texas Boogie” includes two different guitar styles,
intended to be used together if you want a full band effect, or separately if you just need a touch of that Boogie
flavor. “Texas Rock” is the same, with two distinct styles that mesh together beautifully, or can be used
individually.
RealTracks Set 43: Rockin’ Down South
This set includes both acoustic and electric rhythm guitar styles, as well as two marvelously raunchy slide guitar
styles. To top it all off, we have a rollicking southern organ.
RealTracks Set 44: Blues Guitar and Organ
This set includes three different Blues Organ RealTracks styles: “Monday” Swing 8ths at 65bpm, “Roadhouse” Even
8ths at 120bpm, and “BB” Even 8ths at 85bpm. Also included in this set is a rollicking Slide Guitar Blues
RealTracks style.
RealTracks Set 45: Driving British Rock
All of the guitars included in this set feature different takes on the same slow driving groove, and can be used
together to create a full, produced sound, or can be used individually to fill in the spaces for your own project. This
set includes a strumming acoustic guitar, and two electric guitars, one that is “driving” and one that is “soulful.”
RealTracks Set 46: Medium Pop - Harmonica, Organ and Bass
This set provides you with some great background organ & harmonica playing, as well as two options for straight-
ahead pop electric bass. The harmonica style provides some great pop licks, but as a background style it doesn’t get
in the way of a singer or the other instruments. The Organ style is a real B3, and will give your pop song that
authentic sound. For electric bass, there are two options. The “PopHalfNotesSync” style plays on the 1, and-of-2,
and the 3, which is one of the most common ways to play pop music. The alternate, ‘PopHalfNotesPush is the same
basic pattern, but doesn’t restate the note on beat 3, driving the song with a pushed feel.

538 Appendix A: RealTracks Sets

RealTracks Set 47: Slow and Fast Pop - Harmonica & Organ
Covering the whole even 8ths tempo spectrum, our B3 Organ styles can provide that growling B3 sound whether
you’ve written a slow ballad, or a rockin’ fast pop tune. For the fast tunes, we’ve also got a background Pop
Harmonica style.
RealTracks Set 48: Medium Modern Rock
This set provides three Guitar RealTracks, one acoustic, and two electrics. The acoustic guitar is a bright, strummed
rock part. The two electrics have distinct sounds that compliment each other: “ElecRockArp” is a clean guitar tone
that plays arpeggios for the A section, then switches to strummed chords for the B section. ‘ElecRockDirty’ is a
distorted guitar tone that plays muted syncopated chords at ‘A’, and then plays with a more open sound at ‘B’.
RealTracks Set 49: Spirited Acoustic Guitar
There are two Acoustic Guitar styles included with this set, both at slow tempos, but they’re designed to give the
song a harder edge than most ballad playing. Also included in this set are two pop Electric Bass styles, both at 85
beats-per-minutes. The ‘PopHalfNotesSync’ style plays on the 1, and-of-2, and the 3, which is one of the most
common ways to play pop music. The alternate, ‘PopHalfNotesPush is the same basic pattern, but doesn’t restate the
note on beat 3, driving the song with a pushed feel.
RealTracks Set 50: More Bossa!
This set features some great Bossa Nova Guitar and Flute playing. The Nylon-Electric Rhythm Guitar style provides
a great backing track for any chord progression and is an excellent tool for singers or soloists. The Flute and Electric
Guitar Soloist RealTracks can provide fantastic melodic soloing over any changes, and the solo created by Band-in-
a-Box will be different every time you press play!
RealTracks Set 51: Slow Bossas and More
With RealTracks Set 51, you can choose either the smooth sounds of acoustic bass and piano playing slow gentle
bossas, or the fast excitement of some boogying tenor sax. The bass and piano, when used in conjunction with our
BossaBrushes RealDrums, provide a great rhythm section for singers or soloists.
RealTracks Set 52: Fast Samba
This RealTracks set provides you with some smokin’ fast Latin sounds. It includes the essential rhythm section
instruments, bass and piano, as well as a soprano sax soloist. No matter what chords you enter in Band-in-a-Box,
these styles will soar!
RealTracks Set 53: Slow Jazz Ballad - Rhythm Section
This set includes both Piano and Acoustic Bass playing at 60 beats-per-minute, and because of the superior
stretching features in Band-in-a-Box and RealBand, they can actually be used over a wide range of tempos. There
are also several variations where they start playing double-time (essentially a 120 bpm groove) for the B section.
RealTracks Set 54: Slow Jazz Ballad - Soloists & Solo Piano Accompaniment
In addition to the Slow (60bpm) Ballad Tenor Sax RealTracks, this set also includes the Jazz Ballad Electric Guitar
Soloist, at a slightly quicker pace (85bpm), and a “Solo-Accompaniment” Jazz Ballad Piano (85bpm). This piano
style is intended to be used without Bass or Drums, essentially, it’s a rhythm section all on its own.
RealTracks Set 55: Fast Bebop Jazz
RealTracks Set 55 gives you the tools you need to start hearing some lightning fast jazz coming out of your computer
speakers. Simply enter any chords you like, select these Bebop styles, and Band-in-a-Box will generate flawless
Acoustic Bass, Piano and Tenor Sax tracks for you.
RealTracks Set 56: Jazz, Old and New
This set includes 4 different RealTracks styles, including “Modern Jazz” versions of Acoustic Bass and Acoustic
Piano playing at a medium-swing tempo. These two styles together form the perfect rhythm section for soloing and
provide great inspiration for developing sophisticated lines. The set also includes 2 soloists, the classic “older
swing” clarinet style, and the intricate electric guitar jazz swing soloist.
RealTracks Set 57: Jazz Swing, Laid Back
This set features both the essential rhythm section instruments and the soprano sax soloist for that sweet slow-
medium groove that sits perfectly in the pocket. The rhythm section is comprised of double bass and piano, and both
styles include both an “A” section and a “B” section, so you can add further dynamic range to your jazz tune.
RealTracks Set 58: Jazz and Pop Waltzes
With RealTracks Set 58, we provide both Jazz and Pop Waltz styles. On the Jazz front, a Tenor Sax soloist is
included, which can be used with some of our previously released Jazz Waltz rhythm section instruments. For the
Pop fans, we’ve provided Acoustic Bass and Piano styles playing a slow even 8ths Pop Waltz.

Appendix A: RealTracks Sets 539

RealTracks Set 59: Crossover
The RealTracks you need for the popular sound of Swing 16ths Crossover between Country Music and Hip Hop.
This set provides you with a total of 5 RealTracks styles, one bass style and four guitar styles. They were recorded at
75 & 90 beats-per-minute, and with the stretching features in Band-in-a-Box, the tempos in between and beyond are
covered as well.
RealTracks Set 60: Country Rock!
4 new guitar styles. ‘ModernCountrySync’ is an even-16ths-based groove, and we provide both an Acoustic and an
Electric Guitar style. The ‘SouthernSnappy’ is a classic sounding Country-Rock groove, also 16ths-based, and for
this groove we provide two Electric Guitars, ‘Clean’ and ‘Gritty’.
RealTracks Set 61: Ballads and More!
An assortment of Pop and Country Ballad styles with two rhythm electric guitar styles, a hard-edged ballad soloist,
and a solo-accompaniment pop piano style. The two rhythm guitars are meant to be used together, but have very
distinct sounds. One is a clean guitar tone, playing choppy chords for the A section and held chords for the B
section, and the other is a distorted guitar style, playing a syncopated groove at ‘A’, and straightening out to even
quarter notes at ‘B’. The soloist is a driving distorted power ballad, and is great for intros or breaks. Finally, we
include a ‘solo-accompaniment’ piano pop-ballad style.
RealTracks Set 62: Western Swing and Bluegrass!
Three Western Swing electric guitar styles include rhythm playing at the medium-fast tempo of 165bpm, and an up-
tempo style at 190bpm. Also at 190 is the “CountryClassicSwing” Soloist, which will create a solo over any changes
you care to throw it’s way. As a bonus, this set also includes a Bluegrass Mandolin Soloist, playing at the laid-back
(for Bluegrass) tempo of 100.
RealTracks Set 63: Country Waltz 1
This Set provides 4 Acoustic Guitar styles, playing at two waltz tempos, 85 & 140. With the stretching features in
Band-in-a-Box and RealBand, these styles actually cover a wide range of tempos. Each tempo has a Fingerpicking
and a Strumming Acoustic Guitar, and the styles work great together, or they can be used individually.
RealTracks Set 64: Country Waltz 2
This set comes with three guitar styles, all recorded at the comfortable waltz tempo of 110, and a Solo-
Accompaniment Waltz Piano style at a bouncy swinging tempo of 85. The guitar styles include strumming acoustic,
fingerpicking acoustic, and electric.
RealTracks Set 65: Alt-Country
Alt.Country, also known as Americana, has 4 Electric Guitar styles. For the very slow tempos, we have a distorted
electric guitar providing a gritty backdrop to your melancholy ballad. For ballads a little bit quicker, we have a
brighter clean electric guitar style. The two Alt.Country styles recorded at 75bpm are intended to be used together,
as they play off of each other beautifully. One is a moody sounding electric, while the other is more rootsy.
RealTracks Set 66: Modern Nashville Pop
4 Electric Guitar styles straight from Music City, USA. The two Country Rock styles are intended to be used
together, and play off each other beautifully, but can also be used individually. The same goes for the two
“Nashville Pop” styles, one of which uses a distorted guitar sound, the other clean.
RealTracks Set 67: Rockin’ in Three-Quarter Time
3/4 (or 6/8) time has become an important part of the hard rock world. With RealTracks Set 67, you get 10 different
Rock and Pop 3:4 styles. These styles can be used individually, together, or combined in A-B combinations. Also
included are 12-string acoustic guitar RealTracks, both a picking style, and a strumming style.
RealTracks Set 68: R&B Rock
4 different modern R&B electric guitars, two guitars with a warm mellow tone, one playing basic quarter notes with
embellishment, the other playing a strumming pattern. Then, we have some funkier guitar styles, one playing an off-
beat pattern, the other playing a 16th-note-based groove. All of these styles have RealCharts capabilities, so you can
see exactly what’s being played, either on the on-screen guitar fretboard, or in notation and TAB.
RealTracks Set 69: Rockin’ in the North, Rockin’ in the South
Northern Rock and classic 80s Texas Blues-Rock grooves. 8 different guitar styles include quarter-note variations,
strummed patterns, offbeat & syncopated grooves. A variety of guitar tones are employed including mellow fuzz, an
edgy, gritty sound, and different registers of that Texas Rock ‘n’ Roll sound. All styles are equipped with
RealCharts, so you can see the notes you’re hearing either in TAB, notation, or on the on-screen guitar fretboard.
RealTracks Set 70: Piano Pop
Sophisticated, mellow piano featuring 7 different Piano RealTracks styles. Use them alone or with a rhythm section.

540 Appendix A: RealTracks Sets

Included are British Pop Liverpool and Pop London styles, a Pop Bronx style from New York, and Pop Funky
Texas. All come with RealCharts for on-screen notation and piano keyboard display.
RealTracks Set 71: Folk-Rock
12-String Acoustic Guitar RealTracks with a variety of tempos and feels, such as slow ballad folk-rock & medium
folk-rock waltz. The waltz comes with both a 12-string and a 6-string guitar style, which can be used individually,
or blended together.
RealTracks Set 72: Smooth Jazz - Swing 16ths Hip Hop
Smooth Jazz sound with an Urban flavor. 4 RealTracks styles with classic Real Electric Piano and Electric Bass at
two Hip-Hop swing 16ths tempos. The Electric Piano styles can be used either completely dry, with no effects at all,
or with chorus, delay, and reverb effects for that true Smooth Jazz sound. The dry sound is perfect if you’d like to
use these styles in a Rock setting, or if you’d like to add your own effects in RealBand.
RealTracks Set 73: Smooth Jazz - Ballad and Pop
More classic Smooth Jazz with Electric Bass styles as well as classic Real Electric Piano, both “dry” and with
authentic Smooth Jazz effects. Both instruments include both a slow Ballad, and a faster even-16th-based Poppy
Smooth Jazz groove. These styles are ideal to use with RealDrums Set 28 but can also be used with many of our
other even 8th and even 16th Jazz RealDrums.
RealTracks Set 74: Ballroom Latin
Ballroom Latin made for dancing with 7 styles featuring both Acoustic Bass and Piano. Practice your musical chops,
your dancing chops, or both! A perfect match with RealDrums Set 5: Latin.
RealTracks Set 75: More Bossa
Acoustic Bass, Electric Guitar and Piano playing a sultry medium-slow Bossa tempo. The guitar features a
“FreeComp” version, with the guitar as the sole comping instrument, and a “GrooveComp” version, which is
intended to work well while there is a piano comping at the same time. Both piano and guitars have RealCharts for
on-screen notation and TAB plus piano keyboard and guitar fretboard displays.
RealTracks Set 76: More Jazz Waltz
Jazz Waltzes, with Piano, Guitar, and Acoustic Bass styles. Included are two tempos: a slow waltz ballad at 85 bpm,
and a medium-slow laid-back waltz at 110 bpm. All three instruments are represented at both tempos, and in
addition, there is a rehearsal piano waltz style. This style is a basic piano approach to the swing waltz and is
intended to be used by itself to back up a singer or soloist.
RealTracks Set 77: Ballad, Stride & More
Jazz with both electric and acoustic guitars at a variety of tempos, as well as 4 different accompaniment piano styles.
The slow Jazz Ballad tempo has a free-rhythm Electric Guitar style, an Acoustic Guitar that is designed to work well
with a comping piano, and a Stride Jazz Ballad piano. Also included is a slightly quicker Stride Ballad, as well as a
“Rehearsal” Piano style that’s great if you need a basic piano approach to back up your singing or soloing. All
instruments in this set are equipped with RealCharts for on-screen notation and TAB plus piano keyboard and guitar
fretboard displays.
RealTracks Set 78: Memphis Swing
Memphis Swing gives you 4 different RealTracks styles with 4 different approaches to this distinct version of
Country Swing. Two of the styles use a crisp, clean guitar tone, one playing chords letting the notes ring, the other
with a shorter staccato approach. Then we have a guitar with a grittier tone, played either with a palm-mute effect,
or with a wide-open approach.
RealTracks Set 79: Medium Country Boogie
This set features 6 medium tempo Country Boogie guitar RealTracks including 2 acoustic guitars and 4 electrics.
With acoustic guitar, you can choose between a palm-mute style of playing, or a more open approach, or you can
mix-and-match, using one style for the A section of your song, and the other for the B section. You have lots to
choose from with the Electrics too, with both clean and distorted guitars, playing syncopated patterns, classic riffs,
palm-mute, and twangy variations. All of these styles are equipped with RealCharts, so you can see exactly what’s
being played by these world-class studio musicians!
RealTracks Set 80: Fast Country Boogie
This set features 6 up-tempo Country Boogie guitar RealTracks including 2 acoustic guitars and 4 electrics. With
Acoustic Guitar, you can choose between a palm-mute style of playing, or a more open approach, or you can mix-
and-match, using one style for the A section of your song, and the other for the B section. You have lots to choose
from with the Electrics too, with both clean and distorted guitars playing syncopated patterns, classic riffs, palm-

Appendix A: RealTracks Sets 541

mute, and twangy variations. All of these styles are equipped with “RealCharts,” so you can see exactly what’s
being played by these world-class studio musicians!
RealTracks Set 81: More Country Swing
RealTracks Set 81 adds 8 Country Swing electric guitar styles featuring both clean and “gritty” guitar sounds, played
over both slow swing at 85bpm, and medium-up-tempo at 140bpm. The different variations can be used
individually, or together, and they can also be used in various A-B combinations. All of these guitar styles are
equipped with RealCharts, so you will see exactly what is being played by these top Nashville studio musicians!
RealTracks Set 82: More Country Waltz
10 new electric guitar Country Waltz styles covering a range of tempos from 85bpm through to 140bpm with both
clean guitars and distorted guitars. You can mix and match styles, either using multiple styles at the same time, or
A-B combinations. And all of these guitars are equipped with RealCharts and display notation, TAB, and on-screen
guitar fretboard.
RealTracks Set 83: LA Hard Rock
This set provides you with 4 distinct Electric Guitar styles, 2 with a “crisp” tone, and 2 with a “fuzzy” tone, so
you’re sure to find what you need for your song or section. Also included is the HardRockLA Bass style,
a syncopated bass style with a big fat tone. As a bonus, we’re also throwing in the HardRockLA RealDrums
style! This style has 5 different substyle options, combined together for a total of 8 different style variations. Each
substyle was recorded at 3 different tempos, and with the superior stretching features in Band-in-a-Box, the entire
tempo spectrum in between tempos is also covered.
RealTracks Set 84: Lite Pop
This set features 12-string Acoustic Guitar RealTracks styles as well as 3 Pop Piano styles. The 12-string Acoustic
Guitar provides a beautifully full sound which works great on its own, or in the context of a full band. There are two
of these styles, one picking, and the other strumming, both at a slow ballad tempo. Additionally, we also include a
style that uses the picking for the “a” section of your song and strumming for the “b” section. The 3 Pop Piano styles
continue our collection of solo-accompaniment piano styles. Two of the styles embody the melodic California
sound, one a slow ballad, the other an upbeat energetic style. The third style is a flowing melodically arpeggiated
style.
RealTracks Set 85: Rockin’ Bass
This set features two classic Brit-Rock basses, a heavily scooped and distorted thrash bass, and a deep rockin’ bass
that turns out pulsing eighth notes. You can view tab and notation for every style in this set in Band-in-a-Box or
RealBand. The wide range of tempos ensures that you will have a rockin’ bass for every occasion.
RealTracks Set 86: Blues Rock
Three unique and driving guitar styles are included: two with a crisp, unrelenting single-coil tone (which can be
linked together as an A/B substyle) and one with a low, twangy fuzz tone. Also included is a dark-toned blues rock
bass that syncs up nicely to the guitar styles. All of these styles are equipped with RealCharts, which means that
even though you’re listening to actual audio recordings of real musicians, you can see the notes they’re playing on
the on-screen fretboards, in TAB, in standard notation, and on the on-screen piano keyboard. Our unique stretch
methods ensure that you’re covered for a range of tempos and all twelve keys.
RealTracks Set 87: Electric for All Occasions
This set offers an extensive selection of bright guitar sounds for all occasions. At each of the three tempos, we
provide you with both clean and slightly distorted guitar tones. Plus, you also have control over the particular
texture of the guitars. All of the styles were recorded with both open chords, if you want a brighter sound, and barre
chords, if you want a slightly more muted effect. All styles play any chord in any key, and our stretch methods
ensure that all in-between tempos are covered! All of these styles also come complete with notation and tablature.
RealTracks Set 88: 12-String Electric
RealTracks Set 88 offers some unique, clean 12-string electric guitar tones. The styles are split into two main
categories: strumming and fingerpicking. The strumming styles offer a silky, sustained, solid rhythm while the
fingerpicking styles deliver an open and bright feel that fills in the eighth notes. Both the strumming and
fingerpicking styles were recorded at multiple tempos ranging from slow ballad to up-tempo pop, and with the
superior stretching features in Band-in-a-Box and RealBand, all the tempos in between are covered too! Notation
and tablature are also included for all of your scoring and learning needs.
RealTracks Set 89: Northern Rock Ballad
RealTracks Set 89 provides Acoustic Guitar, High-Strung Acoustic, Banjo & Electric Bass. Both guitar styles
feature open chords with traditional folk strumming patterns. These two guitars used together provide a full, rich

542 Appendix A: RealTracks Sets

sound by covering the full sonic spectrum. In addition, both guitars and the electric bass are equipped with
RealCharts, which means not only are you getting real instruments played by real musicians, but you can see what
they’re playing in notation, TAB, and on the on-screen guitar/bass fretboards. The banjo is a nicely subtle,
understated fingerpicking style that blends perfectly with the other instruments.
RealTracks Set 90: Jazz Organ
A collection of Jazz B3 organ styles from slow, laid-back ballads to energetic up-tempo swing and bebop. The style
provides both comping and killer bass lines which play “in-2” for the A sections and walk for the B sections. There
are 5 separate styles recorded over the range of tempos from 60 to 190 beats-per-minute. And, with the superior
stretching features in Band-in-a-Box, all styles in between are automatically covered as well!
RealTracks Set 91: Smooth Jazz - Sax Soloing
Five new additions to your Smooth Jazz RealTracks collection: three alto saxes, a soprano, and a tenor. All of these
styles show tasteful contrast with soothing melodies intertwined with fast jazz runs and phrases. This set also covers
three avenues of smooth jazz: cool, poppy, and ballad. It offers a wide range of tempos ranging from dramatically
slow to moderately fast. The inclusion of RealCharts means that not only will you be hearing Real Saxophone
played by a top studio musician, but you will be able to see exactly what’s being played in both notation and on the
on-screen piano keyboard.
RealTracks Set 92: Smooth Jazz - Trumpet Soloing
This set features four different soloists in the subgenres of cool, poppy, and ballad. The cool Jazz styles have a
funky swung sixteenth note feel while the down-tempo poppy and ballad styles rely on even spacing and tasteful
phrasing. You will have a variety of tempos and all twelve keys at your fingertips thanks to the stretching methods
used by Band-in-a-Box and RealBand, and with our RealCharts you will be able to see what’s being played, in both
notation and on the on-screen piano keyboard.
RealTracks Set 93: Smooth Jazz - Trumpet Soloing
RealTracks Set 93 adds more Rhythm & Soul to our collection of Smooth Jazz RealTracks styles! This set
includes two electric piano soloist styles and two rhythm guitar styles all together. Both split up into two subgenres:
a funky swung sixteenth feel and a slow even sixteenth ballad feel. And, the two electric piano styles provide you
with even more options, as each one has three different effects sets: Chorus with delay effect, chorus alone, and
completely dry. If you want the slick Smooth Jazz sound, go for the chorus & delay, but if you want the
unadulterated sound of the real vintage electric piano, go for the dry. All four styles are also equipped with
RealCharts which allow you to see the notes that are being played in notation and on the on-screen piano keyboard,
and the guitars have the added benefit of correctly displaying TAB & the notes on the on-screen guitar fretboard.
RealTracks Set 94: Jazz Guitar Soloing and More
This set includes 4 electric guitar styles, ranging from medium-slow tempos up to fast bebop tempos, in both jazz
waltz meters, as well as straight ahead 4:4 swing. In addition, there’s an energetic samba soloist played on nylon
guitar, and two solo accompaniment piano styles! These real pianos offer a fun and energetic feel and are the perfect
companion to a show tunes singer. Every single style in this set is equipped with RealCharts, which means not only
will you be hearing great real audio recordings of real musicians, but you will be able to SEE what they’re playing
too, in notation, and on the on-screen piano keyboard. The electric guitars have the added bonus of displaying
correctly in TAB and on the on-screen guitar fretboard.
RealTracks Set 95: Jazz Rhythm Guitar: Bossa and Swing
Included are four electric guitar styles that cover a large range of tempos, as well as two bossa styles, and a fast
“Freddie” Acoustic Guitar. The Electrics are split into “FreeComp” and “GrooveComp” styles. The FreeComp
styles are intended to be the sole comping instrument (no piano) featuring sophisticated rhythms and harmonies. The
GrooveComp styles use more repetitive rhythms and more basic harmonies so that they can be used with other
comping instruments such as piano or organ without getting in the way. The Bossa Guitars have a warm nylon tone,
and were recorded at the tempos of 85 & 140, and with the superior stretching features in Band-in-a-Box, all of the
tempos in between are also covered. The electric & acoustic guitars are also equipped with RealCharts which means
that not only are you hearing actual audio performances by actual musicians, you can also see what they’re playing
in notation, TAB, and on the on-screen guitar fretboard.
RealTracks Set 96: Modern Bluegrass Waltz
This set includes a total of six new waltz styles on five different instruments! You will receive two acoustic guitars
(one fingerpicking, one strumming), acoustic bass, fiddle, mandolin, and banjo. Every one of these styles covers all
twelve keys, and covers a wide tempo range thanks to the high quality stretching features in Band-in-a-Box and
RealBand.

Appendix A: RealTracks Sets 543

RealTracks Set 97: Unplugged Country Swing
There are four country swing fiddle styles included, three of which feature melodic background playing over the
tempo spectrum of 85 bpm ballads to the sprightly tempo of 140. Since they were recorded at intervals, the entire
tempo range is covered, since Band-in-a-Box’s superior stretching features can use those three tempos to cover all of
the tempos in between. At 140, you also have the option of choosing the “chops” style, where the fiddle plays very
short chordal shots on beats 2 & 4. This is a style that would generally only be used on faster tempo tunes. All of
these styles also feature RealCharts which means that not only are you hearing audio recordings of top studio
musicians playing your song, you can SEE what they’re playing too, in notation & on the on-screen piano keyboard!
RealTracks Set 98: Unplugged, 12-String & Fiddle
Three strummed acoustic 12-string guitar styles and two country boogie fiddle styles, all recorded over a wide tempo
range. And with the superior stretching features in Band-in-a-Box, all the tempos in between are also covered. The
12-string styles were recorded at 85, 120 & 165 beats-per-minute, so if you’re song is at 95, no problem, you’re
covered with 85, which Band-in-a-Box can easily stretch up. Or, if you need 12-string at 160, no problem, the 165
bpm style can easily stretch down to cover that too! RealCharts are included with all 5 styles here, which means that
not only do you get real audio recordings of top studio musicians playing your songs, you can see what they’re doing
in notation, on the on-screen piano keyboard, and for the guitars you can also view the notes in TAB and on the on-
screen guitar-fretboard. And all keys are covered, so if you want to boogie down in C sharp, no problem!
RealTracks Set 99: More Country Waltz: Pedal Steel, Bass & Fiddle
Three bass styles offer a solid, rhythmic foundation over a wide tempo range, two fiddles offer a variety of melodic
ideas, and two pedal steels offer rich layers of harmonies. That’s a total of seven new styles, all of them crucial to
your Country Waltz songs! In conjunction with previously release Country Waltz styles, it’s easy to put together a
full band at any tempo. All styles play in any key, and the pedal steel & fiddle styles have RealCharts.
RealTracks Set 100: More Western Swing: Pedal Steel & Electric Guitar
RealTracks Set 100 includes 4 new electric guitar styles that can be used in conjunction with our previously release
Western Swing styles. The styles were recorded at 2 tempos, 165 and 190, with basic comping patterns at both
tempos; a “picked” style at the slower tempo, and a “held” style at the faster tempo. Plus we add to our increasing
collection of Pedal Steel styles at both of these tempos as well. These swinging styles use the classic Western Swing
C6 tuning. And you’re not limited to 165 or 190, all tempos in between are also covered with the superior stretching
features in Band-in-a-Box.
RealTracks Set 101: Folk and Country Swing
This library of country and folk crossover styles delivers a large collection on a variety of instruments. Included are
Ukulele, Acoustic Bass Guitar, Electric Guitar, and Fiddle styles. The Ukulele and Acoustic Bass Guitars work well
as playful duos: a moderate tempo acoustic-bass guitar and ukulele duo with a country feel and a faster tempo
acoustic-bass guitar and ukulele duo with a cheerful island feel. The “Memphis” fiddle adds to our existing Electric
Guitar styles, and the two Country Swing electric guitar styles can be used independently, or together as an A-B
style. The fiddle and guitar have the added bonus of having RealCharts enabled, which allows you to view the notes
being played in notation, on the on-screen piano keyboard, and on an on-screen guitar-fretboard.
RealTracks Set 102: Uptempo Reggae
This set includes Electric Bass, Electric Guitar, B3 Organ, Acoustic Piano, and a brand-new Reggae Classic
RealDrums style. With all the styles used together, you will be constantly immersed in B3 Organ, Guitar strumming
out the rhythm, Piano shots on the off-beats, and a booming Bass holds it all together. Each style was recorded at
100 bpm so they sound very natural together, though with the superior stretching features in Band-in-a-Box, all
styles cover a wide tempo spectrum.
RealTracks Set 103: Slow Groovin’ Reggae
Electric Bass, Electric Guitar, B3 Organ, Acoustic Piano, and a brand-new Reggae Classic Tambo RealDrums style.
While the Bass and Drums maintain a laid-back syncopated rhythm at 75 bpm, the Guitar and Piano play chord shots
on 2 and 4, and the jammin’ B3 Organ fills in on 3. The “RealCharts” allow you to see exactly what’s being played
on the piano, guitar & bass in notation, and on the on-screen piano keyboard. The bass & guitar have the added
benefit of displaying correctly in TAB and on the on-screen guitar/bass fretboards.
RealTracks Set 104: Celtic Jigs & Reels
This set includes 2 basic Celtic grooves played on a variety of instruments, including Acoustic Bass, Acoustic
Guitar, and Piano. Plus, this set comes with the added bonus of two new RealDrums styles feature the Bodhran. This
is a traditional Celtic drum played with a wooden mallet. And these Bodhran styles each have several variations,
including the standard wooden mallet as well as a variety of brush mallets for a slightly softer tone. The Guitars and

544 Appendix A: RealTracks Sets

Pianos are also equipped with “RealCharts,” which means that you can see the notes that are played in notation,
TAB, and on the on-screen piano keyboard or guitar fretboard.
RealTracks Set 105: Brent Mason Rock Soloing
This set includes three Electric Guitar Rock soloing styles played by the award-winning session guitarist, Brent
Mason. Brent’s punchy, burning lead sound will rock the house ‘til dawn. Plus, these styles have the added bonus of
“RealCharts,” allowing you to see what Brent’s playing in notation, TAB, and on the onscreen guitar fretboard. The
guitar fretboard also displays any notes that are bent in blue, for added educational value.
RealTracks Set 106: Calypso Pop
Along with Electric Bass and Accordion, this set includes three types of guitar: Acoustic, Electric, and High-Strung
Acoustic. The high-strung guitar is great to use with the standard-tuning acoustic, as together they fill out the full
sonic spectrum. Also joining the band is a brand-new Pop Calypso RealDrums style. Soft-strumming Guitars,
simple Bass lines, and flowing Accordion.
RealTracks Set 107: Medium Pop Waltz
This set includes a whole assortment of strings: Electric Bass, Fiddle, Acoustic Guitars, Electric Guitars, Mandolin,
Pedal Steel, and Acoustic Piano. Also joining the group is a brand-new Pop-Rock Waltz RealDrums style. The
Electric Guitar plays alternate substyles to add dynamic range to your song. Each style plays an even 8ths groove at
120 bpm, but with the superior stretching features in Band-in-a-Box, this actually covers a wide tempo spectrum
(110-140). Plus, with the new triple-time feature in Band-in-a-Box these styles can be used in even more ways.
RealTracks Set 108: More Rockin’ Bass
This set is all Electric Bass: Hard Rock Waltz, Pop Rock Waltz, Modern R’n’B Rock, and Northern Rock. These
styles cover a wide range of tempos from 65 bpm to 140 bpm, and blend beautifully with our previously released
RealDrums and Guitar RealTracks. All 4 styles also display “RealCharts” which means you can see what you’re
hearing in notation, bass TAB, and on the on-screen bass fretboard.
RealTracks Set 109: Gypsy Jazz - Fast Swing
Everything you need for some hot, up-tempo Gypsy Jazz. This set includes Acoustic Bass, Acoustic Guitars, Fiddle,
and a brand-new Gypsy Jazz Swing RealDrums style. There are 2 different Rhythm Acoustic Guitar styles that are
meant to be used together to provide a full, authentic Gypsy Jazz sound, and then there are two more Acoustic Guitar
Soloist styles, played by two different top session players, plus a hot fiddle soloist! The guitars and fiddles have the
added bonus of displaying “RealCharts” which means you can see the notes you’re hearing blaze past in notation,
TAB, or on the on-screen fretboard display.
RealTracks Set 110: Gypsy Jazz - Ballad
RealTracks Set 110 includes Acoustic Bass, Acoustic Guitars, Fiddle, and a brand-new Gypsy Jazz Swing
RealDrums style. Whether you need some laid-back comping Nylon Guitar, a lovely Fiddle or Guitar solo, or a
melodic Acoustic Bass, each of these styles offers a lot. To add variation throughout your songs, the Bass plays “in-
2” for the A section and switches to “walking” at B. The RealDrums also follow the changes at part markers. Each
style plays at a relaxing tempo of 110 bpm (though this covers a wide tempo range with the superior stretching
features in Band-in-a-Box) and is made to play smoothly over Gypsy Jazz progressions which include 6th, m6, and
diminished chords.
RealTracks Set 111: Jazz Vibes - Comping
This set includes five different Comping Vibes styles played by the world-class Jazz Vibraphonist Steve Nelson. It
includes both even 8ths Bossas & Jazz Swing, covering a range of tempos from 60 bpm to 140 bpm.
RealTracks Set 112: Jazz Vibes - Soloing
Steve Nelson steps in to plays smokin’ vibes solos. This set includes three Jazz Swing soloists covering a range of
tempos from 60 bpm to 140 bpm. With the superior stretching features in Band-in-a-Box, all tempos in-between are
taken care of! The set also includes a Bossa soloist at 140 bpm, which can also work over a wide tempo spectrum. In
addition, all of these styles are equipped with “RealCharts,” which means that even though these are actual audio
recordings of Steve Nelson, you can see what he’s playing in notation or on the on-screen piano keyboard.
RealTracks Set 113: Smooth Jazz - Cool Guitar and Electric Piano
Cool swing 16th soloing on both Electric Piano & Electric Guitar, and also includes a rhythm guitar style. This set
works in perfect combination with the rhythm section styles from RealTracks Set 72. With the Electric Piano you
have a choice of chorus effect, delay, or no effects at all. Plus, all of the styles in this set display “RealCharts,” which
means that even though you’re hearing audio recordings of real musicians, you can see what they’re playing, as
they’re playing it, in notation, on the on-screen piano keyboard, and for the guitar in TAB and on the on-screen
guitar fretboard

Appendix A: RealTracks Sets 545

RealTracks Set 114: Smooth Jazz - Poppy Guitar and Electric Piano
Smooth Jazz soloing on both Electric Piano and Electric Guitar, as well as a bonus Rhythm Guitar style that blends
beautifully with our previously released Smooth Jazz Sets. With the Electric Piano you have a choice of chorus
effect, delay, or no effects at all. Plus, all of the styles in this set display “RealCharts,” which means that even though
you’re hearing audio recordings of real musicians, you can see what they’re playing, as they’re playing it, in
notation, on the on-screen piano keyboard, and for the guitar in TAB and on the on-screen guitar fretboard.
RealTracks Set 115: Mike LeDonne’s Swingin’ Jazz Piano
This set includes six Jazz Piano styles played by Mike LeDonne, known for playing with some of the greats such as
Dizzy Gillespie and Benny Goodman. This set includes Mike comping and soloing in his distinctive East Coast style
over Jazz swing grooves ranging from 60 to 140 beats per minute. Also, you can watch how it’s done with the
RealCharts displayed in Band-in-a-Box either in notation or on the on-screen Piano
RealTracks Set 116: Praise & Worship - Shining 8ths
RealTracks Set 116 includes 2 Electric Basses, 4 Electric Guitars (including 1 soloist), 2 Acoustic Pianos, 2 Synth
Pads, and a brand-new Praise & Worship RealDrums style. Whether you need a little backing Piano or Guitar, or a
rockin’ Guitar solo, these styles will compliment your songs beautifully. All styles were recorded at 120 bpm but can
be stretched over a wide tempo range with Band-in-a-Box’s newly enhanced audio stretching capability. ALL of
these styles are also equipped with “RealCharts,” which means that you can see what the musicians are playing in
notation, on the on-screen piano keyboard, and for the basses & guitars you can see the notes in TAB or on the on-
screen guitar fretboard.
RealTracks Set 117: Praise & Worship - Uplifting 16ths
This set includes Electric Bass, 4 Electric Guitars (including 1 soloist), 2 Acoustic Pianos, a Synth Pad, and a brand-
new Praise & Worship even 16ths up-tempo RealDrums style. All recorded at 120 bpm, these styles will be great to
compliment your songs whether you use them individually or the whole band at once. And with Band-in-a-Box’s
newly enhanced audio stretching methods; you can slow it down and watch each 16th note as it flies by.
RealTracks Set 118:Brent Mason Country Soloing
Four Electric Guitar Country soloing styles played by award winning Nashville legend Brent Mason. Whether you
are shufflin’, train-pickin’, waltzin’, or just wanna boogie, Brent’s delicious Guitar sound and how-DOES-he-do-it
string picking will blow you away! And if that is not enough, Band-in-a-Box’s RealCharts allow you to watch how
these solos are played in notation, TAB, or on the on-screen guitar fretboard.
RealTracks Set 119: TexMex 2-Beat
This set includes Electric Bass, Accordion, Electric Guitar, and a brand-new TexMex RealDrums style that makes
you want to get on your feet and dance! These styles work great as a full band, or individually to compliment any of
your older RealTracks. To liven up your songs, the Electric guitar switches from playing chord shots on the off beats
during the A substyle, to lovely little walking melodies in the B substyle.
RealTracks Set 120: TexMex Country
Set 120 – TexMex Country - includes Electric Bass, Accordion, Electric Guitar, and a brand-new TexMex Country
RealDrums style. Each style plays an up-tempo even 8ths rhythm at 120 bpm, with a slight Latin flavor. Even though
the instruments were recorded at this tempo, the superior stretching features in Band-in-a-Box allow these styles to
all be used over a very wide tempo range. The Bass and Electric Guitar styles have the bonus of RealCharts so you
can see what the musician is playing, either in notation, TAB, or on the on-screen guitar fretboard. These styles are
wonderful together as a band, but each style also has great potential to combine with other RealTracks as well.
RealTracks Set 121: More Country Banjo, Fiddle & Steel
This set offers a variety of rhythms and tempos all played by your favorite stringed instruments: Banjo, Fiddle, Pedal
Steel, and Resonator Guitar. These styles are useful for various tunes because they range in tempo and rhythm. The
Banjo is an even beat at 100, Fiddle is a swing beat at 165, and the Pedal Steel and Resonator Guitars are both waltz
swing beats at 140. And to increase this assortment of rhythms are Band-in-a-Box’s half-time, double-time, triple-
time, and newly enhanced tempo stretching features. The Fiddle, Pedal Steel and Resonator Guitar also have the
added benefit of displaying “RealCharts,” which means that even though these are audio recordings of real
musicians, you can see what’s being played in notation and on the on-screen piano keyboard.
RealTracks Set 122 – ‘70s Soul
This set features a full RealTracks band of electric bass, drums, electric guitar, piano, and synth. There are multiple
styles on each instrument, as well as variations that switch from one style to another at the part markers. The piano
style also has the option of playing either strictly acoustic, or acoustic piano with a doubled synth layer playing on
top of it. All of the RealTracks in this set are equipped with RealCharts, meaning you can see the notes that are

546 Appendix A: RealTracks Sets

being played in notation, and the basses and guitars have the added bonus of also displaying in TAB and on the on-
screen fretboard.
RealTracks Set 123 - Celtic Hornpipes & Slipjigs
RealTracks Set 123 continues our collection of Celtic styles with the “Hornpipe” and “Slipjig” styles, with Acoustic
Bass, Acoustic Guitar, and the traditional Irish Bodhran hand drum. The Hornpipe is a stately swing 8ths groove,
similar to a Reel, but at a slower tempo. A slipjig, is a quicker paced 9:8 style, like a jig, but with 3 extra 8th notes at
the end of each bar. These styles are very common in the Celtic repertoire, making this set an ideal companion for
any fiddler, whistler, or anyone who loves Irish music! The Bodhran styles have multiple substyles, with variations
played using a wooded mallet, or a brush, giving you complete control over what you hear. The guitar styles are also
equipped with “RealCharts”, which means that even though these are audio recordings of real musicians, you can see
what is being played in notation, TAB, and on the on-screen guitar fretboard.
RealTracks Set 124 - More Pop-Rock Bass
This set features 5 new electric bass RealTracks styles that blend beautifully with many of our previously-released
styles. There are pumping 8ths in the TexasRock style, two funky swing 16ths options, as well as “RootsRock” and
“SouthernRock” styles. And, ALL of these styles are equipped with “RealCharts”, which means that you can see the
notes going by in Band-in-a-Box, on the on-screen bass fretboard, or in notation & TAB.
RealTracks Set 125 - Crossover Pop
RealTracks Set 125 features styles that all provide a unique approach to common musical genres. The “Crossover”
banjo & electric guitar styles are distinctly Country, but take a gritty sound from the Pop world, and a hip, swinging
feel from the Jazz world. Calypso is certainly considered to be a world-beat groove, but here it’s given a definite pop
interpretation, with a piano style to join the previously released PopCalypso styles. Also included in this set are 3
new RealDrums styles, each with a unique departure from basic Pop & Rock grooves.
RealTracks Set 126 - Fast Pop Waltz
RealTracks Set 126 provides you with an uptempo Pop approach to the waltz. This set includes a whole assortment
of RealTracks styles: Electric Bass, Fiddle, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Mandolin, Pedal Steel, and Acoustic
Piano. Also joining the group is a brand-new Pop-Rock Waltz RealDrums style. The Electric Guitar plays alternate
substyles to add dynamic range to your song. Each style plays an even 8ths groove at 180 bpm, but with the superior
stretching features in Band-in-a-Box, this actually covers a wide tempo spectrum. Plus, with the new triple-time
feature in Band-in-a-Box these styles can also be used in a 12:8 manner.
RealTracks Set 127 - Groovin’ Jazz Funk
This set features a groove that sits right in the pocket, with drums, electric bass, electric guitar, electric piano, and
alto sax. There are 9 individual RealTracks styles in all, and you’re in complete control of the instrumentation. And
they will all play any changes you throw their way! You can have the rhythm section back you up on your own
fusion masterpiece, and you can also throw in a solo or two, either from the electric piano style, or the killer alto sax
style. Just like the rhythm section instruments, the soloists will follow any changes you care to enter. Just type in
the chords and press play!
RealTracks Set 128 - Gypsy Jazz Latin
RealTracks Set 128 features 6 new Gypsy Jazz styles playing an up-tempo Latin groove to add to your
collection. You can enter your own song, or any classic Bossa progressions, and these styles will groove effortlessly
over the changes! It includes 2 rhythm guitars, intended to be played at the same time for a full rhythmic sound,
acoustic bass, drums, and two soloists: acoustic guitar and fiddle. Plus, all of the guitars and the fiddle are equipped
with “RealCharts” which means that even though you are hearing actual audio recordings of real musicians, you can
see the notes they are playing in notation, TAB, and on the on-screen guitar fretboard!
RealTracks Set 129 - Gypsy Jazz Waltz
This set features the big-name players in the world of modern Gypsy Jazz, playing uptempo waltz styles over any
changes you can possibly think to enter into Band-in-a-Box! It includes both A & B substyles for acoustic bass and
drums, there are 2 rhythm acoustic guitar styles, intended to be played together in a complementary manner, and
there are three soloist styles. The soloists include 2 different acoustic guitar soloists, and a hot fiddle. Plus, there is a
“soloist medley” style that trades off on these soloists every 8 bars. All of the guitar styles, as well as the fiddle, are
equipped with “RealCharts”, which means you can see exactly what these hot musicians are playing in notation,
TAB, and on the on-screen guitar fretboard. No matter what changes you enter into Band-in-a-Box, both the rhythm
section and the soloists will follow it flawlessly!
RealTracks Set 130 - Mike LeDonne – More Swingin’ Piano & Organ
RealTracks Set 130 gives our customers what they asked for: more swingin’ organ and piano from jazz great Mike

Appendix A: RealTracks Sets 547

LeDonne, and more control over what you hear! This set features straight-ahead jazz organ, which works over the
whole tempo spectrum, from slow ballads to fast bop, and you have the choice of using the traditional jazz organ
technique of having the bass played on the organ, or you can choose instead to have the organ stick to comping, with
the bass taken over by an upright player. Each organ style has both an A section and a B section, with you
controlling when he will play the different parts. And there’s more! This set also includes two organ soloists, slow
ballad or medium jazz swing. These soloists will play over any changes you can think to enter into Band-in-a-
Box! Then, as if that weren’t enough, we also include two jazz waltz comping styles played on a real acoustic
piano! RealTracks Set 130 is a must for any serious jazz fan!
RealTracks Set 132 - Paul Franklin – Pedal Steel Country Soloing
There’s nothing that embodies the country soul like the pedal steel, and there’s no one who can play it like the
master: Paul Franklin. RealTracks Set 132 features Pedal Steel soloing over 3 very common Country grooves: The
fast-16ths-based “train” groove, a similar but slower 16ths groove, and a medium country shuffle. Plus, each of
these Soloists is equipped with “RealCharts” which means that you can see exactly what is being played in notation,
or on the on-screen piano keyboard, making this an ideal way to learn from the master!
RealTracks Set 132 - Paul Franklin – Pedal Steel Country Soloing
RealTracks Set 132 features Pedal Steel master Paul Franklin soloing over 3 very common Country grooves: The
fast-16ths-based “train” groove, a similar but slower 16ths groove, and a medium country shuffle. Plus, each of
these Soloists is equipped with “RealCharts” which means that you can see exactly what is being played in notation,
or on the on-screen piano keyboard, making this an ideal way to learn from the master!
RealTracks Set 133 - More Brent Mason Country Soloing
There are three new soloists by Country Legend Brent Mason in this set, all with a distinct country flavor, but with
rock & pop overtones. There is a slow ballad which blends beautifully with our previously released ballad
RealStyles. And, with the superior stretching features in Band-in-a-Box, it can be used over a very wide tempo
range. There is a medium straight-8ths country soloist. And last but not least, there is a “Workin’” soloist, which is
a medium tempo even 16ths-based groove, similar to our “Train Beat” styles. And, all of these styles are equipped
with “RealCharts” which means you can see exactly what Brent is playing in notation, TAB, and on the on-screen
guitar fretboard. Any chord progression you can think to enter, Brent will wail over the changes effortlessly!
RealTracks Set 134 - Praise & Worship Power
This spirited set of RealTracks features a pumping groove that can be used in P&W, rock, or country settings. It
features 2 different electric bass styles, 4 rhythm electric guitars, 2 acoustic piano styles, RealDrums with multiple
substyles, and even a powerful electric guitar soloist. Plus, there are variations that switch between the various styles
at the A & B part markers. All of the instruments in this set are equipped with “RealCharts” which means you can
see exactly what’s being played, in notation, TAB, on the piano keyboard, or the guitar fretboard. And, these styles
can easily be mixed and matched with countless other RealTracks styles, whether they’re pop, rock, or Praise &
Worship.
RealTracks Set 135 - Praise & Worship Believe
This versatile set of slow ballads comes with a full band of RealTracks, with electric bass, 2 rhythm guitars, acoustic
piano, synth pad, drums, and even an electric guitar soloist. No matter what chord changes you enter into Band-in-a-
Box, this band will play them with the click of a single button. Even the soloist! All of the instruments in this set
are equipped with “RealCharts” which means you can see exactly what’s being played, in notation, TAB, on the
piano keyboard, or the guitar fretboard. And, these styles can easily be mixed and matched with countless other
RealTracks styles, whether they’re pop, rock, or Praise & Worship.
RealTracks Set 136 - More Swingin’ Country: Bass, Guitar, Fiddle & Piano
With this set we add to our current country swing styles with solid electric bass, acoustic piano which locks in with
the bass, fast western swing fiddle, and some swingin’, gritty electric guitar. Every style in this set is equipped with
“RealCharts” which means you can see exactly what’s being played in notation & TAB, or on the onscreen piano
keyboard or fretboard. And, with the superior stretching features in Band-in-a-Box, every one of these styles covers
a wide tempo range, so you’re sure to find exactly what you need for your country swing masterpiece!
RealTracks Set 137: John Jarvis Rockin’ Piano
This set features legendary Nashville session player John Jarvis, playing 4 different rockin’ grooves: British Blues
Invasion, Fast Rock ‘n Roll, “Island” groove, and Southern Rock. These styles feature virtuosic rock playing at its
finest. And, with RealCharts, these styles are opened up to many learning possibilities. You can see the notes go by
either in notation, or on the on-screen piano keyboard. You can slow down and speed up these styles over a wide
tempo range, making them not only extremely versatile for your songs, but also making them easier to learn.

548 Appendix A: RealTracks Sets

RealTracks Set 138: ‘60s Soul
RealTracks Set 138 will bring you back to the raw soul sound of the 60s. This set features a full RealTracks band of
electric bass, drums, electric guitar, & piano. There are multiple styles on each instrument, as well as variations that
switch from one style to another at the part markers. The drums feature multiple substyles, including some with
tambourine, giving you full control of what you want to hear. All of the RealTracks in this set are equipped with
RealCharts, meaning you can see the notes that are being played in notation, and the basses and guitars have the
added bonus of also displaying in TAB and on the on-screen fretboard.
RealTracks Set 139: Folkie 16ths
Often you will find that the place where different genres collide to form exciting new musical forms is the world of
folk music. With RealTracks Set 139: Folkie 16ths, you will hear elements of jazz, rock, bluegrass and funk blend
together, and yet still be distinctly folkie! This set features 4 RealTracks styles, including banjo, electric bass,
acoustic guitar and high-strung acoustic guitar. The groove is a funky 16ths rhythm, with a jazzy swing to it. These
styles are great on their own without drums, and you can just imagine 4 stellar session players gathered around a
campfire. Or, you can match it with the many different swing 16ths RealDrums options. And, with RealCharts you
will be able to watch and learn as these great musicians play!
RealTracks Set 140: Texas Blues-Rock Shuffle
Every incarnation of the Blues has its own distinctive sound, and Texas Blues is no exception. This is a heavy
swinging, rock-infused form of the blues, and will keep you rockin’ all night long! RealTracks Set 140 features a
full band, with 2 rhythm guitars, electric bass, piano, and two distinctly different electric guitar soloists! Also
included is the BluesRockShuffle RealDrums style. All of these instruments are equipped with RealCharts, which
means you can watch and learn what these top session players are playing, in notation, TAB, and on the on-screen
guitar/bass fretboard. And, with the bass and guitars, you have the option of using the distinct sound of the players,
or you can instead select the Direct Input signal, and use a guitar amp simulator to get your own distinct tone!
RealTracks Set 141: Pop 16ths Ballads
Whether it’s rock, pop or country, one of the most common types of song you hear on the radio today is the ballad.
With RealTracks Set 141, you have at your fingertips an arsenal of ballad RealTracks styles that will work in many
different situations. This set features electric bass, two different electric guitar styles, 3 acoustic guitars, including
strumming, fingerpicking and high-strung, fiddle, mandolin, and piano! It’s easy to mix and match styles within this
set, and also to mix with previously released styles to get exactly the right sound for your rock, pop or country
ballad. And, if your goal is to learn, many of these styles are equipped with RealCharts, letting you see what these
stellar session musicians are playing in notation, and in the case of the basses and guitars, in TAB and on the on-
screen fretboards. The bass & electric guitars also have direct input versions available, so you can choose to use the
tone selected by the player, or you can use the direct input style with a guitar amp simulator to create your own
distinct sound!
RealTracks Set 142: Pop 16ths Medium
RealTracks Set 142 is the perfect choice for anyone who needs at their fingertips a variety of different instruments
for their pop, country or rock even 8ths tune. This set features 7 instruments playing a medium 16th-note based
groove. Included are 3 guitars: electric, acoustic and high-strung acoustic, as well as fiddle, mandolin, piano and
electric bass. And, these styles are excellent as writing tools, as well as learning tools. The bass, all 3 guitars, and the
piano are all equipped with RealCharts, which means that even though these are studio recordings of real musicians
on real instruments, you can see what they’re playing in notation, on the on-screen piano keyboard, and for the bass
and guitars, TAB and guitar fretboard. There’s something for everyone with RealTracks Set 142!
RealTracks Set 143: Dixieland - Fast Rhythm Section
Get ready for that sweet classic Dixieland sound! RealTracks Set 143 features 5 RealTracks styles, including piano,
acoustic guitar, banjo, drums, and tuba playing the bass lines. These styles are great as a backup for you to practice
soloing to, or you can combine them with the Dixieland soloists in RealTracks Set 144 to get the whole band going!
The guitar and piano have ‘RealCharts’ which means that you can see what these fantastic session players are
playing by watching the notes go by in notation or on the on-screen piano & fretboard. The tuba and banjo have
different parts that they play for the A & B sections, and for the drums there are 7 variations to choose from. These
styles form a complete band all on their own and are also great for mixing and matching with styles from other sets.
RealTracks Set 144: Dixieland – Fast Soloists
Your toes will be tappin’ and your fingers will be snappin’ the second you press play in Band-in-a-Box with
RealTracks Set 144: Dixieland - Fast Soloists. This set features 4 different instruments for a total of 7 unique
RealTracks styles. It’s features all of the essential Dixieland soloists: Clarinet, Trombone, Trumpet & Acoustic
Guitar. And, the Clarinet, Trombone & Trumpet each have two different RealTracks, a background soloist & a full-

Appendix A: RealTracks Sets 549

on soloist. The background soloist can be used for A sections where you want a more subdued sound before the B
section is belted out, or, you can also use all three of the “background soloists” together, in a raucous, rousing
Dixieland finale! Every single one of these styles has ‘RealCharts’, which means you can see exactly what these top
session musicians are playing in notation and on the on-screen piano keyboard. Plus, the guitar has the added benefit
of displaying TAB, and the notes appear on the correct strings on the on-screen guitar fretboard!
RealTracks Set 145: Jazz-Funk Breezy
RealTracks Set 145 will make you feel the smooth, gentle breeze as you listen to these slow grooving jazz-funk
styles! This set features 7 RealTracks styles, including electric bass, two electric guitars, a rhythm and soloist
electric piano, and a sweet tenor sax soloist. They all blend together beautifully into a mellow, funky groove! The
bass, sax & electric piano styles are all equipped with “RealCharts”, which means you can see exactly what these
first-class session musicians are playing, both in notation, and on the on-screen piano keyboard. And for the bass,
there’s the added benefit of correct TAB, and the notes appear on the on-screen bass fretboard. For learning,
composing, or just for some great listening, you can go wrong with RealTracks Set 145 - Jazz-Funk Breezy!
RealTracks Set 146: Jazz Fusion Soloing
RealTracks Set 146 introduces the sophisticated modern jazz fusion guitar sound to Band-in-a-Box. These soloists
combine the complexity of jazz, the grit of rock, and the groove of funk, all into a style that’s unmistakably fusion.
There are 3 soloists included in this set, from slow, breezy Jazz-Funk, to a medium Jazz-Rock groove, to a fast
Samba with elements of modern pop. All of these styles are equipped with RealCharts, which means you can see
exactly what’s being played in notation, TAB, or on the on-screen guitar fretboard. And, each guitar also has a
corresponding ‘direct input’ option, which means you can either choose the sound selected by this stellar session
musician, or you can opt for the DI guitar and create your own tone with VST plugins!
RealTracks Set 147: Mike LeDonne Bossa
With RealTracks Set 147 you will feel like you’re in New York City, drinking in the sophistication of some of the
most famous jazz clubs in the world! This set features jazz legend Mike LeDonne playing Jazz Bossas at multiple
tempos, on both organ and piano. The comping organs have options where the bass is played on the organ, as is often
the case in jazz organ trios, or where the bass is left out, allowing for the use of acoustic bass. The two piano styles
provide a nice alternative from our existing Bossa pianos, and there are also two organ soloists! Every one of these
RealTracks styles is equipped with RealCharts, which means you can see exactly when Mike is playing in notation
and on the on-screen piano keyboard. This is a great set for learning or for listening!
RealTracks Set 148: Solo Accompaniment Jazz Guitar
RealTracks Set 148 continues our collection of “Solo-Accompaniment” Jazz Guitar with 4 new RealTracks styles.
These styles are intended to be used as “the whole rhythm section,” with no need for additional drums, bass, or any
other rhythm section instrument. They’re a great way of providing a mellow but elegant backing for a singer or a
soloist. Included are two Bossas, a slow ballad and an uptempo Bossa, as well as a slow ballad waltz and a medium
tempo jazz waltz. And, every one of these styles is equipped with RealCharts, which means that even those these are
actual recordings of a top session musician, you can still see what’s going on as if it were MIDI, by watching the
notation as well as the TAB and on-screen guitar fretboard. These are excellent tools for learning, listening, or
composing!
RealTracks Set 149: Pedal Steel Country with Paul Franklin
Get ready for more of the sweetest sound in the world: Pedal Steel! RealTracks Set 149 features 3 new RealTracks
soloist styles from Country and Pop legend Paul Franklin. Included is an uptempo western swing, along with a slow
country ballad, and a medium even 8ths country groove. Plus, each of these also comes with a “direct input” version,
which means that there were two signals recorded, the amp sound that was Paul Franklin’s own tone, as well as a
direct input, which is the direct signal from the Pedal Steel with no effects added to it. By choosing the direct input
version instead, you can create your own tone using VST plugins! Also, each of these is equipped with RealCharts,
which means you can see exactly what Paul is playing in notation or on the on-screen piano keyboard.
RealTracks Set 150: Fancy Fingerpicking
RealTracks Set 150 adds 7 new acoustic guitar styles to your country/pop/rock collection! This set features 4
fingerpicking styles by Nashville legend Brent Mason, along with 3 fingerpicking 12-string acoustic styles. The
Brent Mason styles are intended to be used along with our previously released fingerpicking styles, which will evoke
memories of watching your favorite folk heroes in concert halls with killer bands backing them up. There are slow
and medium tempos for these styles, both swing 8ths and even 8ths. The 12-string styles provide a nice full sound,
which are great for rounding out any even 8ths country, pop or rock band. And, all of these styles are equipped with
RealCharts, which means you can watch exactly what the musicians are doing in notation, TAB and on the on-screen
guitar fretboard.

550 Appendix A: RealTracks Sets

RealTracks Set 151: Praise & Worship – Promise
RealTracks Set 151 continues our collection of inspiring Praise & Worship RealTracks, with a collection of medium
tempo 16th-note-based styles. This set features 7 styles, including acoustic guitar, 4 different electric guitars, piano
and drums. With the RealDrums there are 4 different substyle grooves, arranged into 6 different variations, so you
can pick exactly what you need for your song. The electric guitars are designed to work well played together, and
you can pick variations that switch from one style to another at the A and B part markers, giving your song added
dynamics. These guitars also have “direct input” variations available, which means you can select that and create
your own unique tone by applying VST plugins! And, all of these RealTracks are equipped with RealCharts, which
means you can see exactly what is being played in notation, TAB, and on the on-screen guitar fretboard and piano
keyboard.
RealTracks Set 152: Country Drivin’ 8ths
Are you ready for some hard drivin’ country? Then look no further than RealTracks Set 152 – Country Drivin’ 8ths!
This set adds 5 styles to your Band-in-a-Box country/rock collection with electric bass, fiddle, electric guitar and
pedal steel. There are two bass styles, a pumpin’ 8ths groove, and a style that plays a rock ‘n roll triad pattern, as
well as an option to have it switch between the two at A and B part markers. Choosing the fiddle or pedal steel will
give your song a real rockin’ country flavor, and the electric guitar rounds everything out! Every single style in this
set is equipped with RealCharts, which means you can see exactly what’s being played in notation, TAB, or on the
on-screen guitar fretboard!
RealTracks Set 153: Bluegrass Waltz & More
By popular demand, RealTracks Set 153 adds more styles to your country and bluegrass waltz collection! This set
features 3 country waltz piano styles, along with bluegrass waltz banjo and mandolin. The two bluegrass styles blend
beautifully with our previously released country waltz acoustic bass and guitars to provide a full bluegrass band. The
three pianos cover the whole spectrum, and all tempos in-between are covered with the superior stretching features in
Band-in-a-Box. If you have your RealTracks preferences set to do so, Band-in-a-Box will ALWAYS pick the best
style for your song based on the tempo! These pianos are also all equipped with RealCharts, so you can see exactly
what’s being played in notation or on the on-screen piano keyboard.
RealTracks Set 154: Brent Mason Classic Country Soloing
RealTracks Set 154 is our fifth set to feature Nashville legend Brent Mason, and these sets just keep getting better
and better. This “Classic” Country Soloing set has 4 different styles, including Western Swing, classic 12:8, even
8ths country ballad, and uptempo even 8ths country. Learn from this master by watching every note he plays in
notation, TAB, and on the on-screen guitar fretboard. Or, mix and match these soloists with other country styles, or
even mix and match with other genres, such as jazz swing or gypsy jazz! Plus, all of these styles have ‘direct input’
variations, which allow YOU to control the exact tone with guitar amp simulators.
RealTracks Set 155: John Jarvis Pop Piano
RealTracks Set 155 gives you more great piano styles from Nashville Rock and Country master John Jarvis! This set
features three new pop piano styles, from slow ballads to exciting “rootsy” grooves. There are styles that work
perfectly with our existing bands, and there is also a “solo-accompaniment” style which is intended to be used
without any other rhythm section instruments. This is what you’d want for your soul-searching ballad, where it’s
just your voice and a master pianist backing you up. All three styles are equipped with RealCharts, which means not
only do you get to hear a high-quality audio recording of a real piano, you can also see what’s being played in
notation and on the on-screen piano keyboard. Slow it down to start and gradually speed it up as you learn, and with
the superior stretching features in Band-in-a-Box, it will sound fantastic the whole time!
RealTracks Set 156: Texas Blues-Rock: Straight-8ths
This set features rockin’ straight-8ths Blues styles making up a complete band which includes 2 rhythm guitar styles,
2 electric guitar soloists, an electric bass and even a brand-new RealDrums style. The guitars are all played by
British blues prodigy Sol Philcox and Nashville great Brent Mason. With these two players, you get a full sound
with complementary rhythm parts and two unique takes on soloing over this straight-ahead groove. All of the guitars
feature RealCharts so you can see exactly what these top session players are playing, in notation, TAB, and on the
on-screen guitar fretboard. The rhythm section is rounded out with solid electric bass & drums.
RealTracks Set 157: Texas Blues-Rock: Rock ‘n’ Roll
RealTracks Set 157 continues our collection of Texas Blues-Rock styles with new up-tempo soloists, two new
electric bass styles, and exciting new RealDrums. The soloists include two fast Rock ‘n’ Roll styles with a hard
blues edge. One is played by Nashville legend Brent Mason, and the other by up-and-coming master of Blues, Sol
Philcox. Both offer a unique approach to soloing over this groove, and there are variations that let you have these
two virtuosos trading off solos in the same song! There are also two solid new electric bass styles, one playing over

Appendix A: RealTracks Sets 551

this same fast-rock Blues, and the other playing a slower funky even-8ths style. The guitars and basses also are all
equipped with RealCharts that show you exactly what these first-rate musicians are playing in notation, TAB, and on
the on-screen fretboards. They can play in any key, over any changes you enter into Band-in-a-Box, and with the
superior stretching features in Band-in-a-Box, you can use them over a very wide tempo range.
RealTracks Set 158: Modern Dance Pop
This RealTracks set features ten Modern Dance-Pop RealTracks styles that feature synth-based RealTracks, with
bass styles, chording, and single-note styles. Also included is the Modern Dance-Pop RealDrums style with 8
different substyles in 16 different combination variations. You can mix and match the RealTracks styles, and also
use them with RealTracks styles from other sets, such as Rock, Pop or Country styles.
RealTracks Set 159: Folk-Pop Ballads
One of the most popular groups of RealTracks is the slow Ballad style, RealTracks Set 159 features great RealTracks
playing this nice slow groove. Whether your creation is Rock, Pop, Country or Folk, the RealTracks in Set 159 are
sure to please! This set includes electric instruments such as guitars and bass, and many acoustic instruments
including accordion, banjo, bass fiddle, guitars, mandolin and piano. The electric guitars include a crisp, clean tone
as well as a powerful overdriven tone, and with acoustic guitar we have a standard tuning strummed acoustic as well
as a high-strung fingerpicking style. Many of these styles are equipped with RealCharts.
RealTracks Set 160: Jazz-Funk Movin’
RealTracks Set 160 adds ten up-tempo RealTracks styles to our popular collection of Jazz-Funk styles. There are
three new RealDrums styles, with different Jazz-Funk variations, as well as 2 electric basses, 2 electric guitars, 2
electric pianos, a rhythm style and a soloist, and a hip tenor sax soloist. A fretless electric bass RealTracks style is
included. With the superior stretching features in Band-in-a-Box, all of these styles work very well over a wide
tempo range.
RealTracks Set 161: Mike LeDonne Jazz Waltz Organ
RealTracks Set 161 continues the popular collection of styles by New York jazz great Mike LeDonne. In this set,
there are Jazz Waltz styles, both comping as well as soloists. There are two tempos for each style, 85 & 140, and
with the superior stretching features in Band-in-a-Box, the tempos in between are covered too! For the comping
styles, there are options where the organist is chording as well as playing the bass lines, which is very common with
jazz organs. And, there are also options where the organ bass parts have been removed, giving you the option of
picking other bass styles, such as acoustic or electric basses. Every style has RealCharts so you can see exactly what
Mike LeDonne is playing in notation as well as on the on-screen piano keyboard.
RealTracks Set 162: Dixieland - Medium Rhythm Section
RealTracks Set 162 continues our series of Dixieland styles with four different rhythm instruments all playing at a
medium tempo of 110 bpm. This set will provide your whole backing band with tuba, piano, tenor banjo, and
acoustic guitar. The tuba and banjo styles include both A and B sub-style variations: from “Simple” to “Razz-a-ma-
tazz” for the banjo, and from “in-2” to “walking”‘ for the tuba. The piano and guitar styles have RealCharts, and
there is also tablature for the guitar with all of the notes on the correct strings exactly as played.
RealTracks Set 163: Son Montuno
RealTracks Set 163 is the first in our series of authentic Cuban styles, starting with Son Montuno. With its fusion of
European and African traditions, the Son is one of the most important genres of Cuban popular music. This set
features a full band, with two options for bass, acoustic guitar, two choices for piano styles, and the first of our “tres”
styles. The tres is a traditional Cuban instrument and gives the entire style a very distinctive flavor. The basses,
guitar and pianos are also all equipped with RealCharts, which means that Band-in-a-Box displays the audio
recordings in notation.
RealTracks Set 164: Bolero
RealTracks Set 164 continues our collection of Afro-Cuban styles, with a set of slow, grooving Bolero RealTracks
styles. The Bolero is a slow Latin Ballad, and the masterful playing in these styles sets the perfect sultry mood. This
set features five new styles which include baby bass, 2 acoustic guitars and 2 piano styles. These styles blend
beautifully with our Bolero percussion RealDrums styles, and also work very well with other genres, such as our
large collection of Bossa styles. For guitars, there is an option that plays a straight ahead solid rhythm, and the
second guitar plays tasteful fills that would work very well as a background to a vocal line, or even as a counterpart
to another soloist. There are two similar options for piano, one which takes a strictly chordal approach and another
that plays simple melodic fills. Each style in this set is also equipped with “RealCharts.”
RealTracks Set 165: John Jarvis Country Piano
RealTracks Set 165 features three great styles by pop and country legend John Jarvis: Honky-Tonk, Train-Beat, and

552 Appendix A: RealTracks Sets

slow Country Ballad. These styles work well in Country, Pop or Rock settings. Also included are Band-in-a-Box
RealStyles that pair these pianos with other RealTracks styles, so all you need to do is load that style and you have a
full band that includes these killer pianos. Band-in-a-Box displays the audio recordings in RealCharts notation and
on the on-screen piano keyboard.
RealTracks Set 166: Praise & Worship - Modern Groove
RealTracks Set 166 continues our popular collection of Praise and Worship styles with thirteen new RealTracks
styles including electric and acoustic guitars, electric bass, acoustic piano, synth strings, and RealDrums. The
groove here is a slow ballad, though with the superior stretching features in Band-in-a-Box a much wider range is
covered. Included are several RealStyles which form various combinations of these styles, including very mellow
versions with piano and the drummer playing a toned-down side-stick groove, as well as rocking power ballad
RealStyles. There is also a “Multistyle” included which gives you access to ALL of these RealTracks in a single
song, simply by selecting different part markers (A, B, C, D). Every one of these styles is equipped with RealCharts,
and the electric guitars and basses also include the “direct input” versions.
RealTracks Set 167: Country Boogie and More
This set features two tempos of Country Boogie on both electric bass and acoustic piano including a bonus of two
new Praise & Worship electric guitar styles and a cello RealTracks style playing slow, Pop/Country ballad
parts. The Country Boogie styles work very well with our previously released electric guitar styles, and the basses
have two options at each tempo: a root-fifth style, as well as an arpeggiated style. The cello provides simple linear
parts to your Country, Pop, or Rock song. The Praise & Worship electric guitars fit right in with our previously
released styles but can also be mixed and matched with countless other medium tempo Pop, Rock, or Country styles.
RealTracks Set 168: Western Swing Soloists
This set features four new Western Swing soloists: fiddle, resonator guitar, mandolin and piano played by top
Nashville studio musicians. We also include RealStyles that combine these fantastic soloists with some of our
previous soloists such as Brent Mason’s electric guitar and Paul Franklin’s pedal steel, in soloist medleys that trade
8s, or in a multistyle that allows you to specify exactly where you want each solo.
RealTracks Set 169: Killer Country Soloing
RealTracks Set 169 features four different instruments soloing over four completely different country grooves,
ranging from slow ballads to up-tempo train beat. There is a fiddle soloing over a medium even 8ths country groove,
a slow swinging 12/8 piano soloist, an up-tempo train beat resonator guitar soloist and a mandolin soloing over a
slow country even 8ths ballad. The superior stretching features in Band-in-a-Box enable you to use these RealTracks
over a wide tempo range, and each one is also equipped with RealCharts so you can see exactly what they’re playing
in notation, TAB, on the on-screen piano keyboard, or on the on-screen guitar fretboard.
RealTracks Set 170 - Texas Blues-Rock: Slow Groovin’ 12:8
The most anticipated RealTracks event is finally here, R&B Horns! For the first time ever, PG Music is proud to
present a horn section RealTracks style. And this style is incredibly versatile, with RealStyles that pair it with
JazzFunk, Soul, BluesRock, and even Country rhythm sections! The section is comprised of baritone sax, tenor sax
& trumpet, and you have the option of playing them as a group, or even using them as individual background styles.
You will be blown away by RealTracks Set 176 - R&B Horn Section!
RealTracks Set 171 - Medium Folk-Pop 8ths
This set features the blending of folk and pop. With RealTracks Set 171 you get traditional folk instruments, such as
the accordion, fiddle and mandolin, playing with a pop 8ths feel. These medium tempo styles will fit well into many
folk and pop situations.
RealTracks Set 172 - EuroDance
Unleash your inner diva with RealTracks Set 172! This set features 11 new Modern Dance RealTracks synth styles
with a European flair. The RealDrums style provides the foundation, with 20 different possible groove variations,
and you can then layer the sound with modern and vintage synth tones.
RealTracks Set 173 - Celtic Bouzouki and Guitar
RealTracks Set 173 expands on our collection of Celtic styles. This set features 2 acoustic guitar styles and 2
Bouzouki styles (a first in RealTracks history). The styles represent a slow air along with a reel, a jig and a waltz.
RealCharts are available for the guitars to allow you to see all the notes being played.
RealTracks Set 174 - Pop Mandolin, Piano, and Guitar
RealTracks Set 174 gives you more opportunities to give your composition that extra flair! With a wide variety of
tempos and grooves, you will spend hours mixing and matching these styles, which include a killer acoustic guitar

Appendix A: RealTracks Sets 553

style performed by Brent Mason, a rootsy piano soloist performed by Nashville legend John Jarvis, and 3 Mandolin
styles by session wizard Andy Leftwich.
RealTracks Set 175 - Texas Blues-Rock: Smokin’ Blues Sax
Add instant cool to your blues-rock progressions with this collection of sax soloists. RealTracks Set 175 features 4
alto sax styles that will definitely liven up the room. The playing in all 3 styles ranges from mellow lows to
screaming highs. RealCharts allows you to see all the notes that are being played. Get your cool on with RealTracks
Set 175!
RealTracks Set 176 - R&B Horn Section
The most anticipated RealTracks event is finally here, R&B Horns! For the first time ever, PG Music is proud to
present a horn section RealTracks style. And this style is incredibly versatile, with RealStyles that pair it with
JazzFunk, Soul, BluesRock, and even Country rhythm sections! The section is comprised of baritone sax, tenor sax
& trumpet, and you have the option of playing them as a group, or even using them as individual background styles.
You will be blown away by RealTracks Set 176 - R&B Horn Section!
RealTracks Set 177 - Guajira & Guaracha
Let the rhythms of RealTracks Set 177 take you away to warmer climes. Both the Guajira and the Guaracha
represent the music of late 19th century and early 20th century Latin America. This set features 6 styles containing
bass, piano and the tres. The basses and the piano are equipped with RealCharts allowing you to see the notes being
played. Let yourself be surrounded by the sounds of the south!
RealTracks Set 178 - Dixieland - Medium Soloists
With RealTracks Set 178 we revisit the sweet sounds of Dixieland. You get 7 styles consisting of clarinet, trombone,
trumpet and acoustic guitar. The clarinet, trombone and trumpet come with a background soloist and a full-on
soloist. You can follow along note by note with the help of RealCharts. All playing is displayed in the notation
window and on the on-screen piano keyboard. The guitar can also be viewed in TAB or on the on-screen fretboard.
RealTracks Set 179 - Guitar - Jazz and More!
By popular request, RealTracks Set 179 adds more guitar in both the traditional jazz & middle-of-the-road
categories. It features two EZ Listening acoustic guitar styles, as well as new “Freddie” acoustic guitar JazzWaltz
styles that work great with our existing JazzWaltz rhythm section. Last but not least, there is a new slow bossa
soloist which you can add to your slow grooving Latin tunes!
RealTracks Set 180 - Classic Jazz Piano
If you love to play or listen to jazz piano, now there are even more options in Band-in-a-Box with RealTracks Set
180 - Classic Jazz Piano. This set features styles that emulate the old masters of jazz, with 3 tempos of “4-to-the-
bar” comping, as well as an exciting “40s Boogie” style. And with RealCharts, you can see exactly what is being
played in notation and on the on-screen piano keyboard, making this an essential learning tool!
RealTracks Set 181 - Smooth Jazz Piano
PG Music is expanding its popular collection of Smooth Jazz styles with 5 new acoustic piano RealTracks styles.
The existing Smooth Jazz RealTracks use electric piano, but these new ones give you the option of hearing a great
acoustic piano in your smooth jazz compilations. With each new RealTracks set, you’re provided with ever more
expanding tools to learn, compose, and practice!
RealTracks Set 182 - More Pedal Steel Country with Paul Franklin
RealTracks Set 182 gives you more of the Country and Pop legend Paul Franklin. This set features more of the
sweet, singing tone of Paul’s pedal steel technique. Included is an uptempo style with an even feel and 3 slow tempo
swing feel styles. RealCharts allows to see every note of Paul’s playing both in notation and on the on-screen piano
keyboard.
RealTracks Set 183 - Country Soloists: Sax and More!
RealTracks Set 183 gives you some great new sax soloists for your country or pop tunes. The set features one alto
sax style and 2 tenor sax styles. And that’s not all! Also included in this set are “Country Workin’” RealTracks
soloists, with fiddle, resonator guitar and piano soloists! With all this great material, RealTracks Set 183 is a great
deal!
RealTracks Set 184 - More John Jarvis Country Piano
The masterful playing of legend John Jarvis returns in this collection, RealTracks Set 184. The 7 styles here work
well in many Country, Pop or Rock song situations. Tempos of the styles range from 65bpm to 165bpm. RealCharts
will give you the ability to see all the notes that John plays in notation or on the on-screen piano keyboard, making it
an essential learning tool.

554 Appendix A: RealTracks Sets

RealTracks Set 185 - More Killer Country Soloing
Prepare to have your socks knocked off with the killer licks in RealTracks Set 185! This set features 7 fantastic new
Country Soloists, with Fiddle, Mandolin and Resonator Guitar styles! And if that’s not enough, you also get
“Bluesy” variations for a different take on the styles, as well as double-time variations, which make these styles even
more versatile than they already are! If your goal is to learn some great licks, you can see exactly what is being
played as you hear it, in the notation screen or printable lead sheet.
RealTracks Set 186 - John Jarvis Solo-Accompaniment Piano
RealTracks Set 186 features the solo-accompaniment piano styles of John Jarvis. The set features 6 styles that could
easily be used in both a country or pop setting. These styles are intended to be used as the whole rhythm section,
backing up a singer or soloist. All notes played can be seen in notation or on the on-screen piano keyboard with the
help of RealCharts
RealTracks Set 187 - More Fancy Fingerpicking with Brent Mason
Country legend Brent Mason is back once again in RealTracks Set 187 with 5 new acoustic guitar fingerpicking
styles. The set features slow and medium/fast tempos with swing and even 8ths feels. All styles are equipped with
RealCharts, which means you can follow along with Brent note by note in notation, TAB and on the on-screen
fretboard.
RealTracks Set 188: Slow Background Pop Horn Section
RealTracks set 188 continues our very popular collection of horn section RealTracks, with exciting new pop styles!
This is a 4-part horn section of 3 saxes (alto, tenor, & baritone) and trumpet. It includes slow 16ths pop, with a
“pads” variation as well as one that plays more complex rhythmic & melodic phrases. Then there is a medium pop
version, also with both a “pads” variation and a melodic variation. You can also use any of the individual horns by
themselves or come up with your own combination of instruments! There are “RealCharts” for all of these horns,
which means you can see exactly what is being played in notation, or on the on-screen piano keyboard. With all the
different ways to use these great new horn section RealTracks, your Band-in-a-Box experience will now be even
more exciting!
RealTracks Set 189: Blues Baritone Sax with Gary Smulyan
RealTracks Set 189 brings you more great Blues styles, this time soloist RealTracks by legendary baritone
saxophonist Gary Smulyan. Gary is the first name in jazz baritone sax, having multiple wins in all the major jazz
polls, including Downbeat Magazine Critics Poll, the Jazz Times polls, and the Jazz Journalist awards. He’s also
toured and recorded with many great blues and pop artists, such as Ray Charles, Diana Ross, and B.B. King, and
now you can have him solo over your own musical creation! This set features 3 RealTracks styles: a straight-8ths
soloist, a shuffle soloist, and a ‘background’ shuffle part. The background part is simpler than the soloists and is
intended to be used while a singer or soloist is performing, adding color to the whole mix. These styles are great for
students, with features such as accurate notation that displays while the performance is playing. The notation can be
viewed in concert notation, so anyone can learn these great licks on ANY instrument, and if you’re a baritone sax
player yourself, you can transpose to Eb notation with the click of a button!
RealTracks Set 190: New Orleans Boogie!
Get ready to boogie with RealTracks Set 190! This set gives you a distinctly New Orleans take on the boogie, with a
full rhythm section of RealTracks, and even a smokin’ RealTracks piano soloist! The set includes 2 piano styles
(one rhythm, one soloist), drums, bass, and electric guitar. The bass and guitar RealTracks provide a solid
foundation, with lots of character and drive. The drums offer 6 variations, with different combinations of sidestick,
hi-hat, brushes, snare, and ride grooves. And the showpiece is the piano! With the rhythm section piano RealTracks,
you get a solid groove and exciting licks, but will still work well with a singer or soloist playing over top. And then
with the piano soloist, that’s taken up a notch, and you get some crazy, great soloing! The bass and guitar display in
notation and TAB, as well as displaying on the on-screen fretboard. The piano also displays in notation, and can be
viewed on the on-screen piano keyboard, both with accurate separation of left-hand and right-hand parts. All of
these features make this a great learning tool! With RealTracks Set 190, you won’t be able to keep your feet still!
RealTracks Set 191: Funky Electric Piano & More!
Containing some of the most classic sounds in modern music, RealTracks Set 191 incorporates classic rock and funk
rhythms into one of our most groovin’ RealTracks sets yet! The set revolves around 3 electric piano RealTracks,
performed by Nashville great John Jarvis. One uses a vintage sound used frequently in the ‘60s, but which is still in
common use today, and two use a percussive, funky electric clav sound. These RealTracks are then supported by 3
new RealTracks styles, 2 electric basses, and one electric guitar. And, they also work beautifully with many of our
previously release RealTracks styles. Each RealTrack is equipped with “RealCharts,” which means you can see
exactly what is being played as you hear it. This can be in standard notation, or for the guitars and bass you can see

Appendix A: RealTracks Sets 555

it in TAB or on the on-screen fretboards, and for the piano, you can see it on the on-screen piano keyboard. You can
even easily distinguish the left and right-hand parts, as they’re displayed in different colors! Whether you’re
interested in learning the parts, having them add color to your song, or just listen and enjoy, RealTracks Set 191 has
something for everyone!
RealTracks Set 192: Dance: GirlPop, 90s & More!
Once we hit 88 miles per hour, we will be back to the 80’s with RealTracks set 192! This set includes a variety of
synth and acoustic piano styles to add to any of your pop songs. The tempos have a wide range from 85bpm to
140bpm all playing even grooves. There is even a new RealDrums set included: SynthDrumsBubblegum! All of the
styles in this set work well together, but also work great as individual add-ons for other pop, dance, rock, or even
country styles. Each style has MIDI RealCharts included so there are endless possibilities of changing the sound
through your favorite synthesizers or sample banks.
RealTracks Set 193: Dance: Disco & More!
If you are ready to dance, rock, disco, and then dance some more then RealTracks Set 193 is for you! This set
includes a variety of synth RealTracks that can be mixed and matched in many ways. The foundation of this set is
the different bass and drums styles that really deliver the Disco and DanceRock grooves. Then you can add to these
with all kinds of synth styles including electric piano, saw-tooth leads, synth-guitar, Shakuhachi and more. All of
these styles work well on their own but are open to endless possibilities for adding effects or even playing the
included RealChart versions (MIDI) through your favorite synthesizers or sample banks. All of these styles were
recorded at an even 120bpm, which means they also work great with any previously released synth RealTracks such
as the Modern Dance Pop or EuroDance collections.
RealTracks Set 194: Jazz Poll Winners 1 - Great Saxes: Phil Woods & Gary Smulyan
RealTracks Set 194 brings Band-in-a-Box jazz soloists to the next level, with jazz legends Phil Woods & Gary
Smulyan. Phil Woods is universally regarded as one of the greatest alto sax players of our time. With over 25 wins
for best alto player in Downbeat magazine’s critic’s poll, you know this isn’t an understatement. In addition to his
jazz pedigree, Phil is also known worldwide as the player of the iconic sax lines & solo in Billy Joel’s “Just the Way
You Are.” Gary Smulyan has also won the critics poll for best baritone sax player many times, and has also won
many other accolades, such as the baritone saxophonist of the year award in the Jazz Journalists Association, and the
baritone saxophonist of the year award in Jazzit Magazine, among many others. And now you can have these world-
class players soloing over your own Band-in-a-Box creations! Enter any chord progression into Band-in-a-Box, and
these cats will solo over it! There are 3 RealTracks styles, including bossas and jazz swing styles, and each of those
has several options, including double-time playing over slower tempos, and “bluesy” variations. There is over 7
hours of unique recorded material, which makes these ideal for a lifetime of learning from the masters. These styles
have accurate RealCharts, which means that even though you are listening to high-quality audio recordings of these
musicians, Band-in-a-Box is able to display the notes as they’re playing them, both in notation and on the on-screen
piano keyboard. This makes these indispensable tools for any music student. You can slow the playing down, speed
it up, and loop it, making it all the more accessible for learning. These are great for any person wanting to develop
their improvising chops, regardless of their instrument. And, if you’re an alto or baritone player yourself, you can
have the notation display change from concert to Eb or Bb display with a single click of the mouse!
RealTracks Set 195: Jazz Poll Winners 2 - Pat Martino Guitar
PG Music is thrilled to present Pat Martino as one of the newest RealTracks artists. Pat has been a luminary in the
jazz world for over 50 years, being an inspiration to aspiring jazz guitarists, and winning countless jazz polls,
including Downbeat Magazine Reader Poll, Guitarist of the Year. And now you can have him playing over any
chord progression you enter into Band-in-a-Box! This set features Pat soloing in a fast jazz swing style, as well as a
medium bossa style. With the superior stretching features in Band-in-a-Box, these soloists can be used over a wide
tempo range. And not only that, but they can also be treated as “Double-Time” soloists, which means they can be
played over completely different slow bossa & swing rhythm sections. For the student of jazz guitar, this set is
indispensable. You can see every single note that Pat plays in accurate notation, TAB, and you can also watch the
notes fly by on the on-screen guitar fretboard. Too fast to learn? Band-in-a-Box can slow the audio down as much
as you like, so you can easily learn exactly what this master is playing. The tone of Pat’s guitar is smooth and
beautiful, but if you want to experiment with your own tone, you can pick the “direct input” (DI) version, in which
the audio was simultaneously recorded directly from Pat’s guitar, bypassing the amp and effects. You can then use
your own amp-modeling software to get your own unique tone.
RealTracks Set 196: Jazz Poll Winners 3 - Killer JazzSwing Rhythm Sections
In RealTracks Set 196 you get an incredible collection of Jazz “Poll Winners” with 9 RealTracks and 3 RealDrums
with 6 variations. The first style includes Acoustic Bass Jazz Ballad, played by “Jazz Poll Winner” Ron Carter.

556 Appendix A: RealTracks Sets

Here Ron plays an impressive swing jazz ballad with a classic acoustic bass tone. This RealTrack also includes
RealCharts so you can follow along with exactly what Ron is playing. Also included in the first style is Acoustic
Piano Jazz Swing Slow, from “Jazz Poll Winner” Kenny Barron. Kenny Barron plays a subtle swing style which is
excellent accompaniment to Ron Carters bass. You can also watch exactly what Kenny Barron is playing in the
RealCharts. Completing the Trio of Jazz Poll Winners is Lewis Nash playing Jazz Swing Drums. Lewis Nash plays
3 styles of Jazz Swing Drums which are combined in to 6 variations. Also included in this set is the medium jazz
swing style. Ron Carter plays a swinging acoustic bass, which includes an A section and a B section, in this style.
The A section plays in 2’s and the B section plays a walking bass pattern. The piano, from Kenny Barron, in this
style plays a laid-back swing consisting of half notes and quarter notes. The RealDrums in this style are by Lewis
Nash. He plays a Jazz swing style with a wide tempo range and lots of variations. The final style in this set is a Fast
Jazz Swing style which includes Fast Swing acoustic piano from Kenny Barron and Lewis Nash RealDrums.
Together these instruments create a tight, fast rhythm section which can be paired with existing fast solos. All of the
RealTracks in set 196 have RealCharts to view the exact notation of the playing, and the styles are great rhythm
sections that you can add your own solo or a solo from a different RealTrack. If you’d like the chance to play with
Ron Carter, Kenny Barron and Lewis Nash anytime you’d like and have them on call at the click of a button, then
are sure to check out RealTracks Set 196.
RealTracks Set 197: Jazz Poll Winners 4 - Killer Bossa Rhythm Sections!
RealTracks set 197 continues our “poll winners” collection with more great rhythm section styles from master pianist
Kenny Barron, legendary bassist Ron Carter, and the jazz drummer Lewis Nash. This set is all Bossa Novas, with a
medium bass groove, two options for piano (medium & slow bossas), and a RealDrums set that features 5 tempos
and multiple variations, which will cover a range of tempos from 50 to 250! Now you can practice your soloing with
these master musicians backing you up! Or, you can learn from them by viewing what they’re playing in notation or
on the on-screen fretboard (for the bass) or big piano. You can also pair this with soloists from other sets, including
Phil Woods alto sax & Gary Smulyan baritone sax from RealTracks Set 194! Any chord progression you enter into
Band-in-a-Box can be played by this killer combo, so get ready to be inspired!
RealTracks Set 198: Jazz Electric Piano
RealTracks set 198 offers a collection of electric piano RealTracks that will add a modern edge to your traditional
Jazz combo. The set is comprised of two Bossa styles, two classic Jazz styles, a slow Jazz Ballad style, and a
medium tempo Jazz Waltz style for a total of six styles. They all feature Vancouver piano virtuoso Miles Black, and
each one uses sophisticated voicings and rhythms, without being too busy. And each one also has a ‘simple’
variation, which can be selected to make the style even more basic, if that’s what your Band-in-a-Box song demands.
The precise notation for these styles makes it a great learning tool. You can print out the lead-sheet, or follow along
with the on-screen notation, or view what’s being played on the on-screen piano keyboard.
RealTracks Set 199: JazzPop Piano
Full of skillfully executed rhythm tracks, RealTracks Set 199 - JazzPop Piano is a combination of laid-back styles
and exciting jazz rock, perfect for your next composition. With a combination of 8 electric and acoustic piano
RealTracks included in set 198, there is a large spectrum of playing styles covered. There are EZ Listening acoustic
pianos, created to cover both Jazz and Pop chord progression. The electric vintage piano plays a relaxed style with a
warm electric piano tone. The JazzRock electric piano plays an upbeat part, and JazzySwinginPop provides a
bouncy electric piano for swing 8ths tunes. And, three of these grooves had separate ‘held’ versions recorded which
play simple held chords throughout, if that’s what your song demands. All of these RealTracks include RealCharts
which can be viewed in the notation window or on the on-screen piano keyboard. With a wide variety of feel, style,
and tone, RealTracks set 199 is ready to be your new go-to set of RealTracks when using Band-in-a-Box or
RealBand!
RealTracks Set 200: New Orleans - Swingin’ Pop
RealTracks Set 200 contains an energetic and unique of swingin’ country/pop styles with a New Orleans flair! It
includes a full killer RealTracks band of electric bass, electric guitar, piano & RealDrums. The groove is eclectic,
upbeat, and just a little bit funky. And these RealTracks are great for mixing and matching with our previously
released swing 8ths styles. If you listen to the audio demos, you will see we’ve used these RealTracks with a wide
variety of Band-in-a-Box soloists, from CountryBoogie guitar soloing to Dixieland clarinet soloing, so you know
they will be great for your swing 8ths tune, no matter the genre! Some of these RealTracks also have a ‘simple’
variation, which can be selected to make the style even more basic, if that’s what your Band-in-a-Box song demands.
And, the bass and guitar also include direct input (DI) versions, so you can create your own unique tone for the
instruments using amp modeling software. For music students, you can see exactly what’s being played in notation,
on the on-screen piano keyboard, or for guitar and bass, even in TAB or on the on-screen fretboards! If you’re
looking for a new sound with a touch of New Orleans spirit then look no further than RealTracks Set 200!

Appendix A: RealTracks Sets 557

RealTracks Set 201: Brent Mason Nylon & Electric
Known as “the most recorded guitarist in Nashville,” Brent Mason has become a favorite among Band-in-a-Box
users, and this critically acclaimed master is back with a whole new RealTracks Set! RealTracks Set 201 features
both electric and nylon guitar RealTracks, playing both swing and even grooves. The nylon RealTracks are
“background” styles which are melodic in nature, but are less busy, allowing for a singer or soloist to play over top.
The electric guitar styles really sing and are full of uplifting energy. All styles include accurate RealCharts that not
only allow you to see all the notes in notation & TAB, but also show you exactly how it was played on the guitar
fretboard. For students, this is an indispensable tool. You can also speed them up and slow them down, making
them extremely versatile, as they can be used over a very wide tempo range. The electric guitars use Brent Mason’s
signature tone, but they also have “direct input,” or “DI” versions. This is the dry signal that was recorded directly
from the guitar (before it went into his amp), which allows you to use guitar amp modeling software to get your own
killer tone!
RealTracks Set 202: Folk & Country Bouzouki
Ready to feel like you’re in a Pub in Ireland, drinking in the atmosphere which includes the bright shimmering sound
of the Bouzouki? You can with RealTracks set 201. In this set you get 9 RealTracks covering a wide variety of
styles, Celtic Slip Jig and Hornpipe, Country Waltz and Rock, all played by the multi-talented Quinn Bachand. You
will get some styles with an even feel, like Modern Country, Country Pop, Slow Pop, Rock, and Slow Waltz. Other
styles like Celtic Hornpipe and Celtic Slip Jig, Country Crossover and Country Swing are all played with a swing
feel. The Bouzouki has a distinct sound, a high tone, bright strings, and an acoustic timbre. When added to a song it
will certainly elicit a feeling of classic folk which can be used to give a composition a new, dynamic feel. Try some
of the styles created for this RealTrack set specifically or add single RealTracks to an existing song. With a unique
sound, the RealTracks in set 202 are versatile and ready to be played along with.
RealTracks Set 203: Country Waltz
With RealTracks Set 203 you get a wide variety of solo instruments playing a country waltz style. You get 4
Instruments in total in this RealTrack set with 7 variations. First you get the Fiddle Soloist by Andy Leftwich,
playing a laid- back waltz groove which combine eighth note and triplet runs into an amazing RealTrack. You can
also select the Bluesy variation which will treat all chords as if they were 7th chords. Next in this set is the
Resonator Guitar played skilfully by Rock Ickes. With shimmering slides and expertly played riffs, the Resonator
Guitar soloist sounds great when backed by other waltz RealTracks. You can also choose a Bluesy variation for the
Resonator Guitar. The Mandolin Waltz Soloist is also played by Andy Leftwich, combining simple eighth note
phrases with melodic passages; the waltz mandolin is perfect for a Country or Bluegrass tune. The Mandolin
includes a Bluesy variation which treats all chords as if they were 7th. The Acoustic Piano Waltz Solo by John
Jarvis also sounds amazing when backed by waltz country RealTracks. This RealTrack also includes a Bluesy
variation. The final RealTrack in this set is the Rhythm piano. This Rhythm piano can be accompanying any of the
solos in this set and can be combined with other waltz RealTracks to make an amazing composition. With all the
variations available in RealTracks set 203, you won’t be searching long when you need to add a solo to your next
country waltz song.
RealTracks Set 204: Country Shuffle
With four different instruments and a total of 13 RealTrack available, RealTrack set 203 is packed full of country
solos, plus a killer swinging rhythm piano from John Jarvis. The Fiddle, played by Nashville fiddle star Rob
Hajacos, plays a country shuffle solo with elegant melodic phrases which, when combined with other country
RealTracks, creates a classic country sound. The fiddle can also be used as a “Double-Time” track which treats the
style as “Double-Time” at half the tempo. A “bluesy” variation is also available which allows for b7 notes in the
melody to be played on major chords. The Mandolin Soloist Country Shuffle can also be used as a “Double-Time”
and a “bluesy” variation. The Mandolin plays eighth note phrases with triplets added at times. The Resonator Guitar
has a classic country sound and will add a shimmering solo over any medium tempo song. The Resonator soloist
also includes a ‘Double’-Time’ and “bluesy” variation. The two final acoustic piano RealTracks are played by
accomplished pianist, John Jarvis. One RealTrack is a soloist with the “Double-Time” and “bluesy” option; the
other is a Rhythm track. Both RealTracks have a classic acoustic piano sound, combined with one of the best rock
piano players; create a ‘must-have’ set of RealTracks. All RealTracks also include notation so you can watch on the
staff, or the piano, what the performer is actually playing. The variety and high level of RealTracks in set 204 make
this an amazing collection!
RealTracks Set 205: Country Award Winners ‐ Mandolin (Andy), Piano (John), & Resonator Guitar (Rob)
RealTracks Set 205 brings some of the best award-winning Nashville musicians to Band-in-a-Box! This set features
Rob Ickes, 11-time winner of the Bluegrass Music association’s Dobro Player of the Year award, John Jarvis, who
has won CMA & ACM awards for his unparalleled piano playing and songwriting, and Andy Leftwich, member of

558 Appendix A: RealTracks Sets

the Grammy-winning instrumental group Kentucky Thunder. And now you can have these stellar musicians playing
on your own Band-in-a-Box creations! This set features laid-back ballads, slow 12-8 grooves, as well as some faster,
up-tempo solos. There are 6 styles, 5 soloists, and one rhythm piano track, and all of them blend in beautifully with
our previously released RealTracks, or the built-in MIDI styles. All of the RealTracks in this set have RealCharts
included. This allows the user to follow along with the notes on the screen in notation, or on the on-screen piano
keyboard. The world-class playing is an excellent addition to your Band-in-a-Box collection, whether you’re using
the parts in your own creations, or studying these masters to learn their style!
RealTracks Set 206: Classical String Quartet
Have you ever dreamed of adding a string quartet to your Band-in-a-Box mix? Well now you can, with RealTracks
Set 206: Classical String Quartet. This set offers an extremely versatile and full-sounding string ensemble with
cello, two violins, and a viola. You can add the entire quartet as one RealTracks style with or without reverb, or you
can add any one of the instruments exclusively. Because of the subdued yet pleasantly melodic phrasing, you will
find this RealTracks set handy for anything from Country Ballads to Pop Ballads to movie soundtracks or even
orchestral arrangements. Every RealTracks style in this set has RealCharts with precise notation. If you would like
to hear something new and unique to Band-in-a-Box, be sure to give this set a listen!
RealTracks Set 207: Funky Horns
This Set includes five horn section RealTracks that will wow you with their dynamic and articulate funk
arrangements. They are all incredibly versatile, adding depth to the mix of any even-feel pop, funk, soul, or bossa
song, or try them with other musical styles for something new and unique. The player uses a tastefully-spaced
combination of shots and harmonized melodies, leaving adequate space between notes for other melodic instruments
or vocals. This is especially true with the (Simple) and (Simple with Space) variations. All of these styles come
complete with RealCharts with accurate notation for learning, teaching, and sharing your arrangements.
RealTracks Set 208: Rockabilly Set 1 – Fifties Rock and Roll!
You'll be doing the twist when you hear this Rock 'n' Roll ensemble at work. Set 208 includes a full rhythm section
with electric guitar, acoustic piano, acoustic bass, and drums played by outstanding musicians like Nashville legends
Brent Mason and Kevin McKendree. The guitar plays steady eighth notes, the piano plays classic Rock 'n' Roll licks
in the right hand and keeps time in the left, the acoustic bass arpeggiates with a quarter-note rhythm, and the drums
keep a basic alternating kick/snare rhythm with airy and present cymbals. For added versatility, try mix-and-
matching these RealTracks styles with other even-feel rock and blues RealTracks. All of these styles come with
RealCharts. The bass and guitar styles also come with guitar tab. Kick out that piano bench and get ready to rock!
RealTracks Set 209: Rockin’ Blues Baritone Sax with Gary Smulyan
Featuring the full-toned and sultry playing of Gary Smulyan, these baritone saxophones will rock your socks off in
more ways than one. In fact, the four included RealTracks styles cover a wide range of tempos from 60 to 165 beats
per minute. There are two background styles and two soloist styles. The background styles are melodic without being
intrusive, adding harmonic complexity to your songs without interfering with the leading instrument. The soloist
styles have tasteful melodies and licks that capture the essence of the ‘50s perfectly. Try these saxophones with rock,
blues, soul, jazz, and bossa styles for a perfect fit or with other styles for something different. Do you want to learn,
teach, or share the baritone sax arrangements that you create? No problem, all of these styles come complete with
RealCharts.
RealTracks Set 210: Motown Uptempo R & B
If you want to give your arrangement a vintage vibe, look no further! This Motown ensemble captures the feel of the
early ‘70s with its tight rhythm and melodic piano riffs. Instruments include drums, electric bass, electric piano, and
electric guitar played by Kenneth Blevins, Steve Mackey, John Jarvis, and Rob McNelley respectively. The guitar
plays a combination of staccato strums and held chords while the bass plays a thumping and syncopated eighth-note
rhythm. The electric piano hits almost every eighth note, using various melodies and interesting left and right-hand
alternations. You can view RealCharts for all of these styles including tablature for guitar and bass.
RealTracks Set 211: Motown Vintage Keys and More!
If you're looking for an alternative to acoustic piano, this set is for you. It includes two electric piano styles played by
John Jarvis at 85 and 120 beats per minute. The faster style has a hard-hitting swing feel with melodic chord
inversions and comes with bass and drums to complete the “funky triplets” ensemble. The slower style has a 12/8
time signature and will blend perfectly with your existing blues songs. Both of these piano styles can also add new
life to your existing swing-feel rock, R&B, soul, and pop songs, or try them with a jazz song for something
completely different. All of these styles come with notation data for learning, teaching, and sharing your
composition. The bass also includes guitar tab.

Appendix A: RealTracks Sets 559

RealTracks Set 212: World Synths
Including a total of six synthesizer RealTracks, this set is like a songwriting toolkit. It contains compelling sounds
from around the world that can be used with a variety of musical styles, from ‘60s British pop to heavy ‘80s rock.
The styles range in tempo from 85 to 120 beats per minute and all have an even subdivision. The synthesized
instruments include bass, koto, shakuhachi, flute, and two up-front leads. Transcription data is included with all of
these styles and is viewable in the notation and lead sheet windows.
RealTracks Set 213: Pop and Country, Piano and Strings
Set 213 is a treasure chest of soothing and subdued piano and strings sounds performed by John Jarvis and Miles
Black. The CelticAir and CelticWaltz pianos will fit perfectly with our existing Celtic sounds, adding new sonic
depth and melodic complexity to your mix. The TexasBluesRockJohn and Blues12-8John pianos work great with
many of our existing blues RealTracks. Completing the package are three strings styles that will add new feeling to
your pop and country songs. You can learn, teach, or share notation for all of these styles thanks to the included
RealCharts.
RealTracks Set 214: Jazz Pollwinners 5 – Killer JazzWaltz Piano, Bass & Drums
The fifth set in our Jazz Pollwinners collection includes eight Waltz RealTracks styles performed on bass (Ron
Carter) and piano (Kenny Barron). Jazz waltz RealDrums by Lewis Nash are also included, with a wide tempo range
of 50 to 200 beats per minute. The RealTracks instruments come in two different tempos, a medium jazz swing at
140 beats per minute and a jazz ballad at 85. Each of these tempos includes one rhythm piano and three acoustic
basses - a held style, a walking style, and a combined style. The piano styles have rich chord voicings coupled with
gentle melodies and will blend with any jazz combo. The bass styles have a pronounced yet bouncy attack and a
sensibly minimal amount of embellishment. All of these styles come complete with RealCharts notation.
RealTracks Set 215: Jazz Pollwinners 6 – Sax & Guitar Soloing, Ballads & Bossas
For the sixth installment in our Jazz Pollwinners collection, we have included tons of world-class jazz and bossa
solos performed by Mike Moreno, Phil Woods, Gary Smulyan, and Eric Alexander on electric guitar and saxophone.
Mike's electric guitar playing is relaxing yet deliberate, often sticking to a syncopated eighth-note subdivision with
well-placed grace notes. A total of five saxophones are present, including one alto, one baritone, and three tenors.
You will have a saxophone soloist available for anything from rainy-day smooth jazz to enthusiastic medium-tempo
bossa. RealCharts are available for all of these styles and tablature is available for the guitars.
RealTracks Set 216: Jazz Pollwinners 7 – Swingin’ Sax & Guitar Soloing
More great solos by Mike Moreno, Gary Smulyan, and Eric Alexander are included in Jazz Pollwinners 7. There are
two electric guitar soloists, two baritone sax soloists, and two tenor sax soloists for a total of six styles. They are all
at a tempo of 140 with a swing feel, making them perfect for a medium jazz rhythm section. Each style has a double-
time alternative which will work great with your slower songs. Notation is included with all instruments and
tablature is also included with the guitars.
RealTracks Set 217: Jazz Pollwinners 8 – Jazz Waltz Sax Solos
Jazz waltz soloing at its finest! An invaluable collection of saxophone soloists awaits you in Jazz Pollwinners 8,
covering all of your medium-tempo jazz waltz soloing needs. Jazz pollwinners Phil Woods, Gary Smulyan, and Eric
Alexander are responsible for three new styles on alto, baritone, and tenor sax respectively. Two of these styles are
played at 140 beats per minute while one has a laid-back tempo of 110. All three of these styles have a different and
distinct flavor of jazz soloing. Phil's performance is playful and articulate as he experiments with variations of
patterns and runs. Gary offers melodic sensibility, well-placed accents, and seamless phrasing on his baritone. Eric
treats us with a breathy and gentle tone, performing soulful leads.
RealTracks Set 218: Rockabilly Set 2 – Jive!
This set includes a full rockabilly jive band playing so fast that you'll bet they're on fire! The band includes acoustic
bass by Dave Roe, electric guitar by Brent Mason, and acoustic piano by Kevin McKendree; Jive swing RealDrums
are also included. A “CustomFX” version of the Brent Mason guitar is available for those who prefer less echo. The
bass uses a rhythmic slapping sound on the offbeat, creating a strong rhythm and synchronizing with the RealDrums
ride cymbal. Notation is available for all instruments, with tablature for guitar and bass. This fast-playing rockabilly
jive band will surprise you!
RealTracks Set 219: Funky Folk & More!
Check out this eclectic combination of guitar, banjo, and synthesizers playing fast jazz and medium funk. The three
funk styles present a modern take on a classic sound with two synthesizers and a funky folk acoustic guitar. The
three gypsy folk instruments take a more traditional approach on rhythm acoustic guitar, soloist acoustic guitar, and
rhythm banjo. The guitar and banjo are performed by Victoria folk artist Quinn Bachand while the synthesizers are

560 Appendix A: RealTracks Sets

the work of renowned pianist Miles Black. The synthesizer and guitar RealTracks come with notation. Guitar
tablature is also available for the guitar styles. Give this amazing RealTracks set a listen!
RealTracks Set 220: Flute and Saxes with Jack Stafford
Jack Stafford gives us a prolific offering of jazz and bossa soloing on three instruments in this RealTracks set. There
are 8 styles in total: two on flute, five on soprano sax, and one on tenor. All of the 140 bpm instruments are available
as a double-time style in case you're feeling experimental. There are many different feels available too: even and
swing at 140 bpm, even at 85 bpm, and swung sixteenths on the down-tempo 75 bpm soprano sax style. Don't forget
to check out the details of your arrangement via RealCharts, which are available for all of these styles. Don't miss out
on this lovely collection of flute and saxophone soloists performed by Jack Stafford!
RealTracks Set 221: Rockabilly Set 3 - BoomChicka!
The third installment in our Rockabilly collection is a full band playing “Boom Chicka” style at a walking tempo of
100 beats per minute. Instruments include a slapped acoustic bass, clean electric guitar, acoustic piano, drums, and a
deep (yet twangy) baritone electric guitar. The parts are played by Brent Mason, Dave Roe, Maxwell Schauf and
Kevin McKendree. As a bonus, this set also comes with an extra RealDrums style playing with a swing feel. All of
the RealTracks in this set include notation data; the bass, baritone, and electric guitars all come with tablature.
RealTracks Set 222: Rockabilly Set 4 - Slow Swing
Here is another great set of rockabilly RealTracks styles performed by our all-star rockabilly band: Brent Mason,
Kevin McKendree, Maxwell Schauf and Dave Roe. This time the band plays at a slower tempo of 85 beats per
minute with a swing feel, however you can increase or decrease the tempo to your liking. Two basses are present,
one with slapping and one without. Other instruments include an acoustic piano, an electric guitar, and RealDrums.
The piano plays a simple single-note bass line in the left hand and classic licks and trills in the right hand. The
electric guitar strums chords with a basic swing rhythm and the occasional arpeggiated chord. Notation is included
with all of these styles, as well as tablature where applicable.
RealTracks Set 223: New Orleans Mardi Gras 16ths
Get ready for more classic sounds of New Orleans! This time they're in the form of an even-sixteenths “Mardi Gras”
band playing at 170 beats per minute by default. A double-time version of all of these styles is also included, playing
at 85 beats per minute. The syncopated accents are uniform across all instruments, creating a tight and cohesive
sound. The bass has a round yet punchy tone, the clean electric guitar keeps rhythm with a combination of staccato
chords and muted strums, and the piano plays a bright and busy pattern with licks and grace notes.
RealTracks Set 224: New Orleans Shuffle
This addition to our New Orleans RealTracks collection includes a full New Orleans shuffle band playing at a
moderate tempo with a swing feel. Steve Mackey plays electric bass, Rob McNelley is on guitar, Kenneth Blevins
hits the drums, and Kevin McKendree completes the band on piano. These RealTracks work perfectly with each
other or try them with your favorite blues styles too for something new! Direct input tracks are available for the bass
and electric guitar in case you would like to use your own custom tones. Every instrument in this set comes complete
with notation and the guitars have tablature.
RealTracks Set 225: Banjo, Guitar & Bass - Hip Folk
Quinn Bachand returns with more modern acoustic styles that will enhance your country, pop, and folk songs. This
set includes four RealTracks styles in total: two acoustic guitars and two banjos. The swung-sixteenths HipFolk
banjo and acoustic guitar fit together nicely and will compliment your other swung-sixteenth RealTracks very well.
In addition, there is an even-sixteenths banjo playing a melodic and consistent Celtic reel style, which will work
great with our existing Celtic RealTracks. Last but not least, a “FolkySwing” acoustic guitar plays at 110 beats per
minute with a swung-eighths feel, accenting the back beat and layering gentle melodies on top.
RealTracks Set 226: Requested Country-Pop Drum Grooves
This set is a versatile collection of requested country-pop drum grooves performed by Kenneth Blevins. The
CountryPopBallad RealDrums only use cymbals and kick drum in the A substyle, omitting the snare. The B substyle
introduces the snare but keeps the rhythm simple. PopRockBasic focuses on the quarter notes in the A substyle using
the kick drum and hihat. The hihat switches to a sixteenth-note subdivision in the B substyle but the kick drum
remains the same. Finally, the TeenBeatUptempoEv16 drums play a cheery even-sixteenths pop pattern rich with
ghost notes on the snare in the A substyle and normal back-beat snare in the B substyle.
RealTracks Set 227: Brent Mason - Baritone Guitar and More!
Set 227 includes a huge selection of great guitar styles by Brent Mason! There are three distinct baritone styles that
each come with a “CustomFX” version. The “CustomFX” RealTracks styles offer a similar tone with fewer effects.
The set also includes a “PopDreamy” electric guitar with a CustomFX variant, and an acoustic nylon guitar

Appendix A: RealTracks Sets 561

performing a country waltz. A wide range of tempos are covered in this set, from 65 to 190 beats per minute. The
baritone guitars have a deep but biting tone and sometimes use classic effects like tremolo and reverb. RealCharts
and guitar tab are included with almost all of these styles.
RealTracks Set 228: Modern Pop with Zane Carney
Zane Carney, guitarist for John Mayer, lends his hand to creating four new, exciting, electric guitar RealTracks! The
first is a Modern Pop style played with a Swing 16 feel. This guitar has a slight overdrive added to give a little
crunch to the tone; the style is a ballad with a combination of bar chords and melodic phrases with double stops. The
next RealTrack has a similar sound and tempo, but this time the feel is Even 16ths. The third RealTrack is a slightly
faster Modern Pop Swing that really showcases Zane Carney’s style. He combines chording with muted hits and
simple melodic riffs to create a one of a kind RealTrack. Finally, we have an upbeat Modern Pop Even 16 RealTrack
at a medium tempo. This RealTrack is played higher up on the fretboard of the guitar, and is a combination of
chording, muted playing, and simple riffs. All of these RealTracks have notation available which can be viewed in
the Notation window. Also, you can select a Direct Input (DI) version and a simple option in the RealTracks picker.
All of these Modern Pop RealTracks sound amazing when combined with other RealTracks; try them today and
you'll be blown away!
RealTracks Set 229: Great Pop Drums and Percussion
RealTracks Set 229 is an amazing set of 12 Pop RealDrums and Percussion instruments included all in one
RealTracks Set. All of the drums played in this set are stripped down, no full kits here, just the single instrument!
There are 4 different brushes styles including: EZ Swing, EZ Swing Swirl, Pop 8ths, and Pop 8ths Swirl. These
brushes are played on a snare drum with no other accompaniment added. There are 2 different shaker RealDrums:
one playing an even 8ths style and the other playing a swing 8ths style. The final 6 tambourine styles include and
even 16 and an even 8ths, a Pop 8ths and Pop swing and a swing 8ths and swing 16. These percussion RealDrums
can be added to a 'break down' of a song or played through the whole song. All of these RealDrums may be stripped
down, but with so many different styles and feels there is no doubt that they can find their way into your next song.
RealTracks Set 230: Surf Rock!
There is an amazing collection of Surf Rock RealTracks and RealDrums in RealTracks Set 230! There are 2 Surf
Rock electric guitars, one a rhythm guitar the other a soloist, played by session master Brent Mason. There are also 2
electric bass guitars, one playing a vintage syncopated Surf Rock style, and the other playing an even 8ths Surf Rock
style. You can view the notation for each of these RealTracks in the notation window or select a simple option in the
RealTracks picker. There are also Direct Input (DI) versions of these RealTracks available. There are 6 separate Surf
Rock RealDrums included in this set. The first style plays a double snare on beat 2 and the second style plays a
double on beat 4. There is an ‘island’ style and a 'liquor' style. There is also a style that accents the off beats and
another style that includes just the Toms playing blistering fast. All 6 of these Surf Rock RealDrums and the 4 Surf
Rock RealTracks are included in RealTracks Set 230 so you can start having fun creating your own Surf Rock songs
with a Surf Rock band!
RealTracks Set 231: Retro Synths and Modern R 'n' B
With this RealTracks Set you get an amazing sonic combination of Retro and Modern R 'n' B Synthesizers as well as
electronic RealDrums. The first RealTrack is a Retro Pop Synth Bass playing with an even 16 feel at a slow tempo.
The next RealTrack is an R 'n' B Modern Sub bass played at a slow tempo with an even 16 feel. The third RealTrack
bass is an up-tempo version of the R 'n' B Sub bass. The first Synth RealTrack is a Pop Bells style at a medium
tempo with an even feel. The final synth RealTrack in this set is a medium tempo even 16 muted melody. All of
these RealTracks include RealCharts which can be viewed in the notation window. The 2 RealDrums in this set are a
Retro Pop and Modern R 'n' B. Both of these RealDrums have an even feel and can be used in combination with any
of the RealTracks in this set or any other RealTracks set. With a modern set of RealTracks and RealDrums,
RealTracks Set 231 provides you with a dance party at the press of a button, you'll have no option but to have fun!
RealTracks Set 232: Pop String Quartets
In RealTracks Set 232 includes an amazing String Quartet RealTrack Set made up of two different String Quartet
mixes as well as the 4 individual instruments of the string quartet as background styles, all playing with a pop swing
feel. In the String Quartet Chamber RealTrack you get a combination of 4 single RealTrack instruments, Cello,
Viola, High Violin and Low Violin. The ‘Chamber’ style of the Quartet the mix has less reverb so the sound
replicates hearing a string quartet in a small Chamber. Also available is a ‘Hall’ mix of the String Quartet which has
a more expansive sound with more reverb. There is a simple arrangement available in the RealTracks picker for these
styles; also included is the background Cello. The low register and warm tone of the Cello make it a great
background track to add a composition. The Viola is lower in the register than a Violin so it has a warmer tone when
compared with a Violin. The background Viola plays a combination of quarter notes and eighth notes with some

562 Appendix A: RealTracks Sets

notes drawn out. The Violin High RealTrack has a higher tone and plays combinations of quarter notes and eighth
notes. The final RealTrack in this set is the Low Violin. Playing in the lower register on the violin, this RealTrack
would make a great background track to an existing pop swing composition. All of these RealTracks in this set have
notation available in the notation window. With RealTracks Set 232 you get the ability to control a whole String
Quartet and use the warm classical sounds any way that you like.
RealTracks Set 233: New Age Piano and More
In RealTracks Set 233 there is a combination of acoustic New Age pianos and acoustic and electric pianos playing
Held Chords and backing String RealTracks. The first 6 RealTracks are all Held acoustic and electric pianos with a
wide tempo range. These RealTracks can be used in swing and even styles as they are just long held chords. The first
String RealTrack is a Celtic air, slow, even style. The second one is a Celtic Waltz even medium tempo style. The
acoustic piano RealTracks include a New Age Fast Ostinato style with an Even 16 feel, a New Age Alberti Moody
RealTrack with an even feel and medium fast tempo, a New Age Alberti Pretty style with an even feel at a medium
tempo and an even 16 New Age Answers at a medium tempo. All of these RealTracks have notation available to
view in the notation window and the Strings and New Age RealTracks have simple versions which can be accessed
in the RealTracks picker. With the Held Piano chords and unique styles of New Age music found in RealTracks Set
233, you are sure to enjoy these RealTracks when you add them to your creative process.
RealTracks Set 234: Acoustic Bass, Back to Basics
In RealTracks Set 234 you will find a wide range of Acoustic Bass Held RealTracks. There are 8 bowed acoustic
bass RealTracks playing from a ballad tempo to a medium tempo with either a slight swing feel or an even feel. A
bowed acoustic bass uses a bow across the bass strings, which allows the note to sustain for a longer time. There is
also a simple version RealTracks for each of these which is just a single note held for the entire time, without any
pickup before the chord change. The 8 acoustic bass held RealTracks are also a combination of swing and even feel
from a ballad to a medium tempo. These are played conventionally and also include a simple version of the
RealTrack which has any pickup before the held note removed. With over 16 separate RealTracks in Set 234 you
will definitely find an acoustic bass, regular or bowed, that can add a new sound to your latest composition or a
previous number that was missing that certain quality.
RealTracks Set 235: Punk!
It has finally happened! We have created a complete set that has all the RealTracks you could possibly need to create
your own Punk band, all in RealTracks Set 235! There are 3 different electric guitar RealTracks: one is a straight
ahead Punk rhythm style, the second is a muted Punk rhythm style, and the third is a Punk soloist style. All of these
RealTracks are played at a fast tempo. The electric bass guitar comes with 2 different sounds, a fuzz and a rock
sound. They both have A and B substyles, picked quarter notes, and picked 8th notes, which can be used separately
or within one single RealTrack, using the A and B part markers to change the RealTrack from quarter notes to 8th
notes. All of these RealTracks also include a Direct Input (DI) version and simple versions which can be selected
within the RealTracks picker. With the different combinations of RealTracks in Set 235 you can now perform Punk
music, safely, in your own home while wearing headphones.
RealTracks Set 236: Cocktail Jazz Horns!
In RealTracks Set 236 we have an incredible 9-Part Horn Section playing a Big-Band background swing style. Each
of the 9 instruments in the horn section are also available as separate RealTracks. The instruments in the horn section
include a flute, two alto saxes, two tenor saxes, three trumpets and a baritone sax, all playing a medium tempo swing
part in harmony. You can combine each individual RealTrack into your own grouping and create your own horn
section. All of these RealTracks have RealCharts which can be viewed in the notation or lead sheet window. Once
you hear the horn section in RealTracks set 236 you'll want to immediately start creating some classic Big Band
swing tunes!
RealTracks Set 237: Jon Herington Jazz-Rock Guitar
For the first time, Jon Herington lends his hand (and guitar) in creating some superb electric guitar Jazz Rock soloist
and rhythm RealTracks. With such an amazing guitar style and incredible tone, you will surely want to be adding
one of these 4 RealTracks to your next composition! The first RealTrack Jon Herrington plays is a Jazz Rock even
16 soloist style, at a medium-slow tempo with some gain added to the tone; the second RealTrack is more up tempo.
Played with an even feel, this soloist has gain added to its tone and can play with either Jazz songs or Rock songs.
The final soloist RealTrack is a swinging Jazz Rock shuffle with an upbeat feel playing at a medium tempo with a
little distortion added to the tone. The last RealTrack is a rhythm style played with an even feel at a medium tempo.
This clean sounding RealTrack can also play in both the Jazz and Rock genres. All of these RealTracks have exact
notation available which can be viewed in the notation window as well as a Direct Input (DI) version which you can

Appendix A: RealTracks Sets 563

access in the RealTracks picker. With 4 electric guitar RealTracks that stretch over Rock and Jazz, there are endless
songs that can only be strengthened with one of these amazing Jon Herrington RealTracks.
RealTracks Set 238: Danny Gottlieb Jazz Drums
We have all RealDrums in RealTracks Set 238 from the amazing drummer Danny Gottlieb. These Jazz and Fusion
RealDrums styles are played on a full kit, and each of them has an A section and a B section. The first two styles are
Jazz Swing styles, one with sticks and one using brushes. These RealDrums have a wide tempo range. The next two
RealDrums are up-tempo Bebop styles, one played with sticks, the other with brushes. These RealDrums are way up
there in tempo, so we hope you can keep up! Next, we have a Jazz Soul even style which has a medium to fast
tempo range. Also included is a Fusion Fast Latin which is an excellent style to have in the RealDrums collection.
The final RealDrum in this set is a slow Fusion with an even feel. All of these RealDrums are expertly performed by
the amazing Danny Gottlieb. Pick up RealTracks Set 238 today and play along with one of the greatest Jazz
drummers of our time!
RealTracks Set 239: Great Funk Bass with Alex Al
RealTracks Set 239 adds an amazing collection of electric bass Funk RealTracks from the amazing Alex Al to your
collection, ready to lay down the groove in your next song! The first electric bass is playing a Modern Slap Funk
with an even 16 feel at a medium tempo. The second bass is a Modern Disco style with an even feel played at a
medium tempo. The next RealTrack is a Classic Funk playing a Root Five style. The Root Five means the playing
starts on the root and moves to the fifth note of the chords scale. The next electric bass Funk RealTrack is a Soul
Funk swing style at a medium tempo. The final electric bass RealTrack in this set is an amazing even 16, up-tempo
Soul style. All the RealTracks in this set come with a simple version which can be selected in the RealTracks picker
and a Direct Input (DI) version which can also be selected in the RealTracks picker. You can also view the notation
for each RealTrack in the notation window. When you need to add a little Funk to the rhythm section of your next
composition be sure to reach for RealTracks set 239 for all your Funky bass needs.
RealTracks Set 240: Straight Ahead Funk!
RealTracks Set 240 includes an amazing collection of Funk RealTracks, including electric guitars, electric basses,
organ, electric piano, and drums! The first two RealTracks are a Funk Half Note Pulse and a Funk Half Note Pulse
Syncopated electric bass style both played at a medium tempo. The next three electric bass RealTracks are Funk
Pumping styles, one playing quarter notes, one playing 8th notes and one playing 16th notes - all with an even feel at
a medium tempo. Next, we have electric guitar wahwah with one a rhythm style, a single note background style, a
chording style, and another with just the sound of strings being scratched and effected with the wahwah. All of these
wahwah electric guitar styles have an even 16 feel and are at a medium tempo. The electric bass and electric guitar
RealTracks also include Direct Input (DI) versions which can be accessed in the RealTracks picker. The final two
RealTracks in this set are organ and electric piano tremolo, both playing with an even feel at a medium tempo. All of
the RealTracks in this Set, excluding the electric piano, include notation which can be viewed in the notation
window. Also included in Set 240 is a large collection of Funk RealDrums! The Funk RealDrum names include Half
Note Syncopated, Half Note Pulse, Half Note Pulse Tambourine, Funk16ths, Funk ‘70s Pop, Funk Disco, Funk
Georgia, Funk Upbeat, Funk Upbeat Tambourine, and Funk Syncopated Snare. With all of the instruments included
in RealTracks Set 240 you'll have no problem creating an amazing Funk band which can groove out with you
anytime you want.
RealTracks Set 241: Swingin' Funk!
RealTracks Set 241 adds a Swingin' Funk band with exciting new electric bass, electric guitar, organ, electric piano,
and Funk RealDrums to your library! The electric bass, electric guitar, organ, and electric piano are all playing a
swinging sixteenth Funk style at a medium tempo. The electric bass lays down a smooth groove while the electric
guitar adds a wahwah effect to the chords it plays in the middle of the fretboard. Both the electric bass and electric
guitar include Direct Input (DI) versions which can be selected in the RealTracks picker. The electric piano has a
warm, classic tone and the organ plays swirling held chords. All of the RealTracks include RealCharts which can be
viewed either in the notation or lead sheet window. The RealDrums are all swinging Funk, and include such styles as
Funk New Orleans, Funk Swing, Funk Swing Tambourine, Funk Swing 16, and an even 16 Funk style with a slight
swing. All of the RealTracks and RealDrums in Set 241 add up to one amazing swinging funk ensemble ready to
play whatever you have in mind!
RealTracks Set 242: Praise Break!
RealTracks Set 242 is powerful! This Set includes 7 different RealTracks and 3 different Drum styles. First you get a
basic electric bass that plays long held chords with a slight pick-up played before the chord change. Second is an
electric bass playing walking style on a 5-string bass. The third RealTrack combines these two separate RealTracks
into one RealTrack with the basic style playing the 'A' section and the walking style playing the 'B' section. Next is

564 Appendix A: RealTracks Sets

the Organ, with its awesome whirling sound at sharp attack with the right hand, and long held chords with the right.
The acoustic piano has two separate parts, a basic style with long held chords and soft melodic passages before the
chord change, and another where the attack is heavier - after the held chords there is a poppy transition to the next
chord. You can use these different pianos as individual RealTracks or you can use the RealTrack which has the basic
style in the 'A' section and the busier style in the 'B' section. The 3 different RealDrums are PraiseBreak,
PraiseBreakHat and Praise BreakHeavy. The first two have 5 substyles to choose from, and PraiseBreakHat has 6
substyles to select from. When all of these RealTracks are combined into a song it's like you're standing in a church
listening to one of the best bands you have ever heard lead you in an uplifting song that brings out the praise!
RealTracks Set 243: Blues Baritone and Resonator Guitars
With RealTracks Set 243 there are some amazing Baritone and Resonator guitars RealTracks playing some real low-
down blues. The first RealTrack is a baritone electric guitar playing a blues shuffle with a slow tempo; the baritone
guitar plays a bass part as well as blues licks at the same time. The second baritone guitar also plays bass and licks
together, but this time slightly faster with an even feel. Both baritone guitars have a Direct Input (DI) version
available in the RealTracks picker. The next guitar is a shining resonator guitar that plays an even feel blues based on
8th note phrases. The final RealTrack is another incredible resonator guitar, this time played with a funky swing 16
feel at a ballad tempo. You'll be sure to find the right RealTrack to take a previously made or a brand-new blues song
to the next level with RealTracks Set 243.
RealTracks Set 244: Jazz Background Horns with Jack Stafford
Looking for a smooth background Horn section playing either a ballad or a medium tempo swing from the super
talented Jack Stafford? RealTracks Set 244 is your answer! Both of the two-part horn sections included in this set are
made up of tenor and alto sax. The first RealTrack is a medium tempo horn section playing a background swing
style; the background refers to the fact that these styles are not busy and do not stick out in a song. They are nice
harmonies between the two saxophones and blend into the background of a song. The next RealTrack is a slow
ballad two-part horn section with a swing feel. The individual instruments in each of these horn section RealTracks
is also available as a RealTrack in the RealTracks picker. If you want to hear just a background ballad tenor or alto
you can select that RealTrack and add it to your song. Each of these RealTracks also includes RealCharts which can
be viewed in either the notation window or the lead sheet window. Try out RealTracks set 244 and you'll be adding a
swinging horn section to as many Jazz songs as you possibly can.
RealTracks Set 245: Brent Mason - Country Blues Rock and More
You'll find an amazing collection of electric guitar and baritone guitar rhythm and soloist Country Blues and Rock
styles all from the talented session great Brent Mason in RealTracks Set 245! The first two RealTracks are electric
guitar rhythm styles; one is played high up on the guitar fretboard, and the other is played in a more standard position
- together they make a powerful rhythm section! Add to this rhythm section a superb soloist playing a Country Blues
and Rock style and you have three talented guitarists playing along with your song. The soloist guitar has notation
available in the notation window. These three guitars have Direct Input (DI) options available in the RealTracks
picker. Also included in RealTracks Set 245 are two baritone electric guitars: one is a Pop Country style with an
even feel at a medium tempo and the other is a Country Workin' style with an even 16 feel at a slightly slower tempo.
Both of the Baritone guitars have Custom FX RealTracks that can be selected in the RealTracks picker. RealTracks
Set 245 offers some amazing playing from Brent Mason which you can enjoy when you create your next Country,
Rock, or Blues song!
RealTracks Set 246: Classic Country Piano with John Jarvis
RealTracks Set 246 includes four unique Country “Bent-Note” acoustic piano RealTrack from legendary player John
Jarvis. “Bent-Note” refers to the style of playing which frequently uses grace notes into the third of the chord, closely
as possible emulating the sound of a guitar bending notes. This style of playing was made popular by the great
Nashville pianists of the '50s & '60s and it's performed expertly by John Jarvis. The first RealTrack is an acoustic
piano Country ballad even style; this is a laid-back style which sounds amazing when combined with similar
RealTracks. The next three RealTracks are all Country “Bent-Note” swinging acoustic piano styles but at slightly
different tempos. The tempo range starts at a slow ballad but increases all the way up to a fast tempo. You can view
the RealCharts for all of the included acoustic piano RealTracks in the notation window or the lead sheet window.
These acoustic piano RealTracks all sound amazing when combined with other Country RealTracks and have a
playing style which has not been available before as a RealTrack. Choose RealTracks Set 246 today, and you can
have the amazing John Jarvis play your song while you sit at your computer!
RealTracks Set 247: Country Brushes and Percussion
RealTrack Set 247 is all RealDrums! A versatile selection of brushes, shakers, and tambourines laying down a
simple beat are included! There are four different brushes styles, all just a simple brushes and snare, no full kit used

Appendix A: RealTracks Sets 565

here! The first two styles are Boom Chick styles; one an even 16 style, the other a slow swing 16 style. The next two
brushes play a folk style; one an even 16th style, the other a swing style. All of the brushes styles include an A and B
section with separate grooves for each. These are great for laying down a simple rhythm track in a stripped-down
Folk song. Next, we have three shaker RealDrums: one a Celtic even 16 style, one a Folk even 16 style, and finally a
Folk swing 16 style. Also included are two tambourine styles: one a Celtic even 16 style, and another train even 16
style. All of these RealDrums can be used through an entire song or they also sound great when added to a
breakdown section of a song. With RealTracks Set 247 you get a wide range of sounds and grooves which you can
experiment with whenever you feel like creating your own sound!
RealTracks Set 248: Oberkrainer! Folk Music from the Alps
For the first time ever, we are bringing you Oberkrainer RealTracks! The Folk music of the Alps! The Oberkrainer
sound originated in Austria but since has moved to many different areas of the Alps where this unique style of music
is immensely enjoyed. The instruments included in this folk style of music include the accordion, acoustic guitar, and
a horn section made up of baritone horn, clarinet, and trumpet. The first seven RealTracks all have the same feel,
starting with accordions playing an “Old World 2 Beat” style, and an “Old World 2 Beat Held Plus” style. Next, we
have an acoustic guitar playing the “Old World 2 Beat” style; the horn section playing in this style can be selected as
a RealTrack with all three instruments at once or you can select the baritone horn, trumpet, or clarinet to play as a
single instrument track. All of these RealTracks are at a medium fast tempo and are played with an even 16 feel. The
next seven RealTracks are an “Old World Waltz” style and are played at a fast tempo. These instruments include two
accordions, one playing the style straight and one playing a held plus style. Also played in this style is an acoustic
guitar and a horn section of clarinet, baritone horn, and trumpet. This horn section can be played all together or each
instrument individually. When all of the separate instruments are combined into a classic Oberkrainer chord
progression you will be blown away by the accuracy of the sound and your ability to control your own band with
your keyboard and mouse.
RealTracks Set 249: Old Time Folk
RealTracks Set 249 includes some down home “Old Time” Folk RealTracks like the banjo, acoustic guitar, and
fiddle. These RealTracks sound amazing when combined in a song and some of them, like the acoustic guitar “Folk
Sorrow,” stand out on their own. The first RealTrack is the banjo clawhammer playing and even 16 “Old Time” style
at a medium tempo; the clawhammer refers to a unique style of picking used on the banjo. Also included are three
acoustic guitars, one a “Groovin' Folk” swing 16 style, another an even 16 “Old Time” style, and then the “Folk
Sorrow” style also with an even 16 feel. The final RealTrack is a soloist fiddle playing a Celtic Reel style with an
even 16 feel at a medium tempo. All three of the acoustic guitars and the fiddle have RealCharts available which will
show you the exact notation for each RealTrack. You can view the notation in the notation window or the lead sheet
window or see what is being played on the guitar in the guitar window. RealTracks Set 249 has such a variety of
instruments and grooves, there is no doubt that you'll be having hours of fun creating your own “Old Time” Folk
songs!
RealTracks Set 250: Rockabilly Swing
With RealTracks Set 250 we offer a swinging Rockabilly electric guitar, acoustic piano, and drums like you have
never heard before! The electric guitar is a rhythm style from the amazing session artist Brent Mason. It’s an up-
tempo swinging Rockabilly style with a classic Rockabilly tone, echo and reverb, with some amazing licks played as
well. The acoustic piano plays a swinging Rockabilly style with lots of classic Rockabilly phrases of 8th notes and
triplets. You can see the RealCharts for these RealTracks in the notation or lead sheet window. You can also watch
what’s being played on the piano in the Piano Window and see the guitar on the fretboard in the Guitar Window. The
RealDrums in this set are playing a swinging BoomChicha style which fits perfectly with the RealTracks in this set.
There are six RealDrums variation made into 15 different substyles to choose from in the RealDrums picker. Get
ready to use RealTracks Set 250 to create some vintage sounding songs in a Rockabilly style!
RealTracks Set 251: Traditional Celtic Percussion
RealTracks Set 251 is all RealDrums! That's right… an entire set of RealDrums playing all traditional Celtic
percussion utilizing the bodhran and the spoons! Each RealDrums groove is included on both bodhran and spoons.
These include the Polka, Slide, Reel, Slow Reel, Jig, HornPipe and Slip Jig. Each of these styles of music has its own
unique feel, like the Polka which is a two-beat style, or the Slide which is in 12/8 time. Try combining these
RealDrums with other Celtic RealTracks and you will have your own Celtic group before you know it! If you want
to create some traditional Celtic music and you need your own personal rhythm section, look no further than
RealTracks Set 251.
RealTracks Set 252: Modern Country Pedal Steel
RealTracks Set 252 includes an amazing assortment of Pedal Steel playing a variety of Modern Country background

566 Appendix A: RealTracks Sets

styles. The first RealTrack in this set is a “Dreamy” even 16 pedal steel playing at a slow tempo. The next RealTrack
is a “Pop Country” style with an even feel at a medium tempo. Next, we offer a ballad “Atmosphere” pedal steel
played with an even 16 feel; A “Crossover” swing 16 pedal steel, which is at a medium to slow tempo, depending on
the other instruments you accompany with. The final RealTrack included is an up-tempo waltz style with a swing
feel. All of these RealTracks include RealCharts which can be viewed in the notation or lead sheet window. The
included Direct Input (DI) versions can be selected in the RealTracks picker. Since all of these pedal steel
RealTracks are “background” styles, they sound best when added to a song when another layer of sound is required
that won't distract from the overall song. Start experimenting with RealTracks Set 252 and you will truly be amazed
at the sound possibilities!
RealTracks Set 253: Country Fingerpicking with Joe Robinson
There is an incredible collection of acoustic guitar RealTracks by the amazingly talented Joe Robinson in RealTracks
Set 253! All of the different styles have a high and a regular performance, which are selected as separate RealTracks.
The first style is a slow swinging waltz acoustic guitar with a high and a regular RealTrack. The next style of playing
is a Nashville swing style at a medium slow tempo, both high and regular versions. Also included is a BoomChick
style that has an even 16 feel at a medium tempo and these also come in a high and regular. Finally, there is a slow
BoomChick swing style that has both a high and regular part; you can select “Simple” versions of the BoomChick
RealTracks in the RealTracks picker. This removes any embellishment from the playing when the RealTrack is
generated. All of these RealTracks include RealCharts which can be viewed in the notation window or the lead sheet
window. Plus, you can follow along on the fretboard in the guitar window. Joe Robinson is such a skilled guitar
player, and we are incredibly fortunate to capture his performances for RealTracks set 253!
RealTracks Set 254: 12-key Hi-Q-Tab Brent Guitar, 12-key Eddy Pedal Steel and 12-key Mike Piano
We are excited to introduce two new features in this RealTracks set - 12-key instrumentation and Hi-Q notation!
This one-of-a-kind set features the talents of Mike Rojas, Brent Mason, and Eddy Dunlap! 12-Key instrumentations
are recordings of all instruments in all twelve keys! This improves the quality of audio by removing the need to
transpose these RealTracks digitally. What you hear is exactly what was recorded in the studio! Hi-Q Notation offers
improved notation functionality for the Guitar and Pedal Steel RealTracks, which provides accurate transcriptions of
bends, slides, hammer-ons, pull-offs and more! This also allows transcriptions that are easier to read and learn!
Including Brent Mason on Guitar, Mike Rojas on Piano, and Eddy Dunlap on Pedal Steel, each suitable for any
genre! These Tracks also include Direct Input for both Guitar and Pedal Steel so you can sculpt your own tones! Add
this definitive set of RealTracks to your collection today!
RealTracks Set 255: Amazing Modern Pedal Steel
RealTracks Set 255 adds 4 new pedal steel RealTracks to your library, with exciting modern sounds! These
RealTracks will sooth your soul! With Eddy Dunlap performing on each RealTrack, this collection ranges from
warm, sunny sounds to cool breezy passages. There is a “dreamy” Country ballad, and a “George” style that will
mellow your mood, and a spacious and somber sounding RealTrack that's great for a relaxing day. Finally, we have
an upbeat jam with crunchy and crisp tones that is perfect for those long drives! These RealTracks contain many
slower riffs and long pedal steel passages, excellent for accompaniments! Each RealTrack was recorded with the
artists unique tone, but each one also has a “Direct Input” option, allowing you to create your own sound! Combine
these with other styles to get some incredible results!
RealTracks Set 256: Brent Mason Nylon Guitar
Named one of the “Top Ten Session Guitarists of All Time,” Brent Mason takes the spotlight on this RealTrack set!
Featuring warm tones and clean picking rhythms, this easy to listen to collection of nylon guitar will be a classic set
for years to come. Each RealTrack contains sweet picking tones to Classic Country riffs and more! There are 8
RealTracks included with this set, each each with their own unique playing style. The performances in RealTracks
Set 256 are diverse ranging from ballads, contemporary Country, and Waltz styles. Add Brent Mason to your
collection today!
RealTracks Set 257: A Taste of Peru
Straight from the streets of Peru, these ethnic Peruvian RealTracks styles are the worldly sounds you're looking for!
These RealTracks include a wide range of authentic instrumentation including ethnic percussions such as Cajon,
Cowbell, Quijada, and Castanets! his RealTracks set also features nylon, and bass guitars, played traditional Latin
American rhythms! Get your ticket and explore these new Peruvian sounds today!
RealTracks Set 258: Latin America
Take a trip to the island of Puerto Rico with this traditional Latin American RealTracks Set! These 9 RealTracks are
dedicated to exploring traditional Latin American music! A variety of styles are available from sweet 16th picking on
nylon guitar to genuine walking bass lines that will keep you tapping your toes! Featuring instruments like Maracas,

Appendix A: RealTracks Sets 567

Guiros, Chajchas, Charango, Bongos, and more! Add these authentic sounds to your RealTracks collection - Don’t
miss this fiesta!
RealTracks Set 259: Old Time and Celtic
Enjoy the hearty sounds of Celtic instrumentation with RealTracks Set 259! This includes 6 diverse RealTracks with
influences in Polka and Folk! The different rhythms include Ev16s, Swing, and Triplets shuffle. The tempos range
from slow ballad-type to galloping upbeat rhythms. This Celtic RealTracks set also includes acoustic guitars, piano,
and even an auto harp! Be sure to add this to your collection today!
RealTracks Set 260: Celtic Harp
Become entranced listening to thecaptivating, and magical serenades of Sharlene Wallace, one of Canada’s most
influential harpists! You'll lose yourself in the symphonic melodies of the Celtic styles, Waltzes, even 16ths, and
classic jigs in this elegant RealTracks set. Add this golden award-winning harpist to your RealTracks collection
today!
RealTracks Set 261: Sounds of Hawaii
Aloha! Discover paradise with the Hawaiian sounds of RealTracks Set 261! This collection of Hawaiian swing
RealTracks features traditional ukelele and pedal steel, which are perfect for that laid-back island vibe. The pedal
steel also comes with a Direct Input option so you can create your own tones! Sit back with the soothing Sounds of
Hawaii!
RealTracks Set 262: Great Country Drums with Shannon Forrest
Add the sound of one of Nashville's finest session drummers to your studio! If you listen to country radio, there’s a
good chance you've heard of drummer, Shannon Forrest. Shannon has built a reputation as a session ace and is
constantly in demand by chart-topping artists! This exclusive set includes five RealTracks in various rhythms
including driving pop 8ths, modern styles, pop 16ths, and more! Add Shannon Forrest to your collection today and
get access to one of the best session drummers in the industry!
RealTracks Set 263: Songwriter's Guitar and Cello Toolkit
Looking to add more variety to your collection? Look no further! The Songwriters Guitar and Cello Toolkit is here!
This versatile set offers eleven new RealTracks including rhythms, backgrounds, finger-picking, resonators, and even
a soloist! The diversity of this RealTracks set is phenomenal for any genre including Classical, Folk, Soft-rock and
more! Get inspired, pick up your copy of this incredibly well-rounded collection today!
RealTracks Set 264: Crooner Bossa Big Band!
Our popular Crooner styles are back and are included in RealTracks Set 264! These smooth background Bossa
RealTracks help set the mood for a sophisticated evening. This includes a stylish variety of elegant Jazz horns
including tenor, alto, baritone, muted trumpets and more! RealTracks set 264 is played with an Even feel style.
Shaken or stirred, get these Classy Crooner Bossa Horns in your collection!
RealTracks Set 265: Crooner Ballad Big Band!
Crooner styles are back by popular demand in RealTracks Set 265! This Big Band Ballad influenced set will soothe
your soul. Included are a grand range of smooth horns such as alto saxophone, flugel horns, tenor saxophone,
trumpets, and more! Float away with all twelve tracks, each of them played in traditional Jazz swing. RealTracks Set
265 is excellent for any project, listen to our demos and find out for yourself!
RealTracks Set 266: Jazz & Funk Potpourri
RealTracks Set 266 features a wide variety of great jazzy & funky RealTracks. It includes such diverse RealTracks
as jazz waltz soprano sax, rockabilly jive guitar soloing, and dixieland banjo! There are also exciting funk
RealDrums, and tango piano. And, to top it off we're including 2 “12-key” jazz guitar comping styles. These
RealTracks were recorded in all 12 keys, so there is no digital pitch shifting of the audio, which means the audio
quality will be pristine no matter what key your song is in!
RealTracks Set 267: More Blues: Blues with Brent and Mike
It's all about the Blues with RealTracks Set 267. What else would you expect when you put Brent Mason and Mike
Rojas in a room together? Brent solos over the Blues in every which way – he swings, he shuffles, he plays it
straight. Several of these RealTracks are in 12/8, and because of Brent and Mike's versatile playing, this means you
now have a huge variety of guitar solos at your fingertips, not to mention piano rhythm tracks that run the gamut
from gentle acoustic piano accompaniments to dirty and distorted organ licks. This is a huge set of fifteen
RealTracks – any Blues musician would do well to add these killer recordings into their collection.
RealTracks Set 268: Gypsy: Accordion, Piano, and Guitar
This is a set of wonderful Gypsy Jazz RealTracks in the modern tradition, with piano, nylon-string guitar, and
accordion all swapping between rhythm and lead duties. There's a set of world-class musicians here, with the likes of

568 Appendix A: RealTracks Sets

guitarist Quinn Bachand, pianist John Jarvis, and accordionist Cory Pesaturo all going to work. Lovers of Gypsy Jazz
will find much of interest here, with more sprightly runs and dimished-scale phrases than they can shake a stick at.
The six RealTracks in this set can be twisted and shaped into the user's most far-out Gypsy Jazz desires and leave
plenty of room for Reinhardt roleplaying as well!
RealTracks Set 269: Smooth Soul with Brent and Mike
Set 269 offers eight smooth RealTracks that feature the guitar playing of Brent Mason with Mike Rojas on keys.
These are some real slow burners that will please musicians who are trying to craft their own masterpieces. Mike and
Brent play in perfect unison, offsetting subtle wah guitar with a straight-ahead acoustic piano progression or ducking
around a driving organ riff with a classic single-coil rhythm guitar sound. Brent's solos here are exploratory and
rewarding and mix wonderfully with Mike's confident right-hand comping.
RealTracks Set 270: Modern Pop Waltz, 8ths, & 16ths with Zane Carney
This is an awesome set of feel-good guitar RealTracks played by the ever-impressive Zane Carney. If you're looking
for strong rhythm guitar tracks played at the same caliber that he gives to some of the greatest musicians in the
world, these Pop Waltz RealTracks are for you. A versatile set of both straight-ahead and swung 8th and 16th note
rhythms make this a must-have for Pop afficionados. Direct Input recordings of all the RealTracks in this set allow
you to control the tone – it's like having Zane Carney in your band!
RealTracks Set 271: House and More
Get the party started with Tropical House RealTracks Set 271! Featuring twelve RealTracks of synthesizer glory,
these upbeat nightlife sounds of Ibiza will keep you dancing all night long! Set 271 Includes synthesizer leads, bass
lines, piano, and organic percussion lines! All accompanied with a thumping kick drum designed to rumble the
room! Don’t miss out on this exciting set. All of these are in even time signatures and will combine well other
RealTracks - great for coming up with new ideas!
RealTracks Set 272: Rap and Hip Hop
RealTracks Set 272 offers twelve distinct RealTracks dedicated to Rap and Hip-Hop! These includes chest rattling
bass drums, sizzling hi-hats, cracking snares, earth shaking sub basses, synthesized strings, and more! Each of the
RealTracks are in common time and will work well with any RealTracks Sets you already have. Experiment with
these to come up with great new ideas! Don’t miss out!
RealTracks Set 273: Hard Rock Shuffle
This Hard Rock shuffle set is guaranteed to get you jamming in no time! RealTracks Set 273 is here bringing eleven
RealTracks of content filled with crunchy guitars, groovin’ rhythms and catchy riffs! This set includes medium
tempo to pedal to the metal RealTracks, influenced from British Hard-Rock, Punk, and more! RealTracks set 273
also supports Direct Input functionality giving you full control of the guitar tone! Ready to cruise the highway? Pick
up RealTracks Set 273 today!
RealTracks Set 274: Hard Rock Straight Ahead
Coming straight out of the jukebox, RealTracks Set 274: Hard Rock Straight Ahead is here! Includes fourteen (Yes
fourteen!) RealTracks of thrash guitar riffs, moving bass-lines, edgy guitars and expressive progressions. You won’t
want to miss out on this set. All the RealTracks are recorded in even time and the tempo ranges from mid to fast. All
influenced by 70s Rock, Grunge, and more! Listen to some of demos’ - you won’t be disappointed!
RealTracks Set 275: Retro 60s Drums
Bring back the classic 60s drum sound to your studio with RealTracks Set 275! Influenced by the classic rock era of
the 60s, set 275 brings a range of different rhythms, best suited for Surf Pop, Mo-Town, and Rock-n-Roll! It has both
even and swing feels, along with upbeat tempos throughout each of the RealTracks. This collection includes big bass
drums, popping snares, airy hi-hats, and sizzling’ tambourines! Great for any project involving percussion!
RealTracks Set 276: Pop Percussion
RealTracks Set 276 offers a wide variety of popular percussion instruments including Agogo bells, Bongos, Congas,
Tambourine and more! Most of the RealTracks in this set are played in even style, making it a great option to give
your percussion tracks the final touches it needs. Add these seven RealTracks to your library today!
RealTracks Set 277: Pop and Rock Drums with Shannon Forrest
Get access to one of the most accomplished session drummers from Nashville: Shannon Forrest! Set 277 includes
eleven RealTracks in a variety of drum styles from Pop Rock to Modern Pop Ballad. This is one set you do not want
to miss! The feels between each of the RealTracks are mixed between even and shuffle, making RealTracks Set 277
an excellent fit for any project that demands professional drumming!
RealTracks Set 278: Shiny Vocal Oohs & Aahs!
For the first time ever, you can generate backing vocals in Band-in-a-Box with amazing “oohs” and “aahs” vocal

Appendix A: RealTracks Sets 569

arrangements! Included with RealTrack Set 278: Shiny Vocals Oohs and Aahs, is a three-part, six-voice arrangement
– which you can use all together in your song or individually for more delicate textures! The male and female parts
were recorded by renowned Nashville vocalists David Wise and Shelly Justice. Check out some demos to discover
the possibilities!
RealTracks Set 279: Americana - Slow Groovin' 12-8 & 16ths
One of our most frequent requests has been authentic “Americana” styles, and with this new set, we’ve provided!
With RealTrack Set 279: Americana: Slow Groovin' 12-8 & 16ths you’ll find bass, guitar, and fiddle parts played by
authentic Americana artists – straight from the heart of Nashville! With this RealTrack Set, you’ll be able to create
tracks for your songs played by the incomparable Byron House, Brent Mason, Colin Linden, Andy Leftwich, and
Bryan Owings! With built-in RealCharts, you’ll be able to follow along with notation and guitar tab – an invaluable
learning tool for any musician!
RealTracks Set 280: Americana - Gritty Blues & Rockabilly Swing
Looking for a faster tempo Americana vibe with a throwback feel? RealTracks Set 280: Americana - Gritty Blues &
Rockabilly Swing is just what you need! This set features Nashville session musicians Byron House, Brent Mason,
Colin Linden, and Mike Rojas playing acoustic bass, electric guitar, piano, and drums for two complete bands! Want
to follow along with the pros? No problem - with the RealCharts notation and guitar tabs built into the tracks, it’s
never been easier!
RealTracks Set 281: More 12-key Hi-Q-Tab Brent Guitar, 12-key Eddy Pedal Steel, 12-key Mike Piano, and
12-key Byron Bass
With RealTracks Set 281 we’ve added to our 12-key collection of RealTracks with exciting new Guitar, Pedal Steel,
Electric Bass, and Piano styles! With many other RealTracks, they are not recorded in all 12 keys, but the missing
keys are provided with automated pitch shifting. With these 12-key RealTracks, they were recorded in all 12 keys.
This means that there will never be audio degradation from pitch shifting, and it also means that from a learning
perspective you can always be confident that what you’re hearing is exactly what the musician played. And, it
includes some of the world’s top session players, including Brent Mason on guitar, Eddy Dunlap on pedal steel,
Mike Rojas on piano, and Byron House on electric bass!
RealTracks Set 282: Country Songwriter - Guitar & Keys
Have lyrics scribbled down but still searching for the perfect country sound to create your song? In RealTracks Set
282: Country Songwriter - Guitar & Keys you’ll find the acoustic guitar, piano, and organ tracks you’ve been
dreaming of! With both swing 8ths and even 8ths styles recorded in a variety of tempos, Brent Mason (guitar) and
Mike Rojas (piano) have created the perfect rhythm tracks for any country blues or country folk song you can
imagine! Experiencing writers block? Have a listen to these RealTrack demos to find some inspiration!
RealTracks Set 283: Jelly-Roll Country Harmonica
The name says it all! Looking for an authentic and soulful harmonica background for your country song? RealTracks
Set 283: Jelly-Roll Country Harmonica includes six Kirk “Jelly Roll” Johnson harmonica RealTracks – recorded in
both even and swing feels and fast and slow tempos. Complete with built in RealCharts, you’ll be able to see
notation for the track and follow along as Jelly Roll Johnson plays his harmonica over any chord progression you
enter!
RealTracks Set 284: “Canadiana” Old Time Guitar, Banjo, and Foot Stompin'
Introducing the sounds of The True North, strong and free! RealTracks Set 284: “Canadiana” Old Time Guitar,
Banjo, and Foot Stompin' includes ten acoustic guitar, tenor banjo, and foot stomping drum tracks. Recorded with
Victoria, British Columbia talent, Quinn Bachand, these tracks are sure to bring you back to your childhood and get
you up on your feet!
RealTracks Set 285: Celtic Piano & Harp
Sit back and be transported to another time and place as you experience a blend of traditional Celtic jigs with a
modern, folky twist. RealTracks Set 285: Celtic Piano & Harp includes eight Celtic acoustic piano tracks by Dave
Milligan and three classical and folk inspired harp tracks by Sharlene Wallace. Recorded at various tempos and in
both even and swing feels, these tracks are the perfect addition to any Celtic jig, reel, or polka!
RealTracks Set 286: Pop & Rock Guitars with Brent & Joe
We’ve added more pop and rock RealTracks with two of Nashville’s finest musicians: Joe Robinson and Brent
Mason! RealTracks Set 286: Pop & Rock Guitars with Brent & Joe features two electric guitar soloists and three
acoustic guitar rhythm tracks. The soloists were recorded specifically geared towards the beginner musician, with
simple, but very tasty licks. The rhythm acoustic guitars are great songwriting tools, and sound great used by
themselves or in a band mix!

570 Appendix A: RealTracks Sets

RealTracks Set 287: Pop Songwriter - Acoustic Guitar
When was the last time you were sitting by the fire - wishing you had an acoustic guitar to map out the song that just
popped into your head? With RealTracks Set 287: Pop Songwriter - Acoustic Guitar you have all the tools you need
to turn that idea into a pop song reality. This set contains six acoustic guitar tracks from three exceptional Canadian
musicians – Fintan O'Brien, Quinn Bachand and Colin Linden! With both notation and guitar charts built into every
track, you can quickly learn your new song and play it for your friends at the next marshmallow roast!
RealTracks Set 288: Southern Pop Drums with Land Richards
Every good Soul or RnB record needs a drum part you can really groove to. In RealTracks Set 288: Southern Pop
Drums with Land Richards you’ll find seven different drum variations sure to get your audience swaying. Whether
it’s a slow building jam or a faster tempo southern groove you’re looking for, world renowned session musician
Land Richards has you covered! Check out the demos below to get a feel for everything this set has to offer!
RealTracks Set 289: Fretless Bass, Pop Keys, and Punk Drums
This set features an eclectic mix of different RealTracks for different purposes. We’ve added 3 new fretless bass
styles playing a variety of pop grooves. In addition to that, there is a plethora of pop piano and organ styles from
Nashville great Mike Rojas. And, to round out the mix, we’ve added two exciting new Punk RealDrums, which work
great with our previously released Electric Guitar and Bass Punk styles!
RealTracks Set 290: More Pop Percussion Singles
Are you looking for that perfect percussion instrument to add the final touches to your song? RealTracks Set 290:
More Pop Percussion Singles adds even more percussion instruments to our current library. Play along as in-demand
session percussionist Jim McGillveray delivers a variety of shakers, congas, cowbells, tambourines, and woodblock!
RealTracks Set 291: Modern Dancehall
RealTracks Set 291 features electronic RealTracks instruments with roots in Jamaican culture: Modern Dancehall.
This set features a band of electronic drums and various synths, with percussive and spacey tones that will transport
you! There are 9 RealTracks in this set, as well as various combinations of A-B variations.
RealTracks Set 292: Klezmer!
Explore the unique and traditional celebratory music style of Eastern Europe – Klezmer! You’ll rediscover polka
with these nine accordion, bass, guitar, and drum tracks. For this set we called in the experts! Check out the demos to
see how Cory Pesaturo (accordion), Neil Swainson (acoustic bass), Quinn Bachand (acoustic guitar), and Terry
Clarke (drums) navigate this high energy, fast tempo style!
RealTracks Set 293: A Taste of Europe - France, Italy, and Sweden
These tracks will make you feel like you’re floating through Venice in a gondola, sipping Champaign at a French
delicatessen, or tasting micro-brew at a Stolkholm festival. RealTracks Set 293: A Taste of Europe - France, Italy,
and Sweden takes you on a European adventure – with fourteen accordion, guitar, bass, and drum tracks from the
incredibly talented Cory Pesaturo, Quinn Bachand, Neil Swainson and Terry Clarke!
RealTracks Set 294: Big Band “Crooner Shout” Soloist!
Some of our most popular recent RealTracks have been our exciting “Crooner Big Band” RealTracks, and with
RealTracks Set 294 we’ve expanded this with our “CroonerShout” RealTracks. In Big Band music, the “Shout
Chorus” is an arranged solo featuring harmonized instruments. With these RealTracks, that’s what you get: intricate
soloing with all of the big band instruments harmonized! It features arrangements that utilize two alto saxes, two
tenor saxes, flute, baritone sax, and 5 trumpets! And, the individual instruments can be used on their own as well as
in the context of the entire ensemble.
RealTracks Set 295: Jazz Potpourri with 12-key Guitar, Jazz-Soul Piano, Jazz Strings, and Percussion
Who doesn’t love a little musical potpourri? In RealTracks Set 295: Jazz Potpourri with 12-key Guitar, Jazz-Soul
Piano, Jazz Strings, and Percussion we give you nine jazz strings, guitar, piano, and percussion tracks to spice things
up! This set features a lush background strings pad, electric guitar jazz comping with Oliver Gannon, Mike Rojas
playing piano, and Jim McGillevray and Alex Acuna on the percussion.
RealTracks Set 296: Modern Jazz Bass & Drums
Requested by our loyal customers, RealTracks Set 296 features a set of modern jazz basses & RealDrums. It features
even styles such as a 16ths groove, a latin ballad style, and a jazz8ths style, as well as a slow jazz ballad bass with
tasty, sparse lines. With a duo of jazz greats like Neil Swainson (acoustic bass) and Terry Clarke (drums), how could
you go wrong?
RealTracks Set 297: More Smooth Jazz & Fusion
Can you ever have enough Smooth or Fusion Jazz? We certainly don’t think so – here are 10 more tracks to expand
your library! With RealTracks Set 297: More Smooth Jazz &Fusion you’ll discover a world of silky bass tracks from

Appendix A: RealTracks Sets 571

Neil Swainson, fusion piano styles from Jeff Lorber,and smooth brushes and fills from Terry Clarke and Jim
McGillevray! You’ll also find RealChart notation to help you learn, teach, and share your new song.
RealTracks Set 298: Mariachi!
Hold onto your sombrero, the Mariachi band is here! For the first time ever, we’ve released authentic Mariachi
RealTracks in RealTracks Set 298: Mariachi! To ensure a true Mariachi flavour, we’ve recorded traditional vihuela
tracks along with nylon guitar with guitar sensation Ramon Stagnaroand as well as guitarron (a Latin American bass
instrument) from the incredibly talented Juan Jimenez. Don’t miss out on these one-of-a-kind RealTracks!
RealTracks Set 299: Rootsy Blues Guitar & Piano
Get ready to shuffle, slide, sway, and shake with the tracks included in RealTracks Set 299: Rootsy Blues Guitar &
Piano. This set includes three guitar and two piano tracks. The folk blues guitar is played by non-other than virtuoso
Brent Mason, while the blues and ragtime guitar tracks are played by the renaissance man himself - Colin Linden.
Add in Mike Rojas on piano and it’s a rootsy blues trio that’s hard to beat!
RealTracks Set 300: Smokin’ Fast Jazz Bass
Ready to take it up a notch? In RealTracks Set 300: Smokin’ Fast Jazz Bass, Neil Swainson speeds to first place with
this incredible collection of seven acoustic bass RealTracks that even the most proficient bass players would be in
awe of! Want to try and keep up? The tracks all have built in RealChart notation to help you learn the parts!
RealTracks Set 301: Modern Funk with Bob Lanzetti, Mark Lettieri, Sput Searight, Keita Ogawa and Alex Al
RealTracks Set 302: A Taste of Brazil with Alex Acuna & Ramon Stagnaro
RealTracks Set 303: Blues Harmonica with LD Miller
RealTracks Set 304: Blues Shuffle Horn Section
RealTracks Set 305: Funky Acoustic Guitar with Colin Linden and Joe Robinson
RealTracks Set 306: Tango and More!
RealTracks Set 307: World Guitar, Percussion, and more with Alex Acuna & Ramon Stagnaro
RealTracks Set 308: Djembe and more with Keita Ogawa
RealTracks Set 309: More Blues with Sol Philcox
RealTracks Set 310: Acoustic and Electric Guitar Pop Soloists with Brent Mason
RealTracks Set 311: Cinematic Electric Guitar with Darin Favorite
RealTracks Set 312: A Taste of Europe 2
RealTracks Set 313: More Klezmer!
RealTracks Set 314: Pop Acoustic Bass & Accordion
RealTracks Set 315: Rock & Grunge Acoustic Guitar
RealTracks Set 316: More Southern Pop Drums with Land Richards
RealTracks Set 317: Guitar and Piano for Songwriters, with Brent Mason, Mike Rojas, Fintan O'Brien &
Quinn Bachand
RealTracks Set 318: Campfire 12-String and 6-String Guitar
RealTracks Set 319: Amazing Modern Pedal Steel 2 with Eddy Dunlap
RealTracks Set 320: Chicken Pickin' with Johnny Hiland!
RealTracks Set 321: Americana Fiddle & Mandolin with Andy Leftwich
RealTracks Set 322: Americana Folk 6:8, with Brent Mason, Andy Leftwich, Eddy Dunlap, Bryan Owings,
and Byron House
RealTracks Set 323: Americana Folk 8ths & 16ths, with Brent Mason, Andy Leftwich, Eddy Dunlap, Bryan
Owings, and Byron House
RealTracks Set 324: Americana Keys and Resonator Guitar with Mike Rojas and Eddy Dunlap
RealTracks Set 325: Celtic Cello with Natalie Haas
RealTracks Set 326: Celtic Nylon and 12-String Guitar with Quinn Bachand
RealTracks Set 327: Celtic Fiddle, Banjo, Guitar, and Mandolin Soloists with Andy Leftwich and Quinn
Bachand
RealTracks Set 328: Gospel Low Vocal Mmms

572 Appendix A: RealTracks Sets

RealTracks Set 329: Fusion and Gritty Funk with Jeff Lorber, Alex Acuna, Alex Al, Mark Lettieri, Sput
Searight, and Keita Ogawa
RealTracks Set 330: Lounge JazzFunk with Jeff Lorber, Alex Al, Bob Lanzetti, Mark Lettieri, Sput Searight
and Keita Ogawa
RealTracks Set 331: Latin America with Alex Acuna, Wes Little, & Keita Ogawa, drums and percussion,
Brian Allen Bass
RealTracks Set 332: More Blues with Johnny Hiland and Sol Philcox
RealTracks Set 333: Rhythm Changes Comping and Soloing with PJ Perry (Sax), Miles Black (Piano), Oliver
Gannon (Guitar), and Neil Swainson (bass)
RealTracks Set 334: Jazz Blues Changes Comping and Soloing with PJ Perry (Sax), Miles Black (Piano),
Oliver Gannon (Guitar), and Neil Swainson (bass)
RealTracks Set 335: Rootsy Funk and More with Alex Al, Bob Lanzetti, Sput Searight and Keita Ogawa
RealTracks Set 336: Bossa Horn Section - BossaLounge and Pads with Jim Clark
RealTracks Set 337: Island Grooves - Steel Drum, Marimba and more!
RealTracks Set 338: Classic Guitars 1 - British Classic Rock and Blues Rock
RealTracks Set 339: Classic Guitars 2 - Hazy 60s
RealTracks Set 340: Classic Guitars 3 - British Psychedelic Rock
RealTracks Set 341: Cinematic Metal with Darin Favorite
RealTracks Set 342: Singer-Songwriter Guitar, Mandola, Fiddle, Banjo and Drums
RealTracks Set 343: All Ska! Classic and Modern
RealTracks Set 344: Cool Swing16 Gospel Vocals with Piano and Drums!
RealTracks Set 345: Bluesy Baritone with Brent Mason
RealTracks Set 346: Old-Time Music 1 - Happy Dance
RealTracks Set 347: Old-Time Music 2 - Mountain, Momma's Prayer and More
RealTracks Set 348: Old-Time Music 3 - Old Time Waltz
RealTracks Set 349: Celtic Guitar, Bodhran & Jaw Harp with Quinn Bachand
RealTracks Set 350: Country Rock and Ballad Soloing with Johnny Hiland
RealTracks Set 351: Country Pollwinners 1 - Americana 16ths with Brent Mason, Fred Eltringham, and Steve
Mackey
RealTracks Set 352: Country Pollwinners 2 - Nashville Radio Power BalladMore about RealTracks
RealTracks Set 353: Fusion Soloing, Lowdown Blues, and more with Brent Mason
This collection features legendary Nashville guitarist Brent Mason on 9 new RealTracks. The compelling tone,
virtuosic vocabulary, and refined musicianship makes this package a must have. It features 2 amazing
Fusion/Smooth-Jazz soloists, which work great with out existing RealTracks collection, as well as a slow blues
soloist with a cool wah-wah effect. Also included in this collection are 6 Rhythm RealTracks; 2 bluesy rock rhythm
RealTracks, a down to earth “LowdownBlues” distorted electric guitar and baritone electric guitar, and a moody 12/8
feel guitar track with an accompanying baritone guitar background RealTrack. The two “bluesy-rock” rhythm
guitars also feature a cool new effect that we have never used before in Band-in-a-Box, a rotary effect that gives the
guitar a sound similar to a vintage organ.
RealTracks Set 354: Minor Jazz Blues Changes Comping and Soloing with PJ Perry (Sax), Miles Black
(Piano), Oliver Gannon (Guitar), and Neil Swainson (bass)
Along with “rhythm changes” and “jazz blues”, Minor Jazz Blues is one of the most common progressions in jazz,
and is one that most teachers will agree is very important to master for a jazz student. RealTracks Set 354 continues
our series of RealTracks sets specifically designed to work well with this particular sub-category of jazz music.
While these RealTracks do work like others, in that you can enter ANY chord progression in ANY key, when minor
blues progressions are entered, you will find more varied, interesting results with these RealTracks. This set includes
6 Soloists, with alto sax & tenor sax featuring Juno Award-winning musician P.J. Perry, guitar by Order of Canada
recipient Oliver Gannon, Miles Black on piano, and Neil Swainson on upright bass. There are also then comping
RealTracks on piano, guitar and bass as well.

Appendix A: RealTracks Sets 573

RealTracks Set 355: New Age Piano with Miles Black
This set of RealTracks features the elegant playing of Canadian jazz legend Miles Black. On these tracks, his
understated and delicate touch simultaneously brings out the powerful full range of the piano, allowing the sustain of
the lower and mid frequencies to sing. This set includes 5 RealTracks, consisting of arpeggiated chording, new age
waltz, and driving 8ths. Also included is “NewAgeSlowBluesy” that provides a jazz feel to the collection’s New
Age theme. Given its tasteful simplicity and emphasis on tone, this collection of RealTracks is likely to make any
modern pop song shine.
RealTracks Set 356: Modern Jazz & Funk with Jeff Lorber
In this collection, pianist/keyboardist Jeff Lorber is back with 8 new RealTracks expanding Band in a Box’s
repertoire of Modern Jazz and Funk styles. The discreet comping of “ModernJazzJeff” and “ModernJazzWaltzJeff”
offers clever harmonic support and can be combined perfectly with past even 8ths Jazz RealTracks. Additionally,
this set includes 3 funk bass synth RealTracks, that lock in with Jeff Lorber’s 3 new accompanying vintage electronic
RealDrums. While, in their entirety, these new funky drum styles combine well with Band-in-a-Box’s past Funk and
Smooth Jazz RealTracks, the Realdrums included in this collection allows you to use single aspects of the groove.
Only want the hi-hat from “ElecFunkJeff” to combine with a past style? Now you can!
RealTracks Set 357: World Music: Nanigo & Cascara
RealTracks Set 357 features beautiful new world rhythms and styes featuring the imcomparable Ramon Stagnaro on
nylon guitar, as well as Nashville based drummer/percussionist Wes Little, and Toronto acoustic bassist Neil
Swainsson. The styles include the African Nanigo, a 6:8 polyrhythmic groove, as well as the “Carcara” rhythm, a
versatile style that’s used in Salsa, Bossa Nova, Samba, and other Afro-Cuban styles. In addition to all of these
styles, you also get RealDrums “singles”, which are all of the individual percussion instruments that make up the full
RealDrums styles. So, for example, you can select JUST the bongos from the Cascara, or just the Congas from the
Nanigo style, making them very versatile, and great for genre crossovers!
RealTracks Set 358: World Music: Partido Alto, Beguine, and More!
RealTracks Set 358 adds to our ever expanding collection of World Beat grooves and styles, with 2 new guitar
RealTracks with LA master Ramon Stagnaro, new bass RealTracks with Nashville-based electric bassist Brian Allen
as well as Toronto acoustic bassist Neil Swainsson, and 4 new kit and percussion RealDrums by master Wes Little.
The styles include Brazilian “Partido Alto”, an offshoot of Samba, as well as the Beguine, a popular dance style
similar to the tango. We’ve also included new bass styles for “RumbaFlamenca”, intended to work well with out
other previously released guitars and percussion. In addition to all of these styles, you also get RealDrums “singles”,
which are all of the individual percussion instruments that make up the full RealDrums styles, which are incredibly
useful, not just for these world-beat styles, but for ANY styles you want to add them to.
RealTracks Set 359: Slack Key Guitar with Brent Mason
RealTracks Set 359 features the sweet sounds of Hawaii, with 6 new “Slack Key” RealTracks. This distinctive
guitar style features a laid-back fingerstyle approach with open tunings. There are 3 “rhythm” or “chording” styles,
as well as 3 soloist styles that complement the rhythm styles with beautiful melodic phrases. All of these were made
with legendary guitarist and RealTracks stalwart Brent Mason. In addition to these 6 RealTracks styles, it also
comes with many “RealStyles”, which pair these RealTracks with other previously released RealTracks, so all you
have to do is pick the RealStyle you like, enter any chord progression in any key, and you’ll have these beautiful
Hawaiian sounds playing your song!
RealTracks Set 360: Classic Guitars 4 - “Dublin Pop”
This gorgeous blend of electric rhythm guitar RealTracks inspires the nostalgia of modern pop coming out of Ireland
in the 80s and 90s. 9 electric guitar RealTracks are included in this collection, with 3 additional variations which
give other rhythmic options for the same RealTracks. The epic tone, delay, and reverb on these chopping and
arpeggiated electric guitar RealTracks are made complete with the emotional scream of the background RealTrack
“DublinPopMagSpacey,” to create a classic larger-than-life Pop-Rock sound.
RealTracks Set 361: Classic Guitars 5 - “90s Grunge”
Your options for the Grunge Rock sound have never been more complete with this new collection of 12 electric
guitar RealTracks! In this collection there are 10 rhythm RealTracks, including a mixture of arpeggiated chords and
steady 8ths, with distortion and phaser effects essential to the character of 90’s Grunge Rock. Additionally, this set
includes a “GrungePopGritty” soloist RealTrack with an irresistible tone, and a background RealTrack
“GrungeChugDistChorus” that adds an effective layer to any of the included rhythm RealTracks.
RealTracks Set 362: Indie Folk-Rock Guitar with Quinn Bachand
Quinn Bachand is back with 12 new magnetic acoustic guitar RealTracks! The modest, yet expressive character of
Bachand’s playing on these RealTracks gives them great versatility in the Folk and Rock genres. In this set, there

574 Appendix A: RealTracks Sets

are 6 rhythm and 6 fingerpicking RealTracks that include one recorded with a nylon guitar, and an additional
variation RealTrack “IndieWaltz.” With Band-in-a-Box’s vast material in this genre, there are many opportunities to
combine Quinn Bachand’s 12 new RealTracks with other releases, such as multiple past songwriter RealTrack
collections.
RealTracks Set 363: 60s Coffeehouse Guitar & Dulcimer with Quinn Bachand
Return to a simpler time with RealTracks Set 363! In addition to classic 60s guitar, this collection also includes a
RealTracks first, Dulcimer! This collection of down-to-earth RealTracks played by Quinn Bachand evoke the feel
and ambiance of the folk heros of the 60s. Packed full of waltzes and humble Folk rhythms, this collection includes
6 dulcimer and 4 acoustic guitar RealTracks, with an additional 2 variation guitar RealTracks which treat the slow
128 grooves as 3:4 waltzes. With such a friendly sound, these RealTracks blend well with many past-released Folk
RealTracks.
RealTracks Set 364: More “Cinematic” Guitar with Darin Favorite
Darin Favourite paints a vast cinematic soundscape in this collection of electric guitar RealTracks. With 7 rhythm, 2
soloists, and an additional 4 variation RealTracks, this set provides both smooth and distorted reverb heavy tones
occupying different ranges of the guitar, allowing different layers to coalesce into a dreamy atmosphere. For extra
punch to cut through the pensive delay and reverb of “CinematicPopArpDelay,” the soloist “CinematicPopGritty” or
the rhythm “MetalCinematicLowTune” RealTracks deliver a satisfying dose of distortion.
RealTracks Set 365: Reggae 16ths, Dancehall and more!
This collection of RealTracks is packed full of exciting new content expanding Band-in-a-Box’s growing catalog of
Reggae and Dancehall material! This includes 2 Reggae electric guitar RealTracks, 2 electric basses, 4 RealDrums
styles, 2 marimba RealTracks, and 2 new steel drum RealTracks, all combining well with previously released
Caribbean influenced RealTrack collections, such as “Slow Groovin’ Reggae” or “Calypso Pop.” Additionally,
among this collection’s RealDrum tracks,the single percussion elements of those RealDrums are also available as
“RealDrums singles”, which allow them to be used on their own to combine with other RealDrums as you’d like!
RealTracks Set 366: Gospel Shout
Raise your hands! These 3 irresistible and infectious Gospel Shout RealTracks work great together and will have you
on your feet in no time! Included is a clear toned bass RealTrack laying down snappy hits on the 1 and 3 in the A
section, which then switches to walking in the B section. This is nicely offset by the RealDrum’s track’s spirited
snare hits on the 2 and 4. Both are occasionally embellished by forceful fills delivering ecstatic flares of energy.
Additionally, 2 variations of RealTrack’s “Bass, Electric, GospelShoutAB Ev16 150” are included, allowing you to
exclusively use A or B modes as a RealTrack. Lastly, the included piano RealTrack “GospelShoutMike” sits nicely
on top filling out the groove with tight syncopations and embellishments.
RealTracks Set 367: Acoustic Rock
Perfect for the Soft-Rock heartbreaker, this set of acoustic guitar Rock RealTracks provides great support and space
for sincere vocals and impassioned guitar solos. With 13 RealTracks to choose from, with an additional 2 variation
RealTracks, this collection provides a great selection of palm muted driving rhythms, ballad grooves, and
arpeggiated chords, all played with the laid-back finesse and restraint reminiscent of the 90’s Soft-Rock aesthetic.
Given the supportive feel of these RealTracks, they are particularly versatile and would contribute well to
combinations of numerous previously released RealTracks with a Folk, Rock, Indie, Pop, or Singer-Songwriter tinge.
RealTracks Set 368: Country Pollwinners 3 - Americana Shuffle and More
The sounds of Americana have never been more inspiring! Featured on a shuffle Rhythm and Soloist electric guitar
RealTrack is 2-time winner of the Country Music Association (CMA) award, Brent Mason. Nashville basist Steve
Mackey, who has played with the likes of Dolly Parton and Peter Frampton, is featured on 2 RealTracks, each with
additional variations. Finally, winner and 6-time nominee of the CMA award, Fred Eltringham is featured on 7 new
RealTracks! With so many choices ranging from “LooseShuffle,: to “Slow8thBrushes,” to “FunkyPop,” to
“Slow12/8,” all your needs for Americana Grooves are met with this stellar collection.
RealTracks Set 369: Country Pollwinners 4 - Nashville Radio Shuffle and More
Featured in this exciting new collection of country pop grooves and shuffles, are the cream-of-the-crop musicians.
Winner and 2-time nominee of the Academy of Country Music’s (ACM) Award, Danny Rader brings the shuffle
alive with a ripping soloist RealTrack, alongside an accompanying Rhythm RealTrack. Holding it down on the bass
on 4 RealTracks, each included with 2 variation styles, is Jimmy Carter, a staple musician in the Nashville scene.
Lastly, featured on the drums is Miles McPherson, winner of the 2020 ACM Award and former drummer for the
popular band Paramore. Featuring 6 RealTracks, Miles contributes a great variation in feels, including
“FunkyBallad,” “Shuffle,” “Pop8ths,” and “Push 16ths.” Want to play alongside the best of Nashville country
musicians? Now is your chance!

Appendix A: RealTracks Sets 575

RealTracks Set 370: Americana Baritone Acoustic Guitar
RealTracks Set 370 features another RealTracks first, Baritone Acoustic Guitar! The unique depth and fullness of
tone of this instrument makes this collection an essential addition to Band-in-a-Box’s Americana catalog. With 10
RealTracks, ranging from “Rootsy16ths,” to “SwingWaltz,” to “FastRock,” and more, there will be a Baritone Guitar
RealTrack here that suits whichever Americana tempo or feel that you require. Bring your sound down a fourth and
get the deep resonance you have been craving!
RealTracks Set 371: Celtic Ballads and More with Quinn Bachand
Multi-instrumentalist Quinn Bachand never ceases to amaze, and he’s back again with ten new RealTracks that
feature him on acoustic guitar, bodhran hand-drum, and jawharp! The guitar styles feature variations on reels and jigs,
providing more delicate and understated options for these grooves, as well as widening the tempo range for these
styles. We’ve also added new slow bodhran styles, perfect for slow airs & waltzes, but can also be used to give your
pop songs an Irish flair. The jaw harp styles work great over both Celtic and Bluegrass styles alike, and also
included are RealStyles that use them in these various settings. There are also variations for the jaw harps, with the
standard approach just playing a single note (based on the key) throughout the song (since jaw harps are only single-
note instruments), but the variations include options where the notes change based on the chords.
RealTracks Set 372: Lap Steel with Eddy Dunlap
In this collection, the young, well-respected, up-and-coming Nashville multi-instrumentalist Eddy Dunlap brings us
5 dazzling RealTracks on the lap steel guitar. With 3 background RealTracks, you get to choose between the
haunting, reverb-heavy drone in “Slow Ambient” for atmospheric work, or the more organic tone to accompany your
Americana aesthetic with “Americana16ths” and “Americana8thsHigh.” Additionally, you can give Eddy Dunlap
center stage with 2 brilliant soloist RealTracks that bring out the best of the slides and vibrato characteristic of lap
steel guitar.
RealTracks Set 373: Pop Soul with Brent Mason
This collection of RealTracks does well to capture the astounding versatility of sensational guitarist Brent Mason.
“PopFunkySoulLowSingleNoteChorus” sits deep in the pocket, giving your Pop song a hip flare, while
“PopIndieArpPhaser” exquisitely fills out your supporting backing track. Perhaps you want more space? On
“PopSoulHeldSlow12/8,” Brent allows his beautiful tone to sing effortlessly behind you. In addition to 5 Rhythm
RealTracks, of which are greatly adaptable to Band-in-a-Box’s past releases in the Pop, Indie and Soul styles, Brent
gives us another 2 heart-wrenching soloist RealTracks to add to the catalogue.
RealTracks Set 374: Old-Time Music 4 - “Bonfire” & “Sad Ballad”
Whether you are searching for a folk-dance party, or time to reflect with some melancholy ballads, this collection has
what you need. The “Bonfire” and “Sad Ballad” series consists of 5 RealTracks each for a total of 10 RealTracks.
Both include the same set of instruments. Quinn Bachand plays acoustic guitar, while the remaining 8 RealTracks,
including mandolin, banjo, and fiddle, feature 4-time Grammy winner Andy Leftwich. While both the “Bonfire” and
“Sad Ballad” series of RealTracks sound great as they come, RealTracks such as the Mandolin and Fiddle
background soloist styles easily mix and match with past releases! For example, they work very well in Bluegrass
settings, and also work great on Celtic reel and ballad styles.
RealTracks Set 375: Swingin’ Shuffle Vocals
Band-in-a-Box is excited to continue growing its catalogue of vocal RealTracks, which were first introduced in the
2018 release. This collection comes with many variations to make it as adaptable as possible. Don’t want the three-
part harmony? Among the 5 gospel shuffle vocal RealTracks included in this collection are a high, medium, and low
variant, each with their own 2 variations themselves, to accommodate those in need of a simpler vocal
accompaniment. Additionally, this set features a beautiful background gospel soloist vocal RealTrack, giving your
work a truly authentic sound.
For full descriptions and demos of all of the RealTracks sets, please go to www.pgmusic.com and see the RealTracks
page, https://www.pgmusic.com/products_realtracks.htm. While you’re there be sure to check for new releases.

576 Appendix A: RealTracks Sets

 Appendix B: MIDI SuperTracks Sets
MIDI SuperTracks Set 1: Pop Piano and More
MIDI SuperTracks Set 1 features a combination of exciting Pop and Rock piano by Nashville legend John Jarvis,
and also features synth pad styles to add color to your Band-in-a-Box creations! Like RealTracks, MIDI SuperTracks
are actual performances by real studio musicians, playing over any chord progression you enter into Band-in-a-Box,
but because they’re MIDI you have complete control over the final sound. You can pick your own favorite stand-
alone or VST synth, choose any patches you like, and even edit the individual MIDI notes!
MIDI SuperTracks Set 2: All Jazz
MIDI SuperTracks Set 2 adds essential jazz styles to your MST collection. There are bossa, jazz swing, and jazz
waltz styles, performed at multiple tempos on multiple instruments. We include bass, piano and organ styles in all of
these genres, and for each one, no matter what tempo you set your song to, you’re going to get a great MIDI track!
Because they’re MIDI, you can pick whatever instrument you want, and use whatever stand-alone or plugin synths
you want. For example, the bass styles were recorded with acoustic upright bass in mind, but you can easily switch
to electric bass, or even analog synth bass, you have complete control.
MIDI SuperTracks Set 3: Sweet Country Piano
MIDI SuperTracks Set 3 adds some sweet country piano to your collection of Band-in-a-Box styles. All of these
MIDI SuperTracks are performed by Nashville legend John Jarvis, and it includes ‘solo-accompaniment’ styles
(intended to work well on their own to back up a singer or soloist) as well as rhythm styles that blend in beautifully
with our previously released rhythm section RealTracks or MIDI styles.
MIDI SuperTracks Set 4: Folk, Pop & New Age
This set features contemplative piano styles, as well as lush strings styles. There are 6 piano MIDI SuperTracks,
featuring Celtic styles as well as a variety of New Age grooves, and very useful strings that can be used in pop,
country, or new age settings.
MIDI SuperTracks Set 5: Jazz Piano - Old and New
Something old & something new is the theme with MIDI SuperTracks Set 5! For the old, we have “4-to-the-bar”
comping piano styles with chording in the left hand and inventive background melodic lines with the right hand.
There are also classic “rolling stride” styles, and a romping “40s Boogie” piano. For the new, we have 3 tempos of
modern jazz, a sophisticated and subtle piano style that works great with RealTracks bass & RealDrums!
MIDI SuperTracks Set 6: Latin Piano
This set features 6 Latin Piano styles that range from a slow Bolero to a fast Montuno & Guaracha! These MIDI
SuperTracks pianos blend beautifully with RealTracks bass & percussion, and because they’re MIDI, you can pick
the piano sound YOU want, or even pick a different instrument!
MIDI SuperTracks Set 7: Smooth Jazz & Funk Piano
For your Smooth Jazz compositions, MIDI SuperTracks Set 7 features piano styles for 5 different Smooth Jazz
grooves. Pairing them with our Smooth Jazz RealTracks provides you with the smoothest sound of all.
MIDI SuperTracks Set 8: More Country Piano
RealTracks Set 8 runs the gamut of country piano with 12 piano styles! These are extremely useful, providing
understated accompaniment to your country band, whether the band is playing slow ballads, waltzes, or country
swing at any tempo.
MIDI SuperTracks Set 9: Praise & Worship Piano
The MIDI SuperTracks Set 9 pianos are extremely useful no matter what the musical genre. There are 7 unique
styles to choose from here, and in addition to that there are variations that use one style for the ‘A’ section of your
song, switching to new parts at ‘B’.
MIDI SuperTracks Set 10: New Orleans Piano & More
MIDI SuperTracks Set 10 has a diverse selection of piano MIDI SuperTracks styles in genres ranging from New
Orleans Boogie to fast Pop Waltz. The set is comprised of two New Orleans Boogie styles (rhythm and soloist), one
New Orleans Pop style, two Pop 16ths styles, a fast Pop Waltz style, and a Rootsy Pop style for a total of seven
styles. The showcase New Orleans MIDI SuperTracks are performed by professional pianist Kevin McKendree.
Some of these MIDI SuperTracks also have a ‘simple’ variation, which can be selected to make the style even more
basic, if that’s what your Band-in-a-Box song demands. The precise notation for these styles makes it a great
learning tool. You can print out the lead-sheet, or follow along with the on-screen notation, or view what’s being
played on the on-screen piano keyboard.

Appendix B: MIDI SuperTracks Sets 577

MIDI SuperTracks Set 11: Blues, Funk & More
In MIDI SuperTracks Set 11 you are going to find a wide variety of tempos, styles, and instruments. Included in this
set are 2 Clav MIDI SuperTracks, 2 Electric Piano MIDI SuperTracks, and 4 Piano MIDI SuperTracks with a total of
10 styles! First is the FunkyGroove 60sJohn MIDI SuperTracks which plays a classic funky style. This MIDI
SuperTracks uses the Electric Piano patch. Also using the Electric Piano patch is the Piano, Electric, Rhythm
SlowBluesy12-8John Sw 085. With a style reminiscent of the ‘50s and ‘60s, this MIDI SuperTracks can be
incorporated into many different styles of music. The two styles that use the Clav patch are the
FunkyGroovin70sJohn and the FunkyTriplets70sJohn MIDI SuperTracks. Both play a unique style which is
instantly recognizable and can be used in multiple compositions. There are three ‘80s Pop MIDI SuperTracks,
playing a wide range of tempo from a ballad all the way to a medium tempo. These MIDI SuperTracks are versatile
and can be incorporated into classic compositions or modern tunes. The final MIDI SuperTracks is a soloist in the
style of TexasBlues RockSlow 12/8. This MIDI SuperTracks plays long runs all in a 12/8 time signature. All of
these MIDI SuperTracks can be viewed in the notation window to see exactly what the performer is playing. Be sure
to check out MIDI SuperTracks set 11 to see all of the potential MIDI available.
MIDI SuperTracks Set 12: World Synths
Fasten your seatbelts because MIDI SuperTrack Set 12: World Synth has an amazing selection of synths with some
truly outstanding sounds! This set includes a variety of synthesizer MIDI SuperTracks, from hard rock, jazz funk, to
meditative new age styles that feature world synths. There is a hard rock fat chording synth style that will
complement any rock/pop songs you have. There are two styles dedicated to jazz funk - monophonic synth bass and
a bright lead background style. All of these MIDI SuperTracks are played with an even feel so they will work well
with any pop/rock/jazz songs you might have. The Shakuhachi & Koto MIDI SuperTracks are quite mellow in
comparison, and although they are presented as new age elements, they might complement any even groove style
you are working with. All of the styles in this set include RealCharts so you can see exactly what notes are played
and learn to play along.
MIDI SuperTracks Set 13: Jazz Electric Piano
MIDI SuperTracks Set 13 offers a collection of electric piano MIDI SuperTracks that will add a modern edge to your
traditional Jazz combo. The set is comprised of two Bossa styles, two classic Jazz styles, a slow Jazz Ballad style,
and a medium tempo Jazz Waltz style for a total of six styles. They all feature Vancouver piano virtuoso Miles
Black, and each one uses sophisticated voicings and rhythms, without being too busy. And each one also has a
‘simple’ variation, which can be selected to make the style even more basic, if that’s what your Band-in-a-Box song
demands. The precise notation for these styles makes it a great learning tool. You can print out the lead-sheet, or
follow along with the on-screen notation, or view what’s being played on the on-screen piano keyboard.
MIDI SuperTracks Set 14: JazzPop Piano
Full of skillfully executed rhythm tracks, MIDI SuperTrack Set 14: JazzPop Piano is a collection of laid-back styles
perfect for your next composition. With a combination of 5 MIDI SuperTrack Piano included in set 199, there is a
large spectrum of playing styles covered. Starting with the two EZ Listening pianos, created to cover both Jazz and
Pop chord progression, they can be used in a variety of compositions. The MIDI Electric Piano plays a relaxed style
with a warm electric piano tone. The Jazz Rock Electric Piano plays slightly upbeat and when added to a
composition can bring out a bright pop side. The final two styles in set 199 are Electric Piano Jazzy Swingin Pop.
The Jazzy Swingin Pop MIDI SuperTrack plays a bouncy attack with a soft, warm tone which gives this MIDI
SuperTrack a relaxed feel. All of these MIDI SuperTracks include RealCharts which can be viewed in the notation
window or on the on-screen piano keyboard. With a wide variety of feel, style, and tone, MIDI SuperTrack Set 14 is
ready to be the next go to set of MIDI SuperTrack when using Band-in-a-Box or RealBand.
MIDI SuperTracks Set 15: Kenny Barron Jazz Master
With MIDI SuperTracks Set 15, we present legendary pianist Kenny Barron comping in a variety of jazz grooves.
You can enter any chord progression into Band-in-a-Box, and you can get this master backing you up. Combined
with our previously release RealTracks & MIDI SuperTracks, you can have a smokin’ rhythm section for medium
jazz swing, slow ballads, slow or medium bossa, or fast bebop! And, because they’re MIDI, you have complete
control over the sound. Have a favorite piano VST? You can hear Kenny playing on it! Decide you want to hear
what these great comping styles sound like on vintage electric pianos? Go for it! And you also have complete
editing control, right down to every individual note!
MIDI SuperTracks Set 16: Killer Country Soloists
With MIDI SuperTracks Set 16 you get the great playing country solos of John Jarvis with the flexibility of MIDI.
This set includes 8 MIDI SuperTrack styles all playing amazing solos in a country style. 5 of the MIDI SuperTracks
are played with a swing feel and the other 3 are played with an even feel. The tempos range from slow ballad to fast

578 Appendix B: MIDI SuperTracks Sets

and are all executed with the excellent skill of premium pianist John Jarvis. With the flexibility of MIDI, you can
choose your own synth to get the exact piano sound you want. You can also copy the track to the Melody track and
make edits to the style if you’d like. Be sure to add one of these solos to your next country composition.
MIDI SuperTracks Set 17: More Great Country Piano with John Jarvis
MIDI SuperTrack Set 17 is full of awesome country piano played by the amazing John Jarvis. In this set you will
find Seven MIDI SuperTracks with Seven styles available. You get Country in 12/8 with a Ballad feel and a faster
country ballad at a medium tempo. There is an even feel slow country MIDI SuperTrack as well as a fast even feel
MIDI SuperTrack Piano. There is a hard-hitting Rock even feel MID SuperTrack and a Country Shuffle at a
medium tempo. The final MIDI SuperTrack in the set is Country Waltz at a slow tempo. All of these MIDI
SuperTracks have the notation available for them so you can see exactly what John Jarvis is playing. All of these
amazing MIDI SuperTracks are available in Set 17.
MIDI SuperTracks Set 18: Funky Piano & Synth
This MIDI SuperTracks set includes five Funky instruments that will fill out or change the mood of your Funk songs.
The set is comprised of two electric pianos and three synthesizers. One of the electric pianos plays in the style of a
clavinet while the other has a more subdued playing style. The three synthesizers include an electric flutes synth, a
funky plucking synth, and a thick Funky pad synth. All of these MIDI SuperTracks have corresponding Hi-Q
patches which are already preloaded into the included styles. Bring your Funk compositions to a whole new level
with MIDI SuperTracks 18: Funky Pianos & Synths!
MIDI SuperTracks Set 19: Rockabilly Piano
This MIDI SuperTracks set includes seven pianos in two main musical styles: Rockabilly (5 styles) and New Orleans
(2 styles). The two New Orleans pianos include a medium shuffle and a slow “Mardi Gras” piano. The five
Rockabilly pianos cover many tempos, some are even and some are swing. All of the styles that come with these
MIDI SuperTracks are preloaded with Hi-Q acoustic piano patches, but feel free to experiment with your own
sounds too. Check out this collection of traditional, high-energy MIDI SuperTracks pianos today!
MIDI SuperTracks Set 20: String Quartet
With MIDI SuperTracks Set 20, you get three different MIDI String Quartet Styles. A String Quartet is made up of
3 instruments playing four parts, a Cello, a Viola, a High Violin and a Low Violin. In these MIDI SuperTracks, each
instrument part is notated on the screen, and depending on the MIDI driver being used, can recreate each instrument
with a MIDI patch. When these MIDI SuperTracks are selected, the Hi-Q Strings Ensemble Chamber is loaded in
SampleTank for playback. The String Quartet plays a Pop ballad even style. This ballad String Quartet has long low
notes that are held while the higher instruments play slow melodic passages. Using the MIDI Hi-Q sounds this MIDI
SuperTrack has the control you get from MIDI with the playing of a professional studio musician. The next MIDI
SuperTrack is the Pop Swing String Quartet played at a medium tempo. Use this MIDI SuperTrack with a stripped-
down composition using a few instruments or if you want to add a strings section to a completed song. The final
MIDI SuperTrack in this set is the Pop Even String Quartet playing at a medium tempo. This String Quartet plays
long notes in both registers with melodic phrases played High and Low in counter points. Not as busy as other
String Quartets, this MIDI SuperTrack adds an underlying atmosphere to any song in an even style. With three String
Quartets in MIDI SuperTracks set 20, you can surely find a style that will be able to add a new layer to your songs or
start your next composition in a new and exciting way!
MIDI SuperTracks Set 21: Mike Rojas Pop and Soul Piano
MIDI SuperTrack Set 21 is packed with exceptional piano riffs played by none other than the incredible Mike Rojas!
In this set you will find six MIDI SuperTracks that range from slow ballad to more upbeat. The feel extends from
even standards to swinging 16ths! The first three MIDI SuperTracks are influenced by Gospel that includes Soul,
Slow Ballad and Contemporary. Lastly there is a 70's Brit-Pop rhythm. All of these superior MIDI SuperTracks are
available in set 21!
MIDI SuperTracks Set 22: Country and Folk Piano
MIDI SuperTracks set 22 offers exciting Country and Folk Piano! These 6 MIDI SuperTracks are packed with new
variations in Country and Folk styles! This set includes contemporary swing and even styles. The tempo ranges
from slow swing ballads to fast and upbeat. All of the country styles are played by the talented John Jarvis! Load up
your favorite VST and experiment to come up with great ideas! Add MIDI SuperTrack Set 22 to your collection!
MIDI SuperTracks Set 23: Jazz and Funk Piano, Organ and Accordion
Get your groove on with these fresh Jazz and Funk influenced MIDI SuperTracks included in set 23! You will
discover twelve fantastic MIDI SuperTracks played by professional musicians Mike Rojas, John Jarvis, and Cory
Pesaturo! Together they bring styles ranging from Tango, Funk, Gypsy Jazz, Smooth-Soul and More! Most of MIDI

Appendix B: MIDI SuperTracks Sets 579

SuperTracks are played with an even feel so they will work well with any other pop/rock/jazz songs you might have.
Add this amazing bundle of MIDI SuperTracks to your collection.
MIDI SuperTracks Set 24: Mike Rojas Blues, Piano and Organ
MIDI SuperTracks Set 24 features exclusive tracks played by session pianist Mike Rojas! This set comes with nine
tracks in various playing styles with a diverse range of Blues, Country and Funk. Most are played with traditional
swing rhythms. Mike also plays a range of different tempos between slow ballads to toe tapping swings! Set 24
includes five tracks for Piano and four for Organ, but you can load in your favorite VST to explore different
possibilities!
MIDI SuperTracks Set 25: Killer Accordion
This set features a whopping 15 new Accordion MIDI SuperTracks styles! There are great world styles, including a
variety of Klezmer grooves, Italian, Spanish and Swedish styles! There are several polka styles, including the
Klezmer 3-3-2 groove, a syncopated rhythm that's the hallmark of that genre. The artist on all of these styles is
World Championship Accordionist Cory Pesaturo, and even though it’s MIDI, it’s comprised of actual performances
by this amazing artist. Because it's MIDI, you have complete control over the specific patch you use, so in addition
to accordion patches & synths, you could, for example, play these styles with an organ patch. And, the MIDI is of
course fully editable.
MIDI SuperTracks Set 26: Country and Folk Piano
MIDI SuperTracks Set 26 features 9 great piano styles playing various folk and country grooves. Six of these are
geared towards acoustic piano, and 3 are geared toward electric piano, but of course because these are MIDI styles
you can pick any patch you like for any of them, and use any synth, whether it's a hardware synth or software. And
being MIDI, these parts are fully editable, giving you complete control over the final sound. In addition to Country
and Folk styles, we all have 2 utility “held” styles, which play simple chords with lower voicings geared towards
acoustic piano, and higher voicings geared toward electric piano.
MIDI SuperTracks Set 27: Celtic Piano
This set features 8 amazing Celtic piano styles from amazing Scottish pianist Dave Milligan. The styles feature
grooves like Jig, Reel, Slipjig, Hornpipe and more! There are many existing RealTracks that work very well with the
new piano styles, and the set also includes RealStyles that pair up these new tracks with our previous guitar, bass &
bodhran RealTracks. Originally recorded with acoustic piano patches, they can also be used with any patch on any
synth. So, you can feel free to try these trad styles out with, for example electric pianos or synth patches! And, as
MIDI you have complete editing control!
MIDI SuperTracks Set 28: Pop Basses
With MIDI SuperTracks Sets 28, we've added 6 new MIDI SuperTracks to our collection. In the past we've had jazz
bass MIDI SuperTracks, but for the first time we've added pop bass styles (6), perfect for acoustic or electric patches.
And, since they're MIDI, you can pick ANY patch you like, for example, a really cool synth bass! Or, you could go
with a classic electric bass or upright acoustic!
MIDI SuperTracks Set 29: More Organ, Piano & Accordion
With MIDI SuperTracks Sets 29, we've 6 new MIDI SuperTracks to our collection. This features some beautifully
played keyboards by Nashville great Mike Rojas (4), great with our existing Americana styles, but also great with a
wide variety of Band-in-a-Box styles. There are also new European accordion styles (2) performed by the award-
winning virtuoso Cory Pesaturo.
MIDI SuperTracks Set 30: Jazz, Funk, and Gospel Keyboards
MIDI SuperTracks Set 30 adds 9 new keyboard MIDI SuperTracks to our collection. The set focuses on Jazz, Funk
& Gospel, and includes both rhythm “comping” styles as well as soloists. Included are styles that were specifically
designed for use with jazz blues and “rhythm changes” progressions, with both comping and soloist options for
those. There is a “cool swing16” gospel piano style, with great bluesy gospel licks. There are rhythm funk styles,
playing a variety of funk grooves and tempos, as well as a soloist that was intended to be used with an analogue
synth sound. But of course, as with all of these MIDI SuperTracks, you can pick whatever instrument patch you like,
since it’s all MIDI!
MIDI SuperTracks Set 31: All Bass
This set features new Americana & pop country basses, along with new funk styles and a cool fast ska style. And,
there are also Band-in-a-Box styles and demos to go along with these MIDI SuperTracks, and you can pick whatever
bass patch you like, acoustic, electric, or even synth bass sounds!
MIDI SuperTracks Set 32: Jazz, New Age, and Gospel Keys
This collection of SuperTracks provides a tasteful array of keyboard playing, ranging from the flavor of New Orleans

580 Appendix B: MIDI SuperTracks Sets

styles, to the crunchy voicings of modern jazz piano, to the more open and consonant sounds of New Age and
Gospel style piano playing. The range of these piano styles, coupled with the versatility and utility of SuperTracks,
makes this set a must have for the keyboard enthusiast.
MIDI SuperTracks Set 33: More Bass
This collection of 9 bass MIDI SuperTracks never misses a beat, covering an extremely broad range of styles, such
as Latin, Gospel, Funk, Nashville shuffle, and Reggae. The extremely tight syncopation on synth bass SuperTrack’s
“FunkJeff” and “SmoothJazzCoolJeff” are irresistibly groovy, while “Raggae16th” and “DancehallClassic” lays
back with an effortless sound. For something different, “PartidoAlto” gives you the fantastic Latin feel your bass
repertoire may currently lack.

Appendix B: MIDI SuperTracks Sets 581

 Index
+/- Files ........................................................................... 225 Audio Chord Wizard (Built-in) ....................................... 347
1st/2nd Endings ............................................................... 192 Audio Chord Wizard (Stand-alone)................................. 355
2 Bar Ending ................................................................... 127 Utilities Dialog............................................................ 363
64-bit VST......................................................................... 11 Audio Equalize Tempo.................................................... 339
ABC Notation File .................................................... 86, 210 Audio Menu .................................................................... 517
Acid ................................................. 176, 186, 216, 340, 384 Audio Settings ................................................................. 497
Activate ........................................................................... 527 Audio Track .................................................................... 339
Additional Chord Display Layer ....................................... 72 Band Styles ....................................................................... 92
Alternate Root ................................................................. 132 Band-in-a-Box Service .................................................... 399
Anticipations ........................................................... 136, 315 Bar Lyrics Layer ............................................................... 71
Arrangement Options ...................................................... 483 Bar Settings ..................................................................... 195
Artist Browser ................................................................. 229 Bar Settings Layer ............................................................. 72
ASIO Driver ...................................................................... 14 Bar-Based Lyrics ..................................................... 179, 287
Assign Instruments to Style ............................................. 422 Batch Create Audio Files ................................................ 216
Assign RealTracks to Tracks ........................................... 226 BB Remote ...................................................................... 380
Attachment ...................................................................... 208 BB2Go ............................................................................ 398
Audio Big Lyrics Window ......................................................... 289
ASIO Driver.................................................................. 14 Options........................................................................ 500
Audio Chord Wizard ........................................... 347, 355 Big Piano Window .......................................................... 118
Audio Edit Window .................................................... 344 Settings ....................................................................... 499
Audio Files.......................................................... 185, 339 Burn CD .......................................................................... 217
Audio Track ................................................................ 339 Cakewalk Ins. File ........................................................... 105
Batch Create Audio Files ............................................ 216 CD Burner ....................................................................... 217
Burn to CD.................................................................. 217 CDG Files ............................................................... 290, 501
Channel Conversion .................................................... 343 Channel ........................................... 182, 273, 282, 321, 490
Editing ........................................................................ 344 Check for Updates ........................................................... 526
Effects ......................................................................... 352 Chord Breaks................................................................... 377
Fix ............................................................................... 346 Chord Builder .................................................................. 132
Fix Tuning .......................................................... 346, 350 Chord Options ................................................................. 135
Generate Vocal ................................................... 270, 343 Chord Sheet ....................................................................... 69
Harmonies ................................................................... 350 Bar Lyrics ................................................................... 179
Importing Audio File .................................................. 340 Bar Settings................................................................. 195
Importing Files............................................................ 185 Breaks ......................................................................... 134
MiniBurn .................................................................... 217 Chord Display Modes ........................................... 71, 131
MME Driver ......................................................... 13, 497 Chord Entry .................................................................. 70
Offset .......................................................................... 340 Color ....................................................................... 73, 74
Opening Files .............................................................. 339 Columns ........................................................................ 73
Playing ........................................................................ 343 Context Menu ............................................................... 74
Plug-Ins ....................................................................... 352 Display Options ............................................................ 72
Punch-in ...................................................................... 342 Editing .......................................................................... 74
Recording............................................................ 184, 341 Erase Chords ............................................................... 137
Rendering.................................................................... 215 Fake Sheet Mode .......................................................... 70
Reverb......................................................................... 257 Font ............................................................................... 74
Reverb Settings ........................................................... 258 Layers ........................................................................... 71
Saving Song as Audio ................................................. 215 Part Markers................................................................ 146
Settings ....................................................................... 497 Section Paragraphs ...................................................... 147
Setup ............................................................................. 12 Song Form Maker ....................................................... 145
Transcribe ........................................................... 346, 350 Superscript .................................................................... 73
Tune Fix .............................................................. 346, 350 Transpose ...................................................................... 74
VU Meters .......................................................... 184, 342 Typing Chords ............................................................ 129
WAS Driver .................................................................. 13 Video .......................................................................... 209

Index
Chord Substitution .......................................................... 141 Display Options......................................................... 72, 481
Chord Tutor ..................................................................... 371 DownloadManager .......................................................... 379
Chords Drag and Drop ................................................................. 383
Breaks ......................................................................... 134 Options........................................................................ 384
Chord Builder ............................................................. 132 Driver Latency .................................................................. 12
Chord Options ............................................................. 135 Drop Station .............................................................. 58, 383
Chord Substitutions..................................................... 141 Drum Count-in ................................................................ 486
Chords for Melody ...................................................... 143 Drum Fills ................................................................. 74, 147
Copy ........................................................................... 137 Drum Kit ......................................................................... 392
Copy and Paste ................................................... 137, 138 Settings ....................................................................... 393
Delete .......................................................................... 134 Drum Kit Definition ........................................................ 492
Display Modes ...................................................... 71, 131 Drum Notation ........................................................ 261, 267
Entering ........................................................................ 17 Drum Volumes ................................................................ 493
Entering Chords .......................................................... 129 Drums Window ............................................................... 392
Erase ........................................................................... 137 Duration Lines......................................................... 272, 274
Fold ..................................................................... 192, 470 DX ................................................................................... 352
From Another Song .................................................... 138 DXi.................................................................................... 10
From Text File ............................................................ 138 Ear Training Tutor........................................................... 369
Held Chords ................................................................ 135 Ear-training games .......................................................... 372
Intro .................................................................... 141, 302 Edit Menu........................................................................ 469
Jazz Down................................................................... 141 Edit Repeats and Endings ................................................ 193
Jazz Up ....................................................................... 141 Edit Settings for Current Bar ........................................... 195
K Quick Copy ............................................................. 138 Editable Notation ............................................................ 265
List .............................................................................. 532 Right-Click Menu ....................................................... 268
MIDI Chord Wizard.................................................... 364 Email ............................................................................... 208
MIDI Keyboard Entry ................................................. 129 Embellishment................................................................. 127
Nudge.......................................................................... 191 Endings ................................................................... 127, 484
Preview ....................................................................... 132 Erase Chords and/or Melody ........................................... 137
Reharmonist ................................................................ 143 Event List Editor ..................................................... 326, 396
Rests ........................................................................... 135 Event List Filter....................................................... 326, 396
Search and Replace ..................................................... 140 Extension......................................................................... 132
Shortcuts ..................................................... 130, 473, 533 External Devices ............................................................. 102
Shots ........................................................................... 135 External Hard Drive ............................................................ 9
Unfold ................................................................. 191, 470 Extra Style Settings ......................................................... 419
Chorus ................................................................. 19, 62, 126 F5 .................................................................................... 195
Clef.......................................................................... 276, 292 Factory reset .................................................................... 474
Coda ................................................................................ 193 Fadeout Ending ............................................................... 128
Color Selection ................................................................ 491 Fake Sheet ................................................................. 70, 280
Concert Pitch ................................................................... 484 Fakebook ......................................................................... 291
Conductor ................................................................ 100, 119 Favorite Folders ................................................................ 86
Convert Patch Lists ......................................................... 104 Favorite Instruments........................................................ 493
Convert Track to C7 Chord ............................................. 426 Favorite Songs................................................................... 84
Copy Feature Browser ................................................................ 19
Chords ................................................................. 137, 138 File Associations ............................................................... 87
Chords/Melody ........................................................... 137 File Menu ........................................................................ 463
Rests ........................................................................... 136 Find Song Files ......................................................... 86, 385
Copy/Move Tracks .......................................................... 190 Fix ............................................................................. 57, 346
Count-in and Metronome Options ................................... 485 Fold ................................................................................. 192
Coyote WT ...................................................................... 386 Force Accidental ............................................................. 271
Custom MIDI Styles........................................................ 175 Forced Rests .................................................................... 268
DAW ............................................................................... 383 Fourths Harmonies .......................................................... 452
Digitech Vocalist ............................................................. 102 Freeze ........................................................................ 96, 111
Direct Input ..................................................................... 228 Fretlight ........................................................................... 388

Index 583
General MIDI 2 ......................................................... 12, 102 Layers ................................................................................ 71
Generate Chords for Intro........................................ 141, 302 Lead Sheet ....................................................................... 279
Generate Guitar Chord Solo ............................................ 312 Fake Sheet Mode ........................................................ 280
Generate Scales ............................................................... 377 Harmony Display ........................................................ 281
Generate Syntetic Vocal .......................................... 270, 343 Margins ....................................................................... 285
Global Overrides ....................................................... 87, 501 Memo .......................................................................... 285
GM .................................................................................. 477 Options........................................................................ 284
GM2 .......................................................................... 12, 102 Lead-in Counts .................................................................. 95
Grace Notes ..................................................................... 315 Linear View..................................................................... 193
Guitar Live Harmony ................................................................. 520
Alternate Tuning ......................................................... 115 Local OFF ....................................................................... 478
Guitar Settings................................................................. 498 Local ON ................................................................. 478, 489
Guitar Styles .................................................................... 413 Looping ....................................................................... 62, 94
Guitar Tuner .................................................................... 390 Overall Setting ...................................................... 87, 501
Guitar Tutor............................................................. 116, 376 Screen ......................................................................... 261
Guitar Window ................................................................ 114 Section .......................................................................... 75
Toolbar........................................................................ 117 Loops............................................................................... 176
Hard Drive version .............................................................. 9 Loosen Start Times ......................................................... 183
Harmony Lyrics .............................................................................. 286
Audio Harmonies ........................................................ 350 Bar-Based Lyrics ........................................ 179, 287, 291
Changing at any bar .................................................... 198 Big Lyrics Window ..................................................... 289
Convert Track to Harmony ......................................... 184 Conversion .................................................................... 88
Edit ............................................................................. 450 Copy to Clipboard ....................................................... 291
Favorite ....................................................................... 183 Document Window ..................................................... 289
Live Harmony ............................................................. 520 Event List .................................................................... 287
Select .......................................................................... 183 Line-Based Lyrics ............................................... 286, 502
Harmony Channels & Settings ........................................ 490 Lyric Edit Window ..................................................... 287
Harmony Menu ............................................................... 519 Lyric Window Options ....................................... 289, 500
Held Chords .................................................................... 134 Menu ........................................................................... 288
Help Menu....................................................................... 525 Note-Based Lyrics ...................................................... 287
Hi-Q MIDI Sound ........................................................... 105 Main Screen
Humanize Melody/Soloist ............................................... 325 Chord Sheet .................................................................. 69
Hybrid Styles................................................................... 425 Drop Station .................................................................. 58
Import MIDI File............................................................. 324 Mixer ............................................................................ 64
Import Song..................................................................... 129 Overview ...................................................................... 52
Installation........................................................................... 9 Sizable Window ............................................................ 52
Intelligent Guitar ............................................................. 413 Status Bar ...................................................................... 53
Interpret Chords from MIDI ............................................ 364 Toolbars ........................................................................ 57
Interval Tutor .................................................................. 370 Track Radio Buttons ..................................................... 53
intrface.bbw..................................................................... 479 Margins ................................................................... 285, 293
Intro Chords ............................................................ 141, 302 Master Tuning ................................................................. 391
iPhone ............................................................................. 397 Medley Maker ......................................................... 205, 298
Jazz Chord Symbol ......................................................... 275 Melodist .......................................................................... 299
Jazz Down Chords........................................................... 141 Melodist Maker ............................................................... 458
Jazz Up Chords ............................................................... 141 Melody
jBridge............................................................................... 11 Adding ........................................................................ 181
Jukebox ........................................................................... 123 Copy ........................................................................... 137
K Quick Copy ................................................................. 138 Edit ..................................................................... 326, 396
Karaoke ........................................................................... 289 Embellishing ....................................................... 182, 314
CDG Files ........................................................... 290, 501 Entering in Notation Window ..................................... 319
KAR Files ................................................................... 212 Harmonizing ............................................................... 183
Key ...................................................................... 19, 62, 125 Importing from MIDI File .......................................... 324
Latency ........................................................................ 12, 15 Loosen Start Times ..................................................... 183

584 Index
 Recording.................................................................... 181 Bends .......................................................................... 268
Melody Embellisher ................................................ 182, 314 Chord Step Advance ................................................... 262
Settings ....................................................................... 314 Clef ............................................................................. 276
Melody Menu .................................................................. 507 Drum Notation .................................................... 261, 267
Melody Wizard........................................................ 101, 320 Duration Lines ............................................................ 274
Memo .............................................................................. 198 Edit Note Values ......................................................... 270
Menu Editable ....................................................................... 265
Audio .......................................................................... 517 Editing Notes .............................................................. 271
Edit ............................................................................. 469 Entering Notes ............................................................ 266
File .............................................................................. 463 Entering Rests ............................................................. 267
Harmony ..................................................................... 519 Forced Rests................................................................ 268
Help ............................................................................ 525 Guitar Tab Entry ......................................................... 265
Melody ........................................................................ 507 Lyrics .......................................................................... 286
Options........................................................................ 474 More Options .............................................................. 278
Play ............................................................................. 505 Notation Symbols ....................................................... 269
Soloist ......................................................................... 513 Note Duration ............................................................. 266
Window ...................................................................... 521 Note Properties ........................................................... 278
Metronome ........................................................................ 95 Options........................................................................ 273
MGU files ....................................................................... 207 Other Options.............................................................. 278
MIDI Chord Wizard ........................................................ 364 Resolution ................................................................... 266
MIDI Driver Wizard.......................................................... 10 Rests ........................................................................... 267
MIDI File Options ................................................... 212, 486 Section Letters ............................................................ 269
MIDI File to Style Wizard............................................... 428 Section Text ................................................................ 271
MIDI Instruments ............................................................ 102 Staff Roll..................................................................... 272
MIDI Keyboard ............................................... 100, 129, 524 Standard ...................................................................... 262
MIDI Keyboard Wizard .......................................... 100, 320 Toolbar........................................................................ 260
MIDI Monitor ................................................................. 394 Transpose .................................................................... 275
MIDI Normalize ...................................................... 101, 485 Velocity Lines ..................................................... 272, 276
MIDI Options .................................................................. 489 Video .......................................................................... 209
MIDI Settings .................................................................. 490 Note
MIDI SuperTracks .................................................. 110, 163 Changing Pitch............................................................ 268
MIDI Track Picker .......................................................... 175 Channel Numbers ....................................................... 274
MIDI/Audio Drivers Setup........................................ 10, 488 Colors.......................................................................... 274
MiniBurn ......................................................................... 217 Duration .............................................................. 266, 274
Minimize Rests................................................................ 268 Edit ............................................................................. 270
Misc. Style More Settings ............................................... 420 Entering ...................................................................... 266
Misc. Style Settings ......................................................... 417 Mouse Editing ............................................................. 272
Mixer ........................................................................... 64, 95 Moving........................................................................ 268
MME ......................................................................... 13, 497 Names ......................................................................... 274
Multi-Channel ................................................. 182, 282, 321 Offs ............................................................................. 490
Multi-Drums.................................................................... 251 Properties .................................................................... 278
MultiRiffs ........................................................................ 233 Velocity .............................................................. 272, 276
MultiStyles ...................................................................... 161 Nudge Chords ................................................................. 191
Music Replay .................................................................. 373 Open .................................................................................. 77
MusicXML File......................................................... 85, 209 ABC Notation File ........................................................ 86
Mute Track ........................................................................ 96 Audio File ..................................................................... 86
Mutes................................................................................. 66 Favorite Folders ............................................................ 86
MXL File........................................................................... 85 Favorites ....................................................................... 84
Natural Arrangements ............................................. 128, 485 Karaoke File.................................................................. 85
Non-Concert Visual Transpose ......................... 19, 113, 263 MIDI File ...................................................................... 85
Normalize Velocity ................................................. 101, 485 MusicXML File ............................................................ 85
Notation........................................................................... 260 Next Song ..................................................................... 85
Beat Resolution ........................................................... 266 Previous Song ............................................................... 85

Index 585
 SongPicker .................................................................... 78 Output Chords on Channel.......................................... 494
Options Menu .................................................................. 474 Overrides .................................................................... 501
Output Chords on Channel ...................................... 102, 494 Plugin Settings ............................................................ 384
Panning ....................................................................... 66, 96 RealDrums Settings .................................................... 244
Part Markers .............................................................. 74, 146 RealTracks Settings .................................................... 221
Patch Record Filter ............................................................... 496
Changing at any bar .................................................... 197 Drum Kit ..................................................................... 493
Patch List Convert ........................................................... 104 Soloist/Melodist .................................................. 310, 491
Patch Map ....................................................................... 492 Transpose .................................................................... 495
Patches Preview Chords ............................................................... 132
Allow Change ............................................................. 490 Print ................................................................................. 291
Patches on Higher Banks................................................. 103 Margins ....................................................................... 293
PedalBass ........................................................................ 127 Options........................................................................ 292
Performance Track .......................................................... 219 Progress Bar ...................................................................... 64
PG Music Reverb ............................................................ 258 Pushes ............................................................. 127, 136, 315
Piano Hand-Split ..................................................... 277, 311 Quantize Melody Options ............................................... 509
Piano Roll Window ......................................................... 328 RealCharts ....................................................................... 222
Piano Window ................................................................. 118 RealDrums ...................................................................... 243
Pick a Loop ..................................................................... 176 Artist ........................................................................... 229
Pitch Invasion .................................................................. 372 Audio Reverb .............................................................. 257
Play ....................................................................... 19, 62, 94 Changing at any bar .................................... 173, 196, 250
Play Along Wizard .................................................. 100, 320 Favorites ..................................................................... 247
Play Loop .......................................................................... 97 Groove Selection......................................................... 174
Play Menu ....................................................................... 505 Instant Preview ........................................................... 247
Plug-in Mode................................................................... 383 Making ........................................................................ 432
Options........................................................................ 384 QuickList ............................................................ 173, 250
Plugin Settings (drag n drop)........................................... 384 RealDrums Picker ....................................................... 246
Plugins Options ................................................................. 67 Settings ....................................................................... 244
Practice ............................................................................ 354 Using in Songs ............................................ 107, 170, 246
Practice Window ............................................................. 368 Volume Adjust ............................................................ 245
Preferences ...................................................................... 479 RealTracks ...................................................................... 221
Arrangement Options .................................................. 483 +/- Files ....................................................................... 225
Audio Reverb .............................................................. 258 3 ways to use ............................................................... 225
Audio Settings ............................................................ 497 Artist ........................................................................... 229
Big Piano Settings ....................................................... 499 Assign RealTracks ...................................................... 226
Channels ..................................................................... 490 Audio Reverb .............................................................. 257
Color Selection ........................................................... 491 Best RealTracks .......................................................... 230
Count-in and Metronome Options .............................. 485 Best Sub RealTracks ................................................... 231
Display Options .......................................................... 481 Changing at any bar .................................... 166, 197, 235
Drum Kit ..................................................................... 492 Folder Location ........................................................... 222
Fav.Patch .................................................................... 493 Holds........................................................................... 224
General MIDI Patch Edit ............................................ 492 Instant Preview ........................................... 109, 165, 227
Global Overrides ........................................................... 87 Medleys ...................................................................... 236
Guitar Settings ............................................................ 498 MultiRiffs ................................................................... 233
Harmony Channels & Settings .................................... 490 Panning ....................................................................... 237
Lead Sheet Options ..................................................... 284 Pushes ......................................................................... 224
Lyric Window Options ....................................... 289, 500 RealCharts .................................................................. 222
MIDI File Options .............................................. 212, 486 RealTracksPicker ........................................................ 226
MIDI Options.............................................................. 489 Reverb......................................................................... 224
MIDI Settings ............................................................. 490 Saving ......................................................................... 243
MIDI/Audio Drivers Setup ......................................... 488 Settings ....................................................................... 221
Notation Options ......................................................... 273 Shots ........................................................................... 224
Open/Save ................................................................... 479 Thickening .................................................................. 237

586 Index
 Using in Songs .................................... 108, 165, 226, 230 Adding ........................................................................ 186
Video .................................................................. 166, 241 Solo a Track ...................................................................... 96
Volume Adjust ............................................................ 223 Soloist
RealTreacks Best Soloist RealTracks ...................................... 186, 304
Fix ................................................................................. 57 Custom Solo................................................................ 308
Recently Played Songs ...................................................... 84 Edit ............................................................................. 453
Record Melody Influenced ...................................................... 309
Wizard ........................................................................ 320 Mode ........................................................................... 307
Record Audio .................................................................. 184 More Soloist & Melodist Settings ....................... 310, 491
Record Filter ................................................................... 496 Select Soloist Dialog ........................................... 187, 306
Record Melody ................................................................ 181 Trade Four .................................................................. 308
Reharmonist .................................................................... 143 Wizard ........................................................................ 308
Remote Control ............................................................... 380 Soloist Maker .................................................................. 453
Render to Audio File ....................................................... 215 Soloist Menu ................................................................... 513
Repeats ............................................................................ 192 Song
Reset to factory ............................................................... 474 ABC Notation File ...................................................... 210
Rests ........................................................ 127, 134, 135, 267 Allow Patch Changes .................................................. 490
Copy ........................................................................... 136 Automatic Song Title .................................................. 302
Reverb ................................................................. 66, 96, 257 Chorus ............................................................. 19, 62, 126
Reverb Settings ............................................................... 258 Embellishment ............................................................ 127
Rhythm Guitar Chord Tutor ............................................ 376 Endings Option ........................................................... 127
Roland RA Series ............................................................ 102 Entering Chords .................................................... 17, 129
Root ................................................................................. 132 Favorites ....................................................................... 84
Sample Rate ...................................................................... 16 Find ....................................................................... 86, 385
Save ................................................................................. 206 Framing ................................................................. 19, 126
ABC Notation File ...................................................... 210 Import ......................................................................... 129
Save as Audio File ...................................................... 215 Key ................................................................. 19, 62, 125
Save as MIDI File ....................................................... 212 Memo .......................................................................... 198
Save as MusicXML File ............................................. 209 New............................................................................. 125
Save as Performance ................................................... 219 Opening ........................................................................ 77
Save as Text File ......................................................... 211 Part Markers.................................................................. 74
Save Frozen Tracks ..................................................... 208 Recently Played ............................................................ 84
Save Notation as Video ............................................... 209 Saving ......................................................................... 206
Save with Settings ....................................................... 207 Saving as Audio File ................................................... 215
Scale Generation ............................................................. 377 Saving as MIDI File .................................................... 212
Section Letters................................................................. 269 Saving as MusicXML ................................................. 209
Section Paragraphs .......................................................... 147 Saving as Performance ................................................ 219
Section Text .................................................................... 271 Saving as Text File ..................................................... 211
Section Text Layer ............................................................ 71 Saving Chord Sheet as Video...................................... 209
Select Melody Harmony.................................................. 183 Saving Frozen Tracks ................................................. 208
Sequencer Mode .............................................. 182, 282, 321 Saving Settings ........................................................... 207
Settings for Transpose ..................................................... 495 Settings ....................................................................... 126
Setup Simple Arrangements............................................ 94, 127
Audio ............................................................................ 12 SongPicker .................................................................... 78
MIDI ............................................................................... 9 Tempo ............................................................. 19, 62, 125
sforzando ......................................................................... 105 Title....................................................................... 61, 125
Shots ........................................................................ 134, 135 Song Form Maker ........................................................... 145
Simple Arrangements ................................................ 94, 127 Song Title Generation ..................................................... 302
Simpler Arrangement ...................................................... 228 Song Titles Browser .................................................. 90, 156
Sinsy ........................................................................ 270, 343 SongPicker ........................................................................ 78
Slide Tracks....................................................................... 97 SoundTrack Generator .................................................... 303
Soft Synth Latency Adjust ................................................ 12 Staff Roll Notation .......................................................... 272
Solo ................................................................................... 66 Standard MIDI File ................................................. 212, 324

Index 587
Standard Notation............................................................ 262 StylePicker .......................................................... 18, 89, 149
Right-Click Menu ....................................................... 263 Instant Preview ..................................................... 91, 151
Status Bar .......................................................................... 53 Options........................................................................ 156
Style RealStyles ................................................................... 239
About ............................................................................ 17 Song Titles Browser...................................................... 90
Aliases ........................................................................ 160 Substyle ........................................................................... 146
Applying ..................................................................... 148 Superscript ........................................................................ 73
Band .............................................................................. 92 SuperTracks ............................................................ 110, 163
Changing at any bar .................................................... 196 Sync................................................................................. 489
Choosing ................................................................. 17, 88 System Requirements .......................................................... 9
Current Style ............................................................... 148 Tab .......................................................................... 265, 275
Enable/Disable ............................................................ 160 Tag .................................................................................. 127
Favorite ....................................................................... 159 Tempo ................................................................. 19, 62, 125
Forced Styles .............................................................. 160 Changing at any bar .................................................... 196
Hybrid Styles .............................................................. 425 Relative Tempo ..................................................... 19, 125
Instant Preview ..................................................... 91, 151 Tap .................................................................. 19, 62, 126
Load Next Style .......................................................... 148 Text File .................................................................. 138, 211
Load Previous Style .................................................... 148 TGS Files ........................................................................ 105
MultiStyle ................................................................... 161 Thru ................................................................... 53, 101, 489
Recently Used ............................................................. 159 Velocity Boost .................................................... 100, 489
Replace MIDI w/ RealTrack ....................................... 128 Time Signature ........................................................ 194, 474
Song Titles Browser.............................................. 90, 156 Tone .................................................................... 66, 96, 257
StylePicker .................................................................. 149 Toolbars ............................................................................ 57
StyleMaker ...................................................................... 401 File Section ................................................................... 59
Advanced Editing ....................................................... 423 Song Section ................................................................. 60
Alternate Drum Note .................................................. 406 Tools Section ................................................................ 63
Assign Instruments to Style ........................................ 422 Tracks Section .............................................................. 64
Bass Patterns ............................................................... 408 Transport Section .......................................................... 62
Define Custom Drum Kit ............................................ 406 Views Section ............................................................... 63
Drum Patterns ............................................................. 405 Track Radio Buttons.......................................................... 53
Event List Editor ......................................................... 424 Automatic Labels ........................................................ 480
Extra Style Settings ..................................................... 419 Custom Labels ............................................................ 480
Guitar Macros ............................................................. 413 Track-to-Track Copy ....................................................... 190
Import Instruments ...................................................... 425 Transpose .................................................. 62, 195, 275, 495
Import Patterns from MIDI ......................................... 426 Non-Concert Visual ...................................... 19, 113, 263
Late Note .................................................................... 424 TranzPort......................................................................... 389
Making RealDrums ..................................................... 432 Setting ................................................................. 390, 503
Menus ......................................................................... 401 Tuner ............................................................................... 390
Misc. More Settings .................................................... 420 Unfold ............................................................................. 191
Misc. Style Settings .................................................... 417 Updates ........................................................................... 526
Override Guitar Style .................................................. 416 UserTracks .............................................................. 169, 253
Overview .................................................................... 401 Utility Track .............................................................. 54, 178
Pattern Velocity .......................................................... 424 Velocity Lines ......................................................... 272, 276
Piano/Guitar/String Patterns ....................................... 411 Vibrato ............................................................................ 316
RealTracks .................................................................. 421 Video
Settings for Guitar Macros .......................................... 413 Chord Sheet ................................................................ 209
Slide Pattern ................................................................ 427 Notation ...................................................................... 209
Soloist ......................................................................... 421 RealTracks .......................................................... 166, 241
Style Checker .............................................................. 427 Video RealTracks .................................................... 166, 241
Style Log..................................................................... 424 Video Window ................................................................ 353
Style Summary............................................................ 427 Vocal Synth ............................................................. 270, 343
Toolbar........................................................................ 404 Vocal Wizard .................................................................. 374
Trim Pattern ................................................................ 423 Volume .......................................................... 55, 66, 96, 129

588 Index
 Allow Changes............................................................ 490 WAS Driver ...................................................................... 13
Changing at any bar .................................................... 197 Window Menu................................................................. 521
VST ........................................................................... 66, 352 Windows Audio Session ................................................... 13
VST/DX Synths/Plugins ................................................... 66 Woodshed........................................................................ 354
VSTi .................................................................................. 10 XML File................................................................... 85, 209
VSTSynthFont64............................................................... 11 YouTube ......................................................................... 209
VU Meters ................................................... 66, 96, 184, 342

Index 589
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