® Version 2008 for Windows © Copyright PG Music Inc.1989-2008. 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.
Table of Contents PG MUSIC INC. LICENSE AGREEMENT 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS 3 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 5 CHAPTER 2: SUMMARY OF NEW FEATURES 6 Band-in-a-Box 2008 6 CHAPTER 3: QUICKSTART TUTORIAL 12 QuickStart Tutorial for the Version 2008 Upgrade CHAPTER 4: REALTRACKS 12 19 What are RealTracks? 19 Using RealTracks in Styles. 19 Using RealTracks in Solos.
Style Log Options 32 CHAPTER 11: NOTATION WINDOW ENHANCEMENTS 34 Confirmation Dialog 34 Bar Number Options 34 CHAPTER 12: OTHER NEW FEATURES 36 PG MUSIC INC.
Chapter 1: Introduction This documentation covers the new features in Band-in-a-Box Version 2008. - Chapter 2 is a summary of the new features. - Chapter 3 is a QuickStart Tutorial. - Chapters 4 -12 describe the new features in detail. Band-in-a-Box 2008 is here with over 50 cool new features! There are some exciting new features in Band-in-a-Box.
Chapter 2: Summary of New Features Band-in-a-Box 2008 The new features in Band-in-a-Box 2008 for Windows are... RealTracks With the previous release of Band-in-a-Box, we added RealDrums. Now we’ve added three additional “Real” instruments, including Real Pedal Steel, Real Acoustic Guitar, and Tenor Sax soloing (RealSax). These tracks replace the MIDI track for that instrument, and can be controlled just like the MIDI instrument (volume changes, muting etc.).
- You can now have style changes - multiple RealDrums styles within a song - either using the RealDrums from a Band-in-a-Box style or specifying a specific RealDrums style to use at a bar. - 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.
- Styles can now contain RealTracks. Styles can now 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. - Feature added to turn embellishment on/off for entire style. - Style Flipping; convert “a” section to “b” and vice versa. StylePicker enhancements - - StylePicker categories/subcategories redesigned, with new categories for Blues, Country (6 types), Jazz (9 types), and many more.
- Long style names appear on the main chord sheet screen beside the short style name - You can also specify a long style name (up to 32 characters) when saving a style from the StyleMaker or Hybrid style, and the 32 character name will appear in the StylePicker and on screen. - RealDrums selection can now be made from the StylePicker. - Support for up to 20,000 entries in the StylePicker.
a 7-bar section, followed by 8-bar sections, the previous version 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’ll see each section on a new line so that the form of the lead sheet is easier to see. The feature is configurable and optional. Import Song.
You can now quickly choose a fadeout ending, just press the [Fade] button in Song Settings, 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. Tempo is set based on Style when choosing File | New. Instead of always resetting to tempo=140, the tempo is now the best tempo for the current style. Improved Enharmonics on slash chords.
Chapter 3: QuickStart Tutorial QuickStart Tutorial for the Version 2008 Upgrade The full descriptions of the new features in Version 2008 of Band-in-a-Box are provided elsewhere. This tutorial is a QuickStart tour of the new features in Band-in-a-Box 2008. Note: It is assumed that you are somewhat familiar with the previous release of Band-in-a-Box. Explore Band-in-a-Box Version 2008 First, we’ll take a quick tour of the new features in Band-in-a-Box.
You will notice that the word “Strings” at the top of the screen is lit up in green. This indicates that a RealTrack will play on the strings track, because it is stored in the =GeorgeP.STY. Press Play. You will then hear the song play. On the Strings part, you will hear a RealPedalSteel part. This is made from actual recordings of a top Nashville session pedal steel player.
Look at the toolbar at the right of the screen. There is a RealTracks button. These are audio styles like RealPedalSteel, RealAcousticGuitar, and RealSax that replace the MIDI instrument track with actual recordings of top studio musicians. The RealTracks Settings dialog lets you control the RealTracks. There is a Medley Maker that launches the Medley Maker – this allows you to make a medley of songs automatically. Play the file, and you can hear the various substyles.
Now, let’s make a Medley! Choose File | Medley Maker (or press the [A+B] Medley Maker button on the toolbar). Using the [Append] button choose the following files. - C:\bb\styles00\ZZCHACHA.MGU - C:\bb\styles00\ZZBOSSA.MG4 - C:\bb\styles00\ZZJAZZ.MG1 Your screen will look like this.
Press [Make Medley NOW]. You’ll now be hearing the medley. Note that: - Style changes and tempo changes occur for each song. - There are automatic transitions between the songs, with outro and intro chords between them generated automatically. - Key signature changes are written to the notation. - Patch changes for the melody occur for each song because we have checked “Patch Changes” in the “Include with Songs” group box. - The medley doesn’t loop at the end (because we left the Loop box unchecked).
Press the Song Settings button or select Edit | Settings (for This Song). Choose a number of bars to fade out (press the [Fade] button to insert 6 bars of fade, or choose your own). Now the song will fade out at the end! Let’s visit the improved Audio Chord Wizard. The Audio Chord Wizard now has a full chord sheet, allowing you to see the whole song at once, and you can insert part markers to delineate the sections.
We’ve explored the main screen, RealTracks, MultiStyles, Medley Maker, improved StylePicker, and AudioChordWizard. There are more details on all of these and other features in the following chapters. This is the end of the tutorial. Thanks for taking the time to read this chapter. The next chapters examine the new features in detail.
Chapter 4: RealTracks ™ What are RealTracks? With the previous release of Band-in-a-Box, we added RealDrums. Now we’ve added three additional “Real” instruments, including RealPedalSteel, RealAcousticGuitar, and RealSax soloing (tenor sax). These tracks replace the MIDI track for that instrument, and can be controlled just like the MIDI instrument (volume changes, muting etc.).
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\Tutorial BB2008\=GeorgeP.
The RealTracks settings dialog also allows you to Enable/Disable the RealTracks feature, and apply an overall Global Volume Adjust to the RealTracks. If they are too loud generally, set a Global Volume Adjust of about -10 dB. The installation routine for Band-in-a-Box usually installs (decompresses) the audio files to WAV files. But if you decided not to decompress them at install time, you can press the Install button to complete that process.
Chapter 5: MultiStyles We’ve added MultiStyles to Band-in-a-Box. These are styles that can have up to 24 substyles! Previous Bandin-a-Box styles had 2 substyles (“a” and “b”). Now, for example, a MultiStyle with 4 substyles (First Verse, Verse, Chorus, and Break) can be used, and you select the various sections using a, b, c, and d part markers. Our newest styles sets are MultiStyles, typically with 4 substyles, but some Techno styles have 24 substyles.
The following styles sets are the first ones with MultiStyles. They have 4 MultiStyles per style, except Techno, which uses up to 20 substyles per style. - Styles Set #69: Techno MultiStyles - Styles Set #71: Urban Pop MultiStyles - Styles Set #74: Nashville Rock MultiStyles - Styles Set #75: Country MultiStyles Making your own MultiStyles in Styles You can make a style that is a MultiStyle. For example: - Open the StyleMaker, press [Misc].
Chapter 6: 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 new Medley Maker. Inside the Medley Maker, simply select the songs that you want, and Bandin-a-Box will make the medley for you. 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 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.
Chapter 7: AudioChordWizard Audio Chord Wizard Enhancements The Audio Chord Wizard is the amazing feature that automatically figures out the chords from MP3 files (or other audio files like WAV, WMA, and audio CD etc.). Using the Audio Chord Wizard is a great way to learn and practice popular songs as you play along and see the chords. We’ve added a Lead Sheet window that shows the chords for the whole song on a single screen.
Now the song is divided into sections, with space between each section, and each section starting on a new line. If we want to renumber the bars, right click on the waveform timeline 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 also change the row height. The Audio Chord Wizard is a great way to learn the chords of songs.
Chapter 8: RealDrums Enhancements The RealDrums feature replaces MIDI drums with audio drums. Style Changes You can now have style changes - multiple RealDrums styles within a song - either using the RealDrums from a Band-in-a-Box style or specifying a particular RealDrums style to use at a bar. To get a change at a bar, press F5 to open the bar settings dialog. In this dialog, you can enter a change of RealDrums. Or you can enter a change of style, which will also result in a change of RealDrums.
The RealDrums for this style shows you the current style that would be substituted (assuming you have RealDrums enabled, and MIDI substitutions enabled in RealDrums Prefs). You can override the RealDrums for a certain song by selecting any RealDrums set with the [RD] button. Or use the [Best] button, which will show you RealDrums that match the feel of the currently selected style. Or force MIDI drums for this song. There is a new hot key combination to turn RealDrums on/off (Ctrl+Shift+F6).
Chapter 9: StylePicker Enhancements The Band-in-a-Box StylePicker can now support up to 20,000 entries, with more subcategories, an auto-find feature, long style names, and RealDrums support. Expanded Category Listings StylePicker categories/subcategories have been redesigned, with new categories for Blues, Country (6 types), Jazz (9 types), and many more.
- You can also specify a long style name (up to 32 characters) when saving a style from the StyleMaker or as a hybrid style, and the 32 character name will appear in the StylePicker and on screen. - In the StyleMaker Misc. Style Settings, type the long name that you want (32 chars), and this will appear on screen (after [Re-Build] is pressed in the StylePicker).
Chapter 10: StyleMaker Enhancements Style Instrument Assignments Styles can now contain RealTracks or MIDI soloists. In the StyleMaker, go to Misc. Style Settings and select the [More] button. To assign RealTracks to a style set the “Instrument” to use, and the RealTracks #. In the example, we are using RealGuitar for the Guitar track. Styles can have multiple RealTracks. For example, you could have RealPedalSteel and RealAcousticGuitar. And also RealDrums. Styles can also use MIDI soloists.
- Feature added to turn embellishment on/off for entire style. This is done via the Styles menu in StyleMaker. It sets the options on/off for every pattern, and also sets the “Jazz” checkbox in the miscellaneous dialog. - Style Flipping: convert “a” section to “b” and vice versa. Using the Style menu, choose the option to flip patterns for an instrument or the whole style. - Long Style Name can be stored in the style (up to 32 characters), and this will appear on screen and in the StylePicker.
Chapter 11: Notation Window Enhancements Confirmation Dialog The confirmation dialog is a feature to prevent accidental entry of a duplicate note (same pitch near same time). You will see a confirmation dialog when notes are clicked that are within 1 semitone or 15 ticks (120PPQ). The confirmation dialog will also prevent accidental entry of a very high or very low note (i.e., with a large # of ledger lines).
In the Print Options dialog there is a setting for “Show Bar #s” to include the bar # on the lead sheet and printout at Every Part Marker, Every Bar, Every Row, or Every Page. Other Print Options In the Margins & Misc. Settings dialog, which opens with the [More] button in the Print Options dialog, there is an option to include the substyle name when printing (a, b, etc.). There is also an option to “Offset Bar Numbers by _ Bars” for the printout and lead sheet.
Chapter 12: Other New Features Change of Key Signature at any Bar. Previous versions of Band-in-a-Box displayed one key signature for a song. Now you can have multiple keys in the same song with the new key signature shown on notation. To change key signatures, press F5 and then select the key signature change that you want. When you do that, you will see the new key signature drawn on the notation at that bar. The GUI has been enhanced. There is support for Windows “Themes.
by 8-bar sections, the previous version of Band-in-a-Box wouldn’t start the other sections on a new line. The result there 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’ll see all of them on a new line so that the form of the chord sheet is easier to see. The feature is configurable and optional. Here is a chord sheet without the section paragraphs feature.
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). Karaoke MP3/CDG Files. Audio Karaoke files are popular using several formats. The most common is CDG format, which includes the lyrics in graphical format on audio CDs.
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. Style Wizard enhanced. The Style Wizard converts a MIDI file to a style.
Changes at any Bar (F5) Improvements Specify a chorus # (or all). Previously, any changes at a bar would apply for every chorus. Now you can specify the change 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. Volume Changes: Mute/Normal/Change By/Fade By/Louder by First choose an instrument or “All Instr.” Mute will mute the instrument at the bar.
Other Features. 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. Example uses: You can: - Get a listing of all BB songs on your PC with the word “Blues” in the title. - Get a listing of all BB songs in the BB folder with the word “Reggae” in them. This produces a list of over 50 songs in the MegaPak.
Tempo is set based on Style when choosing File | New. Instead of always resetting to tempo=140, the tempo is now the best tempo for the current style. This function happens automatically. Improved Enharmonics on slash chords. For example, a chord like Gm7b5/Db will display correctly using a Db instead of a Gm7b5/C#, since Band-ina-Box now bases it on a Gm scale. MIDI files now read in Section Markers and show up as part markers. Audition Styles.
PG Music Inc. Band-in-a-Box ® is protected by copyright and is the property of PG Music Inc. and its licensors. Copyright © 1989-2008 PG Music Inc. All rights reserved. PG MUSIC INC. 29 Cadillac Avenue Victoria, BC V8Z 1T3 Canada Contacts: E-mail: info@pgmusic.com Phone: toll free in the United States and Canada 1-800-268-6272, 1-888-PG-MUSIC (746-8742), Or 1-250-475-2874 (tolls apply) Universal International Freephone Service: Outside of the United States and Canada (where available).
Index Audio Batch Render, 42 QuickStart, 12 Audio Chord Wizard, 26 RealDrums, 28 chord sheet, 26 artist support, 28 settings, 27 style changes, 28 Audio Playback, 42 StylePicker settings, 28 Band-in-a-Box 2008, 5 RealTracks, 19 Bar Settings, 40 2 ways to use, 19 Batch Render Audio, 42 in Band-in-a-Box 2008, 19 Change Key Signature, 36 more, 21 Chord Editing, 39 saving, 21 Copyright, 43 settings dialog, 20 Enharmonics, 42 using in solos, 20 Fadeout, 41 using in styles, 19 Find File,
