User Guide

Chapter 5: Guided Tour of Band-in-a-Box

The default is “No Transpose,” so the [Default] button sets all fields to 0.

If you are playing along while changing these settings, the [Update] button will apply the

changes you have made so you can hear the difference.

[Do it now] sends your transpose settings for either the song or the Thru part, as selected.

Change the Style

The hundreds of musical styles available for Band-in-a-Box include lots of variations for

any style you choose. You can even use several styles in the same song by pressing the

F5 function key on the computer to open the “Edit Bar Settings” dialog to change the

style at any bar.

Try different styles by clicking on the [.Style] button to choose from

the StylePicker. The current prototype style is shown in the title bar.

The prototype can be selected with the [Change Prototype Style] button. Another

option is to have the prototype default to the current style by selecting that checkbox.

Styles with a similar feel to the prototype will be indicated with an (*) asterisk. These

would be styles that have the same feel (triplets/ eighth/ sixteenths) and a similar tempo

range. Styles that have a similar feel but a different tempo range are marked by a (^)

caret symbol. Choose the “Show Styles” filter to display all styles, or only styles that

match the prototype partially or fully. With the “Disk #” filter you can view just the

styles from on styles set disk.

Change the Sound

Band-in-a-Box has several instrument parts - Bass, Piano, Drums, Guitar, Solo, Strings,

Melody, and Thru. You can change patches on any part.

The easiest way to change patches on a part is to select the part by clicking on the desired

part to change.

Click on the Instrument Panel box. You will then see a menu of 128 instrument names.

This list is the General MIDI patch list. Scroll down the list to find your patch.

Or click on the numbered buttons below

the Instrument Panel box to choose from the 10 most common instruments chosen for

that particular part.

If you have a General MIDI module, or any of the units that have a patch file

for higher banks (*.PAT file) listed for them, then press the '+' button on the

main screen to choose the .PAT file from the Synthkits folder.