User Guide

Chapter 14: User Programmable Functions
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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 box.
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 32
nd
note.
“Omit first note” works together with the Double note feature to
play only the second 32
nd
note.
When you exit the dialog box 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.
Click on the [Exit] button to return to the Drum
window.
The Drum 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).