User Guide

Chapter 14: User Programmable Functions
413
• 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
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.