Search Manual

Chapter 15: Reference

Band-in-a-Box Menu

About Band-in-a-Box gives important program information such as the version and build and the people who make it possible. There is also contact information for PG Music Inc., technical support, and the PG Music web page, www.pgmusic.com.

Check for Updates: User can check/download/pause/continue/install for a newer version (not free), newer build (free), and updated RealTracks files (free).

Preferences opens the Preferences dialog to set the user options for the program. The settings are all saved in the /Band-in-a-Box/Preferences folder in a file named Band-in-a-Box Preferences_X86. If this file is removed the program will require the same setup as when it was first installed. This can be a way of removing unwanted settings for a “fresh start.” 

Services will open a submenu of the available services in the operating system.

Hide Band-in-a-Box will minimize the Band-in-a-Box window. Restore it by clicking the Band-in-a-Box icon on the dock.

Hide Others / Show All either shows or hides other open windows and applications.

Quit Band-in-a-Box-64x exits the program.

File Menu

New is used to blank the Chord Sheet and start a new song.

Open Song is used to open an existing song.

Open Special opens a submenu.

Open Next Song and Open Previous Songwill open the next/previous song in alphabetical order. For example, if the song loaded has a file name of “Paul,” then choosing Open Next Song will find the next file in alphabetical order after Paul; maybe it would be “Peter.”  The hot keys for this are shift+F8 and control+shift+F. Open Filtered by Stylelists only the songs in a folder with current style. Open Song with Melody lists only the songs in a folder with melodies (*.mg?). Open Favorite Songs opens the dialog listing the last 150 songs played. Open from Favorite Folders… opens a list of recently used folders for quick access. Open Entire Karaoke (kar) File to Melody track allows you to open a Karaoke file to extract the data to the Melody track. 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 Applications/Band-in-a-Box/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 Enter MIDI File to Melody Track allows you to open a MIDI file to extract the data to the Melody track. Open MusicXML File allows you to import a MusicXML File from your notation programs such as Finale, Sibelius, and Guitar Pro to Band-in-a-Box. Open ABC Notation Music File allows you to import an ABC notation file. Open Audio Filea allows you to open an audio file to the Audio track. Load Style Demo for Current Style loads the demo song for the currently loaded style. This feature is also available with a click on the name of the style, which opens the StylePicker. The [Song Demo] button loads the demo song for the current style.

Revert to saved abandons your edits and reverts to the previously saved song.

Save lets you save the current song to the same folder with the same file name.

Save Song as... lets you save the current song using the file dialog to name the file and choose a folder for the saved file.

Save Special opens a submenu for saving songs.

Save Song as MIDI File allows you to save the song as a standarMIDI file. You can save in Type 1 (multi-tracks) or Type 0 (single track) files. Karaoke MIDI files are also supported. See the settings in the Preferences dialog box to control how the Melody, Solo, and Harmony are written to a MIDI file. 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 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 M4A Audio [Choose Name] or Save Song as AIFF Audio [Choose Name] renders the current song to the chosen audio format, ready for export to other programs or Internet distribution. You can select the name and folder destination for the song. Save Song as M4A Audio [in Current Folder] (for iPhone/iPad/Android BIAB app] automatically renders the song with its current name and saves it in the current folder. The .m4a format is used by the Band-in-a-Box app for iPhone, iPad, and Android devices. Save Song as AIFF Audio [in Current Folder] automatically renders the song and saves it in the current folder with its current name. Batch Save All Songs in Current Folder to M4A (for iPhone/iPad/Android BIAB app) or AIFF renders all songs in a folder to the desired format. Email song file(s) as attachment(s) allows you to email a song, style, or audio file as attachments. Save as Video (upload to YouTube etc.) lets you make a video of the Chord Sheet that you can upload to YouTube or work with video programs.

Import opens a submenu to import chords, MIDI, or audio.

Import Chords, Tracks, and Lyrics from MIDI File uses the MIDI File Chord Wizard to interpret chords from any MIDI file and read tracks to the Melody and Soloist tracks. 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 on the clipboard (e.g., from a sequencer) into the Melody track. Import Soloist from MIDI File allows you to import MIDI data from a file (*.MID) into the Soloist track. Import Soloist from Clipboard allows you to import MIDI data that has been pasted on the clipboard (e.g., from a sequencer) into the Soloist track. Import MusicXML File allows you to import a MusicXML file (*.musicxml, *.XML, *.MXL), to the current song. In the dialog that opens after choosing a MusicXML file, select a track that you want to import. If you want to change the destination track, right-click on a track and select Destination Track. Then, in the area below the track selection, select items that you want to import 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. The “# Bars in XML file to Skip” 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. When you are ready, press [OK], and the MusicXML file will be imported to the current song. Import Audio (WAV,AIFF,MP4,M4A,WMA) allows you to import audio data from an audio file (WAV, AIF, MP4, MP3, M4A, etc.) to the Audio track.

StylePicker (browse Styles with info) lets you select a style in the StylePicker window with complete style information.

Load Style Specia lopens a submenu for loading styles.

Current Style shows the file name of the current style in use. Style Information shows a summary of information about the current style. Open a User Style from disk: Styles can be selected and loaded from the Styles folder or from alternate folders you may have created for them. Select Favorite Styles opens the Favorites Styles/Recently Played Styles dialog, which contains a list of the most recent styles used. 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. To load the next style, in alphabetical order, choose the menu item File | Load Style Special | Load Next Style, or use the hot key command+shift+F8 (control+command+shift+F8 for the previous style). Find a RealTracks Replacement for current MIDI style 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 loads the demo song for the currently loaded style. This feature is also available with a click on the name of the style, which opens the StylePicker. The [Song Demo] button loads the demo song for the current style. OK to load style with songs allows you to keep a style in memory. This way, 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 have 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 songsto 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 Styles 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. You can also create and store Favorites lists. 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 your songs. 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 will suggest 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 for making or editing styles.

New - Make A New Style launches the StyleMaker to create a new style. Edit Current Style launches the StyleMaker to edit the current style.

File Utilities

Auto Rename 8 Character song filenames will rename all song files in a folder using the song title as the name. If you have a folder with files that are in the short filename format, you can quickly convert the filenames to long file names. Band-in-a-Box will use the title of the song as the file name, so if you have a file called OldFolk.mgu, Band-in-a-Box read the actual song title stored within the song and rename the filename to Old Folks at Home.MGU.

Convert names in ALL CAPS to Upper /Lower Case: If the song title found is OLD FOLKS AT HOME, setting this option would allow the file name to be called Old Folks at Home. Convert names to ALL CAPS converts a song title with upper and lower case to an upper-case file name. Replace Underscore with Space Char / Replace Space char with Underscore are options to make the file names with either spaces or underscores between words. Rename files even if the title is Untitled Song: Since Band-in-a-Box’s default song title is Untitled Song, setting this option would rename the files to names like Untitled Song. If enabling this option results in a duplicate file name, Band-in-a-Box will append the original file name (e.g., MySong.MGU), so the full name would be Untitled Song MySong.MGU. This ensures that all file names will be unique, even if the song titles are the same. Maximum # characters for filename: Since song titles are a maximum of 65 characters, you can auto-rename song file names up to this 65-character limit. After renaming the files, Band-in-a-Box will offer to remake the songlist.doc file. This file is used by the SongPicker dialog that shows you the songs with full titles and other information.

Rename Any Song on Disk or Rename Current Song on disk allows you to rename files. Delete a Song from Disk deletes a song file without exiting the program. Erase it! (Delete Current Song from Disk) deletes the current song. Render Song to .aiff Audio opens the Render to Audio File(s) dialog, which renders the full mix or selected tracks to either a compressed or an uncompressed audio file in mono or stereo. Output can be an AIFF file, an M4A file, or a WAV file. Open Finder in Folder of Current Song goes directly to the current song folder.

Page Setup takes you to the setup dialog for your printer.

Print opens the Print Options dialog.

Print LeadSheet prints the song using the Lead Sheet options (such as fake sheet

Edit Menu

Undo and Redo allow you to undo or redo most operations.

Cut functions like a delete command. It removes bars of chords from a song.

Copy and Paste are to copy chords from one part of the song to another. Copying a section of chords can be done in the same manner as copying text in a word processor.

Copy Special shows a submenu to copy chords, melody, or tracks.

Copy From… To… launches the Copy Chords and/or Melody dialog. Copy Rests opens a dialog to allow copying of rests. Copy/Move Tracks allows copying/moving of any track to any other track. 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).

Erase From… To… launches the Erase Chords and/or Melody dialog. These dialogs allow you to specify the number of bars to copy or erase, the location to copy to, and the option to copy or erase the Chords, Melody, and/or Soloist.

Insert Measure(s) inserts a certain # of bars into the Chord Sheet.

Delete Measure(s) removes a certain # of bars from the Chord Sheet.

Clear Lead Sheet blanks the Chord Sheet and restores the default song settings.

Song Form opens a submenu.

Title/Key/Tempo/Embellish will open the Main Settings dialog. This dialog offers you the option to set the title, key, and chorus begin/end, etc. These settings are usually entered on the main screen. Song Form Begins at shows the bar number for the start of the chorus. Choose this command to set a new beginning for the chorus by clicking on the bar in the Chord Sheet. Song Form Ends after shows the current bar setting for the end of the chorus. Use this command to set a new ending for the chorus by clicking on the bar in the Chord Sheet. Total Choruses shows the number of choruses for the song, click to change. Vary Middle Style: If checked, the middle chorus(es) of the song will be played in the “b” substyle. Song Form Dialog (Arrange song like AABACAA) allows you to define sections of a song (A, B, C etc.), and then rearrange the song by typing the form you want (e.g. AABABAACA). Additional Song Settings will open the Additional Song Settings dialog. This dialog has arrangement options like rests, pushes, chord embellishment, tags, endings and more that turn a standard Band-in-a-Box song into an arrangement. They are saved with the song. 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 Intro Bars Auto-Generate will launch the Generate Chords for Intro (or Remove Intro) dialog where you can specify the characteristics of the intro you wish to generate. Shrink cuts chord durations by 50% (e.g., 4beats>>2beats; 2beats>>1beat). Expand 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. Set Time Signature for Range of Bars allows a new time signature to be selected for highlighted bars on the Chord Sheet. Mute Melody during Middle Choruses gives the Soloist(s) a chance to play on a given song during the middle choruses. Toggle this option on if you would like the melody to be muted during these choruses. Kill Melody in Middle Choruses will permanently erase the middle choruses of the Melody. Force Song to # Choruses: Toggle this option on if you would like a given song to have a preferred number of choruses.

Transpose shows a submenu to transpose the current song.

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 1 semitone Down and Transpose 1 semitone up allow you to transpose the current song 1 semitone. Transpose Specific Number of Semitones will open a dialog where the song can be transposed up or down by a semitone, or by any number of semitones. These operations can also be performed with keystrokes.

Lyrics shows a submenu for editing lyrics.

Copy Lyrics to Clipboard opens the Options for Copy Lyrics to Clipboard dialog, which allows you to copy bar-based and/or note-based lyrics to the clipboard so that you can paste them to another program. Move Bar-Based Lyrics Up/Down Row(s )allows bar-based lyrics to be shifted up or down in a range of +/- 24 rows. Erase Bar-Based Lyrics erases the bar-based lyrics from the song. Convert Note-Based Lyrics to Bar Lyrics converts the note-based lyrics to bar-bar-based lyrics lyrics 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. 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 Band-in-a-Box/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.

Chords has a submenu for substituting, auto-generating, etc.

Chord Substitution (Choose Your Own) will show a list of possible chord substitutions for the current chord progression. Chord Substitution (Auto-Generate) will automatically pick chord substitutions for all or part of the song. Chord Reharmonization (Choose Your Own) will show 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. Chord Reharmonization (Auto-Generate) 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 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 then click on the [OK – Jazz UP] button. ‘Jazz Down’ the Chords 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. Edit Chord “Shortcut.txt” will edit the file SHORTCUT.TXT using Teach Text. This is the chord shortcuts file. Refresh Chord Shortcuts saves changes to the SHORTCUT.TXT file. Changes must be saved with this command or they will be lost.

Chord Builder allows you to build up chords using mouse clicks. 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.

Play Current Chord: Click on any chord and use this command or press shift+return to instantly hear how it sounds.

Chord Settings launches the Chord Options dialog box, where you can put in rests and pushes. You can launch the Preview, Chord Builder, or Chord Substitution functions from this window.

MicroChord Settings (up to 4 chords per beat) opens the Set MicroChords dialog where you can enter up to 4 chords per beat, select tracks to be excluded from playing MicroChords, select options, and set a specific rhythm.

Track Settings and Actions opens a convenient “one-stop-shopping” dialog where you can select RealTracks, Loops, MIDI SuperTracks, etc., set volume/ reverb/panning/tone, mute, solo, freeze, and do many other things for all 24 tracks.

Slide Tracks: This allows you to move any of the Bass, Drums, Piano, Guitar, Strings, Melody or Soloist tracks 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.

Bar Settings will open the Edit Settings for Current Bar dialog where you can change meter, tempo, patches, styles, and/or harmonies at the current bar.

Song Memo: A song memo of up to 2000 characters may be added. When a song has a memo associated with it, a little red square is visible around the [memo] button (located to the right of the song title).

Auto-Generate Song Title: Band-in-a-Box will generate an infinite variety of titles for your songs.

Options Menu

MIDI Setting allows you to setup MIDI settings for each track. You can also set the Harmony channels by pressing the [Harmony] button inside this dialog box.

MIDI Input/Output ports opens the Select Ports/Instruments dialog.

CoreMIDI Audio MIDI Setup will open the Apple® Audio Devices and MIDI Studio dialogs, which control the system settings for audio and MIDI.

Overall Loop: If you enable this, the song will play again from the beginning each time it reaches the end.

Return to Factory Settings will return program options to factory defaults, excluding patch map set in the MIDI Settings dialog.

Language Selection allows you to switch the languages if there are other languages supported by your version of Band-in-a-Box.

MIDI Patch Maps shows a submenu.  

Make General MIDI Patch Map: Band-in-a-Box makes its patch (instrument) selections from the standardized General MIDI patch list, which is identical to the basic set of Roland GS Patch numbers. If you are using a non-GM (General MIDI) device you will need to remap the patch numbers for the GS instrument list by selecting the Options | MIDI Patch Maps, etc. | Make General MIDI Patch Map command. This opens the GS Patch Numbers dialog, where you can make a customized General MIDI patch map for your non-GM instrument.   Type in the patch number that your synth uses for each instrument listed.For example, suppose that your sound source has Acoustic Piano at patch location 41. In the GS Patch Numbers dialog, select the box beside Acoustic Piano and type 41.Do the same for all the 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. (GS Patch Numbers) 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. Furthermore, you will never have to refer to instruments in Band-in-a-Box by your synth’s number.Instead, you’ll use the General MIDI instrument numbering (e.g., Acoustic Piano = 1).So, if you are Saving a Song with Patches or Assigning favorite instruments or combos you will still type #1 to tell Band-in-a-Box that the patch is Acoustic Piano. Set Favorite Patches/Combos: For each of the 8 tracks (Bass, Piano, Drums, Guitar, Strings, Melody, Soloist, and Thru) you can assign up to 10 “favorite” instruments. Once assigned, these instruments can be quickly and easily set. Use General MIDI instrument numbers. If you use a custom patch map it will handle the conversion to your synth’s non-GM patch numbers, always enter GM patch numbers for the favorite instruments. A Favorite Combo is a group of patch changes (1 for each part) that are sent out as a “batch” when you send one of the combos. Edit Drum Kit (Note Values): 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. This is done in the Assign Drum Map dialog. If you already know the MIDI note numbers assigned to the MIDI drum kit you are using (check the manual for your synth or drum machine) just type them into the drum map. Another way to enter them is from your MIDI keyboard. To do this, you need to hook your MIDI controller up to play the drum sounds from the synth or drum machine. Play up and down the keyboard to hear all the drum sounds. Type the MIDI note numbers for the various instruments as you find them on your drum machine or keyboard. Save/Load MIDI Setup/Drum Kit allows you to save different custom MIDI setups or load in preset or custom setups. Send Sys-Ex File is a command that sends SysEx information to your MIDI device. Style Aliases: Let’s say you have a new style for jazz called “Dizzy.”  You can create an alias so that when Band-in-a-Box looks for a Jazz Swing style, it will load in “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 make an alias, click on the original style then select the style you would like to load (substitute) in its place. If you want to type in a style name that you don’t have, use the Custom 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. Choose Patch from Higher Bank will display a list of higher bank patches as found in *.PAT text files. Choose a .PAT file from the Synth Kits folder. Output chords to external device is useful with an external arranger that can read chords in real time. Band-in-a-Box will output chords in root position on the selected channel during playback. Thru Transpose Settings will transpose the Thru part, which is the live playing on the MIDI keyboard, so you can play any song in any key. Filter for Recording is used to filter the MIDI information that is recorded to the Melody track. Panic!  (Send all MIDI Note-offs) sends a sweep of all MIDI notes “Off.”  Use if notes are stuck “On.”

GS

Reset Sound Canvas to Factory resets the module to factory settings. Reset Sound Canvas And Send BB sends a reset message to the Sound Canvas and then sends the startup Band-in-a-Box patch changes. Master (Combo) Volume Adjust sets the overall output level for Band-in-a-Box. Reverb Type or Chorus Type: Roland GS instruments allow different type of reverb and chorus settings. These settings boxes allow you to make a selection. Assign Part/Chan/Patch/Bank: If you are using a Roland GS synthesizer or sound module you can customize its settings with the Options | GS | Assign Part/Chan/Patch/Bank menu command. The Part Settings/Roland GS 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 General MIDI Mode ON 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 (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 GS menu. Auto-Send GM Mode at Start sends a “General MIDI mode on” message when the program boots up. Auto-Send GS Mode at Start sends a Roland GS system on message when the Band-in-a-Box program boots up. Auto-Send XG Mode at Start sends a Yamaha XG system on message when the Band-in-a-Box program boots up. Panic! (send all MIDI note-offs) sends a sweep of all MIDI notes “Off.”  Use if notes are stuck “On.” Turn Local OFF (external MIDI keyboard) / Turn Local ON (external MIDI keyboard): If you are hearing the information played on your keyboard played twice (an echo effect) then Turn Local OFF. If you can’t hear what you are playing at all, set then Turn Local ON. When program quits, turn Local ON: Normally, while using Band-in-a-Box the “local-off” setting for your MIDI keyboard is best, since the THRU part will be coming from Band-in-a-Box and you don’t want to hear your MIDI keyboard doubling the notes that are being played. However, when you exit Band-in-a-Box, you might want the “local on” setting for your synthesizer turned back on. This option defaults to true. Set Panning to Mono / Set Panning to Stereo: Mono/Stereo menu optionsare available to easily switch all parts to mono or stereo. Also, if your current settings are mono, the program will offer to convert to stereo when you exit the MIDI Driver selection dialog.

Preferences: Use this menu item to set the user options for the program. The settings are all saved in the /Band-in-a-Box/Preferences folder in a file named Band-in-a-Box Preferences_X86. If this file is removed the program will require the same setup as when it was first installed. This can be a way of removing unwanted settings for a “fresh start.”

There are buttons for Preferences, Display Options, Preferences 2, More Soloist Settings, Reverb Settings, Plug-In Options, Audio Settings, Global Override, and MIDI file. Boost Velocity of MIDI 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. 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 uncheck this box. Allow Style Pushes: If for some reason you don’t want a style to have pushes, you can uncheck this box. 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. 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. If you would like the lead-in bars to be played even if an intro is present in the song, set this feature on. Lead-in Type: You can specify to have Band-in-a-Box play 2 bars of a drum pattern 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. To set this, set Lead-in Type to one of “b” substyle fills, “a” substyle fills, or fill-pattern or pattern-pattern combinations. Audible lead-in / Lead-in volume: If you want the lead-in bars to be present but you do not want to hear the lead-in, then uncheck the “Audio Lead In.”  You can also set the volume of the lead-in. Lead-in instrument : Use these options for the audible drum count-in. You can select any drum instrument for the count-in. You can also choose different count-in rhythms (e.g., Tap on 2 and 4 instead of 1-2-3-4). (Note: These options apply when the Drums track is set as MIDI.) Drum Countin (this song): This allows you to set the lead-in option for the current song only. Lead-in Drum count if drums muted: This is great for drummers who play along with Band-in-a-Box and mute the drum track. Previously, when the drum track was muted or disabled in a song, the count-in drum click wouldn’t play. Use this option to play the drum count-in in all circumstances. Smart Lead in: This option avoids playing the count-in drum sound during a melody pickup Metronome During Recording: Select this to hear the metronome while recording. Allow Any Endings: Song endings can be turned off for all songs, or on a song-by-song basis.  To turn song endings off for all songs, uncheck the “Allow Any Endings” option. To turn the song ending off for a single song select the Additional Song Settings option from the Song menu and uncheck “Generate 2 Bar Ending for This Song.” SpaceBar Key: These different functions can be assigned to the spacebar. The default is to play from the current position, which will also stop play when the spacebar is pressed during playback. Move current cell when playback stops: If this is enabled, the current cell will move to the last played bar when playback stops. 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. 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. 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. OK to Load Harmony with songs: If you enable this, 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 loaded with the songs. If you are using a certain harmony, you should set this setting to NO, otherwise you’ll have to keep re-selecting the harmony when you load in new songs. Change Harmony with new chords: For 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 checked) 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 checked, unless you have a specific reason to disable it. The harmony is changed by moving the voices to the nearest chord tone. Harmony Volume Adjust: Raise or lower the overall volume of the Harmony with a range of –128 to 128. OK to Load Style with songs: Leave this unchecked to audition the same style with several different songs. Use MSB for Bank (Roland): Band-in-a-Box sends General MIDI bank changes in two ways. Most synths (e.g. Roland, Korg, Kawai) use the Controller 0 for the bank. This is the MSB (Most Significant Byte) method. Check this option if you are using one of these synths. Some synths use Controller 32 for the bank (e.g. Peavey). This is the LSB (Least Significant Byte) method. If you have one of these synths, then uncheck the “Use MSB for Bank (Roland).” Pause Play until MIDI note/event (or QWERTY key) received: This allows playback to be started from another keyboard or the computer keyboard. The Band-in-a-Box arrangement will be generated, and then the program will pause until the MIDI or keystroke signal is received. Defaults for new songs: This allows you to set the default length of the new songs. Number of Levels of Undo: Set the number of levels of undo from 5 to 999. Undo takes up memory, so don’t use huge values unless you have a lot of memory or make a lot of mistakes. 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. (Note: You need to duplicate the Band-in-a-Box.app to be able to run multiple instances Band-in-a-Box You can duplicate it as many as you need. For example, if you want to run 10 instances of Band-in-a-Box, you need 10 duplicates of the Band-in-a-Box.app.) 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.

More preferences are accessed with the [Preferences 2] button in the Preferences dialog.

OK to save/load rev/vol/chorus w/songs: This offers global control over additional song settings (i.e. reverb, chorus, etc.) that can be saved and/or loaded with each song. Send GM mode at startup: For sound modules that are GM compatible, 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 at startup: For sound modules that are GS compatible, this command will ensure that the module is ready to accept GS-specific MIDI data such as Bank, Controller, and Patch information. Send XG Mode On at startup: For sound modules that are XG compatible, this command will ensure that the module is ready to accept XG-specific MIDI data such as Bank, Controller, and Patch information. Turn External Keyboard’s Local On at end of session: Normally, while using Band-in-a-Box the “local-off” setting for your MIDI keyboard is best, since the THRU part will be coming from Band-in-a-Box and you don’t want to hear your MIDI keyboard doubling the notes that are being played. However, when you exit Band-in-a-Box, you might want the “local on” setting for your synthesizer turned back on. This option defaults to true. OK to beep with messages: Now that computers have better speaker systems, a simple “beep” 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.” OK to prompt to reduce/expand: 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. This also works as the song is playing. Lowest Bass Note (E2 = default): Styles will normally play bass notes (down to the low E) if the pattern won’t go below a low E. This happens with all styles automatically, but there is also an option to set the lowest bass note real low, so you can get a low C if you want to! My soundcard or MIDI doesn’t have brushes – remap them: Most GM modules have brushes available on patch 41 on the drums. On some, you need to load a GS sound font for this to occur. 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. Save Button on main screen works as Save As: The [Save] button will launch the file dialog where the location and name of the file being saved can be changed. Name MIDI files with .MID extension: This will append the file extension .MID to MIDI files saved in Band-in-a-Box, rather than prefacing them with SMF (Standard MIDI File). Show Custom Track Labels and Descriptions: If this option is enabled, then 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, then the Track buttons at the top of the main screen and the track labels on the Mixer will show the current instrument names (e.g. Banjo, Flute, Harmonica). 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. Help Tags: Help tags are short messages that appear if you leave the mouse pointer hovering over an interface element for a few seconds. When the pointer leaves the object, the tag vanishes. If the mouse pointer is not moved, the operating system hides the help tag after about 10 seconds.Use these settings to enable help tags, and to set the delay time in mS before a tag opens. Normalize MIDI velocities to…: If performing live or at a jam session, it helps to have the volume of all the 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.  Normalization for the Melody and Soloist tracks is optional, if you want their MIDI velocities left “as-is” you can uncheck the “Also normalize Melody, Soloist“ box. Insert Breaks (silence) in arrangement, also called “Chord Breaks,” is a great feature 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.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’ll get instant feedback on how well you have maintained the tempo, if the band comes in time with you or not.  Once set, this feature works automatically with all songs until you turn it off. Woodshed Tempo (increase tempo every loop): The Woodshed feature works with looping of a song or passage to adjust the tempo in increments each time the loop repeats. This is a very useful feature for practicing, or “woodshedding.” Woodshed tempo by (default = 0 bpm) is the number of beats per minute (bpm) that the tempo will be changed each time the loop repeats. When set to a non-zero tempo, Band-in-a-Box will speed up (or slow down) the tempo every time it loops back to the start of the song or loop. Mode determines how the Woodshed feature works. If set to “Up,” the tempo will always increase up to the maximum setting (up to 500 bpm). If set to “Up then Down,” the tempo will cycle up then back down again. If set to “Up/Reset to base/Up,” the tempo will increase to the maximum, reset to the original baseline tempo, and start over again.  If set to “Up and stay at Max,” the tempo increases to the maximum and stays there. Maximum Total Tempo Change (bpm) is the setting for the maximum amount that the tempo can rise in the “Up then Down” and “Up/Reset to base/Up” modes.

Play Menu

Play Already Constructed Song 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.

Play (and Generate) generates an accompaniment and starts playback of the current song. Play (with no re-Generation) plays the current song without generating a new arrangement. Generate (even if tracks are frozen) forces generation of a song that is frozen. 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 - no Regeneration: When the song is stopped this command starts playback again at the bar with the highlight cell with the current arrangement. Go (Open and Play) launches a filedialog for selection of any song in any folder. The selected song loads and plays automatically in Band-in-a-Box.

Stop stops playback with this command or the esc key.

Hold (Pause) pauses the song. Repeating this command resumes play from the exact location where the song was paused.

Play and loop highlighted region plays and loops the region that you have highlighted in the Chord Sheet.  Looping will continue until you stop the song.

Juke Box Play opens the Juke Box Options dialog to select and play a jukebox list.

Previous Juke Songand Next Juke Song allow you Navigate back and forth in a jukebox set list.

Wizard Playalong enables the Wizard feature for play along on the computer keyboard.

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.

Freeze all Tracks freezse all tracks so that Band-in-a-Box will not overwrite them with new arrangements.

Un-Freeze all Tracks un-freezes all frozen tracks.

Freeze a single track freezes any track so that it will not be overwritten by Band-in-a-Box. You can use this menu command repeatedly to freeze individual tracks in a song.

Melody Menu

Track Type: Normally, you’d leave the track type set to Single Channel. But you can set it to:
Multi Channel: All channels are preserved and output 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, 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.
If the track has drums that use GM Drum notes, you can select Drums to see drum notation.

Melodist – Generate Chords and Melody launches the Melodist feature.

Melody Maker has submenu items to edit Melodist files using the Melodist Maker.

Start a Melodists File allows you to make and edit Melodist styles saved under the filename of your choice. See Melodist Edit dialog for additional details on importing/exporting/saving Melodists. Edit a Melodists File opens a file dialog where you can select any Melodist file (*.mel) to edit. If you have not created any of your own Melodist files or if you want to edit the one you are using, use the Edit Current Melodist File command. Edit Current Melodists File opens the Select Melodist dialog with the currently installed Melodist file. Refresh Melodists allows the Melodist full access to all melody ideas contained in its database. Use to refresh after several Melodists have been made.

Edit Melody opens a submenu for editing the Melody track.

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 on the clipboard (e.g., from a sequencer). Record Melody launches the Record MIDI dialog to record a MIDI melody. Record Melody from Bar #... lets you click on any bar to start recording there. Step Edit Notes allows you to enter/edit a melody in step time using an event list. Quantize, Time Adjust shows a submenu to quantize, humanize or adjust the Melody track.   Quantize Melody opens the Quantize dialog, where all or part of the Melody track can be quantized. 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 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: This is a dedicated function to vary the start times of notes on the Meloy track, with options for what notes to affect (harmony, chords) and amount of variance. Eliminate Note Overlap – Preserve Double Stops or Eliminate Note Overlap – Remove Double Stops eliminatse note overlap while double stops are either preserved or eliminated. There is an option to treat channels as a separate track. TimeShift Melody (ticks) moves 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 Beats in Melody inserts a blank beat or beats into the song relative to the current time signature. Delete Beats in Melody deletes a beat or beats from the song relative to the current time signature. Transpose has a submenu to transpose the Melody track.   Transpose Melody transposes the melody track without affecting the other tracks in the song. Transpose One Octave Down / Transpose One Octave Up transpose the Melody part 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 has a submenu which is related to a song form.   Copy First Chorus to All Choruses stretches the melody track out over the entire song (all choruses). Erase fom All Choruses erases the Melody track and any data that was contained therein. Erase fom First Chorus eliminates the melody from the First Chorus. Erase fom Middle Choruses eliminates the melody from the Middle Choruses. Erase fom Last Choruses eliminates the melody from the Last 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. To use this feature, load in any song in 3/4 time. Then load in a 4/4 style. If there’s a Melody (or Soloist) present, you’ll be asked if it’s OK to change the Melody from 3/4 to 4/4. If you answer YES to that, the transformation will occur and you can listen to the Melody in 4/4 time. If you answer No to the offer to transform the Melody, you can still convert it later by choosing Melody | Edit | Form | Transform 3/4 to 4/4. Note that if you choose the manual command, the Melody prior to transformation should have 6 beats before bar 1 beat 1 of the Melody begins (as it normally would in a 3/4 style). Transform 4/4 Melody & Soloist to Waltz: You can automatically transform any 4/4 song/melody to a Waltz 3/4 feel. To use this feature, load in any song in 4/4 time. Then load in a Waltz style. If there’s a Melody (or Soloist) present, you’ll be asked if it’s OK to change the Melody from 4/4 to 3/4. If you answer YES to that, the transformation will occur and you can listen to the Melody in 3/4 time. If you answer No to the offer to transform the Melody, you can still convert it later by choosing Melody | Edit | Form | Transform 4/4 to 3/4. Note that if you choose the manual command, the Melody prior to transformation should have 8 beats before bar 1 beat 1 of the Melody begins (as it normally would in a 4/4 style). 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. Useful for a temporary holding area for your Melody or bouncing tracks. Move to Soloist Track copies the entire contents of the Melody 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 is 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 Select Guitarist dialog for generating a guitar chord solo. Auto-Rechannel to Guitar Display converts the channels on the Melody track to Guitar Channels 11 to 16. When it encounters a chord, it will determine the fret position that it’s most possible to play that chord with. Otherwise, if it’s a single note, it will play it at the current position at the guitar neck. If you want to convert an existing melody to a customized Guitar part, this command is a good starting point, and you can edit the track further to achieve a better result. Add Legato/Staccato to Melody 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 the 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.

Embellish Melody

Embellish Melody toggles the Melody Embellisher feature on or off. Embellish Melody Dialog opens the Melody Embellisher dialog, allowing you to customize the settings of the Embellisher, choose an embellisher type from presets, and make a particular Embellishment permanent.

Soloist Menu

Track Type: Normally, you’d leave the track type set to Single Channel, but you can set it to:
Guitar: Channels 11 to 16 will display on the guitar as strings 11 to 16, the notation will be up an octave, and the MIDI file will contain the channels preserved.
Multi Channel: All channels are preserved and output on the channels. This would be useful for importing an entire MIDI file and playing it from the Soloisty channel (using a silent style).
Piano: In this mode, channels 8 and 9 are treated as the left and right hand of a piano part.
If the track has drums that use GM Drum notes, you can select Drums to see drum notation.

Generate and Play a Soloopens the Select Soloist dialog where a preset Soloist style can be selected or your own Soloist can be defined.

Soloist Maker has submenu items to edit Soloist files using the Soloist Maker.

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 a file dialog where you can select any Soloist file (*.Soloist) to edit. If you have not created any of your own Soloist files or if you want to edit the one you are using, use the Edit Current Soloist File command. Band-in-a-Box comes with over 100 Soloists built-in. If you want to make your own 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 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. 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/ song: 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): 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.

Edit Soloist Track has a submenu of editing options.

Import Soloist from MIDI File allows you to import MIDI data from a file (*.MID) into the Soloist track. Import Soloist from Clipboard allows you to import MIDI data that has been pasted on the clipboard (e.g., from a sequencer such as PowerTracks). Record Soloist records a MIDI part to the Soloist track instead of recording tothe Melody track. Record Soloist From Bar #  records at the current location of the highlight cell. When you click to select the bar to begin recording a prompt will ask you to select which chorus to record. At the end of recording the regular Band-in-a-Box confirmation dialogs will open.  Step Edit Notes allows you to edit a solo in step time from an event list. Quantize, Time Adjust shows a submenu to quantize, humanize or adjust the Soloist track.   Quantize Soloist opens the Quantize dialog, where all or part of the Soloist track can be quantized. Humanize with straight feel / Humanize with 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 opens the 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 Soloist track, 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. Time-Shift Soloist Part (ticks) moves 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 Beats in Soloist inserts a blank beat or beats into the song relative to the current time signature. Delete Beats in Soloist deletes a beat or beats from the song relative to the current time signature. Transpose has a submenu to transpose the Soloist track.   Transpose Soloist transposes 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 has a submenu which is related to a song form.   Copy First Chorus to Whole Song stretches the Soloist track out over the entire song (i.e. first, last, and middle choruses). Erase Solo from All Choruses erases the soloist track and any data that was contained therein. Erase Solo from First Chorus eliminates the Soloist from the First Chorus. Erase Solo from Middle Choruses eliminates the Soloist from the Middle Choruses. Erase Solo from Last Chorus eliminates the Soloist from the Last Chorus. Transform Waltz Melody & Soloist to 4/4 allows you to transform waltz melody/soloist to 4/4 Transform 4/4 Melody & Soloist to Waltz allows you to transform 4/4 melody/soloist to a waltz. Adjust Level of Soloist allows you to increase or decrease the volume (velocity) of the Soloist track without affecting the other tracks. Copy to Melody Track 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 is 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. Add Legato/Staccato to Soloist 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 the 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.

Scales: When students are practicing Jazz tunes, it is helpful to see the scales that are used for each chord. The Scale Wizard allows you to easily generate these 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).
These menu items allow you to generate scales for a certain song, or auto-generate them for all loaded songs. View the scales in the notation or the on-screen guitar and piano.

Generate Scales allows you to set options for the scales that are generated. Auto-Generate Scales when play pressedgenerates scales for all loaded songs.

Audio Menu

Record Audio opens the Record Audio dialog and let you record vocal (using a microphone) or instrument (plugged into a mixer).

Record Audio and MIDI (Melody) or Record Audio and MIDI (Soloist) allows you to simultaneously record audio and MIDI.

Edit Audio has a submenuof audio editing options.

Copy 1st Chorus to Whole Songcopies the first chorus of audio to the rest of the song. Kill Entire Audio erases the Audio track from the song completely. Erase Audio Choruses erases audio from the selected chorus. Erase Region of Audio erases a specified region of bars/beats of audio. Adjust Level of Region of Wave File (Permanent) allows you to change 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. Timeshift Audio (ms) is used to time shift the whole Audio track a certain number of milliseconds. Insert Bar(s) in Audio inserts best(s) to the Audio track. For example, if you decide to add an extra 2 bars to the intro, and you’ve already recorded audio, you should insert 2 bars (8 beats in a 4/4 time signature) into the Audio track as well. Delete Bar(s) from Audio deletes best(s) from the Audio track. Convert Channels (mono/stereo) converts the Audio track from stereo to mono, or vice versa.  There is an option to choose the percentage of each channel.

Mute Audio toggles to mute and unmute the Audio track.

Render Song to Audio File (WAV,AIFF,M4A) opens the “Render to Audio File” dialog which lets you convert the song to an audio file.

Export Audio to Sequencer opens Finder and show you the file for the Audio track so that you can copy it to your sequencer.

Import Audio (WAV,AIFF,M4A,MP4,MP3) imports data from a selected audio file into the Audio track.

Audio Edit Window opens the window which displays a graphical waveform for the Audio track. You can select, play, and edit the audio data in this window.

Audio Harmonies, Pitch Tracking, Fix Tuning 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.

Audio Master (Base) Tempo is used to ensure that tempo stretches are based on correct master tempo. 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

Move Audio to Performance Track moves the Audio track to a selected track.

Move Performance Track to Audio renders the selected track and moves it to the Audio track.

Harmony Menu

Melody Harmony shows the current Melody harmony selection. Click to open the Select Melody Harmony ialog.

Thru Harmony shows the current Thru harmony selection. Click to open the Select Thru Harmony dialog.

Favorite Melody Harmonies shows your favorite 50 Harmony styles (based on recent usage) and allows you to choose one to use on the Melody track.

Favorite Thru Harmonies shows your favorite 50 Harmony styles (based on recent usage) and allows you to choose one to use on the Thru track.

Audio Harmonies & Pitch Tracking (Audio Edit)opens the built-in Audio Harmony dialog, which allows you to harmonize the audio or correct out-of-tune notes.

Harmonies Editor shows a submenu for editing harmony files (.har).

Start a New Harmonies Fileallows you to make and edit Harmony styles saved under the filename of your choice. Edit a Harmonies File allows you to select and edit a Harmony file. Edit Current Harmonies File allows you to edit the Harmony file that is currently loaded on your system.

Convert Harmony to Melody Track converts a single line Melody track to include the current harmony selection.

Convert Harmony to Soloist Track converts a single line Soloist track to include the current harmony selection (on the Thru harmony).

Harmony Settingsshows you a submenu for harmony features.

OK to Load Harmony with Songs: Check this option if you want to load any harmony settings that were saved/embedded in a given song. Save Harmony with This Song: Check this option if you want to save the Melody and/or Thru harmony settings for the currently open song so that they may be recalled automatically later. 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 the Melody MIDI channels to utilize the harmony features. Allow Thru Harmony: Toggle this option on to allow the Thru MIDI channels to utilize the harmony features. Allow Soloist Harmony (on THRU): 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 you play along on a MIDI keyboard (or the wizard), and use 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.

Windows Menu

Chord Sheet Window toggles between the notation and Chord Sheet views

Notation Window opens a submenu with options for notation display.

Notation Window toggles between the Notation and the Chord Sheet windows. Movable Notation Window opens a movable and resizable window. Event List Editor opens a window which allows you to edit events including all MIDI events and lyric events.

Lead Sheet Window displays a full-page notation with options like selectable number of staffs, clefs to show, margins, lyrics, and multiple tracks of instruments or harmonies.

Big Lyrics Window displays scrolling lyrics in a karaoke format.

Drum Window launches the animated Drum Kit.

Guitar Window launches the on-screen Guitar fretboard.

Mixer Window launches the floating, always-on-top mixer with screens for setting Patches, Volume, Panning, Tone, and Reverb.

Reverb Window opens the Reverb Settings dialog for audio reverb settings and selections.

Audio Edit Window shows a submenu with two types of the window, which shows digital waveforms for the Audio track.

Piano Roll Window shows a submenu with two types of the window, which allows precise graphic editing of MIDI data.

Big Piano Window opens a resizable window with a piano keyboard.

Switch to Next Track / Switch to Previous Track switch tracks in various windows.

RealDrums Settings launches the dialog for enabling RealDrums substituting them in styles and songs.

RealDrums Picker opens the list for choosing a RealDrums style for the current song.

RealTracks Settings opens the dialog for enabling RealTracks and showing notation and saving RealCharts.

RealTracks Picker opens the Assign RealTracks to Track dialog for assigning RealTracks to any BB part.

Chord Builder allows you to build up chords using mouse clicks. 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.

MIDI Chord Detection shows you submenu items 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.

Plugin Mode for Sequencer-DAW enters the plug-in mode. The Band-in-a-Box window becomes smaller and you can use it with your DAW (GarageBand, etc.). To export a Band-in-a-Box track, drag the radio button for the part you want to export into the blue “drop station” rectangle in the upper left corner of the main screen. When the rectangle turns green, drag and drop it to your DAW or the Finder. There you can apply effects such as the guitar amp simulator modeling and digital effects in AmpliTube CS, which is included with Band-in-a-Box and installs as a separate plug-in.

Full Screen (no toolbars)shows the Chord Sheet or Notation window in the full screen mode.

Help Menu

Search will list all menu items related to the search term.

Display Program Manual opens the comprehensive .pdf manual with bookmarks for reference.

Display Program UPGRADE Manual opens a guide to the new features in the latest version.

Feature Browser opens the Feature Browser dialog that 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.

Panic!  All Notes Off!! sends a sweep of all MIDI notes “Off.”  Use if notes are stuck “On.”

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, Soloist, and Melodist disks. The list of available add-ons is large, and it keeps growing. The “What Add-ons” feature scans your computer’s Band-in-a-Box directory and displays what add-ons are and aren’t found. Choose What add-ons do I have? to analyze your current installation and see which add-ons have been found. This dialog displays the add-on styles and soloist disks you have installed in your Band-in-a-Box program folder. If any styles or soloist add-ons incorrectly appear in the “Not Found” window try reinstalling the appropriate add-ons from the original disc or download.

Web site www.pgmusic.com will launch your Internet browser and loads the PG Music Inc. home page.

Utilities

Display Log Text File of Yellow/Green Messages: Log of “yellow and green messages”, listing the message and date/time, is saved in a file called /Applications/Band-in-a-Box/Data/FlashMessageLog.txt.  This file is saved when you exit the program.  The list can be displayed inside the program at any time, by choosing a menu Display Log Text for Yellow/Green Messages. Very long single word strings in the Flash Messages now show up correctly. Write BandInABoxRequest file: Use this menu item if the support asks you to do so when you have a problem activating the program.

Activate Band-in-a-Box will let you activate Band-in-a-Box if you did not activate at the startup.

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.

About Band-in-a-Box gives important program information such as the version and build and the people who make it possible. There is also contact information for PG Music Inc., technical support, and the PG Music web page.

Keystroke Commands – “Hot Keys”

It’s often faster to use keystrokes instead of picking up the mouse. We’ve added many keystroke “hot keys” to mute instruments or to adjust volume, panning, reverb, chorus, or bank of instrument without using the mouse.
If a hot key is not performing as expected, it might be because the operating system has assigned a different function to that key. You can disable the operating system hot keys assignments by going to the Apple® System Preferences/Keyboard & Mouse and clicking on the Keyboard Shortcuts tab. Scroll down to find the key you are looking for and uncheck it in the “On” column. Then your Band-in-a-Box hot key should work properly.

Quick Song Settings

These are for entering songs quickly in the Chord Sheet and Notation windows. Typing special words, instead of chord names, will make the following settings:

B E G I N return	Sets the beginning of the chorus to the current bar.
C H O R U S E N D return	Sets the end of the chorus to the current bar.
E N D return	Sets the end of the song to the current bar.
T K C return	Sets the key signature to C. (T K B B would set it to Bb.)
T R C return	Transposes song to key of C.
T 1 2 5 return	Sets the tempo to 125.
[	Decreases the tempo by 5.
]	Increases the tempo by 5.

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 return copies the last 8 bars to the current location.
By adding additional keys, you can specify the number of bars to copy. For example, k 1 2 , 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, i n 8 return would insert 8 bars, i n 4 return would insert 4 bars, etc.
There is also hotkey to copy the last N bars and insert them to the current location. For example, k i 8 return or i k 8 return 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, i k 8 , 9 return or ki8,9return would copy 8 bars from the bar 9 and insert them to the current location. i k k 8 , 9 return or k k i 8 , 9 return would do the same, but launch the Copy Chord and/or Melody dialog, which allows you to choose what to copy.

Muting Tracks

option+2	Mute the all tracks
option+3	Mute the Bass track
option+4	Mute the Piano track.
option+5	Mute the Drums track.
option+6	Mute the Guitar track.
option+7	Mute the Strings track.
option+8	Mute the Melody track.
option+9	Mute the Soloist track.
option+0	Mute the Thru track.

Soloing Tracks

option+2 then option+3	Solo the Bass track.
option+2 then option+4	Solo the Piano track.
option+2 then option+5	Solo the Drums track.
option+2 then option+6	Solo the Guitar track.
option+2 then option+7	Solo the Strings track.
option+2 then option+8	Solo the Melody track.
option+2 then option+9	Solo the Soloist track.
option+2 then option+0	Solo the Thru track.

Selecting Tracks

control+F5	Switch to next track.
control+shift+F5	Switch to previous track.
control+3	Select the Bass track.
control+4	Select the Piano track.
control+5	Select the Drums track.
control+6	Select the Guitar track.
control+7	Select the Strings track.
control+8	Select the Melody track.
control+9	Select the Soloist track.

Track Mixer Settings

control+shift+Q	Decrease the current track’s volume by 5.
control+shift+W	Increase the current track’s volume by 5.
control+shift+E	Decrease the current track’s panning by 5.
control+shift+R	Increase the current track’s panning by 5.
control+shift+T	Decrease the current track’s reverb by 5.
control+shift+Y	Increase the current track’s reverb by 5.
control+option+shift+R	Set the current track’s volume.
control+command+A	Decrease master volume by 5.
control+command+S	Increase master volume by 5.
control+command+V	Set master volume.
control+shift+command+Q	Decrease all tracks’ volumes by 5.
control+shift+command+W	Increase all tracks’ volumes by 5.
control+shift+command+E	Set all tracks’ volumes.

Windows

/ return	Feature Browser.
command+T	Toggle normal/minimal toolbar modes.
control+N	Toggle Notation and Chord Sheet windows.
control+shift+N	Movable Notation window.
control+L	Lead Sheet window.
control+P	Print Lead Sheet.
control+D	Drum Kit window.
control+shift+G	Guitar window.
control+Y	Big Lyrics window.
control+M	Mixer Window

Opening Song

command+N	Start a new song
S S 4 return, F3, command+O	Open song.
S S 7 return, control+shift+F8	Open previous song (in alphabetical order).
S S 8 return, shift+F8	Open next song (in alphabetical order).
S S 1 return, S S return, command+F7	Open song using the Song Picker window.
S S 2 return, shift+F3	Open song from favorite songs list.
S S 3 return, shift+F3	Open song from recently played songs list.
option+shift+F	Open song from favorite folders.
command+F3	Open song with melodies.
S S 9 return	Open MIDI file.
S S 1 3 return	Open Karaoke file.
S S 1 0 return	Open audio file.
S S 1 2 return, S 9 return	Open song demo for the current style.

Opening Styles

S 6 return, command+U	Open style.
S 7 return, control+shift+command+F8	Open previous style (in alphabetical order).
S 8 return, shift+command+F8	Open next style (in alphabetical order).
S return, S 1 return, control+F9	Open style using the StylePicker.
S 4 return, option+F9	Open style from recently played styles list.
S 5 return, option+F9	Open style from favorite styles list.
S 2 return	Show the Best RealStyles list.
S 3 return	Open the Song Titles Browser.
S 1 0 return	Play audio demo for the current style.

RealTracks/RealDrums/Loops

R T return, R T 1 return, control+K	RealTracks Picker.
R T 2 return, control+shift+K	RealTracks Settings.
R T 3 return	Select Best All RealTracks.
R T 4 return	Select Best Chording RealTracks.
R T 5 return	Select Best Soloist RealTracks.
F8	Auto re(generate) part of RealTracks.
option+F8	Re(generate) part of RealTracks floating window.
command+F8	Re(generate) part of RealTracks dialog.
R D return, RD1 return, control+U	RealDrums Picker.
R D 3 return	RealDrums QuickList.
R D 2 return, control+shift+U	RealDrums Setting.
R L return	Select Loop.

Saving Song

F2, command+S	Save song.
control+S	Save song as MIDI file.
option+shift+S	Save song to favorite folder.

Playing and Recording Song

F4	Play song with generation.
command+R	Play song with no generation.
spacebar	Play song from the current position with no generation.
control+spacebar	Play song from the beginning with no generation. (Note: The spacebar plays from the current position and control+spacebar plays from the beginning if “Plays from current position (control+spacebar from start)” is selected for the “Spacebar” setting in the Preference dialog (Options | Preference). These hotkeys will be opposite if “Plays from start (controll+spacebar from current position)” is selected for this setting. )
control+F	Play song from any bar.
control+X	Play song from current bar.
F10	Play and loop the highlighted area.
control+G	Open song and play.
control+H	Pause/Resume playing song.
spacebar or esc	Stop playing song.
command+J	Play/Stop Jukebox.
command+[	Play previous jukebox song
command+]	Play next jukebox song
control+R	Record MIDI.
option+R	Record MIDI from any bar.
option+W	Toggle play-along wizard.

Editing Song

command+C	Copy.
command+X	Cut.
command+V	Paste.
command+Z	Undo.
shift+command+Z	Redo.
option+C	Copy From ... To…
option+K	Erase From ... To…
command+shift+V	Paste text to Song(s).
command+I	Insert bars.
command+D	Delete bars.
F5 or option+B	Edit current bar options.
option+Z	Edit current chord options.
F6, M return	Set MicroChords.
command+B	Set the first bar of the chorus.
command+E	Set the last bar of the chorus.
command+L	Set the number of choruses.
control+command+T	Set tempo.
control +	Set to normal speed.
control -	Set to half speed.
command+K	Song Settings
F7, T return	Track Settings and Actions dialog.
control+shift+H	Chord Builder.
shift+return	Play current chord
control+shift+B	Auto-generate intro chords.
option+shift+T	Auto-generate a title.
control+command+1	Transpose Melody track one octave down
control+command+2	Transpose Melody track one octave up
control+command+3	Transpose Soloist track one octave down
control+command+4	Transpose Soloist track one octave up
control+command+5	Transpose song 1 semitone down.
control+command+6	Transpose song 1 semitone up.
control+command+7	Transpose setting dialog.
control+shift+A	Transpose Thru settings dialog.
shift+F5	Select Melodist.
shift+F4	Select Soloist.
shift+F7	Refresh Melodist or Soloist.
control+option+H	Select Melody harmony.
control+option+T	Select Thru harmony.
control+F10	Select favorite Melody harmony
control+F11	Select favorite Thru harmony.
option+H	Allow Melody harmony.
option+T	Allow Thru Harmony
control+option+E	Toggle Melody Embellisher.
control+option+L	Melody Embellisher dialog.
option+M	Song Memo.

Editing Notes in Notation Window

N	Enter a note at the current time line.
M	Add a note a third above the current note on the time line
R	Enter a rest at the current time line.
Up cursor	Change the pitch of the highlighted note by 1 semitone up.
Down cursor	Change the pitch of the highlighted note by 1 semitone down.
Right cursor	Move the time line forward.
Left cursor	Move the time line backward.
shift+L/R cursor	Highlight the current note on the time line.
command+option+R Cursor	Change the time of the highlighted note by +5 ticks.
command+option+L Cursor	Change the time of the highlighted note by -5 ticks.

Editing MIDI in Piano Roll Window

command+A	Select the whole track.
command+C	Copy the selected MIDI to the clipboard.
command+X	Cut the selected MIDI.
command+V	Paste the copied MIDI to the current location and merges it with the existing MIDI.
delete	Delete the selected MIDI.
+ (plus)	Increase velocities of all selected MIDI by 1.
shift++	Increase velocities of all selected MIDI by 5.
– (minus)	Decrease velocities of all selected MIDI by 1
shift+-	Decrease velocities of all selected MIDI by 5
~ (tilde)	Randomize velocities of all selected MIDI by -1 to +1.
shift+~	Randomize velocities of the selected MID by -5 to +5.

Editing Audio in Audio Edit Window

home	Move the cursor to the beginning of the track.
end	Move the cursor to the end of the track.
shift+home	Move the left cursor of the selected region to the beginning of the track.
shift+end	Move the right cursor to the end of the track.
command A	Select the whole track.
command+C	Copy the selected region to the clipboard.
command+X	Cut the selected region of audio.
command+V	Paste the copied audio to the current location and overwrites the existing audio.
command+shift+V	Paste the copied audio to the current location and merges it with the existing audio.
delete	Erase the selected region of audio
shift+delete	Delete the selected region of audio.

More Hot Keys

command+=	Send GM mode on message.
command+G	Reset Sound Canvas and send BB MIDI settings.
command+M	MIDI Settings dialog.
command+, option+P	Preferences dialog.
F12	Panic! All notes off.
F1	Displays Band-in-a-Box manual.
command+H	Hide Band-in-a-Box
command+F4, command+Q	Quit the program.
L O G return	Show the flash message log file (FlashMessageLog.txt).

Chord List

Commonly used chords are displayed here in bold type.

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,
C-7: You can type C-7 for Cm7 (i.e. use the minus sign) or C7-9 for C7b9
Cmaug, Cm#5,
CmMAJ7,

Diminished Chords

Cdim (either dim5 or dim7)

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,
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.

Chord Shortcut: If you enter a lot of songs, you will appreciate these shortcut keys.

J = Maj7 (For example, to type CMaj7, just type CJ. It will be entered as CMaj7.)
H = m7b5 (H stands for Half Diminished.)
D = dim
S = Sus

Notes about entering chords:

• 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.: Dm7,G7

Files and Folders

Band-in-a-Box Folder

The Band-in-a-Box program installs by default to its own Band-in-a-Box folder inside the /Applications folder. It has a clean look with two application files - Band-in-a-Box and BBM4 (used for the Band-in-a-Box DAW Plugin). The rest of the files are in the following subfolders.

AutoSave: This folder stores the auto-saved songs to prevent losing your work if something crashes on your system

Artist Performance Sets: Artist Performance tracks use the Melody track to showcase Band-in-a-Box RealTracks demos accompanying a live recording of a top artist performing the melody. These are great for listening or learning-from-the-Pros (since notation/tab shows for the performances). These performances play the melody (2 choruses), and 2 choruses of solo (first chorus “simple” solo, 2nd chorus advanced). All performance tracks include audio (stretchable to any tempo), notation, on-screen guitar, and guitar tab. To play the Artist Performance Tracks, open the songs from the /Applications/Band-in-a-Box/Artist Performances folder.

Data: These files contain the lists and data for the various Band-in-a-Box features. Most of them are not directly edited, but user edits to the program features are saved to them. For example, if you add or make new styles and rebuild the list in the StylePicker the file BBW.LST is updated. One file that can be edited is pgshort.txt. Follow the directions given to add your own shortcuts for entering chords in Band-in-a-Box.

DragDrop is the location for audio files rendered by dragging tracks to the Drop zone.

Drums: This folder has subfolders containing the files for all the RealDrums sets installed in your program. It is the default location recognized by Band-in-a-Box when it installs RealDrums sets and generates a RealDrums part. 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.

Drums – Demos: Every RealDrums style has a Band-in-a-Box demo song, which can be loaded directly from this folder as a song file. Once a demo song has been played from this folder, you can then use the SongPicker dialog to choose songs from a list.

Manuals: This folder includes a manual with a guide to latest features in the current Band-in-a-Box upgrade, Band-in-a-Box ---- Upgrade Manual.pdf, plus a recent version of the full manual named Band-in-a-Box ---- Mac Manual.pdf. These files are bookmarked for easy reference, and individual pages can be printed out as required. Helpful supplements are sometimes included, such as the Band-in-a-Box CoreMIDI help.pdf that explains how to set up external MIDI devices to the Mac®.

Melodist Demos: These are Band-in-a-Box songs made with the Melodist feature that generates complete songs with chords and melodies. You can select individual songs to hear an example of the different Melodist styles, or you can play them all by clicking on the [Juke Songs Now] button in the Melodist dialog.

MIDI SuperTracks – Demos: 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. To play the MIDI SuperTracks song demos, open the songs from the /Applications/Band-in-a-Box/MIDI SuperTracks Demos folder.

MySongs: This is your “home” folder for the SongPicker. You can put any songs to this folder.

Plugin Settings: The .tgs files that stores VST/DX plugin settings are saved in this folder.

Preferences: The preferences you set in the program are saved in this folder, which includes a file named Intrface.BBM with all the program settings. If this file is removed to the trash, 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. If deleting this file does not solve the issue you are having, try deleting Band-in-a-Box Preferences_X86, too.

RealTrack: This folder has subfolders containing the files for all the RealTracks instruments installed in your program. It is the default location recognized by Band-in-a-Box when it installs RealTracks sets and generates RealTracks. 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.

RealTracks – Demos: Every RealTracks instrument has a Band-in-a-Box demo song, which can be loaded directly from this folder as a song file.

Soloist Demos: These are Band-in-a-Box songs made with the many soloist styles available. There are subfolders for every Soloist set.

Soloists: Soloist files are stored here, both for MIDI soloists and solos that use RealTracks instruments. If you install soloist add-on sets this is where to put them.

Songs: This is the default folder for storing your Band-in-a-Box songs, the default folder that is selected by the File | Open Song menu command. It includes the basic Band-in-a-Box song library, and the songs you make yourself will be stored here unless you specify a custom folder for them.

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.

Style Demos: Every Band-in-a-Box style has a demo song stored in this folder. There are a lot of them, the easiest way to play them is to pick the style that interests you in the StylePicker dialog and then click on the [Song Demo] button to hear the demo song for that style.

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.

Synth Kit Documentation: These are documents that describe the synth kits provided in the Synth Kits folder.

Synth Kits: Even though the General MIDI and GM2 patch lists have been widely adopted, Band-in-a-Box supports many other MIDI patch lists and drum kits. The .DK files in this folder are pre-formatted GM patch lists for most of the popular synthesizers, GM and non-GM, in use since the introduction of Band-in-a-Box. The .PAT files are for the patches found on higher banks GM and other synths and include the custom bank change commands to provide access to any patch on any MIDI synthesizer. Users can write custom .DK and .PAT files and save them to this folder.

Tutorials: This folder contains the files provided for use with the tutorials.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is Band-in-a-Box?

Band-in-a-Box is an intelligent automatic accompaniment program. 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. 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. Band-in-a-Box automatically generates a complete professional quality arrangement of piano, bass, drums, guitar, and strings in a wide variety of styles.

2. How can I order Band-in-a-Box?

Place your order online using Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, JCB, UnionPay, Amazon Pay, PayPal, or Wire Transfer. After you place your order, you will receive an email with your product serial number and a link to the download page for your purchase.
If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact one of our customer service representatives by email at sales@pgmusic.com, via our Live Online Chat, or by phone at 250-475-2874 (direct), 1-800-268-6272 or 1-888-PGMUSIC (toll-free in the USA and Canada), or 800-4746-8742* (toll-free outside of the USA and Canada).*Where Universal International Freephone service is available. View International Access Codes.

3. Do you have a Band-in-a-Box demo?

We don’t have a demo program available for download currently since the program is quite large with all the RealTracks and RealDrums, however we do have a 30 day money-back guarantee on all products purchased directly from us. You can watch our video on our Band-in-a-Box Video Demos page. You can also listen to hundreds of audio demos of Band-in-a-Box at our RealTracks pages, and you can look through all of the Band-in-a-Box Add-ons offered here: https://www.pgmusic.com/addons.php?os=mac

4. What new features are there in the latest version of Band-in-a-Box?

With each version upgrade, we add many great new features.

With Band-in-a-Box 2023, we’ve added Partial Track Re-Generations, with an on-screen Regeneration Panel and an Always Different setting to get up to 40 variations on any RealTracks. Undo - Track Generation and Undo - Song Generation is added. Playable Tracks are enhanced for Playable RealTracks (404 new Sforzando sounds, 700 total - all with Audio Demos), and now include Playable RealDrums, MIDI SuperTracks and MIDI tracks. There are now RealTracks Stems, Auto-Save Song, generate Intros using Song Chords, RealDrums Fills control, and much more! See all the new features in Band-in-a-Box 2023: https://www.pgmusic.com/bbmac.new.htm

With Band-in-a-Box 2022, we added “All Tracks are Equal,” so all 24 tracks have the same capabilities, including style generation and audio editing. Playable RealTracks to customize the RealTracks performances by adding your own notes, using sounds from the RealTracks recording. A MultiRiff feature to interactively arrange sections of RealTracks, as you build up the track by choosing from multiple versions. We also added a One-Click Download and Install Manager, Motifs, Drum Stems, and much more.

With Band-in-a-Box 2021, we 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 - out-of-tune notes in RealTracks will be auto corrected to match chord tones. 4X’s faster audio DSP processing (using SIMD), allowing smoother playback & faster rendering for a larger number of tracks, and much more.

With Band-in-a-Box 2020, we’ve added enhancements to RealTracks (Smoother Sounding Vocal RealTracks, RealTracks Thickening, “Find-a-Sub” RealTracks, and MultiRiffs). Most RealDrums now have RealCharts (with accurate Drum Notation). There’s a new RealTracks Artist Browser to find info/bios/links/lists of RealTracks on all the artists. A new Feature Browser allows the new or “forgetful” user to easily find and use most features/hotkeys/docs from a single window.

With Band-in-a-Box 2019, we introduced a true 64-bit version of Band-in-a-Box, which works well with the latest plugins and 64-bit OS features! We’ve also made and include a 64-bit VST/AU/AAX Plugin of Band-in-a-Box, which you can use inside your favorite DAW (GarageBand, Logic, Reaper, Pro Tools, Digital Performer, Ableton, PreSonus, etc.) to generate styles, RealTracks, RealDrums, Multi-Riffs, etc. There’s a completely redesigned SongPicker, which shows information for up to 50,000 songs and has useful filter and search features including search by chord progression and/or melodic phrase. And more...

With Band-in-a-Box 2018, we introduced “Video RealTracks,” which work like RealTracks, but also include videos of the musician’s performance. You can make a video of a single musician or a band video, optionally with a chord sheet or notation, and you can even add your own videos to the final mix. The Audio Chord Wizard has been redesigned and is now built into Band-in-a-Box. The Audio Harmonies feature has been added, including Audio Transcription, which converts a monophonic audio track to MIDI (notation), and much more...

With Band-in-a-Box 2017, we added over 80 new features and an amazing collection of new content, including 202 RealTracks, 34 MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, 12-Key RealTracks, Hi-Q Guitar Notation, Re-Discovered RealTracks/MIDI SuperTracks styles, a new synthesizer (sforzando), and over 120 new RealStyles!

With Band-in-a-Box 2016, we redesigned and enhanced the StylePicker, rebuilt the Chordsheet with improved functionality and customization options. We also added 201 new RealTracks, 11 new MIDI SuperTracks, 19 Instrumental Studies (bass, acoustic & electric guitar, piano & saxophone, in a variety of genres), and for the first time ever, 3 “Artist Video Performances,” which are video files that play in Band-in-a-Box, with live saxophone performances playing along with Band-in-a-Box RealTracks. We also have over 80 new RealStyles, which are new styles using existing RealTracks and Loops. These include great Top-40 styles, “Requested” styles, J-Pop, K-Pop, German “Schlager,” and more!

For Band-in-a-Box 2015, we enhanced the GUI for an improved look and feel, and many new time-saving features added such as automatic track labels (e.g., instead of saying “strings” it says “banjo”), video tutorial-help buttons, instant previews for many dialogs, and more. There’s a new Video Window to load, play videos to Band-in-a-Box. You can save your song as a video and upload it to YouTube. Audio Track is added to allow you open an audio file, record audio, or render the song to the Audio Track. The new Audio Edit Window shows a digital waveform of the Audio track. There is now a Big Piano Window which displays notes on a resizable keyboard. Audio Chord Wizard is enhanced with a utilities dialog and an option to enable/disable the current style. You can now write Acidized information to the audio file. And much more!

For Band-in-a-Box 2014, we added UserTracks that allow you to make your own RealTracks, redesigned the GUI with a new modern look, added an onscreen mixer, added instant previews of styles, RealTracks, and RealDrums, and much more.

For Band-in-a-Box 2013, we added Performance Tracks ‐ Artist Performances on the Melody track, to showcase the Band-in-a-Box RealTracks demos playing along to an artist performing the melody. These are great for listening or learning-from-the-Pros (since notation/tab shows for the performances). Pick “best” soloist RealTracks: This new dialog shows you the best soloists that match the genre, tempo, feel of your song. A new Song Form feature 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 ). Leadsheet window can now be resized. When you are choosing a RealTracks or RealDrums, there is now a list of recently used - Favorite RealTracks, RealDrums. The popular “Band Button” is now enhanced with many more RealStyles made, listed, submenus, and instruments shown.

For Band-in-a-Box 2012 we’ve added “Loops” support, so you can add your own or 3rd party loops to any Band-in-a-Box track. We’ve added a Simpler RealTracks setting, with a checkbox that makes the RealTracks play a simpler (less busy or embellished) arrangement. We include “Direct Input” (clean signal) Guitar RealTracks for over 150 of the Guitar based RealTracks, so you can generate files with a clean guitar, and then, using your DAW (e.g., GarageBand), you can add custom amp and F/X settings using the new Guitar Amp Simulator that is included (AmpliTube CS). You can add MIDITracks individually now, simply select your favorite MIDITrack from any style to any track of your current song. EZ selection of “DrumGrooves” has been added, which are different grooves within drum styles.

For Band-in-a-Box 2011.5, we added a “Same-But-Different” feature, which ensures that, if you have 2 (or more) of the same RealTracks on different tracks, they will never play the same thing at the same time. There is support for Pedal Bass RealTracks. We added 101 new RealTracks in sets 122-136, including: 70’s Soul, Celtic Hornpipes & Slipjigs, Crossover Pop, Gypsy Jazz, Jazz Piano and Organ, Brent Mason Country soloing, Praise & Worship, and much more!

For Band-in-a-Box 2011, we made big improvements to the sounds of the RealTracks so that they sound more natural over a much wider range of tempos, using the elastique Pro V2 time stretching engine by zplane.development. These improvements are built-in, so there’s nothing you need to do to get it working. Your existing songs will just sound better automatically!. We added a new Mixer window, allowing you to quickly set volumes, panning, reverb, tone, and patches. The Mixer floats on top of the current window, so you can place it wherever it’s convenient to make quick and easy adjustments to your Band-in-a-Box track settings. Enhanced RealTracks, so that you can now have RealTracks style changes within a song, generate RealTracks Soloist Medleys. Plus, 101 new RealTracks since July 2010, including: Gypsy Jazz, Celtic Jigs & Reels, Calypso, Praise & Worship, Reggae, Brent Mason Guitar, and so much more!

In Band-in-a-Box 2010, we added 101 RealTracks instruments. We also added RealCharts, which means that most RealTracks display notation showing the notes that are being played. Some Guitar RealTracks also show tab, and accurate on-screen fretboard guitar display to show what is being played on guitar. The RealCharts can be saved to MIDI file or Songs (MGU). The Audio Chord Wizard was enhanced. Chords may be edited in the Audio Chord Wizard. 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.

5. What is the difference between Band-in-a-Box Pro and the Band-in-a-Box MegaPAK?

The Pro and MegaPAK include the same Band-in-a-Box and RealBand program engines, however the MegaPAK includes many more Styles, Soloists, Melodists, RealTracks, RealDrums and more. Whereas the Pro version comes with over 1,000 Styles (MIDI Styles and RealStyles), the MegaPAK comes with over 3,000 Styles (MIDI Styles and RealStyles)!

Specifically, Band-in-a-Box Pro comes with a basic ‘starter’ set of Styles, Soloists, Melodists, RealDrums, and RealTracks: It includes 64 MIDI SuperTracks, 1,000 Styles (MIDI Styles and RealStyles), 100+ MIDI Soloists, ~60 MIDI Melodists, 22 Artist Performances, 21 Nature Sounds and Percussion Loops, 1,000 Dubstep, Modern and Top 40 Loops and the Pro RealCombos 590 RealTracks instruments in 350+ Bands!) RealCombos are full bands of RealTracks and RealDrums instruments (no MIDI) in the same style. For example, the Jazz Swing 140 RealCombo includes 5 RealInstruments (Bass, Piano, Guitar, Sax, and Drums) that play at a medium swing tempo. Essentially, RealCombos allow you to hear *some* full bands of RealTracks without having to get the largest Band-in-a-Box package.

The Band-in-a-Box MegaPAK includes everything that the Pro version has, plus a lot more. It includes 3,000+ Styles (MIDI Styles and RealStyles), 163 MIDI SuperTracks, over 300 MIDI Soloists, 200+ MIDI Melodists, 63 Artist Performances, 21 Nature Sounds and Percussion Loops and 1,000 Dubstep, Modern and Top 40 Loops. It also includes the MegaPAK RealCombos (Over 800 RealTracks in 530+ Bands).

Visit our Band-in-a-Box Add-ons page for a complete list of available add-ons. Visit our Band-in-a-Box page to see comparisons of the different Band-in-a-Box and RealBand packages.

6. What is the difference between the Band-in-a-Box MegaPAK, UltraPAK and UltraPAK+?

All of the packages include the latest versions of both Band-in-a-Box and RealBand. The Band-in-a-Box MegaPAK includes 3,000+ Styles (MIDI Styles and RealStyles), 163 MIDI SuperTracks, over 300 MIDI Soloists, 200+ MIDI Melodists, 63 Artist Performances, 21 Nature Sounds and Percussion Loops and 1,000 Dubstep, Modern and Top 40 Loops. It also includes the MegaPAK RealCombos (Over 800 RealTracks in 530+ Bands). RealCombos are full bands of RealTracks and RealDrums instruments (no MIDI) in the same style. For example, the Jazz Swing 140 RealCombo includes 5 RealInstruments (Bass, Piano, Guitar, Sax, and Drums) that play at a medium swing tempo. Essentially, RealCombos allow you to hear *some* full bands of RealTracks without having to get the largest Band-in-a-Box package.

The UltraPAK includes over 7,000+ Styles (MIDI Styles and RealStyles), 290+ MIDI SuperTracks, over 300 MIDI Soloists, 200+ MIDI Melodists, 160+ Artist Performances, 21 Nature Sounds and Percussion Loops and 1,000 Dubstep, Modern and Top 40 Loops. PLUS ALL of the currently available RealDrums and RealTracks Sets. Now there’s over 3,500 RealTracks included in the UltraPAK. That’s over 3,700 hours of studio musicians recordings!

The UltraPAK+ includes all the UltraPAK contents, and adds the Songs & Lessons PAK.

7. I hate installing programs, and just want to plug and play. I also want the best Band-in-a-Box and RealBand version that you have, with everything pre-installed.

The Band-in-a-Box UltraPAK and UltraPAK+ can each be shipped pre-installed on a high-speed USB 3.0 hard drive. These include the latest versions of Band-in-a-Box and RealBand, as well as all the currently available MIDI SuperTracks, Artist Performance Sets, Styles, Soloists, Melodists, RealDrums Sets, and RealTracks Sets. You can run the programs directly from the hard drive, without installing them on your computer. Just plug in the drive and you’re ready to play! You still have the option of installing the program to your computer hard drive if you would rather run the programs from there.

Another option is the Audiophile edition. This has all the same contents as the UltraPAK+ hard drive, but ALSO includes the uncompressed WAV files for all of the RealTracks and RealDrums. This means that the highest sound quality of the RealTracks and RealDrums is preserved. This package ships on a high-speed USB 3.0 hard drive.

8. Is it true that you offer a 30-day money back guarantee on your products?

Yes! We offer an unconditional 30-day money back guarantee on all PG Music products purchased directly from us. If for any reason you decide that the PG Music product is not for you, simply contact us within 30 days of your order and we will refund you the purchase price of the item.

9. What are the recommended system requirements for Band-in-a-Box?

Our most recent version of Band-in-a-Box is compatible with the Intel and Apple Silicon (M1) chips and works on Snow Leopard (OS 10.6.8) to Ventura (OS 13.x) inclusive. (Note: Band-in-a-Box DAW Plugin requires OS 10.7 or higher.) We also have older versions of the program available for PowerPC based OSX systems, and even OS9 systems. The system requirements for the latest version of Band-in-a-Box are:

• Mac OS X 10.6.8 to 13.x (Ventura) inclusive.
• Intel or ARM-based Apple Silicon processor with 64-bit support.
• Minimum 2GB RAM
• At least 2 GB recommended for the main Band-in-a-Box® program. More space is required for RealTracks, depending on which package you buy...
• RealTracks & RealDrums: ~100-400 MB per set.
• Pro RealCombos: ~40 GB
• MegaPAK RealCombos: ~50 GB
• Full UltraPAK/UltraPAK+ when installed to internal hard drive: ~190 GB (another ~190 GB is required for the installation files when downloading the UltraPAK or UltraPAK+).
• Screen Resolution: 1024x768 or higher.
• Hard Drive versions of the UltraPAK or UltraPAK+ do not require any hard disk space when run directly from the external hard drive they are shipped on.
• USB port for the USB Flash Drive version of the Pro, MegaPAK or PlusPAK.
• Available USB port for the USB Hard Drive version of the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
• Internet connection recommended for program activation and updates.

10. Do you offer technical support after I purchase the program?

Yes. We offer extensive technical support for all PG Music Inc. products. All technical support is free and unlimited for registered customers. You can e-mail us, use our Live Online Chat, or phone us toll-free (from most countries). Please visit our Support Page for more details and contact information.

11. What shipping methods do you offer? Is there a download-only option?

We do offer shipping for Band-in-a-Box packages. If you would like to receive a backup copy of your Band-in-a-Box, be sure to add the physical backup copy to your order on checkout.

The Band-in-a-Box packages are also available for download. Note: If you ordered the Audiophile Edition, you can download the compressed RealTracks and RealDrums. The uncompressed files will be shipped on the hard drive.

Flash Drive Orders: Pro, MegaPAK, and PlusPAK packages only
Shipped free by mail. The Flash Drive media is $15.
USA: Delivery typically within 2-3 business days.
Canada/International: Delivery typically within 5-10 business days.

Hard Drive Orders: UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile, and OmniPAK packages only
Shipped free by courier. The Hard Drive media is $25.
USA: Delivery typically within 2-3 business days.
Canada/International: Delivery typically within 2-6 business days.

All other products are download only.

12. Do you ship overseas?

Yes, we ship Band-in-a-Box products anywhere in the world that is served by an international carrier.

13. Are all of your products available for download (electronic delivery)?

Yes, PG Music software is available for immediate download when you order online, and you will also have the option of a physical shipment for the backup copy of your purchase. Note: If you ordered the Audiophile Edition, you can download the compressed RealTracks and RealDrums. The uncompressed files will be shipped on the hard drive.

14. If I choose to download the program, will I still get shipped a backup copy of the software and documentation?

We do offer shipping for Band-in-a-Box packages. If you would like to receive a backup copy of your Band-in-a-Box, be sure to add the physical backup copy to your order on checkout. All other products are download only.

15. Do you offer upgrades from previous versions of Band-in-a-Box?

Yes, you can upgrade to the latest version of Band-in-a-Box from any previous version. Visit the Band-in-a-Box for Mac Purchasing page  for more details.

16. Can I upgrade from Band-in-a-Box Pro to the MegaPAK, UltraPAK, or Audiophile Edition?

Yes, you can upgrade to the latest Band-in-a-Box MegaPAK, UltraPAK, or Audiophile Edition from ANY version of Band-in-a-Box including the current version. To order, or for more information, visit the Band-in-a-Box for Mac Purchasing page.

17. If I purchased the last MegaPAK/UltraPAK/UltraPAK+/Audiophile version, do I need to order the new MegaPAK/UltraPAK/UltraPAK+/Audiophile Upgrade?

You don’t need to, but we have special low pricing on these upgrade paths. They are a much better deal than a regular upgrade. If you purchase the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile upgrade, you will keep yourself up-to-date with all the latest Styles, RealDrums, RealTracks, Soloists, and Melodists currently available. If you only purchase the regular upgrade, you will still retain the add-ons (styles etc.) you got with your previous purchase, but you won’t get all the new ones. Visit our Band-in-a-Box page to see all of the upgrade packages available.

18. I purchased Band-in-a-Box for Windows and now I want to run it on a Mac. Is there a “crossgrade” that I can purchase?

Yes, you can crossgrade from any PC version of Band-in-a-Box to the latest version of Band-in-a-Box for Windows. You can choose any of the upgrades “from 2016 or earlier or crossgrade.”

To order, or for more information, visit the https://www.pgmusic.com/bbmac.packages.htm page.

19. Are songs that I create with Band-in-a-Box copyrighted?

The arrangements made by Band-in-a-Box are yours, and your songs may be used freely as long as they don’t infringe upon the intellectual property rights of others.

20. Do I need to be a musician to use your products?

No! Our products can be used by anyone, regardless of their musical ability. Although we have many satisfied customers who are professional or amateur musicians and educators, you don’t have to be a musician to use or enjoy our products.

21. Why is the price of your products so low?

Peter Gannon, the president and founder of PG Music Inc., states that he set out “...to create software that I would want to purchase and use myself.” To this end, we strive to create quality software that is affordable and fun to use, while performing at a professional level. One of our goals is to give you, the customer, more than you ever expected when you purchased the program.

22. Are your prices in US dollars?

Yes, all of our prices are shown in US dollars.

23. Do you offer special academic pricing for school systems?

There are Site License and LabPAK purchase options available to schools and other educational institutions who are interested in purchasing 5 or more copies of Band-in-a-Box for one location (like a computer or music lab). We also offer custom pricing for school-wide, district-wide, and even state, provincial, or national licensing. For more information, please visit the Educators Page)  or contact marketing@pgmusic.com.

At this time, we do not offer an academic/educational discount on individual purchases of our software.

24. Is it safe to use a credit card over the internet?

Every modern browser comes with SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) encryption technology. This allows information that you pass to our servers to be encrypted during transmission, without you having to set up anything special. We also have installed a digital security certificate on our servers, which certifies that we are who we say we are when you’re connected.

25. Is Band-in-a-Box available from any local dealers?

Yes, Band-in-a-Box is represented by dealers worldwide. Here is a complete list of our distributors: https://www.pgmusic.com/distributors.htm

26. How do I know if Band-in-a-Box will be able to create an accompaniment in my style of interest?

There are over 10,000 styles (MIDI and RealStyles) currently available for Band-in-a-Box, ranging from Pop, Rock, Jazz, Blues, Country, and Classical, to many different world styles. So, chances are that you will be able to find a suitable style. You can browse through all of our styles and listen to audio demos at our Band-in-a-Box Add-ons page.

27. Can I purchase a complete User’s Guide for Band-in-a-Box?

You can view the full manual online at https://www.pgmusic.com/manuals/.

28. How can I register my software?

If you purchased your software directly from PG Music, you are automatically registered.  If you purchased Band-in-a-Box from a third party, register your software by following these steps:

1) Launch the Band-in-a-Box software on your computer.

2) Go to the "Help" menu in the toolbar.

3) Select Web www.pgmusic.com

4) Select the "Register Online" option.

5) A registration dialog will appear in your web browser. Enter your registration information, including your name, email address, and the Band-in-a-Box Serial Number provided to you.

6) Click on the "Submit" button to complete the registration process.

Please note that registering your product is not the same as activating your Band-in-a-Box program.  If you'd like information on how to activate Band-in-a-Box, please ask me about how to activate the program.

29. I placed an order, but didn’t receive an email confirmation.

The email confirmation is sent out the moment your order is processed. First, check your email program’s “spam” or “junk” folder; the email could have been sent there. If not, you may have entered an incorrect email address into the order form, or (rarely) your ISP has blocked the email. Please contact us if you can’t find the email.

30. What types of files can Band-in-a-Box save as?

Band-in-a-Box saves files in its proprietary formats (.SGU, .MGU, .STY, etc.). You can also save your songs in the Standard MIDI File (SMF) Format (.MID - type 0 or type 1), .KAR format (Karaoke File Format), .ABC format (ABC notation), .XML format (Music XML), or convert your songs to .WAV files and a variety of compressed audio formats such as AIFF and M4A.

31. I just placed an order, but I am unable to download the software. What should I do?

All PG Music software is available for immediate download.

After placing your order, you will receive your order confirmation email. This email contains the link(s) to access your Downloads page, and the Band-in-a-Box Serial Number if you ordered a Band-in-a-Box package.

Click on the link(s) in your order confirmation email to go directly to your Downloads page for each product. If the Install Manager is available for the product, there will be a link to download it at the top of your download page list. Complete instructions and troubleshooting tips for the Install Manager (“One-click installer”) are available:

1. Tutorial for Windows (https://www.pgmusic.com/download-manager-help.htm)
2. Tutorial for Mac (https://www.pgmusic.com/download-manager-mac-help.htm)

Or, watch the “One-click Install” video:

1. Video: Using the One-click Installer on Windows https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RipTVhGaVIU&feature=youtu.be)
2. Video: Using the One-click Installer on Mac (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNoVd5E8pbo&feature=youtu.be)

If you have created an account on pgmusic.com, you can also access your downloads by logging into your account and clicking the "My Products" page. This page lists all your recently purchased serial numbers and downloads. If you do not see your recently purchased product on your My Products page, it may not have been connected with that account. This could happen if you used a different email address when you ordered, or were not logged into the account. Contact us if you need help with this.

If you did not get an order confirmation email:

You may have typed in the wrong email address when you placed the order. If so, please contact us to correct this and we can resend the email.

Your email program may have a utility that filters out possible junk emails and puts them in a separate mailbox. Check to see if you have a 'Spam' or 'Junk' folder, for example.

Additional product download troubleshooting and tips

1. The Install Manager will only work for orders placed on March 2021 or later. For any order (including orders placed prior to that), you can still access the downloads on your 'My Products' page by logging into your account at www.pgmusic.com/account.
2. Files can either be downloaded using the “Install Manager” or via individual download links. On the download page, check the box “Show all downloads”, and this will allow you to download the individual installer files using your web browser. For the large Band-in-a-Box packages that consist of many installers, the Install Manager should normally be used since it greatly simplifies the download and install process.
3. If when you click on a link, you get a 404 page, error message, “page cannot be displayed”, or something similar (but other web pages work fine for you), the problem is likely at our end. Please contact us ASAP so that we can fix this.
4. Download speed varies considerably based on many factors including your available bandwidth, geographical location, our server load, time of day, and more. If you are downloading a large Band-in-a-Box package, like the UltraPAK, the download could take anywhere from a couple of hours to over a day. If the connection speed is MUCH slower than what you expect (based on your measured connection speed - e.g., search 'internet speed test') you may want to wait and try again later, or contact us if the problem persists. Sometimes slow downloads are beyond our control, such as if there is a malfunctioning router somewhere between you and our servers.
5. For individual downloads, troubleshoot by trying a different web browser to make sure it isn't a browser specific problem (e.g. old cached file).
6. If you get an error message such as “not a valid Win32 application”, “there is no program associated with this file”, or “setup files are corrupted” when trying to run a downloaded installer, this typically means that the file is corrupt due to your internet connection being interrupted partway through the download. Remove the file from your hard drive and download it again.
7. Security software (Anti-virus, firewalls) can sometimes interfere with installs. Symptoms might include the file being 'quarantined' or blocked when you try to run it. These are typically 'false positives'. Please contact us to report the problem. On Windows, Microsoft Defender SmartScreen will often block old installers (2019 and earlier) by default, and you need to allow them to 'run anyways'. On Mac, you might get a message such as “file cannot be checked for malicious software” on older installer packages that are not notarized. You can still install the file by control+clicking on it and clicking Open.
8. If you are having trouble with a Band-in-a-Box download and would like have the physical copy shipped, or you are having a problem not covered here, please contact us for further assistance.

32. What languages is Band-in-a-Box available in?

Band-in-a-Box for Mac is offered in French, German, Italian, and Japanese.

You can purchase Band-in-a-Box in any of these languages from their individual pages. Click on one of the languages above or go to the PG Music home page and click on one of the flags along the top of the page.

If you have already purchased the latest version of Band-in-a-Box in English and would like a different language, please contact us. (https://www.pgmusic.com/contact.htm)

33. Is Band-in-a-Box compatible with PowerPC Macs?

The latest version of Band-in-a-Box is compatible with the Intel and Apple Silicon (M1) chips and works on Snow Leopard (OS 10.6.8) to Ventura (OS 13.x) inclusive. However, we have legacy versions of the program available for PowerPC based OSX systems, and even OS9 systems.

34. Is Band-in-a-Box compatible with older Operating Systems?

Yes, the shipping version of Band-in-a-Box is compatible back to Snow Leopard (10.6). This includes Lion, Mountain Lion, Mavericks, Yosemite, El Capitan, Sierra, High Sierra, Mojave, and higher. We can provide a legacy version for Intel-based Macs running Tiger (10.4) and Leopard (10.5) by request (contact sales).

35. Is Band-in-a-Box compatible with the latest Mac Operating Systems, including Ventura?

Band-in-a-Box for Mac is compatible with the Intel and Apple Silicon (M1) chips and works on Snow Leopard (OS 10.6.8) to Ventura (OS 13.x) inclusive.

36. What is the difference between the Audiophile edition of Band-in-a-Box, and the regular Band-in-a-Box packages?

The Audiophile edition ships pre-installed on a high-speed USB 3.0 hard drive and includes everything that the regular Band-in-a-Box packages have, plus all the uncompressed audio in AIFF file format for ALL the RealTracks and RealDrums, so the highest sound quality is preserved. We normally ship RealTracks audio files as compressed M4A files (usually 128 or 160 kbps) instead of AIFF files. The M4A files are excellent quality and make the program MUCH smaller (roughly 90GB). With a typical setup at home, many people would not be able to hear a difference, but some advanced users prefer to have the original AIFF files. Note that it is possible to uncompress the ‘regular edition’ M4A files to AIFF, however these will not be the same as the original AIFF files, having already been compressed once. Also, please note that the ‘Audiophile editions’ do include the M4A files as well, which gives you the option of installing the program on your computer the same way as with the ‘regular edition’.

37. Is the latest version of Band-in-a-Box backwards compatible with songs and styles from older versions?

Yes. Band-in-a-Box is designed to be fully backwards compatible with songs and styles created with previous versions of the program. In addition, you can often make your older songs sound much better after upgrading to the latest version, by choosing newer Styles, RealTracks, and RealDrums that came with your upgrade.

38. How much is Band-in-a-Box?

If you are a first-time buyer of Band-in-a-Box, your prices are:

• Band-in-a-Box Pro: $129
• Band-in-a-Box MegaPAK: $269
• Band-in-a-Box UltraPAK: $469
• Band-in-a-Box UltraPAK+: $569
• Band-in-a-Box Audiophile Edition: $669

If you purchased Band-in-a-Box previously, you qualify for upgrade pricing.

If you have our current version or last year's version, your regular upgrade prices are:

• Band-in-a-Box Pro Upgrade: $69
• Band-in-a-Box MegaPAK Upgrade: $149
• Band-in-a-Box UltraPAK Upgrade: $279
• Band-in-a-Box UltraPAK+ Upgrade: $379
• Band-in-a-Box PlusPAK Upgrade (for UltraPAK and UltraPAK+ customers): $129
• Band-in-a-Box Audiophile Edition Upgrade: $299 (if you own an older Audiophile Edition) or $479 if you don’t.

If you have an earlier version or you are changing to a completely different OS, your regular upgrade prices are:

• Band-in-a-Box Pro Upgrade: $79
• Band-in-a-Box MegaPAK Upgrade: $169
• Band-in-a-Box UltraPAK Upgrade: $299
• Band-in-a-Box UltraPAK+ Upgrade: $399
• Band-in-a-Box PlusPAK Upgrade (for UltraPAK and UltraPAK+ customers): $129
• Band-in-a-Box Audiophile Edition Upgrade: $299 (if you own an older Audiophile Edition) or $499 if you don’t.

Compare the different Band-in-a-Box packages using the comparison chart for Mac and for Windows.

39. Can I purchase an upgrade?

Yes, if you purchased an older version of Band-in-a-Box, it can be upgraded. Pricing will depend on which version you currently own.

If you purchased Band-in-a-Box previously, you qualify for upgrade pricing.

If you have our current version or last year's version, your regular upgrade prices are:

• Band-in-a-Box Pro Upgrade: $69
• Band-in-a-Box MegaPAK Upgrade: $149
• Band-in-a-Box UltraPAK Upgrade: $279
• Band-in-a-Box UltraPAK+ Upgrade: $379
• Band-in-a-Box PlusPAK Upgrade (for UltraPAK and UltraPAK+ customers): $129
• Band-in-a-Box Audiophile Edition Upgrade: $299 (if you own an older Audiophile Edition) or $479 if you don’t.

If you have an earlier version or you are changing to a completely different OS, your regular upgrade prices are:

• Band-in-a-Box Pro Upgrade: $79
• Band-in-a-Box MegaPAK Upgrade: $169
• Band-in-a-Box UltraPAK Upgrade: $299
• Band-in-a-Box UltraPAK+ Upgrade: $399
• Band-in-a-Box Audiophile Edition Upgrade: $299 (if you own an older Audiophile Edition) or $499 if you don’t.

Compare the different Band-in-a-Box packages using the comparison chart for Mac and for Windows.

40. What Band-in-a-Box is a good starter package?

The Band-in-a-Box Pro is a great starter package at only $129. It includes a variety of add-ons to get you started including, RealTracks and RealDrums, style (MIDI and RealStyles), Melodists, Soloists, Artist Performances, and loops.

If you purchase the Pro version and decide you want a larger package later, that is not a problem. Just contact our customer service team for assistance.

Compare the different Band-in-a-Box packages using the comparison chart for Windows: https://www.pgmusic.com/bbwin.packages.htm and for Mac https://www.pgmusic.com/bbmac.packages.htm.

41. What are RealTracks?

RealTracks are audio recordings of real musicians playing various instruments, such as guitars, bass, drums, piano, and more. RealTracks replace the MIDI track for that instrument and can be controlled just like the MIDI instrument (volume changes, muting etc.). They even follow the chord progression that you have entered, so you hear an authentic audio accompaniment or solo.

RealTracks are not "samples"... They are full recordings, lasting from 1 to 8 bars at a time, playing in perfect sync with the other tracks. Choose from pre-made Band-in-a-Box Styles or combine RealTracks instruments to make your own band.

Listen to RealTracks demos for Mac and Windows.

42. How much are RealTracks?

RealTracks Sets are available for $29 each. We also offer RealPAKs for Jazz, Country, Guitar, and Rock-Pop. We release a genre PAK per version release, which includes the newest Sets of that genre RealTracks & RealDrums. RealPAKs can be purchased starting at $79 each.

Learn more: Mac and Windows.

If you decide to purchase a number of these, the most cost effective way to get all the regular RealTrack and RealDrums Sets is by upgrading to the UltraPAK (Mac and Windows) for $279 or $299 (depending on which version you have). Plus, the UltraPAK is chock-full of other great, highly requested add-ons!

43. How do I get more RealTracks?

The most cost effective way to get all the regular RealTrack and RealDrums Sets is by purchasing the UltraPAK. A first-time UltraPAK is $469. If you purchased Band-in-a-Box previously, the upgrade to the UltraPAK (Mac and Windows) is $279 or $299 (depending on which version you have).

We also offer individual RealTracks Sets for $29 each and RealPAK genre PAKs for Jazz, Country, Guitar, and Rock-Pop starting at $79 each.

44. What are XPro Styles PAKs?

XPro Styles PAKs are additional style PAKs that work with the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box. These PAKs contain a wide variety of musical styles, ranging from jazz and rock-pop to country and folk. Each PAK includes a collection of over 100 pre-made arrangements and musical patterns that can be used to enhance and customize your music compositions. These styles can be easily applied to your songs, allowing you to experiment with different genres and create unique musical arrangements. These styles are not included in any other package.

XPro Styles PAKs were released for Band-in-a-Box 2021 and higher. Too see what version is required for each XPro Styles PAK, listen to demos, and to learn more, visit the products pages for Mac and Windowss.

45. What are Xtra Styles PAKs?

Xtra Styles PAKs are additional style PAKs that work with the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box. These PAKs contain a wide variety of musical styles, ranging from jazz and rock-pop to country and folk. Each PAK includes a collection of over 150+ pre-made arrangements and musical patterns that can be used to enhance and customize your music compositions. These styles can be easily applied to your songs, allowing you to experiment with different genres and create unique musical arrangements. These styles are not included in any other package.

Xtra Styles PAKs were released for Band-in-a-Box 2016 and higher. Too see what version is required for each Xtra Styles PAK, listen to demos, and to learn more, visit the products pages for Mac and Windows.

Note: Xtra Styles PAKs will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK versions because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.

You can listen to demos and learn more about the Xtra Styles PAKs for Mac and Windows.

46. What is the difference between Xtra Styles PAKs and XPro Styles PAKs?

XPro Styles PAKs include additional styles that work with the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box. Each PAK adds 100+ styles that are not included in any other package.

XPro Styles PAKs were released for Band-in-a-Box 2021 and higher. Too see what version is required for each XPro Styles PAK, listen to demos, and learn more, visit the products pages for Mac and Windows.

Xtra Styles PAKs are additional style PAKs that only work with Band-in-a-Box UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. Each PAK adds 100+ styles that are not included in any other package.

Xtra Styles PAKs were released for Band-in-a-Box 2016 and higher. Too see what version is required for each Xtra Styles PAK, listen to demos, and to learn more, visit the products pages for Mac or Windows.

Note: Xtra Styles PAKs will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK versions because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.

47. Do you have an installment or payment plan?

We do offer an easy, interest free payment plan for most Band-in-a-Box packages. If you add an eligible Band-in-a-Box package to your cart, you may choose the payment plan option during the checkout process. The total cost of the package will be broken up into 4 payments. You will pay ¼ of the cost upfront, with the next portion being charged to your payment method every 30 days for the next 3 months.

48. Where do I put the coupon code?

There will be a section to enter the coupon code after you click “Checkout Now” in the shopping cart. Note: The coupon code must be valid and be applied to an eligible Band-in-a-Box package to receive the discount.

49. Where do I select the physical backup copy for my Band-in-a-Box order?

Click “Checkout Now” in the shopping cart, a window will display where you will be able to select to have the physical backup added to your order.

50. Do you offer free shipping?

Band-in-a-Box is sold as an e-delivery/download product. Although there are no shipping charges, if you want to have a back-up copy of your purchase shipped you would pay for the media it will be delivered on. The Band-in-a-Box Pro, MegaPAK, and PlusPAK backup copies are available on a flash drive for $15. The Band-in-a-Box UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Editon backup copies are available on a USB hard drive for $25.

51. Where can I learn about RealTracks?

You can find more information about RealTracks in Band-in-a-Box by accessing the RealTracks Settings dialog. From there, you can click on the [+] button to the right of the RealTracks radio button and choose "Select RealTracks" to view a list of available RealTracks. You can also double-click on a RealTracks to hear an audio demo. Additionally, you can open the Artist Browser to see more information about the artists who recorded the RealTracks.

There are also demos and write-ups of the RealTracks on our website.

Windows: https://www.pgmusic.com/realtracks.all.php?os=win

Mac: https://www.pgmusic.com/realtracks.all.php?os=mac

52. What is the link for the online manual?

The online manuals are available here: https://www.pgmusic.com/manuals/

53. What is LabPAK?

LabPAK is a purchase option available to schools and educational institutions who want to buy 5 or more copies of Band-in-a-Box for a specific location, such as a computer or music lab. It is a cost-effective way for educational institutions to provide Band-in-a-Box to multiple users.

Compare the different Band-in-a-Box LabPAK packages using the comparison chart for Mac and for Windows.

54. How do I stop the song from playing again?

To stop the song from playing again, you can click on the [Stop] button on the toolbar. This will stop the playback of the song.

Check to see that the number of choruses is set to the number of times you want the song to play through.  For example, if it is set to 3, change that to 1.

Uncheck "Loop of Entire Song" setting found by clicking the Loop button.

55. Band-in-a-Box is very slow to boot.

Send us a bootup log. You can create a log by doing the following:
1) Close Band-in-a-Box.
2) Put a blank text file named WriteBootupLog.txt in the Data folder.
3) Boot Band-in-a-Box.
4) The log file named BootupLog.txt will be created in the Data folder.

56. Band-in-a-Box crashes at the startup.

Send us a bootup log. You can create a log by doing the following:
1) Close Band-in-a-Box.
2) Put a blank text file named WriteBootupLog.txt in the Data folder.
3) Boot Band-in-a-Box.
4) The log file named BootupLog.txt will be created in the Data folder.

57. I have been having a problem in Band-in-a-Box. I do not want to do RTFS (return to factory settings) because doing so erases all my settings. What can I do?
If you are troubleshooting a problem, you can run the program in the safe mode. The safe mode prevents the intrface.bbw file from being loaded during bootup, so the program will use the factory settings. It also prevents intrface.bbm from being overwritten when exiting the program, so your original settings will be preserved. To run in a safe mode, put a blank text file named safemode.txt in the Preferences folder and boot Band-in-a-Box. You will see SAFE MODE on the splash screen. This means the program is running at factory settings. See if the problem still happens.

58. Band-in-a-Box sometimes crashes. I do not want to do RTFS (return to factory settings) because doing so erases all my settings. What can I do?
You can try running the program in the safe mode. The safe mode prevents the intrface.bbw file from being loaded during bootup so the program will use the factory settings. It also prevents intrface.bbm from being written over when exiting the program, so your original settings will be preserved. To run in a safe mode, put a blank text file named safemode.txt in the Preferences folder and boot Band-in-a-Box. You will see SAFE MODE on the splash screen. This means the program is running at factory settings. See if the problem still happens.

59. It seems Band-in-a-Box has a problem when it loads the splash screen at bootup.
You can put a blank text file named NoSplashScreen.txt in the Preferences folder to skip the splash screen at bootup.

60. Where is the list of VST locations stored?
It is saved in text files in the Plugin Settings folder. For example, it is plugin_list_VSTdirectories_x64.txt for the 64-bit VST.

61. Where is the list of DX locations stored?
It is saved in text files in the Plugin Settings folder. For example, it is plugin_list_MIDI_x64.txt for 64-bit DX/DXi.

62. How do I split a horn section RealTracks to separate stems?
Some RealTracks (e.g., horn section, quartet vocals, string quartet, etc.) have multiple track recordings. From those RealTracks, you can generate the “stems,” which are the individual tracks as recorded. In the RealTracks Picker, you can find which RealTracks have stems by looking at the “Stems” column. It shows you the number of individual instruments/voices available.  When you select RealTracks that have stems, you will see what they are just below the list. Using the checkboxes, you can load all stems, the selected stems, or the mix of all stems. Check out the video tutorial: https://www.pgmusic.com/helpvideo.htm?vidid=hxNMsSrYUg0&autoplay=1&start=3320&os=Mac