Band-in-a-Box^® LS3 files

This tutorial covers the following topics:

• Who needs to use LS3 files?
• What are LS3 files?
• Style data format example
• Sample file
• Soloist types
• Patches for Melody and Soloist

Who needs to use LS3 files?

• Third parties who make Style Sets for Band-in-a-Box^®. In the past, this has required editing BBW.LST. However this is not ideal, since PG Music is often updating BBW.LST and releasing new versions of the file.
• PG Music uses the text file BBW.LST to define the StylePicker list. Third party stylemakers can use a text file called myname.LS3, and Band-in-a-Box^® will add those styles to the list (in addition to the styles in BBW.LST).
• In addition to the style descriptions that are found in BBW.LST, the LS3 files can contain extra information called Style Data.
• Some of the Style Data is displayed on the StylePicker window as well, and some includes information like what soloists to use for the style etc.
• You don't need to make your own LS3 files unless you are making new styles for Band-in-a-Box^® yourself. If you buy third party styles, they will likely include an LS3 file.
• You need Band-in-a-Box^® version 9.0b or higher for it to work.
• The information below is technical information, applicable only to someone who is making an LS3 file (not the typical user)
• There is a sample file (demo.ls3) which shows a sample Style Data line, and style description line.

What are LS3 files?

You can make a myname.ls3 file which contains your style descriptions, and the bbw.lst file would just contain the PG Music style descriptions. BBW loads them all in, i.e. BBW.LST + whatever LS3 files are found. That means when we change BBW.LST, myname.ls3 will still work and you don't have to keep making new ones.

LS3 files are text files that can contain 2 things:

1. Style descriptions as are found in BBW.LST. If you want, you can only include these, and ignore the extra style data in #2.
2. The LS3 files can also contain the extra information on the StylePicker window such as tempo range, feel of style etc., which is built into the Band-in-a-Box^® program for PG Music styles. It also includes some information like which soloist # to use. This extra information is stored on a separate line. For the most part #s are used in the descriptions. Here's a sample of one of the style-data lines. There are some fields where numbers aren't used, in these cases you need to refer to a list. For example, J3 means jazz swing in a triplet feel. and jz means a list of jazzy patches to be used for melody when that style is chosen in the StylePicker.

Style data format example

;^@TIJUANA.STY,0,j3,true,4,sw,8,140,215,180,305,jz,jzs

This would be interpreted as (separated by commas):

Style Data Notes

• An LS3 file cannot exceed 65,000 bytes (65K). If you need more, you can use 2 or more LS3 files.
• The style data and descriptions show up in the style picker dialog.
• Lines beginning with @ are for style descriptions (memos etc.)
• Lines beginning with the 3 chars ;^@ are for the style data

Summary of the style data line.

Stylename,soloist# to use (1-255),soloist type to use (see list below),double time OK (false/true),time signature(3 or 4),swing or straight(even)(sw/ev),16ths or 8ths(8/16),tempo low(30-500), tempo high range (30-500), tempo mid range (30-500), style disk # (0-30000) PG uses 1-255), melody patch to use (1-128 or higher-see list below),soloist patch to use(1-128 or higher-see list)

Sample file

;^@TIJUANA.STY,0,j3,true,4,sw,8,140,215,180,305,jz,jzs
~New Ones
@BURKES.STY\Burkes - FastSw Southern Gospel^Similar to Goldcity.sty, this variation features more swing in drs & organ (w/fills) added. 5 insts: pno, b, drs, ac. guitar & organ. T=210 *This Little light of Mine, I Saw the Light
@CRIMSONS.STY\Crimsons -Guitars&B SoGospel^This 3 instrument Country swing style features 2 guitars and bass only. With ac. bass, ac. Guitar & Nylon Guitar. T=230*Come on In, Down By the Riverside
@DOVES.STY\Doves - St8 Arps Southern Gospel^Arpeggiated st8 SoGospel-Ctry ballad style. 5 insts: At 'a', ac. g (arps),nylon g, ac. b & cello. At 'b'add light drums & smooth string pad. T=85*How Great Thou Art, What a Friend

Soloist types

Here is a list of the genre types. These are mainly used to determine what kind of soloists to use.

For example, if tijuana.sty is assigned to J3, it will use Jazz Swing, 8th note triplet feel soloists.

Note that the Genres are only used if the 'hard soloist' number that preceeds the genre number is zero. If not zero then that soloist number is always used.

Patches for Melody and Soloist

In the Stylepicker dialog, when a user chooses a new style, they can get changes of patches on the melody and soloist channels. Since Band-in-a-Box^® needs to know what patches to use, you can either type in a patch number from 1-128, or choose one of these special patch lists. If you choose a list, Band-in-a-Box^® will randomly choose from a bunch of appropriate patches. But if you always want the patch to be, for example, electric piano, then choose patch 5 instead of one of these lists.