Boss BR-800 User Manual
BR-800 Rhythm Editor Manual
Copyright © 2010 BOSS Corporation
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the written permission
of BOSS Corporation.
* Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
* Apple and Macintosh are registered trademarks of Apple Inc.
* Mac OS is a trademark of Apple Inc.
* All product names mentioned in this document are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective
owners.
* The SD logo ( ) and SDHC logo ( ) are trademarks of SD-3C, LLC.
* Unfortunately, it may be impossible to restore the contents of data once it has been lost. BOSS Corporation
assumes no liability concerning such loss of data.
* To avoid disturbing your neighbors, try to keep the unit’s volume at reasonable levels. You may prefer to
use headphones, so you do not need to be concerned about those around you.
* Unauthorized duplication, reproduction, hiring, and lending prohibited.
* In the interest of product improvement, the specifications and/or contents of this package are subject to
change without prior notice.
* The explanations in this manual include illustrations that depict what should typically be shown by the
display. Note, however, that your unit may incorporate a newer, enhanced version of the system (e.g.,
includes newer songs), so what you actually see in the display may not always match what appears in the
manual.
Conventions used in this document
This document applies to both the Windows version and the Mac version. Keyboard operations are described
using the Windows version as an example.
If using the Mac version, substitute the key names and procedures as follows.
Windows version Mac version
Ctrl key command key
Enter key return key
Esc key esc key
Right click control key+click
1
1. Introduction
BR-800 Rhythm Editor is a convenient tool that makes it easy to edit and create BR-800 rhythms using a
personal computer.
This Rhythm Editor can only work with rhythms. You can not use it to work on effects or data
recorded to audio tracks.
1. Introduction
* A Step is a grouping composed of the same pattern repeated at the same tempo and beat.
For more detailed information, see What is Step ? (p. 14).
2
1. Introduction
～ Procedures from Starting Up Rhythm Editor to the Finished Rhythm ～
1. Make the connection to the BR-800, then start BR-800 Rhythm Editor.
Connect the BR-800 to your computer
via USB cable.
Start up BR-800 Rhythm Editor.
For more detailed information, see 2. Connecting / Disconnecting the BR-800 (p. 4).
2. Read in a song from the BR-800.
Click the SONG READ button!
Read in a song from the BR-800.
* This allows you to edit data
saved to the BR-800 with Rhythm Editor.
For more detailed information, see 4. Read in a Song from the BR-800 (p. 6).
3. Edit the pattern.
Write the pattern to the BR-800.Edit the pattern.
Click the PATTERN WRITE button!
For more detailed information, see 6. PATTERN Section (p. 7).
4. Edit the arrangement.
Write the arrangement to the BR-800.
Click the ARRANGEMENT WRITE button!
Edit the arrangement.
For more detailed information, see 7. ARRANGEMENT Section (p. 14).
5. Disconnecting the BR-800.
Cancel the USB connection.
For more detailed information, see 2. Connecting / Disconnecting the BR-800 (p. 4).
3
2. Connecting / Disconnecting the BR-800
2. Connecting / Disconnecting the BR-800
Do not disconnect the USB cable connected to the BR-800 while BR-800 Rhythm Editor is
running.
Doing so may cause malfunction or loss of data.
2-1. Connecting with the BR-800
1. Turn on the power to the BR-800.
2. Connect the BR-800 and your computer with a USB cable according to the instructions
in the BR-800 Owner’s Manual, then select [MENU] - [USB] - [RHYTHM EDITOR].
3. Press the BR-800’s [ENTER] button.
4. (Mac version only)
Open
“System Preferences” of Mac OS and click [Sound], then select “BR-800 44.1kHz”
for each of the following settings:
•“Play sound effects through” under the “Sound Effects” tab
•“Select a device for sound output” under the “Output” tab
5. Start up BR-800 Rhythm Editor.
The BR-800 and BR-800 Rhythm Editor are connected automatically.
6. (Windows version only)
Click
“Setup” - “Set Up Audio Device,” and select “OUT (BR-800)” in “Output Device.”
When the BR-800 and computer are properly connected, the CONNECT button at the upper part of
the screen turn into [DISCONNECT]. If the BR-800 and computer are not properly connected
(if [CONNECT] continues to be shown), click [CONNECT] manually to connect the devices.
2-2. Disconnecting the BR-800
Once execute DISCONNECT operation, the connection cannot be made again by clicking the
CONNECT button.
Either disconnect and then reconnect the USB cable, or re-enter the USB RHYTHM EDITOR
mode on the BR-800.
Severing the connection to the BR-800 causes any data not yet saved on the BR-800 to be discarded.
1. Click the DISCONNECT button at the upper part of the screen.
* A confirmation message is displayed; click [OK].
2. Press the BR-800’s [EXIT] button.
* When the message “Are you sure?” appears on the BR-800, press the [ENTER] button.
3. The connection between the BR-800 and BR-800 Rhythm Editor is terminated.
* After the connection is terminated, the DISCONNECT button turn into [CONNECT].
4
3. Introduction to the Various Sections
3. Introduction to the Various Sections
PATTERN
Section
COMMON
Section
DRUM KIT
Section
ARRANGEMENT Section
COMMON Section
Use this section to adjust the playback volume and tempo and make other settings that apply to the overall sound.
For more detailed information, see 5. COMMON Section (p. 6).
PATTERN Section
Use this section to create/edit patterns and write them to the BR-800.
For more detailed information, see 6. PATTERN Section (p. 7).
ARRANGEMENT Section
Use this section to create/edit arrangements and write them to the BR-800.
For more detailed information, see 7. ARRANGEMENT Section (p. 14).
DRUM KIT Section
Use this section to edit drum kits and write them to the BR-800.
For more detailed information, see 8. DRUM KIT Section (p. 20).
5
4. Read in a Song from the BR-800
4. Read in a Song from the BR-800
Data that you’ve edited cannot be saved in the preset data in this Rhythm Editor.
This means that you need to first import the song saved on the BR-800, and this then allows you to save the
song on the BR-800 from Rhythm Editor.
* A song can consist of up to five drum kits, 100 patterns, and five arrangements.
Executing a SONG READ operation causes any data being edited to be discarded.
1. Click the SONG READ button in the COMMON section.
2. Select one song from the displayed Song List, then click [OK].
The song is read into Rhythm Editor, and the song name appears in the Song Name field.
Only one song can be read in at a time.
5. COMMON Section
SONG READ button
* The name of the currently selected song appears in the Song Name field.
CONNECT/DISCONNECT button Song Name field
TEMPO field
To adjust the playback tempo:
1. Adjust pattern and arrangement tempos with the TEMPO knob.
* When the tempo is adjusted in this manner, the tempos for all patterns in the arrangement are set
uniformly.
2. The tempo that is currently set is indicated in the TEMPO field.
You can also change the tempo value by using the computer’s keyboard to directly type in a
value from 25.0 to 250.0 in the TEMPO field.
Holding down the Ctrl key as you click the Tempo knob sets the default value (120).
To adjust the volume:
TEMPO knob VOLUME knob
VOLUME field
1. Adjust the volume during playback with the VOLUME knob.
* This adjusts the volume for the sounds played using the tone pads as well as the volume of pattern
and arrangement playback.
2. The volume that is currently set is indicated in the VOLUME field.
You can also change the volume value by using the computer’s keyboard to directly type in a value
from 0 to 100 in the VOLUME field.
Holding down the Ctrl key as you click the Volume knob sets the default value (100).
6
6. PATTERN Section
6. PATTERN Section
6-1. Basic Operation
Preset pattern data cannot be saved.
Never rename, move, or delete any file being used by BR-800 Rhythm Editor.
Doing so will make it impossible to perform operations such as Save within BR-800 Rhythm Editor.
The total number of drum sounds that you can input into song patterns is a maximum of 4,999 per song.
Exceeding this upper limit makes it impossible to save the edited data.
This means you should save your data on the BR-800 as frequently as possible.
Bank field
DRAG Symbol
Pattern Name field
Bank Selection button Pattern Selection butto
Pattern View PLAY button STOP button
LENGTH field
VELOCITY field
TIME SIGNATURE
TIME SIGNATURE field
IMPORT button
CLEAR button
PATTERN WRITE button
Zoom bar
Selection button
What is Pattern View?
This is where patterns are edited.
Here is where you edit patterns, such as by inputting drum sounds at the specified timing or adjusting
the velocity of drum sounds that have been input.
* The button displayed in each respective square represents the size of the velocity of the drum sound
that has been input.
To select a pattern:
1. Use the Bank Selection button to select the type of data you want to use, either PRESET or
SONG data.
2. Use the Pattern Selection button to select the pattern to be edited.
3. The name of the currently selected pattern appears in the Pattern Name field.
* During editing, the Bank field switches to the EDIT display.
7
To play back the currently selected pattern:
1. Click the PLAY button; playback of the currently selected pattern repeats.
2. Click the STOP button to stop playback.
Clicking the STOP button a second time returns the playback-start position to the beginning of either
the leftmost measure currently visible, or the measure immediately following the leftmost one.
Clicking the STOP button yet again returns the playback-start position to the beginning of the pattern.
* In the case of the figure below, the leftmost measure currently visible refers to the area inside the red box.
* In the figure below, the leftmost measure currently visible is the second measure.
6. PATTERN Section
・If you want to change the tempo during playback, adjust this with the TEMPO knob in the
COMMON section.
・If the sound breaks up during playback, try changing the output destination using “Setup” -
“Set Up Audio Device” (Windows version only).
To input drum sounds and edit patterns:
In the Pattern View, the vertical axis indicates the tone (drum sound) used for input, and the horizontal axis
indicates the entry location.
Clicking on a square specifies the input timing for the drum sound that is input.
Example: Adding the CROSS STICK sound at the third beat of the first measure and the TOM1 sound at the
first beat of the second measure
1. Double-click on the square, then input the CROSS STICK sound at the third beat of the first measure.
2. Without making any other changes, use the arrow keys on the computer to move to the TOM1
location at the first beat of the second measure, then use the Enter key to apply it.
You can input the drum sound by right-clicking and selecting “Add” from the menu that appears.
8
6. PATTERN Section
To delete a drum sound that has been input:
1. Right-click on the desired square and select “Delete” from the menu that appears.
2. The drum sound is deleted.
* You can also press your computer’s Delete key to delete the drum sound.
To adjust the velocity of the drum sound input in the currently selected square:
* Immediately after Rhythm Editor has been started, the velocity of newly input drum sounds will have
the default value (100).
* After the velocity for any drum sound has been adjusted, the velocity for any newly input drum sound
uses the same setting as the drum sound last edited.
1. Click on the desired square.
2. When the shape of the cursor changes to , rotate the mouse wheel to adjust the velocity.
The size of the buttons displayed in Pattern View changes according to the values.
The drum will be played at a high volume.
The drum will be played at a moderately high volume.
The drum will be played at a medium volume.
The drum will be played at a moderately low volume.
The drum will be played at a low volume.
Multiple drum sounds contain; you cannot adjust the velocity for these squares.
* You can use the Zoom bar to set a higher resolution, which then allows you to set the
velocity for each sound.
You can also change the velocity value by using the computer’s keyboard to directly type in a value
from 1 to 127 in the VELOCITY field.
You can also individually adjust the velocity value for each drum sound you input.
You cannot set the velocity in squares in which “---” appears.
To confirm the setting for the currently selected pattern:
1. The number of measures in the currently selected pattern appears in the LENGTH field.
* You can also change the number of measures by using the computer’s keyboard to directly type in a
value in the LENGTH field.
* You can make settings from 1 to 999 measures.
2. Use the TIME SIGNATURE Selection button to select the time signature for the currently
selected pattern.
3. The time signature for the currently selected pattern appears in the TIME SIGNATURE field.
9
Loading...