Patches are the sounds generated by different instruments. When a file is General MIDI compatible that means the file uses instrument patch names specified in the MIDI 1.0 specification. +++ HERE +++ is a list of the 128 General MIDI instrument patch names.

Note for example that instrument patch number 2 is "bright piano". What does a bright piano sound like? Nobody knows because the midi standard does not describe the instrument sound, the standard just provides the instrument name. So every time a midi file specifies midi instrument number 2 you will hear a piano playing the midi data. But whoever created the number 2 instrument patch gets to decide how their "bright piano" sounds.

Not everyone wants to limit themselves to 128 instrument patches; especially when patches 97 to 128 are either synth effects, ethnic instruments, percussion or sound effects that rarely get used. So there are other well accepted standards like Roland's GS, Yamaha's XG and General MIDI 2 in addition to the General MIDI 1.0 standard. Each of these standards include more then 128 instrument patch names.

The keyboards you mention have more than a thousand instrument patches built-in and ready for playback. So how do you get the correct instrument patch name to display? You create a patch map that "teaches" the software program (Band-in-a-Box in this instance) all the instrument names the keyboard can playback.

Normally the manual for each keyboard model will specify the Control 0 (MSB Bank) number, Control 32 (LSB Bank) number and the patch number for each instrument patch name. All that information is stored in a patch (PAT) file. The Patch file contents is displayed whenever you choose "Select MIDI Instrument (Patch)" > "Select Higher Bank Patch (from .PAT File)" and then select a PAT file.

PG Music includes many PAT files with Band-in-a-Box including one for the Tyros keyboard. New to PG Music PAT files are available +++ HERE +++.

If you don't find a PAT file for a specific keyboard you can edit, modify and rename an existing file, find a PAT file on the internet or create a new PAT file. +++ HERE +++ is a tutorial PG Music made for creating a patch map in Band-in-a-Box for Windows and +++ HERE +++ is the tutorial for Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh.

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Yamaha Tyros higher bank patch selection window
Jim Fogle - 2025 BiaB (Build 1128) RB (Build 5) - Ultra+ PAK
DAWs: Cakewalk Sonar - Standalone: Zoom MRS-8
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