Hi Deane,

1. No, no keyboard needed. I suggest that you convert all your gig midi files to Real Tracks. It is really easy. Maybe not for the first few, but definitely thereafter. The midi file will lay down the chords, tempo, key etc. which simplifies the process. BiaB will suggest the best styles for almost any song you can think of. If you want you can completely delete the midi tracks afterwards as you now have a full real band backing your vocals.

2. Then you play your backtracks as MP3s on your laptop, same as you did for your midis. Only MUCH, MUCH, MUCH more realistic. You do not need BiaB for this - only to create all your songs.

3. Listen to my converted midi versions - I am sure you can do much better as I only had use of the program for a short while.

4. Version depends on what you are willing to spend. Visit my links to PG Music, listen to the demos and then decide how much you want or need.

5. You can start with the most basic version, mess around with it first & then add what you need.

6. I don't think your Apple Computer will be a problem.

7. I am sure someone over at Sweetwater, PG Music etc. would love to assist you in starting your new journey.

8. Carefully study the next three videos (especially the last two) to see just how easy this realy is.

Henni

Hi all,

I think to follow on from this topic go here should you wish to follow more demos.

I am busy with too many demos simultaneously. I do not wish to be sidetracked. The other thread will demo BiaB in real live playing scenarios. I think it would only be a natural follow on from here. Better to see what exactly you can do with it than listening to hundreds of style demos.

I think it should inspire you to get a copy & do the same. I listed enough material to show you exactly how to do it.

Please note, this topic should really continue, only I will no longer post new demos over here.

Cheers,

Henni

I remember all the comments over the years how you cannot edit audio like you can midi. Well, the folks at BiaB have changed all of that (they are BRILLIANT!!!) Look at this video (especially the last part of it on the drum tracks) - I'm sure you will be blown away with what they've achieved.

What is possible - someone made a backtrack of the song in the video below - in my opinion just as good as the original. No midi used, only styles & Realtracks. Used ONLY BiaB - no DAW involved:

All I want is you

Here’s the rub… create a BIAB recording (or use a commercial backing track) you’re basically functionally back to using SMF’s. Start at the beginning (very few arrangers can jump around within the file like many computer programs can) play to the end. Period.

No opportunity to mess with the song, no chance to change structure (add extra solos etc), no medleys on the fly, no easy transposition to different keys (again, few arrangers have really high quality file transposition, change more than one half step, quality drops off radically).

Decades ago, most arranger players decided to use the arranger rather than a decent workstation for its on the fly flexibility. Even back then, you lost a bit of quality compared to a good WS, and even today you lost a bit of editing flexibility. But nothing else allowed you freedom to improvise better than the arranger.

Using BIAB to make tracks using real audio parts has been around for decades. And the results have long surpassed the arranger. But you can’t play it live. So this seems to be useful by those that use mostly tracks.

Nowadays, compared to when Real Tracks came out, there has been a radical drop in the price of high quality multitrack files. To the point of perhaps working out cheaper than BIAB with a whole slew of Real Tracks packs. Depending on how many you have the time to make, or how fast you think you’d pick up the complexities of the program (and have a fast enough computer to deal with multiple real audio tracks) you may end up spending a ton more than you’d have done shopping around the backing track sites.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always had a soft spot for BIAB from its first days as a MIDI only track generator. But the scenery has changed since the 90’s (it came out in 1990 and ran on PC and my great Atari ST) and it faces a lot more challenges and has ballooned in price massively when you go get those Real Tracks..!

Yes, I remember what I said. But something changed my mind. So now even more beautiful style demos will follow.