How many of you use BIAB or similar software for practice?

**voxss** · 02-25-2019, 08:15 PM

tried that on the 2 takes of Au Privave riverside recordings..wes in a box...worked a treat...ty

**AlsoRan** · 02-27-2019, 09:48 AM

Originally Posted by grahambop

A handy feature is that you can export the track to WAV and simultaneously split the instruments into separate WAV files. Then drop them into your DAW or recording software as individual tracks. So you can re-mix the drums, bass, piano etc ‘after the fact’. Or remove the piano altogether in the final mix if you want.

Also worth playing around with pan, tone and reverb settings in BIAB, this can make a surprising difference to the sound of the backing track. E.g. I was trying for a sort of ‘Wes and Mel Rhyne’ organ backing, it didn’t nail it until I boosted the treble and put the reverb way up on the organ, then it sounded much more like those Riverside organ trio recordings. Adding more reverb to the drums can sound good too.

This was eye-catching in that I have been getting into recording a little more, and I am just beginning to realize the difference panning and treble/bass levels make in the sound of a recording. I will be down around a month from surgery and I hope to have a good enough attitude to "play" around with this program and maximize the sound.

In fact, I bought a new laptop just for this so discovering your post was timely for me. But, the last time I had this surgery, it was a complete downer and I had no motivation or desire to do "guitar" things. Hopefully, this time I will be mentally ready and will not go through the depression that recovery visited upon me the first time. Thanks from me also for this tip!

**deke** · 03-10-2019, 12:57 PM

I’m old and used BIB years ago on a Mac. I agree about the UI being clunky, but you can get used to it. I have Logic and often download midi files of various standards. Some are good, few are great and most are pretty cheesy. I will often edit some to taste, but my goal is to practice. You could do the same with GarageBand or any DAW on Mac or PC. If anyone can point to quality jazz midi files, free or even a couple bucks that would be great. It’s a mess out there!

**Skip Ellis** · 03-10-2019, 01:48 PM

There's a folder in your BIAB directory marked "BIAB Songs" - open and you'll see tunes listed alphabetically, 'a', 'b', etc. Some good tunes in there that you can,at least, use as a starting point. I also import midi files as a starting point to build usable tracks.

**Jamesrohr1** · 07-23-2019, 04:03 PM

As a Jazz noob BIAB seems like a bit more hassle than its worth. It's very expense (I think) and the interface looks awful and counter intuitve based on the videos I've seen. Even loading songs seems to be a hassle.

IReal Pro is my jam for now.

Also, YouTube has a surprising quantity of good sounding backing tracks.

I know pros and old-timers scoff at play-alongs in general. But they are a god-send to new players living in areas where it is not possible to play with others. Just my two cents.

**jazzereh** · 07-24-2019, 04:07 PM

Been using BIAB for years, much more intensively in years past than now but it's still an excellent tool for practice. There are so many ways to vary a tune you want to learn and the instruments are sounding very good these days.

Playalongs are also a good idea but more limiting in that every time you start a track up you get the same thing every time. BIAB is extremely flexible as has been pointed out above.

And, for those who scoff at the idea of using this tool, this is simply the digital extension of playing along to an LP which is how many/most/all [?] of the greats learned tunes.

**tbeltrans** · 07-24-2019, 04:17 PM

I just purchased BIAB (Pro version, which is the basic version but still has enough goodies for me) through this site. It is a few dollars cheaper than directly from pgmusic.com. You get a serial number and then go over to pgmusic.com to download BIAB using the serial number you got from here. I hope that by doing that, the purchase helps support this site (?).

Anyway, I also want to recommend Norton Music, Band-in-a-Box improvement products (tools and toys) and much more for their BIAB fakebook disks, now including the Real Book (Hal Leonard version) and they also have disks for all the Frank Mantooth fakebooks, as well as for the Sher books.

Tony

**Doug B** · 07-26-2019, 05:57 PM

Originally Posted by SandChannel

I see some complaints earlier in this thread (2014) that BIAB has a difficult user interface. Has it improved over the years? I'm not the most savvy when it comes to that kind of stuff.

I don't know what the interface used to be like, but IMO, BIAB 2019 is not too easy and is a huge time waster trying to do anything personally I would rather play my guitar than fiddle around with some damn software. I have applied for a refund.

**tbeltrans** · 07-26-2019, 06:22 PM

When I write arrangements for solo fingerstyle guitar, I prefer to do it with paper and pencil because it is so much faster for me than computer software. I don't need software to transpose to a suitable key, because it is really easy to do as I arrange. If I want to distribute it to friends, I might use Tabledit for that (or just scan copies of my hand written arrangement), but it is after the fact and just mindlessly typing it in the way I suppose one would learn a TAB arrangement from somebody else. I think best when arranging with just my guitar, paper, and pencil.

For me BIAB is a good learning tool and worth the time to learn to get around in it. For others, it may be the opposite, just as some people might cringe at the idea of using paper and pencil for arranging.

I purchased the Norton download "disks" for the various fakebooks, which certainly saves time having to input the changes for any of the tunes covered, and there are hundreds on those disks. When I consider how much I get paid per hour working, and how long it would take to type in a whole fakebook of tunes, these disks are a bargain. That leaves me to focus on selecting what real track(s) I want to use and of those, which parts I want to see or focus on.

My most used learning tool, though, is Transcribe!.

Tony

**Djang** · 08-09-2019, 10:55 AM

Biab is a funny thing. On the one hand it can be really sophisticated, or easy to use, on the other hand simplistic or hard to use.

my current setup is biab connected to Kontakt (sometimes sampletank) by way of loopbe (midi out in Biab, midi in @ kontakt). Guitar mostly just acoustic and listening to Biab on the speakers.

so, a big 1+ for me.

**Gabor** · 08-16-2019, 04:00 AM

My potential answer was not presented in the poll: I use Aebersold and Hal Leonard backing tracks. Maybe I am oversensitive the machine touch on the music, so I run out the room if I hear BIAB. To explain that a bit more: I can not listen midi music also, even they recorded by real musicians...

**Midnight Blues** · 10-04-2019, 01:06 PM

I've been contemplating purchasing B-i-a-B for a while now. The other day I was surfing YT and came across this:

SOLD! I just purchased both! Comes with "Grant Green-in-a-Box" as well!

Can I be more excited!?

Even though I just finished the download process, I've cast my vote for "I use BIAB or a similar tool all the time" because I certainly intend to use it for that purpose at a minimum.

On a side note, is musicmountain7 (Mr. Panos) no longer a member here?

**voxsss** · 10-07-2019, 04:25 AM

INDEED..i have the same files WES/GRANT....add some real tracks and your away...HINT if the tabs don't appear...notation options ... click OPT. track type .. Guitar..

**voxsss** · 10-07-2019, 04:30 AM

if only we could turn the guitar off and use tempo control...not possible with audio track..

**Midnight Blues** · 10-07-2019, 12:32 PM

"Reply With Quote" not working:voxsss

[COLOR=#676767 !important]Join Date

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[COLOR=#676767 !important]Sep 2019Posts13

INDEED..i have the same files WES/GRANT....add some real tracks and your away...HINT if the tabs don't appear...notation options ... click OPT. track type .. Guitar..

[/COLOR]I'm very new to B-i-a-B voxsss, would you mind elaborating further, as it relates to adding the "Real Tracks"?

I guess in a way this is related, so it's funny that you should type that regarding the notation/tabs too. The highlighted notes/lines initially wasn't working for me. I contacted Mr. Panos and he suggested to go the the "Notation Window>Opt. and check the Highlighted playback notes in Red!" Before I went to do that, I tried it again and thankfully, it was working.

Here's link to a more recent video that he provided to me (can't imbed it?):

Jazz Guitar Transcriptions Wes Montgomery ! - YouTube

voxsss

[COLOR=#676767 !important]Join DateSep 2019Posts13

[/COLOR]

if only we could turn the guitar off and use tempo control...not possible with audio track..Guitar..

Oh, I thought you could slow it down? Well, at least the "Lead Sheet" anyway?

**Midnight Blues** · 10-07-2019, 12:43 PM

"Reply With Quote" not working:

voxsss

INDEED..i have the same files WES/GRANT....add some real tracks and your away...HINT if the tabs don't appear...notation options ... click OPT. track type .. Guitar..

I'm very new to B-i-a-B voxsss, would you mind elaborating further, as it relates to adding the "Real Tracks"?

I guess in a way this is related, so it's funny that you should type that regarding the notation/tabs too. The highlighted notes/lines initially wasn't working for me. I contacted Mr. Panos and he suggested to go the the "Notation Window>Opt. and check the Highlighted playback notes in Red!" Before I went to do that, I tried it again and thankfully, it was working.

Here's link to a more recent video that he provided to me (can't imbed the video?):

Jazz Guitar Transcriptions Wes Montgomery ! - YouTube

voxsss

if only we could turn the guitar off and use tempo control...not possible with audio track..

Oh, I thought you could slow it down? Well, at least the "Lead Sheet" anyway?

**voxsss** · 10-07-2019, 01:00 PM

ok when you open the mixer, tracks are yellow...right click and add a real track..they turn green...youll soon get hang of it...

**Midnight Blues** · 10-07-2019, 02:47 PM

Originally Posted by voxsss

ok when you open the mixer, tracks are yellow...right click and add a real track..they turn green...youll soon get hang of it...

Thanks! I'll give it a shot.

**voxsss** · 10-07-2019, 04:39 PM

ive just played a dozen or so of the Jazz guitar solos without real tracks..theyre not bad at all..not rubbishing midi sounds at all....after all your not doing a performance..your getting the notes down and the phrasing...rhythms etc..add them when you wish... I like the B3 organ with no bass just drums..good luck midnight any questions just shoot..i know about %25 of the program..lol

**fep** · 10-07-2019, 08:01 PM

I like to pick on of the real track band styles, select the demo chord progressions and make up / sing melodies and lyrics.

**fep** · 10-07-2019, 08:06 PM

And, you can slow down the audio, just click in the tempo box and type in a tempo or use the up/down arrows to adjust tempo. Changing digital audio speed has been around for a long time and BIAB has been doing it for a long time. If you change the tempo too much from the tempo the audio was recorded at you'll get artifacts, kind of sounds like someone put a chorus effect on the tracks (it's not bad but if you know what to listen for you might be able to detect it).

**Midnight Blues** · 10-08-2019, 11:09 AM

Originally Posted by voxsss

ive just played a dozen or so of the Jazz guitar solos without real tracks..theyre not bad at all..not rubbishing midi sounds at all....after all your not doing a performance..your getting the notes down and the phrasing...rhythms etc..add them when you wish... I like the B3 organ with no bass just drums..good luck midnight any questions just shoot..i know about %25 of the program..lol

Thanks voxsss, I really appreciate it!

**Midnight Blues** · 10-08-2019, 11:19 AM

Originally Posted by fep

I like to pick on of the real track band styles, select the demo chord progressions and make up / sing melodies and lyrics.

For whatever reason, I was unable to use J140 PS.STY, entitled "Jazz Cool Trio" from the "Style Picker"? It's like a "Real Track", with piano, acoustic bass and drums. I guess it might be a demo? Anyway, I contacted PG Music to inquire (in hindsight, it wasn't a good idea) and they had me do a "Rebuild". After the rebuild, I lost approximately half (maybe more?) of the selections I had and the ones I have left appear to be all Midi files.I'm bummed!

**DanielleOM** · 11-17-2019, 02:39 PM

Just started using BIAB 2019 myself and I find it's a great help especially for identifying timing problems.

The style picker does have me confused as it keeps bringing up styles where tracks are shown as ** NA **.

Danielle

**Smurf43** · 02-13-2020, 03:05 PM

I have used BiaB since it was on floppy disks (remember those?) and flat out love the program. Like any music-based program it has it's good & bad, but overall with the Real Tracks you can do some amazing arrangements.....IMHO

I update every 2 years to keep cost's down.