View Poll Results: How many of you use BIAB or similar software for practice?
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- 135. You may not vote on this poll
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I use BIAB or a similar tool all the time
80 59.26% -
I rarely use them but it is helpful
39 28.89% -
Nah I play along with my old records man
16 11.85%
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Originally Posted by DanielleOM
You have to tell the style picker to omit styles that you don't have or styles that are missing the appropriate realtracks. The default view shows everything that's available for purchase or in some cases used to be available for purchase.
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02-13-2020 05:05 PM
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I've used it since it was a DOS program on floppies - upgraded a few times over the years - 2019 version now. I use it for practice and making backing tracks for my duo.
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I have an old version of BIAB which I stopped using when I got IRealPro.
I practice by picking a tune, setting it for 13 repeats, change key by a 4th every chorus. The idea is to be able to comp the tune in every key and solo in every key. I quickly found out what I didn't know well enough. Set it slower. Drill. Try again.
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just looked at MAC LOGIC PRO X...stunning sounds..should i get a mac....cut my teeth on steinberg....
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maybe spoke too soon..he was using vienna instruments ,session horns,addictive keys.. etc samples
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Quite a few posters scoff at the idea of using BIAB without having used or tried it - sad to see these sort of positions taken in our forums.
Let me tell you, since contracting cancer last year with associated mobility problems, I have almost zero possibility to play out with other musicians - ever tried hauling an amp, a pedal board and guitar(s) with a pair of crutches and intense pain in your hip?
So BIAB has been a life saver in terms of keeping me musically alert. The solos generated by Real Tracks vary with each playing (unless you freeze them), forcing you to react differently to what you're hearing. Looking at frozen solos in notation mode is a great way to clarify exactly what is being played, and has done wonders for getting my sight reading back up to a passable level.
It's fun to transpose into different keys in a matter of seconds, then see if you can replicate in B-flat what you doing in E-flat 5 minutes earlier, whilst staying in the same area of the fretboard
Equally, for composition work I can get some very fast feedback on what I'm trying to achieve and adjust on the fly what I've written, on the basis of what I hear. One of the songs I was working on last week had a great alto-sax solo generated by Real Tracks, but I was keen to see how the break would work out on different solo instruments - no problem. I kept the sax solo for the bridge, but for the final verse used a bluesy pedal-steel solo in the background to change the final flavour.
The programme is expensive, I agree, but I'm fortunate enough for that not to be an issue. It has quite a few shortcomings - for instance, copying notation can be a pain (but a lot easier if you're a keyboard player with a midi keyboard - maybe I'll learn some basic keyboard playing at long last......).
Like these forums, there are some fantastic people over on forums on the PG site, who will help with any difficulties you have.
Just my experience, and I'm sure others will have had different ones.
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hi Ray..keeping me musically alert...me too...any idea why my real tracks freeze..ive hooked the guitar up as a midi controller using Jam Origin software...can now solo with BB with the Korg Triton sounds... dream come true..regards
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No idea why your RealTracks are freezing. I suggest posting your question over at the PG Music forums - los of informed help there Originally Posted by voxsss
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Hey Voxsss, Originally Posted by voxsss
I had that problem a few years ago. I created a nice backing track, with 2 measures of soloing for me, and two for a realband saxophone so I could practice my comping. I found that the backing track would drag and in some cases freeze. It was fine with midi tracks only.
I contacted the PG Music forum (which can be very helpful, might I add). Turns out my laptop was just too outdated. They said that real tracks can really tax a computer, especially if you add a lot of instructions to a song. I believe my laptop had 4GB RAM and the speed was 1.4 GHz. Later in that year, I bought a new laptop (2.7 GHz and 12 GB RAM) and all is well now. Maybe that is your problem?
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I'm using BIAB more than ever now. I use it for songwriting. It's easy to experiment with different styles / feels for a chosen progression.
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I switched to IRealPro from an old version of BIAB. I think it's the best practice tool I ever had. I pick a tune, set it for 13 repeats and change the key by a fourth each chorus.
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And loop 4 chords and sing melodies and make up lyrics. Sometimes some good lyrics can just fall in place this way. "Scrambled eggs/Oh my baby how I love your legs/Not as much as I love scrambled eggs". (That's the start of the song Yesterday) Originally Posted by MarkRhodes
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Originally Posted by fep
And loop 4 chords and sing melodies and make up lyrics. Sometimes some good lyrics can just fall in place this way. "Scrambled eggs/Oh my baby how I love your legs/Not as much as I love scrambled eggs". (That's the start of the song Yesterday)
That works too! And it's fun.
I think Sting once said in an interview that the best thing was when the lyric and vocal melody came at the same time. (At least for the chorus.) It's hard for that to happen unless you just let go and see what happens.
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I REALLY like this idea! Very valuable and something I did not know BIAB could do. Originally Posted by rpjazzguitar
I have come across 3 really great practice ideas in the last few months, and this is probably the best! It seems to be the perfect solution to my inability to transcribe songs on the fly.
Thanks for sharing. It has been a good few months, as far as guitar playing goes.
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Just found out there is a BB2go iOS or Android app that works as a remote controller of BIAB running on another computer.
Tried it and that's exactly what I always wanted to have: Full touch control from something small stored either on a music stand or a desk or even my sofa. Far much easier to work with that than with a keyboard/mouse. In some way, it's a bit like using iRealPro but sounds and control / editing capability are much better and nicer.
Two constraints:
1) Phone/Tablet and remote computer must both be connected with the same LAN, wired or wireless, the later one being more convenient.
2) the BIAB files of the songs to be played must be stored in a specific folder on your computer. Didn't investigate whether this can be modified nor if it works with links from that folder to where the songs are actually stored.
It works this way: a BIAB server runs on the computer, launched once for all from the BIAB->windows->BB2go menu. BBB2go app gets automatically connected with it when launched. From it you select the song to be used (from those in that specific folder), then it can be played ormodified (tempo, played loop, change chords, key, mix, number of choruses, etc..). Computer generates the audio files and sends them over the network to the phone/tablet to be played by it. That takes a minute or two on my system (a 4 year old Dell Windows 10 laptop, and an iPad 11 Pro). A BB2go progress bar shows what's going on.
The setting up requires to tweak your firewall and router settings to allow for communication between the two devices: firewall must know that the BIAB server can be acessed and send things through it, and router must let your computer visible from another device connected with the LAN
That's the tricky part of the work which is documented at pgmusic, no router or firewal spectific tech details though, but as soon as this is done, BB2go automatically finds the BIAB server when lauched.
BB2go on the iPad is really a fantastic interface over BIAB. The iPad speakers are perfect for home practice. If louder volume is needed, bluetooth / wired speakers can be attached with the phone/tablet.
I'll investigate using small low weight portable routers, so a totally portable autonomous system can be setup once for all at home and carried over wherever you may go and play or practice. That would avoid being stuck by or fighting an unknown protected router . It seems that RealBand can also be controlled, but I didn't try that.Last edited by mhch; 07-20-2020 at 11:36 AM.
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BB is a great soft.
I have BB 2019 version and I think about upgrade fo version 2021...:-)
I use them on two my comps.
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I started with Aebersold's play-a-longs back in the day when I was learning jazz trombone. While one might have a lot of acapella fun with a guitar of piano, it's much harder with a pure melodic instrument.
Later on I found BIAB and, in spite not having real musicians playing, I was hooked due to it's versatility and used it a lot.
Nowadays I just use iReal Pro because I'm basically sick of too many hours in front of the computer and will do anything to avoid it.Last edited by MysteryMadman; 02-19-2021 at 08:39 PM. Reason: typos
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Back in the late 1970s and early 1980s, there was a set of LPs with recorded backing tracks. I forget what they were called, but used those all the time and even edited them on a reel-to-reel sound-on-sound tape deck to make jams. They were a lot of fun and easy to work with. Then I got into bands and abandoned them. Nothing beats playing with others but that's not always possible. And now, since corona came to town, those opportunities to play with others have been drastically reduced to near nil. So I'm using iRealPro when not working on chord melodies or marching to my own beat. I find it fun and easy to use, like those old LPs, especially if you like a feeling of leaning on others. Granted, it's a one way lean, no replacement. Usually with iReal I mute the piano and just use bass and percussion. It's good for getting the changes internalized, as a kind of transition to playing with others. Before corona, I was sitting in on a sax player friend's gigs, and he sent me iReal files with his arrangements to learn before a gig. So it has its uses. Recently, I started using Drum Genius, when I realized my Latin feel is wobbly, and the loops in there are good. I'm aching to be back playing with others, but I think these tools have their uses. Plus, they're easy and fun.
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Battle of the Virtual Bands ones $100 other is $1500.......... BAND IN A BOX software and the YAMAHA PSR SX900 arranger keyboard...great video and wondered when someone would do one...
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Good video. I think BIAB was the clear winner, though, and you don't have to be keyboard player to make it work.
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I use BIAB for jamming on specific chord progressions and songwriting.
But another songwriter software that I use that is similar to BIAB and not mentioned so far is Toontrack. You mix EZ Keys, EZ Bass, and EZ Drummer together from Toontrack, sync them to Studio One Presonus, and voila! you have yourself something better than BIAB! And recently Toontrack has now expanded to Cinematic and Symphonic Music.
Toontrack
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had a quick run through the demos ...sounds amazing.....priced right too......
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What do you mean by "better than BIAB" ? in what respect ? Originally Posted by Jason Sioco
Does ToonTrack itself quickly creates ready to hear sound tracks given a chord chart, and then each can be adjusted on selected bars ?
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much as i like real tracks in BB im ready to explore different sounds...VST into bAND IN A BOX....TOONTRACKS...any problems go to help index..VST...all there...menu.options.midi audio driver set up ..dxi synth settings..where you add your VST PLUG INS..
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