Getting the Band Out of the Box

Ben Elder · From: La Crescenta, California, USA

Would a real BIAB-experienced steel guitar player please explain, concisely and logically, what BIAB is and how it works from the (psguitarist) user's standpoint? I've seen it on the plasma screens at the LA jam last April (apparently close to state-of-the art), but where did those arrangements come from? (So many people on SGF are looking for BIAB arrangements; one gets the idea that individual and community enterprise are minimum requirements for using it successfully...as opposed to arrangements being a fundamental component of the product.) Does the user have to program in an arrangement (or translate some tab into one) or is there a library of music that's available? If there is a library, is it easy enough to select and de-select accompanying instruments (lose the clarinets, oboe and harp section) on, say, "Hello Walls"?

How does one get from a sealed product box to playing along with favorite songs (or trying to, anyway)?

Reason I ask: The website for BIAB is long on sales-pitch and huckster prose, Bif!Bam!Pow! graphics and short on explanation. It's also very wide-ranging and frantic to appear to be all things to all musicians. (Give me a handful of bullet points, a few enticing sentences, THEN I'll decide if I want to devote a major chunk of memory, HD space and my remaining time on earth to the demonstration download which, am I wrong here?, probably doesn't have a psg anywhere in sight or earshot.)

I have more faith in SGForumites for a clear picture than in digging any further into that migraine of a website. (Sorry if the BIAB CEO is on the SGF but that's MHO.)

[Bob, after a bit of reflection, I'll bet this belongs under Pedal Steel. If so, please move and sorry for the distraction to folks looking to buy and sell.]

[This message was edited by Ben Elder on 13 October 2005 at 10:27 PM.]

[This message was edited by Ben Elder on 13 October 2005 at 10:29 PM.]

Fred Shannon · From: Rocking "S" Ranch, Comancheria, Texas, R.I.P.

Ben, it probably belongs under computers, but i've made the same error many times. You want to really get the lowdown on BIAB go to George Wixon's website at:
http://gwixon.com

I think you can get a good handle on it from there. George is a very good man to explain BIAB and his website has helped a lot of us to better understand the program.
Phred

[This message was edited by Fred Shannon on 13 October 2005 at 10:45 PM.]

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

the quick and dirty is that it is a very SMART user friendly software program that uses either your PC soundcard or an external sound source which can be programmed to basically play music.

It uses Loops and Samples for Instruments and Drums , which are either predetrmenined ( part of the software package) or can be added by the user ..

The user types simple chord patterns into MEASURE BLOCKS , selects a music style, tempo, which Instruments etc...and based on the program default settings, which the user can change to whatever the heck they want..
when they press the play icon.. low and behold..

a Music track will play based on the chords you typed into each Measure block, along which Instruments and style you selected.

OF all the programs and gimmicks that are offered out there for all of us to purchase and use..this is NOT a GIMMICK or a HYPE.
BIAB is probably the best interactive software tool a musician can own and use.

Don't get sucked in thinking it is just for PSG..it is for anyone who has a desire to create any music expression.

Anyone with any limited ability can probably have the first tune written and playing within 20 minutes of loading the software...

using standard defaults.

BUT..if you are one to dive into the program, you can alter the options and create a masterpiece.

You can also print Lead sheets, Chord charts etc...control MIDI sequences, elbaorate on styles,control the timing during measures etc.. You save songs as wave files, you can record LIVE on top of your song tracks, all sorts of stuff..very flexible.but if you want it to be SIMPLE..it's VERY simple..that is the key..Easy, fast and simple.

When I use BIAB it is mostly to write drum tracks for entire songs.

I mute the Instruments so that when I create a track it's drums only which I use for the foundation for song tracks.

Don't dwell to long..just get it..you will not be sorry..

[This message was edited by Tony Prior on 14 October 2005 at 03:52 AM.]

David L. Donald · From: Koh Samui Island, Thailand

You can also use BIAB as an arranging tool, then export it's tracks as MIDI files.

Import them into an higher end sequencer / digital recorder,
and the use that and the chord print-out as a basis for a studio recording.

I have done a complete advanced jazz album, based from BIAB files.
I then wrote melodies based on playing along acousticaly with the BIAB track,
and expanded them into multi-part harmonies.

It allowed the players to hear very complex chord changes and melodic / harmonized lines,
and aproximations of the feel, before they started recording.

Jim Eaton · From: Santa Susana, Ca

It is no harder to use BIAB than it was to type in the post here on the forum in which you ask your question.
Simple stuff is verrrrrrrrry easy to "input" and with just a little digging into the controls, some really nicely arranged tracks are no sweat.
I did a track for background music on my wifes website the first night I had BIAB loaded up. I got the basic model and have only added Style set 15 and mine does everything I want it to so far.
JE:-)>

James Cann · From: Phoenix, AZ

Jim Palenscar · From: Oceanside, Calif, USA

BigJim Baron BigJim4B@sbcglobal.net is a fellow forumite and a BIAB dealer and guru, as well and is a great source.

[This message was edited by Jim Palenscar on 14 October 2005 at 10:00 PM.]

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