Notes, when you play out, do you play MP3s you have made or actually use BIAB?
I don't use BiaB live on the gig, here's what I do:
- If there is an appropriate MIDI style for the song I'm learning I'll start with BiaB and when done, export the MIDI file
- I do most of the work in Master Tracks Pro (discontinued but has the best groove/change filter I've found) - adding song specific and other parts, adjusting the groove, choosing the right sound for each instrument using my array of hardware synths with thousands of sounds, and so on.
- When everything is right and as good as I can get it, I'll record it using Power Tracks Pro Audio to make a WAV file.
- Next I'll use CDex to make a high bitrate, high quality mp3 file.
- I bring the mp3 files to work
Why not BiaB live? I find BiaB's output very good, but since auto-accompaniment parts tend to be generic, I find that with some work in a sequencer I can turn very good into excellent by adding things that BiaB or any other auto-accompaniment device can do.
At one time I played my MIDI files directly through the synth modules, but
- I got tired for schlepping a 10 space road rack full of nothing but sound modules to the gig (I do one-nighters)
- In the unlikely event a sound module should fail, I can't bring a duplicate of every one of them to every gig
By going with mp3s not only is my setup time quicker and easier, but I bring a spare computer booted up at all times on stage. In case of a problem, I simply move the USB end of the USB/Audio interface to the next computer. I use a USB/Audio interface because it gives me higher fidelity than the headphone jack and there are no pops or crackles if I accidentally jar the cable.
Why MIDI and not real tracks? The RTs are great, but the editing capability is almost nil. For example; I have over 24 clean guitar sounds ranging from the generic to specific sounds like Tele Rear Pickup, Tele front pickup and various Les Pauls, 335s, and so on. I'm not restricted to the RT instruments. Plus I can change notes to get the chord inversion I want, change parts/licks to more song specific ones, exaggerate the groove by changing the timing, balance individual drum instruments, and do millions of things not available with audio files. This is not to dis the RTs, I think they are genius, but they aren't my tool of choice. One nice thing about BiaB is that there are different tools for different situations and different ways of working with music - and there is definitely more than one right way to make music.
When playing the mp3s, I have a system down where I can make the decision of what to play next in the last few bars of the song I'm playing (if need be) and start the next one immediately.
This might be TMI. More complete details on how I make the backing tracks and use them on stage are explained on this page
http://www.nortonmusic.com/backing_tracks.htmlInsights and incites by Notes
Norton Music
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