I like the ability to add not only real tracks to RB projects, but also MIDI tracks from styles. Unfortunately, there is no convenient way to search for a style that has the instrument I want to add. And even if I know which styles have the instrument I want, it is time consuming to load and generate a part only to decide that it isn't a good fit.

One workaround is to use the hybrid style maker to create custom styles for each instrument. Instead of putting parts for guitar, bass, drums, keyboard, strings etc in these specialty styles, I fill ALL the parts with the same instrument, but from different styles. In other words, all 5 instruments in my STRINGS style would be strings. That way, by loading one style I can quickly demo multiple different styles for the same instrument. If I want to catalog more than 5 possibilities, I can create as many STRINGS1, STRINGS2 compliations as I need.

After creating specialty styles for all the instruments I want, it becomes easier to find and include MIDI parts into an RB project. This is especially useful for instruments that aren't yet developed as real tracks

That's very clever thinking, Pat! I've made a note of this one

All the best,
Noel

I'm going to try that too. Thanks Pat.

I often want to add chords to an all-RT song so I can send the chords to my vocal processor. Here is an easy way to do it:

1) audition your styles in BIAB to find one that has strings with sustained chords (many string styles play the chords). Write down the name of the style if you are as forgetful as I am. (Or copy it and name the copy VOCALIST so you can find it easily in the future)

2) open your RB project

3) use the style picker to make the style you just found the active style

4) right click on an empty track, and make sure that track type = MIDI

5) right click on the track again and pick SELECT WHOLE TRACK (or CTRL-A)

6) at top of program, click the [GENERATE] button

7) from the dropdown menu, pick GENERATE MIDI TRACK

8) from the next dropdown menu pick STRINGS


the chords will then be added to a midi track, which can then be routed to a voice processor or MID instrument

an added benefit (if you ever want to reopen your project in BIAB and get the chords) is that if you SAVE AS MIDI, the chords will be saved in the file in such a way that BIAB can retrieve them when you OPEN MIDI FILE