i know when i open a BIAB file in RB i lose the reverb and tone settings etc - or so i think. but if i drop and drag the frozen tracks to RB, are the plugin settings for reverb and tone and overall mix settings transferred so the RB track sounds identical to the BIAB track?

do i need to drag the tracks individually or can i use the DAW settings to just drag the master button to RB without using the drop station or do i need to go through the drop station?

i've been hapy with openng BIAB songs in RB and adding recerb etc, but i'm hoping to avoid six blank BIAB tracks in the RB file

No, RB doesn't even have a 'tone' control.
Just erase the 6 blank tracks and save as SEQ file.
I like to use 'Make all BB tracks regular tracks'
Then in the same menu, use Tracks - Remove Tracks
Which not only gets rid of them but also moves the other tracks up so you don't have 6 empty tracks at the top.

Of course YMMV

so even if i export tracks from BIAB as separate wav files the tone and reverb are stripped off?

i was hoping they got rendered as they sound in BIAB

Bob,

They do.

In 2021 Band-in-a-Box when you render a track as a wave file the Mixer volume, panning, tone and reverb settings will be active and you will hear them in the rendered track.

However, if you don't want to use the Mixer settings then on the Master button right click menu there is a setting to set the volume to default (90), the mix flat (no tone), dry (no reverb) and center (no left or right panning). I believe it is normally not checked (disabled).

thanks Jim i'll stumble through things till i get it right!

I'm still learning