Thank Bob and the Bob above you Wonderful insights. As I have written elsewhere I am moving back to software after years of using hardware w/s's and arrangers.

I have been messing about with something called vArranger for a while but even though BIAB does not do chord recognition in any live sense, I think in some ways it gives far more freedom in what I actually play.

I might try to really get into it for a while and maybe be brave enough to launch it at gigs and see where it leads. The real tracks, particularly drums are amazing. I do a fair bit of left hand basslines , along with playing keys on the right, so I can even get a pseudo-live thing happening by only using drumtracks...

Believe it or not I have had the modern versions of BIAB (since ver 2007 I think) on my data drive for years without ever really loading it up and seeing exactly what it can do. I guess experiences of BIAB ver 4 and 5 etc put me off, as they were a bit naff (clever as they were at the time) and I always allowed that view to cloud the use of later versions.

I bit the bullet a while back to spring for 2012, and it is only now that I have gotten rid of the w/s keyboard and arrangers that has "sorta kinda" forced me into re-evaluating the whole BIAB, Real Band thing.

Lots of ideas on this thread and every one is appreciated.

Cheers
Dennis