I write aftermarket styles for BiaB and that has taught me a lot about the program, it's uses, it's strong points and it's weak points. I love BiaB and think there is a touch of genius in the minds of the developers.

However, styles tend to be a little more generic that what is required for cover versions. And there is a good reason for that. At the request of one of my customers, I did a style for Elvis Presley's "Don't Be Cruel." It has a signature guitar lick that is very identifiable. The style turned out well, but the problem was that every other song I tried that style out on sounded like "Don't Be Cruel".

But I also play in a duo http://www.s-cats.com and we've been working the same area since 1985. I make my own backing tracks, often cover tracks, sometimes our own arrangements and BiaB is a big part of that. And to last that many years in a competitive market, we must be doing something right.

I use MIDI styles, export to a sequencer like Power Tracks Pro, and then add the signature kicks and licks in the sequencer. MIDI allows me to match the comp instruments to the kicks and licks instruments because they are the same synth patch.

MIDI also allows me to combine different styles and change the instrument sounds so that there is continuity throughout the song.

MIDI also allows me to change the dynamics of the song to be a live performance balance instead of a recording balance, and there is a difference. For example, boosting the snare drum on the 2's and 4's, increasing the crash cymbals, and a few other things like that, add the punch in a live performance that the Real Tracks and even the Karaoke tracks you get from other vendors don't give you. There are other tricks with the bass, horn stabs, and so on. Your ears will tell you.

That extra crack of the snare drum will sound out of balance on a recording, but live it sounds dead without it. (I also might mix a little high timbale on some of the snare hits to get the crack of the drum shell.)

True, MIDI tracks don't have the same tone as the Real Tracks, but IMHO with good MIDI sound modules, they can sound up to 99% as good, and with hundreds of times more editing power, you can actually make the MIDI track sound better for live performance than the Real Tracks. Of course, that depends on your MIDI synth(s), your skills, and your ears. It's more work, but if you are lucky enough to be able to play that song hundreds of times in front of an audience, it's worth it. And here is something I learned, the audience doesn't care if the tone isn't quite right, they respond to the expression more than the tone.

I've been asked "How do you make backing tracks that sound better than karaoke tracks?" so many times that I wrote a web page about it. http://www.nortonmusic.com/backing_tracks.html Check it out, take what you like, and leave the rest.

Now don't get me wrong, I like the Real Tracks too, but each method is good for different uses. If I were to write a songwriting demo to send to Nashville or LA, I'd probably use mostly Real Tracks or a predominantly Real Track mix. You can use a crescent wrench as a hammer, but a hammer works much better.

Insights and incites by Notes

Bob "Notes" Norton smile Norton Music
https://www.nortonmusic.com

100% MIDI Super-Styles recorded by live, pro, studio musicians for a live groove
& Fake Disks for MIDI and/or RealTracks