Do yourself a favor and download and start learning to use REAPER.
Reaper isn't going to help him replace what BIAB does. I use Real Band and Pro Tools. Nothing that doesn't write backing tracks can replace Real Band. A DAW is a DAW. It depends on what you became familiar with. Reaper, Samplitude, Sonar, Ableton, CuBase, Logic, and for the OLD guys, Texture.... they all do what they do. Mix tracks.
Just because it's 60 bucks doesn't make it a value unless 60 bucks is all the money you can afford to spend. I had no problem playing for Pro Tools. Once you learn it, it is MARVELOUS.
That being said, once I learned it (and by no means to expert levels), I pretty much let it sit now. I write and rough mix in Real Band, then send it to Rog to add his parts, mix and master.
So I guess Rog is my DAW. My Designated Augmentation Workman!
I gotta ask this JUST because how often I read threads about how cheap something is made me curious. When you buy tools for your day job, is the #1 consideration how cheap something is? Nobody here is struggling to pay rent and buy food, are they? And I am not asking to be a condescending jerk. When I decided to spend $600 for Pro Tools, it called for some planning and concessions. Especially when you consider that it was for a home studio and I no longer play. Your DAW is as important as your guitar or your keyboard if you are a professional. I'd never play a gig with a toy keyboard from Toys'R'Us. Would you?
I am just SO curious why this " this is great because it's cheap" thing keeps resurfacing. I get that you are going to defend what you use, but remember you use it because you don't want to bother learning anything new even if it may be more fully featured. Studios use Pro Tools for a reason.