I have been using Biab on and off for quite a few years and have just bought 2018. Though I am yet to install it... So I may not be of much use at the moment in terms of furthering this discussion.

I have always found Biab great fun, but usually find that I fail to really utilise it as a good working tool. Discipline is key!

I'm a guitarist who wants to learn how to play melodies and develop my soloing. I would also like to learn to read music a little better than I do. I can't sight read.

I'm really wanting to get into Jazz but I also love blues and folk.

I have found inputting melodies into the lead sheet a little frustrating, but as I alluded to earlier have not really dedicated myself to improving. I'm sure I could get faster.

I feel like where Biab really lets me down is with melodies and transcription. I understand that this has been improved for different time sigs in 2018. Which sounds good for blues solo transcriptions in 12/8 and waltz.

But ultimately, after carefully putting a melody or a transcription into Biab I struggle to find good synth to play nice sounds!!

I'm no newbie to music technology and in the past have driven synths+sample tank within Logic from biab but I am concerned my current laptop isn't up to the job. I also found it to feel like a very fun but bloated workflow. You spend ages finding fantastic real tracks, then even longer trying out synth sounds!

Does anyone have any advice for generating better sounds and getting more from my midi melodies/transcriptions coming from Biab? I understand that this is easier with better soft synths and samplers. But I'm not really that aware of what is out there these days.

I maybe lazy and not searched properly but has anyone utilised any device to accentuate a melody? I'm thinking of using a touchscreen as a kind of theremin. This could be really useful for giving melodies a more human touch without spending a lot of time fiddling with the midi.

A "riding the faders" type of job. I'm guessing this would have to be in a DAW like Logic/Pro tools or even Garageband.

But maybe this could be saved onto the midi file within Biab? I guess I need to read up on General Midi. It would be handy if I could store everything on Biab and then send it all to a DAW. That way I don't have lots of files and configurations for a single project.

I would really like better Trumpets and Saxophones. Something to give my tracks a little more bite. The real tracks are great but the whole aura is shot if you end up using the biab synth for melodies.

If you're still here thanks for reading it all!