Originally Posted By: MarioD
... If BiaB opened up all 16 channels for us users and had those channels listed in the mixer life would be a lot easier for many of us. More time would be spent composing, arranging, mixing, etc, then doing some convoluted workaround to add more tracks. YMMV

Mario, we've both commented many times on this proposal to open up more channels, but let's get down to specifics.

BIAB currently uses these default channels:

2 for bass
3 for piano
4 for Melody
6 for guitar
7 for strings
8 for Soloist
10 of course for drums
and 5 for Thru

Channel 1 is not used as Peter described because it was not supported by early synths. If memory serves, some devices use channel 1 for control info.

In Options, Preferences, Channels, Harmony, we see that BIAB can use additional channels 11, 12, 13 & 14 for Harmony.

So that leaves channels 9, 15 and 16 open.

Finally, if you Save a file to MIDI, you have the option to Write Guitar part on 6 channels. I don't know which channels they are using, as there must be some overlap with the above assignments.

So I'm at a loss to see how BIAB has any channels free.

I have always thought the quickest solution is to open up a second bank of 16 channels. Even my ancient notation software from the early 1990s has this. But as many things we debate, this would require making changes to the file structure of a song, jeopardizing backward compatibility.

BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Roland Integra-7, Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.