PG Music Home Forums PG Music Product Forums Band-in-a-Box for Windows A QUESTION FOR LONG TIME BB USERS/QUANDARY.

1. I develop song ideas, melodies, basic chords, groove and feel independent of BIAB and when I bring the song into BIAB, I'm attempting to match a Style with the song in my head and not have the song developed by a BIAB Style.
2. Here's how I find "Golden Nuggets"
I use the StylePicker to audition RealTracks for several reasons that assist me in:
a. Hearing how RT's sound over my song progression, tempo and key. The StylePicker has the 'Play using current Chord Sheet for song' feature. The RealTracks Picker does not have that option.
b. Since most Styles have 4-5 RT instruments, I'm able to audition RT instruments 4 to 5 times faster and also hear instruments I may not think would naturally fit with my song.
c. Using the StylePicker allows me to compare a RT demo with my song. A RT can sound dramatically different between the two Styles.
d. The StylePicker shows additional genres that all of the RT's included in the Style I'm auditioning are a match to play in. The RT Picker doesn't do this.
e. I don't pay much attention the the genre assignments provided in the StylePicker. They are coarse, broad suggestions only. I've included a screenshot of a Style in the Genre of Ballad and it's suggested as a suitable fit for nine other genres... My original song project may also be a good fit for this particular instrument.
f. I use the StylePicker to locate and audition the many disparate Styles of a particular RealTracks artist.
Below, I posted a screenshot of RT Artist, Dwight Sills. Note the RT Picker lists 8 different RT's in the Jazz Genre for him. There are 4 Rhythm Guitars, 4 Soloists, 4 each of SW and EV styles and 4 different tempos.
However, the Artist is using the same guitar and setup for all these styles. So....
In the StylePicker, I use the RT number and/or the Artist name to locate all the different Styles that particular artist plays in that Style. I audition the Style and whatever RT instrument is played both in the demo and over my specific Chord Chart, tempo, feel and key. This greatly increases the RT Audio available for that RT instrument in my song project.

I can also increase RT Audio material by creating MultiStyles of the various Rhythm/Soloist and ev/sw feel that creates a song form similar to A-B Part Marker changes.

Another method to increase available material is to include the Soloist and rhythm RT's on the same BIAB Mixer Channel using the RT Medley Feature located on the RT Picker Page. The instruments can either be designated to play alternately every so many bars, Chorus or they can be programmed to play simultaneously. I've attached a screenshot of programmed instruments used on one track in the BIAB Mixer.

Hope this helps a bit with your searches.