Jim, Billy,
Thank you for trying!

I really do not want to overcomplicate things smile Question might seem strange, but the point is actually to make things simpler, to cut away traditional or mini mixer out of the equation.


Billy you want to know my trade secrets? (joke)
I type in chords into BIAB. There are couple of very useful ipad apps for exploring chords and how they sound, and also a harmony mapping app that lets you experiment on the fly and suggests ways progression can be accomplished. If I am doing something that I am not familiar with, I would do it "by ear" using ipad apps. But one thing is hearing basic chords and another is how BIAB Rts will interpret them within arrangement, so sometimes I would make a lot of changes going back and forth just to find path that I feel is the one that I want.... Plugging and unplugging headphones from interface to ipad. I do have proper setup where I record, a studio space if you prefer, but most of musical sketches I do is through a different, a smaller interface that does not have stereo input for monitoring.

The "little bear" that Billy mentioned will do what is needed, I was actually looking at it yesterday as an alternative, but I was thinking there something even more simplistic is readily available.