Hello everybody. I bought BIAB a few years ago and have been learning it off and on since then.

The question I have, as a musician and songwriter that usually records music into a DAW (Studio One) is how, at this point in 2024, most, or many, BIAB users conceive of the software and where it fits into their production pipelines.

When I first heard about BIAB, some time before I acquired it, I was under the impression that it was a practice tool that instrumentalists (or singers) could use to hone their craft, practice melodies, learn how to improvise, or perhaps use as a songwriting tool.

Once you had enough practice, or finished writing your song, I figured that you would then need to record the song with accomplished musicians or use high end virtual instruments to create backing tracks for final mixes or song releases. Or maybe you would use the output directly from Band In a Box if you were doing things like having karaoke night with your pals or playing on the boardwalk next to the beach.

With what I have learned about RealTracks, it seems that, with PG Music's hiring of professional musicians to make them, as well as listening to some of the accompanying demos, the question arises whether the perception of the software among serious BIAB users, no doubt some of whom contribute to this forum, has evolved from it being a practice and songwriting tool to the exporting of stems or tracks to be used in the final mix inside your DAW for mixing and mastering into final releases (along with any virtual instruments you may need to enhance or extend the sound).

That kind of workflow would certainly save me a lot of time.

Thus my question is this: Has there been a shift on how people think about BIAB from a practice tool or using it to work out songs to an actual source of quality tracks that can be used in a final mixes?

How do people on this forum use the software and think about it? I would love to know your thoughts on this. Do the majority of you use it to practice your instruments and write songs and re-record the backing tracks later, or would you not hesitate to insert the parts into your DAW directly from BIAB and mix them in the final session? How do you think they hold up?

Thank you and cheers!

Joe.