I saw a small ad in either Electronics Musician or Keyboard magazine. This was for version 1 and it was on the PC. I had an Atari 1040/ST at the time.

I got the first version available for Atari, and started writing styles as soon as that option was introduced. Peter Gannon called and offered to help me convert the styles to IBM (that's what we called the PC in those days). By then BiaB was still a DOS program on the PC, and I bought a 386 PC and the DOS version of BiaB. Because I hated DOS, I would write styles on the Atari and put them on a disk formatted on the PC to transfer them. As soon as version 1 for Windows arrived, I started writing styles on the PC instead of the Atari.

A year or so later I bought a Mac (OS6) and BiaB/Mac so I could sell to the Mac people.

I already had a few synth modules and keyboards so I used the MIDI port.

I primarily use BiaB to do the 'mule work' of writing backing tracks for my duo (I had been doing all the work on Master Tracks Pro since about 1985), exporting as a MIDI file and then adding the song specific parts in MTPro. I also write aftermarket styles for BiaB, check out the mp3 demos at http://www.nortonmusic.com/styledemo.html

I wrote the original styles on version 4 (3 instrument) because I wanted something that PG Music didn't offer. And I'm still writing styles for the program.

How has it changed my life?

I started a second "moonlighting" business, I learned how to run a mail-order business, when the internet came along, I learned how to write HTML to make web sites, and writing styles for BiaB gave me a practical application for the music arranging that I took in school.

I've also made a lot of BiaB friends, many of whom are also my customers.

Thanks Peter Gannon for enriching my life.

Notes

Bob "Notes" Norton smile Norton Music
https://www.nortonmusic.com

100% MIDI Super-Styles recorded by live, pro, studio musicians for a live groove
& Fake Disks for MIDI and/or RealTracks