I've always been of the opinion that if you are a professional musician (yes, professional musician – if you’re being paid to do something you are a professional) you have an obligation to do the best job you possibly can. This means that you should use whatever means you have to achieve the highest standard and quality that you can.

By using BIAB does this put other musicians out of a job?
I don’t think so. It would only be the case if you approached a venue that employed a duo, trio or quartet and told them that you could do as good or a better job than them for half the price.

Time to get silly. Does a singer who accompanies him/herself on guitar replace a guitar player? If he/she also plays harmonica at the same time is that replacing two musicians? Of course not.

How many times have you watched a “live” TV show where the singer is either lip syncing or using backing tracks. Would the television station hire an entire band to accompany the singer for one or two songs? I doubt it.

This can be traced back to the 1930s or 40s when most radio shows were done live. Bing Crosby used to travel the country presenting his radio show live, until he got tired of constantly travelling. He then decided to record his show live and distribute tapes to other radio station across the USA.

On the other hand, look at all the musicians that PG Music hires to record the Real Tracks. That’s putting musicians IN work.
When I bought my Yamaha Electone organ in the 1970s it had built-in drum accompaniment. The Musicians Union tried to have them banned as they were “putting drummers out of a job.”

I wonder what they would have thought of BIAB back then.

(End of rave, step off soap-box)

Cheers,
Keith