I'm a solo steel pan musician, meaning that when I do gigs it's just me, my instrument and my backings tracks. Before I got Band-in-a-Box, I was either given backing tracks from my music teacher, the midi file for the backing track. leadsheet books with CDs of backing tracks, or I made the parts myself in Pro Tools. My teacher mentioned that I get Band-in-a-Box, but I didn't really think about getting it, untill about last year when I got the Band-in-a-box 2014 MegaPak for Mac. I wasn't sure what to expect from it, since it was my first time using it. After getting some of the Real Tracks and Real Drums I was hooked. No longer whould I have to play to some cheesy karioke sounding tracks or waste hours imputing every note in my DAW, I have done backing tracks of full steel band arragment where I wrote every parts out note for note, every again. Thanks to the Real Tracks, all I need to do is select the style I want input the chords, I use a ton of lead sheets, and I know I have backing tracks that sound as if real musicians are playing with me. However, there are sometimes when I have to use MIDI and virtual isntruments for when Band-in-a-Box just doesn't work for a song, but for the most part, it does the job. In fact, I'm thinking about using to help others who gig out or need demos.

Wow. That's a lot of preparation to create a song. You mentioned your backing tracks are used during your performances. Do you ever record your performances or record your songs just to listen to? I'd really like to hear some of your songs but I don't see where you've posted a link to any.

Jim, all of backing tracks are covers of songs. I have yet to write one original song. Yes, it is a pain in the butt to have to "step" input everything with a mouse, but when your trying to take other steel pan parts from your ensemble to use to play along to on your leaf part. You need to do it that way.