Thanks GuitarHacker. I must say the RealStyles are very impressive.

But, despite doing my homework and reading the manual's chapter on the "auto" functions including the Melodist and Soloist functions -- twice -- I'm already stuck at square one. I'm probably overlooking something real basic. Perhaps you or one of the other merciful souls here could help me out. I am trying.

My objective for the night: before I mess with either Melodist or Soloist functions, I'm just trying to get the original tune , which I'll call the "Base", into BIAB, so I can then generate some accompaniment.

Actually I'm now trying this with a new Base track, a rough take you can hear here

https://soundcloud.com/st-josephs-social-club/move-along-nothing-to-see-here

Now, there's a wrinkle. I have the Base in two formats: the rendered audio WAV file ; and the underlying midi file which I used to make that rendered file (i.e. the midi file played back through a nice virtual guitar synth in my DAW, and I rendered that). Both of course are the same key (Db major) and tempo (90).

Ideally, I'd really like to be able to import both into BIAB:

1) the WAV file, for *monitoring purposes only* ; I don't want this to be giving any instructions to any of BIAB's algorithms or what not. In other words, I just want to hear this nicely rendered audio "guitar" while I audition a BIAB style, melody or solo. The BIAB contributions I choose will be influenced by hearing this actual audio version; I don't want to have to settle for hearing the underlying Base midi file instead, because the midi file, played back in BIAB, is going to sound very cheesy, with all due respect to the SampleTank and CoyoteForte synths.

2) the midi file, just for the purpose of getting the chord information to BIAB, so it can generate different kinds of accompaniments (again, a full song style, a melody or a solo).

(I did try the Audio Chord wizard, but it failed big time; the chords are quite wrong; I just don't ant to wrestle with that one right now).

In a DAW, just importing the WAV and the corresponding midi version of the Base would be easy to do. Well, I'm finding out that BIAB ain't like a DAW, or at least any one I've ever used.

So anyway, I launched BIAB, set the tempo and key, then imported the WAV using the File / Open Audio command. I entered no chords. The WAV played. So far so good (except that the moment I pressed play, BIAB counted in right over over the start of the WAV.)

I then tried importing the midi file version of the Base using the File / Open Midi File command, but as soon as I choose that, before I could even navigate to the midi file, I got a message saying "Song file has changed, save before closing?" with options which basically forced me to either close the song or forget about importing the midi file.

So I changed strategy, by closing out, starting a new song, setting the key and tempo, and this time importing the midi file (this resulted in the right chords appearing) and then -- before even bothering with the wav version or the Melodist or Soloist features -- just picked a RealStyle and pressed play. The style was "CBGUIRO.STY. Classic Country w Guiro(165 RS)". Using the mixer I muted everything but the acoustic guitar. Sounded beautiful. I got all excited about how it would sound together with the WAV file. So I tried importing the WAV file -- but no go, I again got a "Song file has changed, save before closing?" message and the same dead-end options.

This just doesn't seem to want to play ball.

It's a good thing I'm working out in my back yard because only the foxes can hear me cussing. Also, I'm out of cigarettes and need to pee.

There's got to be a way to do this, yes? Anyone who can help me take this first baby step will be my new best friend forever.

Let me know if I need to clarify what it is I am trying to do.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tDj_VanH3g