Hi Michael,

This is a great thread and thanks for your insight.

I've been thinking about BIAB as an extra tool, as I don't have much free time. To work things up from scratch is very time consuming just for formatting, and for this task I have been used to Sony Acid. I like it's grid system and can drag and drop samples in any place, then say, copy the format of a verse or chorus, very time saving. Also it accepts any loop, and sound grab, vocals, live instruments, and MIDI and the plugins are great and limitless per track. Want to edit any part ? Real easy, just move or fade what you like.

I have an almost limitless sound library, so for me, this method works. Just replace with live tracks as required.

As my computer crashed, I need to start over, so my question is, in work terms, would you find BIAB a suitable tool in this regard ?



I'd just like to make a comment on some of the negative comments being presented.

Firstly, anyone who doesn't use, or doesn't know how to use the tools available to them is simply wasting their time. If you are not familiar with writing, arrangement, production and post production, then the wonders of digital production are of no use. All production services use all available methods to get the best results they can, be it a top line studio or a smaller production house. On time and on budget is the rule.

I was first introduced to computer aided production re:musicians at a professional level in 1993, in a very expensive studio. In this case a drummer who was doing a session for me. He had a sponsorship with Roland amongst others, and whilst setting up, he attached MIDI pressure sensitive sensors to his acoustic kit. Why ? Whilst playing, the drum kit is also laying a MIDI track. In post, you can use that to trigger/overlay say a snare with a sampled sound, hence total freedom of post production. Also, you can correct "mistakes" in feel and grove. He was an excellent drummer and also gave a level of service which few could attain. The MIDI track was only used, as it happens, for snare and kick overlay.

Second, and the main point is, what's real ? In the production of music nothing is or has been real since music could be amplified and recorded over a hundred years ago. Is techno real or is it fake because it's all "artificial" instrumentation and sound samples ? Does a piano player play a digital piano instead of a grand studio piano ? Of course he does, so he can manipulate the recording and post mix down. Are samples "real" Of course they are, played by professional studio musicians in multi-million dollar sound stages.

As the actress said to the Bishop, it's not what you've got, it's all in how you use it. wink

Thanks for your insights Michael, it's a good discussion.

cheers, niteshift

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