I am getting more and more requests to make backing tracks for new songs. I'd like to be able to automate the process a bit more. I looked at Band in a box but I see they sort of stopped developing the MIDI part and focus on RealTracks. As good as they may sound (?) I have no use for those: I want to be able to quickly create a base for a new song and then alter and edit and add things to make it my own. You can't do that with Realtracks afaik. I need MIDI for that. So I was wondering... are there any other programs that will help me to quickly create backing tracks and that leave room for editing?

Jammmer 6 is also a decent package. I used it a couple of times to flesh out ideas.

The neat thing about it is they also have a VST version.

+1 for Jammer.  I used it back in its infancy and it was a good program back then, so I would imagine it probably rocks now.

Jammer is great if you want to stay purely MIDI, but I wouldn't say BIAB has stopped work on their MIDI functions.  In fact, one of their new features is "SuperTracks," which are MIDI files played by musicians.  I guess they were listening to customers who wanted both the realism of the audio RealTracks and the control and tweakability of MIDI files. 
 
BIAB has always been able to generate MIDI versions of tracks, but these were generally limited to the basic backing parts, i.e. you won't find a Brent Mason-played MIDI solo (yet), but this is changing now.  John Jarvis plays on the piano SuperTracks, for example.
 
The drawback with RealTracks, as good as they are (and they ARE good -- I doubt you'd be able to duplicate those Paul Franklin pedal steel parts in MIDI) has been that the same exact licks you might use in your song could also be used in songs by any other BIAB user.  With MIDI SuperTracks, you can customize to your heart's content. 
 
For someone deciding between BIAB and Jammer, the key factor (other than cost) is how good your sampler capability is.  BIAB will supply pro-sounding audio tracks, no sampler needed.  If you're a MIDI maven with Kontakt and a bunch of high-quality libraries, Jammer is probably your best bet.  I hope this helps!
 
Cheers,
Eddie

I wrote to Jammer about a year back, but they never respond.

BIAB is helpful with my queries, and I bought it instead.

Just wondering, if it's possible to use Melodyne to process BIAB individual real tracks into MIDI ?

bapu


Jammmer 6 is also a decent package. I used it a couple of times to flesh out ideas.

The neat thing about it is they also have a VST version.

The VST only version is very inexpensive at $24.95. Is anyone running it in 64 bit Sonar?? The info on the website looks well out of date - Mentions Sonar 4. I am gonna give the Demo a try.

hellogoodbye


I am getting more and more requests to make backing tracks for new songs. I'd like to be able to automate the process a bit more. I looked at Band in a box but I see they sort of stopped developing the MIDI part and focus on RealTracks. As good as they may sound (?) I have no use for those: I want to be able to quickly create a base for a new song and then alter and edit and add things to make it my own. You can't do that with Realtracks afaik. I need MIDI for that. So I was wondering... are there any other programs that will help me to quickly create backing tracks and that leave room for editing?

You don't need to use any of the Realtracks in Biab btw, and Realband that comes with BIAB will generate midi based on BIAB's styles but using your own arrangement.  There's much to explore.  There's nothing to replace the diversity of stuff that BIAB is capable of.
 
Jammer I never got on with it seemed to take more time to get it to behave how I wanted than it would to learn to play the track on the piano in the first place.
 
Theres' a really good alternative if all you want is quick midi progressions and inspiration for song ideas without the whole process becoming so cumbersome that it kills any ideas, that is Chordpulse.
 
http://www.chordpulse.com/
 
The styles are a tad less cheesy and jazz standard oriented than most of the BIAB stuff and for prototyping new songs it really is the bomb.  A great tool to have alongside BIAB. 
 
Quick and simple and there's even a free version which just handles 4 chord passages which is quite useful in itself if you are looking for a bridge or a chorus to go with a verse.

Jonbouy
  
Theres' a really good alternative if all you want is quick midi progressions and inspiration for song ideas without the whole process becoming so cumbersome that it kills any ideas, that is Chordpulse.
 
http://www.chordpulse.com/
       

Thanks for the link.


I like the interface, very modern. I like the way you can drag the chord to be full, half, etc.. within a bar.

Jonbouy

 
Theres' a really good alternative if all you want is quick midi progressions and inspiration for song ideas without the whole process becoming so cumbersome that it kills any ideas, that is Chordpulse.
 
http://www.chordpulse.com/
 
The styles are a tad less cheesy and jazz standard oriented than most of the BIAB stuff and for prototyping new songs it really is the bomb.  A great tool to have alongside BIAB. 
 
Quick and simple and there's even a free version which just handles 4 chord passages which is quite useful in itself if you are looking for a bridge or a chorus to go with a verse.

+1  Just saw this thread and tried the demo of Chordpulse.  Nice tool for sketching ideas.  For $25 it is a heck of a deal.  I'm going to buy this.

Chordpulse does look pretty cool! I may get it as well.