I own BIAB v.11, which can import any midi file and generate a lead sheet from it (chords and single melody line), which is very handy. But the best thing about BIAB is that you can enter the chords from a song into it (especially from "fake books") and generate accompaniment midi files, which is great for entertainers who want to create backing tracks for their gigs. Once the chords are entered, you can try out hundreds of music styles to the chords you've entered. Also there are libraries of BIAB files available on the web. This takes a lot of the work out of creating midi files. From there, it is possible to use other sequencer programs to "humanize" the tracks and add some real-musician accents or replacement tracks. Hint, hint guys... you don't have to use BIAB-generated midi files raw... you can do a lot if you just use these as a starting place instead of an ending place for creating midi music.

This is entirely different from what an arranger keyboard does, which basically allows you to play chords in real-time to accompaniment. This is better for writing music on the fly and being spontaneously creative. Comparing BIAB to a PSR2000 is a bit like comparing apples to pears. Both have their advantages. BIAB is relatively cheap so you can't go wrong owning it. It has a permanent place in my toolbox.

Esh

http://www.mp3.com/esh