what sequencer to teach my kid?

[Henry]

My 10 year old is playing cello, viola, violin and piano. While not very good yet, he isn't too bad on any. It has occurred to me that he know has the ability to be a one many band as a few YouTubers are, recording himself on each part and then mixing. I think this is something he would enjoy doing, which would get him to practice more. It would also teach him rythem is important.

I.have a Ubuntu studio setup with a few keyboards, sm58, and a web cam. That is while not always the best hardware it should be enough to get started.

There is a large mess of choices and workflows to choose from here though, and while i've played with it a bit i've never really got into anything like I dream. So i'm hoping those who have can give suggestions on what workflow will give him the best learning curve vs results. In particular should I focus on pure audio like audacity, or is there a video work flow (kdenlive? Video was never my interest but it might be his) That is useful enough?

[Basslint]

I would go for MusE, because it's very easy to pick up and has easy-to-use audio and MIDI capabilities. Else, Ardour.

[Largos]

I.have a Ubuntu studio setup with a few keyboards, sm58, and a web cam. That is while not always the best hardware it should be enough to get started.

If you don't have an audio interface, that isn't enough to get started recording audio. That said, you might be better off looking at stand alone multi track recorders with XLR input(s) it would be more useful as a practicing aid. Getting into sequencers/daws etc is a full on new skill, so you need to assess whether your son is willing/able to do that along with learning three instruments.

[Henry]

I have the interface as well. And some other hardware

[nils]

Can you tell us what kind of music the result should be?

I wrote https://laborejo.org/patroneo/

Patroneo was initially designed for educational purposes, where the main goal is to teach the importance of patterns and repetitions in any kind of music. However, Patroneo is a full sequencer you can use to create real music. The constraints it presents will more likely boost your creativity than suppressing it.

[Linuxmusician01]

[...]
There is a large mess of choices and workflows to choose from here though, and while i've played with it a bit i've never really got into anything like I dream. So i'm hoping those who have can give suggestions on what workflow will give him the best learning curve vs results. In particular should I focus on pure audio like audacity, or is there a video work flow (kdenlive? Video was never my interest but it might be his) That is useful enough?

I don't know about video and multi track audio but KdenLive is very nice, stable and easy to use software.

About recording yourself on multiple instruments/tracks: I'd start with Audacity like you suggested for its not-so-steep learning curve. Its multi-track capabilities are underrated if you ask me. In the seventies they worked with 24 track tape recorders which in my opinion is like Audacity.

If your son likes to work with multi-track editing he might, like you almost suggested, switch to something more capable like Qtractor (Linux only), Reaper (available for Windows and Linux alike: so learn once enjoy many!) or any other DAW. I'd choose one that my best friend uses too because that's the best way to ask for tips. BTW, chances are that you have to cooperate with friends, if you all use the same DAW that's a big pro.

Choose wisely! Be sure to tell us what he chose in the end.

[folderol]

Show him as many different ones as you can, and let him decide. It will then be his sequencer.

[finotti]

I would go for MusE, because it's very easy to pick up and has easy-to-use audio and MIDI capabilities. Else, Ardour.

I second this!

[Henry]

The goal is to record himself playing all 3 parts of a trio. (or 4 parts of a quartet.) There is a bunch of music in his abilities to work with, and I think he will have enough fun that it will encourage him to go practice even more. There are lots of recorders and sequences, plugins, and other neat things installed by default on this system to play with.

The reason for video is to produce something like https://youtu.be/c40wcBBdFsI but I have no clue how that was made. Any hints of where I should look for tutorials for that type of video work? (this is getting beyond music so I don't expect experts to hang out here, but you might know where they do)

[merlyn]

If your son plays traditional instruments, then it's not really a sequencer that's going to be useful. What would be more useful would be using the computer as a multitrack tape machine equivalent. I think the concepts are important at the start, rather than knowing all the details of a particular piece of software. You could start with recording one track in Audacity to get the idea. Then move onto a multitrack setup.

I'm familiar with Ardour, so I would use that. Some people seem to think Ardour is complicated. I don't. It doesn't have to be, if you simply want to layer parts. Classical music doesn't need a whole lot of processing, so you don't need to get too much into compression, reverb, etc at this stage.

I haven't used MusE or Qtractor, but if they are straightforward to use to layer parts, then they'll be fine. Ideally you want it as simple as record arm, hit record, play, repeat. Although computers do offer lots of whizzy options, they're not necessary for this. Just a multitrack is required, and maybe a bit of reverb.

[Henry]

If your son plays traditional instruments, then it's not really a sequencer that's going to be useful. What would be more useful would be using the computer as a multitrack tape machine equivalent. I think the concepts are important at the start, rather than knowing all the details of a particular piece of software. You could start with recording one track in Audacity to get the idea.

Err, yeah I don't know why I wrote sequencer. I meant recorder, and my question makes more sense in that context. I feel embarrassed.

[merlyn]

There's no need to. The terms kind of have become interchangeable, as they're all DAWs now, and do MIDI and audio.

My point is that pressing record on a tape machine used to be pretty easy, and a computer can be used in that way, without a need to get into all the other bells and whistles yet.

[folderol]

Just another point. Don't try to teach him too much, and (within reason) don't stop him making mistakes. When he does, don't tell him what he did wrong. Just give him hints if he's confused, and help him work it out for himself.

[erlkönig]

looking at stand alone multi track recorders with XLR input(s) it would be more useful as a practicing aid.

I think that's a really good idea. Not just for a practicing aid, but to learn very quickly the process of recording/producing. There are a few multitrackers that can also be used as a multichannelinterface on a daw. They can be taken easily to another place and there work autarkicly, and later on be integrated in a daw.

[finotti]

Err, yeah I don't know why I wrote sequencer. I meant recorder, and my question makes more sense in that context. I feel embarrassed.

Firstly, no need to feel embarrassed! We all mix things up every once in a while. (At least I do...)

In that case, I recommend Ardour. And, it is also a sequencer, so he could program the other parts for recording, and then replace them with his own playing later, if he wants.