The youngest Seadog has been using Garage Band on the iPad put together some rather neat tunes:

The Infinity Drift – Coastal

He now wants to start using the PC (Windows) and software to record more advanced stuff, using the digital piano and guitar (he plays both). We have a Focusrite USB interface to hook up to the computer.

What software would be a logical step? I see there’s a free version of Avid Pro-Tools, would that be a good introduction?

Some products seem to be way more complicated than he’ll need, so I don’t want to be buying something that’ll be underused. I’m erring towards Pro-Tools as the local youth centre studio uses that, and runs courses on mixing and production every now and then.

Reaper is very, very good. Free to try & cheap to buy if you find you like it.

The relaunched Tracktion would be a good starring point.

Reaper every time for me. I can’t stand pro tools. Clunky and awkward to use, especially when you’re used to Reaper.

Thanks, they both pretty close to what I’m after. Kind of a step up from Audacity by the looks of them.

Would the way you use them translate to Pro-Tools easily? My lad goes to the studios a couple of times a week and knowing how to use Pro-tools would help.

Cubase Elements for me. About £80

Concepts and process of audio recording are pretty transferable, but Tracktion and Reaper both (AFAIK – haven’t looked at Reaper since its pretty early days) have quite different workflow to PT.

Another vote here for Reaper

+1 Reaper

Ableton Live 9 Lite? It often comes free with the Focusrite interfaces.