Best hardware/software for a 9 y.o. to learn on?

[carter5]

My son’s super into his piano lessons and also obsessed with a (fringe, I assume) genre of music creation called Black MIDI.

He wants to start creating tracks digitally. I’m sure black midi is where his mind is at. He has an iPad, and access to my PC and/or a family MacBook Pro omegle xender .

I’m wondering what the right starting setup (computer, instrument/input device, software) would be for a kid who’s young and at the very start of his musical education. Appreciate any guidance I can get! Assume I don’t know anything about this world.

[musikbear]

My son’s super into his piano lessons and also obsessed with a (fringe, I assume) genre of music creation called Black MIDI.

He wants to start creating tracks digitally. I’m sure black midi is where his mind is at. He has an iPad, and access to my PC and/or a family MacBook Pro.

I’m wondering what the right starting setup (computer, instrument/input device, software) would be for a kid who’s young and at the very start of his musical education. Appreciate any guidance I can get! Assume I don’t know anything about this world.

Well here on LMMS forum you will ofcause get the advise to use LMMS : p
But beside the obvious.. the benefit of LMMS is that we have a very vigorous support, and that we are user-driven, so your son wont be left alone, if he needs assistance.
On the downside there are mio of youTube support videos for commercial DAWs like Fl-studio, whereas some thousands for LMMS
I do not know the genre, but we use to say that LMMS can make music in any genre, so he is covered there to.
So beside LMMS what does a new musician need
Good speakers!
Rarely would inbuild speakers in a display be sufficient.
Good does not mean expensive, something in the area of $25 would be more than enough
Keyboard?
Well yes, but perhaps not emediately. When the interest is solid establised, then get a MIDI-keyboard
Often they are sold used because they were bought before establishing that interest : P
Since he already takes lessons and is used to piano sized keys, do get a full-size keyboard
So platform.
LMMS has complete functionality in Windows and Linux
MAC-support is not complete! VST's are not supported without adding a middlelayer
My advise id to use a Windows 10 or 11 PC for LMMS.