Good MIDI programs for beginners?

[YoungsterJ4y]

I'm getting a MIDI controller soon but the sheer amount of different programs and software that exists is overwhelming, especially when I don't know any really professional terms or anything like that... My music experience is limited to high school band percussion haha. Can anyone recommend a good music-making program for just figuring stuff out? I know often MIDI controllers come with their own software but I'm wondering if there's like, some sort of Extra Special Program that I wouldn't be aware of haha.


The simpler the interface the better ^^"

[BlazingCobaltX]

Are you looking for software to just play on your MIDI controller (I'm assuming a keyboard)? Because the software that is packed in is often sufficient for that. If you want to actually record and write music proper, you do need a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation).

This is an unfortunate answer, because in my years of searching I have never found a DAW that was truly intuitive and simple. If you're not used to it, you definitely will need some tutorials on how to setup your MIDI controller and how to produce sounds at all. For me, I got the basics of DAWs down using PreSonus Studio One, which has a free version. You could also go with the DAW demo software that is (most likely) included in your controller just to learn.

When you feel you got the basics, then it's worth to look at (or even try) the many different DAWs and see which one fits your workflow best. I personally landed on Ableton Live. Good luck!

[Gans]

Windows 98 freeware choice, Anvil Studio by Willow Software. I'm using a 2010 version. However just for MIDI editing and not for production...

Best feature: When you move the cursor quickly over a couple of notes, they are all played at the same time. Which sounds like the whole band drove straight into a wall. It's hilarious on some MIDI songs, try it out!

[GraphiteCore]

I'm not sure if this program will be helpful for you, since it is not compatible with a MIDI keyboard, but it's what I'm using to learn and I know absolutely nothing about music or composing. So perhaps you will find it useful as an introduction before jumping to more complex software? (￣▽￣*)ゞ

It's called Lovely Composer and it's available on itch.io

After playing around with it I can confirm it's just plain fun to poke at, and the little girls are a nice little bonus. The developers provide guides that are easy enough to follow.

Anyway, I hope that at least you can find other type of software this way if anything. When in doubt I go to itch.io, there's lots of things there.

Have fun doing music! ( ´ ω ` )ノﾞ

EDIT: just a typo

[Spots]

I've recently started getting into making music and the DAW I use is LMMS, which is free and cross-platform. I've never used any other DAWs, so I can't comment on its relative complexity, but it definitely looks less complicated on the surface than other DAWs I've seen screenshots or videos of. So far I've been able to figure out how it works without needing to consult tutorials.

[ThunderPerfectWitchcraft]

+1 on LMMS. Easy and straightforward - does exactly what it should for me.