blind musicians: Alternative for multitrack recording

Hi Sauro,
I can only speak for Reaper, as Logic works on Macs, and I don't have a Mac.
I honestly believe that to solve your problem you should use templates.
In Reaper, but I imagine also in Logic, there is the possibility of creating projects, but also templates.
You need this because, once the model has been defined, you just need to load it and all the settings are already ok.
Just press "r" to record and go.
I agree with you, especially if you record via midi, Reaper is not immediate.
So, my advice is: create a project, set everything up to record, then do "save as template"!

Maybe hokusai can serve you. It's simple but it does multitrack recordings on iphone. I don't know how it handles external mics and midi though.

Hi,
A solid option for a multitrack recorder when you don't, cant use logic or reaper and want to record on the go... Go for the zoom recorders, specifically the new zoom essential series of recorders. All the recorders are fully accessible out of the box for blind users. I would recommend you to go for the zoom h6esencial do to this one being slitely more customizable, I.e, 4 xlr inputs, and if needed you can remove the microphones capsule it comes with and replace it with another capsule for 2 more xlr inputs, or a bluetooth adaptor capsule. The h4esencial has only 2 xlr inputs, and I don't believe the microphones can be detached like they can be with the h6. H1esencial has, I believe, no xlr inputs, so if you want to record with your own microphones, I wouldn't suggest that one, although all of these are accessible right off the bat.
in any case, i'll put links if you want to check them out below.
zoom h1ecencial
https://www.amazon.com/Zoom-H1essential-Accessibility-Microphones-Microphone/dp/B0CSL4PXDV
zoom h4ecencial
https://www.amazon.com/Zoom-H4essential-Accessibility-Microphones-Podcasters/dp/B0CSLDLKZJ
zoom h6ecencial
https://www.amazon.com/Zoom-H6essential-Portable-Recorder-Batteries/dp/B0CX5NJGQ9
I own the zoom h6 ecencial myself, so if you wanted to hear how the accessibility features and how it looks like, I could make a demo. Anyway hope this helps.

I want to get one myself, the H6 in fact. But they don't do multi-track recording. The H1 does let you overdub, but it's really basic, you can edit tracks or anything like that. I'd personally be interested in an iPhone app that could do it, just for the portability. I'm thinking specifically of getting down ideas, like say I want to lay down a guitar loop and play stuff over it. Might not be something you'd just release straight off the phone, although I've heard people do some pretty decent stuff with that. There was a series of African artists doing phone recordings, the EPs aren't available but this compilation is.

https://sahelsoundscompilations.bandcamp.com/album/music-from-saharan-whatsapp

I'm not so worried about getting rid of the DAW, but yeah, there's something about just being able to sit down and do a recording. Of course I listen to a lot of field recordings like that, so for me, no problem.

Yes I realize the percussion is a bit meh, e.g. in the first track. But I assume that was literally recorded with the phone, no external equipment or anything, and I think it's pretty listenable anyway. That's not multi-tracked, we've obviously got live musicians. But I could probably put something like that together, not nearly as good mind you but still, with an app that let me do multi-track audio on the phone.

You can do just that. Play something, then play something on top, even add effects.
I did some pretty decent recordings with Hokusai and my iphone SE 2016.

I've got the H1, and I really find Overdubbing useful. Understand you are trying to get away from the DAW, and that is what the H1 has let me do, until I am really ready to mix. If you are tracking acoustic guitar, the internal mics are decent.
If you are tracking electrics, as long as you have an eighth inch output on your amp fx processer, you can run it into the H1 Essential.
If you have a mixer that can accept quarter, or xlr, and can run out into connection that terminates in eighth inch, H1 Essential should work.
I think it all may depend on what you have already, and what you are looking to do.
Though the H1 as it overdubs lays each audio within the next file, you are able to split tracks appropriately within a DAW, just by flipping faze on tracks. More info and examples:
https://drewsound.com/2024/03/25/new-demo-track-fallen-for-you-used-h1-e-to-overdub/

One thing I'd really love is something that can loop. I mean most things can, but I mean, set up a progression or whatever, have that looping, then record something over top of it, then just be done and have a whole recording. I own a hardware pedal but it's still really surprising to me that, AFAIK, we've got nothing digital that's accessible that can do this, well, not that I know of for Windows anyway. Be cool if there was something for iOS.

I can check it out and post here later.