The big attraction for Garage Band is that it's free. In the iOS world, that's not such a big deal because even the most expensive apps cost far less than their equivalent on a desktop system. Also, Garage Band is quirky. Many products appear to have to have a special version for Garage Band because of what I assume are flawed implementations of the AUV3 plugin standards. Other plugins won't work at all. Some work without problem. Also, if you're already familiar with any desktop (or iOS DAW) you'll find Garage Band a bit hard to use because the interface is not anything like what you're used to with any other DAW.

I would recommend looking at Cubasis 3, or Nano Studio 2 if you're interested in a full-featured DAW. There are probably a half-dozen others, but these are the only one's I've used. Cubasis 3 is $50, pretty pricey but it seems to go on sale a couple of times a year for $25-$30. Nano Studio 2 has great MIDI support, but is weak on audio, but that was perfect for me. Only runs about $12 IIRC. If you don't need a full-blown DAW, then I'd suggest looking at AUM. It's a digital "mixer" that has full support for AUV3 plugins including audio and MIDI components. Very easy to use. Extremely powerful. Runs $20 I think. I use AUM more than anything else. I use a DAW when I'm playing with composition, though TBH I could use AUM for that just as well, I use a fabulous MIDI piano roll that is an AUV3 plugin, and I've used it in Cubasis 3 and Nano Studio 2, though both come with excellent piano-roll MIDI editors natively.

Re Bluetooth - for most things the latency is just too much. I can't use my Bluetooth earbuds or headphones when working with a DAW if I'm trying to play something into it against existing tracks or a metronome track. Even 300ms can be disorienting. For close to zero latency for now you need to stick with RF devices, like the wireless packs for guitarists and vocalists. I picked up an older Shure wireless rig for $50 used (I understand a bunch of them hit the market when the wireless spectrum got re-allocated a few years ago.) For output likewise you need an RF signal to get close to zero latency. In-Ear monitors or RF headphones. In both cases we're talking $$$. I bought the wife a Sennheiser RF headphone set to listen to her horror movies on the TV without me having to listen to the screams of victims and the roars of monsters!! It wasn't too bad at about $175, and I've often thought of investing in a pair for my music room, particularly after jumping up to go let the dog in, and having the headphones ripped off my head...

Note that for input, one of the drawbacks of the Stick is you need two of everything. That means if you do go with some kind of wireless connection you'll need two - one for each channel. Output devices are, or can be, operated as stereo so if you want to keep that separation all the way to your ears, you can, though I don't particularly like that - I mix the signals at the very end of the chain when going out through headphones.

My favorite DAW is Reaper.
https://www.reaper.fm/

For free effects, try Guitar Rig.
https://www.native-instruments.com/en/p ... -6-player/

I used Melodyne to clean up a few bum notes in the live recording that became my Full Circle album - it was amazing how effortlessly it could accomplish this much of the time (doesn't work in every case)- simply drag a note to a new pitch or increase the volume of a bass note for example.

For years I've used Transcribe! to learn new pieces - it can slow down or transpose songs and also offers a note/chord guessing feature. https://www.seventhstring.com/xscribe/overview.html

Software like MIDI Guitar shows a lot of potential for triggering synths without the need for a special pickup. It can work as a standalone app and host other plug-ins for effects processing as well. But if the primary goal isn't triggering synthesizers, a more straightforward way to use a computer or iPad as an effects or recording device is to just use a DAW and plug-ins, using a low latency audio interface like an RME or Apogee. I'd recommend GarageBand but that is a highly biased opinion If you are on Mac, MainStage is a great platform optimized for real-time effects processing, just set up a channel for each side of the Stick and add whatever plug-ins/EQ you like.

Wow! Lots of good stuff here! Tvm.
I have not had a Windows computer since 2004. Will be retiring in about 3 wks, and have no idea if i will get another windows, a mac, chromebook, whatever. Have lived off ios for the last decade. I know i need a new machine. Am conversant, or able to learn easily, with whichever offers me the most.
I was a bit surprised to find garage band in any list for anything useful. I have never touched it.
I figured bluetooth would have the latency issues, but had never realized RF was a possibility.
This is ALL a great big learning experience for me. I dont mind spending the money to do it right, even tho, hopefully obviously, the less i can spend, the better.
I love what was said about midi capabilities, especially for the cost! But i gather that i will still need to have the pre-amp, speaker, and something else, probably for each channel. I had thought i could use the bluetooth to my ear buds, or speakers, for private and practice. That now seems to be about the only way those possibilities will be any good. No problem.
Due to still being employed, i have not had the chance to explore this board too much. What little i was able to research, i dont remember a portion set aside to answer stupid newbie and inexperienced questions. So i hope i am not just taking up time with mine
Thank you all so very much!

Yup. That's my desktop DAW. Can't beat it. I wish more products had that kind of licensing that distinguishes between amateur/hobbyists vs professionals and prices the license accordingly. Well worth the $60.

First, take a look at the new Mac Mini. Not only have they added the new M2 processor, but they dropped the price by $100. You can get one with 256gb SSD for $599.

Second, resist the impulse to buy anything until you have a Stick in your hands if you want to be frugal. Make purchases based on experience as to what you need.

Last, I have been shocked at how I have been able to free myself from amps, pedals etc.
The first big shift was when I switched to a multi-effects processor. I have a Headrush Gigboard but a lot of folks use a Line 6 HX Stomp which has stereo inputs. I ran that processor into a "2000 watt" powered speaker (a Headrush FRFR112) and got rid of all my amps and pedals. That was before I got a Stick. About the time I got my first Stick I also started working with iOS processing. I now run my Stick through a Scarlett 2i4 interface into my iPad, then from the iPad back through the interface into the powered speakers. I have a similar setup for "gigging" (which I have yet to do) that uses a small $30 Helicon TC-Twin 2-in 2-out audio interface (powered by bus, battery or a wall wart) between the Stick and iPad and between the iPad and the powered speaker. I'll get to road-test this setup in August at the Stick Workshop in Interlochen unless by some miracle I get my repertoire polished enough to show up at the weekly open-mic night that a local music store runs. If I ever have need of having literal "pedals" I can run a MIDI foot controller into the iPad to control AUM or any other live-performance host that I choose to run. Almost all of them are set up to allow control via hardware MIDI controllers.

One huge advantage of doing all this in software rather than pedals and amps is that the 2-channels from the Stick is no problem. You don't have to buy two EQ pedals - you just install an instance of the software EQ plugin you buy for $8 or whatever into each channel/track in your software mixer or DAW. My default setup has a compressor, EQ, reverb and chorus in each signal chain. The compressor, reverb and chorus were free apps. The EQ was a little $ because it includes a spectrum analyzer, but again, I can install as many instances as I need without additional expense.

Have you tried using Impulse Responses (IRs) yet?
I've minimized my signal chain on the Helix Floor by using them.

No. I've looked at IRs but never actually did anything with them. I'm pretty sure that the Gigboard supports them (the circuitry is an updated version of the old Eleven Rack processor which I know supports IRs). I'm sure that if I want to stay with the iOS solution that there is support somehow for IRs. I really should get around to fooling with them someday...

This fellow explains how to use Melodyne for vocals.
The exact same thing applies for instruments.