Quote Originally Posted by eyes without a face
steve's right, computer based is the way to go if ur just starting up
I disagree,
I think you'd do better to get a bit of hardware together, everyone is making trax on computers these days.
you can get some pretty good bits of hardware cheap second hand these dayes, and to be honest personally, I'd much rather hear someone using one or two bits of kit, who've learned them inside out and is pushing that equipment to the limits than something someone has knocked up on a computer..

It might be a bit of outlay, but worth it in the end, and you'll find what you learned with the hardware will teach you a lot more than using software ever could..
Look out for:
cheap MPC 2000s
Electribe - S
Yamaha DX series synth
Casio CZ series synth
you can get an Akai S 3000 sampler for under £200 these days..

I also think buying hardware gives you the added commitment to writing music too.....