You'll probably find that most software these days can yield very good results, if you put the work in!

You have 4 possible routes...

1. The All-In-One Studio (e.g. Reason, Fruityloops, Project5, Storm)

These give you all the tools you'll need to make a track in one bit of software. They're getting better and better, and currently I'd say any of the above are capable of very professional sounding results. The downside is that they're not so expandable (only FL supports VST) and will struggle to work with external hardware - e.g. synth modules & drum machines. Eventually, you will probably want to upgrade to a more flexible solution. Also, they each have their own modus operandi, so you'd have to try them all out and get a feel for which one suits you best.

2. The "Traditional" Sequecer (e.g. Cubase, Logic Audio, Sonar, Pro Tools)

These have been the weapon of choice for digital musicians since there have been digital musicians. They're very flexible audio / MIDI recording solutions, and they all work in a similar way - even if they all have their own peculiarities and nuances. All you get is the bare bones of your studio, so you'll need some sound sources, but they all support plugins in a variety of formats - many of which are available free on the net. Which one you choose will largely be dictated by your platform (i.e. most recent Logic is only available for Mac, Pro Tools requires DigiDesign hardware, Sonar is PC-only etc.) but don't let anyone bullshit you - they are all capable of the same stuff, just in different ways.

3. The "Live" Sequencer (Ableton Live)

A new take on the conecpt of a sequencer, which puts real-time control and improvisation first. They call it a "sequencing instrument" - and that really is the best description I've seen. You can genuinely play Live as if it were an instrument. Previously I might have argued that if you use Live you might still need a "traditional" sequencer for mixdown & mastering - but with the latest versions of Live this really isn't the case. Everyone I know who uses Live says that it's revolutionized the way they make music. Possibly a little over the top, but there you go.

4. The DSP Tool (e.g. Max/MSP, Reaktor, Pure Data)

This is only for you if you're interested in getting down & dirty with the nuts and bolts of digital audio. It will take much longer to get results, and you'll probably go grey doing it - but in the long run the pay off is that there will be no limits as to what you can achieve with it. If there is some functionality you're missing - code a new module! For more info, have a look at Tim Exile's live setup: http://www.nativeinstruments.de/inde...s&flash=0#

From your post, I'd imagine that 4 is right out - but any of the other suggestions could be equally valid. I suspect that either 1 or 3 might yield more immediate results for you, but there will - alas - always be a learning curve. Download demos of all of the above software, and try and work through a tutorial for each of them. See how you get on.

However, I would offer the following advice: If you have a friend that uses a particular piece of software, get together and try and work on something - even if you just sit and watch initially. It will help you more than any tutorial or manual will ever do. Then, if you ever get really stuck on something then you can always phone your mate.

Alternatively, just pop back here and I'm sure you'll find the legions of (suprisingly comptent) producers on here will be more than happy to offer advice and help.

Oh yeah - and prepare yourself to lose the vast majority of your free time and sanity. It's worth it though, when an entire room of people goes totally ****ing mental to your tune!