Dont listen to them -> drum machine & hardware synth come first. If you want any tips let me know.

A 2ghz second hand PC is FINE unless you are one of the "lets load up a million plugins to try & make our shitty wav samples sound better" brigade. Getting heavliy into Reaktor is the only thing i'd buy a better pc for. Every cabbage has pc and thinks hes a producer these days. Take a leaf out of landstrumms book. Yes PC's are essential these days for the finished product but make if you make a financial commitment to piece of decent hardware and it will really stand to you.


The only apps on a PC which can rival hardware for INTUITIVENESS\INVENTIVNESS are Reakor/Bidule in my opinion. (abelton too i guess)

Sound card -> I HIGHLY recommened the ESI ESP 1010 - only about 250 euro with ten in and ten outs two headphones sockets + rock solid MIDI timing. Lets me rip sample straight from DVD which is handy too. Savage card pisses over the delta with all its stupid cables hangng out of it (i dunno maybe they have a breakout box for it now)

http://www.musicmarketing.ca/products/es_esp1010.asp

IMHO -(