The main things I like about doing it all on a computer are:

* Great screen and interface. It's easy to drag and drop and see the composition visually. Boxes like the Digitakt look like a lot of fun, but then I watch a youTube video of it and it's like 80% knob-scrolling through menus on a tiny LCD screen and that doesn't look like fun.

* Easy file and data management. It's all just files on a hard drive. It's trivial to switch between projects, back up, restore state, etc. Managing that when the data lives on flash cards across a handful of sequencers seems really stressful to me. I'd be so worried about accidentally losing a patch or something.

* It's cheaper. If I want two separate delays with different settings, I can just add a second delay. I don't have to go on Sweetwater and drop another $200. Sure, Eurorack stuff is "modular", but each module requires shelling out cash. In Reason, I can wire up huge racks of crazy stuff without spending a dime.

But..., man, the hardware stuff looks like a lot of fun. I also feel like it can be a real struggle to get something that sounds rich and full out of Reason. I can get there, but it takes effort. It's default sound tends to be kind of brittle and dry, which is to be expected from software but can be uninspiring. (I should maybe check out a different DAW, but I know Reason well and exploring different software is a whole other can of worms.) With a lot of hardware gear — at least judging by videos online — you power it up and it sounds fat immediately.

I think what really matters the most to me is finding a path that gets me finishing music I like quickly. I don't want to just noodle, but I also want something fun and immediate enough to stay in the moment. I'm still not sure if software or hardware (or a mixture of both?) is the right path for that.

Any thoughts on how to dip my toes in the water with hardware to see if that's a better fit?

How much money is "dip my toes"? If you're talking less than a hundred bucks for some cool toys, you can buy Korg Volca and one of PO-x0 series from Teenage Engineering.

If you're thinking $500+ you can get something like Alesis Micron (designed by Bret Victor, BTW) or Korg Electribe, or Elektron Model:Sample. If you're fine with real-time recording, you can instead get something like Behringer Neutron or Kors Minilogue. You can make entire tracks on those even if all you have is a linear recorder.

If you're in ~$1000+ range you can buy Analog Four or OP-1. The former is a very practical machine, the latter is a marvel of design, very fun and great for experiments.

Or you could go for a workstation. FA-06 has pretty good UX, although it's closer to DAW-on-a-keyboard than other things I mentioned here.

Find a device you like and learn it inside out. It's a very rewarding experience. Also, try to buy a used device. You can save tons of money this way.

If you are just starting out, in my opinion, the best way to get into working things out is to just dive deep into a software based music DAW, you can try Garage Band or Fruity Loops, which have a slightly lower learning curve than other tools, there are also tons of tutorials on youtube. Ableton is a bit overdone and technical as a starting point, but then again, most valuable skills don't have very easy entry/starting points in life.

No malintention meant here, and as far as electronic instruments go I agree with what you're saying, I just know several drummers and guitar players who would by quite incensed by the comparison with their instruments to rotary phones.

When I was younger I was a serious musician but stepped away out of creative frustration. Getting a used OP1 on a whim many years later reignited that drive. It’s helped inspire writing my first full album—which isn’t “electronic” as most would associate with it, it’s just such an inspiring tool to get things started and make soundscapes and beats etc.

That's one of the things I'm not sure of too. I technically can afford basically whatever, but there's a lot of opportunity cost and I'll feel really bad if I buy something pricy and it ends up collecting dust.

This thread has been great for getting me to think about why I might want hardware and what my actual goals are. If it's to produce finished, polished songs, I think using a DAW is a better workflow for me. If it's as a sound source, I'm not yet convinced that real analog is worth the complexity and cost.

But if it's a fun box to get inspired by and play with away from the computer, then something that has an interesting UI, can make some sounds, and has some amount of sequencing is what I should focus on. That sounds like an OP-1, Digitone or Deluge to me.

> Also, try to buy a used device. You can save tons of money this way.

Great advice. Thank you!

Totally with you there. Menu diving on a 20x2 char display is no fun at all.

> Any thoughts on how to dip my toes in the water with hardware to see if that's a better fit?

It wouldn't get you a full setup, but a keystep + a behringer neutron wouldn't break the bank, and looks like a lot of fun. (I don't have a neutron. Maybe on my list once I sell a couple pieces of equipment that I don't use.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfD8RmALHwQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJTl_ntNTgo

I own Elektron Analog 4 and it's extremely fun to use and make quick loops. You may need to organize your sounds a bit at first, but when you have a reasonable "palette", editing is easy. The UI is extremely well-organized when it comes to common operations. If I needed to make a professional-sounding track in hurry, that's probably what I would use.

I find that the device that gives me finished tracks with highest probability is OP-1.

Zaquencer - $200. The most sequencer you can get at that price point. But lots of knob turning, no real displays. Its fun though.

Toraiz Squid - $600. But it has some great features, and its very 'playable'. You can also drag and drop all of your midi from the device into the DAW.

I would suggest starting with purchasing a MIDI interface and a sequencer. Just use them to control software instruments in your DAW.

This is my workflow. Make a bunch of patterns in a sequencer. Record audio or MIDI into the DAW. Arrange the patterns. You get you brainstorming done on the hardware but the editing on the software.

Its great, when I flip on the little machines I know is music making time and I wont have to deal with any hurdles.