Diving In

I've cruised through multiple posts / getting started guides but can't help but think there might be too many variables in my situation to accurately know what I'm getting into without some direct advice.

I've always been enthralled with production and when I got to dabble with an acquaintance of mines 2500 I was hooked. Unfortunately I didn't have the time / cash to invest and figured it's not economically viable for me to bother with it.. at all.. ever. But it's always been in the back of head nagging at me.

So, If one were just starting out to simply craft beats as a hobby: What hardware / equipment would be worthwhile and or necessary to learn on?

If anyone knows of a guide / walk-through / post I might of missed that addresses this concern that's worth a look, I appreciate any help I can get!

You could realistically start making beats with a Dr. 202 and some records. That's less than 100 dollars.

Throw in a cracked copy of FL Studio and you've got a solid sequencer with a gritty sampler.

Honestly, whatever you buy you're going to learn inside and out. You'll be able to do whatever you want if you're determined enough.

I can't say enough about HammerHead (http://www.threechords.com/hammerhead/introduction.shtml). I've been using it for years... it's free and the sounds are solid. As for multi-track recording, Audacity is a very well-used FREE piece of software. For bass lines, RubberDuck (http://www.d-lusion.com/DownloadRubberduck.html) is a sick (um... and free) TB303 emulator.

Hope this helps.