Hello, everyone!

[ceponatia]

I'm the forum's newest newbie and it recommended that I introduce myself!

My name's Brian and I'm a 27 year old engineering student from the Detroit area. I've been playing around with music equipment for the better part of ten years but have only had clumps of time where I was seriously trying to get better. I've had a very hard time keeping myself motivated because it is nearly impossible for me to buy any hardware. I've learned 99.99999% of what I know using software only and to me software by itself has always been an impossible struggle. Perhaps I'm wrong but it seems like if you are "serious" about music then a completely software-based studio is going to get you nowhere.

So I'm here to learn what I can about hardware in the hopes that someday soon my $8 an hour job will be able to afford me at LEAST a synth or sampler as well as learning more about software to try to improve the quality of stuff I get out of it.

My list of toys:
Reason
Reaktor
Cubase (don't even know how to use it)
Kore
Traktion (came in a bundle... doesn't seem very powerful)
Traktor (for blowing off steam and mixing someone else's music for a change)
Ableton Live (also don't know how to use this but it's supposed to be amazing...)
Acid
Sound Forge
FL Studio

Oh I also have no musical training whatsoever but I have learned a few things in the past 10 years. I'm not looking to create conciertos or anything so I am not too worried about that bit.