Hey all, first post here. I just found this site and had to join. You see, I, like many of you, am a trance addict. I'm physically and emotionally dependent. The doctors don't know what to do with me. They tried prescribing a strict playlist of Fallout Boy and Nickelback in the hopes that deluging my ears with overtly commercial and mundanely contrived music might lure me back into the throngs of pop-culture. Needless to say the treatment failed and I relapsed...hard. So, here I am. My name is Jevin, and I am a Trance Addict.

All jokes aside, I really only started listening to trance about three years ago, fully appreciating it for the past two (I'm 19, btw). I was first introduced to Infected Mushroom (some tracks off B.P. Empire) and, being the electro-virgin that I was, I can honestly say that I was caught entirely off guard, disoriented, and a little frightened. Over the past couple of years, though, my apprehension steadily evolved into the obsession it is today. Of course, experiences with various hallucinogenic drugs and just recently with ecstasy haven't exactly slowed this progression of interest. I don't simply listen anymore; I feel. Whether a well-produced song's vibe is warm and melty or distant and darkly alluring, I love it. The first time I heard Vicious Delicious by Infected Mushroom, I came three times in under 30 seconds! (alright, that was another small exaggeration, but you get the idea).

These are all feelings I'm sure the majority of you have and have had for much longer than I. I just needed to express the pure elation and sense of admiration that this great genre of music has aroused in me. But now that I've squeezed my emotional juices all over this thread, I'd like to ask a practical question about producing trance music: Where do I begin!?!?!

I'm 19 and entirely frustrated that I didn't start this venture earlier in life. I keep telling myself that it's not too late, but with very little, and I mean very, little background in music theory and application, I can’t help but get discouraged. Honestly, is it too late for me to start learning? And if it isn't, what kind of equipment should I purchase? I already know of various software, but what about hardware? My price range altogether (at the moment, anyway) isn’t higher than $1000.

Many thanks in advance for any comments and advice you guys might have to offer for me!

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"The unconscious mind speaks a foreign tongue, and psychoactive substances have the power to communicate its alien dialect into familiar words, phrases, and ideas that our conscious thoughts can effectively comprehend. As such, psychoactive substances serve the role of translator to which we need only listen, transcribe, and follow close behind. In the absence of these substances, of these extramundane decipherers, we can always and forever refer instead to the interlingual dictionary that is music to help guide us confidently into the uncharted realm that is our true self."