Hey all, First post here (Yay!)

My bro and I have been listening to trance / techno for a while now. I started with Darude, got into Oakenfold and Tiesto. Then I got my XM radio and was exposed to a crapload more DJ's. Well a couple years ago my bro got some software to create his own stuff (Ableton Live). It's been fun making songs, but we're limited to the pre-recorded sounds and beats the software comes with. I want to make my own, but that requires some knowledge in mixing and using synths. Where do I begin to learn that stuff? I'm even willing to take some classes if I know where to look. Help!