I would recommend starting with the Pocket Operators:

https://teenage.engineering/products/po

Good to get your feet wet without breaking your wallet.

I have a couple pocket operators. They’re pretty fun. I have the robot(28), which has some interesting scales and “rhythm” which is drum machine.

Unlike the more expensive products these are harder to work into a computer based work flow. But they are fun.

They have one that has “office sound” samples, which is wierd.

This midieval device looks a bit like a giant more functional pocket operator.

Maybe start with something cheaper to evaluate if it's something you want to do long-term, and if it fits, start looking at the TE stuff, you'll know better what you want then too.

Good entrypoint is the Novation Circuit family of devices. Circuit Rhythm is mainly around sampling and a drum machine, Circuit Tracks a all-in-one groovebox. Both of them are a lot of fun :)

Eventually you'll probably be better served by some Elektron device, still high price point but UX is a lot better/discoverable + lots of features in every single box.

the novatron devices appear to be more expensive than the linked TE one?

The linked TE device is basically a toy and useless on its own, the useful TE device is the OP-1 which is much more expensive.

We the target market. Income, gadgets, aspirations.

A Pocket Operator was my entry drug to hardware music making. Having only dabbled with DAWs which never felt quite right (still sitting in front of a computer, having nearly infinite choices between plugins and sounds).

After playing with the PO-33 for a few weeks I quickly reached its limits and bought a groove box (not from TE). Still have the PO-33 lying around, ready to be played by me or guests that find it intriguing.

unless you're a really big fan of TE there really isn't ever a reason to buy anything they make other than maybe the pocket operators. it's all overpriced shit which doesn't make sense to buy when compared with competing products. for example this thing makes zero sense when the sp404mk2 exists.

I’m not a fan per se of TE, but I did get the OP-Z as a continuation of playing with the POs.

I still like it but I’m already trying to find something to eventually replace it with. But is there really something out there with similar size, features, and price as the OP-Z? I would like to find something.

i'd definitely prefer to buy an mc-101 over an OP-Z personally if you want something in the same sort of price range. if you can spend a bit more, i'd look into the dirtywave m8 if the workflow appeals to you. i have one and it's my favourite piece of audio hardware that i own.

of course virtually any computer with a DAW is the real best answer in terms of features and price, but i understand the urge to want to be away from a computer while creating.

You could try LMMS and if you like it you could get FL Studio.

Doing music with hardware outside of the computer is way different than making music on the computer. I probably tried for 10 years to get into music making via the computer, but never really got into the flow of it. A week after purchasing my first hardware some years ago (the first Novation Circuit), I had already starting putting together full tracks and it was a lot more engaging.

So even if you try out LMMS/FL Studio/Ableton/making-music-on-a-computer and don't like it, doesn't mean you don't like making music at all, maybe it's just the wrong workflow for you.

But if you don't like it, you might like something else. I'm a big-time ableton user and don't like LMMS.