If you aren't interested in spending a lot of money on hardware (maybe just for now) or if you're a bit new to the art of producing and would like a go at it first before investing in hardware, then you should try out the 'midi controller pads'. In my opinion, even if you got the cash and aren't new to the art of producing, the pads together with your computer are just as good as an MPC or perhaps even better but that's a totally different topic that has already caused a lot of discussions in other threads. Basically, some will thank God for the MPC, others will say to hell with it...the choice is yours...