Yeah that is a good point. It’s just that it’s still a lot of moving things around a screen
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I went through all this.
In the end I use bitwig (grid is awesome!) with an akai mpc40mk2 and a smol midi keys.
Sometimes i put a synth onto that table (I use a 4 input audio interface), or record digitakt or digitone or both with overbridge, but in the end I always go into the daw this times. Perhaps sometimes I record into a tascam, but hey, only with a bottle of beer on vacation.
Why not use both worlds?
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I have to say that the novation circuit is a fun place to start. Yes you won’t be able to do everything in one place, yes it doesn’t have a screen, but it’s a very simple and cheap first step into the hardware world. I had a lot of fun for a long time on it, and finally moved to a more solid sampler (OT) and a few synth (medusa, mopho, typhon) and some effect and looper.
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Good question, pick one:
- Akai Force
- Akai MPC One
- Akai MPC live
- digitakt
- digitone
- octatrack
- analog rytm
- Polyend Tracker
- Korg electribe red or blue
- Korg Volca: Sample / Bass / Beats / Keys / Kick / drum / modular / nubass
- OP-1
- Teenage engeneering: PO-XX
- NI Maschine+
- Behringer TD-3, CAT, …
- Behringer TD-6, TD-8
- Roland TR-8S, TR-6S
- Roland boutique synths
- Deluge
- Moog grandmother
- Moog DFAM
- Moog mother 32
- Korg monologue
- Korg minilogue
- Korg OP Six
- Korg Wavestate
…
…
…
There is pros and cons for everyone of those.
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Digitakt / Digitone combo
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Turn off your computer first. 
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?!?
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Except for the Behringers of course 
For the OP, you don’t mention what use you want to achieve.
Docyou want to replace a DAW or just go hardware? Sampling your guitar? Mangle the recordings? Number of tracks? Will you use MIDI? Etc.
…instrumentalist?..daw less?
u will need a serious centerpiece…and that first mpc suggestion was a good one…
u would’nt miss any faders pretty soonish…
that’s a serious hardware studio in box…
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I would start with a piece of gear deep enough to not get bored too fast, but quick enough so that the learning phase doesn’t kill the enthusiasm.
IMHO, the coolest cat for this role is the Digitakt.
As much as I love OT, the Digitakt is way more immediate and sounds absolutely lovely.
Plus its limitations will force you to get out of the DAW mentality anyway.
Get yourself a portable battery, a pair of cans, and find a nice spot by the river or in the forest…
Don’t forget to take a field recorder to bring your own sauce in, and record your jams.
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What’s brought me the most joy is the Deluge. Can’t be beat if you like the piano roll style sequencer and long sequences/samples
The interface in engaging and it comes with everything you need (including a battery and field recorder).
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I would go with Synthstrom Deluge, from all all in one box I have this is by far the one I have more fun with it…
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The toughest move to Dawless to Elektron Seqs for a guitar player is the 64 step/4 bar limitation.
I’ve been through so many units in the last 18 months and ended up unintentionally going dawless… if I lost all my gear tomorrow and had to take one piece of gear to start the process again, it’d have to be an MPC.
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Deluge and OP-Z are both worth considering, both can be inspiring to use, the user interfaces are not the best though, lots of button combos to remember, OP-Z is fiddly and at times a bit imprecise to use fast (unless doing basic stuff) Deluge suffers a bit from inconsistency and some non logical later additions to its firmware.
Digitakt I found a bit cramped, the muting/multiple use of the step keys and LEDs a bit annoying for me, also mono samples and only 8 voices, no song mode, it was my least favourite Elektron machine.
I had the MPC Live 2 for about a month. Way too similar to a computer to me. It was almost too powerful. I couldn’t settle on a workflow like I can with the Elektrons. I have to say though, the speakers and battery power were super cool and it actually sounded good.
Depends if you want to go sample based or to create your own sounds.
Next would be to choose what type of sequencer you prefer - linear or loop based.
This will help you to choose the best device for your needs.
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i use the mpc as pattern sequencer (4-8 bars), i make a sequence, then copy it to the next one, modify it. Then copy again etc. After i am done , i convert all sequences to one, then record modulation over the structure i created. In my opinion its too complicated to edit too much granular, that is why i create chunks and record over those chunks, which i found more immediate/ immersive.
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Pick one. Any one 
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Since the OP wants go DAW-less, not necessarily computer-less, he could also use 8bitbubsy’s ProTracker 2.3d Clone or FT clone for Windows or Mac OS. A bliss in Fullscreen. And definitely no workstation. DA-without-W 
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Wow, thank you all for your answers!! I was not expecting such a hefty return!
OK sooo… I didnt specified the purpose in the beginning so, in reality, my interest would be to explore sounds with a different approach other than what my Ableton workflow allows me right now in order to sparkle something different, new, unexpected, creative or just some common rubbish.
Can kinda see it as a new toy to fiddle but capable of reproducing some sound with good quality if needed.
From all of the answers and a bit further research, I believe I would like to be introduced to the Elektron ecosystem by means of a Digitakt.
So currently I’m more leaning towards a Digitakt due to MPC’s and MC 707 workflow looking more similar as my current Ableton workflow.
And further on pairing it with a synth of some sort (another good dose of research needed for that next step but for now focusing on one piece of gear seems enough) to take advantage of the MIDI sequencing tracks that it also offers.
What do you think on this plan to start on the physical hardware world?
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