Downloaded a trial of Ableton 9 and Max and really enjoying what little I can do with them so far. Do you think it's worth investing in a Novation Launchpad/some other cheap Ableton controller to experiment further or should I get a MIDI keyboard or what? Ableton looks like the best thing for what I want to make eventually (noisy synth/sample stuff) but I'm a total greenhorn when it comes to this so would appreciate any advice basically.

How do people even learn this stuff? YouTube tutorials etc., or just teach yourself?

HOW DO YOU MAKE MUSIC ON YOUR LAPTOP?