Don't spend a lot of money right away. The industry changes constantly and what's considered the best today will be outdated in a year or two. Start with a mid-range option and you'll be happy.

Check out dedicated forums and message boards for this topic. The communities are usually very welcoming to newcomers and can give much more detailed advice than a general Q&A site. Plus they have buyer's guides and FAQ sections.

Honestly just dive in. You learn this stuff by doing it, not by researching it forever. I spent months reading about getting started instead of actually starting. Looking back I wasted a lot of time being scared to begin.

My buddy got me into this and the best thing he did was let me try his stuff before I bought anything. See if you have a friend who's already into it, or check if there's a local club. Hands-on beats reading reviews any day.