Starter Setup for under $800.00 Canadian

[excessional]

JRRStudio have Sonar X3 for $50 at the moment. You get a very stable well-known modern DAW with Session Drummer 3 and comping etc.Given you'll also get on their upgrade path to cheap Melodyne/BT FX/Addictive Drums etc., I think that's a steal in terms of 'best budget DAW' at the moment.

I have all the CM plugin instruments etc. but it can be frustrating jumping between them to find the decent patches.
I would pick up their issue 68 though for the 30GB of high quality audio loops it comes with - instant audio library for $10.

You can pick up Synthmaster for under $50 at the moment and that has to be the best value 'Top Ten Synth' on offer (and if you're not interested in sound design but just want usable patches you can tweak quickly then $20 (from this site) for the Synthmaster Player with 800 presets is worth considering too).

The one free VST I would get is Addictive Keys Grand Piano Demo. That is a seriously good free 'go to' piano sound. And everyone needs one of those.

Free VST FX that are no-brainers IMHO are SPAN and Spline EQ (Demo).

[rod_zero]

For 800USD I would get Ableton Push and some headphones, and use spme free vsts with Live.

You really cant beat how fun Push is, and how easy makes composition which is where more beginers get stuck.