Hey randle. I think you can buy the software without the hardware peripheral. I know someone who has Pro Tools, and of course he loves it.Have you considered Cubase, as well? I use Cubase and I love it, although I know that Pro Tools is the industry standard. I saw a chart that compared various systems, and I was surprised how well Cubase held its own in the comparison. Also at one time, Hans Zimmer endorsed Cubase on the Steinberg website.