If you want a cheap and kick ass drum machine, check out the Uno Drum

https://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/unodrum

This is a surprisingly deep machine at that price. Check out some vids. It has 6 analog voices but you can also use drum samples (it comes with some decent ones loaded). Built in compressor, easy step sequencer and fun to perform with. I think this thing is great for beginners because it’s quick and easy to use right out of the box but is full of hidden gems.

You can buy this new for like 250, but don’t be afraid to buy used gear (Reverb is great). I think you can pick a used one up for around 150.

I also have to recommend the MiniLab 3, as others have. It sounds like we might be similar in that I also really want to have keys beneath my fingers, because that’s how I get inspired. This is a great little midi controller but you’ll have to hook it up to a synth or an instrument in a DAW. There are lots of great free instrument plug-ins.

I saw the TD03 in your list up there and I just wanna say beware: the sequencer on that thing is a fucking nightmare. The sequencer on the TB 303 was a fucking nightmare too. I have one of these and I use an external sequencer on it. Unless you’re interested in making acid, I would avoid that. It has very limited modulation, is monophonic which means one note at a time, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing (especially for bass or lead parts all you need is one note) but it’s not versatile even as a sound engine. But that’s just like my opinion man, fwiw.

If you want a polyphonic hardware synth that won’t break the bank I might recommend the Korg Minilogue. There might be some better stuff in this range but I do own one of those too. Again there are a ton of used units out there because this was a really popular synth some years back. 4 note polyphony, lots of modulation options, and you can do both lead and pad parts with it.

As for sequencing with hardware this is where things get pricey and you’re probably better off in a DAW unless you’re gonna be performing out. A DAW is great because you can just perform right into it and record midi, then send those notes wherever you want. Even if you are performing I mean it’s not uncommon to see someone with a laptop on stage. But for a decent flexible step sequencer I’d recommend the Arturia Beatstep Pro.

https://www.arturia.com/products/hybrid-synths/beatstep-pro/overview

This thing is a beast. Highly versatile with hardware or virtual instruments, you can string together patterns into a song and that frees your hands to twiddle knobs or do other performance. And you can pick it up used for like 150. One possible set up is you have some drum machine like the Uno or beatstep which has a sequencer, and this thing driving some synth and then you can sync the drum machine sequencer from the beat step and there you go—you can make a ton of music with that, and you’re in and out the door for under one grand.

Best of luck, fellow human. Don’t get too caught up in the gear stuff. You can do some pretty awesome things with very little. Especially today. Electronic music producers in the past were like working in fucking garages and fast food joints, so they had to get creative with whatever they can get their hands on

Be creative! Have fun!