[music-dsp] diy dsp synth - where to start?

[alternative at home.nl]

hi folks...

doing my final school project and having a job in an office (slightly boring over time) i figured it'd be good to start a diy synth project.
but hell.. dsps.. there are so many, and you can make it sooo expensive. where should i start? are there prebuilt boxes which can be plugged to a pc and be programmed? or do you need to solder the chip on a circuit board yourself, what brands are good as sound sources etc.

please help me on the right track :)

roel