I would go with a couple of simple sequencers first. If they have the option to be reset/synced, they'll fold nicely into a more complex set-up.
-- Ronin1973

Absolutely. Two or three of these simplistic devices coupled with a clock divider, precision adder and a quantizer will generate complex sequences like you never dreamt. Spending a couple dozen hours with those will give you a much more educated idea of what to look for in the big iron.