If I were you being a first time grower.. I'd perfect a sucessful soil harvest before going soiless.
lots of educatiuonal values and such...
Growing is quite easy... The more simple and cheap ways created, then greater the harvest.
This is a pic of my last harvest in October. I use 2-400 hps for bloom, 5 gal. grow bags and soil with matching nutrients... See... cheap and easy!