A synthesizer workstation is basically a synthesizer with built in recording and processing capabilities. It can simply be a synthesizer with built in sequencer or a synthesizer with built in sequencing and audio recording capabilities.

Sequencing is basically recording music by using MIDI (Google that) and Audio recording is just as it sounds. Recording an audio signal. Nowadays it is done by digitally recording audio onto a hard drive (like the hard drive on your computer).
In fact,both sequencing and audio recording are best done with computers as any software sequencer and digital audio programs are far mmore advanced than sequencers and digital audio recorders on synthesizer workstations.

Of course each and every synthesizer (lets call it "synth" now) is unique. So a lot of hardware synths are stil used quite heavily. I've got close to about wto dozen of them and the main reason is that each and every synth model has it's own unique character. Unique sound. This only matters to crazies like myself though.

So here you go. Food for thought. Either have yourself a computer based setup and choose a nice weighted action keyboard for a MIDi controller (here's that word MIDI again. You'll definitely need to look it up. You'll be seeing a lot of it) and a bunch of other hardware and software synths to make more noise.
.. OR you can just buy a synthesizer workstation like the Yamaha MOtif ES, Roland Phantom, Korg Triton etc and expand it with sampling and digital audio recording options etc. Won't be as convenient of a setup though.

-ED-

[This message has been edited by 3351 (edited 04-17-2006).]