Check out ICmag's K.I.S.S. the "Maxibloom" thread. It's unbearably long but full of great information to sift through.
If you can decipher his posts, the old hempy bucket thread(s) are worth a look.

As a new grower, a simple, low cost, proven system will be invaluable. The less variables for newbies the better.

Passive Hydro DTW ……… nuthin comes close!

^ This guy (Pisces) knows what's up. I generally view active hydroponics to be more in the realm of multiple light grows. For a newbie trying to get some medication with only 1-2 lights, passive hydroponics may be best for your purposes.

That being said, if you are the type of person who enjoys maintaining a more complex system, by all means branch out! It's really about what fits your time, budget, scale of grow, and skill level. You'll do fine either way. Good luck w/ your grow, if you have any DTW/passive/hempy Q's feel free to PM me.