Nuendo is a professional recording, editing and automated mixing tool for film score,

Cubase SX3 supports Windows XP and Mac OSX and works with a multitude of audio interface's Its a good recording program, IMHO, but if you are just recording guitar and vox, It may be more then what you need.

If you haven't recorded on your own before then I would recommend that you find the free down-loadable trials on the net. each one might be good for thirty days or so (try sonar 6 demo)

AMD Live!™ motherboard

acid express is another sony free download and with it you can drag and drop your band (or loops) into the tracks next to yours.
http://www.sonymediasoftware.com/download/freestuff.asp

Happy recording and let us know how it goes.
Brad

Cubase LE is also a good place to start - it comes bundled with several audio interfaces, making it an inexpensive way to get started in digital recording. You can always upgrade to Cubase SX/4 if so desired. Nuendo adds features for post and larger facility use - overkill for what you want to do.

Other options not already mentioned: Adobe Audition 2 (PC only), GarageBand (if you are a Mac user).

Nuendo ain't just for video/film mixing. It's a good replacement for ProTools, that doesn't require dedicated hardware. It's not really designed for MIDI. For that, if you do lots of MIDI, you want Cubase. Great for MIDI maniacs. (not me)

A true MIDIot
Ms. Remy Ann David

RemyRAD - to clarify a bit, Nuendo 3.2 is basically Cubase SX 3 plus post features. Nuendo has all of the midi features of Cubase, plus some post features (edit mode for scrubbing video while moving events, etc). Nuendo is used by a lot of composers/sound designers, including me, for not only midi, but scoring to picture, post audio and sound design, mixing, recording, and editing.

The extra post features would be unnecessary for someone just wanting to record and mix music for artists, bands, etc - hence Cubase is a good option for less money.

Nuendo however does not make coffee, which works out well for me since I don't like coffee. A nice hot Earl Grey would be most welcome though....

I was always under the impression that Nuendo did not have the heavy midi implementation that Cubase had? I don't believe the earlier releases did? It does not seem to be a popular MIDI music program either? Like you said, more for audio/video post and music recording. And the extra post features that you don't think they need, with the way things are going, every band needs/wants a video or has something with video that they want audio on/off for fixed and everybody will be required at some time to understand audio for video and video in general, a little better. I mean, doesn't everybody want to have a large LCD or plasma display in multiple rooms?? Of course. That's like all of these folks that think they only need 8 microphones or microphone inputs?? After making their first recording, they then know, they need more than 8.

Just vocals and guitar??? Well I think he should have a lot of Audacity?

I have more chutzpah than audacity
Ms. Remy Ann David

Understandable, given the past marketing history and the two different names. Nuendo is actually popular with quite a few composers I know of, mainly because some of the post features are rather useful when scoring to film. They actually use the same core midi and audio engine/code for both apps.

Cubase has been around longer and has a bigger following in the general market, but Nuendo lacks nothing from Cubase.