Emu, Maudio, Edirol, Tascam and Lexicon have some good products in this category. The main thing to look for is quality mic preamp, reliable software drivers, and low latency. I would recomend investing in a good dynamic mic like the Shure SM57 or SM58 for vocals/inst mic. Or look into a descent condensor mic.

Here is a link that may help:
http://www.tweakheadz.com/guide.htm

Casper is a friendly and knowledgeable ghost. Any reasonable 2 XLR professional phantom powered microphone input, USB audio deviceS that includes additional bundled software is what you need. The Shure SM58 is the microphone to own. Don't buy the better ones as you don't need them. I love Adobe Audition and use that the most although I am attempting to learn Pro Tools. Pro Tools requires special dedicated hardware and so can be impractical for some newbies to deal with. Professional recordings can be made with virtually any caliber of equipment provided the recording engineers technique is of a professional.

Still at it after 37 years
Ms. Remy Ann David

Thanks to you both for the reply! I have the Shure PG58 to work with for now...I'm not sure what the difference is between that and the SM. I'm glad I'm looking in the right direction for this, I think my issue is finding out what particular models are good ones. Thanks Capser for giving me brand names, but within those, I'm not sure which ones are better than others.

RemyRAD wrote: Casper is a friendly and knowledgeable ghost. Any reasonable 2 XLR professional phantom powered microphone input, USB audio deviceS that includes additional bundled software is what you need. The Shure SM58 is the microphone to own. Don't buy the better ones as you don't need them. I love Adobe Audition and use that the most although I am attempting to learn Pro Tools. Pro Tools requires special dedicated hardware and so can be impractical for some newbies to deal with. Professional recordings can be made with virtually any caliber of equipment provided the recording engineers technique is of a professional.

Still at it after 37 years
Ms. Remy Ann David

Hi Remy,
Why PT over sonar-6

Hi bwmac! Longtime dude!

ProTools over Sonar? No reason. Mostly because I have no experience with Sonar, I guess? And I know that many newbies have a fascination with "ProTools" because it has that prefix of "pro" in it which makes a lot of beginners feel more confident I think? Unlike myself. Even though I have it (ProTools ) now, I really haven't used it much nor do I really like it much thus far. In fact, if anything, I think I've passed the " Audition" since I audition daily with Adobe. When I'm working in the box, I don't really care about real-time effects, since I render everything out in the end. If I want to sum through the Neve and do all of my DSP, effects, etc. in the box, and want a multitrack output from the computer, I can't. I'd have to load back to the FST file system based Alesis hard drive and pop that back into the HD 24xr for the multitrack stems output to the Neve. But at least I can if I want that analog summation. Yeah baby!

Ping-Ping-Ping glub.... now that's Sonar!
Ms. Remy Ann David

LOL, I love your explanations and I somehow I understand most of it. LOL.
The reason I asked, is I am now using sonar-6 as my main DAW. I had been handed a disk of tracks from pro-tools,(two months ago) and I was worried but sonar opened it with all the FX and envelopes in place. From what I have heard, there is no advantage anymore in using PT over Sonar-6 but I have never used PT so I was kind of hoping you had compared them. I don't know how the trial versions are but here is one.
http://download.cakewalk.com/sonartrial.asp
hope it works and that its not striped out to bad.
Really nice to see you on the post, also, and thanks.
Lets do coffee tomorrow, Ha, Ha, you can bring Mr David, LOL. anyway

watch out for those small-tools

Brad

Ouch! Dammit! Now you tell me.... LOL's!

That's the first time I heard that Sonar 6 Can Open up ProTools Projects?? Wow!

Yup, I know more and more folks are moving to the nonproprietary based systems since it really does make more sense these days. But you can't fix stupid. Folks who are not really in the know get more impressed when they know you have "ProTools" which must mean you're a professional studio. So I consider it more of an advertising gimmick, to help boost the business? But what is with those inputs?? Enough for me to want to either get the schematic to the front end for just have to open the box, trace it out and figure out how to eliminate it entirely?? I'm certainly not impressed by it. So it gives me a big laugh these days to see George Massenburg endorsing the Digidesign Icon console! He has rarely ever endorsed any other equipment. Which makes me think that he perhaps had something to do with their new Icon console control surface? But obviously he had nothing to do with the M-box 2. If he did, I know he's over the hill now. He did move from LA to Memphis which might mean something? I still have not discounted a possible move to Nashville or Memphis? I thought I was going to go there for a week this summer but haven't had time. I still want to check the places out.

Yeah, we should do lunch sometime? We could have some coffee talk and greeny burn. Got to love those natural combustibles.

I might just have to drive the truck down to your neck of the woods?
Ms. Remy Ann David

This doesn't really apply to the original post since he already has Adobe, but it sort of relates to Remy's comments on PT. I bought PT Le as my first DAW. The only thing I thought was a clear advantage for PT was that it had a much more elaborate support structure. Lots of books and courses (including online). Probably means nothing to people like Brad and Remy, but as a newbie I just liked the reassurance that I wouldn't get stuck somewhere on the learning curve. I went through a couple of books with tutorial disks and I feel like it got me off the ground pretty fast. I agree that there are a lot of people falling for the "PT is the industry standard" line and then buying the weekend warrior level models.

And the really cool thing is Bob, is that I have heard some not to bad recordings come out of a basic Daw like the acid express. They are very limited and require lots more work to get it to sound not bad but there again, good mics, good plug-ins, on a good recording = Sounds OK :D

He did move from LA to Memphis which might mean something?

(A little bird told me) Cost of living!!!

And here I thought those royalties were still working for him?

That's right, I forgot, I downloaded all of his albums.

Just kidding!
Ms. Remy Ann David