welcome

that's a near impossible question to answer

one NT1a and a USB 2 channel interface with a very lite Qubasis software and then you say
" record my band "

this so depends on what level you are aiming for
and what size and structure you band is

a simple rehearsal record with two microphones and some experimenting with room placement
might
give some usable listen back recordings

IF the band is effectively just you and a bunch of midi/soft synths with a vocal over the top ... then a lot more is possible

I can only answer one specific question ... bit rate
without more info
I'll guess that 44.1k and at 24 bit is a good start

OK, you have a single cardioid condenser microphone. I don't see why you should need any more? Plenty of people put up 1 or 2 microphones to record a band, live. Just look at all of those Grateful Dead recordings you can get. Some sound good from two microphones and some sound like crap. So, at least you have a decent microphone and a marginal mixer with reasonably usable preamps. Like the great jazz producer/engineer Rudy Van Gelder, set people up around the microphone, record a little, listen back. Move people around, record a little, listen back. Repeat this process until you find something that has an element of listenability to it. Once you've accomplished that, all that might be necessary is a little postproduction equalization and/or compression & limiting.

If however, you want that individually miced multitrack sound? Then, you simply start to replace each instrument/musician, one track at a time, individually. You continue this process until you have multitracked everything. Then you'll be ready to mix it in software. You may elect to keep some of the original, altogether track? You may not?

As for settings Re: recording. Because everything comes back to this, I still record this way, 44.1kHz/16 bit. 24-bit really isn't better. It just gives you more wiggle room when processing lower-level signals. So if you can run 24-bit without reducing any capabilities of your equipment? Go for it. If it compromises features or functionality? Screw that. Stick with 16-bit. It's good enough for a 96 DB dynamic range of which you really only need 6 DB for rock-and-roll. But stay away from anything lower than that. Always record in uncompressed .wav or AIFF never screwing around with compressed formats such as wma/wmv, MP3, RA, etc.. Those are only for your i-pod or Internet broadcasts/downloads.

And your best recordings will generally not included the need for much equalization other than high pass (low-cut) filtering, reducing. If you are cranking your equalization a lot? Chances are, it won't sound good. It's all in the balance. Obviously leaving your life along with your mix, in the balance. Where you might like using excessive amounts of dynamic compression would be on the lead vocal? Don't forget to roll off a little low end on the vocal.

Unbalanced in a balanced sort of way
Ms. Remy Ann David

listening to mile's 'budo(hallucinations) (live)' from the Complete Birth of Cool album. i think that recording answers the question.

isolation for starters--well at least don't have the recording hardware in the same room as the instruments. then play musical chairs, and save for more gear?

since we are on the topic of suggestions for studio set up... (gosh listen to how far away miles is--it's so perfect--like he's got on headphones)

anyways i am running the following:
pTools 7.whatever w/ izotope mastering ($150its a start)
firewire 18/14 ($599 w/ pro tools 2 yrs ago)
ev bk 1232 analog ($100 or so)mixer--done frying my insert gain b/c
sm pro audio pr 8 pre
behringer tube magician w/ 8 ch snake ($250 for both pre's)
and an octane 8 in the mail ($385) prices include shipping on ebay)

gosh now that i add it all up $1334 in audio not including mics and cables and mac
5 sm 57's ($380 or so i bought two used and three at discount)
1 akg d122 ($200)
blue baby bottle ($300 used)

now my only real question is how to set up the pre's to maximize the equipment--or how to bring out the finer points.

i was thinking use the solid state pre sm (pro audio pr8) mid level gain w/ 10 db pad into the mixer for drum kit. then analog ev mixer (set at infinity sign level just for processing) into octane 8. either octane 8 into behr tube or just use behr tube in the final stereo mix (as i have heard some really crappy reviews of this product as it is more a light show than a real deal tube compressor) i figured as much for a hundred bucks but i got a snake too :)

micing drums i have been using the akg d 122 inside the head of my ludwig custom accent set w/ b8's ($400 complete on the bay) with the outer head removed

sm57's on floor and two toms placed 1 inch to 1.5 inch off head near edge of head at 45 degrees

sm57's snare mod mic on snare same distance

last sm57 on ride 2 inches or so (i don't play very loudly on the drums)

i use the sm57 to mic rhodes out of a fender twin reissue

the blue babybottle condensor on guitar, vocals and hand percussion

to hear individual tracks w/ drum mic setup one and iso vocals
http://www.myspace.com/drewfinn

to hear a modified set up for live 8ch recording with 4 mics on drums
http://www.myspace.com/arhantaapriori

akg kick
sm57 mod snare
sm57 overheads (i know i was just getting creative)
sm57 on rhodes
sm57 on gibson lp through crate practice amp w/ fender ext cab
bass direct
blue baby bottle in middle of room med-high height
'fly high dragon' (drummer mike duran is on keys in the beginning--but i actually like his stuff more than my own)
'breath of green smoke'
'green dragon'

p.s. recording hadware (ie mac, hard disk, and mixer) were isolated in a closet for the a priori set. i think that is the cardinal rule here...hint hint

it's funny the trade off. sometimes i think that the drums (or maybe the drummer) sounded better with four mics--it may be the stereo imaging as i am looking to get a factory matched pair of oktava's mk 12's

that would bring the grand total (don't forget the noisy hammond M3 w/ leslie) to about half my college tuition where they didn't teach me any of this...

for the money in recording gear spent i think i did an alright job. just woulda like engineering credit on a priori's page :(

special note: haven't yet recorded with the pre's only the insert gain on the ev mixer at about 1 or 3

my hopes with the recording pre's is to eliminate the distortion caused by boosting gain in the insert, and daw compression plug in. problem is that i only hear the distortion on my macbook speakers and not on the roland DS 8's so much for good monitors--too good? and they aren't even hooked up digital out of the spdif on the firewire.

any suggestions or additional info regarding set up options and techniques for cleaner recordings are welcome.

thanks

andrewfinnerty

(edited--will probably take this conversation to the 'low budget gear part' but since i'm still rambling...any quick way to get 16 ch through the firewire 18/10 w/o spdif daisy chain. heck i dunno why they call it an 18/14 when it's only got 8 analog in)