Hey, I'm new to home recording and could use some advice. I read through the other threads and didn't find exactly what I needed.

I work with computers so I understand a little bit about software, but I'm not much of a hardware guy. I know I'm going to need a good sound card with the right inputs and was wondering which ones you all thought were good. I do know that after the sound card I want to get a mixer, so I'll want to be thinking ahead and make sure the card I get will work well with that also.

I want to do this right, so I'm not afraid to spend a little money, either.

Thanks for the help.
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-B. N.

Well you will want to get a mac. I like the feel of PC's more because I was raised on them but the standard for recording seems to be macs. http://www.apple.com/imac/ I am not super knowledgable so I would suggest another opinion but I am pretty sure something like thats what youd want.

bradleynash you have lots of options available to you and if you have always used a PC I would stick with it. If you know the PC workflow stick with it, all the menu systems and configuration will feel the same to you.

PCs are just as common for audio processing as any other type of computer, they are also generally far less expensive and very easy to upgrade yourself and tweak. You will also find numerous software for free and various hardware available from multiple outlets.

I've worked in various studio, and in sessions with known signed popular bands, where the PC is the main tool.

Regarding the specifics of hardware needed have a read around the forums and see what other people are using.

As you are thinking sound card (audio interface) and mixer, I would suggest looking at them integrated into one box right off the start. Perhaps a USB mixer might be a good place to start looking.
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Recording Studio Suntans

PC or Mac will both work depending on your budget. Some minimum requirements i would suggest is a good CPU card minimum of 2.4 Ghz processing or higher. That is the most important thing when your running a DAW system with multiple plug-ins and multiple tracks. The dual core is good and the quad core is excellent. Ram is basically your amount of things your computer processes at a time but your CPU is how fast it will actually process it. your hard drive i would suggest a minimum of 80 Gigs with an external hard drive for storing your projects when completed. I'm not too familiar with PC sound cards but i do know that if you want the best sound its best to get an external sampling system thats dedicated to only audio such as an audio interface or recorder. These usually have larger computer parts that handle audio more efficiently. I've used several different ones and these can get pretty costy for the better sounding ones. The ones that come in packages such as the M-box Protools setup are ok but not the best. Good mics with a good pre-amps are a must for good recordings so working these into your budget is tricky as well. Make sure you choose the right mic for what your recording before you buy any mics. I would recomend a minimun of a good large diaphram condenser and at least one good dynamic. If your recording drums then i would not recomend buying the cheep $200 drum mic package for professional quality. You might be better off renting some better mics for the time being. Most audio people i've talked to prefer Tube preamps due to the warmer sound. Hopefully this info will help you out but i don't know your budget so best of luck to you.