dear Tom1989, I quote from myself:

This article assumes you have between $500 and $3000 to spend on your gear all together.

that fits exactly within the proposed 1000 GBP price range which you quoted, so I don't know what you're smokin, but I do know about the prices and they're exactly where they need to be...

hi entheon,

first, thank you so much for posting your recording for dummies tutorials; i'm a total newb and your posts have been a great help.

apart from being a total newb, i'm also quite clueless when it comes to even basic computer stuff, so please don't laugh, but am i right in assuming that i cannot use the chaintech soundcard you recommended with my laptop? if i'm wrong, how would i hook it up? and if i cannot use it, what would be an alternative for laptop?

thanks a mil in advance!

you are correct. that chaintech soundcard is not for laptop computers, it is for desktop computers. Desktop computers use a system called PCI, and newer models (as of this writing) use an updated version called PCI-Express. Laptop computers don't have PCI (at least not the kind that desktops do) and so for most laptops these days you'll need to use either a USB or Firewire sound interface. The reason for the term "Sound Card" is that PCI computer add-ons are shaped in the form of a large hard green plastic card that rather resembles a playing card in it's most rudimentary shape. Most USB and Firewire interfaces are shaped somehow else than card like so they're usually referred to by the generic term interface.

So, you want a USB or Firewire interface. Most of the primary companies in the music gear market that product PCI based sound interfaces also product USB and Firewire interfaces. For an el cheapo solution, you might check out the M-Audio JamLab which clocks in at about $60 USD right now ($80 MSRP) in major retail stores. It's twice the price of the Chaintech obviously, so you're going to have to put a little extra into your budget, and that's the super low end card. There are dozens of USB and Firewire interfaces to choose from with mangy ranging between the $100-500 marks. There are also companies that make higher end USB/Firewire interfaces that usually range from about $800-$2000 or so.

Companies such as (in no particular preferential order, and sorry if I missed Brand-X that you love)

Echo Digital Audio,
RME,
M-Audio,
PreSonus

and others make USB and Firewire interfaces. Go check them out, see what's right for you. I personally own a PreSonus FIREPOD and aside from the slightly cheap outboard physical components (plugs and pots are obviously a bit cheap) it's got really great sound quality. The other cool thing about the FIREPOD, and probably other units as well, is that it has two Firewire ports so you can chain another or a few together and double or tripple your input/output capacity.

Entheon is back                    

http://www.motu.com/products/motuaudio/ultralite
http://www.motu.com/products/motuaudio/8pre/body.html/

There is a lot of interfaces out there just google  audio interfaces/firewire/usb and you should get a bunch of  sites that come up.

hehehe, i never really left i've just been lurking in the shadows watching y'all

for what it's worth, no offense to the brand if you like it but MOTU has, like Behringer, sort of a bad rap (deserved or not) within the pro-audio gear world. Make up your own mind, many places have a 30 day return policy anyway.

I don't know why there is some kinda bad rap on MOTU I have 2 2408 and never had a problem. I find that the quality for the money is probably the best  you can find. anyway here are some reviews. I use this stuff it's pro gear it has a lot of features. The problem used to be that audio desk isn't very powerful. but digital performer is.
but digital performer used to only run on macs. anyway here is the reviews.
awards review
http://www.motu.com/newsitems/ultralite-reviews

http://www.zzounds.com/item--MTU2408MK3

OK, so I was wondering, I have a Intel macbookpro, so do i still need a sound card? Also, are the hardware options you mentioned compatible with OSX under garage band, and maybe logic if I end up needing it.

~Dan

Yes your intel macbook pro has, like all computers these days, standard stereo input and output jacks i'm sure. (I don't own one, never checked, but i'm sure they're on there) And the Chaintech card i am recommending is for desktops only.

You *still* don't want to plug into the mic jack (if there is one) so you *do* still want/need a mixer to handle converting from microphone/guitar signals into line level computer signals.

Your best bet with a laptop is probably to save up some money to buy an external interface such as a Firewire or USB one. You can also get generic "USB Soundcards" that are designed for laptops. I think M-Audio sells a simple one for about $100 that will give you regular stereo sound (it's not multichannel) at up to a 96KHz sample rate in/out which is significantly better than standard laptop-jack sound quality.

Otherwise if you save up maybe $300-$500 you could get a very nice multi-channel (up to 8 probably) firewire recording interface. These interfaces are nice because they act as both a mixer and a sound card all in one.

So the answer to your question is: no you don't need a sound card, but you do need the mixer and the microphone. Later you can upgrade to either better sound quality, or if you save a bit of money you can upgrade to a full multichannel Firewire interface (they all have very good sound quality compared to the standard sound card built into your laptop) in which case your mixer won't need to be used for recording, however having a small multichannel mixer handy is always good.

As far as choice of host software, I'm sure garage band will do you just as well as anything else to start, and especially if you already have it because of your mac, you might as well use it.

Also as far as compatibility, there really is no such thing. Any company that makes music gear is going to be sure it works on both Windows and Mac OSX, if they neglect either one they miss a huge marketshare that they could be benefitting from. Mixers and microphones have no real such thing as "OS compatibility"... in other words a guitar cable doesn't know any more about your computer than your computer knows about a guitar cable. A *computer* based piece of gear like a Firewire recording interface *does* know about your computer and your computer knows about it, and they have to speak a special language called protocol in order to make things work.

That whole process is something you shouldn't ever have to worry about. Ask the guy at Guitar Satan(TM) when you buy your interface if it's mac compatible and i 99% guarantee the answer will be yes.

Cheap AKG condensor mics blow away the SM58 and 57, without even an effort. You can get the Perception 100 for $70 + a phantom power box for $15, and you'll like it more than a shure mic. Trust me.

Bloody hell toasty, how did you come up with $2000 to spend on firewire interfaces? Wouldn't you much rather get a neumann mic or such and a cheap-ish interface? Or am I offbase on that, and the complete reverse is actually better?

I bought em used from the guitar player from this band
http://missouriband.com/shootingstar.html
Shooting Star
Van Mclain
they went to pro tools HD

Edit: I needed something that was affordable and would give me more analog inputs that i could run simultaneous. I bought em used so they were a lot cheaper than new .  I went with a decent mic and maybe one day I will get to the high end mics.  You'd be surprised what you can do with a akg c414 bxl or a comparable mic in the under 1000.00 range.   I have recorded full bands with this system with very good results .....I needed the 24 simultaneous inputs for this.  Multiple keys, guitars, then 12 mics on drums (double kick large set) plus multiple vox  I ended up using all 24 tracks they wanted to do a live feel but have punch-in and editing ability somewhat. so we used insulators between different instruments and put the drums in a separate room . DI'd what we could.  came out real good too. 

  At home I only have one unit hooked up cause that's all i need for just me. but I don't have to plug or unplug anything just turn it on tell the computer which inputs to use and go.  very easy and fast. A/d converters are very good quality too.