Sound Card Recommendations Help!

[akissfan]

I'ma total NEWBIE to the recording world. I'm looking for soundcard advice...

I plan on trying to record my band through my PC but have never really done any recording before. I have started the ball rolling by purchasing Cakewalk 9 as well as purchasing all the microphones. Now I just need a way to get the intruments into Cakewalk...

Can I plug the guitar and drums directly into a sound card or do I have to run everything though a board?

From what I have gathered though the forums here...I would mic the guitar and bass amps and run directly to soundcard. Drums would have to run through a board and then to the soundcard?

HELP!

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Brent

[dcwave]

Your chain will typically be:

Mic > Preamp > Converters > PC.

Guitar > Amp > mic > preamp > converters > PC
or
Guitar > DI Box > converters > PC

Drums > Mics > preamp > converter > PC

see a pattern?

A decent sound card which serves as both preamp and converters is the Presonus Firepod or a Motu 896. Both cards have mic pres and have decent converters.

you might want to read-up over at www.homerecording.com or www.therecordingproject.com