How Do I Get From Here to There?

[BanjerMan]

Have a nice new Sony 470DS that should do well for what I want.

I have a copy of Cubasis VST that appears to be ok and have also done some work with Emagic by Logic Micro. In other words, I'm keeping it simple. (Other suggestions welcome)

Here comes the REAL newbie part. I've been putting a vocal mike and guitar mike into a Yamaha PA head and using the "record out" to go directly into the back of my computer and it's little mike in input as mono. There's noise (from the PA, I assume) and when I'm singing and playing, I've got to get the mix just right live. Why? Because I'm not sure how to get two individual sources into the computer via the input and have them remain as two distinct sources to be mixed. Told you I'm a newbie!!

So, how do I do that? How do I take a guitar mike AND a vocal mike and input them as two separate tracks into the software and keep them that way? What's the input method? Do they have to be done separately ... guitar first, then voice?

If not and I have to do them live together, is there an inexpensive QUIET mixer that will replace the PA head and allow me to get a quiet mix of live guitar and vocal?

I've got the mixdown and converting to mp3 or RealAudio down fine. I just want to get that live stuff down together, because with most of the music I do, the vocals and instrument (guitar or piano) are tied together in performance and it's tough to go back and drop in the main vocal separately.

Thanks for letting me ramble and not snickering too loudly. I appreciate any help.

BanjerMan

[darrin_h2000]

Using a small mixer like a behringer 602a or something similer will make less noise by a longshot than a powered mixer.

you will have to add the tracks in one at a time by assigning them to tracks and playing back the sounds into your monitors.