Really new questions

[Luke15]

Ok, figure it can't hurt to post here. What I'm looking to do is start recording music finally, and with a hobby budget at first. I'd prefer to record to my PC, but my emphysis is on sound quality (I want guitars to actually sound like guitars, not poor PC buzzing sounds), yet I'd like to work on a good number of tracks (I prefer a "full" sound to a minimal "garage band" sound. This is somethign that I've been thinking about for some time, but I've finally decided to persue this.

My first look has been to getting a MIDI keyboard, and cakewalk, but I'm not sure that will accomplish what I want. My first matter of business will be to get a keyboard to begin writing music (so I'm looking for recommendations here), then I'll get what's needed for the PC to start recording. Finally I'll end up writing the music to CD. With a modest budget, my options are open, I look forward to any suggestions and recommendations anyone has for me.

Thanks for your time.

 

[drstawl]

Get a cheapo MIDI keyboard, a PC and CW software and a nice sound card and work your way up from there. Most any new PC these days will be overkill for what you want to do. I like Win 98 SE as an O/S but many like NT or Linux better.
Then there's the Mac crowd. I can't help you there.

 

[Stratamatic]

Ok, figure it can't hurt to post here. What I'm looking to do is start recording music finally, and with a hobby budget at first. I'd prefer to record to my PC, but my emphysis is on sound quality (I want guitars to actually sound like guitars, not poor PC buzzing sounds), yet I'd like to work on a good number of tracks (I prefer a "full" sound to a minimal "garage band" sound. This is somethign that I've been thinking about for some time, but I've finally decided to persue this.

My first look has been to getting a MIDI keyboard, and cakewalk, but I'm not sure that will accomplish what I want. My first matter of business will be to get a keyboard to begin writing music (so I'm looking for recommendations here), then I'll get what's needed for the PC to start recording. Finally I'll end up writing the music to CD. With a modest budget, my options are open, I look forward to any suggestions and recommendations anyone has for me.

Thanks for your time.

Sorry, don't mean to offend but you're kinda contradicting yourself here. You say you want a guitar to sound like a guitar and want a full sound, not garage band sound. Then you say you're first matter of buisness is to get a midi keyboard and Cakewalk. so do you want to record audio, as in actual guitars and drums etc... or do you want to record those parts via midi from keyboard??

I ask because these are 2 very different processes that require different kinds of hardware. And since you mention you are on a budget you probably can't afford to go the wrong route then realize your mistake. Midi would be the simplest and the cheapest but you're never going to get a midi guitar part to sound like a guitar. Please explain a little further on what your goals are and maybe we can help you a little bit more accurately