$7,000 Budget for home recording studio...help!

[Steenamaroo]

I would suggest the Tascam US1800 interface. Focus most on quality monitors and room treatment (not foam crap), then get yourself a nice 1073 clone preamp for some sweetness.

I imagine everyone applauding, like when a recognised character walks in on an old sitcom.

 

[SummerProject]

Well, you've got a lot of questions that cover A LOT of areas. Have you started browsing through the site yet?? Lots of answers already here for ya, just gotta read and read and read.

The drums will really determine what you want to buy for gear. Basic drum set up require 4 mic inputs at least. A good idea is to use a virtual drum kit. They are midi based samples and can sound very good. And you won't ahve the hassles of learning how to mic a drum kit. An artform in itself. (especially if you're willing to settle for a drum machine - they never sound good)

With whatever DAW program you get, you'll be able to set up templates for your particular recording scenario. I love that feature about recording software.

We use Superior Drummer 2.0 in our studio. DEFINITELY recommend this versus setting up a whole analog drum kit for ease factor and tweakability. It sounds phenomenal when executed correctly, and it's not a budget-breaker by any means.