Start with a mic, and use your recorder's effects, if any, initially. What you need to do is learn to sing through the mic. Your recorder has some effects, at least reverb, I think, but it can't do diddly without a mic. What will you do with effects and no mic? Just look at your cool box, I guess. You've been singing for years without effects, try proximity effect as your first. If you've used stage mics at all, you know that when you get close to it, the tone gets deeper (more bass). This is called proximity effect. It happens with any directional mic. The most common directional mics are called cardioid, because the pickup, or polar pattern is shapel like a heart. It picks up more sound from the front, less from the sides, and very little from the rear. Make a pop filter by streching a piece of women's pantyhose across an embroidery hoop (check fabric stores for them- real cheap). Then mount it on something like wire from a coathanger, and place it just in front of the mic, not touching it. This will help with the pops from letters like "P". Just put your hand in front of your mouth when you say the letter "P", and you'll see why. That'll blow your ears off with a condenser mic and headphones!
You'll learn to back off on the p's and turn your head a little to the side on the p's and b's. The pop filter will also keep you from spitting on the diaphragm of the condenser mic. Water is real bad for them. Learning to sing to a mic instead of an audience is probably the single most important thing you can do to start becoming a singing recording artist. If you're not used to mics at all, start with a dynamic stage mic. As I said, I'm a little weird, and I use AKG D690. List is $80, and I just talked Guitar Center into selling me one for $36. I have no doubt you can pick one up for $65 if you show them the money.
Jamal, microphones are cruel things. They capture everything you do, especially the things that sound like s**t. First, learn to sing to a stage mic, which are often OK for recording also, then get a condenser. I think Marshall has a vocal condenser for about $100 (help me out here marshall users ?-MXL V67?) MARS Music carries them.
The MK319 I mentioned lists for $200, but I recently talked Guitar Center into selling me one for $99. Shake 'em down, it's just like buying a car. You'll find the condenser is a lady even crueler than the dynamic, but can capture more good sounds also. If the dynamic is a good-natured cheap 'ho, the condenser is a high priced call girl. She's better looking and better in bed, but she'll drop you in a heartbeat if you don't give her what she wants, and bad mouth you around town.
I hope this helps, but don't just listen to me. Everybody around here has something to contribute, and they've all typed out this kind of stuff to newbies to try and help, it's just my turn, and it'll be confusing because we definitely don't all agree. This is not science, it's an art that just *uses* science. And this is what you owe me- When you are a badass, grammy- winning superstar, I want a backstage pass!-Richie