Equipment to get started

[PugsLee]

I have about $1000 to spend to get a good portable system set-up for recording and burning cd's. I have a new laptop, some condenser mics with preamps and band in a box software. We will be recording acoustic instruments with vocals and maybe a bass. What do I need in the way of a decent recorder? Do I need a mixer? Can you put better sound cards in a laptop? Do I need to? Anything else needed?

 

[JeffLancaster]

If you're using a laptop you probably want a firewire interface, such as the Presonus forepod or firebox (just examples, you need to assess what features you need, how many inputs, etc). Then you'll need some good recording software (don't know what Band in a Box does, but the Presonus stuff I mentioned usually comes bundled with Cubase, which should serve you well). Don't forget to think about your mixing and monitoring requirements as well.