Hi Gene.
I am going to offer some rather off the wall advice perhaps compared to others but the first will not, I am sure be contraversial. Recording level.
You have some tape experience and here you aim to record as hot as possible so as to minimize tape noise, not so digital recording. The meters are all "wrong" to start with! A computer recording app will have a level meter that STARTS at zero and just goes down! That zero is called Full Scale and means just that a micro dB over 0dBFS and you have horrible distortion. Fortunately with a 24 bit system you can (and must) keep your average levels to -18 even -20dBFS and allow peaks no hotter than -10dBFS. 16bit systems are a little less forgiving but you still do not need to record any hotter than -8dB peaks, but there is really no reason to use 16bits these days.
You will get told to acoustically treat your room. Good Thing but the first bit of kit you need is a sound level meter*. Does not have to be at all expensive £10-20 fine but get one with a C scale if at all possible. This meter lets you "calibrate" your monitors. The recieved wisdom is an average SPL of 83dBC but in truth most of us in home studios find that a bit loud (for 'er indoors say!) and 70-75dBC is a more realistic figure but with occaisional bursts, when circumstances allow, to 83dBC. Thing is you see, your hearing varies with how you feel, time of day, past listening history and we have a differnt appreciation of the loudness of music depending upon the genre (basically, if we don't like it, it's too loud!) . Some form of objective level measure is very useful.
Lastly, learn about electrical matters, impedance, signal voltage and power levels and get to grips with decibabble.
*Second bit is a digital multimeter.
Dave.
