Yo Starcat, and welcome to the board! Here are a few words to live by. Edit your member profile so it actually tells us something. A lot of times, where and who you are affects the answers to questions. Mic prices are very different in Europe or Australia, and I don't recommend $2000 mics to most 14 year-olds. So fill the thing out.
Next, don't ask, "what should I buy...", "What's the best_____ for under $200", or "What do you think about the ________?", until you've used the search function. It is likely your question has been asked, and answered, more than once. I really do not type for the excercise.
Study the posts of some major posters and get a feel for who they are. There are some great people, some highly skilled professionals, some useless trolls, and some flying assholes on this board. Only you can figure out which is which, from your point of view.
I'll tell you what I'm good for, for instance. I am an old psychedelic folkie who has gone from clueless newbie to a home tracked commercial release in 2 years. It was recorded on a standalone digital recorder with a boatload of outboard gear. This means there are certain things I know, and certain things I don't. I know a fair amount about microphones, what they cost, and what they're good for, and the same about mic preamps.
However, because mixing and mastering were outsourced, I know far less about FX, panning, EQ, etc. I know diddly about computer recording and soundcards. I do have one big advantage, though. Because I'm not a technogeek (a real engineer), what I do know, I can explain in terms that a newbie can understand. I use very little jargon and very few obscure technical terms.
Every person on this board has their strong and weak points. What Harvey Gerst doesn't know about microphones isn't worth knowing. John Sayers is the man for studio design and room acoustics. Blue Bear and Littledog are experts in tracking and mixing. Sjoko is a badass mastering engineer.
My last piece of advice is to ignore no one, even if they are a jerk. Even jerks can be right, sometimes. Last piece of advice- do *not* crosspost your question in 5 forums for more exposure. Your balls will be busted by everyone. Best of luck-Richie
