Laptop + Recording = ?

[ProDeZigner]

Alright, I'm not new to recording, but there's still a lot I don't know.

I'm using my laptop equipped with both USB and Firewire with a mic and headphone jack only. I'm using a program called Mixcraft to do all my recording, since it's proven Vista compatible... specs for my lappy are as follows:

1.66Ghz Intel Core Duo
1GB RAM
80GB SATA HDD
DVD-RAM
Intel 945 Graphics

I bought it for school, but lately I've been wanting to jam around and I figured I'd use it for those purposes too, it's easier to take it then a desktop to jam sessions.

I don't want to sink a butt-load of money into recording, but I want to make it easier.

How can I record multiple tracks at once as all different tracks? Right now my recording rig is a ghetto-rigged cable costing 20 bucks from RadioShack. It's as follows:

1/4" Mono plug male to 1/4" Mono plug female -> 1/4" Mono plug male to audio cables (L/R the ones on standard A/V cables) -> Stereo cables to 1/8" STEREO plug male.

This allows anything plugged in to go from mono to stereo, which before I had a problem with going from mono to stereo... any suggestions?

 

[Rokket]

Start looking here:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/rec/...ording-cards-audio-interfaces?N=100001+304891

Or better:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/rec/...nd-and-recording-cards?N=100001+309131&page=1

 

[TimOBrien]

Or better yet here:

First off, immediately get a good beginner recording book (spend $20 before spending hundred$/thousand$) that shows you what you need to get started and how to hook everything up in your studio:
Home Recording for Musicians by Jeff Strong - $15
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/07...ce&n=283155&n=507846&s=books&v=glance
(Wish I'd had that when I started; would have saved me lots of money and time and grief)

Good Newbie guides that also explains all the basics:
http://www.tweakheadz.com/guide.htm
http://www.computermusic.co.uk/page/computermusic?entry=free_beginner_pdfs

21 Ways To Assemble a Recording Rig:
http://www.tweakheadz.com/rigs.htm

Also Good Info:
http://www.theprojectstudiohandbook.com/directory.htm

Other recording books:
http://musicbooksplus.com/home-recording-c-31.html


Plenty of software around to record for free to start out on:

Audacity: http://audacity.sourceforge.net

Kristal: http://www.kreatives.org/kristal/

Other freebies and shareware: www.hitsquad.com