mixers! and software! and sound cards! oh my!

[bendy_straw]

i'm in the process of building my first home studio and getting into this recording stuff, however i'm still not completely sure of everything i need. i have no idea if i need a mixer board, i was planning on being able to do that in N-Tracks, would i be able to access tracks on my comp. with a mixer board?

question 2, i was planning on buying the mixman studio program and the DM2 so i could make some funky little mixes, but i'm not sure if i NEED it at the moment. should i hold off on that stuff so i can buy more important things?

speaking of more important things, can somebody show me a pick of a good sound card? i'm still kinda confused about people plugging stuff directly into it (not a hardware buff as you can probably tell).

and finally: what the hell is reverb!?! i've been all over the sight, can't find a thing. i think otherwise i have everything i need to get started (except a whole bunch of cable and adapter stuff i'm gonna spend the next few weeks figuring them out.)

 

[SPINSTERWUN]

1. ..... however i'm still not completely sure of everything i need. i have no idea if i need a mixer board,

2. I was planning on being able to do that in N-Tracks,

3. would i be able to access tracks on my comp.

4. with a mixer board?

5. question 2, i was planning on buying the mixman studio program and the DM2 so i could make some funky little mixes, but i'm not sure if i NEED it at the moment.

6. should i hold off on that stuff so i can buy more important things?

7. speaking of more important things, can somebody show me a pick of a good sound card? i'm still kinda confused about people plugging stuff directly into it (not a hardware buff as you can probably tell).

8. and finally: what the hell is reverb!?! i've been all over the sight, can't find a thing.

9. i think otherwise i have everything i need to get started (except a whole bunch of cable and adapter stuff i'm gonna spend the next few weeks figuring them out.)

1. Well...... that depends on what kind of music you are making, what level of music you are making, the purpose of the music you are making, the number of inputs you need, and the number of outputs you need.
2. You can.
3. It depends on the type of mixer you purchase.
4. Again, it depends on the type of mixer you buy.
5. Refer to answer #1.
6. Refer to answer #1
7. I give you a link to some middle-of-the-road soundcards for home recordists.
http://www.midiman.net/products/m-audio/delta.php
8. READ http://www.studiocovers.com/ (goto effects)
AND http://www.rane.com/digi-dic.html (it's a glossary)
9.Cool.

Peace...

spin