Need help on home studio equipment

[ManM]

Hey everyone, I've searching all over the web for information on audio recording equipments but I think I just got even more confused, so I was hoping I could get some help from more experienced people,

My situation is this:

I have an electric guitar and a roland digital piano and wanting to buy a mic to record voice and maybe piano. I currently use the keyboard with a midi to usb cable, and I actually have no problem with the delay, even though I use a not very potent laptop with a normal laptop soundboard.

So, do you think I should buy a usb audio interface, like Maudio fast track in which I could plug the guitar and a normal mic, or do you think I should go with a usb mic and a guitar-usb cable converter?

Also, is the sound of the guitar played using the samples on the software any good? My amp kind of sucks, so I don't know if recording from it with a mic would be any good.

The thing is that I heard that usb mics have really bad delay issues, and I would be recording my voice over the track I previously made so I really need it to be on the spot. So, long story short:
Is the usb microphones a bad alternative to normal ones in the long term, and is an audio interface advantageous in comparison to simple midi/guitar-usb cables?

I'm sorry if I was a bit confusing about my problem, if you need me to be more clear about something please ask!

 

[c7sus]

Every interface has latency.

You can line up the takes later by nudging the tracks into alignment.

The main problem with USB mics is the crappy analog-to-digital conversion they provide.

 

[mjbphotos]

Go for an interface - you will thank yourself later when you want to upgrade other things. If you are not happy with the sound of your amp, get some DI guitar software. Midi guitar sounds ... meh ...

 

[Brenton]

Definitely go with an interface. I prefer firewire over usb because I had reliability issues with a few m-audio usb interfaces. I've never used a usb condenser because of how impractical they are. And c7sus is right, the ad conversion is not very good. And for guitar if you don't want to record with your amp, check out guitar rig 4. Saves you from the hassle of creating a setup with your amp. Just plug into the interface and go. You'd be in trouble using a usb condenser to mic your amp anyways and as for midi, i don't think you'd ever get the sound you would need with guitar.

You can get a decent project condenser for under 100 at guitar center or anywhere else online. I know mxl makes a 990/991 package for around 100. Great starter.

 

[ManM]

Thank you so much everyone, I feel much more confident now. All that's left now is just to find a firewire or usb interface and a mic that suits my needs/budget.