Inexpensive Home Studio, Need some help getting started with this Options

[gogo]

Hey everyone, I've been perusing the forum, & didn't see anything that quite answered my question, so here goes.
I'm a music student on a tight budget, but i'd like to be able to record music in my apartment. Don't worry, the neighbors don't mind. However, I'd like to be able to do live recordings, as I don't enjoy recording each track separate. So i would need hardware that had at least 6 inputs (e.g. guitar, bass, vocal mic, 2-4 drum mics). I've looked at things like the Digi001 system (I've actually recorded on one, except the engineer wouldn't let me get close enough to really check out their gear, so I didn't get to figure out how the sound got from mics to mixed to Digi) and various other PCI & USB interfaces, but it's DAMN confusing. Any suggestions/advice/warning would be MOST appreciated. Thanks

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"The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and the lightning bug."
-Mark Twain

[Presto]

What do you mean by a tight budget? Do you already have gear such as stage mics?

If you want to connect your mics/instruments to a piece of Digi equipment you just need cables with the appropriate plugs on the ends. You get protools with the equipment which is a programme for taking the signals from the digi stuff into the computer. It can then used for pottering with the sounds you've put in.

Do you really need more than two inputs at a time? Is it for a group or just you?

Do a search on the web for prices of the various Digi stuff. You can even download from www.digidesign.com a pdf doc describing the stuff. While you're there, have a look at the free DVDs they propose.