Artist/animator Seeks Help!, what equip do i need to setup? Options

[rustik]

hey all you masters of music....i am an collage artist/flash animator seeking to come up with her own sound tracks for my animations. although i have had over 15 years on the mac working in graphic/web programs, i have no experience whatsoever in the music arena. I have read a few posts but i get dizzy because i know so little!:( i assume the basics of input are similar to art however.

i would like to find out what hardware i need to be able to compose..add to...and change my own songs...here are some questions:
1) is this mode of thinking correct?
you use a digi keyboard to input a basic "tune". this tune is then brought into the mac via a) the input audio on the back of the mac or b) "some hardware" maybe that MBOX box?
shall i assume the mac audio is lamo or inappropriate for most needs...and i would want some other part to bring in the sound? is it necessary? me thinkin costs here...you know.
2) then a software interface is needed to bring in the tune...as in photoshop being your interface to twain up a scanner....? is this protools? logic? reason? i have seen an mbox on ebay that came with protools...makes me think this is the interface...? really lost here.
3) finally, is protools ( or whatever software...) also able to warp out these inputted tunes¿ i would like to add sounds from my house, like beer cans smacking together, and add them to my tune. what will i need to make the basic tune sound like a guitar? or a sax? or a clarinet?
(please don't tell me, a sax, a clarinet and a guitar!!!!)

i know know i am lost with questions. i have looked all over for a decent "you need THIS" article, but the sheer volume of choices and equipments prevents me from finding it!

HELP!!! i am eager to melt visual and audio into one experience!

J>

[rickenbacker]

To be pedantic, the Mbox is not software, it's hardware. It comes with software - Pro Tools LE, a cut-down but still very powerful version of Pro Tools, the software wot a lot of the big boys use.

You can use any software you like - Cubase, Logic, Digital Performer, Reason, Storm etc with most any of the USB or FireWire interfaces on the market from manufacturers like Edirol, M-Audio, Yamaha etc.

As for keyboards, you might prefer to get a dummy Midi keyboard (ie no sounds of its own) and play virtual synths loaded on your Mac. Reason is a popular "all-in-one" virtual studio (though you can't record "live" audio into it), Storm is similar and cheaper (and you can record live audio) or I'm currently enjoying VirSyn's Tera synth. Lovely sounds.

With a USB Midi keyboard (genuine plug and play in OS X) and one of these programs (or anything else similar) you could be making fabulous music in no time. Just add more apps as you feel like it.