Newbie Needs Advice!, software/hardware setup can't decide Options

[mook noodler]

First of all, Hello! I've been looking around in here for about 3 hours now and I'm really impressed. This is one of the best forums I've been to and seems to be the most helpful. Now that my nose is well browned...

here's my situation: (and I don't mean to repeat other topics but there's so many that I'm overwhelmed!!!) I've been recording music for the past 3 years or so on a PC with Cakewalk and Cakewalk Sonar. I like Sonar, but I got so sick of PCs that I went and got myself a PowerMac dual1.25 G4 with OSX. Now I needs a new setup. I record guitar, bass, vocals, and keyboard and drum machine. I have a Midisport 4x4 for midi, but I'm definitely not a midi whiz. I also have several outboard effects (delay, compression, etc) that I like to use.

At first I leaned toward the Digi 001 cuz of all the I/O's, but this forum has me thinking Logic or Cubase, which leaves me pretty confused about a hardware interface. I don't think I need a mixer type thing (already have a mixer), but I'd like something with several I/O's for sending tracks to outboard effects, and I'd really like a breakout box. I just need basic plug-ins but would like to be able to add more later. Softsynths would be cool too.

Hope I didn't go over the top w/ details. Any advice/input would be greatly appreciated, and I thank you all in advance! PS: my price range is about $1200.

[mook noodler]

Let's see; as far as I/O's go, I mostly need unbalanced, but a couple xlr mic inputs too. I have a mic pre amp, so that's not a necessity. I'd like (ideally) to have enough inputs to have all or most of my gear plugged in at once (2 for synth, 2 for guit, 1 for bass, 1 for mic), and then still have 2 inputs left for outboard effects returns. For outputs, I need a pair for my monitors and at least two more for effects sends. As for S/PDIF, I don't even know what that is yet, other than some sort of digital I/O.

The way I was doing things on my PC was this: I ran everything into my mixer and my mixer into a crappy Creative Labs sound card. But what I want now is to be able to simultaneously record separate instruments to separate tracks.

Hope this clarifies more! Thanks!