[Doctor Dread]

I will cover the very low-end home recording system. This is a PC Windows configuration. You will need a decent soundcard (in fact, two of them), one mixer, one DI box, three software packages and plenty of hard disc space. If you want to lay any vocals or acoustic instruments, one good dynamic & one good condenser mic. My hardware setup is this:

mixer: Behringer XENYX 802
DI box: Behringer Ultra-DI 100
soundcards: two M-Audio Audiophile 2496
dynamic microphone: Sennheiser Evolution E-945
condenser microphone: large diaphragm AKG Perception 100

software:
recording: Adobe Audition 1.5 (former Cool Edit)
amp simulation: Amplitube 2
drum machine: any free you can find, the simpler the better, or free drum loops

The heart of this configuration is Amplitube 2 amp emulator. I’m not affiliated with Amplitube 2 in any way, I’m speaking this out of fascination with the things this software can do. You can download a fully functional demo, so you can see for yourself. But bear in mind that it is NOT a software for gigs (as in a laptop plugged into PA). It’s created to reproduce the sound of those tube amps, stomp boxes, various mics etc AS HEARD IN THE FINAL MIX. So, you are recording exactly the same sound you hear, it’s already in your soundcard.

And for using two soundcards, here’s the thing:

Use one card as a normal one, and the other one assign exclusively to Amplitube 2. Benefits: zero latency. Even an older Pentium IV can handle it with less than 40% CPU load. This is the path: guitar into DI Box, DI Box into line-in of the second card, from there line-out into the mixer, and from there normally into the first, main card. Those two professional cards are much cheaper than one serious, multi-channelled. If you’re concerned with post-production of your wave, just record at 48kHz and you’ll be fine.

As I said at the beginning, this is a low-end configuration, but you can have fun. If you need any additional information, send me a PM.