Re: What do you put between your mic and the PC when you record?
not that I can do much with a computer, but the options are many, with external gear and programs and plug-ins.
free recording: audacity is OK and takes less memory to run; reaper seems better, but a little harder to learn; n-track (a nice program) has a free trial version that beeps when you go to mixdown - so if you have two computers, you could multitrack in one, then record the mix on a second computer while it's playing.
b/w the mic and computer: you could get away with a simple radio shack/behringer/ART mixer or preamp or go nuts spending a bunch. my take is: if the end result is demo-quality anyway, why spend a lot? a halfway decent mixer with a preamp works fine. most often, when you play your mix along side a professionally mastered MP3, yours will sound tiny, even if your mix/master is "loud." mastering is a whole 'nother beast, and will drive you crazy.
believe it or not, I've used this one for years:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Radio-Shack-Por...yZ101985QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem I kinda dig the old-school level monitor thingies.
however, b/w the mic and computer it's good to have a compressor/limiter (don't get the alesis nanocompressor, it barely does its job), but you can get away with compressing the wave after its recorded with a simple plug-in. but an external unithelps to prevent the huge spikes that would otherwise clip. I just squash stuff after I record it with a plug-in.
