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DOH, forgot the link for subscriptions:
http://tapeop.com/subscriptions/us/free/

Also forgot the disclaimer, my mentor is a writer for TapeOp and I have developed a small friendship with the creator.

Hopefully I'm not drifting too far off topic here, and forgive me if this comes off like a big advertisement. Maybe not what the poster was asking for, but maybe it's helpful for somebody.

I think the first rule of recording outside of a studio (speaking as an audio engineer who works in a studio) is to accept that your recordings will not sound like they were made in a studio. I think the second rule is there's nothing wrong with that. Though the majority of great recordings thus far have been made in a studio environment, I am periodically surprised by recordings made in less than stellar conditions that sound fantastic. This is a subjective art. You probably won't be making Steely Dan or Alan Parsons records, but Jason Falkner, Jack White and even Bruce Springsteen have made some great sounding stuff under less than ideal recording conditions and environments.

Here's some starter ideas.

Software: REAPER = $50 (Free until you can afford to pay for it, basically)
Interface: M-Audio FastTrack USB = about $100
Microphone: Shure SM58 = about $100. If you don't have any room treatment (loosely "soundproofing") then this mic will be your friend. It sounds pretty good on most things from voice to instruments, too.
Subscription: TapeOp - Free one year subscription (trust me...you'll want this)

Don't forget a couple cables for your mic and instrument if necessary. Plug in your instrument of choice and have fun. Experiment with where you put the mic until you like the sound of it (and DON'T LET YOUR METERS GO INTO THE RED!) Pay close attention to how your choice affects the sound of the overall mix as you add tracks. Don't be afraid to experiment with software, sound or equipment. Remember, though there are good techniques, the only right techniques are the ones that sound good to you.

Also get onboard a good site like Gearslutz and read, ask and engage.

Most importantly, use your ears, pay attention, try to mimic things you like from other people's recordings and LEARN from doing it. We're all geeks, damnit. Isn't that how we learn to do everything?

That'll be 5 cents, please.

Why are you asking a question about digital recording on Slashdot when there are so many better places to ask?

Just a few links:

http://messageboard.tapeop.com/ (my favorite)
http://recforums.prosoundweb.com/
http://gearslutz.com/
http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/index.p hp

I agree with the last poster, there are so many variables that color the sound, most of them analog. Mics are the first place this happens. There are so many different mics and micing techniques out there that all vary the sound considerably before it ever reaches a recording medium. Then you have the analog cables that run from the mic to the preamps....you wouldn't believe how serious some engineers take that part of the signal path.....and on and on until you get to the monitors, the speakers. Just like the mics, they are all unique and color the sound in their own way, even if they have a "flat" frequency response. It's all very sudjective.
In the end, I personally like analog tape because as the other post said, it's "warmer". It rounds the edges on the sound, it has natural compression. Sure, you get some noise but who cares....it sounds "good".
Only by using a dummy-head micing system to digital which models the human hearing system will you get close to what you might hear in the room. But usually in the studio musicians are trying to create something that sounds a certain way.....this may mean distorting the signal. Listen to old Stax and Sun Studios recordings.....few would argue that the recorded sound dosn't sound "good". They were using a concrete stairway as a reverb chamber- speaker on ome end, mic on the other, recorded to tape....with no dolby! Then listen to a modern rock CD recorded very loud, with vary little dynamics and tell me which one sounds more human and warm?
FYI, plenty of folks still use analog tape to record. Check out http://www.tapeop.com/.

For those interested in retro tech where music production is concerned tapeop.com is the best free magazine around.

Dr. Dobbs - trends in software development
Tape Op - recording for the rest of us, although biased against digital tech

For music, I like:
CMJ New Music Monthly - only for the included CD
Revolver - heavy music, sometimes misogynistic though
Bandoppler - for reviews of other music

I also like British magazines like Future Music and Sound On Sound. But they're too expensive for subscriptions in the USA. When I'm at the bookstore, I like to flip through Artforum and I.D.

tapeop.com

go there and ask that same question in the This #*)#( Computer forum. you will get some very good responses and might find some threads regarding your question already posted. take care.

TapeOp is a great magazine.. in addition to the book, they also offer _FREE_ (as in beer) subscriptions to their magazine if you go to their site and click on subscribe. Well worth your 2 minutes if you have a remote interest in alternative recording techniques, gear review, interviews with different producers/engineers, etc.. A copy of their latest issue is sitting on my coffee table right now.

You can spend thousands of dollars on building a home studio or even producing a single album, with or without ProTools. The core of your product is still the artist.

Tape Op has published book comprised of many interviews with ultra-low-budget musicians and producers, many of whom released albums recorded on cheap Tascam cassette mixers. While many people laud digital technology's potential for "perfection," Tape Op has always celebrated artists' will to record onto anything they can get their hands on.