[Oarboy]

Cydonia, don't trash the four-track too soon! It can be pretty helpful for computer-based recording, too. As a man who has to live on the cheap side when it comes to music, here's a suggested setup for you:

For analog input (guitars, microphones, not MIDI):
- Get PTF
- Get an iMic (I hear that they are around $35 US). This will hook into your USB port in the back of your computer. I don't know the quality, but it is inexpensive.
- Get a cable to attach your four-track to the iMic. Why? Since many four-tracks have knobs and sliders for sound adjustment, they tend to be a lot easier to use than software mixers.
- Plug your analog instruments into the mixer and you should be off and running.

Rough Costs:
- iMic $35
- Connector Cable $6.00
- ProTools Free
- Total: $41 investment (if you have the other materials)

Digital Input (MIDI)
- Get PTF
- Get a MIDI Interface. There are many of these on the market today that are for USB and allow you to connect MIDI instruments to your computer. All you really need as a base is 1 MIDI in (one instrument into the computer), or a 1-in/1-out (one instrument into the computer/one machine to make sounds that the computer cant make). Low end costs are around $70.
- Attach your keyboard with a MIDI cable and set up your keyboard as your keyboard manual dictates.

Rough Costs:
- MIDI Interface $70
- MIDI Cable $6.00
- PTF Free
- Total $76.00

Now the fun and frustration starts ... trying to make it all work. The saving grace is that you have a lot of brothers and sisters of the cause here and the DUC. If you have a problem: check the manual, search the DUC, or post a question. Believe me, you'll have a blast