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In article writes:

1) Sound card - is the consumer-based Creative Labs Audigy high-end
stuff (Platinum series) sufficient for what I want to do? Or is there
another card I should look into? My budget for a sound card is around
$200 - $250.

2) Microphone - I would like a good quality vocal mic for less than
$100.

Don't forget I am new to the whole digital domain.

4)Mixer - I am used to using a mixer with buttons and knobs, and think
I may prefer having an actual mixer as opposed to a virtual one - I
think there's that extra feeling of control. Someone mentioned a
Behringer combo mic pre-amp/mixer...any thoughts? Can I get something
decent under $100? $200?

5)Monitors - something below $200.

Am I missing any major items?

Maybe a larger budget, or a rethinking of how you're going to work.

If you want to use a mixer, you need to have something to mix, which
means having a sound card with more than just a stereo output (like
the Audigy and a lot of others). This means more money. If you're only
going to record a few tracks, you might as well do this "in the box"
using the built-in mixer with Audition. It's as good as any mixer you
can get for $200, probably better than any overall, and only lacks the
knobs and buttons.

Condenser mics suitable for vocals that are within your $100 range are
plentiful but they're all different (even among different mics of the
same model) so you pretty much have to find the one that sounds good
with your voice. It probalby won't suck with your acoustic guitar.

My recommendation at your stage of the game would be to get a TASCAM
US-122 USB stero audio/MIDI interface. One can be had for as little as
$200 and it offers:

- Not fabulous, but two quite usable mic preamps, particularly for a
soloist
- Phantom power for condenser mics
- Headphone output with a volume control
- Best of all, true "no latency" monitoring when recording, with a
simple mixer that mixes your input (mic or an instrument plugged
into its input jacks) with the playback of recorded track on the
computer. You get almost as much control as with a hardware mixer
when recording one track at a time, as you'll almost certainly be
doing.
- Monitor output with a volume control, to connect to powered
monitors.

If you decide that you'd rather have knobs to control the mix,
Behringer makes a control surface for real cheap that should work well
with the combination.

I can't really recommend any monitors for under $200. In that price
range, everything is a compromise. But you can probalby find something
workable.

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