[cubis]

yeah, those programs are in the hundreds of dollars


http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com...ace?sku=242516


you can get the Emu 0404 usb 2.0 recording interface


it comes bundled with a whole bunch of "Lite" software - the best are Cakewalk SONAR LE and Steinberg's Cubase LE. these have a lot of functionality for being "Lite Editions". you could do most of what you want with those.

I have this interface, but the PCI model, and I like it. I'll be moving it over to my new computer as well. it costs about $200 for it, but i'd say its definitely worth it and its quite a bit less than $500

I would also recommend TweakHeadz: http://www.tweakheadz.com/guide.htm

its a great site, with an extensive guide to learn how to set yourself up for recording

but don't just take my word for it - read some of the guide and start shopping around, read reviews, etc


good luck and let me know if you need help with anything