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I have never really had a need to do much home recording, never owned a 4 track, only recorded a few short EP type odds and ends myself. I was thinking it might be good to start keeping better track of ideas, maybe start recording simple songs at home.
I figure a cheap little USB computer interface package that has some simple software included mught be the best way to go. Anybody used any of this these? The Lexicon Omega seems to have all the bells and whistles i thought would be important (4 inputs, in case friends come over to play, phantom power, simple software, reverb). Is there anything else I should seek out?

I have the Lexicon Lambda, which is in the same model line of the Omega, and it's a pretty solid device. I've gotten some surprisingly good rehearsal recordings in a tiny basement with a couple crappy mics, the Lambda, and a laptop.

If you scower fee-bay you can find a presonus firepod for about the same price as a brand new lower end interface and if you decide to expand in the future and get into it more (the itch) then you will have a decent interface to begin with.


The m audio m-box is suppose to be a great starter interface, "introduction into protools" I guess. Dont get me started on my opinion of pro tools though. But you don't have to use pro tools.


Presonus firebox is a good starter. It has everything you will need and comes with Cubase LE. Cubase is a good starter program.

I use a Delta 1010LT, it's cheap but it's not easy, since you need a mixer or preamps (it has two preamps on board but I wouldn't trust those) to use with it.
the 1010 (non LT) has a break out box and I believe it has 2 preamps. The good thing about this is that once you get sick of the preamps, you can start mixing and matching your own into the 1010, instead of having to sell a whole unit and buy another one.

The M-box and firepod are supposed to be good as well.
If it was me starting over I'd try and score a used MOTU on ebay right off the bat and save future upgrades. If you know you'll be using this thing for a while.

I bought myself a studio projects B-1 and a E-H preamp some time ago, and used it with one of those creative E-MU usb devices (avoid those) - but I hardly ever use it anymore, when an idea comes to my mind, I just opens Audacity and quickly records it with my shitty Acer lap-top build-in microphone, its the easiest way.

A friend of mine, whos into electronica and that stuff recorded a couple of songs for a commen friend through his mac lap-top bulid-in, just to get a feel of the songs. But after he had tweaked them in Live (i think), and played around with them they actually sounded fine. Well at least so fine, that our commen friends label, which is universal or some shit like that, thought it was fine, and released it as a single (or will do it).

All im saying, that it might not be worth it, if its only to record ideas.