What do you record onto?

If you own a computer, the easiest thing to do is to use that to record your music. Most computers nowadays have sufficient memory and processing speed to easily handle basic multitrack recording. Not all have the best soundcards, of course (we'll worry about that later), but that doesn't take away from the fact that your PC or Mac (Macs are supremely well suited to this, by the way, even in their most basic form - anything G3 or above is fine) is the most useful thing you own for music purposes. Not only is it a hard-disk recorder, it can run software to master songs, create MP3's, and burn off CD's. And loads more besides.

Otherwise, the options are:

1. A digital multitrack recorder: now be careful here, for all is not always as it seems. Some digital multi-trackers (and there are loads of them) are hard disk recorders (like a computer or iPod) and some use other storage media, like flash or smart-cards (like a digital camera). Smart media storage severely reduced the amount of space for recording sounds (basically, no more than 3 or 4 songs - 128 MB gets you about 70 mins total, which includes each track) and many recorders of this type record at lower sample rates (lower quality) so they can compress the files further (rather like MP3's). Chances are, in order to get the best out of these devices, you will need a computer anyway to get them stored or burnt to CD. A useful tool for demos, and a handy addition to your gear, but not maybe the best first choice.

Hard disk recording is a different matter - many of these record to wav. format (CD quality or higher), and even have a CD writer included. You will need to get some monitoring speakers, though, to hear what you've done out loud. And a good hard disk recorder, quite frankly, will cost as much as a PC.

2. Tape, other than for broadcast and studio use, is pretty much dead. You can still buy 4 track cassette recorders (and they do record a good sound, although my personal experience is that the cheap ones don't always work too well), but again, a good one will set you back more than it's worth. And you only get 4 tracks.

Basically, from now on, I'm going to assume the computer is the primary recording device, although much of the general principle will be the same.