Help please with brand new setup: piano + voice for brand newbie

Hey Sam, I remember your name.

Virtual synths have come a long way in 5 years, but you still need a keyboard controller, midi interface (you can find them built in to the controller these days), a DAW, a piano synth and an audio interface to play it back.  If you are "writing" as opposed to playing  the piano piece you can skip the controller and midi interface.  If she isn't serious yet find something like a creative card w/ built/in sounds (or her onboard card if it includes samples) and pick up one of those dictaphone mic headsets.  The quality will suck but the whole shebang won't cost much.

If she wants to play the piano she'll need a controller - and it will be a synth keybed, not paino unless you spend $500 or so.  And you'll need a decent audio interface to hear your work - many built-in audio cards aren't able to play live w/ a soft synth because of latency.  Many keyboard contollers have the midi built-in on USB. Some have audio in and out.  That could save some money.

If she wants to record the singing, you'll need a real mic.  A shure 58 is about as good and cheap you'll find - and you can always sell it if she loses interest. Any playing musician or club or studio will buy it if they can plug it in and it works.

As far as software - SONAR Essentials should work fine.  And comes w/ DimPro LE (a lite version of Dimension that came w/ P5) and sound center, which also has pianos (check those - I don't use them but they should have a decent piano included).  P5 was a linear recorder, but could do a lot of loop stuff.  SONAR comes from a linear background, tho it will do plenty of looping tricks too.  As far as other DAW - most of them do the same things and are, by necessity, complex, but SONAR was easiest for me to grok.  If you are going to record - even at home, some learning is necessary.  At least dropping a $100 on SE will include the piano software, so it is a two-fer-one.

So first I'd find a keyboard that has midi in/out on usb.  I got a novation controller LE which works fine.  It was only $50, but has only 25 keys.  Hard to do any piano work on it ;-)  Maudio and korg both have 61 key usb controllers for under $200 at sweetwater.com.  You can shop around more.

SONAR Essentials and one of those should get her started - hopefully her soundcard can handle the latency.  If not, budget another $100 for a card. Pick one w/ preamps and she can add a mic later.

Have fun.

@

Sampletekk supply some of the best low cost virtual pianos, but unfortunatly all but one needs the full version of Kontakt which puts them well outside any definition of cheap.
 
However the SampleTekk Black runs in the free Kontakt player and is the most sophisticated and easiest to use and it sounds fantastic. Normal price is $99 BUT Sampletekk have frequent half price sales. If you can pick it up for $50 its a real bargain.