Looking for product recommendation

I would like to purchase a product for beginners looking to make music with software for the first time. I used cakewalk years ago, so I am familiar with the basics. The original sonar was the last I am familiar with (back from 2002, and it was a big technical jump from the original cakewalk 6) so I'm sure it has come a long way since. I'm not sure where to start or what product to purchase. I still have my old midi hookups, mic, guitar & piano to set up, so I am wondering what I can buy that is ready to use to start laying down audio, vocal & midi tracks? Note: this is a gift for my teen daughters, so ease of use is important too.

AS Greg has noted, the heart of all digital recording is a proper audio interface with proper drivers. So that should be the first thing on your list. The good news is almost all audio interfaces come with a basic version of recording software. If you have your heart set on Sonar then buy a Roland/ Edrol audio interface. I just bought a Roland keyboard which came with Sonar LE which I upgraded to Studio for only $99. SO upgrade later is a great option if she takes to the hobby. 
 
I just bought a Scarlett 6i6 interface which comes with Abilton a very popular DAW for looping electronic fans. My Tascam came with Cubase. 
If your keyboards are older and only have MIDI , not USB, then mach sure the interface has MIDI ports. My scarlett is a good example of a low cost interface with MIDI ports @ $240. 

"Any suggestions on what could be wrong, soundcard is Soundblaster 24bit"
 
Yes, I used an older version in the past, and that is not an audio/interface actually to use. EMU was their audio/interface not a gaming type sound card.
It really does not work for voice either, because the microphone needs gain to make it loud enough and there really is none for that type of soundcard for an audio/interface - talking with a computer mic for a game or something like that, yes, which is different than a normal regular mic such as a Shure or actually anyone.
 
These are audio/interfaces (and they take the place of soundcards and usually USB is used nowadays with their drivers):
http://www.sweetwater.com/shop/computer-audio/audio_interfaces/
 
There are different kinds but USB is a popular choice:
http://www.sweetwater.com/c695--USB_Audio_Interfaces
 
there are also other on-line places on the Internet like Musician's Friend, or ZZSounds, or Sam Ash, whatever. Well, a search can give those, plus your local store perhaps like GC(not written out), or another local music store perhaps, that can help.
 
The difference is simple (although a cheap soundblaster card from the past):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELBdIiPmfSk
 
(which has to be re-done)
And a regular well actually good audio/interface (some may not be as good, and some are way better still):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9ZdZU5us4A
glitches are at utube
and well maybe not great examples of recording music, that's all the further I have gotten.
Another one in my signature also.
Well, I have a lot of work to do actually, but in recording I can only do so much. Others may be able to do more, but like said - everything costs money, so thousands of dollars can be spent also on music recording or not quite so much money in the end.
 
In the end with the computer, you take out the soundcard (aka Soundblaster) or disable it so Windows does not load up drivers for it, and you instead use the audio/interface for every sound on the computer after installing the drivers and all of that just like the soundcard used to be.
 
 

Well, my link didn't post, the product is

Pyle® PAD20MXU 5 Channel Professional Compact Audio Mixer With USB Interface

 

Sorry, it does not look as if the Pyle you listed has any MIDI connections.
I really do not know of any Soundblasters that have MIDI either. Old ones did, but that was a different connection than the usual 5-pin midi type cord connection.
Mics can be XLR connection (like on the Pyle) or dynamic mics which may be 1/4" connection like a guitar cord type cord.
And without having the Soundblaster card listed to be known, the only ones I have seen just can not be used for a microphone. But there is also volume on the computer, for line inputs and mic volume, but as I said, usually the mic used (which is different than a regular microphone) is only a computer mic and that is the difference. They just do not sound great but are a really cheap condenser type mic. Just for talking usually.
So that leaves what kind of recording do you want to acheive?
Are you trying to do the recording all at once? (the cheapest audio/interface usually let you have two inputs, L and R, for recording one track at a time, but the DAW (Sonar- Music Creator 6 say for example) can record the next track, and the next track up to a total I think of 32 audio tracks, and usually more Midi.
Now if you get good sound out of your synth, you do not have to use midi at all and can use the audio output to record from. After all if you use midi, then the only thing on the computer to use for midi is microsoft's soft wave table synth that is like GM with its sounds, and it does not sound that good at all. Now you can record midi and send the track recorded back out to the midi synth and use the sound there, but again, if you want to make it all in the recording, then you have to record it back into audio anyway, or use what is called a soft synth sound that some are included with the DAW (Sonar - Music Creator 6). DAW means Digital Audio Workstation - which is your computer you are using after setting it up to record music ( which usually means not being on the Internet or having Wi-fi interfere with it) and all automatic functions of the OS not interferring, or setting up the computer as a recording computer. Don't worry, it can be used any other way also, just streaming audio or video needs to have it work without causing dropouts or latency from some other hardware device (like Wi-fi) or program interfering with the running of the computer while recording and or listening to music. (that may well be another subject but there is always search on the Internet or help here to find out if something is going wrong.
http://www.thesycon.de/deu/latency_check.shtml
 
 a free program that can be download to see if there is a problem with streaming audio or video (needed for recording music or video whatever).
 
Now, an audio/interface can be a kind of mixer, but really is not, unless you buy one with more channels, usually to record a live band or a real drum set, or something of that nature which has more inputs and or outputs to feed to music monitors or just plain old computer speakers not built into the computer but usually separate or both or even 3 of them. Whatever.
 
So there is always equipment out there that will do about anything but then there is the price of it all in the first place.
 
Take for instance me recording on my computer - I do at the most 2 tracks at once (L and R) and may record a synth part, then I go back after that is done, and get the next tracks ready to record for a new part (arm them) and record perhaps a bass part, then go back and record a drum part, or several drum parts, and then take two other tracks (all recordings on different tracks - up to 32 tracks total in Music Creator 5 or 6 - more can be done with a more expensive version of Sonar say like, and then by the end I have all the parts I want to use, and usually add the vocals last.
 
So, yes, you can use a mixer (like a live band mixer) or not, but an audio/interface can have more than two inputs, and usually the inputs are for anything, like a mic, a guitar, or a synth to begin with. There is more but that involves digital signals and usually ADAT is used but in the end:
 
you need a pre-amp to make the microphone loud enough to record to begin with (either needing 48 volts or not depending on microphone used) or something for the guitar to boost the signal to acceptable levels to record ( or use a guitar amp that is mic-ed to record the guitar, bass amp for bass, or like I do since I have to - use my synth for sounds (not guitar though or voice).
 
It is not that you can not probably use the Soundblaster if you have the correct connections (and adaptors can be bought to connect to about anything) but it is limited in the way it usually is connected usually by 3.5mm mini plugs (stereo) like used on a iPad or the small connector used to plug headphones into something.
 
The audio/interface usually uses the regular connections for mic or guitar or synth and the outputs may also be the 1/4" (guitar cord type or balanced cord which is like a stereo headphone cord but only for one channel -which is another type cord usually used in recording to keep out extraneous noise in the recording.)
 
So with that, and perhaps adaptors to connect whatever cord to what is in the unit, the general usage way of cords for anything in music equipment is better with the audio/interface (plus they usually sound better in the end for the recording afterwards).
 
midi is used by people who have software samples on their computer to input a midi part or edit it, and then use a software sample of a sound to make it into audio to play back the part. The only problem with that is if you use too many software sounds on the computer, it can make the computer lag which then has latency and all the sounds do not come out at the same time.
 
When recording audio the regular way (plug in a guitar and go, or a synth audio outputs and go or a mic input and go) then latency can be way less and then with ASIO drivers instead of Windows OS drivers there is no latency because the ASIO drivers given by the manufacturer account for latency so all the parts are heard at the same time.
 
Soundblaster has ASIO drivers, it is just that the inputs are not as good as an audio/interface and the connections are not convenient to use and in the end usually does not sound that good. A cheap audio/interface will sound better I would think although I have not used them all that is for sure.
 
What Gregy57 mentioned usually are a modest price audio/interface that can be used and get very good results recording.
 
Examples:
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/FCA610/
 
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Scarlett2i4/
 
Now some which are cheaper do not have midi connections, and some cost a lot more.
I can not recommend any because I use an RME Babyface (and hopes it lasts for about 10 years).
Some may last longer than others and some may have manufacturers that keep up the drivers for new OSes that come out and all of that.
 
There are others, but look at the front and back usually for all the connections an audio/interface will have.
Usually there is the front combination connector (take a mic, take a guitar, takes a synth) for any regular input but do not used anything but rounded end cords (not Hosa cords they get stuck in the connection and either you have to take the unit apart to get it out, or perhaps even break the connection). There is a difference in cords, some cords are more rounded on the tip end (like on a guitar cord the very tip end) and some are not (like the Hosa cables).
 
But that is about it, and sell what you do not use and probably be more satisfied then trying to hook up with adaptors into a Soundblaster card (even if it does have midi) unless it is a EMU Creative Lab Card which is an audio/interface, but some people do not like them even if that is used.
 
http://www.creative.com/emu/products/usbinterfaces/
 
These are the audio/interfaces from Creative Labs (Soundblaster with the gaming and regular just-so sound card for computers).
 
Maybe you can use one of those and trade in the one you got, unless you got one like in the link above. Where they sell those, I do not know, but somewhere can be searched probably on the Internet. How much they cost and really how they sound - well that is another subject, and maybe there are reviews on the Internet about any of that that can be searched for and found.
 
And you have to check (once again stated) to see if the audio/interface has all the connections you need (usually midi is not on cheaper audio/interfaces) to make sure you get what you need. And will have the drivers for the computer you have. Creative Labs is I guess pretty good with that although it has been some years since I used one of their cards (audio/interface ?) to record anything through.
 
 And then you can play and record that music, musicmama!
 
 
 
 

A person can buy used equipment also like on e-bay or like that. A $100 condenser mic may sound okay to most people depending on which brand (not usually Chinese) and whatever.
??
Always can look around.
 
And the DAW program with its software included can change sounds around to edit after recording and add reverb, echo, compression, or whatever is built into the program to edit sounds with, and also it may take a lot of working on the song, editing it all to finalize a song recorded.
 
Also can look this forum over for seeing what anyone posts there, as well as listings usually on the bottom for e-bay type music equipment whatever. I have not looked at it that much but may in the future.
http://www.gearslutz.com/board/
 
There is Roland units, and Steinberg units u22 and u44 or something like that mentioned over there and well other places on-line or in a music store to ask questions for equipment or an audio/interface.
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/DuoCaptureEX/
 
 
 

Here is another like the Pyle, but again it does not have a MIDI connection on it or how it looks to me. It is a Behringer so it is probably better known (at least to me). (it was mentioned on a new thread, so threads can be looked at also maybe in the Hardware type threads forum here on Cakewalk or in this section of the forum also.)
 And in some store somewhere they probably sell it also.
http://www.behringer.com/EN/Products/Q502USB.aspx
 
The question is how much are you going to use it, and will it be what you really want in the future.
Buying a better audio/interface now probably will save you money in the future like some of the other ones shown.
Actually the Roland type one with the link is probably not much more than a really good soundblaster gaming card, and the EMU probably does cost around the same also if you go that route since perhaps you can trade in the Soundblaster you just go (trade it out) to get the EMU (Soundblaster) regular Creative Labs audio/interface.
 
Well, a lot to read so you have to do homework I guess.

A little humor may help.
 

Looks like a new one from them then. It is always changing (equipment wise).
And we could all discuss how fast a sample rate people record at and why 192kHz is not needed, but we already had that discussion probably in the Techniques thread, and most people only record at the 48kHz sample rate anyway.
The rest is always up for discussion.
 
Just get adaptors at a local electronics store or somewhere like that if needed (mentioned in another thread in this same forum just recently) to either hook up computer speakers (not so good) or a stereo amp if you have one or powered monitor speakers (which I don't even have yet).
Example maybe someday: (powered monitors)
 
http://www.sweetwater.com/c695--USB_Audio_Interfaces/popular/params=eyJkaW1lbnNpb24iOnsiQnJhbmQiOlsiNDI5NDk2NjI3MyJdfX0
 
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/LSR305/
 
Or your normal stereo (FM receiver) type amp with adaptors which is what I use.
Actually both - computer speakers (headphone out jack) and sterero amp with passive speakers.
 
All you have to do now, is make that music, musicmama!
 
PS. Insert jacks are used to insert hardware based effects I think the tip is send and the shield is return or something like that. Have to look up that stuff if even using that.
 
Hope the guitar input is loud enough recording, never tried one yet and I have one on mine also but so far have used a Boss ME 25 or a Digitech R-255 whatever type unit. (or now a regular guitar amp.)
 
To each their own.
 
And it still can be time consuming, recording and then engineering the music to total end sounding of the song.
Well, there is always the Edit - Undo and Redo menu option probably in the DAW too.
 
Music Creator 6 (or so version) will work fine probably with that. Have to review it to see what is with it, usually something like 32 total audio tracks and or 64 (128?) midi tracks for a song project. (in audio that be 16 stereo tracks).
whatever or Sonar Essential which would have more in it to begin with. Well, probably mentioned that already but if not...........
 
 
 
 
 

" regular speakers (yuck)"  Sorry, i bet that was confusing, what I meant was simple computer PC speakers (headphone style plugged ones) are yuck.
 

Here is a simple breakdown.
Good, you now have a proper audio interface. It will come with proper drivers. ASIO4 all is BAD.
So wipe all traces of Soundblasters,asio 4 all from you computer.
Install the M audio drivers that are correct for your OS and 32 or 64 bit system.
READ THE MANUAL FOR THE INTERFACE. it will explain things in a very clear way.
If you don't yet own proper studio monitors yet, start saving up.
In a pinch, you can use a good ( bad?) home stereo system= Power amp and passive speakers.
These will be connected to the interfaces output jacks.
Out of desperation, you could use computer speakers, but they will need to be plugged into the headphone jack of the interface.

I am cheap, thus I have cheap gear, mostly. While professional equipment is desirable, especially for a professional, many of us get by with regular consumer-grade gear.
I'm just a hobbyist, and I have not-so-good hearing, so I manage with a pair of ordinary stereo speakers (Athena Audition AS-B1-1). For speakers that are better than the computer speakers, check out the yard sales in your area. You can probably pick up a set for just a few bucks.
But, if you can afford excellent, go for it.

 
'looks like they are only 1 way & my interface has both in/out. Do you know what difference that makes only hooking up to the output? (I believe that's which jack I would use)'
 
 Why would a speaker return to your interface? 
 
Your guitars , keyboards and mikes go to the input
 
Your speakers are attached to the output. 
 

 
So looking at your new equipment, You will need a special cable to hook the speakers up to your interface. 
You were mentioning some scary thing about making cables,,, don't do it. Order them.
You will need a pair of 1/4" TS to RCA audio cables.
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/accessories/live-wire-rca-1-4-dual-patch-cable
 
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/accessories/live-wire-1-4--rca-dual-patch-cable
 
 
 

Ahh, I see you were looking at the MIDI port label.. The Line output is a little poorly marked, "Main" really doesn't say much to most people, "Output " would be a better choice. But then again, English is a second language to the folks who build this stuff. 
 
Yes one RCA to 1/4" will only give you sound from one speaker.