newbie wannabe

[jdsky]

35 yrs playing guitar want get feet wet with homerecrding, i wont be using a computer for now anyway, what should i buy 4trk, 8 or more trks smart media or harddr., mrs-4 br532,1044,br1180?if you will give me an idea from mics to mic preamps when i go to the music stores i feel like the salespeople are giving me run around you know "just buy this ,its great"rap thnks for any and all suggestions

[JeffBarnett]

Here's a can of worms....
There are many good methods of recording a few tracks. You've mentioned several good ones. Ultimately, it is a matter of which unit has a feature list that most closely matches your needs. How many tracks do you need to record? Do you need a drum / bass machine built-in? What about effects?

You should have an in-depth discussion with somebody who knows all of the details of each of the pieces you are considering and can help you make an educated decision. I encourage you to call your Sweetwater sales engineer for more information. We have gone through in-depth training on all of the gear you mentioned above and are in a unique position to help you out.