answer:It’s really less about the mic than it is about a decent USB converter. Sorry, I don’t have the brand/part number off hand as I am not at home at the moment. However, I picked up a nice 2 input converter box for around $200 that will handle both low and high impedance inputs and plug into a USB port. As for the mics themselves, I would recommend getting two, one for instruments and one for vocals. It’s hard to beat the Sure SM57 and SM58. As far as software goes, Garage Band has some pretty darned good amp emulators, but isn’t that great for mix down. Audacity is a pretty darned good general studio app, and it’s free.