What equipment to buy for Karaoke recording

[stambi]

Hello all,
I have been trying to record my Karaoke songs at home. Did several recordings using PC (Windows sound recorder/Audacity). I play the Karaoke CD in Home theatre, and sing in the Dynamic mic (a cheap starter from radioshack). These are hooked up together in a 4 channel mixer to output to the Home theatre speakers. The recording happens thru ordinary PC mike.
As you can imagine, the recording is very poor with no control on anything at all. I am a good singer, but my voice is so bizarre in this setup, with music sounding too loud or too low etc. etc.. I want to have at least original how I sound when I sing alone. So I have been trying to find help !

This website is a big rescuer looks like. I went thru the Sound card wizard, and found that Tascam US144, Emu 0404 are recommended.
Before I buy, can somebody suggest me the best setup to do, and equipments to buy for my needs, which are:
1. Record CD quality song.
2. Perfect balance of Karaoke music and voice.
3. voice should sound original.

Do I need to buy a SM58 mic for better voice ?

budget minded at this point, can spend upto $300.
This forum consists of very experienced people, and I am a novice. please help!!

[garageband]

So: Inexpensive interface (like you've mentioned), better mic (SM58 is very good), and some way to monitor it (phones, speakers of some sort) and some software (like what comes with the interface or Audacity). Load the karaoke track into the software, record the vocal on another track. Play back both and mix levels until happy. Bounce the two tracks to disc together. Use a limiter to keep from clipping, bounce the track with the limiter to disc and burn onto CD.

[willjrockstar]

Garageband is exactly right just follow those steps and you will be spot on.

Although you dont HAVE to have a 58 for rec the vox, youll always have a quality mic layin around and the next time and every time you need it, its there. But you could def.
Doesnt sound like youll have to spend any of that 300 other than a mic.

[stambi]

Thanks Garageband and willjrockstar, for the quick reply. I tried using the PC mike directly and running the Karaoke on different track in Audacity, and immediately saw a HUGE difference in the voice...This is just with the ordinary PC mike. So may be I will see another big difference with Audio interface and SM58 Mic.

I have question from your reply..I think I didn't understand this:

"Bounce the two tracks to disc together. Use a limiter to keep from clipping, bounce the track with the limiter to disc.."

What is limiter and how to use it ? Also are you saying to save the tracks to disc differently and then mix them ?

Thanks and as you can see, I am novice so asking dumb questions like this..
Thanks again...you guys rock!!!!!!!!!!

[garageband]

Also are you saying to save the tracks to disc differently and then mix them ?

Yes. They will initially be different and distinct until you mix them.

What is limiter and how to use it ?

You might google this exact phrase and come up with dozens of pretty good write-ups on the subject.