[concentric]

If you don't have an M-Audio or Digidesign interface (Digi001, Digi002, M-box2), then you can't really run ProTools effectively. There are work-arounds, but they would be too time consuming to make it worthwhile.

Any software program (Cubase, Logic, Digital Performer, PT) will work for what you're trying to accomplish, but ProTools offers the flexibility to have the tracks worked on at a professional facility if you want to say, record at home and mix somewhere else. PT works fine on both Mac and PC these days, I know folks running both.

Honestly, for the money I don't think the MBox deal can be beat. ~$500 gets you the box (Focusrite Mic-Pres, Midi I/O, SPDIF I/O, a monitor path [very important]) and the software.

Honestly, the reason why ProTools is the industry standard seems arbitrary. Lots of other programs do certain things better than PT (Logic is amazing), but if you want transferability to other facilities, an easy to use UI, and a reliable platform, it works well.

I think between work and home I have access to about 15 PT systems, ranging from the bottom of the line (Digi001) to a full 192 input HD3 TDM setup with Apogee Rosetta 800s and Digi 192s, clocked by a Big Ben and synced to tape (Studer A820 analog 2", swiss precision!) or SMPTE using a Digi Sync IO... $$$$$$

If you have any questions about working with PT or anything audio related, let me know. I have world-class people engineering for me and teching our studio. They really know almost everything there is to know about audio in a studio environment.

Jason