New musician, recommendations needed!

[chazzychazz]

Sup!

I'm interested in trying out being a vocalist and could need some recommendations on equipment to get to be able and record some stuff using my computer.
I got a AMD64 3500+ s939 with Audigy2 ZS, so hopefully that's enough to produce good quality.
Recommendations on what to get (mic, programs, something else?) and where to get good stuff without paying a fortune for it would be great.
I'm 19 years old and unemployed at the moment so cash ain't something that's flowing right now.

Background if needed or just for fun:
I'm 19 years old, living in Europe, have never been in a band before, have never played any instrument before and haven't sang in public before.
So I don't got any good merits, but music and movies has been my sole passion since as long as I can remember and I'm deadset to give my best shot at my dreams and my biggest one is being a vocalist in a band.
I have a sister though who is a fantastic singer and has been offered some positions in a few bands as both main vocalist and background vocalist, however she has found her calling elsewhere and wasn't interested.

I know that I'm not MTV material at the moment, but I want some outside opinions on if I'm good enough to be able and train my voice to become good.
No one is born star quality, it takes time to build up, but you gotta have the possibility and that's what I wanna find out if I do.
My preferred style of singing is influenced by chester bennington (big favorite, think he's one of the best), Maynard James Keenan, Doug Robb etc.
For you who don't listen to this kind of music, they are the vocalists of the following band (in correct order); Linkin Park, Tool/A perfect circle and Hoobastank.
I can't seem to nail the screaming though or get any kind of "aggrevated" voice, a bit raspy you know, can just do clean tones.
Which sucks at the same time it doesn't.
However since I haven't been singing in public before it also means I have never been able to use my voice to the fullest, so I really have no idea how far I can go with it right now.. I usually just sing when the house is empty, hoping my neighbours won't hear me.
I have a cheap mic for my computer that I've used a couple of times (think I bought it for 7$) and I don't sound shitty but I sound... strange.. like I'm 5 years younger than I am.. or something.
Can't explain it but that voice that's recorded just ain't me.. or is it?
Do we hear ourself differently than we sound or is it because this cheap ass mic doesn't pick every detail up?
Also noticed this on the phone when talking to a friend (he recorded it for some reason), I sound ridicoulus.. which scares me, which is the true voice.. the silly thing that's recorded or what I hear?

This turned out rather long.
Well, any advise and/or recommendations is well appreciated.
Oh and hi, I'll probably stay on these forums for some time, people here don't seem to listen to the kind of music I do but I still found it to be a cool place and every now and then I pop Inflames, slayer etc on.

 

[Hexer]

you DO sound different then you hear yourself (a little) and the cheap mic is not the best of course, too.

cant give you much advice on singing though, I'm much better as an extreme-vocalist

Shure SM58 always is a good choice if you want a good vocal-mic

 

[Barking Pumpkin]

Yes. There is really an incredible difference from how you perceive yourself as sounding and how you sound when you actually record yourself and listen. It can be quite humbling. But the goal is to get your voice to a point where you're happy with how it sounds when you record it.

Getting classical vocal training has helped me immensely in starting to get happier with my voice.

 

[Nostalgiaplatz]

I strongly encourage you to get a teacher or a friend who had singing lessons to teach you the basics of singing, like basic musical theory if you don't know (this part can be self-taught easily if you have a keyboard/piano), learn how to reach the diferent notes and octaves when needed, breathing techniques are very important also.

It'll be tad hard for you to make such accomplishments. Even in 6months with teachers, depending on your dedication of course, it will be something hard to accomplish! But, anyway, don't let this desmotivate you... Go ahead, and learn all the stuff you want and can!

Your PC is good to do recording of demos, as for programs I recommend Cubase SX. For vocals, I recommend Shure SM58, it's not very cheap...around 100€...but it's the standard.

Good luck

 

[chazzychazz]

Thanks a lot for the responses I've got!

morningstar: When you said it was hard to accomplish, were you referring to the basics of singing or becoming a good singer (which should be two different things)?
Either way though, as I mentioned, I'm aware that it's something you'll have to work on, if you got the possibility I mean.
I don't believe everyone is born with the capability to become a good singer, so that's basicly what I wanna find out, if I'm capable or not.

At the moment I got a year left in school here then I'll hopefully have saved up enough money to go over to the states and find a cheap place to live or something.
Which means I got a whole year now to just go at it, if I don't suck that is.

And it looks like I'm going to invest in a Shure SM58 mic, figure if it lives up to it's rep it won't be too hard to resell if I sound like an American Idol reject.
Oh and at the moment I really can't afford a vocal coach, but perhaps I'll find a solution to that during the year, hopefully!

Thanks once again!

 

[Nostalgiaplatz]

I meant getting your vox to sound better in your own style of singing. No one starts as a good vocalist. It needs practise.... my fave vocalists didn't have any singing classes. They just started singing without much knowledge of what they were doing, but they were gifted in their vocal tone.... and were able to reach a very elegant singing! Remember to not sing at low volumes, cuz that way you'll be able to reach a better tone and be in tune, but your vocal range will not be wide and you'll also not be able to repeat it in a live scenario and it will be noticed by anyone hearing your recordings.