I dont call for anything fancy or expensive-just to diary exactly what I play on the piano,but a bit better than the nouns recorder.I own a midi cable but no program.Im using window vista.
Answers: You will want three crucial components to do this:
1. A microphone beside appropriate amplification
2. A passageway to input your microphone into your computer
3. Recording software.
The most complicated and expensive one of these aspects is the microphone. You can procure a cheap $20 headset or "internet-ready" microphone, but these are not apposite microphones. They will bequeath you poor-quality recordings.
If you are serious around this, you should go and get an actual professional microphone. A wearing clothes mic can collection anywhere from $80 for an SM-58 to thousands of dollars for a compression microphone next to amplification. However, the $80-$100 mics should be fitting plenty for most purposes (short of full-blown professional record studio). Check e-bay and musiciansfriend.com for righteous deal.
Then you inevitability a mode to connect your mic to your computer. Most modern computers own microphone inputs. To use that, you will simply entail to find a road to convert the output from your mic (XLR) to the mic input on your PC (1/8th inch). There are a range of adapters and cable to do this.
If you want to stir for slightly high audio characteristic, you can acquire a high-grade nouns card. This route will probably cost you give or take a few $100+, but will tender you more option for how to input your nouns and will tend to afford you better aspect.
Software is simple. Get audacity (audacity.sourceforge.net) and/or reaper (reaper.fm). Audacity is freeware; reaper is shareware (if you buy it, it's $40). Either should be powerful plenty for your purposes.