Francy--I have the MobilePre USB as well and love it. Granted, I'm pretty much an ignoramus in these matters, but it works perfectly for my needs (harp pickup and vocal mic).

I just ordered (today!) an Audio-Technica AT2020 mic, which was recommended to me by a friend as a great mic for the price. I'm very excited about it, and think I might try using it to record my harp as well as vocals. I love my harp pickup for gigs--it's practically feedback-proof--but for recording I've heard that mics give better acoustic sound.

Can't wait to play with new toys! Whee!

Oh, btw, I'm using a Macbook with GarageBand, which I know is fairly primitive but is more than enough for my needs and knowledge! I just want to make some interesting recording experiments at this point, more for friends and family than anything (and possibly as an introductory step to future professional recording projects).

Molly