No way your computer will pick up the MIC, Herring. You will need an audio interface of some sort which will pre-amp your mic. Check out MOTU, Presonus, M audio etc...for an audio interface.

You plug your mic into the interface and then the USB out to the computer. If you have a firewire input, all the better. Then you go from the interface out to the firewire IN on your computer. If you need to still run USB, make sure it is USB 2.0. or the slowness of your computer BUS handling the information will introduce a nasty latency problem where you hear everything you're playing or singing slightly behind when it happened. Major pissoff.

If you don't use an audio interface and have a MAC with a decent soundcard, you can get away with an i StudioLink made by Monster cable. This will plug your guitars in and nothing else needed. Remember however MIC information is LINE level, so you will need a preamp. I use a Joe Meek EQ/Compression unit and then just i LINK and I can use my MAC for Garage Band and it would probably work with Cubase. MOTU into cubase works just fine and their pre-amps I have heard are fookin' great (wipes the floor with the Protools pre-s). MOTU stands for "Mark of the Unicorn" out of Cambridge Mass, where ALL the nerds live...so they must have a good product. Next paycheque, I might buy one myself. They are "married" to a neat software program called "Digital Performer" and reviews say the thing is very user-friendly and intuitive for most musicians.

Happy recording. And...lemme hear something from ya'.

Gene

http://www.presonus.com/firebox.html