cover contests, and recording

[gravesRR7]

two questions.
what are the contests talked about here, and when is the next one. i assume that a cover is picked and everyone participating plays their cover and the best is voted on. but i don't know
what do i do about recording? i want to record for two things, i'm making a cover CD with my band, and for these competitions here if i can. Can you just download cool edit pro and its as easy as that, or should i invest in a mic? i'm clueless to computer recording anytime i've played i've always had someone set it up for me. any basics are appreciated

[Roastbeef]

I use Cool Edit Pro and a cheezy PC mic. Some of my recordings have been posted here so you can hear what they sound like. Take a look at the tutorial here too. That really helped me get started with CEP.