I think Cubase SX or SE programs would best benefit your needs. We purchased our Cubase SE3 for the studio under $100 and it features 32-bit/24 bit recording quality. Along with a USB interface (from m-audio $99) and/or a USB mixer, you can run multitudes of tracks simultaneously. The best thing about platform based recording versus stand-alone digital recorders is that the tracks from platform based can 100% edited and transfered. Cubase has the widest range of "plug-ins" for effects and instrumentation. This can cut down your production time in half to free you up with more creative stuff.
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