I suppose you could put the guitars in the 'podded' category.  I have an older Boss GT-5 effects box.  The guitar (Charvette (by Charvel)) goes into that, then into an Echo Audiofire4 firewire box and finally into the computer.  The bass guitar, which I had to borrow just went direct into the Audiofire4.

I critique the vocals myself.  I was this close to scrapping the whole thing due to my dissatisfaction with them.  All the vocals were tracked on the 25th of Feb (the last Saturday in the month).  With more time there would have been some re-recording and refinement.  I didn't know the words either, and I know from hearing other singers, the performance is a damn site better if they don't need to read sing :)