[linux-audio-user] live recording event advice

[H.S.]

Hello,

I have been asked to organize/setup a recording system for a community 
event that will involve recording a single session of around three hours 
every day. The audio consists of some speaches and some live music and 
singing.

It is a volunteer effort and I suppose they do not have much funds to 
invest for this recording setup. They already have a 2.5 GHz computer 
with 512 MB of arm (I can use the computer in whatever way I deem 
necessary), a bunch of older computers (maybe around 500 MHz with 256MB 
RAM lying around), a 12 channel mixer which has around 4 or 6 mics 
connecteted to it and an amplifier.

Here is my first tentative idea. Split the Sub R and Sub L output of the 
audio board (currently they are connected to an amplifier) and take one 
part of both of these channels to the Line In of a computer (and the 
other parts go to the amplifier). Install Ubuntu (or maybe another 
distro) and use Audacity to do the recording (I am more familiar with 
Linux, haven't considered Windows yet). I understand that in Audacity I 
can specify the duration of the recording. So it appears that it won't 
be difficult for anybody to start Audacity, type in the duration in the 
"duration window" (say, 3h00m00s) and press "record". Hopefully, 
Audacity can be set to record directly to ogg format.

This way, I won't have to be present there all the time to start or stop 
the recording and also won't need to post process the audio to get it 
into ogg (if it were recorded in Wav to begin with).

I haven't done this kind of a project before. I am assuming:
1. The outputs Sub R and Sub L are can be directly connected to a Line 
In of an audio device
2. The PC I mentioned above would be sufficient to do live recording and 
encoding without any problems.
3. Audacity is appropriate for this project.
4. The computer's line in would be sufficient for a fine quality recording.

Having said this, I would sure love to have some advice from experienced 
users. Also, I need to buy these connectors and cables:
- 1/4 in. mono pins to two RCA connectors (Y connector),
- a two RCA to 1/8 in. connector (Sub RL -> Line In of comp.), and
- RCA-RCA connector(Sub RL RCA -> amp.). Any recommendation for a good 
place (I don't want the quality of the audio to suffer just because of 
low-quality cables)? Also, any suggestions on how far can I take the 
recording computer from the audio board's outputs (cable length 
problem). And, if a Line In of a computer is not good enough, which 
sound card should I look for?

Thanks,
->HS