Conference napalm::guitar

    You need a lot of stuff:
    
    1. Mixing board
    
    2. Microphones (lots)
    
    3. Tape deck
    
    4. Monitor speakers and amplifier
    
    5. Headphone distribution system 
    
    6. Effects units (reverbs, delay, compressor, EQ, etc.)
    
    7. A lot of tape...figure four times the length of the demo so you have
    space for multiple takes.
    
    My suggestion:  if they don't know what they need, who's gonna engineer
    it?  They might be better off doing some rough 4-track preproduction
    and then going into a studio.  If they think rental will save money, it
    likely will *not*.  You gotta pay by the day or week which will force
    you to work continuously to get done.  Not to mention the time to
    set it all up, devug it, trace down all the hums and buzzes, etc.
    
    At a real studio, you can schedule sessions over time, take a week to
    listen to the roughs before final mix, etc.  Plus you have access to
    *lots* of toys and (hopeully) an experienced engineer to get you
    through hairy surprises.
    
    						Brian

I gotta agree with Brains reply...
Being the victim of self-engineered demos and recording sessions,
they'd be WAY better off to just go to a studio.  It's not as expensive
as you think.

>but they do not want to record it live..

One track at a time ?  Heh-heh... think about what that would take - 
You sit your drummer down and say "Okay, now PLAY...and don't mess up".

What I might recommend is getting a GOOD 16 channel mixer (with four subs)
and 15 mikes, mike your drums and sub into "1", mike your guitars and bass 
(direct box) and sub into "2", lead vox into "3" and backing vox into "4".
Come out of all four subs into 1 track each on a porta studio that allows you
to record 4 at  a time, and just play it live.  If you mess up the vocals,
go back and over dub...

The mixer and sound engineer will have to be in another room to EQ the drums 
and such - so you'll need a snake.  This works pretty well, and leaves you with
the ability to brag on a "live" recording.  :)

And most definately rent some good outboard gear.

All of this will probably cost you the same or more than what it'd 
cost to go into a 8 track studio and be done with 8 tunes in a couple
nights - and you don't have to sweat the engineering/producing yourself.
It's a lot of work!
:)

jc

    In support of -.1 and -.2, I think the only way it would be cost
    effective to self-produce a demo tape is if the band owned all the
    equipment necessary. 
    
    My four-piece band recorded and mixed a five song demo at a local eight
    track studio for $250: one recording session and two mixdown sessions.
    It's already paid for itself in gigs.
    
    However, if money is not a huge object, then you will definitely learn
    a ton about recording and mixing by doing it yourself.
    

RE: -.1

Yepper - thats about what it costs...  We're getting a price close
to that and we don't even have to supply tape!  The tape, FWIW, is
pretty expensive !!!

jc

    Well I had a bad time when my old band went to record live at
    somebodies home studio for $25 and they mixed it all wrong. The drums
    where too low. The guitars to high.. and I have mixed about 70 songs on
    my 4 track over the past 3 years so I already have some expierience.
    
    So if I rented the equipment to do it live for 2 days do you still
    think I would save going to professional.. If I rented it myself I
    would have about 16 hours which I tihnk is plenty of time.
    

    Not everyone who runs an inexpensive studio expects to mix for you.  I
    know the guy who ran the place Coop's band recorded at here in Colorado
    Springs (a home studio) basically left during the mixdown sessions.  He
    was available to patch stuff up the way you wanted it, but only offered
    advice when you asked him.
    
    Find an inexpensive studio which will work like this for you.  The
    wording you probably want to use with 'em is "We just want an engineer,
    not a producer."
    
    Greg