DAW for Radio Plays what Interface to get?

[carroll6]

What I want to do: Make my own Radio style plays, with sound effects, music and voice.
What I have now: I have a YouRock Guitar and MuLab registered. Works good, I can come up with some good enough theme music.
I have a M Audio 2496 PCI Card.
Quad Core computer with XP/Win7 64 bit dual boot

The problem: Need a Mic Preamp. The M Audio 2496 needs preamplified input. I have headsets that I used with Dragon Dictate, and they worked fine for that. Now I can't get any decent voice stuff. Tried the Onboard audio. Tried a Creative Audigy 2 sound card, but and there is a lot of lag.
What should I do? I could get a preamp for the 2496, BUT.. for approximately the same price, around $60 I can get a whole new USB audio interface. Guess I'll have to get a Condenser MIC. I am trying to evaluate all of these devices. There are TASCAM US 122, M Audio Fast Track, Behringer 302, Alesis USB/Audio Interfaces, and also affordable Firewire interfaces. On Ebay there is a M Audio Firewire Audiophile for $59 What should I do? Just the preAmp is $35, but for some more $$ I can get a whole new interface. Got the Creative Audigy 2 in my computer now- eh it's crap compared to the M Audio. But I need to get my MIC to work. Gotta have voice inputs, and to find a MIC that is good enough to produce these "Radio Play" or Podcast style productions. I also have a duo core Laptop I might use someday. What is the most efficent solution?