I'm having a hard time looking for a cheap high quality mic. It needs to plug in the computer. Thanks!

Are you just asking in general what recording equipment we use? Or are you asking for help on finding microphones?

My dad borrowed his friend's microphone for an indefinite length of time, so that's how I get around that issue. How about you search for a local music store that rents them out? I remember renting out a microphone in the past for ~$30/month.

As for recording equipment itself, I just bought a Tascam Digital Portastudio DP-02 and I can't wait to test it out!

Both

Here's an alternative way to record audio from your piano if it's an electric or digital piano. If you have Aux out, headphone out, optical out, or anything to get the sound out of a piano, all you need is a cable to connect the Out port from the piano and a 3.5mm stereo jack to the computer's line in jack. If you're crazy about clean signal, then I suggest an external ADC because 1. there are electrical interference in the computer where the soundcard is prone to this, and 2. Onboard's ADC sucks.

Once it's all connected, download audacity (freeware audio editor) and you can use it to record whatever comes out of your piano. If you want bit perfect recording or don't want any latency between your PC and your piano, download ASIO4ALL.

Well, the smartmusic mic isn't too bad, and it's only $30. (could be less or more, don't quote me. :P) You might want editing software to fix up the quality if that's an issue for you, but the few times they had us use this at school, it was a decent quality.

I asked one of my professors what to use for my recording (of a song for solo voice and piano), and she told me to use a macbook and garage band.

That is better to use, but that rig can set someone back at LEAST 2-3 grand. Because we gotta love apple and their damn $2000 laptops. <_< And $600 audio editing software.

Well luckily my roommate has the MacBook (and got it for $10, I might add). I just have to figure out if he has garage band. If not I know at least 3 other people that have one...

I use a cheap ol' Realistic mic when i record piano.
However, i hook my piano up to a Fender Vibratone and record through that speaker.
Same thing when i record guitar