Setting up a place to record / recording with my band?

[brendon r]

Yea me and my band are ready to start recording good quality sounding songs and getting our sound around instead of just playing small gigs where nobodies heard us yet. Any advice on what equipment we need/software to begin recording more professional sounding tracks ? (we've used iPad apps and a laptop/mic so far that's it) oh and if it helps we would be recording guitar bass drums vocals and keyboard all hopefully as professionally as possible, but we're all students so low paying jobs right now. We basically need tips on starting up a beginner studio on a low budget. Thnx