Hey man,
I have no speakers on my work pc but regarding your difficulties recording... sounds like you have latency problems (causes the stuttering). This can be addressed by adjusting the buffereing in the setup for whatever sequencer you are using. To get the most out of the Gearbox package you should post for advice in the Reaper forum. There will be loads of users with that setup that can help you get set up quickly - should just be a matter of a few clicks. Best of luck getting things sortewd anyway.