I just purchased an Akai MPK Mini MK2 and would like to record some tracks asides from my guitar and bass with audacity. Is this posible or not? For example i would like to use the drum pad of the controller to set the percussion of the song and after that record some tracks with my guitar and bass. If this is not posible i read that Garageband would do the trick but i am a PC not a Mac User. Hence, it wouldnt work.
Any opinions and recommedations are highly appreciated.
Is Akai MPK Mini MK2 compatible with Audacity?
No. That’s a MIDI controller (it doesn’t generate audio itself) and Audacity is NOT a MIDI application.
You can use the Akai with MIDI software (maybe the software that came with it) to make audio tracks (i.e. WAV files) and then you can open the WAV files in Audacity for mixing, etc. But typically, you’d use a [u]DAW[/u] application (Digital Audio Workstation) that can handle audio & MIDI together.
and after that record some tracks with my guitar and bass.
If you want high-quality recordings you’ll need an [u]audio interface[/u] with “instrument” inputs and/or microphone inputs. Regular soundcards are not (properly) compatible with electric guitar or stage/studio mics. It’s fairly common to record bass direct. Guitar can also be recorded direct but normally an amplifier/cabinet “sim” (simulator) plug-in is used because the amplifier/cabinet is “part of the instrument” and a “clean” electric guitar doesn’t usually sound as good. It’s also common for pros to record guitar with an SM57 in front of the cabinet but that’s not always practical “at home” and you may not own the amp of your dreams…