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When connecting my Casio PX-5S to the Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 USB sound card, I can play with the headphones connected to the Direct Monitoring output on the Focusrite, instead of using the headphones output on the Casio.

Apart from getting a better sound, shouldn't I be able to trigger a virtual instrument at the same time, and thus mix the internal voices of the PX-5S with a virtual piano? Will latency be a problem, that is, more latency on the software piano, than the PX-5S own pianos?

Also, can I use some EQ or other effects I will acquire from software vendors, or available for free? The sound engine of the PX-5S is powerful and versatile, but I would like to know if I have this other options.

I know I can just try it, but I don't have two mono cables right now, only one, though I will probably get another one in a few days, or after the weekend. I'm curious if this is possible, and if other users here, have tried something like this. I know Peterws has been mixing Pianoteq with his DP's internal pianos, Peterws, how did you do it, and how did it turn out?

If you want to control a virtual instrument, you need a MIDI or a direct USB link to the PX-5S.

About mixing, this depends of the availability of Line-in plugs on your Casio. If you gave not, you can already mix signal on the PC (virtual instrument and Focusrite).

I'm using virtual instruments (alone) all the time, through USB over MIDI. I can connect the PX-5S straight to the Focusrite, from the Line Out R L/Mono to the inputs of the Focusrite, two mono cables. This picture from Audio Fanzine, shows the connections of the PX-5S very well.

http://medias.audiofanzine.com/images/normal/casio-px-5s-1567235.jpg

Hoping Frank will forgive me for not hosting a picture on the PW server, but hopefully Audio Fanzine will not remove the picture or relocate it! Besides, the picture is in high resolution, so it's possible to zoom in on it to see the connections clearly.

What I'm getting at, is the connections are not a problem, the PX-5S has all the connections at least I can think of. It's what happens in the computer and the final mix, that is the question.

I've got one of these little mixers and they are just perfect for the job
http://m.music-group.com/Categories/Behringer/Mixers/Analog-Mixers/502/p/P0576
Has 2 stereo inputs plus a third mono multi input (say for a mic).
It has stereo line outs plus headphone out.
I use it for mixing combinations of inbuilt keyboard sounds plus midi backing and iOS piano apps.
A big advantage is having the volume mixing pots easy to adjust.

It sounds to me like the question is: Does the Scarlett 2i4 allow dual inputs: 1 from PC/USB, and 1 from DP Line Out? I would think so with the 2i4.

I've not been on this forum in ages, but right off I see I can answer this question.

If you are using the 2i4 interface then because it came bundled with a copy of Pro Tools I assume you are using PT to do the recording. I am much more foamier with Apple's "Logic" but the two are similar.

In your DAW (PT, Logic, whatever..) open a stereo audio track, or one mono track if you prefer. ALSO open a midi track. As you record you should be recording BOTH the audio from the keyboard AND the midi performance data.

You can assign a virtual instrument to the midi track, Pick anything you like. You can even change it after you are finished recording

To hear what you were writing about above you want to play a mix of the virtual instrument and the live audio in the headphones. Just route the tracks using the virtual mixer in the DAW. I think currently you were monitoring the raw audio not the mix.

Latency can be an issue it yto put them into the headphones rather then let the audio interface provide the headphone feed. The trick is to reduce the buffer size in your DAW, make it small enough and you don't notice. But if you can't reduce the latency, just go back to listening to the raw audio and later you can play back the audio and midi tracks and listen to the mix. If you don't like it you can change the virtual instrument. You can even wind it back and record more tracks, maybe add a bass line accompaniment?

Some body suggested using an audio mixer. Never do that because it "bakes in" the mix. Better to keep each performance on it's own parallel track so you have the ability to go back and change stuff.

Chummy with a favorite brew in hand sort of thing?

Good to see you again here Chris! I hope you can stick around!

Cheers,
James
x

ChrisA, I will probably record all MIDI data on the PX-5S, and then reroute the resulting MIDI files through VSTis. In Reaper, since Pro Tools | First is unusable, at least on my computer. It freezes, crashes, takes forever to respond, and seems to be able to do everything, except what I want it to do.

Same goes for Ableton Live 9 Lite, it was fine for a few weeks, then suddenly started crashing every time, and for some time I thought it had wrecked my computer. Welcome back to the forum, an excellent first post after all these years.

Actually, I wasn't only thinking about recording, also practising with the help of a DAW and some cool effects I can find to tweak the sound. I'll get that extra mono cable and get down on experimenting a little with mixing, and playing, with the Focusrite 2i4 as the center. Will report how it works out for me.