I have an old Roland keyboard and the Ultra Pak on an external usb drive. I also have the Ketron sd2. On my main computer which is a new big monster hp running 10 gigs of memory and two 500 gig harddrives I have a mini usb from Edirol 1 in and 1 out. Works on xp and vista no problems I did not even have to download a driver for Vista which surprised me. Plug and play.

I run the left and right out of the Roland to my powered mixer. I route the midi into band in a box and use the Thru connection to use the Ketron as part of the mix, running the other end of the usb midi to the ketron and it has left and right to another channel on the powered mixer.

I have a second setup now using either my Sony Laptop and a non powered mixer and a keyboard amp, and use that upstairs with the accousitc piano. I also use that setup with my our Acer Asipre running on an Intel Atom. All of them work, once you get comfortable with the configurations. I eventually decided I did not need to see the notes I play, they are seldom the same. I make leadsheets for Brass Quintets and Quartets, and ususally export them to a music score software, for although Band in A Box will make me a 4 part harmony I often want to change notes, especially passing notes etc....

I am probably best known for a statement that the easier it is to learn a piece of software,the sooner you will tire of it and the simplicity inherent therein, and the software becomes quickly redundant.

Good Luck, tackle one piece of the problem at a time, watch the videos, then post your questions...help is available.....

John Conley
Musica est vita