DAW integration with keyboards

[Kanthos]

I have two keyboards, each with two stereo pairs of audio output, and each capable of multiple parts at once (6 on one, 8 or 16 on the other). My current audio interface is an Edirol UA-25 with one stereo pair of input. One keyboard is a Korg TR (standard workstation), and the other is a Nord Stage, with individual two-manual organ, 2 pianos/electric pianos, and 2 synth sounds. The Nord is my go-to sound for organs, pianos, and electric pianos; I'd probably only use audio from the Korg in a song if I have a particular sound that I'm also using or want to use live (no sense making the sound in software and then again on the Korg).

How would you suggest I integrate with my DAW with respect to audio (MIDI is easy; one has USB MIDI and the other can send and receive MIDI through my audio interface).

The problem I see is that I have considerably more outputs on the keyboards than inputs on my audio interface, and also that I can have considerably more simultaneous sounds on a keyboard than I have outputs for them. Getting a bigger audio interface would be an option, but no matter how it happens, I could end up with more than one sound on a stereo channel at the same time, so any effects and levels would apply to both.

What is a reasonable workflow to get around this? Is it a good idea to record MIDI for all the parts while sending all the keyboards through on a single channel, which I couldn't do in stereo without more gear (I have a tiny 4-channel mono-output mixer that I use to adjust levels for live playing)? And then, when I've finished arranging a song, record each part individually in stereo before mixing? The downside that I see is that using effects on my keyboards would be a pain, since even if I have the notes right, changing the settings for a keyboard-based effect would mean re-recording the track. On my Nord, I'd definitely want to use keyboard-based effects for the pianos, electric pianos, and organ sounds.

Another possibility might be to get a 4-input audio interface so I could route organs and pianos to different output pairs on my Nord, and record synth sounds and anything from my Korg before mixing, so I could use software-based effects.

A third possibility is an 8-input audio interface, so each stereo pair from my keyboards are routed into the audio interface, and record any parts besides the first two from each keyboard before mixing.

Is there a better way I might go about this? One that would be the most flexible and have the least amount of extra work?

[Yoozer]

Is it a good idea to record MIDI for all the parts while sending all the keyboards through on a single channel, which I couldn't do in stereo without more gear (I have a tiny 4-channel mono-output mixer that I use to adjust levels for live playing)? And then, when I've finished arranging a song, record each part individually in stereo before mixing?

That's certainly the way to keep you from plugging things in and out all the time, and it's what we had to do before audio interfaces .

Is there a better way I might go about this? One that would be the most flexible and have the least amount of extra work?

8 inputs sounds like the solution for your woes; at the very least it'll save you the extra noise a mixer might give you.

Real integration is still a way off, with only 2 companies offering it the way it should be done.

[Kanthos]

Ok, well at least it sounds like I'm not clueless then. I'll have to look at prices, but I'll probably end up with a 4-input interface to save money, since I probably won't use the Korg too much, other than as a controller. Thanks for the input.