The most knowledgeable individual I know when I comes to MIDI files and PCs is Michael Bedesem. Michael posted this information www.psrtutorial.com this afternoon.

"In a typical application that achieves what you desire, the PSR is connected to the computer via USB and to the Speakers via the audio output. You make a change in the Midi setup of setting the instrument's control of the sound to Local Off; this means that the sound will only be generated when midi commands are received from the computer sequencer via USB. When the midi song is played using the sequencer, the program's Volume controls will serve as a mixer board (see the Console view offered by Cakewalks Home Studio product at http://www.cakewalk.com/products/homestudio/english/default.asp) .

One complication of using a PSR with a sequencer is that it is difficult to reproduce the Preset voices exactly. Changing the voice in the computer just selects the basic sample; any DSP or special voice adjustments are not selected. To make an accurate selection, you have to use another PC program called PSRUTI. While doable, it is an extra step and can be confusing ( e.g. a midi has 16 voice channels, but the PSR has only a few DSPs; you will need to make some compromises).

Operating a PSR controlled by a sequencer is a additional complication that should be seriously considered by anyone who is not familiar with the PSR, sequencers and how to make music using an arranger. There is no single instruction book, and if you choose a sequencer that is unknown by arranger players, it will be difficult to get specific help on forums like this one.

You may want to post your questions directly to Michael at that forum as well.

Good Luck,

Gary