Turn off the computer.
Connect the MIDI interface to the computer via the USB cable that was included with it. Connect the MIDI cable to the "MIDI In" on the interface to the "MIDI Out" on the keyboard controller. Plug the outputs from the mixing board to the inputs on the sound card.
Turn the computer on. It should recognize that new hardware has been connected to the computer. Insert the CD that came with the MIDI interface. Follow the pop-up prompts to install the software drivers.
Start the DAW. Load a VST (virtual streaming technology) instrument into an open MIDI track.
Go to the "Preferences" or "Options" menu to adjust the MIDI settings for the DAW. Ensure that the input is set as your MIDI interface.
Adjust the audio card settings. Ensure your current audio card is the one that's being used for output. Make certain the sample rate is at 44.1 kHz. Adjust the latency so it's not noticeable to the ear when you press a key on the keyboard. Latency is simply the amount of time in milliseconds it takes for a sound to trigger once a note is pressed on the keyboard.
Choose the VST instrument track and test that it is receiving a signal by pressing a key on the keyboard. If a sound heard, it's working properly.
Connect a microphone to the sound card directly or through the mixing board that's connected to the sound card. Choose an audio track and press "Record." A waveform should appear once you're done recording.
Import audio files into different tracks. You want to add as many tracks as possible to see when the DAW will begin to choke so you can have a benchmark on how many audio tracks you can actually record. Repeat this process for the number of VST instruments and effects and note the results.