ianpatrickroe wrote: when I add an external instrument onto a track, that means I can't put a VST on there, or any other instrument for that matter, and the whole reason I want to use this as a midi controller is so that I can not only use it as a synth (native to it's body) but also, use the keys (like I did with my Novation launchley Mini) with VST's also. Or am I totally wrong in assuming that is even possible?
External instrument is for an.. external .. instrument (you know, like playing your A1 from the DAW). A VST is not an external instrument, it's an "internal" instrument. So it's natural these cannot coexist on the same track.
You should just drop the VST on a MIDI track by itself, and route the incoming MIDI from the keyboard (if your A1 is plugged in by USB, you would use that port and the appropriate channel for the slot you've selected) to that track. If the track is set to monitor or is armed for recording, when you play the keyboard you should see the MIDI lights on the track input and hear the VST sounding. If not, you probably have a problem with your MIDI routing or setup in the DAW.