Free software limitation encountered. The free version of
MixPad that I'm using doesn't have
Virtual Studio Technology (VST) support.
But
LMMS (short for Linux Multimedia Studio) does. Its own limitation that it doesn't do audio recording, but
MixPad does.
Yin and Yang complete.
I'm loving
Bedroom Producers Blog, particularly the
Best Free DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) and
Free VST Plugins pages.
To add VSTs to LMMS, use the VeSTige Plugin to select and load the .dll file from the relevant VST.

Plugins all the way down.
I don't have the patience yet to fiddle around with VSTs since my Roland's presets are good enough for me, for now.
The Dream™ is to get up to making Eurobeat/Hardbass/Trance EDM and Power Metal, but plain old Ambiance like my Northern Tenma post is a good entry point for learning since I know jack squat about music theory.
God bless the internet and search engines.
One pro tip: Label tracks with preset number/preset name/note name. Keeps things clean like naming layers in drawings, and reinforces note names and positions.
