What does your audio input normally consist of? I think the tempo follower (audio beat sync) does best following a periodic bass drum (quarter notes). So if your input audio has a drum beat to follow - then tempo is easier to resolve. If you throw only what you play on the keyboard - then the audio beat sync may not do as well.

That said, you could always take the assignable output (left or right) and route it back to the A/D input. Then add a PART with its output the assignable output - and experiment with different sounds seeing if there are any that can make a difference. I think the most difficult part will be playing something that will be recognized - but that's one method to get the basic idea. If you do not want to "waste" a PART dedicated to wrapping back to the A/D input - unfortunately there is not an output choice to use an existing PART and route the output (PART OUTPUT) to Assign L&R AND Main L&R - you have to pick one or the other. So instead, you can use the headphone output and route that back to the A/D input. This should be done with care. You'd want to split the headphone output (since it's a stereo L/R type output) so you pick the L or R channel of that output - then also ensure the level is compatible with the A/D input. It's not the same kind of output as the others - so some conditioning before making its way back to the A/D input may or may not be needed depending on your main volume slider level. It'd probably be best to route through a mixer or other device that lets you also compress the signal to try to keep the volume constant. This will be different than the assignable output - because it will represent Main L&R which carries with it the system and master effects. Assignable L&R strip out these effects.

Yet another question: I tested the arp following the audio input tempo and that works just fine. But is it also possible to follow my own playing tempo?

No. The audio beat detection is not really a ‘mind reader’, which is what you would need to have it follow your live playing. The technology only mimics listening, however, it is not listening, it is looking for audio pulses, the more consistent the pulses, the better it seems to work.

It is an impractical request for this technology to follow you (at this time). That said, at Yamaha we do have products with technology that does follow the player’s tempo, but even there you can understand that it creates ‘a situation’ for the performer. It, the technology, has an arrangement (chart) it is following, you, as the performer, get to interpret the musical part (melody, for example)... the backing accompaniment will adjust to your interpretation of the melody... it waits for you to place the melody note in order to advance the accompaniment. You’ll find basic versions in Yamaha entry level PSR Keyboards.

This works well for “learning” melody or other musical parts, but is not something you would go out and perform with... the usefulness of the tech here is mostly for educational/practice purposes, not performing. At least that is where the technology is now. More sophisticated versions are found in the higher end Yamaha digital and Disklavier Pianos... the arrangements are constructed so as not to feature Drums/percussion items throughout... more sustaining, free-flowing arrangements, when you experience it, it is quite satisfying to perform with (which is the bottom line...) but it still is not listening, it has an arrangement it is following, it simply advances according to specific criteria.

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Audio Beat Sync in MONTAGE is focused on automated or consistent input. It is not aware of what is coming next, therefore it is like the TAP TEMPO function, it is analyzing the distances between (audible) events and making a decision that creates an average tempo flow. But it is not reading your mind, it is not listening, it is measuring, analyzing, and generating an average tempo. So the distances between events in free flowing tempo is still a bit critical. (So never say never... just not here, not yet...)

The restrictions on what you could play that even would remotely work would be more punishing than following a Click Track. It would certainly not allow you to play freely. The tech is not human! Not yet.

Thanks for your answers! We will first make a start with audio directly from our drummer and see how it works. Our feeling is that when performing live, it will be less 'static' than following a click track.