Bridges are much easier to cross if you have plotted your route in advance! And shortcuts usually end up being the long way around!
I really would recommend figuring out how to get the virtual keyboard to record (you really are most of the way there already), or even getting a small external MIDI controller. It may seem like more work now, but that will pay off in not having to jump through a bunch of (self-imposed) hoops later that might be just as frustrating.
While everyone's workflow is a bit different, I think the underlying basis is similar for most people who have been doing this for a while, and there's a reason for that. In the long run, you will get better results, more easily.