You're excited about the possibilities of using MainStage live. You're excited to get your very first Mac, or you're looking to upgrade from your current computer. There are so many options nowadays. Do you need a laptop, or would a desktop be a better option? Continue reading for the answers.
Apple has updated their MainStage software, used to add virtual instruments and effects to live performances, to version 2.2.1. The update addresses 16 separate issues, and is available immediately through the Mac App Store. I just bought MainStage 2.2 from the Mac App store and noticed that in-app download installs all 6 Jam Packs. This includes the settings for GarageBand, tons of sampled instrumetns and 15k Apple Loops. Works perfectly in GarageBand! MainStage is only $29, Jam Packs used to cost $99 ea.
Laptop
15″ MacBook Pro
The 15″ MacBook Pro is the ultimate all-in-one package for live musicians running MainStage. From an engineering perspective, everything about this machine is top of the line. There simply isn't a better laptop for running MainStage than the 15″ MacBook Pro.
In terms of specifications, always prioritize RAM over storage space, and storage space over CPU clock speed.
- Always max our your RAM. In this case, 16GB is the maximum.
- The difference between a 2.6GHz and 2.9GHz processor is negligible.
- Upgrade to 1TB storage if you have lots of sample libraries, and don't want to carry an external hard drive around.
- Don't bother upgrading the video card unless you also do high end photo and video editing (Adobe Photoshop & Final Cut Pro X).
Lastly, the 2016 MacBook Pro has received a lot of price-related criticism. The lowest priced stock configuration starts at $2399 compared to the previous generation's $1999 entry point. If the 15″ MacBook Pro is over your budget, do consider getting a 13″ model instead. You'll lose the quad-core CPU, but gain a lot of the storage price for the same price or less.
13″ MacBook Pro
The 2016 13″ MacBook Pro is also a very capable machine. Before I purchased a 2016 15″ MacBook Pro, I was programming and performing on a 13″ MacBook Pro from 2013. Don't let the compact form factor fool you! The only reason I upgraded to a 15″ model this time around is the decrease in size thanks to the shrunken bezel.
The latest 13″ model comes in two flavors — Touch Bar and no Touch Bar. I recommend skipping the no Touch Bar version because the CPU maxes out at 2.4GHz. Keep in mind quad-core processors aren't an option on the 13″ MacBook Pros. Thus, a clock speed upgrade to 3.1GHz or 3.3GHz on the Touch Bar version isn't a bad idea. As with the 15,' max out the RAM to 16GB and decide on storage based on your needs.
Desktop
If you're putting together a keyboard rig for a long-term or sitdown gig, a desktop can be a more cost effective solution. Apple has three desktop computers — the iMac, Mac Pro, and Mac Mini.
iMac
In my opinion, the 21.5″ iMac w/4K Retina Display is the best computer for MainStage if you're looking for a desktop solution. It's configurable with quad-core i7 processors, high enough capacity SSD storage, and enough RAM. While the larger 27″ iMac supports up to 32GB RAM and 1TB of flash storage, try imagining such a large computer on stage — what an eyesore.
The 21.5″ iMac with a 3.3GHz quad-core i7 processor, 16GB RAM, and 512GB of flash storage comes out to $2299, which is significantly cheaper than a comparable MacBook Pro.
I've used the 21.5″ iMac in several shows on Broadway and Las Vegas, and it's become my go-to option if redundancy isn't a requirement.
My current sitdown gig in Las Vegas. I use an iMac running Keyscape and Kontakt.
Mac Pro
The Mac Pro, in its current state, represents a terrible value for a MainStage computer. It hasn't received a proper update in years, and contains useless components (dual video card) for musicians that drive up the cost of the machine. If you really need a CPU with more than four cores, you're better off building a Hackintosh. Your wallet will thank you.
If you're set on building a keyboard rig around the Mac Pro, there are a few associated costs to consider. First, you'll need to purchase a monitor display. Next, you'll need to get a keyboard and mouse — because Apple knows you can afford it after dropping $3000 on the computer. Lastly, you'll probably want to figure out how to mount the Mac Pro in a rack. Sonnet makes a cool-looking 4U mounting kit.
Mac Mini
2012 was the golden age of the Mac Mini. In the good ol' days, the Mini was configurable with a quad-core processor. This made it an extremely attractive option for redundant keyboard rigs — two decently powerful computers side by side in a 1U rack space.
Two Mac Minis in a 1U Rack Space
Unfortunately, Apple killed the quad-core option in the 2014 refresh. Thus, we're left with dual-core Minis that are severely underpowered for today's most demanding sample libraries and plugins.
Realistically, a dual-core Mac Mini is more than capable of running dozens of instances of MainStage's stock plugins. With proper programming (aliasing, minimizing insert FX, using global reverbs and delays, etc.), the Mac Mini can even run a few third party plugins. For example, I've used Synthogy's Ivory and IK Multimedia's Amplitube on a dual-core Mac Mini.
Rehearsal for a show in NYC. There are two Mac Minis in the rack on the left.
Building a redundant keyboard rig means you'll need two computers, two audio interfaces, a KVM switch, and an audio switcher like the Radial SW8. These extra components essentially double the price of the rig, so a fairly cheap computer like the Mac Mini is an attractive option. If you're not looking to build a redundant rig, there's little reason to get a Mac Mini.
Conclusion
If you're looking to build a serious keyboard rig running the latest third party instruments and plugins, get a 15″ MacBook Pro or 21.5″ iMac (w/quad core i7 processor). If you don't foresee yourself using resource-intensive plugins, a 13″ MacBook Pro will work just fine. If you power requirements aren't satisfied by Apple's high end MacBook Pro and iMac offerings, look into building a souped up Hackintosh.
Selecting the right keyboard rig for your worship band can be a daunting task. In this article, I'm going to walk you through the setup we use at our church plant. Rather than spending thousands of dollars on a Nord, Roland, or Yamaha keyboard, we are able to produce amazing sounds with an inexpensive MIDI keyboard and Mainstage running on a MacBook Air. Keep reading to the end and you'll know exactly what to buy and how to set this up at your church.
The question of the day: What keyboard rig do you use at your church? I love learning from you guys so let me know below in the comments.
I'm going to walk you through the keyboard setup we use at the small church plant where I lead worship. I am not a professional keyboardist. I'm a worship leader and guitarist. But as the worship leader, it's my responsibility to make sure my volunteers who play keyboard have the best tools to produce the best sounds possible.
I wanted to build a rig that can reproduce the sounds we hear today on most modern worship albums. That means the rig must have piano, pad, synth, organ, and bass patches to play the wide variety of sounds that are popular today.
There are two pieces to any keyboard rig. The first piece is the hardware which is the physical keyboard itself. The second piece is the software which produces the sounds. There are a couple of options for how you can go about combining hardware and software for a keyboard rig.
First, you could buy a keyboard that combines the hardware and software into one. While this setup is portable and convenient, there are a couple of issues. To have a keyboard with high quality sounds built it, you need to spend a lot of money on a high-end Nord, Roland, or Yamaha. Most churches cannot afford that. Instead, they buy a cheap keyboard for a few hundred dollars which ends up not sounding good and cannot produce the pad and synth sounds required in modern worship bands.
The second way to build a worship keyboard rig is to purchase the hardware and software separately. That's what I did to set up the keyboard rig for my worship band. There are several advantages to this. First, you can buy an inexpensive MIDI keyboard controller from M-Audio or Akai. In our setup, we use the M-Audio Hammer 88. It has 88 weighted keys and feels great for only being $400. Remember, MIDI keyboard controllers do not produce actual sound. You will plug the keyboard into a laptop with USB cable, and the laptop will be creating the sound.
We have a MacBook Air with Mainstage installed on it to run our keyboard sounds, also known as patches. Mainstage is available for $30 in the Mac app store. Sorry PC user, Mainstage is not available on Windows. You do not need a super powerful Mac to run Mainstage. The MacBook Air we have is a 2014 model with 8GB of RAM. We have never had performance issues.
Once you have MainStage installed on your computer, you can start using the piano and pad sounds built into the software. That is what we did for a few months at our church plant. Recently, I purchased Sunday Keys. Sunday Keys is a template of premade Mainstage patches that are designed specifically for worship. Here's a link to a video where the creator of these patches demos all the sounds. The template costs only $50 which is an incredible value. Once you purchase and download the bundle, you open up the MainStage concert file and bam; you have amazing worship keyboard patches ready to go.
I wanted to build a rig that can reproduce the sounds we hear today on most modern worship albums. That means the rig must have piano, pad, synth, organ, and bass patches to play the wide variety of sounds that are popular today.
There are two pieces to any keyboard rig. The first piece is the hardware which is the physical keyboard itself. The second piece is the software which produces the sounds. There are a couple of options for how you can go about combining hardware and software for a keyboard rig.
First, you could buy a keyboard that combines the hardware and software into one. While this setup is portable and convenient, there are a couple of issues. To have a keyboard with high quality sounds built it, you need to spend a lot of money on a high-end Nord, Roland, or Yamaha. Most churches cannot afford that. Instead, they buy a cheap keyboard for a few hundred dollars which ends up not sounding good and cannot produce the pad and synth sounds required in modern worship bands.
The second way to build a worship keyboard rig is to purchase the hardware and software separately. That's what I did to set up the keyboard rig for my worship band. There are several advantages to this. First, you can buy an inexpensive MIDI keyboard controller from M-Audio or Akai. In our setup, we use the M-Audio Hammer 88. It has 88 weighted keys and feels great for only being $400. Remember, MIDI keyboard controllers do not produce actual sound. You will plug the keyboard into a laptop with USB cable, and the laptop will be creating the sound.
We have a MacBook Air with Mainstage installed on it to run our keyboard sounds, also known as patches. Mainstage is available for $30 in the Mac app store. Sorry PC user, Mainstage is not available on Windows. You do not need a super powerful Mac to run Mainstage. The MacBook Air we have is a 2014 model with 8GB of RAM. We have never had performance issues.
Once you have MainStage installed on your computer, you can start using the piano and pad sounds built into the software. That is what we did for a few months at our church plant. Recently, I purchased Sunday Keys. Sunday Keys is a template of premade Mainstage patches that are designed specifically for worship. Here's a link to a video where the creator of these patches demos all the sounds. The template costs only $50 which is an incredible value. Once you purchase and download the bundle, you open up the MainStage concert file and bam; you have amazing worship keyboard patches ready to go.
Let's talk about cost. Assuming you already have a Mac computer available, it only costs $30 for Mainstage, $50 for Sunday Keys, and let's say you purchase a MIDI Keyboard like the one we use at my church for $400. For less than $500, your church has a phenomenal worship keyboard rig. If you went and spent $500 on a typical keyboard with sounds built in, you'd have a very mediocre rig. To me, it's a no-brainer. Even if you need to buy an additional laptop to run Mainstage, you can find a used MacBook Air for less than $1000. In the end, this setup is still a fraction of the price for a flagship Nord, Roland, or Yamaha keyboard.
But I'm not done showing you how cool this setup is. At my church, we use Ableton Live to run a click, tracks and automate lighting and lyrics in worship. If you've been following my blog for any amount of time, you probably know I'm a huge Ableton Live geek. Ableton Live can also control different features within Mainstage. It can cue up the right Mainstage patches at the right time, so my keyboardist doesn't have to worry about selecting the right sound. Ableton can also tell Mainstage what tempo a song is in so that delays and arpeggiators align with the tempo of the song.
Want to master Ableton Live for your worship ministry? Click here to enroll in my free video training.
The final thing I want to touch on is how to get audio from your Mac to your sound system. You will need a 3.5mm to dual ¼' cable, a stereo DI Box, and two XLR cables to plug into your stage snake or sound console. With this setup, you will have a left and right channel from your computer. Stereo is not totally necessary, but it can be nice if you have patches with panning features in them.
Mainstage 2 Download Mac Free
I hope you now see that a phenomenal keyboard sound is achievable with a simple MIDI controller, Mainstage, and Sunday Keys. As a worship leader who wants to quickly implement the latest and greatest in worship tools for my team, this one was a no-brainer from the second I heard David demo these patches on his channel.
Mainstage Mac
Thanks for reading. If you want to learn the #1 worship leading software, enroll in my free training, Lead Worship with Ableton linked below. You can also download my Worship Ministry toolkit which contains links to everything covered in this video. If you found this article helpful, hit the heart button and share it with your friends. Leave your love, opinions, and details of your keyboard rig below in the comments.
