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Because MainStage uses MIDI, you can use practically any 88-key electronic keyboard or digital piano. If you are preparing to purchase a new keyboard for MainStage, here are a few things you should consider.

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Keyboard specifications

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Cost

The cost of a new keyboard can be as low as $500 or as much as several thousand dollars. For an ideal MainStage setup, expect to spend at least $1000.

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Pedal inputs

In addition to a sustain pedal, a patch change pedal and expression pedal can be incredibly useful when playing musical theatre. Many new keyboards today only offer two pedal inputs (for sustain and expression). If you want to add a third pedal for advancing patches, you should be prepared to spend a little more money. If your keyboard doesn’t have enough pedal inputs, you can use a device like Audiofront’s MIDI Expression, but we recommend plugging pedals directly into your keyboard whenever possible.

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Action

Most (but not all) 88-key keyboards will have weighted keys. Keyboard action is entirely a matter of personal preference. If possible, visit a brick and mortar store to try a keyboard in person before you buy. Generally speaking, a heavier action is better for piano-heavy books, while a lighter action is easier to play fast passages and Hammond organ glisses commonly found in synth books.

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Weight

It’s not unusual to find keyboards as lightweight as 30 pounds or so. If you plan to move the keyboard frequently, consider a lighter model.

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Built-in sounds

Even though all of our sounds are programmed in MainStage, we generally recommend keyboards that include built-in sounds. This offers much more flexibility because you can use it for other purposes without needing MainStage (e.g., rehearsals, cabarets, shows that don’t require keyboard programming, etc). This also allows you to plug the keyboard into the sound system as a backup.

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Brands

Kurzweil and Yamaha are among our favorite brands. We generally do not recommend many Roland keyboards (including the RD-88) because of pedal compatibility issues.

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