This guide will help guide you through the steps to setting up a great keyboard rig. Before you get started, take a few moments to review the equipment checklist to make sure you have everything you need.

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Equipment overview

To start, you’ll need the following:

We recommend using a UPS whenever possible.

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Setup guide

1

Set your keyboard on a stand and plug in the power adapter.

Most players prefer a table-style stand because it offers the most legroom and flexibility with pedals.

2

Connect your pedals.

The sustain pedal normally plugs into a jack labeled “Sustain”, “Damper”, or “Switch 1”. The expression pedal should plug into a continuous control jack.

3

Set your computer on a sturdy stand or stable flat surface.

Do not use a wireless mouse or keyboard because they can potentially cause interference with other wireless equipment like microphones. During the performance, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth should be kept off.

Never put your computer on a sheet music stand, even if it seems stable. It isn’t.

4

Plug in your audio interface

The audio interface should similarly be placed on a stable surface. If your audio interface isn’t plug-and-play, download and install any necessary software drivers.

  • Your audio interface likely connects to your computer with a USB cable.
  • Using a 5-pin MIDI cable, connect the MIDI OUT from your keyboard into the MIDI IN of your audio interface.
  • Connect your audio interface’s stereo output to your venue’s sound system.

Inexpensive USB hubs are prone to failure. If you must use a USB hub, plug your audio interface directly into your computer and only use the USB hub for non-critical devices (e.g., keyboard and mouse).

5

Boot up

Turn on your computer, audio interface, and keyboard. Confirm that MainStage is receiving MIDI input. Depending on your keyboard’s configuration, you may need to assign your patch change and expression pedal.

Magic Fox Basic Main Stage Setup Diagram Pn

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