This leaves a total of $3,350 for two computers, making a mid to high-end Mac mini the only viable option. $500 - computer keyboard, mouse, and display.$1200 - cables, pedals, and accessories.

Here’s a rough cost breakdown of the major components, excluding the computer, in a keyboard rack. On Off-Broadway shows, even less - maybe $7,500.

On Broadway shows, I was usually given a $10,000 pre-tax budget to spend on a single keyboard rack with two computers for redundancy. Unfortunately, professional music equipment is really expensive, so this reality often presented a “trilemma” between low price, high reliability, and high flexibility. Why Mac mini?ĭespite all the razzle-dazzle you see onstage, Broadway shows actually have very tight budgets, especially when it comes to keyboard racks for the electronic music designer. More often than not, the racks I built were powered by Mac minis running MainStage. Prior to moving to Tokyo, I worked as an electronic music designer in New York and Las Vegas, where my job involved building keyboard racks and designing sounds for keyboard players on Broadway shows. Two things came to mind as I watched Tim Cook unveil the 2018 Mac mini.

Music keyboard for mac