Leave a Review KeyStage
What I’ve been waiting for
Finally an app that makes gigging with IOS musical instruments practical. I’ve used KeyStage for about a month. A bit of a learning curve but now I can quickly organize my favorite AU and IAA apps into songs and set lists. The developer has been very responsive and helpful when I’ve had questions. Designed by a gigging keyboardist for gigging musicians!
UPDATE: beta version 2.1 ROCKS! So many new features which make using KeyStage for live gigging even better!Show lessLeesKeys
Best App I’ve ever owned! Superb Developer!!!
This app makes using an iPad for live music not just possible, but exciting! The developer always answers questions and is constantly updating! Paired with Korg module and a couple of others, I’ve been able to use up to 32 different instruments at once and seamlessly switch between them with stacks and all! This all on a second generation iPad Pro 256.Show lessMadaHorn
Great Live Tool
Have just started using this for live work. So powerful and simple to use. Watch the tutorial video and you are then off3699cd
Flexible and Powerful
KeyStage (combined with several instrument apps) has allowed me to abandon heavy, inflexible stage pianos and arranger keyboards. Now I have 2 midi keyboard controllers and an iPad. It is easier to work with this setup, lighter, less expensive, and very flexible to swap out any component (e.g. try a different piano sound, add a keyboard with a better hammer action, etc.).Show lessJamieTopol
Absolute Genius!
The level of control this app gives you over your MIDI and hardware devices is the best you’ll find anywhere! Unlimited routing and midi filtering opens a world of possibilities! Furthermore, is very stable and reliable. I’ve been using it live for a while now and it hasn’t failed once. Just buy it folks!Show lessA.K.M.
Buy the app just to pay to unlock?
A little frustrated that I bought the app for $20, then I have to pay another $20+ just to use my audio units… kinda lame. I’m gonna try Camelot before I pay more for this one. Kind of a shame, was really excited to see what this was made of.codypmack
Developer Response
Dear codypmack, Prior to version 2.0, KeyStage did not have AUv3 hosting, so this is an additional feature that came with version 2.0. Without the in-app purchases, KeyStage is still a fully functional master instrument controller. You can still control your hardware instruments (and apps running in the background) via MIDI, create splits/layers, create custom translators for advanced midi routing, etc. Also the fact that AUv3 hosting can be unlocked via in-app purchases is explained in the description of the app (in the app store). By the way, you can still try all these in-app purchases by tapping “Try All Units” in In-App Purchases view, or in the output selection view of a track.The first iPad live rig manager with the power to do everything you need
This is the first iPad live rig manager with no compromises, that has no dead ends, that can truly run a complicated rig with aplomb and ease. The layout is optimized for the gigging musician, with a unique “table” of instruments, song sections, and patches. It hosts audio units and let you change their settings on the fly without reloading. It is stable and reliable, to the point that you can relax and enjoy the gig. The bottom line: the app is very unattractive and is tricky to set up. But once you get past all this, wow, you have your own personal virtual keyboard tech! It is amazing and so fun to watch it do it’s magic with ease and speed. This is the app to buy if you want to control every facet of your rig. A user manual or textual tutorial would be very welcomed, but I did eventually figure it all out.Show lessphatmann
Gig worthy
Very solid program. Its great to utilize the AUM app with it so as to build huge sounds. Everything you need is on one screen - volume, program change, set list. Easy to pull up apps as you play, such as Hammond bx-3 which you would like to adjust draw bars and leslie on the fly and still have access to set list. Replace Mainstage? It’s certainly reliable enough. My question is, does an ipad have fatter sounds than my MacBook Pro?Show lesspianoguy2102
Changed My Mind about Gigging Live with IOS
I’ve gone back and forth between hardware and vSynths over the years. I’ve used Mainstage, Cantible and even Ableton. Currently I lug my Kronos 88 around and it weighs a metric ton. So I decided to revisit going virtual with an iPad Pro. I came across Key Stage a couple of weeks ago and am blown away with the functionality. This is a very robust app and easily flexible and powerful enough for live gigging. I’m still working through setting up my patches and yet to perform live with it, but I’ve run it for hours on end in my studio as I’ve put together my patches and haven’t had so much as a hiccup with it. I’m running the 2021 iPad Pro with an M1 by the way so I expect your mileage may vary.
In my workflow I’ve noticed a couple of item that I think would make this app even better than it currently is. So these are feature requests but by no means does it prevent this app from being extremely useable for live gigging.
Global Tap Tempo - I want to sync all my auv3 efx and sequences with the global tempo as the drummer counts off a song so being able to tap in a tempo at count off would be amazingly helpful.
In-Line EFX Bypass - There’s a workaround for this currently by using full states and creating parts for each scene, but having a midi mappable bypass would just make the process easier.
Bus Mix Assignment - If there was a way to create a Bus and assign various sources to it, that would be very helpful in dynamically routing audio output from vSynths and other sources in a more dynamic fashion.
Regardless of my wish list this is a great app and I expect I’ll get a lot of use out of it. Thanks to developer for creating this app.Show lessCodevyper
Gig worthy and reliable
I’m able to get all my plugins up and at their proper settings one touch and they’re good to go with no hang ups or crashes. I can set levels, key ranges, am even able to set up various organ drawbars to be tweaked on the fly, controlling two keyboards and a number of pedals. I’ve replaced one hardware keyboard for a controller, and it allows me to use the ipad live in a way I never felt comfortable before, because of locking up and crashes.Show lessMr Whiffle
