There are so many interfaces and accessories out there & finding what works best for your context can be an expensive journey of trial and error.
Something that I’ve noticed in the church gear world is people have a tendency of buying whatever they see Hillsong, Bethel, Elevation, etc. using and assume that’s what’s best for their context too. Although this sometimes does prove to be a great approach, there are times when this ends in you spending a ton of money on a piece of gear that is either overkill for your context or doesn’t even meet your needs.
So how do you determine what you need & buy what’s best for your context?
That’s what this post is all about. Get ready to learn about what the best interfaces and computer accessories for worship are.
How to Determine Which Interface You Need
Picking out the best interface can feel like a weighty task because there are a lot of options out there! Here are a few questions to ask yourself as you’re preparing to get a new interface for worship that will help you narrow down your options:
- How many outputs do we need?
- How many inputs are available on the soundboard?
- Will there be any upgrades or additions taking place in the near future (such as a new soundboard with more input channels, an addition of another person on stage with a computer, a new computer with different USB input types, etc.) that this new interface should be able to work with?
- Are there any features that I DO NOT need to waste money on having?
Best Interfaces for Worship
You are about to see a lot of different examples. From straight stereo keys DIs to full-on multi-channel keys + tracks rigs. Below each interface, we’ll show you which setups they work best for to help you decide what is best for your context.
Radial USB-DI – $229
If all you’re wanting to do is run a stereo/mono keys setup or a simple tracks rig, this device is really all you need. The Radial USB-PRO DI has a USB input to a stereo XLR left/right output (along with a 3.5mm headphones jack & a mono sum button), eliminating the need for an additional DI to convert an interface’s typical 1/4″ output to XLR. This device doesn’t have any input ability, so you’ll need an interface with inputs on it if you desire to record audio to your computer.
Here’s the output setup we suggest (everyone has their own preference, so setup whatever way works best for you).
- 1-2: Keys (Stereo)
or
- 1: Click/Guide (Mono)
- 2: Tracks (Mono)
Focusrite Scarlett Solo – $109.99
Focusrite’s Scarlett series is one of the most popular interface series out there because they’re simple, cheap, & reliable. We suggest this if you want the ability to record audio into your favorite audio recording software (DAW) while also using this device for your on-stage setup. YES! This is cheaper than the Radial USB-DI, but the Scarlett Solo has 2 1/4″ TRS outputs, so you’ll still need 2 DIs to balance the audio signal to XLR for sending to your soundboard. That price totals to well above the price of the Radial USB-DI and adds more cables, pieces of equipment on stage, and things to worry about troubleshooting if they don’t work.
So if all you need is a live performance device, get the USB-DI. If you really want the ability to record into your computer we suggest getting a USB-DI for playing and the Scarlett for recording. Unless your church already has DIs laying around that you could use with the Scarlett. Anyways…
Here’s the output setup we suggest (everyone has their own preference, so setup whatever way works best for you).
- 1-2: Keys (Stereo)
OR
- 1: Click/Guide (Mono)
- 2: Tracks (Mono)
Focusrite Scarlett 4i4 – $229.99
Multiple outputs is something that’s often overlooked. If you plan to play more than one sound at the same time, it’s always good to have more than one pair of outputs; routing each sound to a different stereo output pair. This allows your sound engineer to have control of each sound you send.
A good thing to remember is: Just because your sounds and mix feel good in your headphones does not mean that they sound good in the house. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve yelled at a keys player to turn down their pad patch. That’s why a multi-output interface is clutch.
Another way to utilize multiple outputs is if you plan to run tracks & your keys sound out of the same device. If so, route your keys sounds to outputs 1-2 & backing tracks to outputs 3-4. One thing to note, since tracks usually include a click/guide track, with this device your tracks will be sending to your soundboard as a mono signal (unless you change your keys to mono so your tracks can be stereo which is honestly a great idea if you don’t have any stereo sound design in your keys sound).
Here’s the output setup we suggest (everyone has their own preference, so setup whatever way works best for you).
- 1-2: Keys/Synths (Stereo)
- 3-4: Pads (Stereo)
OR
- 1-2: Keys/Synths (Stereo)
- 3: Click/Guide (Mono)
- 4: Tracks (Mono)
If you need stereo keys, stereo backing tracks, & click/guide all on their own outputs, then you’ll need a device with more outputs & we have just the thing for you.
Track Rig – $499.99
This device is truly incredible! Not only does it have 8 XLR outputs, but it also has a 4-input USB hub built into the interface for all your USB accessory needs. This device is ideal for those running stereo tracks and keys sounds out of the same computer or for those who want to split their tracks up for better mixing control at Front of House.
Giving your FOH engineer more control of the tracks will ultimately allow your mix to sound better in the house.
Here’s the output setup we suggest (everyone has their own preference, so setup whatever way works best for you).
- 1-2: Keys/Synths (Stereo)
- 3-4: Pads (Stereo)
- 5: Click/Guide (Mono)
- 6: Percussion Tracks (Mono)
- 7-8: Remaining Tracks (Stereo)
OR
- 1-2: Keys/Synths (Stereo)
- 3: Click/Guide (Mono)
- 4: Percussion Tracks (Mono)
- 5-6: Keys/Synth Tracks (Stereo)
- 7-8: Remaining Tracks (Stereo)
iConnectivity PlayAUDIO12 – $599.99
This device is a workhorse! With 10 1/4″ TRS (+48V phantom power resistant) outputs, this device can pretty much do whatever you need. All you’d need to connect these channels to your soundboard is an XLR to TRS snake (this is the snake we suggest). This capability is super cool and will save a ton of money on additional direct boxes!
PLEASE NOTE: Very few devices are +48V phantom power resistant, so only connect an XLR to TRS cable to a device that you are certain can handle a +48V phantom power signal accidentally being sent to it.
Here’s the output setup we suggest (everyone has their own preference, so setup whatever way works best for you).
- 1-2: Keys/Synths (Stereo)
- 3-4: Pads (Stereo)
- 5: Click/Guide (Mono)
- 6: Percussion Tracks (Mono)
- 7-8: Keys/Synth Tracks (Stereo)
- 9-10: Remaining Tracks (Stereo)
OR
- 1-2: Keys/Synths (Stereo)
- 3: Click/Guide (Mono)
- 4: Percussion Tracks (Mono)
- 5-6: Keys/Synth Tracks (Stereo)
- 7-8: Bass/Synth Bass (Stereo)
- 9-10: Remaining Tracks (Stereo)
Motu 16A – $1495
We have now arrived at the Holy Grail of interface setups. Is it overkill? I mean…
The Motu 16A has 16 1/4″ TRS outputs & 16 1/4″ TRS inputs. Basically what this means is you could have stereo control of almost every individual aspect of your keys and tracks outputs. One thing to note, the 1/4″ outputs on the 16A ARE NOT +48V phantom power resistant, so you’ll need DIs to balance each channel to XLR (we suggest 2 of these).
Here’s the output setup we suggest (everyone has their own preference, so setup whatever way works best for you).
- 1-2: Keys/Synths (Stereo)
- 3-4: Pads (Stereo)
- 5: Click (Mono)
- 6: Guide (Mono)
- 7-8: Keys/Synth Tracks (Stereo)
- 9-10: Bass/Sub Bass Tracks (Stereo)
- 11-12: Guitar Tracks (Stereo)
- 13-14: Percussive Tracks (Stereo)
- 15-16: All Remaining Tracks (Stereo)
OR
- 1-2: Keys/Synths (Stereo)
- 3: Click (Mono)
- 4: Guide (Mono)
- 5-6: Keys/Synth Tracks (Stereo)
- 7-8: Bass/Sub Bass Tracks (Stereo)
- 9-10: Guitar Tracks (Stereo)
- 11-12: Percussive Tracks (Stereo)
- 13-14: All FX Tracks (Stereo)
- 15-16: Remaining Tracks (Stereo)
Again, this rig is probably overload & very few churches have the budget and soundboard channels available to pull it off. BUT if you can, boy does it sound amazing!
Computer Accessories for Worship
The right accessories for your rig can simplify & enhance your setup like no other. While there are so many different things that you can utilize, here are just a few accessories that we’ve watched make our experience so much better.
Looptimus – $299
This is one of my absolute favorite devices! If you’ve ever found yourself in a moment where you wish you had more hands to do more things on stage, this is your device! No, it doesn’t put more hands on your body, but it allows you to effortlessly use your feet to fire triggers during your set. It has 20 banks with 6 MIDI triggers per bank. Giving you endless possibilities of what you can control mid-service (start/stop songs, mute/unmute the click, repeat sections of a song, trigger samples, change patches, change tempo, etc.).
I can not recommend this device enough & know it will be a dream for you, just as it has been a dream for everyone I know that uses it.
Korg nanoPAD2 – $59
Here’s another great device for all your triggering needs. Even if you’re a keys player with a keyboard that has these pads built-in, why we like using an external device is because it allows you to show up anywhere and use any keyboard without having to worry about assigning all your MIDI mapping to that keyboard’s built-in MIDI pads.
How this comes in handy on a regular basis is you can assign all your triggers once instead of having to assign your triggers for start song, stop song, next song, mute click, next patch, last patch, kill switch, etc. on the device/keyboard you use at church and then reassign everything when you get to your rig back at home. This ends up saving you a lot of time and stress!
Korg nanoKONTROL2 – $65.49
Just like we talked about with the nanoPAD2, this too allows you to not have to worry about re-assigning your MIDI mappings to the knobs and faders on the device/keyboard you are using.
SIDENOTE: Having physical knobs, faders, & buttons assigned to your session file is super clutch. We highly recommend you set it up!
APC Mini – $99
If you’re looking at the nanoPAD2 & the nanoKONTROL2 and think that you would use both in your setup, here’s a fantastic device that has it all in one place and A LOT more pads.
Roland Laptop Stand – $129.99
I don’t know about you, but I have nightmares at least once a month that something or someone bumps my laptop during a live performance that causes it to fall and shatter. Sadly, I’ve watched this take place and it isn’t pretty. When you think about it, it’s kind of insane how people put their laptops that are worth THOUSANDS of dollars on a flimsy $20 music stand.
This is what’s so great about the Roland Laptop Stand. It has arms to secure your laptop in place, it can only pivot about 40º in either direction, has plenty of room for your laptop and other surface accessories like a nanoKONTROL2 or APC Mini, & is crazy crazy sturdy.
Sandisk 1TB External SSD – $129.99
Have you ever had a glitchy sound come out of your keys rig while playing? Or have you ever had MainStage or a program like it freeze-up on you in the middle of a performance? Or the worst of all of them – have you ever had the program running your tracks crashes? I’ve had all of them happen to me many times & wow it’s annoying.
I can’t guarantee this is the reason why, but a common reason that this happens is that your device can’t handle all you’re expecting it to do. The way around it without an entirely new computer upgrade is an external hard drive. Yes, there are other ways to solve it too. So all you computer geniuses out there, please don’t cancel me.
Now, you don’t need this specific external drive, but you definitely need to be running your keys sessions off of an SSD external hard-drive. Why SSD instead of a standard external drive (HDD)? Because accidents happen and nothing knocks the wind out of you like losing all your sounds and session files when an external gets unplugged before it’s properly ejected.
I’ve literally done this 5 times and every time it hurts just as bad as the time before.
Programs like MainStage & VSTs like Omnisphere, Keyscape, Alicia’s Keys, The Giant, etc. require a lot of storage and CPU. Throwing your sounds for those programs onto your external drive allows your computer’s internal processors to simply focus on running the program and the external handles hosting the sounds.
HyperDrive DUO 7-in-2 – $69.99
We have spent a lot of time trying to find the best dongle solution for the new MacBooks and here it is! This thing is reliable, durable, and has all the ports you need and more.
Anker 4-port USB 3.0 Hub – $11.99
If you are one of the lucky ones that still have a reliable computer with standard USB 2.0/3.0 inputs that can handle your session, then the only hurdle you’re facing is having enough USB ports on your device. Here is a super reliable solution that has 2ft of cable length to help make your computer station looking clean and have better cable maintenance.
Which interfaces & accessories are you using?
These are just a few of the many incredible interfaces & accessories out there that can help take your rig to the next level. If there’s an interface or accessory that we didn’t mention that has taken your setup to the next level, we’ve love to hear about it! Leave a comment below or on this blog’s Instagram post!
FREE Video Series On Creating Worship Keyboard Sounds From Scratch
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