Gigging with midi controller after Nord Stage 4?

[keelbolt]

Finally had it with the Nord Stage 4 73! It's a brilliant instrument, and the keybed is just lovely to play. But I'm no longer lugging 27 kilos (nord plus case) to gigs. Mr Wolf's in Bristol yesterday finished me. No vehicle access, and had to lug it up a load of steps. Promised Electric trolley? 'Oh, we broke it'. So another struggle along St Nicholas Street to the van. Enough already!!
So thanks to everyone who commented on my post here: https://www.soundonsound.com/forum/view ... hp?t=90025

I can choose a midi controller - I use one all the time in my studio. But what rig do people use downstream of the keyboard? I have available: Macbook Pro 2015, Focusrite Scarlett 8i6, Mainstage, and shed loads of Kontakt and Spitfire patches that I use in the studio for writing.
Logistics: How to protect/set up the macbook on stage? How physically to run a laptop and keyboard at the same time as gigging (typically, think Mr Wolf's small stage, massive crowd of drunk students bopping right up to the stage, poor lighting).
I'd be grateful for some advice here... mostly on the logistics. Changing patches, running a set list, connecting to DI, managing computer drop outs and midi hanging notes, etc.

[The Elf]

I'm not a Mac user (at least not on stage), so can't help there, but... my rig runs in Cantabile and is controlled from my keyboard(s) and an Elgato Stream Deck, which has a Cantabile integration plug-in available. All of my songs, sets and 'racks' are held in Cantabile.

Leaving that aside, for Mac there are Mainstage and Gig Performer. These do something similar to Cantabile, and can also be controlled from a Stream Deck. Gig Performer, which has a Stream Deck plug-in. Neither of these have I used myself. You'll gather that I consider the Stream Deck an important part of my rig, though most people would manage happily without it.

I like to have a back-up laptop waiting in the wings, but that's not always a practical option, so a keyboard with some on-board sounds might be an option for you.

[keelbolt]

Hi Elf. Thanks for comments in both of my posts.
Could you please say a little more about how you use stream deck when gigging live? Do you use it to change song sets in mainstage? Using Kontakt or Spitfire Audio plugins, I really need faders to subtly change the mix of each patch (raising or lowering strings, for example). It looks like a very useful bit of kit that will free me from looking at the laptop screen every five seconds... and free me from the mouse.
Thanks in advance...

[The Elf]

What makes the Stream Deck so useful to me is that it not only allows me to control Cantabile, but it also interacts with it to show the current set, song names, state names, which can be selected, bar/beat flasher, cue lights (a requirement I had a hand in getting added), transport controls...

Since I can bind Stream Deck buttons to just about anything I can open/close stage mic's, switch patches, re-start the audio engine... well, just about anything I feel the need for. And I don't have to keep my eyes on the laptop screen.

It would be worth you taking a look at what Gig Performer offers in this respect, since that is Mac-compatible.

For faders these days I use my controller keyboards' on-board faders, but I've also used little USB devices with faders - I don't recall them all. For quick and dirty controls I now use a Behringer X-Touch Mini.

All of this stuff finds itself velcro-ed to my main controller keyboard.

[sonics]

I'd be grateful for some advice here... mostly on the logistics. Changing patches, running a set list, connecting to DI, managing computer drop outs and midi hanging notes, etc.

I like to use my own protected AC, but that's because I live in a country with bad power!
If your MIDI controller keyboard has what you need, just that, interface and Mac would work. A simpler keyboard could be extended with a control surface. I like using foot pedals so run those too.
I use Gig Performer on a Windows laptop which is excellent, although Mainstage is probably more popular, of course.
You may only need a stereo output, so a smaller interface might work, plus a good DI (Radial!).
If you keep enough overhead computer dropouts aren't a problem. I don't know enough about an older MacBook to know how it'll cope with you rig. (I had to upgrade my PC to cope after changing my Hammond rig to IK's B-3X.)

[The Elf]

Oh, and for connection to FOH...

Custom isolator made by Orchid Electronics - a pair of line inputs and two pairs of outputs at both line and mic level. After that it's up to the FOH engineer how he connects me to his system.