![rock band 3 band in a box rock band 3 band in a box](https://images.launchbox-app.com/44c4c1f5-f4ac-43ed-a766-f2ba68935922.jpg)
![rock band 3 band in a box rock band 3 band in a box](http://vgboxart.com/boxes/360/20506-rock-band-3.jpg)
You also get a standard set of game controllers, and everything either sends a MIDI message or is used to toggle features on the keyboard. (That is, unless you have larger fingers.) With proper keyboard technique, though, you won’t even feel them, since the pads of your fingers will hit the middle of the keys. One oddity: F3, C4, and F4 each have raised ridges on the left-hand side of the keys, in order to delineate the keyboard’s five zones for gameplay. I have no idea who built the action (it’s labeled “made in China”), but there would be no shame whatsoever in using it. You could easily put this alongside so-called “pro” unweighted keyboards in the sub-$200 range and, blindfolded, no one would ever guess this was a game keyboard. I have to admit: I was very surprised by the quality of the keyboard. The keyboard action is just a basic, unweighted synth action, but feels solid enough, and velocity response is consistent. That means it actually feels like a keytar sized to be played as a keytar. It’s light enough that you can hold it in one hand, and compact enough that it’s about the width of a typical adult waist. The Rock Band keyboard is about the best I’ve handled. I’ve handled a lot of “shoulder-mount keyboards,” and the simple reality is, a lot of them have pretty awful ergonomics. US$80 street, and also available bundled with the Rock Band 3 game. Surprisingly, every one of these buttons works for MIDI control or feature toggling. So whether you’re a hardened gamer or just looking for a nice, mobile keyboard controller, here’s an in-depth look at how MIDI works on the new Rock Band 3 Wireless Keyboard Controller – forever to be known to everyone outside Harmonix and Mad Catz as “the Rock Band keytar.”Ī standard complement of game pad controls lies above the keyboard.
![rock band 3 band in a box rock band 3 band in a box](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/fzUAAOSwK2Je-COh/s-l640.jpg)
What if I told you you could get a cute, light little keyboard with MIDI DIN, intelligent MIDI mappings, and two great-feeling synth action octaves, all in a strap-on form factor with battery power, for $80? So, forget for a second that a game is involved. eBay bidders have made used items similarly pricey. And the current “entry-level” model, Roland’s Lucina AX-09, has a street of US$600 or more. They really do feel like strapping a full-sized keyboard on your shoulder, which can kill the joy of playing them. Strap-on keyboards or keytars are a great way to play keyboard lines, but they’ve tended to be freakin’ huge. (Alesis’ QS25 is one exception, but even a $150 M-Audio Oxygen is USB-only.)Īnd keytars? Fuggedaboutit. What if a gaping product hole for musicians were filled by a game company instead of a musical instruments company? There’s no need to imagine: pick up the new Rock Band 3 keyboard, and you’ll see what I mean.Ĭonsider: most sub-$100 and compact keyboards have dumped 5-PIN MIDI DIN ports in favor of USB only – little comfort if you want to plug a keyboard into that DIY sound module or eBay treasure. The Rock Band keytar Rock Band 3 Wireless Keyboard, next to an iPod touch, for scale.