Keyboards and more...

[level13]

When I first about the Rock band game, I thought for sure one of the playable instruments would have been the key boards. I was not heartbroken when I learned it would not be included but would have still liked to have seen it. I guess there are not many rock songs that use it. If rock band would expand and go outside the rock & roll genre and include some classic rock R&B, the keyboard would be a must. I think Classic Rock and R&b would complement the use of the mic. Lets not forget the great success of Kar. Rev. which feature only the use of a mic and had virually no rock songs...there are so many ways they could go with this thing. the possibilities are endless. I know I for one would love to see a greater variety of music including funk, Classic rock, r&b, ect...any thoughts?

[Emo_Reaper]

I really dont think that the majority of Guitar heroes want to see things like R&B etc,it kinda defeats the game. Cant people just enjoy what songs are given,and not ask for more(atleast from completely differant genres)? xD

[logicalnoise]

a lot of bands use them and people forget keyboardists usually control backing tracks/samples as well so it could be the "other" for songs. It would make any dream theater song more complete in a game like this.

[lithiumkc]

I see it coming in another one

[GrayInvisible]

It would work for New Wave, and other synthesizer driven music. I'm sure there are songs with keyboard that are general rock songs.

[guan69]

A keyboard game or even peripheral for Rock Band is something I've wanted for a while. A lot of bands use Synths and you can even use it to substitute a piano if they ever wanted to go as far as include Billy Joel, Elton John, or Ben Folds Five.

[WingsOfSteel]

With a keyboard, we could finally play Don't Stop Believin', November Rain, or Bohemian Rhapsody without doing nothing on the guitar for 2+ minutes!

[Eman311]

Rock Band 2?

cant get too complicated or people will just be overwhelmed. a key board would add like another 80 bucks to the game.

great idea, but just something we're probably not ready for yet

[Guitarplayer777]

Keboards would be great for rush songs. And don't you think people could make a keyboard part? I think the keyboard would be a cool optional thing for rock band.

[HardRockerBrazil]

With a keyboard, we could finally play Don't Stop Believin', November Rain, or Bohemian Rhapsody without doing nothing on the guitar for 2+ minutes!

Yea, and don't forget Mr. Crowley and The Final Countdown! :D

[Coldplayer]

I really hope there will be a keyboard one day!

I mean, a song like Baba O' Riley without keyboard/piano... hmm...

[level13]

I suggested this 3 years ago! Thank you Rock Band for Listening!

When I first about the Rock band game, I thought for sure one of the playable instruments would have been the key boards. I was not heartbroken when I learned it would not be included but would have still liked to have seen it. I guess there are not many rock songs that use it. If rock band would expand and go outside the rock & roll genre and include some classic rock R&B, the keyboard would be a must. I think Classic Rock and R&b would complement the use of the mic. Lets not forget the great success of Kar. Rev. which feature only the use of a mic and had virtually no rock songs...there are so many ways they could go with this thing. the possibilities are endless. I know I for one would love to see a greater variety of music including funk, Classic rock, r&b, etc...any thoughts?

[Konador]

They should pay you for coming up with this brilliant idea! They obviously included the keyboard because of your post here on the forums!

[level13]

Well, I doubt that anyone from Rockband ever read my post especially since it was not a very popular thread, but one can dream. If they are listening to me, I hope they decide to include my my Open Mic Mode suggestion.

[TheHundredDollarHeadache]

Well, I doubt that anyone from Rockband ever read my post especially since it was not a very popular thread, but one can dream. If they are listening to me, I hope they decide to include my my Open Mic Mode suggestion.
From the name of your mode, I'm getting a mode where vocals aren't scored. That sounds like the All Instruments Mode in RB3.

[level13]

Actually I mean nothing is scored. you can play what you want, sing what you want, with, or without the tracks flowing down the screen and with or without the actual song playing with you. If you want to go on and just mess around with the drums then you can do that. If you want to play your own drums free style alone, or playing along with a song you can do that. If you have 4 friends over and all 4 of you want to free play with or with tracks, or notes coming down, you can do that...

[TheHundredDollarHeadache]

Actually I mean nothing is scored. you can play what you want, sing what you want, with, or without the tracks flowing down the screen and with or without the actual song playing with you. If you want to go on and just mess around with the drums then you can do that. If you want to play your own drums free style alone, or playing along with a song you can do that. If you have 4 friends over and all 4 of you want to free play with or with tracks, or notes coming down, you can do that...
Then that sounds like the Party Play mode the other guys have.

[level13]

well, the other guys dont have a keyboard and pro guitars so it would be impossible to play real music. I hope they add this to RB3

[Konador]

Sounds like what you're suggesting is real instruments... join a band?

[level13]

well, thats just it, i dont want to join a band, but i would like to freely play the RB3 instruments through the game, either along with the music tracks, with friends, or just free style.

[Roseroar]

I think a freestyle mode would be cool with the pro instruments, and save the expense of real ones. The new keyboard is MIDI compatible so you can take it even further and use sequencer software to jam with on your PC.

[Icemage]

well, thats just it, i dont want to join a band, but i would like to freely play the RB3 instruments through the game, either along with the music tracks, with friends, or just free style.
Except aside from vocals, the other instruments need special gear to even attempt making "real" music. You'd need a real keyboard (not a 25-key MIDI keyboard). The only drum kit that would make any sort of real sense for making "actual" music is the Ion drum rocker, and even it's a bit limited, unless you're going to be the world's best cover band of The Konks. And you'd need a pro guitar of some sort (and I'm dubious that the Mustang can be played accurately enough to make "real" music).

Considering that what you'd be doing is playing your game controllers as if they were real instruments... why would you do that in the game instead of, well, you know... playing real instruments and actually sounding better while you're at it?

NOTE: Even with a sequencer + PC to help the keyboard, you're still limited to 2 octaves without some really sophisticated tricks that you can't use in a "live" performance environment. Not really a good option - at that point you should really just get a full keyboard and be done with it.

[MikeMcQ1]

Considering that what you'd be doing is playing your game controllers as if they were real instruments... why would you do that in the game instead of, well, you know... playing real instruments and actually sounding better while you're at it?

Because that's what they have laying around? They may not have real instruments?

Uh, if there were such a mode, it's not that far from being possible using only the controllers that are "RB3 controllers" i.e. stock drums w/ cymbals, the keyboard, the mustang (or Squire), and a mic.

Drums have a freestyle mode that create drum sounds, so why couldn't the keyboard and mustang have a similar mode? You can hear vocals when you pause a song, so that's not a stretch.

Basically, you could jam with the RB3 instruments using this 'Freestyle Jam' mode as a mixer. Doesn't sound as far-fetched as some are making it out to be.

Oh, and congrats on getting Harmonix to get Keyboards into the game, Level13!!! WTG!!

[level13]

Except aside from vocals, the other instruments need special gear to even attempt making "real" music. You'd need a real keyboard (not a 25-key MIDI keyboard). The only drum kit that would make any sort of real sense for making "actual" music is the Ion drum rocker, and even it's a bit limited, unless you're going to be the world's best cover band of The Konks. And you'd need a pro guitar of some sort (and I'm dubious that the Mustang can be played accurately enough to make "real" music).

Considering that what you'd be doing is playing your game controllers as if they were real instruments... why would you do that in the game instead of, well, you know... playing real instruments and actually sounding better while you're at it?

NOTE: Even with a sequencer + PC to help the keyboard, you're still limited to 2 octaves without some really sophisticated tricks that you can't use in a "live" performance environment. Not really a good option - at that point you should really just get a full keyboard and be done with it.

In addition, the pro instruments are indeed REAL INSTRUMENTS!

[Icemage]

In addition, the pro instruments are indeed REAL INSTRUMENTS!
The Squier guitar is, but it's $250+.

The Ion drum kit requires the drum brain, which is another ~$350 on top of the Ions themselves costing $200++.

There is no pro bass instrument at all that works with Rock Band.

You'll need a real keyboad + MIDI adapter for the keyboard.

That's a LOT of expensive gear. How many people are going to have this sort of a setup for it to even be worth bothering with?

[MurphyRock]

The only drum kit that would make any sort of real sense for making "actual" music is the Ion drum rocker, and even it's a bit limited, unless you're going to be the world's best cover band of The Konks.

I disagree! A standard Rock Band drum set with 3 cymbals and an additional pedal exactly matches the configuration of a standard 5 piece drum set:

Red pad - snare
Yellow/blue pads - toms 1 & 2
Green pad - floor tom
Yellow cymbal - hi-hat
Blue cymbal - ride
Green cymbal - crash
Right pedal - kick drum
Left pedal - hi-hat pedal

Any drummer sitting down at a Rock Band kit with the 3 cymbal add-on and an extra pedal should immediately know what's what, and should be able to use it as well as any 5-piece drum kit.

[mbnasir6]

I disagree! A standard Rock Band drum set with 3 cymbals and an additional pedal exactly matches the configuration of a standard 5 piece drum set:

Red pad - snare
Yellow/blue pads - toms 1 & 2
Green pad - floor tom
Yellow cymbal - hi-hat
Blue cymbal - ride
Green cymbal - crash
Right pedal - kick drum
Left pedal - hi-hat pedal

Any drummer sitting down at a Rock Band kit with the 3 cymbal add-on and an extra pedal should immediately know what's what, and should be able to use it as well as any 5-piece drum kit.
This makes me laugh.

It is true that the Drum Kit is one (If not the) most customizable instruments, but RB Drums still aren't close

The snare should just below the Tom (yellow), not the left of it. The floor tom is also to the right and the below the low-tom. And most Acoustic drum pads aren't 7" or that close together.

A lot of the time you may see a 8" High Tom, but then your snare, toms, floor toms will usually be 10"+, and as I said before, they won't be bunched so close together.

Then the Hi Hat should be to the left and above the snare, whilst on the RB kits it can currently reach directly above the Red Pad.

The Pedal isn't even close to a real pedal, the Hi Hat doesn't work like a real Hi Hat (I know this because the RB Pedals are just on and off switches) which means there are only Open and Closed sounds, on a real Hi Hat there are variations between Open and Closed, an important one being Half Open. On standard drum set the Crash is on the left side of the drum set, and you will need to purchase an additional crash and stand to play comfortably on the Crash (For example:A7X songs)

But hey, it's all down to how you setup your drum set, maybe you want your acoustic set up like an RB Kit

[MurphyRock]

mbnasir, the positioning of the pads and cymbals is really a minor point. The hi-hat pedal not being continuous is more of an issue, I will admit. But hey, even some professional e-drumkits lack continuous hi-hat pedals.....

But the drums and cymbals are both velocity sensitive, and the configuration exactly matches a 5-piece drum kit (even if it only approximates the placement and size of each individual component). So I stand by my statement - any drummer should be able to immediately sit down and use a RB3 Pro-equipped kit as a cheap (but fully functional) e-drumkit. In fact, there exists this software: Use your Rock Band 2 wireless drumkit as a MIDI controller (http://www.mattgrounds.com/rb2midi/)

So I say "Yes, PLEASE!!" to any implementation of "freestyle" instrument mode intended for the Pro instruments (keyboard, Pro Guitar/Bass, and Pro Drums) in Rock Band 3! This would be hella fun.