Pro Keyboard Recommendations?

[IIICCIII]

I just use the game keyboard when I play Rockband. It's simple and cheap and gets the job done.

In terms of a full-sized digital, go to a music store and see what you like. Personally, I just use a Korg SP170.

[LegatoSuzuki]

i did not actually know you could use the pitch bend wheel on a real keyboard to build up the overdrive. Knowing that it would be rather interesting using an actual keyboard. A few problems though with what you are talking about.

Hearing yourself play: While this could work for songs that have very little notes, as soon as you get into a song that plays outside of two octives, the sound on your keyboard would just overlap its self thus making the chart just sound bad. They fit the right handed piano part of a song played on a 88 key keyboard onto two octives, trying to play the chart in real time on a keyboard does not work well. "Unless that is for the game use you really don't mind it"


In this case where they want to buy a keyboard for both use out of the game and in the game, it would be better for them to just buy the real keyboard they like, plus the cheap one for the game. if they try to limit themselves to buying a keyboard that has 88 keys, weighted, plus a midi out, they will be highly limited on the keyboard they can get. When I bought my Yamaha, I wanted mainly a keyboard that had a vast amount of sounds, 88, weighted, if possible as a bonus to have midi out port. While it does have a midi out, it is a usb. To find a keyboard with all those specs in one "including a real midi out", you would be looking at around $1500 and up.

The sound is interesting with the pitch bending, for sure. I just got lucky with having a keyboard that happened to support it. Prior to knowing that my initial plan was to use the wireless for score attacking and the Casio for learning songs.

Speaking from experience here, I'd have to disagree with you on the octaves issue. Out of the 600 or so charts I've played, I can count on one hand the number of songs that have the charts altered to accommodate the range. For example, "We Built This City" has that opening line after the first two chords that spans over a full octave. They just took the last note and bumped it up an octave. When played, it doesn't sound bad at all, it's simply a different octave.

I understand how you would perceive a problem with the actual playing of the song being a full octave or more lower than what the actual track wants you to play, especially for higher melodies. Believe it or not, I found a simple solution. I know my DLC well enough to be aware of which tracks fall victim to this - before these begin, I will hit the "transpose" key on my Casio and enter a value of 12. This shifts the pitch of whatever I play up 12 half steps, or in other words a full octave. Thus, charts that would have sounded too low sound perfect.

Another minor issue is that some older tracks have the pitch ever so lightly altered for whatever reason, meaning that there will be dissonance if played. The only two tracks I can think of that have this problem are Total Eclipse of the Heart, and one of the Cinderella tracks.

All in all, it is fun as hell to play like this, and I'd recommend it to any pro keys player that is willing to invest. I'll usually change the sound to coincide with what I'm playing. (Sax on Huey Lewis & The News, for example)

I agree about keyboard selection. It's a considerable investment. For myself, this game is a big enough hobby that I would probably have bought a keyboard to use, but I realize that most wouldn't. I simply got lucky with the one I had. I'm not knocking the wireless option at all, but if this game is a large enough hobby for the OP, then finding one that is compatible wouldn't be such a bad long term investment.

[GNFfhqwhgads]

It shouldn't live in person...

Then you're not in an Xbox Live Party if everyone is within arm's reach.

[Bront20]

Then you're not in an Xbox Live Party if everyone is within arm's reach.

Sorry, I read "Live Party" as "Live in person" not "Live from New York"

[skyp1e]

As an interesting note to the discussion about using the MADCATZ controller for the game and playing a digital piano outside, I'll add my two cents.

For me the optimal thing is to have a dedicated out of game full size digital piano (I have a few and soon will be making another purchase in that direction) and a dedicated 25 key MIDI controller with a modified MPA that supports a regular sustain pedal for OD.

I only had such a setup for about one day before a fire took my toys. It was glorious though while it lasted.

When my house is rebuilt I will again modify an MPA for pedal, and use something like this for playing RB3.

Nothing like a decent keyboard action that is inherently limited to 25 keys for getting great scores in the game.

And there you have my contribution to the discussion.

[ZigZag2005]

When my house is rebuilt I will again modify an MPA for pedal, and use something like this for playing RB3.

I use that, and as a bonus, use this to control pitch bend, which is limited to a very tiny range by that.

Just enough to register as a whammy, but not enough to be annoying.

[skyp1e]

I use that, and as a bonus, use this to control pitch bend, which is limited to a very tiny range by that.

Just enough to register as a whammy, but not enough to be annoying.

Eh, I'm happy using the pitch wheel to do the whammying. I play RB with one hand so I don't mind. If there were a way to assign OD to say a drum pad on the keyboard I'd do that instead of modifying the MPA.

[TheHundredDollarHeadache]

I was going to recommend the Roland A-90EX here:

http://roguemusic.com/keyboards.html
http://roguemusic.com/gearpix/a90.JPG

It is considered one of the better controller keyboards (as in, no sounds, and you hook it up to other MIDI gear). Actually, the EX means it has a card containing the sounds - more sounds than new digital pianos in this price range.

(I think you have to e-mail them - they ship)


But then I found out at Guitar Center today that the Casio Privia skyp1e recommended had a pitch wheel (for Rock Band whammying). The Casio is somewhat cheaper, has USB to my knowledge (the Roland predates USB), and plays well.

[jimhenry]

The Casio Privia CDP-330 (old model) and CDP-350 (just released) have mod wheels, USB and 5 pin MIDI connections, and a large number of sounds. They go for about $700 and $800 respectively. For someone who wants a feature rich digital piano that is well suited to playing Rock Band, the Privia CDP-3x0 should be on the short list.