Casio Wk-200 Compatability with Rockband 3

[kuiosikle]

Synth to computer:
Keyboard -> USB A to B cable -> PC

Computer to console:
PC -> USB A to B cable -> MIDISPORT -> MIDI cable -> Midi pro adapter -> game console.

I think the MIDISPORT came with a USB cable, but I can't guarantee that it does.

Would you mind terribly if I asked for some more detailed instructions on what to do in MIDI OX? I'm trying to help a friend with this remotely and I don't have the program locally (she has all the necessary cables/adapters). Thanks!

[skyp1e]

I'm glad you got a resolution that makes you happy, but I would advise anyone else out there that is thinking of getting an all in one keyboard with MIDI out to make sure it has a standard MIDI out port on it. Radio Shack makes lots of cheapie boards with MIDI ports on them. Built in speakers, light up keys in some cases and lots of built in sounds for little cash. Nothing that I myself would be happy with, but if you're only interested in something that satisfies the "I want it to make sounds on its own, plug into the MIDI adapter and not cost a lot of cash" than the Radio Shack stuff is the most cost effective solution going.

If you want to take a step up from there, get yourself a Yamaha "personal" keyboard. For just over $100 you'll be entering the "prosumer" level of keyboards. The sound engine will blow away the Radio Shack stuff, plus you'll get more polyphony (how many keys you can hit at the same time without some of them not playing notes at all) and more advanced features like reverb.

Hope this helps you.

[raynebc]

Would you mind terribly if I asked for some more detailed instructions on what to do in MIDI OX? I'm trying to help a friend with this remotely and I don't have the program locally (she has all the necessary cables/adapters). Thanks!

In MIDI OX, open Options>MIDI Devices. In the MIDI Inputs section, you need to select your synthesizer. There may be multiple entries with similar names such as "USB Audio Device" and "USB Audio Device (2)", so it might take more than one try to select the right one. In the MIDI Outputs section, select your MIDI output device, which could be something like the USB->MIDI adapter. In my case, it was whichever of the two devices labeled "USB Audio Device" that was not the input device. Click OK, and if the Input Monitor window isn't showing, enable it by opening the View menu and selecting "Input Monitor".

At this point, make sure the correct device was selected as the input device by pressing some keys on your synthesizer. You should see some Note On/Off events and so on in the input monitor window. If not, try going back into Options>MIDI Devices and trying something different (ie. if you selected "USB Audio Device" for the input and "USB Audio Device (2)" for the output, you might need to swap the two so "USB Audio Device" is the output and "USB Audio Device (2)" is the input).

Lastly, open the Options menu and select "Data Mapping". Our goal here is an entry with wildcards (asterisks) in every column. If there isn't one, click Insert and ensure the top row of fields list the default of:

any any -1 -1 -1 -1

and the bottom row of fields list the default of:

Match input Match input -1 -1 -1 -1

and click OK, and OK again. Now run a MIDI cable from your USB->MIDI adapter's MIDI OUT port to the MIDI Pro Adapter, and ensure the adapter is connected to your game console with the instrument switch set to the "K" position. If all goes well, you should be able to use your synthesizer in Rock Band 3.

[Granny_helpful]

It would be better to exchange the Casio for a keyboard with a standard MIDI output if possible. Dealing with a USB MIDI output is going to involve a lot of gear and cables which usually spells low WAF (wife acceptance factor).

Be sure the keyboard has a pitch bend wheel to do the whammys. The lack of pitch bend is another strike against the CTK-4000.

It seems like a keyboard with pitch bend and a conventional MIDI Out can be hard to find these days. You might need to consider Craig's List or garage sales to find something a bit "vintage".

My grandson has a Casio LK45, if I buy a Rock Band 3 Midi-Pro adaptor, will this interface perfectly with the Rock Band 3 game?

[Icemage]

My grandson has a Casio LK45, if I buy a Rock Band 3 Midi-Pro adaptor, will this interface perfectly with the Rock Band 3 game?

According to the descriptions I can find for the Casio LK45, it's a 61-key MIDI keyboard, so it should plug in just fine.

However, as far as I can tell (I've never seen one of these in person so can't verify) there's no pitch wheel on the LK45, so he won't be able to whammy sustained notes for extra overdrive (points). It won't affect whether or not he can play the songs, but it will limit his maximum score.