Pro Keyboard Recommendations?

[ZoiloCruz]

Really? So when they said they want a keyboard with MIDI/USB connectivity that could plug into RB3, they had no idea keyboards could plug into RB3? THAT is what you got out of that post?

I didn't say that they had no idea that a keyboard could plug in RB3. I was simply pointing out the MIDI Adapter.

[Bront20]

Rock Band wireless keyboards seem to be selling for about US$30 dollars these days! I'd suggest you pick one up at that price for playing Rock Band. Even if you also eventually get a digital piano and the necessary gear to hook it up to Rock Band, you might find you prefer the 25 key RB keyboard for playing the game. It does have some advantages for playing the game. Plus it is not a bad little MIDI controller.

This is my suggestion as well. It's not fancy, but it's cheap, and has all the functions you need without the adapter needs. There's no reason you can't also get a full MIDI keyboard and the adapter, but if you don't want to drag it out all the time (they're a bit bigger than the RB keyboard), the small one might be a nice alternative.

[jimhenry]

This is my suggestion as well. It's not fancy, but it's cheap, and has all the functions you need without the adapter needs. There's no reason you can't also get a full MIDI keyboard and the adapter, but if you don't want to drag it out all the time (they're a bit bigger than the RB keyboard), the small one might be a nice alternative.

Plus you can do way more cool rock star stuff with a keytar than a 25 pound digital piano (assuming you have light one, otherwise make that 50 pounds). Of course, if you can do cool rock star stuff and still play accurately on the keytar, then you deserve MAJOR props.

On a more practical note, having the OD button conveniently located is no small thing if you want to rack up high scores in RB.

[AssassinOfMany]

If you are going to buy a keyboard, buy a keyboard. You can get a Rock Band 3 keyboard for $30 on Amazon.com , all you need it a Rock Band drum pedal or any keyboard pedal with a 1/8 adapter for overdrive activation and you're good to go.

I personally use this keyboard:

http://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-DGX640C...rds=yamaha+640

And just the standard Rock Band keyboard for the game with my old Yamaha pedal after I upgraded to a triple pedal:

http://www.amazon.com/Rock-Band-Wire...band++keyboard


Pretty much all of the top pro keys players on Rock Band can play piano outside of the game well, but all of them use the standard game keyboard for the game. It's the best option to go with.

[defdog99]

Implementing Overdrive stinx on the Midi pad.

They should've added the 1/8th adapter like all other RB3 instruments.
Then you can use a foot pedal.

[LegatoSuzuki]

Pretty much all of the top pro keys players on Rock Band can play piano outside of the game well, but all of them use the standard game keyboard for the game. It's the best option to go with.

Speaking as somebody who is pretty high on the leaderboards, I would have to disagree actually.

I started playing the game with the basic RB keyboard and while my scores were ok, it felt like there was something missing from the experience. The big thing being that faster, more complex runs were difficult to hit because I simply wasn't hearing myself play.

I realized I had a 5 year old Casio sitting in storage, so I dusted it off and set up the adapter. I can now consistently get in the top 10 of any pro keys leaderboard, where as before perhaps the top 50.

The reason why, and this is HUGE, is the ability to hear yourself play. When score attacking, I will actually turn off the instrument volume so that the person playing the chart is me, and not the song itself. Not only does it add IMMENSELY to immersion, but it makes more complex note runs (i.e. that lovely arpeggio at the end of Angry Young Man) much more doable.

The trick with a real keyboard is to find one that has an easily accessible pitch bend wheel. Mine happens to be on the far left of the keyboard, and I've set up the overdrive button to be directly above it. This allows me to effortlessly keep my thumb on the pitch bend wheel, and my index finger on the overdrive button. Bottom line is, if you want to score attack then you must find a keyboard that has an easy to use pitch bend wheel. Otherwise you're playing the game at a major disadvantage.

Honestly, in terms of accuracy and just overall immersion and enjoyment of the game, I can't recommend a real keyboard enough. When I'm in an Xbox Live party and others hear me playing the actual part, they're always blown away by how awesome it is.

[GNFfhqwhgads]

When I'm in an Xbox Live party and others hear me playing the actual part

Don't do that. Your audio comes through later than the game audio, so your playing is behind the actual song to everyone who has to hear it. Come on. Rookie mistake.

[Bront20]

Don't do that. Your audio comes through later than the game audio, so your playing is behind the actual song to everyone who has to hear it. Come on. Rookie mistake.

It shouldn't live in person...

[LegatoSuzuki]

Don't do that. Your audio comes through later than the game audio, so your playing is behind the actual song to everyone who has to hear it. Come on. Rookie mistake.

I mute during the actual song. :P I just usually play what I can remember from songs people are picking, and the mic ends up picking it up, somebody inevitably asks about it.

[AssassinOfMany]

Speaking as somebody who is pretty high on the leaderboards, I would have to disagree actually.

I started playing the game with the basic RB keyboard and while my scores were ok, it felt like there was something missing from the experience. The big thing being that faster, more complex runs were difficult to hit because I simply wasn't hearing myself play.

I realized I had a 5 year old Casio sitting in storage, so I dusted it off and set up the adapter. I can now consistently get in the top 10 of any pro keys leaderboard, where as before perhaps the top 50.

The reason why, and this is HUGE, is the ability to hear yourself play. When score attacking, I will actually turn off the instrument volume so that the person playing the chart is me, and not the song itself. Not only does it add IMMENSELY to immersion, but it makes more complex note runs (i.e. that lovely arpeggio at the end of Angry Young Man) much more doable.

The trick with a real keyboard is to find one that has an easily accessible pitch bend wheel. Mine happens to be on the far left of the keyboard, and I've set up the overdrive button to be directly above it. This allows me to effortlessly keep my thumb on the pitch bend wheel, and my index finger on the overdrive button. Bottom line is, if you want to score attack then you must find a keyboard that has an easy to use pitch bend wheel. Otherwise you're playing the game at a major disadvantage.

Honestly, in terms of accuracy and just overall immersion and enjoyment of the game, I can't recommend a real keyboard enough. When I'm in an Xbox Live party and others hear me playing the actual part, they're always blown away by how awesome it is.

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.