Rock Band 3 Wireless Keyboard

by Mad Catz

Product Features

• All-new Keyboard instrument for Rock Band 3
• Plays Rock Band 3 Keyboard, Guitar* and Bass* parts / Two-octave design with 25 velocity-sensitive keys (*Does not support Guitar/Bass Pro Mode)
• Play real Keyboard parts in the new Rock Band Pro Mode / Versatile layout: Play like a Guitar or on a tabletop
• Use as MIDI Keyboard Controller when not playing Rock Band (compatible with most MIDI sequencers)
• 3 AA Batteries and Keyboard Strap included / Use as MIDI Keyboard Controller when not playing Rock Band (compatible with most MIDI sequencers)

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B003RS19N4
• Product Dimensions: 22.8 x 8.1 x 3.4 inches ; 4.4 pounds
• Media: Accessory
• Release Date: October 26, 2010
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,722 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
  • #2 in Video Games > Xbox 360 > Hardware > Controllers > Keyboards

Product Description

Platform: Xbox 360

From the Manufacturer

Rock Band® 3 is the next generation of the ultimate social and interactive music gaming platform developed by the category's leading pioneers, Harmonix Music Systems. Featuring new innovative game modes and new instruments, Rock Band 3 will change the way fans think about and play music games. As a new innovation to rhythm gaming, the Rock Band 3 Wireless Keyboard ups the realism of the Rock Band franchise. Crafted after classic professional keyboard designs, its versatile layout—capable of use on a tabletop or strapped over the shoulder like an electric guitar — incorporates an ergonomic sensibility that provides comfort to the casual gamer or seasoned musician. The Rock Band 3 Wireless Keyboard is fully compatible with both standard and Rock Band Pro modes. Empowering you to rock outside the realm of videogames, the Wireless Keyboard also functions as a MIDI controller and boasts a two-octave, non-weighted, velocity-sensitive keybed ranging from C3 to C5. The MIDI output connector provides compatibility with MIDI software sequencers and hardware devices, while standard console-specific gaming controller buttons deliver seamless console integration. Wireless Keyboard Controller View larger Rock Band 3's challenging all-new Pro mode. View larger Rock Band 3 takes advantage of the Wireless Keyboard Controller. View larger Product Features: Two-octave, non-weighted, velocity-sensitive keybed ranging from C3 to C5 – 25 keys total allow players to add keys to the mix in either solo mode or with a full band. Keyboard grip is contoured and incorporates an ergonomic sensibility that Provides comfort to the casual gamer or seasoned musician. Grip includes touch-sensitive strip and overdrive button. Gameplay is available for the traditional Rock Band five-key representational mode ("keys") or pitch-accurate Rock Band Pro mode ("Pro keys"), which lets players experience the challenge and reward of playing along with real keyboard parts until they've mastered them on expert! Versatile layout—capable of use on a tabletop or strapped over the shoulder like an electric guitar. Features 4 action buttons: D-pad, back, start and Xbox Guide Button. The officially licensed Rock Band 3 Keyboard Stand (sold separately) was custom crafted to accommodate the official Rock Band 3 Wireless Keyboard controller. Durable, lightweight, and height adjustable to help gamers of all ages get full enjoyment from their all-new instrument. *Only compatible with Rock Band 3 and NOT previously released versions of Rock Band software.

Product Description

As a new innovation to rhythm gaming, the Rock Band 3 Wireless Keyboard ups the realism of the Rock Band franchise. Crafted after classic professional Keyboard designs, its versatile layout capable of use on a tabletop or strapped over the shoulder like an electric guitar incorporates an ergonomic sensibility that provides comfort to the casual gamer or seasoned musician. The Rock Band 3 Wireless Keyboard Is fully compatible with both standard and Rock Band Pro modes.Empowering you to rock outside the realm of videogames, the Wireless Keyboard also functions as a MIDI controller and boasts a two-octave, non-weighted, velocity-sensitive keybed ranging from C3 to C5. The MIDI output connector provides compatibility with MIDI software sequencers and hardware devices, while standard console-specific gaming controller buttons deliver seamless console integration.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not just another plastic controller., November 12, 2010

By 

Aku (A little yellow sock puppet.) - See all my reviews

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Rock Band 3 Wireless Keyboard for Xbox 360 (Accessory)

I will kinda cut the actual Rock Band 3 part of this thing out, because the focus here is on the instrument, the 360 version specifically. I'll just say that it does its job perfectly fine with the game and move along.

So, on to the actual keyboard. Anyone who's ever spent ten seconds messing around with one will either know or secretly understand there are usually two things about keyboards when it comes to their construction: the keys have a certain weight to them, and the instrument is usually solidly built (not plastic-y). The MadCatz keyboard fits both of those roles perfectly. It does NOT feel like the vast majority of the other Rock Band 3 instruments, namely the guitar: thin, hollow plastic things which feel like you could snap them over your knee. No, this cat is pretty solid and feels like it could take a battering if need be. The keys have a natural weighted feel and respond just as they should, but with a single addition of ridges over the left ends of some, likely to help newbies with the game align their fingers with the colored sections without having to look down...as much.

If I've given the impression that this thing has a built-in speaker, think otherwise. And Rock Band 3 doesn't, as far as I can remember, have a freestyle mode to let you play whatever on the keys. But, this does come with a 5-pin MIDI outlet, and all of its buttons and keys - and I'm pretty sure literally ALL of them, even the touch strip - are programmed for use with MIDI software. This puts it further into something more of an actual instrument than just a game controller.

It makes for a compact, fairly versatile item, albeit for the niche market of music gamers and creative keyboardists. As for its interplay with Rock Band 3, there's no real need to mention it here other than it works, because anything deeper is on the game side, which I'll save for a review of it rather than this peripheral.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The peripheral is good, it's use in the game has some flaws..., November 8, 2010

By 

MarcP - See all my reviews

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Rock Band 3 Wireless Keyboard for Xbox 360 (Accessory)

There is little to say about the keyboard... it's two octaves, the keys feel pretty nice, and it responds quite well. Overall it's well built and functions nicely with Rock Band 3.

The real problem with it is not in the hardware, but in the game itself. You'll find that the disc only has 63 songs with keys out of the 83, and at least 6 of those 63 tracks aren't really worth playing, unless you enjoy hitting 5 notes and then playing nothing for half the song. The songs that do have a reasonable amount of keys, however, are incredibly fun on both standard and pro, and certainly makes the purchase worthwhile. Additionally, downloadable songs will come with keyboard parts when there is one in the song, so you'll quickly be able to add to the small library of key songs.

The pro keyboard mode works very nicely, offering a nice extra challenge on top of the standard instruments for those who want it, and you may even learn a few things from doing it. My only complaint here being that, in practice mode, you can only slow down to 60%, which is still to fast to properly learn some of the more complex songs like Roundabout.

Overall, the keyboard is a really nice instrument and a nice addition to Rock Band.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Beware the Pro Keyboard setting!, January 13, 2011

By 

Lisa the Valkyrie - See all my reviews

= Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars 

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Rock Band 3 Wireless Keyboard for Xbox 360 (Accessory)

Being a piano player for the last 30 years and finding that most rock bands don't have a place for piano players, I was really excited for Rock Band 3 to come out! But then my excitement turned to frustration when I tried to play the pro keyboard setting, and here's why. You have to learn how to read music all over again using Rock Band 3's vertical scrolling-style, and the lines and spaces are so close together that even though the notes are color-coded white and black it's still hard to read on a regular TV screen. Plus the game puts symbols over the special bonus-point notes, and then it's impossible to tell if they're white or black. If they had just put the keyboard part scrolling horizontally across the top of the screen as they do for vocals, and using real ledger lines and notes, this would have been a pianist's dream! As it is, you feel like a 5-year old learning piano for the first time with music as a foreign language. I switched over to the regular keyboard setting within 48 hours and haven't looked back.

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