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The music game genre has evolved rapidly in just a few short years, coming all the way from plastic guitar controllers to full drum kits, turntables, and now keyboards with. But and their hardware partner, Mad Catz, aren't simply applying color coded buttons to a peripheral in the shape of plastic keyboard, they're bringing a whole new experience to the table that not only entertains, but educates; teaching users how to play their favorite songs in real life with Pro Mode.Of course, an ambitious concept like Pro Mode requires wholly new hardware, which is where the Wireless Keyboard comes in. However, blurring the line between a game controller and a musical instrument is no simple task; have Harmonix and Mad Catz managed to find a functional balance? The answer is a definitive yes.Of all modern instruments, keyboards probably have the most in common with a standard music game controller – they're generally both made of plastic and they're both entirely digital. In fact, the Wireless Keyboard controller, for all intents and purposes, is a fully functional keyboard.Unlike the new Fender Mustang Pro Guitar, which is a guitar controller that has been designed to simulate the effect of a six string guitar through an elaborate new control system, the wireless keyboard controller is actually just a MIDI keyboard retrofitted to serve as game controller.If you've ever used a keyboard, or played with one for a few minutes at a store, the Wireless Keyboard controller should seem incredibly familiar.
It may have a unique shape, but functionally it feels just like any other keyboard. The keys are sturdy, full-sized and have a nice level of resistance. Like a real keyboard, the Wireless Keyboard controller's keys are completely pressure sensitive, which means that it is capable of determining the strength of key depressions and producing sounds accordingly.The Wireless Keyboard controller's frame is made of matte plastic and is solidly constructed. It is also surprisingly dense and weighty for a plastic instrument controller, despite being one of the smallest in the Rock Band instrument range.Aside from the 25-key, two octave range, the front panel features standard console action buttons, a console-specific home button, and a d-pad for menu navigation.
Someone wants to play keyboard? You only have 200 songs. Think about it as if any song that came out before Rock Band 2 only had normal drums and didn't.
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On the handle Mad Catz has integrated a touch-sensitive panel that serves as a pitch shifter - comparable to a whammy bar for guitar – and an overdrive button, which, you guessed it, triggers in-game multipliers.It is important to note that only the Xbox 360 version supports direct wireless integration, while the Wii and PS3 versions require a USB dongle attachment. The USB transmitter system is hardly ideal, but has become somewhat of a standard practice for third-party peripherals on those platforms.Of course, the Wireless Keyboard controller is good for more than simply Rock Band 3's Pro Mode, it can be used in standard modes as well. The controller's 25 keys have been grouped into each of the game's standard color-coded buttons; orange, green, blue, yellow, and red. When playing in a standard mode, all players have to do to hit the a note of a certain color is tape one of the several keys in those groups.But more importantly, both of the Pro Mode peripherals, the Fender Mustang Pro Guitar and Wireless Keyboard, are fully-functional MIDI instruments, which allow them to digitally integrate with recording programs for users to create and record real music of their own.
Of course, this application appeals only to a small subset of potential users, but it is a value-added feature all the same.At the end of the day, the appeal and utility of the Wireless Keyboard is based largely on the interests of the player, but from a strict technical standpoint, it is a well designed and well made device. The price, $79.99, may be a bit steep for some, but it's about on par with many instrument controllers these days.
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