Rock Band 3 Wireless Keyboard for PlayStation 3

With the game 2 weeks away from release, the fervor that it's generating is at its peak as evidenced by the fact that Amazon is sold out of the keyboard (as of 10/12/2010 anyway).I received both keyboard and stand (review for the stand is here: Rock Band 3 - Keyboard Stand for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii) last week.Here are my initial impressions of the keyboard:- Build quality is solid. It has a good weight to it and none of it feels flimsy. Battery compartment is snug and tight and there's no fear of anything running loose.- The keyboard comes with its own strap should you feel inclined to "key-tar" it, 80s style.- The keyboard has a touch pad at the end of the handle, on the top. Presumably you will be able to distort held notes, similar to a whammy bar on the guitar.- The keyboard also has an overdrive button adjacent to the touch pad.- The packaging notes that the keyboard will also be able to play guitar and bass parts as well; why you might feel compelled to do that is unfathomable, but it's available...obviously, it won't support Pro modes for stringed instruments.- The keyboard dongle will allow you to plug in TWO peripherals. This may be key for those of us who own the PS3 slim and may not necessarily want to invest in a USB hub (I did, but that's just me) or any other attachment that allows for additional USB hook-ups.- All of the other PS3 controls (Start, Select, PS button, etc.) are all there just like the Rock Band guitar peripherals.- MIDI is supported ... again, I'm not sure why you might want a 25-key keyboard as a MIDI device when a full keyboard would do the job better, but there you have it.Here is my only con thus far:- Keys are not weighted. Granted, it's a relatively compact peripheral, so weighting the keys would have only required additional precious volume, but for something that is purported to be "velocity-sensitive", weighted keys would have been a benefit in this area. Oh well, you can't have everything.So far - very excited. I will update my review once RB3 comes out. However, my initial impressions given the completed keyboard are very, very positive.-- Edit forthcoming ---- Edit 10/26/10 --The keyboard responds very well in gameplay. Keys respond accurately and PRO Mode works as advertised. As a warning, Pro Mode will challenge you quite a bit if you're not experienced with a keyboard. But it's a blast -- enjoy!

I purchased the Rock Band 3 Wireless Keyboard for the PS3 a month ago. As with all PS3 wireless controllers installation is instantaneous. In this case, simply plug the dongle into the PS3, put the batteries (conveniently supplied with the controller) in the back of the keyboard controller and it just works. As a lifelong piano and keyboards player myself, I was keen to explore the Pro Keys mode in Rock Band 3 immediately. Once I'd callibrated the controller with my A/V setup I was pleasantly surprised at how accurate the keyboard is. The Pro modes in RB3 demand some pretty accurate playing and the keyboard controller gave me great results right out of the gate. The keys are completely unweighted, which has it's pros and cons I suppose. On the plus side the keys are effortless to play, whether you're a child, a teen or an adult. I did notice myself accidentally activating the notes when simply resting my hand on the keys, but it's a very minor point against what is an otherwise brilliant device that adds a huge new dimension to the Rock Band dynamic. Recently I had my son on the drums, a couple of mates on guitars, wife and daughter on vocals and me on keys and it was a huge amount of fun. The touch sensitive ribbon controller on the arm of the keyboard works really well. It's used in RB3 to add sonic effects like wah-wah and resonance to the keyboard parts as you're playing them. I was debating whether to wait for the MIDI interface so that I could use one of my own (very expensive) keyboards in the game. But having used the controller for a few weeks I'm very glad I bought it. The controller's convenient size (about 50cm long) means that it can be easily stored away in a drawer or cupboard - something you wouldn't really want to do with a full size MIDI keyboard. If you're not a keyboard player, the basic mode uses five adjacent notes in the centre of the keyboard for the five colour symbols onscreen. You get the benefit of some farely complex keyboard accompanyments in an easy-to-keep-up playing mode. If you have any interest in playing keyboards in Rock Band, I won't hesitate to recommend this product as a good value, good quality and hugely fun addition to your Rock Band setup.

I don’t usually write product reviews but this is simply too good. I bought the keyboard knowing it would only support Rock Band 3 yet I figured why not try it out? So I did, and it’s just amazing. Remember the lag when playing guitar on Rock Band 3? That lag is non existant when using the keyboard. It runs smooth, no more errors because of lag. And it can be used even for guitar and bass parts! The included strap allows you to use the keyboard as a so-called “keytar” so you don’t have to sit down! And hear this, the dongle (which of course is also included even though the product page doesn’t mention it!) functions as both a dongle for the keyboard AND a usb hub for two extra instruments.I immediately ordered another keyboard, and both are perfect. I’m very surprised they can still be purchased as new. If you’re considering the keyboard for Rock Band 3, do yourself a favor and order - you won’t regret it.

El que faltaba para la colección de rock band .... Junto con la batería es lo más cercano a lo real

Using this as a midi controller with a Roland GR 20. Works great! Well worth considering, especially at under $40! Tough to find a controller with 5pin DIN midi at that price.

El teclado muy bien, y todo, de hecho parece nueva, pero la abrieron para sacarle el juego.Si dejaran el juego que realmente así es como debería de venir, y no abrieran la caja, antes de entregártelo. Tendría cinco estrellas.

great price! finally have all the peripherals for the game, I wanted this one before they stop making them and become obsolete, works great and it's fun too!

Took only a few days to get the product, even with free shipping. Nice.Great quality, working great, no complaints at all.Just wished the batteries were not leak-damaged, though. I understand the product is old (not used, but still old), but I hoped the batteries would not be outdated. I had some batteries anyway, so I put them in the keyboard and everything was fine.Despite this little detail, everything is fine with the product. Thanks !