Tag Archives: keyboard

Rock Band 3 keyboard revealed, plus new game mode and partial tracklist

News, Technology, Video, , , , , , , , ,

USA Today got the scoop on the latest peripheral to join the Rock Band party.  In addition to guitar, bass, drums, and mic, Rock Band 3 will support “a 25-key, fully functioning MIDI keyboard.”  RB3 project director Daniel Sussman on the keyboard: “We’re actually utilizing the full two-octave range that the keyboard controller has.  Everything that you are playing, whether you are playing on easy or expert, is accurate musical information.  The track looks like a real keyboard track, and you are playing notes on the keyboard that if you were to step away from the game and were to play on a real piano, they would be the right notes.”  For those of you wondering about the keytar rumors from a while back, it’s been confirmed that the keyboard is designed to use on a lap or strapped over a shoulder.  Watch the video embedded above to learn more about how the keyboard will work in-game.

Also announced was a new Pro Mode which makes the guitar, drums, and keyboard experiences more realistic.  For example, “More realistic music notations replace the standard color-coded notes during gameplay. For guitar, numbers flow down the screen along six guitar strings, telling you where to place your hands on the neck and when to strum.”  In fact, two new guitars are currently being developed that include actual strings where you need to strum.  Game developer Harmonix is working on a six-string Fender Squier Stratocaster and third party peripheral maker Mad Catz is making a Fender Mustang Pro.  Harmonix’s John Drake on the more realistic guitar: “It can tell where your fingers are based on technology in the neck and the bridge of the guitar.  No buttons.  While you’re playing it, it feels exactly like playing a real guitar.”  The drums will get three new cymbals and gameplay forces you to play the correct cymbal at the right time.  Says Harmonix CEO Alex Rigopulos: “If you are someone who is looking for a deeper challenge either because you are an expert player looking for the next level of challenge or because you actually have musical aspirations, there is the Pro game play (mode), which is really going to start to close the gap between simulated music and real musicmaking.”

Rock Band 3 will release for Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and Wii this holiday season.  Look after the break for a partial tracklist organized by decade (the disc will contain 83 new songs in total).

[Via USA Today, here & here] Continue reading Rock Band 3 keyboard revealed, plus new game mode and partial tracklist →

Clavilux 2000 keyboard visualizes every note you play in real time

Music, Technology, Video, , , ,

The Clavilux 2000 is an interactive instrument for generative music visualization, which is able to generate a live visualization of any music played on a digital piano. The setting of the installation consists of three parts: A digital piano with 88 keys and midi output, a computer running a vvvv patch and a vertical projection above the keyboard.

For every note played on the keyboard a new visual element appears in form of a stripe, which follows in its dimensions, position and speed the way the particular key was stroke. Colours give the viewer and listener an impression of the harmonic relations: Each key has it’s own color scheme and “wrong” notes stand out in contrasting colors.

Fasinating, no?

[Via Vimeo; Gizmodo]

Cool Leaf design does away with buttons, says hello to the future

Design, Images, Technology, , , ,

From Japanese company Minebea comes Cool Leaf, a mirrored, highly reflective, and button-less design made for various input devices.  Following in the footsteps of the Cleankeys keyboard, the Cool Leaf keyboard features a completely flat surface, making the process of cleaning and dusting it too easy.  A special film is incorporated on top of the input surface and recognizes your fingers when you go to press its “non-physical”buttons.  Back lights are also there to help guide the touch experience.  Minebea plans on bring the technology to market sometime in future, when these designs belong!  Check out the gallery below to see Cool Leaf resting atop a remote control and a calculator.

[Via CrunchGear; Engadget]

The germaphobe’s keyboard

Images, Technology, , ,

This here is the Cleankeys touch sensitive wireless keyboard, made for germaphobes, likely by germaphobes.  According to the manufacturer, when you clean a standard keyboard with a disinfecting wipe about 5% of bacteria is wiped away.  When you wipe down the Cleankeys keyboard, about 95% of bacteria is removed since it’s much easier to completely wipe down a flat surface slab.  All keys on it are touch sensitive, so when you go to press a key it doesn’t press down as you’d expect on a regular keyboard.  It’s tap, not press; get it?  It comes included with patent-pending technology that recognizes when you’re simply resting your hands on it so it won’t type out random letters and numbers.  There’s also a build-in trackpad on it.

Who is going to purchase the Cleankeys keyboard?  The manufacturer is marketing it to doctors as it provides a germ-free zone for inputting a patient’s information into a computer.  It’s very easy to clean and keep clean.  And I like it.   There are molded and glass models available to purchase today; they cost $399 and $449 respectively.

[Via Cleankeys; Gizmodo]

Logitech app brings remote keyboard and mouse to the iPhone

News, Technology, , , , , ,

Logitech has gone ahead and turned all iPhones into portable keyboards and mice for computers.  Sure, it’s not the first company to do it, but it’s here and the execution is top notch.  And there’s this: it’s absolutely free.  It uses WiFi to wireless connect to your PC or Mac, and the text you type is displayed on the screen, removing the annoyance of looking up at the computer every second.  Additional features include:

  • Multi-touch trackpad with the option for two or three mouse buttons
  • Two-finger scrolling
  • Keyboard with Control, Alt, Command/Windows keys
  • On-screen text display while typing
  • Show or hide the keyboard at any time
  • Trackpad and keyboard are available in landscape and portrait modes

    • It’s available for the iPhone and iPod touch at the App Store.  And did I mention it’s free?

    [Via Logitech; Engadget]

    Keyboard of the future?

    Technology, Video, , , ,

    The above video shows off a pressure sensitive computer keyboard from Microsoft.  Basically, the harder you press a key or keys, the more varied the output on the computer screen.  For example, say you are working on a paper in a Word document.  If you hold a key down with more pressure than usual, you can output a capital letter without the need for a shift key.  Microsoft demonstrated changing font size by the amount of force you exert on a key.  Also shown was accelerated backspacing, which is where a user can delete words or sentences at a time rather than just letters depending on the amount of pressure applied to the key(s).  There’s also a gaming demo; the harder you press down on the key, the faster your character runs in-game.  It is exciting to know that this type of technology is being experimented with and that new methods of computer input are being tested.

    According to CNET: “Microsoft is also holding a contest for student developers to coincide with the UIST conference.  Contestants get a sample keyboard and a month to come up with an entry. $2,000 prizes go to programs deemed the most useful, the best implementation, and the most innovative.”  Let the creativeness flow!  (Check out a second video of this implementation after the break.)

    [Via Gizmodo; CNET] Continue reading Keyboard of the future? →