TLDR Review: Rock Band 3 MIDI PRO-ADAPTER for Wii
Pros
- •Works flawlessly with Rock Band 3 and various MIDI electronic drum kits like the Yamaha DTXPLORER, significantly enhancing the drumming experience.
- •Easily connects MIDI keyboards to Wii/Wii U without needing a Wiimote, and recognized instantly by the game for smooth gameplay.
- •Compact and lightweight design with a birectional clip allows flexible placement on your belt or drum kit for easy access.
- •Features standard Wiimottyle buttons, a volume wheel, overdrive button, and mode switch for Keyboard, Guitar, or Drums, offering versatile control.
- •Reliable performance with adjustable sensitivity and response times iame, supporting single notes and chords for keyboards.
- •The adapter can be neatly secured to a drum kit using rubber bands or zip ties, reducing clutter and improving convenience.
- •Enables real instrument interaction in Rock Band 3, providing a genuinely immersive music game experience.
- •Rubber components can be cleaned with Goo Gone without damaging the adapter’s markings, restoring original texture if stickiness occurs.
- •Overall, it delivers excellent functionality as a MIDI adapter in its main role for Rock Band 3.
Cons
- •The package does not include a MIDI cable, which must be bought separately—an annoying inconvenience for firsime buyers.
- •The original sofouch coating on parts of the adapter tends to degrade over time, becoming sticky and somewhat uncomfortable to handle.
- •The overdrive button’s placement can lead to accidental presses during gameplay, requiring you to secure the adapter firmly to avoid mishaps.
- •Rock Band 3’s gameplay restrictions limit simultaneous use of guitar, bass, and keyboard parts, and enabling "all instruments mode" disables online play and alters vocals to an easy mode with no scoring.
- •Lack of expression features like velocity or touch sensitivity on the keyboard reduces the dynamic musical feel.
- •The absence of a comprehensive manual makes initial setup and operation confusing, particularly for beginners unfamiliar with MIDI gear.
- •Requires an additional Wii Remote to start and navigate the game, which is an extra step that some users find inconvenient.
- •Due to unique SYSEX commands used by the Rock Band 3 controller, the adapter is not compatible with standard guitar MIDI systems like Roland or Yamaha for guitar parts.
- •Keyboard use cannot replicate guitar fretboard positions, restricting the ability to play guitar tracks with the keyboard.
Bottom Line
The Mad Catz Rock Band 3 MIDI PRO-ADAPTER is a solid, well-designed tool for integrating real MIDI keyboards and drums into Rock Band 3 on Wii and Wii U. If you want a seamless drumming or keyboard experience and don’t mind the learning curve or additional cable purchase, this adapter is a smart choice that delivers on its promise. However, if you need extensive MIDI expression or guitar-to-MIDI compatibility outside Rock Band’s limits, you might want to explore specialized MIDI interfaces or adapters tailored for broader MIDI instrument use.
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