Part 2: The hardware.

For a number of years, games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band have used instrument-like controllers or stripped-down versions of electronic instruments to mimic playing music.

Explorer, Keytar, 4-String Electric Bass

Rock Band 3 attempted to do something different.    There are game-specific drums and keyboard controllers that let you actually play music, in time with the game's screen or not.   There is also a sort-of guitar/bass that does the same thing.

The difference this time is that the drum pads and cymbals, stringed instrument, or (new to this game)  keyboard keys either more closely or almost exactly mimic the actual songs.   However, that's only available from the game and platform specific controllers, both of which are still game controllers and thus have certain limitations.  

To use the drums as an example, originally (depending on the game and hardware) there were four pads and a pedal.   The pedal did the bass drum, the red pad the snare, the green pad the floor tom, and the yellow and blue pads the cymbals.  However the yellow, blue and green pads change, and could be toms (floor, hi-mid, low-mid) or cymbals (crash, ride, hi-hat).  They moved around in function not just between songs, but within them. 

Playing the first set is not simple, but it's certainly easier.

For Rock Band 3,  more modes have been added.  For many songs, there are separate discrete actual pads/cymbals assigned to the actual sounds and item being played, if you have the set that does it.   You can get a more advanced version of the first set above that's more like the second set above, allowing you to access these additional modes.

It's almost like real drums!

However, with a platform-specific game drum set (keyboard, string controller) you're still on a game controller and one that only works with a single console.  Unless it has MIDI out, it will only work with a console, and only in software that recognizes it correctly.   It's limited as to how it can be changed or repaired without (often expensive) specific third-party hardware or modifications.

Enter the mystery box shown earlier, retailing for $40 for each console.   It converts the output of an actual MIDI instrument (that can be played on its own as well) to something the game understands.

MIDI interface

It allows you to use any compatible instrument with the game, said instrument also being usable outside the game.    Aside from the obvious, why exactly is that a big deal?   In part 3 we'll discuss just that, and more.