I feel you definitely need a good computer radio if you are going to learn and be proficient at 3d type of flying. The main reason is the amount of throws you will be adding to the aircraft to get it to do the wild 3d stuff. 40-45 degrees of throw will be so touchy on high rates that if you forget to switch right back to low rates when you finish the maneuver you probably will snap it into the ground. The wrong way to start out learning something new.

Don't get me wrong, it is possible to learn some of these high alpha aerobatics with a standard radio, but do yourself a big favor and invest in something that will help you out in the long run. Learning how to use and setup these radios with 3d type of aircraft will be fun and very rewarding.

I've learned the hard way that it is always better to have the right tool for the job.