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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 167
Apprentice
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OP
Apprentice
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 167 |
I just got one two days ago and I'm loving it. Of course I can play yet, but I'm sure in no time I can craft a tune. I thought it be a lot easier to make music with this wind instrument than a real horn or other wind instrument.Turns out I was wrong, you still need to breath through you nose when playing this. Man, how do you horn players do it? I get so out of breath after a few notes that I'm gasping for air. Whats the trick to doing this?
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,569
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Joined: Jul 2000
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I haven't tried either of the Akai wind controllers but I do have a WX5, and I play all the horns. After over 50 years playing, I can say I don't think I ever breathed through my nose. Instead, sneak quick breaths in through the corners of your mouth.
My guess is that you may be overblowing. With woodwinds, think of emulating a balloon and how you would let the air out gradually to make a high-pitched noise. You need good deep breathing (use your diaphragm, don't raise your shoulders) and let it out in a controlled way.
After some practice you should find it gets easier.
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 167
Apprentice
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OP
Apprentice
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 167 |
Hey Matt,have you ever tried this circler breathing technique when playing? http://www.woodwind.org/clarinet/Study/CircularBreathing.htmlSeems like it be pretty hard,kind of like patting your head and rubbing your stomach in a circle but much harder. Then again playing drums all four limbs are doing different things so I guess it just takes practice.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,569
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,569 |
Oh yeah, I know all about it of course. No, I couldn't make it work (but I didn't try very hard). It's a showmanship thing for some, but I don't miss it.
I'm not much good at drums, either...
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,569
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,569 |
ps Since this is the BIAB forum and not Off-topic, how about a comment about using a wind controller with BIAB?
Since I don't play a keyboard, my WX5 is good for entering melodies into BIAB. I'm sure the Akai would be the same. One tip is to filter out a lot of the mostly superfluous controller information, since it's amazing how much data these things produce for any single note.
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2005
Posts: 2,610
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Veteran
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 2,610 |
I used to have an EWI USB and traded it in for the EWI 4000s. The USB model has to be hooked up to a computer in order to play it using the Akai software. The 4000s just plugs into an amp or PA and you're ready to go. It has it's own internal sounds. I use BIAB piano and organ trios/duos for accompaniment. Matt, is correct in that you maybe over-blowing. Try to let some air out of the corners of your mouth while you're playing. Go to: www.patchmanmusic.com Click on windcontroller forums for lots of info on the EWIs. Later, Ray
Asus Q500A i7 Win 10 64 bit 8GB ram 750 HD 15.5" touch screen, BIAB 2017, Casio PX 5s, Xw P1, Center Point Stereo SS V3 and EWI 4000s.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,259
Expert
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Expert
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,259 |
Hey Guys! Thanks for all your posts. My Akai ewi usb will be here tomorrow and I just saw this post today. I appreciate your great timing! I had been trying to learn to play piano so that I could enter stuff via the keyboard, but those piano exercises just would not cooperate with my old man hands. Can't play the guitar either, but I can do a little on the uke. I was told by someone who has the akai that you can use other Garritan libraries with the ewi usb. I have GPO so I'll have lots of sounds to use. It it works, I'm going to get Garritan JABB also. I heard the same thing about over blowing-- it's nothing like playing a trumpet. I hope it won't take me years to learn though  . Stan
Cornet Curmudgeon
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,259
Expert
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Expert
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,259 |
Quote:
I haven't tried either of the Akai wind controllers but I do have a WX5, and I play all the horns. After over 50 years playing, I can say I don't think I ever breathed through my nose. Instead, sneak quick breaths in through the corners of your mouth.
My guess is that you may be overblowing. With woodwinds, think of emulating a balloon and how you would let the air out gradually to make a high-pitched noise. You need good deep breathing (use your diaphragm, don't raise your shoulders) and let it out in a controlled way.
After some practice you should find it gets easier.
Ditto to Matt. I'm a trumpet player and it's only very very rare that I ever breath through my nose while playing. I think that it's considered a bad habit by instructors, too. However, if you're not going to try to be a pro, do what works best for you. FWIW
Stan
Cornet Curmudgeon
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 67
Enthusiast
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Enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 67 |
Quote:
Try to let some air out of the corners of your mouth while you're playing.
That's the way that Akai imagine the first ewi. There wasn't any hole in the ewi1000.
Mickael Brecker was using a little piece of cotton (for hair, don't know the english word) to prevent saliva to go down.
I never tried to use my WX5 directly into biab. I suppose that CC2 have to be remapped to something else ?
Free tools for Biab: Biab Scales and BIArpeggio to practice scales/arpeggio Biab Explorer: the other song picker
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,333
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,333 |
I have mine sitting on the instrument table. I bought it when I was getting radiation. I found that the force required was greater than I use on a euphonium or baritone, so I lost interest. However bear in mind they burned all my 'throat' and oesophagus from my stomach to my nose all the way through, which required a hole to breath through and another to eat through, (the latter in my bowel of course).
The advantage is that I know brass fingerings, so I could pick it up and play. But not until everything 'healed'.
Now I can play the instruments again, in my brass band(s). And with my wife I play keys and she plays flute so I have little need for it. I have a son who plays the whistles, (i.e. recorders, tin flute, penny whistle etc), so I'm considering giving it to him. However I have another son and daughter and I've tried to treat them all fair and I'd have to cash a bond or something to give them an equal value 'thing'. Then the musical one might prefer cash and it gets too messy to think about.
I am probably going to give it a go, but I'm trying to score a bunch of stuff for our duo and my photography, dog lessons (she is teaching me) and other things are eating up my time.
Heck my wife goes to a 6 a.m. fit class, comes home for breakfast and shower, I make food and then her lunch and drive her to work for 7:45. Then I read the paper until noon. Mostly with my eyes shut wide, until the puppy makes me take her for a walk. Then I educate the people living around me about politics, walk the puppy and make supper.
I'm fading thinking about it.
There is no saliva in a horn or the Akai. It's condensation from warm air, which if not replaced dehydrates you. Matt would be the expert on that. Try playing a winter parade with a marching band in Canada. I put chemical handwarmers around the valves and the drains to keep it from freezing up. Sometimes it's a lost cause and the drummers take the lead. Then I wave at the kids.
I loved doing those, but alas, chemo got my long nerves and I can't walk any sort of straight line without a cane. Just try and play and walk with a cane, and finger the valves. It just won't work.... sigh.
John Conley
Musica est vita
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ChatPG's knowledge base includes the full Band-in-a-Box User Manual and sales information from the website.
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Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac Videos
With the release of Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac, we’re rolling out a collection of brand-new videos on our YouTube channel. We’ll keep this forum post updated so you can easily find all the latest videos in one convenient spot.
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— Team PG
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