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Yes, Stan the 4000s has on board sounds but it can also access midi, thus it is not limited to those on board sounds.


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Thanks for the info. Sounds pretty versatile.


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Forgot to add that the EWI-4000s has 2 additional keys. One is for octave doubling, the other is a bit more complicated but allow you to hold notes for harmony during a legato phrase. Also, since it will play without any other device (hardware synth or computer) you can use it to practice your fingering, even if you don't much like the built in synth sounds.

Also, most recently (Feb 2013) I have seen the EWI-USB selling for as little as 209-217 (eBay, bhphotovideo), making it extremely affordable.

Finally samplemodeling has come out with a revision of their Saxophone Family using their own SWAM engine, instead of Native Instruments Kontakt which in my opinion is a lot better for Saxes and the new Clarinet. However, they Brass instruments are going to remain with Kontakt.

Some new demos here:

https://soundcloud.com/dstong

Dan Tong

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I just uploaded a demo using Tenor Sax, Clarinet, Bari Sax, Alto Sax, and Bass Clarinet doing a solo all in one song. It's done with the newest samplemodeling SWAM virtual instruments released very recently. I left out the Soprano Sax because I ran out of song time : )

This one was done with the EWI-4000s.

https://soundcloud.com/dstong/flamingo-by-e-anderson-ted

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Very impressive!


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Sounds great Dan, although a bit pricey for me.


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I had the EWI USB and played it once. As a sax layer I could not get on with the fact the keys dont move it felt weird

Zero


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I bought a AKAI EWI USB, when I put the laptop Power(adpater), the key and the octave roller is not working,but the breath controller is working C# note is sounding but when I take out the Power adapter its working fine with the battery power.Tried with windows XP and Windows 7. Toshiba and Dell Laptop.

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Originally Posted by Dan Tong
The Akai EWI Wind Controllers (EWC) strong advantage over the Yamaha Win Controllers is the optional brass/trumpet fingerings offered by the EWI-USB and the EWI-4000s. The pricing of the EWI-USB makes it very interesting for many who have a limited budget.

EWI-USB Pros:
1 Very light
2 No meticulous setup and configuration (tricky to setup optimal dynamic range)
3 Comes with some interesting Garritan Aria software and sounds
4 Does not require AC adapter or batteries
5 Hooks up to any computer via USB -thus negating the need for an extra MIDI port (or having to buy a USB to MIDI interface box)
6 Cost less than the EWI-4000s
CONS:
1 Has only 4 octave keys and the highest and the lowest are awkward/poorly designed. Your fingers have less room because the concavity in which the octave keys are built was not scooped out enough.
2 Drawback if you play live, you because you will need to use and depend on a computer.

Akai should provide a utility program to set the MIDI parameters. The utility program they supply is for the built in sounds -which sound mostly like a kazoo.
___________________________________________________________________

EWI-4000s Pros:
1 Has 8 octave keys so you are less likely to run into the space problem found on the EWI-USB model. Plus, the 2 middle octave rollers have knurled so you can find your position without sounding a note.
2 Has pressure sensitive strip which may be very useful for additional control (such as trombone sliding)
3 You can change the MIDI control parameters using various keys and the LED alpha numeric display. The entire system is poorly designed and the display is cryptic (dual octal display only), and the section of the manual that details this is very poorly written in my opinion. Point being that you can change from breath control to volume without having to connect to a computer like for the EWI-USB.
4. May be better for live playing because you do not need a computer like you do for the EWI-USB because you can plug directly into your synthesizer. Some musicians feel that a hardware synthesizer is far more reliable than any computer and therefore do not wish to risk their live performance on the moods of their computer.

CONS:
1 Setting parameters for optimal dynamic range with tiny control knobs is tricky, not because of the knobs but because dynamic range requires two parameters to be adjusted interactively. EWI-USB is always optimal.

2 This instrument is longer and thicker than the EWI-USB and has more metal in it. It is therefore considerably heavier. I did not think it would make a difference to my comfort, but after having used the EWI-USB a lot, coming back to the EWI-4000s I really noticed it.
3 More expensive than the EWI-USB and you may also have to purchase a USB-MIDI interface box

If there is no specific Pro or Con for either instrument for you, then I would recommend getting the EWI-USB, because it will produce great music right out of the box at a lower cost so you can then save up for samplemodeling trumpet <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

For anyone who plays a MIDI Wind Controller the sample modeling technology is the absolute best there is. Not only are the Trumpet sounds incredibly realistic but the responsiveness is beyond belief. It's the only company that has developed synth settings specifically for Wind Controllers (Yamaha or EWI). Those of us who play WC's, unlike keyboard players playing w one hand only, do not have a spare hand for keyswitching, nor the option of using expression and other pedals (at least not as conveniently as kb players) so it is a welcome relief to know that we do not need keyswitching. Attack and breath intensity alone will produce much of the nuanced control that you only used to get from playing the "real" instruments. The trumpet changes it's tone and character just by playing your Wind Controller.

The Roland Aerophones are good windcontrollers and they have the best built in sounds, as far as acoustic instrument sounds go.

Here are some up to date pieces on my soundcloud page done with the samplemodeling, as well as audiomodeling (since they have split and are now independent)

https://soundcloud.com/dstong


Thanks for your attention,

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Yamaha WX5 (sadly, no longer in production)

Pros:

Access to these continuous controllers: wind, lip pressure, up rocker switch, down rocker switch, on/off toggle, on/off momentary.

No internal sounds, so you can control any synth of your choice

Small and light

Cons:

Reed and octave switches eventually wear out and need to be replaced (not expensive or difficult)

Note: I don't like the EWI because the bite sensor doesn't give me complete control of pitch variation. Instead, a capacitor determines return time to zero pitch deviation. As a long time sax player, I want to control vibrato intensity and speed - including the return to on pitch, or intentionally play a bit off pitch and very slowly bring the note to pitch. I know you can do that with bending plates, but that's not intuitive for me, and my fingers are busy doing other things.

I haven't tried the Aerophones. But I hear good things about them. The WX5 gives me all I need, and until a feature comes around that makes me want to switch, I'm happy here.


Insights and incites by Notes ♫

Last edited by Notes Norton; 02/26/25 05:34 AM.

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Few things are certain in life: death, taxes, and a brand spankin’ new XPro Styles PAK! In this, the 10th edition of our XPro Styles PAK series, we’ve got 100 styles coming your way! We have the classic 25 styles each from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, and rounding out this volume's wildcard slot is 25 styles in the Praise & Worship genre! A wide spanning genre, you can find everything from rock, folk, country, and more underneath its umbrella. The included 28 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.

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