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USB Midi Breath Controller


Kiwiburger

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Those old Yamaha synths with breath controllers were a really cool idea that has disappeared without a trace.

 

Wouldn't it be great if somebody built a USB breath controller? The midi specs are already there, and software FM synths can play all those Yamaha presets that still are configured for breath control.

 

I'm thinking a little plastic box with a plastic hose and fitting that you place in your mouth. A pressure transducer, USB bus powered - it would just spit out midi control data. Maybe the software driver could have a user interface for tweaking the response curve and control number and midi channel.

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Originally posted by felix

Akai is also reintroducing the EWI (Electronic Wind Instrument) with built-in analog modeling synth sound module. Model number EWI4000S, expected in stores in Dec 05.


Sonic State EWI4000S News Item Here

 

My first question was going to be "how much?", but I got impatient and went Googling instead. ;)

 

Looks like the MSRP is going to be $995 and the least expensive price I found was right at $700, which I assume is the MAP.

 

That looks VERY interesting! As a sax player in a former lifetime, ;) I've been interested in getting a MIDI wind controller for quite a while. I knew Yamaha still made the WX-5, so I was thinking I'd just eventually get one of those... but if Akai (who is now apparently part of the Neumark / Alesis family - how'd I miss the memo on that one? :confused: ) has a new controller coming out, that gives me another option to consider. :cool:

 

Either way, I'm sure it will beat the heck out of the old Casio DH-200 I used to have. But I found even that to be better for playing MIDI horn parts than using a keyboard controller.

 

Thanks for the heads-up felix! :cool:

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Originally posted by Robman2

We are asking our engineer consultant about breath controllers and USB.


Stay tuned.


R

 

I can "kludge" one together for you... it should be fairly simple:

 

Get a Yamaha BC3, plug that into the MIDI Solutions BC box (linked to on this page), plug the MIDI out from that into a computer USB MIDI interface - there you go - breath controller over USB. :p;):D

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I'm on my way down to Sam Ash to (probably) buy a CME UF8 88 hammer weighted keyboard controller ($600 but they supposedly have a one day promo that'll knock 15% off) -- and it has some kind of breath controller. [CORRECTION: It has a breath controller input, to which they say you can hook a breath controller like the Yamaha BC-3. That's a wee bit different.]

 

I bought a breath controller for the little Yamaha monophonic one oscillator analog synth I used in the early 80s (one of the ones with toy keys and battery power!) but I could never really figure out how to use it. (It was only $35 or so but back then that was a lot of dough to me... or at least it should have been. ;) )

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dear mr mike martin i would to ask u a qewstion? i have the triton classic and i well by a breath control(bc3) does it work in the triton?and does it work propebly?o i need to use a midi product? does the triton have a bc input thank u very much i wait for your answer!!!!!

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I bought a breath controller for the little Yamaha monophonic one oscillator analog synth I used in the early 80s (one of the ones with toy keys and battery power!) but I could never really figure out how to use it. (It was only $35 or so but back then that was a lot of dough to me... or at least it
should
have been.
;)
)

 

fyi: the uf8 is on sale (or at least was very recently) at musiciansfriend and other places for $400 new. also, supposedly, there will be a new cme line coming out soon. look into the uf80, maybe.

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A wind controller would be even more useful now, especially as your softsynth saxophone patches are infinitely more realistic-sounding now than they were in the mid-80's, when I had a BC for my YAMAHA.

 

I've had a Yahama WX-11 for eons, and a VL70m. I never use them for sax since I have an alto and tenor. But for synths it's killer - especially as synths have gotten progressively more expressive over the years with physical and analog modeling.

 

WX-11 + OasysPCI :thu:

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