Akai EWI USB

[kr236rk]

can you play soprano sax on this?

 

is there no search utility for these forums?

 

thanks

[sunburstbasser]

HC itself doesn't have a working search function. Check this thread to find the work-around until it gets sorted out.

 

http://acapella.harmony-central.com/announcement.php?f=95

 

As far as I understand the EWI, you can do "saxophone" sounds, so by adjusting the register it responds in it should do a soprano sax. The video on the Akai website sounds like a soprano sax synth at the beginning.

[kr236rk]

ok thanks.

 

the Yammy WX5 sounds much better to me than the Akai but is equally much more expensive though :-|

 

http://www.yamaha.com/yamahavgn/CDA/ContentDetail/ModelSeriesDetail/0,6373,CNTID%253D1040%2526CTID%253D208500,00.html

[TimOBrien]

Actually, the WX-5 does NOT have a 'sound'. (I own one.)

 

The WX-5 is just a controller and needs a software or hardware synth in addition to actually make sounds. The Yamaha vl70-m (which I also own) is a physically-modeled synth box that has a range of instrument sounds.

 

If you want the best I've heard, you actually want to check out the custom-modified one sold by Patchman Music. His tweaked sounds are much more realistic than the stock vl70-m (I gotta get the upgrade someday). You can demo the sounds and unit HERE:

 

http://www.patchmanmusic.com/turbovl.html

[kr236rk]

ps. DON'T take my word for it though - apparently the software you choose to support any EWI has a vast impact on the sound modelling: this subject is a can o' worms :-o

 

[EWIChris]

apparently the software you choose to support any EWI has a vast impact on the sound modelling: this subject is a can o' worms :-o

I agree on both points. Yes, the vl70m is a fine sound module and made just for wind controllers. However, I believe you get more bang for your buck with a software based solution. For me that means an EWI-USB and Propellerheads Reason. I've got a bunch of (free) sound demos, tips and tutorials on my web site - http://www.ewireasonsounds.com, if you're interested.

 

Can you make it sound like a soprano? You can get pretty close with the right sounds. Personally, I'm a sax player and any time I hear someone try to emulate a sax with an EWI, it just sounds like a synth to me. But that's probably because I know the sax so well. When I emulate a violin or cello on EWI it doesn't bother me, but a real violinist would probably hear all the problems with the sound.

 

Yes, this subject is a can of worms, for sure...

 

(full disclosure - I also offer commercial sound banks on the site along with the free stuff).

[kr236rk]

well it all sounds great - for a non wind instrumentalist it could be my chance to actually blow soprano (can handle a straight wooden flute and get sense out of a tin whistle ... oh, and a blow harp now and then) - the Akai looks almost too good to be true

 

Reason is very complicated (i know): the software i use is MixCraft which also has Midi capability now plus ASIO drivers (just a thought)

 

Will check out your link

 

thanks

[EWIChris]

Well, if that's the case, you'll need to learn the fingerings, too. Actually, the software that comes with the EWI-USB (Aria) as some pretty good out of the box sounds - including a soprano sax! The EWI4000s has a built in synth, good for synth sounds, not good for emulative sounds.

[kr236rk]

Well, if that's the case, you'll need to learn the fingerings, too. Actually, the software that comes with the EWI-USB (Aria) as some pretty good out of the box sounds - including a soprano sax! The EWI4000s has a built in synth, good for synth sounds, not good for emulative sounds.

 

thanks Chris - yes i'm cool to learn the fingerings: it actually sounds like a good 'learner' for the real thing in some ways since sounding the mouthpiece properly is probably very difficult for a newb and the EWI 'breathing' is picked up with sensors?

 

i'm going to spend a long time checking out software first though - hopefully get something which compliments MixCraft 5

 

bests

 

R

 

ps. my enthusiasm for the soprano is c/o Terry Riley

[TimOBrien]

ps. DON'T take my word for it though - apparently the software you choose to support any EWI has a vast impact on the sound modelling: this subject is a can o' worms :-o

 

You are 100% right.

 

Many software synths do NOT respond to the midi CC control codes that signal the breath changes. This is why you get robotic 'synth' sounding tracks.

 

Sometimes its as simple as setting preferences to recognize the breath CC codes, but sometimes you just cant do that so the choice of software synth IS kinda critical....

 

(I use Garritan Jazz & Big Band and it DOES work properly...)

[kr236rk]

thanks Tim.

 

i'm saving all this info for future reference