Customer Reviews

Akai EWI4000S Electronic Wind Controller

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I just received my EWI4000S and already love it. First, some quick background.

I am a software engineer by trade and a hobbyist musician. I minored in music focusing on Jazz. I play clarinet, alto sax and flute.

After reading numerous reviews and having tried various wind synths starting back around 1988, I finally decided the 4000s was the instrument to go with. I never like the other instruments requiring a separate sound module and found the built in synth on the 4000s just what I was looking for. I was concerned about reviews indicating the built in sounds were a bit thin, so I decided to buy from patchman music and add their sound library to the package. It was only another $50 so for $750, you get a great instrument, with nice sounds ready to go. As a bonus, they update the OS in the instrument and calibrate for you at no charge.

I set up the instrument with sax fingerings and found it fairly easy to adjust to the touch sensitive keys. The one area that I see needing a lot of work on my part is moving through the octaves. With rollers instead of a single octave key, this looks like the biggest hurdle. Even so, I was able to pull out a Charlie Parker solo book, and play much of the content albeit at a bit of a slower pace than the Bird. It was still encouraging enough to let me know that with some work, I should be able to sound pretty decent.

It's also a blast to be able to plug in headphones and play at all hours of the night without disturbing the family or neighbors. I have noticed a tiny bit of hiss on the headphones, but have not determined yet if it is a headphone issue or the instrument. I suspect there will be a tiny amount of noise since the internal synth is analog.

I have yet to work with the MIDI so I cannot comment on how well it works in that regard. There is also software that lets you modify or create new sound and download, however, this also requires a MIDI connection so I have yet to try this.

As another reviewer pointed out, there is no case available for this. Akai, are you listening? I have found most other EWI players suggesting a soprano sax case and if necessary, replacing the bottom with foam cut out for the EWI. I would prefer a custom case from Akai, but they have never had a case for any of their EWI's as I recall so I won't hold my breath.

Overall, an excellent and very expressive instrument, especially if you get the updates from Patchman.

The Akai EWI 4000S is a great instrument. The only BAD thing I can say is that there is no case available for it. Akai needs to get on the stick and make one available. Surely anyone that spends $700 for a musical instrument wants, needs and will buy a case. It's a pain to have to keep the shipping box and pack the instrument up and carry the box around. Otherwise, it's a great instrument. It's very responsive, feels good and sounds good. It's really nice to have an onboard synthesizer. All the ports are good: audio; midi and headphone. It's nice to have the choice of battery power or the optional AC adapter (not necessarily optional, really). If you want a wind controller, go for it.

The EWI4000s is an excellent INSTRUMENT(s).
I had a hard time finding a carrying case, but I tried the Standard Soprano Saxophone Case Pro Tec Model PB-310 Black and it fit perfectly. Also, it has a pocket to carry several things including the ac adapter.

Hi, all.
This is an expensive instrument.
Most of the demos I heard around the internet sounded great. . .
The EWU4000s ships with a terrible bank of sounds, however.

There are no specific instruments: no trumpets, no trombones, no clarinets, saxes, guitars. . .just weird synthesized sounds.

So, if you want to play the instrument and have good sounds, you'll have invest another [...] for a banks of sounds. The only place that sells EWI4000 sound presets is [...].

Tech support: Akaipro tech support is pretty bad. Waits range from 3-20 minutes. I called to ask what their recommendation is about the sounds. The guy there said, "Uh, hang on, let me see." He came back ande said we don't sell presets. I asked him if he has a recommended source for sounds. Again he said, "Uh, just a minute." He eventually came back with the [...] site.

As far as help at the Akaipro website, forget it. There are no instructions, no help, nothing.

The manual is pretty bad, too. My EWI came with a Japanese language manual, but it did have an English manual in PDF format.

Bottom line? EWI4000s is well made, and I'm sure it will sound good once I get some decent sounds in it.

Buy one and you're on your own.
PS Power Adapters won't be available until February, Akai says.

It's just amazing, I played recorder a bit and then fooled around with fujara (http://fujara.sk) so decided to get a real wind instrument and I am very happy with EWI4000s. The play mechanics, the responsiveness of breath sensor etc. is very good. The default sound is not its best feature but when I run it through guitar port it's usable (I've heard custom patches are much better but I have not experimented with those).

The sad part is that I had to get a replacement in two weeks because the first one mysteriously died.

I consider myself a complete musical newbie. I played trumpet in jr high over 20 years ago, from that I learned how to read/play notes, but nothing really about music itself. I loved the expressiveness of the harmonica, but the loud sounds began to annoy me. I've tried the Mountain Ocarina..also too loud and too high for my ear comfort. I've tried keyboard but it always hurt, and I just couldn't get the LH/RH coordination going on. I even tried guitar but again, it really hurt (my fingers are short, not very flexible, and I've got carpal tunnel), and again I couldn't get the LH/RH coordination going on. I hated practicing these instruments because I didn't want to bother the other people in my household. So when I discovered that there was a wind instrument which would allow the expressiveness I really wanted, with the quietness (using headphones or optional amp)so I could enjoy practicing, as well as the ability to turn down the volume (via headphone) and use a lower octave for learning fingerings, I took my chances and ordered it.

I don't regret it one bit. I LOVE this thing!! Yes, my carpal issues act up soon after playing it, but it's not the killer thing that the keyboard/guitar were. Add to that that it takes a little longer before the carpal effect comes in. You can just touch the keys and the keys will sound, no pushing something down. This makes it easy for me to adjust my position so I can play on it a little longer before having to take a small break. Typing this review gives me more problems than the AKAI EWI4000S does.

I often pick it up, put on the headphones, and noodle around some. When I want to learn songs I can pick up any wind instrument book (sax, oboe, flute, clarinet, fakebooks, etc) and learn from those. You can use various articulations as well as add in various embellishments such as adding an interval sound (you can set which interval you want added in), hold a note and play a phrase over it (the hold acts as a mini-drone that you quickly set the note to), and all sorts of other things that I haven't even begun to explore. I haven't even touched the synthesizing aspects of this instrument, yet.

Some people may think of this as 'not a REAL instrument'. But I say that it IS one. You may get digital sounding tones and not the full vibrating string effect, etc. But with the sound patches from patchmanmusic.com , the sounds are great, and you're making REAL music.

There's quite a number of professional players and/or advanced players who use Electronic Wind Controllers. And it can seem daunting entering this 'world' being a musical newbie. But the instrument lends itself perfect for learning how to create my own music, and I don't feel self conscious as I learn/play on it.

The price might be pretty steep for someone like me. You'd have to really commit to wanting music in your life. And if you've got hand issues that prevent you from playing many other instruments, give this one a try. If you've got neighbors who complain about your practice sessions, or a spouse who runs away each time you sit down at your instrument, give this one a try. It won't help you keep your embouchure for whatever other instrument you play (the EWI doesn't require anything special lip-wise), but it'll let you noodle around to your heart's content without bothering them.

I highly recommend this instrument for people in situations such as written above.

***
FTR, I ordered mine from patchmanmusic due to the added bonuses and support they provide which amazon can't. It's also a good place for getting more in depth information about what the EWI is and can do. I thank the previous reviewer who mentioned that place to me.

I've had my AKAI EWI 4000s since June 2006 and it's the best thing I've ever had. Sure it can be temperamental sometimes due to drastic temperture changes, but it doesn't take long to tweak it to make it right again. And it fits perfectly in a ProTec Soprano Saxophone case. It's been with me to New York, the Netherlands, karaoke and my weekly playing in church. People are still fascinated by the instrument when I take it out in public. It's a solid piece of material that feels like a real horn.

I bought this for my husband for Christmas. He is a a flute and penny whistle player, and the EWI4000S is a dream come true for him. It's got many features that allow him to play as though it is a true wind instrument, but it's actually a synthesizer. I highly recommend purchasing the patches that are available (from an outside vendor), also, as they expand the instruments capability. My husband had a bit of trouble with the device behaving unpredictably (some kind of temporary glitch) but that seems to have resolved. The manual misses a few steps here and there, but there are forums online that can help you overcome any deficiencies in the manual. We highly recommend this instrument. He's addicted to it now.

Great instrument. I have both the USB and the 4000S (and the Yamaha WX7) wind controllers. I thought I'd have trouble with the keys being electrostatic instead of movable switches, but other than some practice required for the octave changes, its pretty expressive and sensitive with these keys. Do consider the Wallander Instruments software for great emulative sounds from your PC or Mac however. They are pricey, but they sound GREAT.. the bass clarinet sound is so real, as is the trumpet and many others. Of course with the 4000S you'd have to use the midi connection to your Mac or PC, but the sound difference is astounding. However, if you want some jazzy and rock sounds, the built-in stuff will do it.

I didn't buy it at Amazon, but would have if the circumstances would have been different.