 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Old Nick
Date: 2007-04-13 18:13
I play clarinet plus tenor, alto and soprano saxes in a little jazz combo (Me + drums, Keyboard (doing a left hand bass) and guitar + singer. I have been looking at acquiring a new clarinet but have also been looking at electronic wind instruments - hold up crossed index fingers!!!
The Akai EWI4000s appears to be the state of the art instrument and I am attracted to being able to replicate more or less any instrument via the built in sound module.
Does anyone have any experience of these things and can a seasoned wind player make a reasonably quick transition to them?
Yours, hoping not to be excommunicated
Nick
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2007-04-13 18:22
If they're anything like the Yamaha WX7 or WX11, then remember not to keep your right hand down whe crossing the break as it'll do all sorts of strange things - none of which you'll expect, or be desireable.
But if you were to take up tenor horn, you could find yourself banished.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Sylvain
Date: 2007-04-13 18:38
Michael Brecker, used to play the EWI to great effect:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=kOEF7f2HGoE
http://youtube.com/watch?v=N4Ex1sC4xMc
I doubt anyone could have criticized his musicality and integrity as a musician.
May he rest in peace.
Anyway, I have never tried it, but it has a sax-like fingering mode so that shoudl be no problem to you. I can't see how difficult it woudl be to control your air with this if you already play 4 reed instruments...
My only problem with it is that it opens so many doors, I'd probably end up totally overwhelmed by the amount of possibilities....
I say go for it and send us sound bites!
--
Sylvain Bouix <sbouix@gmail.com>
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Author: LonDear
Date: 2007-04-13 19:56
I've never tried an EWI, but I played Lyricon over 20 years ago and have moved on to a WX7 and eventually a WX5. Paired with a Yamaha VL-70m, the WX5 is a very versatile system for emulating wind instruments and electric guitar. The double reeds are especially useful. The one sound I just can't play on it is clarinet. I've been playing so many years that I can't play sax fingerings when I'm generating a clarinet sound; very frustrating.
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Author: C2thew
Date: 2007-04-13 20:19
Dope. never heard of such a thing until the post started. looks cool, sounds interesting too.
Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. they are but improved means to an unimproved end, an end which was already but too easy to arrive as railroads lead to Boston to New York
-Walden; Henry Thoreau
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Author: LonDear
Date: 2007-04-13 21:50
Chris,
You definately found the correct beast. Mine had a MIDI (out) retrofit job on it, so I wasn't limited to the onboard sounds. And I forgot, I also had a couple of the Casio DH units - highly portable, but they sounded pretty dang bad.
The trick to playing good wind controller is to have played at a decent level on the instrument you're emulating. You don't have to be good enough to go pro, just understand what the original instrument is capable of so you don't go playing in the wrong range, doing leaps that are uncharacteristic, or going crazy with MIDI controls that are impossible in the acoustic world. Of course, if you're not sitting in a pit with a need to emulate, the sky's the limit.
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Author: Old Nick
Date: 2007-04-13 21:53
heres a link to Akai's site and some video samples
http://www.akaipro.com/prodEWI4000s.php
The last one is particularly interesting
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Author: Gandalfe
Date: 2007-04-13 22:12
It's around $2800 for a AKAI 4000s this week. Pricy instrument that isn't really mainstream right now. Boy it was hard to find this information. Everywhere I called that was listed by AKAI told me they didn't know what I was talking about until I told them to check their computers. None of them carry them, but they can be ordered. At least that's the story in Seattle.
Jim and Suzy
Pacifica Big Band
Seattle, Washington
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Author: LonDear
Date: 2007-04-13 23:56
Since Jim and Suzy went to the effort of looking up the Akai prices, I checked the current price and availability of the Yamaha equipment at a big name online retailer.
WX5 - $599, backordered
VL70M - $599, three in stock
As much as I really loved Mike's playing on the EWI, I went with Yamaha rigs for the feel of the reed and moving keys, compared to the original EWI's non-moving keys.
I totally agree that these instruments are not mainstream. "Pricey" is relative, since I've been able to sell my oboes, english horn (cor anglais for Chris) and bassoon, and have not missed them (or their reeds!!!) for several years. I'll be the first to admit that I won't make it to a Broadway pit being a "faker", but many musicals work just fine with a digital substitute, and I'm not displacing any live musicians, since I'm (I think) live, and a wind controller overcomes the stiff sound they have when played on keyboards (have you heard the recent Home Depot commercials?). AND, there is the added advantage that if you want to rip into jazz, blues, rock, etc., your sound pallette is expanded past a point I have been able to measure so far.
But, excuse me for now, I must go play clarinet.
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Author: seafaris
Date: 2007-04-14 00:28
Hi Nick,
Check out Bob "Notes" Norton's wesite www.nortonmusic.com (table of contents) and http://www.nortonmusic.com/wx5.html#top
He doubles on sax and an electronic wind instrument. He has very good info on playing and other tips. One of the keys is the sound module.
...Jim
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Author: LonDear
Date: 2007-04-14 02:28
>Author: Koo Young Chung (---.hsd1.il.comcast.net - ISP in Des Plaines, IL >United States)
>Date: 2007-04-14 00:13
>
>Do you use reed?
I'm not quite sure what your question means, Koo, but I use the built-in "reeds", plastic, that come on the WX instruments. The recorder type mouthpiece is something I've never tried. I currently play many acoustic single reed instruments and have totally abandonded double reeds as mentioned above, and I'm not just saying that to keep from being banned; after all, Chris P continues to post ("oboe finisher" (serious doubler, tripler, quadrupler, etc.)) without being banned. I think it is better for a clarinet player to synthesize the double reed parts rather than the parts just being dropped from a production. Doesn't that keep more clarinet players/doublers productively engaged in music? Most people that see me playing WX5 think it is a clarinet, even if I'm playing bassoon or bass sax parts.
BTW, I can do a really good emulation of trombone on a WX5, but have never been called to do so. It seems like there are always trombonists on standby - go figure. (Sorry - that was rude)
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Author: Koo Young Chung
Date: 2007-04-14 04:04
LonDear,
1.My question wasn't any cynical nature.
I just want to know whether you blow in or are there any reed
generated source sound.
Sorry about my ignorance about WX5.
Does the pitch change if you blow differently?
What can you control with your air?
2.Is this different than synthesizers which don't have mp?
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Author: LonDear
Date: 2007-04-14 12:32
Koo,
The lip pressure on the reed does control pitch, just like on clarinet. You have to keep some pressure on it to keep it in tune. When you want to bend the pitch up or down you increase or decrease the pressure. The amount of pressure required to maintain an in tune pitch is adjustable, and the entire lip pressure system can be turned off. There is also a thumb wheel that can bend the pitch up and down, much like the EWI.
The air pressure controls the volume. The curve for this pressure is adjustable.
While these controllers feel natural to a woodwind player, they can be rerouted to other sources of modulation such as scream, breath noise, growl, damping, and quite a few more.
If this doesn't answer the question yet, please feel free to contact me off-board so we're not boring Mark and Glenn with this psuedo-clarinet stuff.
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Author: Synonymous Botch
Date: 2007-04-14 13:04
Used Yam WX series often come with unrepairable problems, in the velocity sensor and the MIDI connection (no parts or service available).
Any of these will require more paraphernalia than you can see in the vids (or can imagine) to generate a solid sound. At a minimum, you will need a substantial stage monitor and amp to get an audible volume level.
If you are willing to experiment with a laptop as MIDI tone generator, the bulk can be reduced somewhat.
You could buy LOADS of good reeds and lessons for what this gizmo will cost.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2007-04-14 13:05
One thing I remember with the Yamaha wind synth is that you had to tongue in the opening between the reed and the mouthpiece, rather than tongueing the reed tip only.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: LonDear
Date: 2007-04-14 13:57
I tongue a wind controller with the same technique that I use on trumpet, rather than clarinet style.
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