2018 Compare Electronic Wind Instrument Midi Controller

I must admit, the first time I unboxed the instrument, I was amazed at the build quality. It has some heft, the keys are properly and ergonomically placed and you know Akai really took their time to perfect this wind controller. But as a long time saxophone player, the first time I actually played some scales, I was quite disappointed - it didn't feel like a saxophone. I was beginning to regret my purchase and thought about exchanging it for the WX5. So I gave it a few more days. Days turned to weeks, and I am beginning to appreciate this instrument. Keep practicing those scales, breathing with the mouthpiece and you realize how this is such an amazing wind controller. I made a mistake thinking that this is a replacement for a saxophone in an apartment situation. In reality, you should think about how this instrument can be an extension to your musical endeavors. The possibilities you can do with the sounds and playability are endless. There are a few usable synths prebuilt, but I suggest using the Akai EWI 5000 Editor to really play and edit your sounds then save it to the user bank. Also there are synths out there that can be used if you plug the EWI as just a midi wind controller; unfortunately you can't upload other synth sounds into the controller. Definitely give it some time to get used to the instrument especially moving from one octave to another. Keep practicing and you'll appreciate that there's hardly any moving parts here. I was opposed at it first since horns have that tactile and key feedback. But with the touch sensitivity, it really felt I was playing an instrument from the future. Again, you just have to get used to it - think about when mobile phones shift from physical keyboards to the modern phones we have today. And here I am today still keeping my purchase and writing a review. I thank Akai for making a top-notch wind controller and continuing the support for the modern electronic wind musician.

holds my midi controller perfectly, real nice.

Top quality cables. Work perfectly with my midi controller.

I use this microphone for DJing, plugs directly into my midi controller and sounds crystal clear.

The previous review was the only negative one I've seen on the web, and it seems misinformed. The product is not advertised as needing or having a driver on cd. It worked right away with no extra work, creating its own MIDI setup on my computer. BUT, (1) you have to pay attention to the MIDI connector colors (plug the red one into your instrument's MIDI OUT port), AND (2) do some MIDI setup on your instrument (e.g. local control=OFF for playback). Finally, (3) it's not an audio cable, it's a midi cable, so understand the difference. It carries MIDI signals for music software, not sound for recording.

this controller controls EVERYTHING would need it to, and is a cobination of a GREAT midi controller for beats, and an EVEN BETTER control surface...the key for me is the LARGE FONT LCD....no more squinting with reason, i dont even have much need to look anywhere else, it almost feels like a stand alone device....AWESOME NEKTAR

Securely connects between laptop and midi controller with no issues or interruptions in data. Great value.

Mine came in perfect condition. The snare is far from weak. The amp/speaker is not weak either - it is at least as loud as the regular acoustic instrument, and mine is certainly louder, so that full volume is a bit too much. Besides, you can plug it into an amp or mic it if you need to - like any other cajon. The velocity sensitivity works great, and is completely adjustable. The only sounds that sound electronic are the few sounds that are supposed to sound electronic. The 20 settings that are acoustic sound great, and the 10 electronic sounds are so much fun to play with. You don't have to hit it so precisely. You certainly want the triggers localized, because you don't want to always hit the triggered sounds. That way, instead of the basically two sounds you normally get from a cajon, you can get many more varieties. I bought this for use in my professional band, and I'm glad I did. I would do it again. My drummer can now accompany me when I play what used to be solo gigs, when schlepping drums would not be appropriate. We can fit into more venues with this thing. That was the original reason for my purchase. Now - I am not saying that this is the best cajon on the market - that's a personal choice. I am saying that the instrument I received is of high quality, is very useful, and I have no regrets. I look forward to hearing what the future iterations of this great idea will sound like.

I like wind instruments. This is that and so much more. Nice features make playing sound like the real thing. Tried it all but haven't used it as a midi controller yet

I like this MIDI controller. It is unique and has capabilities not found with regular pitch wheel type actions. Great for synth sounds but also can be very expressive when playing modeled acoustic instruments.