Akai Ewi 5000 Wind Instrument Performance

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.

I used this to wirelessly connect an Akai EWI 4000s to iOS synthesizer apps. The MD-BT01 has worked flawlessly.

As good as any metal windscreen made very happy with the performance and wind suppression.

Awesome sounds from Akai to add to my library!

This a fine instrument, well constructed and has excellent optics. I have been very impressed with its performance. It is light and easy to handle. The focuser works smoothly and with precision. I am extremely pleased with this instrument.

using it on my sb-5000 works good.

I use to connect Akai mpk-49 to audio interface

I'm using this microphone on a boom pole to capture interview audio for video in a variety of indoor and outdoor situations. I'm quite pleased with the performance and build quality of this microphone. The directionality, the on-axis frequency response and sensitivity, and the off-axis rejection are all quite good. I'm still evaluating the S/N performance, but so far it's good enough fo my needs. The included foam is decent in relatively wind-free conditions, though I am going to purchase a fuzzy windbuster to handle higher winds better. A sharp lo-cut filter in post took care of the wind the foam screen couldn't handle. Overall, I think this is an excellent mic for a reasonable price. My only gripe is the included storage case is designed for a longer model, so for this mic wastes an extra 5 of length. When packing to go on location, that's an annoying amount of wasted space. I'll figure out how to cut the foam to make it useful, though.

Can’t beat this little instrument for the money!

Fine instrument, does what it should do and more. I recommend it.