Free Wind Instrument Samples

I’ve been using this for field recording and grabbing instrument samples around the apartment. Upgraded from a Zoom H5 and the difference is quite dramatic. Even small things like the UI menus are laid out well. The preamps are very very detailed, and work well with any mic I can throw at them. Shotguns, small condensers, various contact mics, $10 radio shack lavs from the 80s, all sound very upfront and full. The ability to link channels in L/R or M/S is great. The polywav workflow is not the annoyance that I thought it would be, since it actually makes previewing and organizing much easier. The only serious annoyance is that the headphone knob also doubles as the data entry, which can be tough to reach sometimes.

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 have a video sample here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brKrk1fzPqI Photo samples here (free RAW downloads): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQ5rFFDcPiI

With so many free good samples out there its hard to fathom  complaining about stock sounds.  Creating your own kit is a snap.  Load samples onto an SD card then plug the card into the samplepad.  Select a pad, assign the sample to it and away you go! I dont know any real drummer that doesnt tweak his or her kit to make it sound just the way they want. Same idea for the samplepad pro.  This machine is easy to use and easy to make amazing custom kits, The menu is intuitive and its features make it extremely versatile   Ive read other reviews where crosstalk was initially an issue that was easily fixed with a free update from Alesis.  Mine came fully updated and crosstalk has not been an issue.  The samplepad pro has proven to be the drumming solution Ive been wanting and now there is no more slaving for hours with drum programs for me.

good to try the samples!

In a situation when filming documentaries, we always keep it on outside. Sound is completely wind-free.

I always want to know about professional products and samples are the way to go.

I use it for my graphic design samples

I've already made so many samples using it and it is everything I hoped it would be. Amazing!

Can’t beat this little instrument for the money!