Metal Jazz Wind Instrument With Keys

For such small speakers I’m enjoying every instrument in my music. I’m an avid jazz lover. Very pleased. The sound is crisp & clear.

The sound quality is excellent. I listen to rock, jazz, metal, country, it all sounded awesome to me. The bass and treble is perfect. My receiver is connected to a cassette deck, cd player, and turntable.I like the remote that came with it. The bluetooth is easy to connect to other Bluetooth devices. The one problem i had was with both the manual and back of the unit for speaker hookups. Picking which speaker output to use for the speakers I have (8 ohms) very confusing for me, probably not a problem for anyone else.

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.

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

I was surprised to find out that this instrument is all-metal except for the suction cups. I was expecting plastic for most of the instrument. It is more robust than I expected and I have test-used it inside and outside the car. No worry about tne Fat-Gecko loosing its grip.It is better than all other contraptions and should have bought it earlier.Thank you B&H ...

Fits in keyring and it's all metal body makes it durable enough to endure rattling keys.

The size of this umbrella and the ability to convert it from a reflective to shoot-through make it well worth the modest price. I actually prefer that the umbrella part is not metal. I have a 40 umbrella that has a metal frame and it tipped over from the wind and is now bent. I expect that won't happen with this product. Perhaps it will break? I doubt it, but I'm sure I will find out (since this thing is a huge wind sail!)

The Apollo Orb currently is made with really strong fiberglas ribs. You can use it outside in the wind and it stands up to anything. The OLD version only had metal ribs. They used to bend. Most of the negative reviews you see of this are from when it had metal rims. Westcott should have given it a new name or model number when they improved it.

I use this with the Sanken Cos-11 and the large metal windscreen on beach shoots. I never have wind issues

A huge step up from the semi-weighted and spring-action keyboards I'm used to. Built solid, with a metal top and some sort of heavy-density material on the bottom, very rigid and hefty. Plastic but not hollow-feeling keys. The action is definitely on the heavy side which I like. The keys don't make a clicky racket like the Keystation 88. Wheels and buttons are good quality, slider is just OK. Mine came with a slight dent in the metal top, apparently a manufacturing defect because the packaging was undamaged and there's no sign of impact. Not a deal breaker in my case and virtually invisible. Firmware update is available and installed easily. Preset editor utility is handy and intuitive. As I knew going in, no pedals or AC adapter are included. Didn't try the software because I have my own. Heavy, 38lbs., and given its weight and lack of onboard sounds, it wouldn't be my first choice for a gigging keyboard. It's more like a digital piano, and if I could make a suggestion to M-Audio, I would like a dedicated digital piano-style stand with integrated pedal option.