Small Wooden Recorder Wind Instrument

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.

Excellent recorder, small and

I posted a glowing review of this recorder earlier but I would like to add an update. The built-in microphones are insanely sensitive to wind noise. You CANNOT use this thing outside without a very good wind screen on the built-in mics. I mean the slightest movement of air is death to the sound quality of the built-in microphone. The AGC will pump and the rumble makes the audio worthless. Also, it absolutely cannot be hand-held while recording with the built-in mic. The handling noise transfers right to the mic. You need to have it on a tripod.

So far so good, this little recorder works great! I really like its limiter and wind noise reduction settings. The recorded audio is clean and clear and it's easy to use. Also, Rycote makes a nice fur wind muff for it that works great outdoors since the built in wind noise reduction on the H1n reduces a lot of wind noise but still needs some help.

Bought for a lav mic. Fits the recorder, mic, and wind covers and tape with a little room left to spare. Inner straps aren't very helpful for my gear as its too small for the straps, but I mostly just need the case to keep my gear from being squished.

This is the best case you can get for your Zoom H4N recorder. It has custom cut-outs for each item, including the wind screen. Two heavy-duty latches and hinges. Pressure release valve for air tight seal.

Excellent sound quality for such a small microphone, even in the wind.

The quality from such a small and light weight recorder is amazing.

I'm actually using the wallet as a case for a small DVD recorder

A small solution to getting your audio to the recorder or sound board!