Smith Wind Instrument Warm Up Flute

Up shooting sunrise in the mountains last month and had to work at keeping my hands warm in the wind and cold. These are a very welcome addition to my kit!

I am very pleased with this instrument. I had one years ago, but it was damaged in a move. The 55SH is exactly how it is advertised...warm and friendly to use. It's a tiny bit short on highs, but that can easily be taken care of with a slight bit of EQ. Sounds wonderful on the lower end. I am very pleased with this beautiful, shiny microphone.

This is a good lighting instrument for a back light or other compact environment. The color range let me warm up the backlight when combined with other daylight-balanced keys. Very solid yoke construction means the light firmly locks into position when you tighten it down. That's important when you attach a heavy battery for DC power. I recommend the barndoors to give you better control of focus and spill. Great value and a good addition to my lighting arsenal!

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.

This went with my Kupo 3-Section Wind-Up Stand with Auto Self-Lock (12.5'). The accessory on top of the wheels that is pictured is removable. There are no directions on how to install but there is a Kupo video that does on YouTube.

I Use them for shooting in the winter, they are warm when the wind is blowing.The tips fold back and are held out of the way.

The Heat Company Polartec Wind Pro Liner Gloves fit just right. I like that these gloves go by exact size which made a difference.The gloves fit tight and not too loose around the fingers. As far as being warm, they kept me warm enough in the upper 20's. That was as cold as it has gotten so far this winter in central Virginia. I was able to use my iPhone with these gloves. I have had other liner gloves and the Heat Company gloves have been the best.

Finally photography gloves that keep my hands warm in the cold and wind. They have been good in the mid 20s f.

This device used by professional flute musician, she work in orchestra.

Can’t beat this little instrument for the money!