String Equivalent Wind Instrument

Really fantastic big string sound in the VSL instrument family.

Dust cover, stretchy material, pull string to tighten around instrument base. Plenty of slack to fit just about any keyboard 49-61 keys.

I use this mic to record string and wind (brass mostly) instruments.  The different patterns make it effective in a variety of spaces depending on whether you want to reject other sounds or include reflections.  Versatile and great sound quality.

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.

A quick way to not string cables across the stage.

Can’t beat this little instrument for the money!

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

I like the softness of the string and when inside my ears. Great Sound!

Wind bad, this good. Keep wind out.

It's a good quality instrument that I like so much