What would i gain by buying a wind controller or EWI...

dt2080dt2080
edited March 2011 in Windcontrollers
OK guys - I'm addicted already to the saxes and the trumpet. :D

I used to play the oboe to a pretty high standard and i did a degree on the recorder.



Now I'm a pro composer and orchestrator working mostly with MIDI. I need to update my 2009-2010 showreel and I want to know.... is it just more fun when playing these sounds with a WC or EWI, or will i be able to make the sounds actually more realistic?



I love having fun, but budgets are tight - so i'm trying to find out this:



1. Is it worth the investment in an EWI at this stage, or does it not make much difference in real terms?



2. What is the difference in playability between an EWI and a breath or other wind controller?



I hope someone will let me know what they think!



Thanks again.



David Tobin

http://www.logictrainer.co.uk

http://www.davidtobin.co.uk

Comments

  • zeppusclubzeppusclub
    edited 9:24AM
    hi,



    with the ewi, you'll have a better control of the expression, a more natural phrasing, and overall, you'll play in the same physical position than a real sax player, so it will be so amazing and fun to play that every note you do will sound better : it's the same difference that play guitar on a keyboard, on a shoulder keyboard and on a real guitar.



    with the ewi, you're very close to the sax or trumpet attitude ...



    am i clear ?



    regards



    Yvan
  • dt2080dt2080
    edited 9:24AM
    That makes lots of sense - thanks!

    So it's worth the investment?

    Not just for fun but for the actual quality of what is produced?



    Do you still need to input keyswitches and CC's afterwards etc... or do you control all of this from the EWI - It's just I've only really ever used a keyboard controller, so don't have any experience or wind or breath controllers....



    Thanks for the info!



    David
  • zeppusclubzeppusclub
    edited 9:24AM
    Hi,



    With the EWI, you can control what you want such as growl, subharmonic, mutes, switch between sax and trumpet ... etc ... portamento, pitch ...
  • valouzvalouz
    edited 9:24AM
    With the EWI, you can control what you want such as growl, subharmonic, mutes, switch between sax and trumpet ... etc ... portamento, pitch ...

    With an EWI USB ? or only with an EWI 4000 ?



    Regards
  • zeppusclubzeppusclub
    edited 9:24AM
    Hi,



    i use and talk about the EWI 4000 S



    i don't know the specifications of EWI usb



    yvan
  • ragmanragman
    edited 9:24AM
    Hi Valouz,



    I've been using the EWI USB with both Sax and Trumpet. I am a distinctly amateur clarinet player but after 4 months I'm getting very pleasing results playing the EWI. It's extremely responsive and can be hugely expressive.



    Can't recommend it highly enough - get one now!



    Best,

    Dave



    ps. my first recording with it is posted in the demo section as 'I Love Soup'
  • valouzvalouz
    edited 9:24AM
    I already post a good comment on it :)
  • dstongdstong
    edited 9:24AM
    ragman wrote: Hi Valouz,



    I've been using the EWI USB with both Sax and Trumpet. I am a distinctly amateur clarinet player but after 4 months I'm getting very pleasing results playing the EWI. It's extremely responsive and can be hugely expressive.



    Can't recommend it highly enough - get one now!



    Best,

    Dave



    ps. my first recording with it is posted in the demo section as 'I Love Soup'

    Ragman,



    Your I Love Soup is great.



    I just got Trumpet & Sax Bros, and I'm using the EWI-USB. I get great sounds and excellent responsivity (dynamic range, speed of response, incredible tonal colors) playing the Trumpet, with just the default settings after choosing either Breath Control or Wind Controller. However, I get very disappointing results with the Saxes using just the default parameter settings. In spite of choosing Wind Controller 2, which is supposed to facilitate "jaw" vibrato for EWI's I don't seem to get any vibrato control at all, and the Sax sounds that I produce are pretty unimpressive, nothing like any of the demo's on this board. I'm obviously not doing something right.



    The Aria software that comes w the EWI-USB allows you to assign various CC's to breath sensor, or to the vibrato sensor etc. but how do you do this with Saxes?

    The parameter settings that I see appear to simply allow you to change the values or range of values for CC's that are already assigned to a particular transducer. What am I not grasping here?



    Would you or anyone else be kind enough to post some of your EWI USB parameter settings?



    Thanks,



    Dan
  • dt2080dt2080
    edited 9:24AM
    hi guys.

    I have just bought an EWI USB.



    Question is - I have absolutely no idea how to set it up optimally for use with the Trumpet or mr Sax etc...



    I tried calling Akai - complete waste of time.

    Soo....



    Any EWI USB owners that could tell me the best way to configure it - or do i just play it as it is and configure the trumpet to the controller?



    Best



    David T
  • webbiedavewebbiedave
    edited 9:24AM
    With regard to realism, a wind controller will allow you to better shape the notes through breath but keep in mind that you will not have real-time access to all the controllers that contribute much to the realistic sound of these virtual instruments.



    That being said, I think it is very much worth it to have a wind controller in your arsenal as this fine control of volume will speed rendering time greatly.



    Plus, as you mentioned, it will be great fun and gosh darn it, isn't that the most important thing of all?
  • dt2080dt2080
    edited 9:24AM
    webbiedave wrote: Plus, as you mentioned, it will be great fun and gosh darn it, isn't that the most important thing of all?

    I used the wind controller for the first time tonight - It actually freaked me out a bit.. I'm a recorder player, whistler, oboeist and general wind player of many years professionally and as a midi geek I genuinely didn't realise how realistic these things are.

    I played the trumpet and the sax and it took about ten minutes for me to figure out that I could do WAY more on this already than i can on the keyboard - and I'm a proficient keyboardist...



    Mind you, I haven't figured out the best way to set pedals and controllers for mutes, growl etc - there must be a sensible way to do it, but I haven't worked it out yet... any EWI players have a workflow with the trumpet they can share?



    By the way - haven't had so much fun in ages.... :D :D :D :D :D
  • zeppusclubzeppusclub
    edited 9:24AM
    Hi,



    With the ewi 4000 s you can assign all controllers you need using the pitch up/down plates and the 2 buttons on the upper side ...



    I use one button to put on the mute of the trumpet and the other to swap the volume controle of the host between trumpet and sax.



    pitch up for pitch up on the sax and pitch down for command the growl ... it's easy to set up.



    Regards,
  • DarylDaryl
    edited 9:24AM
    I am in the same quandary about a Wind controller. My experience of Wind playing was recorder and euphonium mas a kid, but not to a very high standard. I currently use a Breath Controller, but am no enjoying playing the keyboard at the same time. I was thinking of getting an EWI, but have no interest in either built in sounds, or Garritan's instruments. Do I still need to get the EWI 4000S in order to have maximum control over The Trumpet, or will the simpler (cheaper) USB EWI do for this purpose? Thanks for any advice.



    D
  • DarylDaryl
    edited 9:24AM
    Anyone?????? :(



    D
  • pgillpgill
    edited 9:24AM
    Daryl wrote: Anyone?????? :(



    D

    The EWI -USB is fine.



    Bernie Kennerson uses the USB for all his softsyths including samplemodeling :) Check out the video, there are more if you search, I think you'll find it does the job.



    Bernie also has the 4000s (I have both too) and you see it doesn't stop him using the USB version.



    There aren't many differences that count between the two controllers, other than internal sounds.



    Regards Pete.
  • DarylDaryl
    edited 9:24AM
    pgill wrote: Daryl wrote: Anyone?????? :(



    D

    The EWI -USB is fine.



    Bernie Kennerson uses the USB for all his softsyths including samplemodeling :) Check out the video, there are more if you search, I think you'll find it does the job.



    Bernie also has the 4000s (I have both too) and you see it doesn't stop him using the USB version.



    There aren't many differences that count between the two controllers, other than internal sounds.



    Regards Pete.
    Thanks Pete. That's exactly what I wanted to know.



    D
  • Phil999Phil999
    edited 9:24AM
    I read that the USB version does not have a touch plate for the left thumb.
  • DarylDaryl
    edited 9:24AM
    Phil999 wrote: I read that the USB version does not have a touch plate for the left thumb.
    Sorry to be so ignorant, but what does the touch plate do?



    D
  • Mick EmeryMick Emery
    edited 9:24AM
    Another option is Yamaha's WX5.

    There are a number of controls that can be mapped to various keys.
  • DarylDaryl
    edited 9:24AM
    The Yamaha one is not available in the UK, AFAIK. :(



    D
  • dstongdstong
    edited 9:24AM
    Daryl wrote: Phil999 wrote: I read that the USB version does not have a touch plate for the left thumb.
    Sorry to be so ignorant, but what does the touch plate do?



    D

    All EWI have a touchplate because it's a "ground" plate. It's needed for the capacitive sensing (to complete the circuit).
  • DarylDaryl
    edited 9:24AM
    dstong wrote: Daryl wrote: Phil999 wrote: I read that the USB version does not have a touch plate for the left thumb.
    Sorry to be so ignorant, but what does the touch plate do?



    D

    All EWI have a touchplate because it's a "ground" plate. It's needed for the capacitive sensing (to complete the circuit).
    Thanks for the reply. I'm buying the USB version tomorrow, so I'll report back as to how I get on. :)



    D

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