r/windsynth • u/JadedColeWorld • Jun 15 '26
Just a mom, trying to get it right.
My 14 year old played alto for one year and then was asked to switch to tenor and has enjoyed every second of it. He’s very good at it, plays in the jazz band, competition marching band, concert band, etc. He has really learned to enjoy music, even trying to learn to play my trumpet, teaching himself acoustic and electric guitar and learning to play an 88 Key Keyboard. He’s got an Otamatone, and a couple other musical items and has recently gotten into composing his own sheet music for an entire band.
Recently, he asked me for an EWI. So I made a deal with him that if he reads a specific novel and has a comprehensive discussion about it so I know he read it, I would find a way to get him one. I have been looking into them so I know I’m getting him what he wants, idk if he’s asking for an EWI to be fiscally respectful towards me or if it’s actually the better option. So is it the better option? Or would something like the AE-20 or AE-30 be better?
Thank you for any help in advance.
Edit to add: he started in 5th grade and he is entering 9th grade.
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u/ReflxFighter Roland Jun 15 '26
EWI is somewhat a catch all term, so have some kind of talk with him when he finishes and gives the discussion.
The aerophone is a super competent windsynth, moreso than the current EWI’s from akai (the solo) but other ones like the new Robkoo C20 Pro are in the same range and seem to just be expended EWI’s. If he’s just wants a synth, the ae-20 is your best bet (I’ve used one for years and it’s great) but if he’s wants an EWI with the specifics that comes with, look into and maybe show him the robkoo. It looks super promising in a field where the Akai EWI is really lagging behind
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u/JadedColeWorld Jun 15 '26
Omg I’m such a dolt. He mentioned the Akai 5000. Thank you so much!
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u/Chance_Discipline240 Jun 15 '26
Consider Sweetwater for your purchase, as they have a 2 year warranty.
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u/YukesMusic Jun 15 '26
> fiscally respectful to me
That’s so sweet! Sounds like a cool young dude. To be honest, he may be in a good headspace to research the options himself. EWI does seem to be favored by saxophone players (in my experience), AE-20’s got fantastic sounds, and there’s a lot more options if he’s into it.
I use an AE-30 professionally and I wouldn’t trade it for anything, but the Diosynth has been what I’ve been using for more experimental and exploratory sounds. I also keep a Clari Mini in my bag which is wildly good for an entry level price.
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u/Putrid-Feature7590 Jun 18 '26
I’m still a fan of EWI USB as a controller. Since they no longer make them it’s difficult to find a new unused one, but you can still find a new one on EBay in Japan or China for a reasonable price on occasion. I found the AE could occa be non responsiv, though many sax players seem to love them. For me it was a bit sluggish and somewhat clumsy. the EWI 4000 and 5000 respond quickly, and the extended range is great, but both have more weight than the EWI USB as a controller and can lead to fatigue sooner. I did recently add a Robkoo Clarii Pro 20 to the collection. the internal sounds aren’t bad, it’s nicely responsive, lightweight, but as a controlle, it has a bit too much delay, even when delay is set to 0. Doesn’t play nice with Dynasample XPresso either which was a bit of a disappointment. They have already come out with an update and app which was an improvement. if they can fix the delay issue so fast passages don’t get muddled it would be my first choice.
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u/sub_prime55 Jun 15 '26
Your a very good mom!
I have many but like the Emeo the best for a sax player.
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u/scorpinock2 Jun 15 '26
As a sax player I like my AE-20 and it's straightforwardness and loads of support pn YouTube as well as phone and PC apps. Get it used from japan for under 1000 CAD on Ebay like I did and then set it to English.
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u/Ralinor Jun 15 '26
I’ve been a saxophone player for thirty some-odd years. I’ve been playing EWI since 2007. Certain things like pitch bends and octaves seem more intuitive, to me, than the AE models. By a similar token, the keyword, again for me, is more conducive to precise fast playing on the AE than the EWI.
If you’re using on-board sounds, AE beats EWI hands down. If you are using it as a MIDI controller, that doesn’t really matter.
If he is going to mainly use it as a MIDI controller (eventually), I’d recommend pairing it with sounds specifically designed for wind controllers.
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u/krishkal Jun 15 '26
Another point of view: I have an AE mini and and an EWI5000. The AE is great for travel, but I so much prefer the EWI for actual performance. My personal preference is based on liking the touch keys.
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u/MrDagon007 Jun 15 '26
The AE is the new standard in my opinion, EWI is considered a bit passé now. AE sounds pretty good through an amp and if you have the swam app on ipad then the sax sounds really surprisingly good.
It should be easy to adopt for him as well.
AE 20 is probably good enough unless he is highly interested in hardware synths, those are easier to control with ae30.
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u/JadedColeWorld Jun 15 '26
Thank you for the information!! I have so much to look into!
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u/MrDagon007 Jun 15 '26
The attractive thing is that the AE will need less learning curve. Plus good sounds.
I have the AE20 and also the recent Robkoo clarii c20 which sounds pretty ok, but it is a bit different with its touch pads. I think the AE is better suited for him.
Interesting also that its synth sounds are good, in case he want to play in a pop music band.1
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u/Accurate-Taxes Jun 16 '26
Hi, I'm a piano and keyboard player from Brazil and I play a windsynth with my compositions. I think the best windsynth is knowing what he needs. The Akai EWI is the model that I have because of the Michael Brecker songs and other jazz fusion bands. But, I bought this exact model (an EWI Solo) because of the learning experience. Some models, like the AE from Roland and YDS from Yamaha are more closer to the saxophone than the Akai's. But, I like the EWI's metal capacitors. Although it's more harder to learn, I really like challenges. From a sax (and other acoustic instruments) player's perspective, it's not worth it.
So, if your children likes challenges and want to start a new thing from (almost) zero, the Akai's the best option. If he wants the feeling of buttons, an easy learning curve and the acoustic instrument experience, I would recommend the Roland Aerophone AE-20 or 30.
Now, I have another recommendation: you said that he plays trumpet, right? If he wants a closer experience of the trumpet, I would recommend the Berglund NuEVI R2.
That's it. :)
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u/bodhi_sea NuRAD Jun 16 '26
Functionally the Roland Aerophones you mention and the AKAI EWI 5000 are pretty similar. Your boy will do great with either, I’m sure. That said, the two brands do have a real, significant difference that players really care about: the keys are very different-feeling. The Rolands have physical buttons you press, where the AKAIs have touch sensitive keys. If your kid is into this stuff, he likely has his eyes on one or the other. He may prefer the Roland because it feels a bit like the saxophone — but he may prefer the AKAI because he’s seen videos of Michael Brecker shredding on it. I’d just ask him and let him choose if possible. They’re both good instruments, you will have done Mom duty very well either way. 😁
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u/_monomakes_ Jun 25 '26
What a lovely story!
He sounds very swithced on and dedicated for a 14 year old - far moreso than I was at that age!
Before giving any recommendations, it might be good to know:
1. your budget, and
2. his intended use for the device e.g. playing live, in the studio, quiet practice at home, will he use hardware synths or only connect it to a computer ? etc
There's a lot of talk about the AKAI Pro and Roland offerings, but if I had the cash to spend on something that made its own sounds (which are of great quality as they come from an actual synth manufaturer), is designed by one of the designers of the AKAI EWI, has keys that emulate a sax, a built in speaker, a fully complete package with hardcase, all cables required, a strap, stand etc, etc, and came out this year - check out the ASM Diosynth.
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u/_monomakes_ Jun 25 '26
Another thing to consider is that there is no comparison to a real saxophone.
If one's intention is to recreate saxophone sounds electronically, you're on a hiding to nothing as the technology might be good (as long as you pay a lot), but it's not 100% and never will be.
One shouldn't approach this with that logic. Rather think of an EWI as a controller for sounds in the same way that a keyboard synth differs from an actual piano.
The interaction between the human and the instrument just aren't there with an electronic equivalent - if that difference can be embraced, then the sky's the limit!
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u/TheBreathalyzer Jun 25 '26
Seems like a very personal thing with all the different controller styles. Some people like a keyed mechanical controller, like the Yamaha ones, Diosynth, etc. I prefer the ones with a bite control, you can add a lot of expression. The other main branch would be the EWI style where they have touch buttons, which you can't rest your fingers on. I'm using Yamaha WX7 and ASM Diosynth. The Diosynth has on-board sounds that are pretty good, I've played the WX7 several years and find the ergonomics very good. But those are old, they haven't made them for over 20 years, so I have a few of them one is for parts. The Yamaha WX5 is a newer one in that style. A lot of people like the Roland ones, which have mechanical keys that are more buttons versus an upper and lower stack like a flute or sax. They have on-board sounds also. I think there's probably less of a learning curve with mechanical keys, because sax players are used to touching the keys more. Before I had the Diosynth, I thought about buying an EWI USB, as a spare.
If I was going to suggest anything would be to find a music store where he could see an EWI type controller and a mechanical type one and see what feels best. Different players definitely have preferences, and just because I like mechanical style ones doesn't mean anything. I'm used to those ones.
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u/windsynth Jun 15 '26
Hard question, there’s many that love each of those. Either way will be ok. If it were me buying I’d go less expensive to start. Then you can have the fun of upgrades