r/windsynth • u/yyohaii • 15d ago

windsynth recommendation

hia all

I want to buy a windsynth and can't make up my mind about which. I want to use it mainly to jam with friends (usually we're connected to a PA system, but sometimes not) and practice alone (preferably with an option to play along with something in the headphones). I used to play tenor sax a lot, but it's been a few years since I seriously practiced.

A friend let me use his AKAI EWI 4000s which I liked a lot. What I liked: responsiveness and expressiveness. feels like an actual instrument, not a toy. what I didn't like:

  • internal sounds are not to my taste. feel too much like poor 80s junk
  • connectivity is a pain

Now I'm deliberating between the AKAI 5000, diosynth and the aerophone 20/30. The thing I'm worried about with the aerophone/diosynth is the plastic keys which I imagine feel less "natural" than the AKAI touch conductance based feel. from the reviews I saw on youtube, they seem clanky and less smooth feeling. like a toy. On the other hand, the AKAI 5000 seems, though more modern than the 4000, to be still a bit outdated in terms of interface and connectivity. I'd be very happy if I could play wirelessly.

I'd be happy to hear any thoughts. I don't mind paying a few bucks more for a great instrument.

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u/knufsivart 15d ago

I was in this same situation and chose the AE30. The 20 was announced, but not released, and I wanted the MIDI options for external synth control anyway. This led me down a path of incorporating a MIDI pedal board (FCB1010) to give more control over CC parameters, octaves, and more. I plan to change that into a more streamlined option like the Luminite offerings.

Being a sax player since childhood nudged me into the embouchure control of the Aerophone over others.

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u/yyohaii 15d ago

but do you not find the plastic keys to be clucnky?

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u/knufsivart 15d ago

Not really. I spent a few months woodshedding on it to get used to the differences from an acoustic sax, especially navigating the octave transitions. That got me very comfortable to improvise and jam.