Conference napalm::commusic_v1

2766.0. "Akai EWI3000" by RGB::ROST (Hand out the arms and ammo) Thu Nov 07 1991 11:38

    One of the sax players in my band showed up at the gig last night with
    an Akai EWI3000 wind synthesizer.  Unlike the Yamaha WX-series wind
    cointrollers, the EWI is a self-contained synth which can also be used
    as a MIDI controller.  The benefits are that the synth can respond to
    many controller actions that have no current simple translation into
    MIDI data.
    
    The base unit is a tabletop case with a wall bug (double yecch, the
    earlier EWI versions were rack-mounts) that seemed a bit easy to
    damage.  The controller attaches by a multipin cable.  The unit has
    mono audio out, an external audio input and MIDI IN and OUT (no THRU).
    A simple open/close footswitch jack is provided for a "program up"
    function (shades of the old Poly 61). 
    
    It is apparently a two-oscillator analog synth, with choice of
    sawtooth, square and pulse waves.  No built-in effects whatsoever.
    
    The controller "keys" are activated by touch capacitnace, and thus
    don't actualy move, which may feel odd to many players.  The rubberized
    mouthpiece can be "bitten" to provide vibrato (probably mappable to
    other things as well".  A series of metallic rollers on the back of
    the unit work as ocatve keys.
    
    The overall sound quality seemed good through our PA, nice fat and warm
    analog sounds. It was unclear whether or not the synth could be used as
    a slave module by way of the IN port. The owner paid about $1200 for
    the unit.
    
    							Brian