The Akai Professional EWI4000S is a newly designed
electronic wind controller. This expressive musical instrument
incorporates several improvements in the development of MIDI
/ Synth instrument capabilities.The EWI4000S has many of the long
sought after controls and functions that are necessary for expressive
performance. While these benefits have been proven by its predecessors,
the EWI offers these features at a much lower price (You should pay right around $699.00 US). There are
several improvements to the design as well, such as having a built-in
sound module, direct MIDI IN and Out, and other updated operating
functions. These features make playing the EWI4000S easier than
any other electronic wind instrument.
| Overview of features: |
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All-in-one design means no external module; the module is IN the controller! |
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Built in virtual analog sound module sounds and feels like the original EWV2000 |
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Reverb, Delay & Chorus effects built in. |
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MIDI in & out from controller. |
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Visual editor software puts all the parameters of the synth on one page in front of you. Organizing, saving, editing and sharing patches is super easy and you don't have to overwrite anything in your module. |
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Sustain functions allows you to hold a note and play over it or send full Sustenato over MIDI. |
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On the fly Octave functions allows you to add a note an octave below the note you are playing. |
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Patch Key Assign - allows you to assign a patch to a key note and switch to it on the fly! |
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All of the great features of previous EWI's are intact. |
With the sound module and the instrument integrated
into one product, players no longer need to be tethered to a sound
module. By using MIDI and audio wireless transceivers, EWI-4000S
players can move freely on the stage as they play. The user can
easily switch between programs on the EWI4000S directly with a
dedicated Program selection button, or use the note keys to select
stored patches.
The internal sounds of the EWI4000S are based on
a virtual analog synth sound module that is very responsive to
the player's nuance. With easily accessible controls for breath,
vibrato, glide time, and bend width, users can adjust the settings
of the EWI4000-S to their specific playing style. You can send
multiple MIDI messages via breath control to send expression and
aftertouch control messages.
The EWI4000S offers some new performance control
features as well, such as the Octave Key. When you activate the
Octave mode, you get an automatic doubling of notes one octave
below the note you are playing. There is also a Hold Mode, which
holds a note that you select- enabling you to solo around that
note. This is the first EWI with sostenuto capability!
Besides being a great wind controller, you also
get a first-rate synthesizer. The EWI4000S has new synthesis features
that were not available on previous EWI's. The internal analog
modeling synth has two voltage-controlled oscillators (sawtooth,
triangle, square with pulse width waveforms) with individual volume
control. The voltage-controlled filter has a feature that allows
you to change from 2 to 4 pole filters.
The EWI4000S's new noise generator and a dedicated
Voltage Controlled Filter (VCF) add more realism to your playing,
emulating breath noise.
The EWI4000S has a new sweep function, which works
more effectively than a typical envelope generator. As you change
the force of your playing, the sweep parameter will alter the shape
of the sound. The synth contained inside has a LFO (low frequency
oscillator) specifically for the voltage controller filter modulation.
This LFO affects vibrato as you use the bite sensor. The EWI4000S
also has built-in effects, a first for Akai EWI products, such
as Reverb, Chorus, and Delay to thicken or double-up your solos.
Since it would difficult to put all the knobs and
buttons on the EWI-4000 that are needed to adjust the various parameters,
the EWI4000S ships with a computer editor program to allow users
to customize their sounds ahead of time for live performance. This
editor ships standard in both Windows and Mac versions. All of
your edited Programs can be stored inside the EWI4000S, so you
can recall your settings instantly during your performance.
Positioning
The EWI4000S is Akai's new, state-of-the-art Electronic
Wind Controller. This one of a kind instrument contains an industry
first internal sound source. With multiple functions previously
unavailable to wind players, the EWI4000S pushes the envelope of
MIDI/Synth capabilities and is available at an affordable price.
Applications/Customers
Live and Studio Performance
Electronic Wind Players
Dimensions And Weight
26.39" (L) x 1.73" (W) x 2.71" (H). Weight with
battery: 2.13 lbs
Key Features
- Touch sensitive keys and Octave roller for quick and responsive
playing
- Sensitive breath sensor for expressive dynamics
- Built-in Analog Modeling Synth sound module
- Built-in MIDI output for use with sound modules
- PC and Mac Editor software for editing internal sounds
- Lightweight and Portable Design with Battery power
Comparison to the EWI3020 / EWI3000 Controllers
As you can see in the image below, the EWI4000s
FEELS almost identical to the EWI3020 and EWI3000 controllers.
The distance between keys and hands is practically the same. Additional
length in the end of the horn is added for the new features.
SOUND GENERATOR
Analog Modeling Synth
Preset Sounds with two VCO + two VCF, Dual Voice Analog Modeling
Basic direct editing capability on the EWI4000S. PC and Mac editing
software included for extensive sound editing
EFFECTS
Chorus
Delay
Reverb
GENERAL
2 Digit, 7 Segment LED Program Display
Shows program number when the Program Change sensor is touched
HOLD key for playing second note while sustaining first note
CONNECTIONS
1/4" phone jack: unbalanced
Headphone Output: 1/8" stereo jack
MIDI Out x1, MIDI In x1
AC Adaptor input
Cable Holder to prevent cables from slipping off the EWI4000S
during performance
POWER
Battery powered using 4 AA batteries
Optional AC Adaptor
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Q.
What is the difference between the new EWI4000S and previous
Akai EWI products?
A. There are many similarities between the EWI4000S
and its predecessor the EWI3020. The biggest difference is that the
EWI4000S doesn't require an external sound module. All of the components
such as the synth, MIDI input and output, and audio output are built-in
on the EWI4000S.
Q. Are there internal sounds in the EWI4000S?
A. Yes, the EWI4000S has a built-in analog modeling
synthesizer that was developed to be responsive to an electronic
wind instrument.
Q. Can I edit the sounds of my EWI4000S on a computer?
A. Yes, and then you can save the settings into the
EWI4000S's memory for instant recall.
Q. Can I use my computer and external MIDI modules
with the EWI4000S?
A. Yes, the EWI4000S can be used to trigger MIDI
modules directly. By adding a USB to MIDI converter, you can trigger
sounds in your computer directly from the EWI using the instrument's
MIDI output.
Q. What is the list price of the new EWI4000S?
When can I get one?
A. The manufacturer's suggested retail price is $999
US. The new EWI4000S will be available late November 2005.
Q. Can I use the the EWI4000S with my current
MIDI sound modules?
A. Yes simply by using the built in MIDI OUT on the
instrument.
Q. Can I use the the EWI4000S with older Akai
EWI sound modules?
A. Yes via the MIDI OUT jack on the EWI4000s as described
above (except the EWV2000 which does not have a MIDI IN jack). The
EWI4000s does not have a CV output jack. The older EWI sound modules
are no longer in production.
Q. Does the 4000s have the Chord feature of the
other EWI's?
A. No. But the EWI4000S synth engine has two separate
voices, both consisting of two VCOs (altogether 4 VCOs). the two
voices can be used for HOLD function, OCTAVE function (added lower
octave) to creat a single, simple chord on the fly.
Q. Does the 4000s have the External In feature?
A. No.
Q. Can one output midi and the internal synth
at the same time.?
A. Yes.
Q. Can one output to the Audio out and the
Headphone Out at the same time?
A. Yes.
Q. Is the internal synth is controlled at a higher
sample rate or bit depth higher than the MIDI output, or does it
just receive data with the resolution of MIDI?
A. Both the sample rate and the bit depth is higher
internally than the MIDI rate.
Q. The original EWV 2000 sound module had a cello
and oboe formant filter on it; does the 4000s have these filters?
A. Yes, the two formants of the EWI4000S are exact
simulations of the EWI3020m.
Q. Can I rewire the key configuration to convert
an EWI4000s to an EVI similar to the way one could convert an EWI1000?
A . The EWI4000s has been redesigned from scratch,
only the specification is based on the former design. As the key
sensing circuit is rather different from the old EWI (it is digital
instead of analog CV), this modification may or may not work. On
the other hand the new key sensing circuit would make it possible
to add selectable, even user-programmable or polyphonic fingering.
Q. Is the on-board synth physically modeled or sampler
data?
A; Neither one. The internal synthesizer has
two voices, each voice having two dedicated VCOs. The two VCOs
are aliasing-free, digitally controlled oscillators, with an adjustable
mix of saw, triangle, and adjustable width pulse waveforms. There
is a single VCF shared by all the VCOs. The filter characteristics
is selectable between low-pass, band-pass, band-reject and high-pass,
with adjustable Q and selectable between 12 dB/oct and 24 dB/oct.
There is also a separate noise generator with a dedicated VCF.
Moreover, there is a separate formant filter simulating the EWI3020m
formant filters.
Q. What's the difference between "virtual
analog" and "physical modelling" sythesis such as
in the Yamaha VL70m?
A: "virtual" analog is simply emulating
an analog circuit using fourier transforms and the like. Physical
modelling is emulating an acoustic (or electric) instrument by using
a very simplified physics described by the mathematics of the given
instrument.
A "real" analog synthesizer is mostly done
with smooth circuits composed of non-transistor type elements (i.e.
no digital steps). While more modern ones have some digital circuitry
in them (well, a lot in fact) this is mainly there to control the
analog circuitry.
Inside a computer, all you've got is digital circuitry,
so you can't build a native analog synth using a general purpose
computer. Instead, what you do is model the "smoothness" of
the analog signal using floating point math in a digital processor.
You can never get truly smooth in the voltage curve, but you can
get "close". So the
digital information in the machine is transformed into a close representation
in the audio hardware (which is ultimately an analog ciruit).
So, what you're getting, is something close
to the 3020m or EWV2000 only designed using pure digital circuitry
instead of an analog or analog/digital hybrid. It's about the software
more than it is
about the hardware.
Q. James West wrote a review of the EWI3000 & 3000m
for ewi-evi.com which
can be found here:
He brought up an important point about the difference
in the Vibrato Parameters on the EWV2000 and EWI3000m. To Quote:
"Vibrato Parameters on the old EWV 2000, you
could control the amount of pitch change, timbre change, and amplitude
change that went into the vibrato of a patch. This gave the instrument
a very "human" feel. I feel that this is the biggest selling-point
that a wind-controller has going for it, and that any reduction in
the amount of user control over these parameters is a mistake. Adding
an LFO is fine with me, as long as I can still choose the method
in which I control vibrato. When using a "jaw vibrato",
like a sax player would normally do, the new instrument only controls
the pitch aspect of vibrato, which is fine if you're playing a sax
patch, but is not so great if you're trying to simulate a flute,
much of whose vibrato is made up of changes in amplitude and timbre.
I tried doing a diaphragm vibrato as I played the flute sound, and
I thought it would do in a pinch. The point is that we shouldn't
have to pinch! I really miss being able to program and control all
of the various vibrato parameters."
How will the EWI4000s handle these parameters?
A: You can control pitch and/or amplitude with the
vibrato sensor, but not timbre.
However, a new feature is that if the EWI4000s
is used with an external MIDI synthesizer, it is possible to add
the vibrato output to the breath output (instead of pitch bend
output).
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