Electronic wind instrument

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An EWI

EWI (an acronym for Electronic Wind Instrument) is the name of AKAI's line of wind controllers, an electronic musical instrument invented by Nyle Steiner. The early models consisted of two parts: a wind controller and a synthesizer. The current model, EWI4000S, combines the two parts into one, placing the synthesizer in the lower section of the controller. It uses the Boehm fingering system and is designed to be similar in action to a soprano saxophone, although players familiar with the clarinet should have no problem adjusting to the fingering. Like a soprano sax, it is straight, and is held in front of the body with a neck strap. The major manufacturers of wind controllers are Akai and Yamaha. Available models include the AKAI EWI3020, AKAI EWI4000s, AKAI EWI USB, Yamaha WX5, Yamaha WX11, Yamaha WX7, and Synthophone. There is also a controller intended to be played by brass instrumentalists called an EVI (for Electronic Valve Instrument) also invented by Nyle Steiner. The Akai EWI4000S has a special EVI mode that allows brass players to play the EWI. More info on the EVI fingering system. There are also homemade and experimental EWIs with different designs.

The wind controller part of the EWI has a mouthpiece with sensors for air pressure (volume control) and lip pressure (vibrato). The EWI keys do not move, but work through conductivity, sensing the positioning of the fingers by electrical current; this allows for very fast playing. The octave is determined by a set of rollers operated by the left thumb. The wind controller is used to control a synthesizer. Some EWIs have to be attached to a specific synth module, and some have direct output to the MIDI interface. It is also possible to connect the EWI to a Digital Work Station (soundboard) to produce an even larger variety of sounds.

Though it is usually associated with jazz/rock fusion and, more recently, with New Age music, the EWI is a musically versatile instrument. The air pressure sensor allows for great dynamic range, especially in combination with an analog synthesizer. Tonal range is also great, usually extending to 8 octaves.

Performers

Skilled EWI players include Marshall Allen, Courtney Pine, Joe Duran, Seth Paynter, Masato Honda, Dennis Kirchhoff, Dave Koz, Bob Mintzer, Dan Zinn, Michael Brecker, Paul Hazen, Steve Tavaglione, Scott Harris, Jay Beckenstein of Spyro Gyra, Jeff Kashiwa, and Eric Tsang. Brecker in particular has played the EWI both as a solo instrumentalist and in an ensemble context with groups like Steps Ahead, Paul Simon's band and also appeared on James Taylor's 'Hourglass'. Steve Tavaglione is another famous EWI player who plays on jazz albums but is best known for his TV and film soundtrack work; his EWI playing can be heard on TV shows like CSI: NY and movies including Finding Nemo, Ocean's Eleven and Ocean's Twelve. Another semi-famous EWI player is regular flautist for The Polyphonic Spree Audrey Easley; the instrument can be heard on such songs as "A Long Day Continues/We Sound Amazed" on the band's 2004 album Together We're Heavy and more extensively in their 2007 album The Fragile Army.

Since 1979, the Lyricon has been well known to fans of the Japanese fusion band T-Square as a lead instrument. Likewise, The EWI has also been known as a lead instrument since 1988. All three of the band's saxophonists-- Takeshi Itoh (who was a member of T-Square from 1978 to 1990, Returned in 2000 and is still a member of the band), Takahiro Miyazaki (who was introduced to T-Square as a lead saxophonist in 1998 and left in 2000) and the aforementioned Masato Honda (who was the lead saxophonist from 1991 to 1998)-- double on EWI. T-Square has included 2 or 3 new compositions for EWI on each of their albums. Takeshi, the group's original Saxophonist, began using the Lyricon in 1979, then upgraded to the Yamaha WX-7 in Mid-1987, then upgraded again to the AKAI EWI in 1988. Since then, Masato Honda has used the EWI and Takahiro also.

Before recent times, the EWI was particularly foreign to the U.S. population, mainly seen in Japan. But the EWI is slowly becoming more popular in the United States, particularly in in indie rock and jazz circles.^{[citation needed]}

Videos

Live looping using the Akai EWI4000s by Jonathan Block (posted by the copyright holder)

External links