By Andrew Liszewski
The piano was probably the first actual instrument to be ushered into the digital era and these days electronic keyboards are so common they even exist as children’s toys. But unless you work for Akai I bet you haven’t stumbled across many electronic wind instruments.
The Akai Pro EWI4000S is the latest version of the company’s wind instrument MIDI controller and it incorporates some new features and upgraded controls that allow it to better translate the nuances in a musician’s expressive performance. One of the biggest improvements is the use of audio wireless transceivers which allows the performer to freely move around on stage instead of being tethered to a computer or interface module. There’s a long list of other new features that would probably seem quite useful to someone who actually plays a wind instrument so if you’re one of them make sure to check out the product page on the Akai website.
And if the Akai EWI4000S appeals to you you can pick one up for about $1,000.
not wireless as is. midi or audio out can be connected to a wireless transmitter, but not included according to the manual.