Akai Professional has launched a solo version of its electronic wind instrument that contains its own built-in speaker for play anywhere and anywhen convenience.
EWI Solo represents the true evolution of our EWI line, fusing the response players demand with complete versatility for any performance or practice setting," said Akai's Dan Gill. "For the seasoned instrumentalist, EWI Solo lets you expand your sonic pallet without compromising the technique you have honed over years of practice. For beginners seeking the perfect blend of versatility and convenience, EWI Solo is the ultimate starting point. No matter your skill level, the EWI Solo is the world’s most versatile, go-anywhere wind instrument."
Features such as octave rollers, a portamento glide plate and an adjustable pitch bend plate have filtered through from the EWI 5000, and Akai says that the speaker has been specifically calibrated to produce the "most natural sound reproduction experience to recreate every subtle nuance of the instrumentalist's performance."
The Solo's mouthpiece senses air pressure and bite and adjusts the volume and pitch dynamics accordingly. It comes with 200 tones cooked in, from synthesized sounds to authentic-sounding clarinet, and there are dedicated FX controls available to add reverb, delay and chorus to the output. Pitch, tuning and dual low frequency oscillator editing is onboard too, with an OLED display showing players what presets and parameters are active.
Players who need to connect to PA systems, mixing consoles or computers can do so via the 0.25-inch output jack and a USB MIDI port. There's a headphone jack for silent practice, and an auxiliary input to jam along to music from an external source. And the integrated Li-ion battery should be good for 12 hours or more of untethered performing.
The EWI Solo is on sale now for US$499.
Product page: Akai Pro EWI Solo