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What do you play?
For the last couple years, I've been playing a Yamaha WX7 wind controller. Although it's not a woodwind or brass, it is a wind instrument. Although it makes no sound on it's own, I trigger a VL1M physical modeling synthesizer with it, and that's where the sound is produced. The difference between playing a woodwind sound from a keyboard and a woodwind sound from the wind controller is the wind controller can produce the subtle articulations and phrasing very naturally, thereby creating a very realistic-sounding brass or woodwind. Also, physical modeling synthesis creates a lot of the little noises in between the notes, which adds to the authenticity of each sound.
The main upside to this gear, is that I can also play bag pipes, sax, violin, oboe, etc. and I only have to learn to play one instrument.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by david on -
I play tenor, alto and soprano sax. I just started playing about 4 yrs ago after being away from it for about 30 yrs. I'm 55 now. Back then I only played alto. Now I mostly use the tenor and soprano in church. What does one of those wind controllers go for ? It sounds like a pretty cool instrument.
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Permalink Reply by Dale on -
I bought my WX7 off Ebay for about $350. Yamaha doesn't make them anymore. The one they make now is the WX5. Brand new, those go for around $600. Akai makes the EWI, which is a similar price. The EWI has the advantage of having a synth built-in. The downside is it sounds like a synth.
If you buy one of the Yamahas, you will also have to purchase a synth or sampler or some kind of tone generator because the WX produces no sound, only control data. The VL1M is also discontinued and is hard to find. The upside is that, in my opinion, nothing else sounds better. If you find one, make sure it is version 2. The new Yamaha module is the VL70M, which goes for around $600.
I strongly recommend you look at this web site: patchmanmusic.com if you are interested in wind controllers. Matt sells all the gear, patch libraries (audio samples you can listen to), as well as repair services. He also sells an upgrade chip for the VL70M. If you listen to the audio demos, his chip is a big improvement over the stock version. -
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Permalink Reply by Roland Dale Benedict on -
I wish I knew how to merge my two identities into one. I couldn't remember how to log in under my old name/password and my email address had changed in the meantime.
The messages I sent in go unanswered.
For now I will be both people. Dale & Roland Dale.
Still playing my WX7.
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Permalink Reply by Justin Womack on -
I play the trombone and trumpet. I don't currently play for worship at my church. But I am the leader of a small jazz ensemble we put together to have live music at some of our awards dinners and capital campaign banquets.
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Permalink Reply by Michael Letus on -
I play tenor sax and am able to fit it in on just about everything we do on the worship team. There are a few songs that it just doesn't seem to belong and I'll do some percussion, either a djembe or other 'noisemaker', on those ones.
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Permalink Reply by Steve Wedgwood on -
I used to play alto but now I play C melody sax mostly so I don't have to transpose. I also like the way it sounds alto like in the high register and tenor like in the low. Can do bass lines or back up the ladies!
I've used soprano a few times but thinking about trying baritone out more.
I lead worship more often than play sax these days so don't play so often.
Blessings
Steve. -
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Permalink Reply by David D Waggoner on -
That is cool. I had to join the group to comment on your instrument of choice. I started off on alto sax thru HS but moved on to organ, guitar and other instruments. But I still pull out the sax occasionally. I too have a C melody; a vintage one I found at an antique store. It is a Conn from 1928 or 9 with a micro-adjust neck that I could not stand. A couple of years ago I got a replacement neck from Aquila Sax (from Australia). While it seems thin and light, it fits and now the instrument plays fairly well in tune.
Anyone tried an Aquila Sax instrument? They have Saxes in C (both C melody and C soprano) and C Trumpets.
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Permalink Reply by rosehebrew on -
I play Irish whistle, both low and high. I play Susato highs and Ethnicwind lows which has a distinct breathy sound. I usually have eight whistles on my stand just in case I get stuck in need of the right key combination in the right octave. Each whistle is capable of playing in the tonic, 4th, 5th plus in 2 minor keys easily so that gives me lots of choices. I carry my whistles around in a rifle case. Ha Ha it is all a little bizarre but it works for me.
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Permalink Reply by David D Waggoner on
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"I carry my whistles around in a rifle case."
LOL! I have a bass guitar that is in a gun case. I have gotten some STRANGE looks going into venues with that!
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Permalink Reply by Greg Moore on -
"What's in there?"
"An ax."
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Permalink Reply by Greg Moore on
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Until now, I have played organ (pipe, Hammond and the many half-breeds), piano, keyboard, harpsichord. I can play guitar very badly (10,000 to flight) and accordion even more badly (called upon once to play for an outdoor meeting - tried to learn the instrument in the car on the way there:) Learned to play baritone so I could write brass parts intelligently, but it was pretty huffy stuff. NOW is the big adventure -- I have been asked to lead the band in a small Christian school -- a great director (40 years a teacher) has retired, and no one is available to replace him. So I found in the band room an oboe, a clarinet, a bass clarinet and a trombone, and a variety of percussion instruments. One month from today I will face children - the older ones smarting from losing their teacher, the younger ones not knowing that I barely know which end to blow into. But by the end of the year I will be a much wiser person.
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