I have an Akai EVI-1000 with EWV-2000 module. I have many other synthesizers, I primarily use my EVI to control my XP-50. I grew up playing trumpet and studied as a Jazz Performance Major on trumpet in college. I am primarily a keyboard player but also play EVI and trumpet. My strong interest in synthesizers with my trumpet background made for a natural interest in wind controllers such as the EVI Electronic Valve Instrument. Breath pressure is a very natural and expressive source of control for a synthesizer. A wind controller instrument can give the type of phrasing and expressive control that is not possible on a keyboard synthesizer.
I started out with Akai EWI-1000 controller with EWV-2000 sound module.
- EVI = Electronic Valve Instrument
- EWI = Electronic Wind Instrument
The EWI is a woodwind style wind controller, played somewhat like a sax or clarinet. I modified the controller
fingerings on mine to function as an EVI (or trumpet style) controller. After using it for about a year I found someone willing to trade their EVI for my EWI. I still have that EVI.
The controller (Akai EWI or EVI) is basically analog, sending analog signals to the dedicated module.
AKAI EWV-2000 Wind Synthesizer Module
The EWV-2000 synthesizer module provides dual voice paths, each with an oscillator, a filter, and amplifier. For more detailed information about the EWV-2000 Click Here.
AKAI EVI-1000 Electronic Valve Instrument
The EVI is played somewhat like a trumpet or other valve brass instruments. There are 3 primary valves that are played using the same combinations for notes as those in the lowest octave of a trumpet. There is an additional 4th valve, played with the forefinger of the left hand, that differentiates between the lower and upper halves of an octave (the difference between G and C or f and Bf).
These valves do not move up and down like a trumpet, they are touch sensitive. That is, if you touch the "valve" button it acts like the valve is depressed. This takes just a little while to get used to after moving trumpet valves. It takes more time and practice to get the 4th valve working naturally.
There is a set of touch sensitive rollers that control octave. These are inside an opening in small canister-like controller on the end of the instrument. As you spin the canister with your left hand, your left thumb moves over the various rollers to select octaves.
The mouthpiece is more like a woodwind mouthpiece, it goes in your mouth, not on the outside of your lips. So you do not buzz like a brass instrument mouthpiece. The mouthpiece has sensors for breath pressure and bite pressure. The mouthpiece does not take breath through it. So as you blow you have to let air escape through your lips beside the mouthpiece. Breath pressure is a natural controller for a synthesizer.
There is a controller section around the thumb of your right hand. Moving up and down you touch sensors that control pitch bend. There is a small wiggle stick that also sends pitch bend information to create for vibrato. That vibrato controller works really well for me. The resulting vibrato is far more natural than vibrato from an LFO on other synthesizers.
These various controllers evoke a different kind of expression from a syntheszier than a keyboard does. Not that is impossible to obtain the same effect from a keybaord with several alternate controllers (pedals, etc.), but it would be much harder to use a keyboard to reproduce the type of musical expression phrasing that comes easily from an EVI (or EWI).
The EVI Electronic Valve Instrument is a unique synth. If I could grab only 1 instrument from my burning home this would be it (all others can more easily be replaced than this rare instrument).
Wind Controllers and SoundCanvas
I started the web site to provide files for using Wind Controllers with the Roland SoundCanvas. Many EWI/EVI players did not know how to set up their SoundCanvas to respond to breath control, so I provide configuration files here. How to Set Up Your SoundCanvas to Fully Respond to a Wind Controller
Go to my Home Page for more info about my synthesizers.
All images and content (c)Copyright 2005 Mike Kent
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