Akai’s new EWI Solo comes with a built-in speaker
Play in any setting for over 12 hours with the Electronic Wind Instrument’s lithium-ion battery.
The latest addition to Akai’s Electronic Wind Instrument family is the EWI Solo, which is built with portability and premium sound reproduction in mind.
Akai’s next-generation wind instrument features a portable speaker – following the footsteps of Akai’s recently launched MPC Live II –, providing a natural sound reproduction experience with 200 acoustic and synthetic woodwind and brass sounds. The speaker has been calibrated to recreate subtle nuances of the performers playing of the premium tones. For maximum flexibility in performance environments, the EWI Solo is powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery with over 12 hours of uninterrupted performance time.
Woodwind and brass instrumentalists won’t need to adapt much to the EWI Solo – the instrument adapts to all main fingering styles, including flute, oboe, sax and EVI modes. Users just have to select which style they prefer via the OLED display and rotary dial.
EWI Solo’s mouthpiece is ultra-responsive with an air-pressure level sensor and bite sensor, accurately controlling volume and pitch dynamics. For an even more unique performance, a dedicated effects section boasts reverb, delay and chorus, plus modulation on pitch, tuning and dual-LFOs.
With USB-MIDI connectivity, users can hook up the EWI Solo to a laptop to access their arsenal of software instruments for a vaster palette of sounds. A ¼-inch jack output provides connectivity straight to PA systems, while a ⅛-inch headphone out lets performers practice privately. A ⅛-inch aux input lets users hook up a playback device to play along with a backing track, too.
“EWI Solo represents the true evolution of our EWI line, fusing the response players demand with complete versatility for any performance or practice setting”, says Dan Gill, senior product manager for Akai Professional. “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.”
EWI Solo will be available Q3 2020 and will ship with a retail price of £400. Find out more at akaipro.com.
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