Conference napalm::commusic_v1

930.0. "MIDI Wind Controllers Revisited (Boehm style)" by MAY20::BAILEY (Steph Bailey) Wed Sep 02 1987 22:04

    The problem with the sax seems to be one of expression control,
    not timbre.  If you could produce a natural control idiom, getting
    the different sounds to come out of a synth can't be THAT hard.
    Rolands SA technique could probably be applied, but with other
    expression inputs replacing pedals and velocity.
    
    When you grab a keyboard, you get polyphony, but you lose expression.
    It would be nice (but probably impossible) to get an instrument
    which gives you the orchestral polyphony of a keyboard, with the
    expressive control of a wind instrument.  I have thought about the
    problem, but I have to admit that my workbench is still empty. 
    
    There seems to be a natural limit to the degrees of freedom that the
    user can cope with.  That is, you can play lots of different notes
    with minimal control, or you can play one with full control.  Does
    this ring any bells out there?
    
    To take it a step further, who the hell actually wants to imitate a
    sax?  I mean, granted they are harder to mike than synths, but it can't
    be that bad.  The broader problem is developing a controller and sound
    generator which take simple, but expressive gestures, like tightening
    your lips, and translating them into ``rational'' and useful changes in
    the sound output--changes with more ``sonic impact'' than just sliding
    a filter, or bumping a VCA.  For example, it is possible with a simple
    (albeit composite) gesture on a sax to make the sound become louder,
    growl, and hiss (add pink noise).  I still can't seem to do this
    with the wheel on my DX :-) (Right, I know, get a MIDI mapper...).
    
    Steph
    
    
    

    
    Apparently the rave of the latest BMF (British Music Fair) was a
    New York SAX player playing a TX81Z via then new Yamaha Wind controller
    the WX7. The story goes that the amount of expression tht this
    controller allows allowed this chap to sound like he was playing
    a real instrument. They didn't say which one.
    
    I gues I'll wait for the WX7 II. By then I will have been able to
    adapt my SAX style so that I can play it and make it sound like
    a real DX21 :-) ? 
    
    					Paul
                 
                                        
    					

    
    Mike Brecker can be heard on his new Inpulse album using a Steiner
    EWI which has now been picked up for distribution by Akai.
    
    Considering that Brecker is a hot tenor man, I'd be curious to hear
    what kind of sounds he gets.  Although he is probably, for obvious
    reasons, not trying to get a *saxophone* sound out of it.
    
    Anybody got this album yet who can comment?
    
    

>    the WX7. The story goes that the amount of expression tht this
>    controller allows allowed this chap to sound like he was playing
>    a real instrument. They didn't say which one.
Why, a TX81Z of course!
    					
Really tho, I think Steph hit it when he stated the you either get lots
of voices, or lots of expression (unless the expression applied to each
voice is exactly the same [ie. aftertouch, LFO, etc.]).

I wanna hear the demo in Aftertouch.  Juacin Juan, you still tapin' that 
for me?

Todd.