NAMM 2006 Winter Show: Akai Professional introduced the EWI4000S Wind Controller.

The newest addition to the EWI family incorporates numerous enhancements to its overall design as a wind controller, and adds an integrated analog modeling synthesizer optimized for wind control, dedicated MIDI In and Out ports, an audio output, new performance functions, internal effects processing, and computer software for editing one’s sounds.

With its internal dual voice analog modeling synthesizer, the new EWI4000S is now a self-contained performance instrument. This synthesizer features two voltage-controlled oscillators (VCO)—with an individual volume control— that incorporate sawtooth, triangle, square, and pulse width waveforms. Further, the voltage-controlled filters (VCF) enable changing from 2- to 4-pole filters. With a new noise generator, the EWI’s VCF adds greater realism to one’s playing by emulating breath noise. This on-board synthesizer also incorporates a new sweep function that is considerably more effective than a conventional envelope generator. As one changes the force of their playing, the sweep parameter alters the shape of the sound.

The EWI4000S provides controls for breath, vibrato, glide time, and bend width—enabling players to adjust the instrument’s settings to their specific playing style. Further, the EWI can transmit multiple MIDI messages via breath control to send expression and aftertouch information to external sound generators. With its new Octave Key, which creates an automatic doubling of notes one octave below the note being played, it’s easy to create rich, full musical timbres. And as an industry first, the new EWI4000S features a Hold Mode that sustains a note while enabling one to play around that note—making the EWI4000S the first EWI with sostenuto capability.

The EWI4000S is also the first EWI to ever offer built-in signal processing, the EWI4000S provides reverb, delay, and chorus effects to sweeten one’s sound.

With all its internal capabilities, the new EWI4000S also includes sound editing software to extend the instrument’s capabilities even further. Available for both Mac and PC, this software enables players to customize their sounds prior to live performance. All of the edited programs can be stored inside the EWI4000S and settings can be recalled instantly during one’s performance.

Akai Professional’s EWI4000S Wind Controller will be available Q1 of 2006, with a suggested retail price of $999.

More information is available at the Akai Pro site.