This video review, by synthesist Yannick Zenhäusern, captures his take on the TEControl BBC USB MIDI Breath and Bite Controller.
The BBC is a configurable breath controller with USB-MIDI class compliant interface, flexible headset and lip bite force sensitive mouthpiece.
Virtual versions of brass and wind instruments tend to sound static or ‘wooden’ when played with a standard keyboard controller, because keyboards don’t capture the breath and bite expression used by actual musicians.
The USB MIDI Breath and Bite Controller is designed to address that. It adds another dimension to breath control and lets users bring more expressive performance to virtual instruments.
Here’s another demo, by Stefano Lucato, demonstrating the range of expression possible, using Samplemodeling Flutes with the BBC:
The TEControl USB MIDI Breath and Bite Controller is available for 189.99 EUR (ex VAT).
If you’ve used the USB MIDI Breath and Bite Controller, leave a comment and share your thoughts on it!
via Marc
Looks cool but need better playing examples to get the point across IMHO. It was kind of hard to hear the sax/flute over the piano track and the dude just playing the single note, well, it’s not too hard to do that with aftertouch and some good modwheel action.
I’d like to see anybody duplicate either of those demos without a breath controller! When people trash stuff like this, it seems like they don’t know what real instruments sound like.
…right. ‘i unpacked this like 5 minutes ago’.
this guy keeps talking and talking. hardly any music.
i DO appreciate the effort. but this is not really helpful. sorry.
I think your comment is unfair to him and unlike you, I appreciate his efforts. Check his other videos, he has a great Samplemodeling tutorial series, for example the trumpet:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_m5xHxx3nJI
I do think this is a truly great way to control a wind instrument sound (or any expressive synth sound).
For wind players, it will be an easy transition, but I think for any kind of player the learning curve wouldn’t be too steep.
I agree about using the bite sensor for vibrato, but I wouldn’t use it as depth control for an LFO. I’d use it directly to affect the sound.
Here’s another breath controller sax demo, truly impressive.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gd50M1edzRY
Who is this guy? His breath controller sax emulation is terrific!
Ohh saxy!
Too much sax and violins.
I think that these product is expensive compared with a full functional WX5 or Akai EWI. I use the WX a lot and Breath and Bite control brings magic to the performance. Mix these with a Korg Prophecy or Yamaha VL module or a Roland V-Synth and you are in heaven.
It’s sad that Yamaha kills the BC port on their new XF synth models, right now Kurzweil PC3 is an amazing option to enjoy BC technology with the power of V.A.S.T. programming.
I want this!
Great device. Here’s another video with more examples of what a breath control allows to do.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQNvPqnRBWw
Another video with this breath controller.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=je5y1ztOguI