Saxophones Yamaha Digital saxophone - or is it?

6441 · Sep 28, 2020

Pete Thomas said:
Technically they must be able to hook the reed movement to MIDI pitchwheel.

I downloaded the manual and the app. The is no mention of any lip pressure (embouchure) variation. If there was, there would be an adjustment like the WX series. You'd have to be able to tune it to your embouchure. As I said, this is an advantage for 'perfect' intonation, but not at all for expression.

Maybe a model with lip control will appear later?

This isn't really a saxophone, any more than the older electronic instruments were. It does have interesting possibilities, though.

playing silently to practice
better volume control on stage
transpose and even configure keys
use with effects
lightweight
less expensive than "intermediate-level" instruments
less maintenance

Pete Thomas · Sep 28, 2020

6441 said:
The is no mention of any lip pressure (embouchure) variation

Not good.

It could at least link to MIDI aftertouch for some expressive capability.

Otherwise this is just a wind controller that happens to have saxophone fingering

spike · Sep 28, 2020

They put time into the mouthpiece development and left out a key feature. Nuts.
Nice keyboard - I don't have a problem with the old one, you've still got to switch up and down registers.

Good morning sir, can I help you? Wind controller? Yes sir, upstairs, top floor, toy department next to the Wendy house and Barbie dolls

Nah, nasty nasty.

Clivey · Sep 28, 2020

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=94_OXu_loWI

I prefer this guy's idea just not too sure about his key work. Lol
Yamaha again offer up something not fit for purpose as such as it's not a sax with a revolutionary new pitch and control to midi system or even a proper midi controller for that matter. It's an expensive practice device though I don't doubt that it has very useful performance capabilities.
I truly lament throwing away my Casio digital horn when it broke/ stopped working. It did pretty well everything this and the Rolland do and it was a toy born in the 80's.I was sure Casio would continue to innovate electronic musical devices and produce successors. Instead they abandoned the pro music market barring Pianos and concentrated on home stuff and calculators and watches.
Yamaha ,Rolland and Akai are not remotely interested in providing a true entry level wind controller citing the old " not enough interest" trash.

Well how about the millions of primary school kids that learn their music first steps on a descent recorder.
With computers,tablets and phones all capable of being pro level software Synths and samplers with very low latency as standard. I think that the likes of Yamaha, Casio et al are missing a huge potential educational hobbiest, studio market. Perhaps things are in the pipeline who knows? Not holding breath.
Plenty demand for a ton of drum pad and keyboard controllers starting at silly silly low prices .
Ah well.

Adrian63 · Sep 28, 2020

A pass around would be good but due to price and chance of damage in constant transit probably out of the question ?

Pete Thomas · Sep 28, 2020

Adrian63 said:
A pass around would be good but due to price and chance of damage in constant transit probably out of the question

Good idea, I no longer have any contacts at yamaha, but I can ask them.

Adrian63 · Sep 28, 2020

Sounds good to me Pete ; worth a try eh...

Halfers · Sep 28, 2020

A wind instrument pass around during a Global Pandemic...I'll go first, please 😉

saxyjt · Sep 28, 2020

Halfers said:
A wind instrument pass around during a Global Pandemic...I'll go first, please 😉

From what I read, herd immunity among café members can't be achieved with such a passaround... Otherwise it would be a good idea!

Adrian63 · Sep 28, 2020

Yeah I know : but seriously it's a change of mpc set up and we all have our own . I wouldn't get too freaked out by wiping it down with antiseptic wipes...not a big deal .

Halfers · Sep 28, 2020

saxyjt said:
From what I read, herd immunity among café members can't be achieved with such a passaround... Otherwise it would be a good idea!

With the average age of the membership, we might see a significant downturn in posting..

Halfers · Sep 28, 2020

Adrian63 said:
Yeah I know : but seriously it's a change of mpc set up and we all have our own . I wouldn't get too freaked out by wiping it down with antiseptic wipes...not a big deal .

Does it take any old mouthpiece then? Spec seems to suggest it is Alto sized, but that's all. Pictures show a DS on the piece, which in turn looks like a C mouthpiece.

saxyjt · Sep 28, 2020

Halfers said:
Does it take any old mouthpiece then? Spec seems to suggest it is Alto sized, but that's all. Pictures show a DS on the piece, which in turn looks like a C mouthpiece.

From what I gathered, you cannot use any mouthpiece but only that one.

Not sure if that also applies to the reed and ligature.

Halfers · Sep 28, 2020

saxyjt said:
From what I gathered, you cannot use any mouthpiece but only that one.

Not sure if that also applies to the reed and ligature.

That's what I would have thought. Doesn't look as though there's a cork on the end of it.

h4yn0nnym0u5e · Sep 28, 2020

Halfers said:
That's what I would have thought. Doesn't look as though there's a cork on the end of it.

Correct, it has an o-ring rather than cork, according to the manual.

Completely bizarre - at least with the WX controllers there's a reason to have a "reed", as an interface to the bend sensor. On this, no reason at all apart from the general feel of the thing, at which point anyone sane would just bung an alto piece on and call it good. But Yamaha have to do a special DS (Digital Saxophone?) piece, at no doubt twice the replacement price of a 4C. Bonkers...

I was quite tempted, but with that, and the fact that they didn't put the VL modelling synth in instead of / alongside the sampled sounds, I think I can keep the GAS at bay. For now.

Ballymenaboy · Sep 29, 2020

Pete Thomas said:
View attachment 15664I do kind of wonder why they made it straight, as opposed to looking like a proper saxophone 🙂

It's not really a saxophone though, I suppose I should have put this under wind controllers.

Or maybe it really is a saxophone.

Products - Yamaha - UK and Ireland

uk.yamaha.com

Looks like a revamp of the Yamaha Wx5..bought one of these on ebay some years back and on the few occasions when I play it I enjoy it.used with a Roland Jv1010..good enough instrument and well engineered.