#Akai ewi usb how to#
#Akai ewi usb install#

* I wondered how the heck to change the fingering system. Required a long Phillips jeweler screwdriver, but I have a set. Luckily, that's easy: one 'captive' screw in mouthpiece.

#Akai ewi usb how to#

There are no instructions on how to actually remove said mouthpiece. * I knew that the mouthpiece on the EWI was removable and washable. The rest is more-or-less up to you to figure out. However, it worked fine with my powered USB 3.0 hub (Tripp-Lite brand), though. There's a note in the manual that if Aria doesn't recognize the EWI, you should use a USB port on your computer, not a USB hub. * Connecting the EWI was dead simple: connect the provided 3 meter long USB cable to the EWI and to a USB 2.0 or 3.0 port on your computer. I also downloaded and installed the Aria update from Akai's website. The virtual instrument software is a custom version of Garritan's Aria player that supports breath control 'n' related MIDI data. You get a CD that contains drivers and a virtual instrument player. * Setup of the software was relatively pain free. However, if you go to the Akai website, there's a note that says that Windows 10 is supported. The box says that the EWI supports XP and Vista. Hey, I use mechanical computer keyboards, too. It's like touching a screen on an older iPad or something: nothing really 'presses down.' That's a disadvantage to me because I'm really used to the tactile feedback. The main similarity of all the Akai EWIs is that they don't have real keys to press down, like you'd find on a real woodwind. The EWI USB was introduced in 2008 and is the introductory model, with a much lower price: $300. The Akai EWI (which Akai pronounces as 'ee-wee') is available in several flavors: the top-of-the line is the EWI 5000 was introduced in 2014. So, I'm not a newbie, but it's been about 20ish years since I sold my Yamaha WX11. I even taught a (as in one) class at college regarding electronic instruments, MIDI, sequencers, and music publishing software. As mentioned elsewhere, I used to own a Yamaha WX11 wind controller and used to own a plethora of electronic instruments.

#Akai ewi usb install#

(Thanks again, gifter!) I finally got my PC set up so I could install the software for the EWI (short for 'Electronic Wind Instrument').