I have the Aerophone mini and I think I've found the near perfect carrying case. I came across a semi-rigid case for the Melodica 37 Key. It is the perfect size for the mini. I then cut a Kaizen foam insert for a perfect fit for the Mini and its accessories. My investment was $14 and 15 minutes of my time. I also made a table-top stand for my Mini by modifying a wooden upright paper towel dispenser. I couldn't be more pleased.
This link should take you to the case like the one I found at a garage sale... www.libertybellows.com/shop/c/p/NEW-Black-Hohner-Performer-37-Melodica-37-Key-x34940081.htm ...hope this helps.
Awesome "Closer Look" demonstration and tutorial, Alistair. Thanks very much! Just ordered one for myself, and I really can't wait to get my hands on it. Am an absolute sax beginner (recently bought a gorgeous gold and black Ammoon *acoustic* sax (granted, an entry level instrument) and have been really loving playing it, but am struggling a bit with the old "squeaks" and "squawks"/reeds/embouchure, etc etc, and - main issue - have been finding it restricting to practice without disturbing others with the somewhat unpleasant "hard on the ear" results of a beginner sax player making a NOISE... PHYEW.... And so this seems to me to be the somewhat perfect answer to my prayers: a relatively cheap DIGITAL instrument, with (to my ears) most impressive sounds indeed, and providing the ability to practice anytime and anywhere without disturbing others! I am feeling really excited to get my fingers (and thumbs) - and mouth - on it to see how it performs when it arrives! Will let you know how I get on... and thanks again for a most splendid demonstration. You certainly sold me, sir, with your wonderful presentation! :-) P.S. A little request (though I am sure you have better things to do), would you possibly consider doing a demo on this instrument of the sax solos on "BAKER STREET", "CARELESS WHISPER", and Spandau Ballet's "TRUE" sometime. Be much appreciated, if you would, as I would love to hear how they sound on this nifty little musical gadget ;-)
Hi Alistair My Roland AE10 and sometimes the EWI always go on holidays with me too. That’s what I find great about them.....and you always get people, on the beaches, coming up to chat and ask what instruments they are. I wish I’d bought shares in the company for the amount of people that go away afterwards saying that they are now going to buy one! Great videos.......keep up the good work!
WOW!!!! THANK YOU, VERY MUCH, FOR SHARING THIS WONDERFUL DEMO VIDEO!!!! I HAD NO IDEA THAT SUCH WONDERFUL, INTERESTING INSTRUMENTS EVEN EXISTED!!! I'M INTERESTED IN THESE!!! WAY COOL!!!!
Excellent info as usual. Thanks for the tip on the app update. I'm new to the Aerophone GO and will definitely check out the instructional material. I also have a BG curved soprano sax strap on the way - the one you mentioned on an earlier video. Great stuff!
It’s great to see the full potential of “beginners’” instruments demonstrated. It really encourages novices to try something new, knowing that they won’t have to upgrade as soon as they’ve mastered their fingering. Keep it up.
I use a briefcase found in a charity shop (£3) and a couple of folded-up towels for padding. The instrument fits very nicely diagonally and there's plenty of room for leads, headphones, speaker etc. I love the instrument and have lots of fun with it.
Alastair, Considering the size of the Aerophone Mini by Roland, I found the size to be comparable to a melodicas case. Since I happened to have a extra case for my melodica, I found a really good fit. Thanks for the video. Very thorough.
Good morning sir! Can the mini have a line out to a PA system? I play guitar in church and was wondering what your thoughts would be concerning playing the mini with our group?
Thank you for the details. Can you clarify what makes this a beginner instrument? What features do you feel are missing that an intermediate or advanced player would need?
Mainly because it lacks any kind of bite control. It’s a great investment for the first timer/casual player and because it’s so simple it’s very easy to learn. For the the more experienced player I think they might miss the extra keys, bite sensor and sound options.
One of the reasons I didn't buy it was the lack of a case. I think a simple sleeve, maybe with lambs wool (or synthetic-something similar, on the inside to protect the instrument) with a leatherette type outside and snap closure, would have been perfect. And it would not have cost them anything hardly to have made and included it with this little instrument. . Also, they really should advertise this more along the lines of a digital recorder, rather than saxophone since it does not have the lip control function like a saxophone and the keying is more similar to a recorder.
Hello Alistair, Thank you for giving us an overview of this new controller, and specially .. thank you for the Akai EWI series videos! I'm a multi-instrumentalist, coming from classical Percussion, and i finally got an Akai EWI usb a few weeks ago. This was an old idea of mine, although i knew it would come along with a steep learning curve. In comes this Roland Mini, 5 or 6 weeks too late.. and i am left scratching my head.. as this seems a better device for me to getting into wind instrument performing&recording. (i can no longer return the Akai to the seller.) It is my intention, to adding an EWI to my setup.. both for recording and live gigs, SO i come to you (i think we have exchanged msgs in the past) to get a better picture, on the fingering on this controller, vs the Akai. I haven't progressed much on the Akai, i must admit. Not that much time to dedicate to it..and the learning curve is, in deed, quite steep. This one looks simpler..and with a better form factor, as it seems it would work very well in tandem with my iPad & ROLI Seaboard Block, as my Backpacker setup. Should i just press on, a liitle more on the Akai, or is this instrument's fingering easier to absorb, and all in all a more approachable way-in, to this MIDI wind controller world.. ? Thanks very much Cheers from Portugal
Difficult question. The Aerophones are all easier to get on with quickly but some would say that the Akai offers better control with practice. It really depends on you and how much time you can dedicate to getting the skill required to make a good job on the Akai.
No you don’t have to be connected to the Internet to use the app. Once you’ve downloaded it all the sounds are on the device and can be played from the Aerophone mini.
I play recorder, and I'm curious about the vibrato issue. With a real recorder, the limitation is that we are limited in terms of dynamics because air pressure changes the tuning. On the flip side, this allows us to create vibrato by varying the air pressure. It seems the AE-01 "maps" breath to dynamics instead of pitch bend. Is it possible to alter this? It could be quite interesting if there was a way to change this on the fly or even as a setting. MIDI allows for both, of course, so I would think as long as Roland is measuring breath pressure, it would simply be a software issue to map the input to the desired MIDI signal. We couldn't have both at the same time, but choosing one or the other would be nice.
I've been having a hard time finding these answers online: The AE-01 has no control for vibrato or pitch-bend? Thank you for taking the time to create such clear concise videos.
I bought this instrument one month ago and I can play simple and easy songs quickly. But the three octaves have limited the songs I can play with. Would you please provide another UA-cam to explain how to program the fingerings.
Hi there. That’s just the sort of thing we cover in www.iSax.academy Connect your Aerophone to the app. Select fingering mode on the top. You’ll see a list of 10 fingerings there that you can make for yourself. Try missing off the first finger in left hand while fingering D and set that to be D4. Press write and you’ve made your first fingering. 😀
I have found this is a big complaint from many other posts in numerous forums! AE-05 MPC adds about another $30 in the USA. Keep up the great work Allister
Hi. I promise, it’s in the works. There’s quite a bit of time that goes into making courses like this and it’s important to get it right. I’d hope to be ready early in the new year at the latest.
+Split Enz I would say it’s worthy of consideration. You might just miss a few keys that will make accidentals a bit harder because you’d have to relearn some fingerings and sadly there’s no pitch bend on the thumb like the EWI USB which I really miss.
is there any delay between the playtime and actual sound? How can you use it to play live? Can I connect it to an audio interface to my iPad? Have you use it to. perform live?
Hi yes. I've actually played this live at the Abbey Road Studios in London. I connect from the headphone out straight to a mixer or an amp. You can connect to an audio interface with the correct cable.
Another question! If I want to play using the app sounds, and connected to an amp, do I need to connect my phone to an amp output, or just connect the Aerophone itself?
I spend much more time on the Aerophone AE-10 lately because of the reliability and the control functions that are available. I still play and enjoy the Akai models but my Yamaha WX7 died many years ago.
Hi. You can’t connect directly through midi. You’d need to either use a computer as a go between or something like the Kenton USB to midi converter. Also consider though that the Casio will not work very well when controlled by breath control because the sounds won’t be programmed to respond well to breath. That would mean you’d have to edit the sounds to make them work well. I’m afraid I don’t know if that’s possible on that keyboard.
An alto, or probably a tenor recorder case might suit. Thanks for your vids. I bought an Aerophone GO on the basis of your vids. I'd been considering an AE-10 for a while, but the GO works for me. It ISN'T a saxophone and the octave key thing is a bit finicky, but the GO is very useful to me for working on fingering patterns that transfer very well to my alto sax. AND I can play it at anytime with headphones!
Hi and thanks for your posts. I have recently purchased an Aerophone Mini and I found it harder to blow into than I have initially thought, thus I would like to ask what would be the best settings of the “Breath MIDI Out Parameter 1 & 2” in order to make the lightest effort when blowing (my lungs aren’t that strong anymore). The “Breath Sensitivity” is set at 1 already. Thanks beforehand.
Hi there. Sorry you are having some problems. Firstly did you try doing a factory reset? Next I would try changing the breath setting to make sure that the instrument has registered the setting of one. Are you finding the same difficulty with internal and sounds from the app? I believe the breath setting in the mini is usually set to CC 11. It really shouldn’t be too hard to blow so either there is a setting that is stuck or perhaps you have some sort of obstruction in the sensor. So the other thing to try is to blow as hard as you possibly can down the mouthpiece with the instrument turned off. Take the mouthpiece off and make sure it’s nice and clean inside and at the top of the neck of the instrument. See if that gets you anywhere. Let me know
Hi Alistair, I saw your video, and I bought a Mini because you were so convincing re the fun, and you're right. Now I wish It had a few more octaves. BUT there is one irritating thing, namely, I cannot seem to be able to turn off the volume of the external speakers when I am in USB mode. It is very distracting to hear the external sound while playing my plugins.
Hi. Not quite sure I understand this. The volume of the external speakers? Did you mean internal? Of course you can just turn the internal volume down when you are playing your plugins. Did you also try the speaker settings in the app? Another trick would be just to plug in something like a little headphones adapter into the headphones socket which would turn the internal speakers off (with speakers set to auto in the app) that way zero sound should be heard from the internal speakers.
Just bought an IRIN S56 - one of the newer, inexpensive 'digital-sax's - and I'm already so impressed that I'm considering a more capable model and the AE01 is on the shortlist... but it's also up against the EWI Solo and possibly some of the other Chinese digital sax's.... Decisions, decisions, decisions........... In the meantime, the IRIN has still got so much potential to investigate - and I've got reflexes to get out of after playing trad-flute for over 40 years!
Sounds ideal to get a toe hold in the midi world for beginners to wind instruments (I play penny whistle, badly). Do you know what version of operation system you need for the i-pad to be able to use the app?
Hi there. I don't know specially what version it will work with but I've been using the AE-05 version for a few years on a 5 year old iPad with no problems.
@@isax.academy Thanks for replying. Was it the i-pad that had problems or did you mean to say "no problems"? I will find out myself soon. I just ordered one. I once had a Casio Horn (DH1) and got quite good on it before it gave up the ghost. I am too long in the tooth to learn saxophone fingering and go for a more complicated wind synth. 😉
can you use another VTS sounds on it? It sounds more like wood instruments... we can not feel a lot that metal sound so it can actually sound like a saxophone
No you can't load VSTs into the instrument but if you connect to a computer or iPad then you can play any sound there. Just keep in mind that the sounds have to be programmed to work with the breath CC02 messages for best results.
Hi Alistair, I am a Roland MC-707 user and I want to add a instrument like the Roland Aerphone mini (I have no experience in wind instruments) to play patterns in the Groovebox. Can I send out midi via the usb to record the notes whit the sounds in my Roland Groovebox? Or can I connect the headphone out directly to a line in on the Groovbox? Otherwise, is there a possbility to connect this to a Roland Go Mixer Pro? I like to hear from you what the options are to capture the sounds on an extern device. Thanks in advance, grtz. Marcel
Sounds cannot be transferred from the app to the Aerophone I'm afraid. You have to take your device with you and plug the device into the amplification.
Hi Alistair great video as a complete newbie very informative does this work directly with a blue tooth speaker Shame it’s not a USB-C plug as the new iPads only use theses and there’s no head phone socket thanks again
I bought the mini, partly due to your video, the one issue I have is latency when using with an iPad especially if the iPad is using wireless headphones, am I correct, is their a solution? Thank you
Hi. There will always be a delay using wireless headphones. It’s simply a fact of the time it takes to convert, transmit, receive and convert again the sound. You don’t notice it with music just playing from the iPad but when you are playing the note it will feel like a big delay. Yes. Use wired headphones always.
@@isax.academy Yes I was just enjoying the mobility of all around Bluetooth and being lazy, I know you are right, thank you for your time and prompt reply
Hello, I've seen some videos about Roland Aerophone AE-01 Mini, AE-05 Go, and AE-10. Son i'd liké to know if it's could be connected to a PC Windows 10 with USB port. To play with software on midi sequencer software like Cubase VST or SX? Is it possible for the 3 devices, or only AE-10? And what about to control with a Master Keyboard to pilote Aerophone Sound? What sort USB to MIDI interfaces are compatibles ? I'd like to know the real MIDI possibilities for each device, please. Thank per advance. (Sorry, I'm French and my English is old like me. 😂)...
Hi. Not sure I quite understand your question. Yes they will all work as a midi controller for Cubase. You will have to program the sounds to receive CC02. See my other video on this. I think you might be asking if you could use the Aerophone as a breath control for a keyboard?? That can sort of work but not the easiest thing to set up.
@@isax.academy Thank you for your answer. I'd like to know if AE-05 and/or AE-10 can be used like a sound module generator to play SUPERNATURAL sounds with a keyboard ?
Hi Alistair, a few days ago I purchased a Roland Aerophone Mini. It’s a fine instrument, but unfortunately I experience a problem that spoils the pleasure of playing: after a few minutes of practising (lowest breath level) some ‘water’ drops fall from the end of the instrument. This surprises me. Then when I play a recorder or harmonica, dripping never occurs. Maybe the (deep) mouthpiece is a trigger. Or the fact that it is a relatively closed instrument (no or little internal ventilation). Would it be different if I had an EWI from Akai? Or is it a general problem with this type of electronic windinstruments? I am curious about your opinion. Thank you for your videos. The are very helpful to me.
Hi. It’s very normal and happens on all Wind synths. Remember it’s actually mostly condensation so temperature will affect it. The fact the water is coming out is a good thing.
Hi Alistair, I am considering either this or the go. I have the budget for either so that is not a concern. My thought process is.....will this be enough for me or will I always be wishing I had the GO. But then would the GO be more complicated which might put me off or make it harder initially. I am a complete beginner so this is why I was thinking this option might be better for me. I guess I could always trade up in the future. Thanks for the great videos!😀
That’s a hard question without knowing you. It depends on how much time you want to put into playing and what your aspirations are. The Mini is very easy and fun and for the occasional tune and ease of transport it’s great. If you really want to put some time in and go a bit further you’d soon hit the limit I think and the Aerophone GO would give you much more potential without too much complication.
Hello Alistair, firstly, thank you for your excellent videos. You are the best. A quick question... From the app, can the settings (octave shift, transpose, etc) be saved and quickly recalled? I want to bring up different settings quickly between songs during a live performance. Again, thanks for your great work.
I haven’t done this really but you can save settings. I’m not sure if you can select different backups or just one. I imagine it won’t be too quick in performance though. The AE-10 would be much better for this.
@@isax.academy Thank you for the reply. I will keep my fingers crossed that Roland will add this feature to an update of the app. Until then its "+++++++" and "----" between songs ... LOL :) Take care and thanks for the amazing videos. Your talent inspires.
Fabulous! I am becoming a fan of your videos! Very articulate, precise and super helpful! I have just ordered an Aerophone Mini and eagerly awaiting it. I have two questions for you: 1. On other videos, I saw a comment of a substantial timelag (latency) when using the app over Bluetooth. Is it possible to avoid that by connecting via USB cable instead? Or does one just have to live with the lag? 2. Your AE-10 video showed how to play chords. That made me super excited. But is that feasible on the Mini also? Maybe I am asking for too much ;). Related, how does one switch between chords and simple lead in the midst of a performance? Is that feasible? For what it is worth, I play a bunch of different instruments amateurishly. I play Indian music - film and classical-based. I love to experiment. When I get my Aerophone Mini going, I will be happy to popularize it among Indian music fans! I have a youtube channel myself ("ajaysathe")
It seems that some Android devices might have time lag but I have always found it to work very well. Yes you can connect by USB for a super fast response. The AE-01 will not produce chords by itself but yes you could connect it to a computer and use something like MainStage to produce chords. Theres also some good iPad apps to make chords as well.
Roland's Support Team seam to be down due to the virus. Do you happen to know if it's possible to use the USB port to output USB MIDI? It doesn't really touch on it in the manual. I bought it mainly to control external gear hoping it would be easy. So far all I can get figured out is how to route it to control other iPad apps. Worth mentioning I own a USB MIDI Host as well (Retrokits RK-006).
I know all the fingering on the mini AE-01 apart from upper 'D ' which I'm struggling with. The fingering for this note is not shown in the fingering chart. I can play ' C' and on a recorder you simply cover the hole at the back of the recorder and this gives you 'D.' However, with no hole at the rear of the AE-01 do I need to press the rear button to send it up an octave ? Any help appreciated.
Hi there. I had exactly the same problem. If you go onto the app you can program your own fingerings. I programmed a whole load of extra high notes that simply used leaving off the left index finger. Then I just used the regular fingerings for D Eb E ETC. And got half an octave more out of it.
Hello Allistair, thank you for this video... is the Mini a real music instrument, or a musical toy ? I’m an ex Sax player, I can’t play Sax now because an accident... AVC... do you think the Mini could offer some pleasure to play in place of Sax..., tanks for answer...
Nice video about an interesting instrument. Rather than just 11 lesson songs, is it possible to get an entire library of songs, something like 250 or 500, in the lesson style?
Hi. I'm wondering whether there's a way to silence the 'peeps' when you change settings. If the Aerophone is plugged into an amp when I'm playing live, I don't want the 'peeps' to be amplified every time I need to change the voice/reverb/transpose etc. Any clues? Thank you.
hello, thanks for this video and the translate to Spanish .Dude, is possible to make a video about this wind controller using on Logic Pro or notation softwares like Sibelius? Thank¡¡¡¡
Please somebody clarify if app sounds can be used at all because of such latency? Is there a way around? Also I am worried if there will be some user manual available for midi connectivity?
App sound works very well for me on iOS devices. My Aerophone GO tutorial series on UA-cam explains midi connectivity which works the same on the Mini.
As someone who is a string player, I find the Aerophone very tempting. However, I think if I went for the mini, I can see a time when it would not satisfy me anymore and I would want to upgrade. I understand the mini is primarily for beginners, but how much more difficult would the big brothers be? Bearing in mind that I have never played a sax. .
+john sullivan that’s a very difficult question to answer not knowing your ability for picking up new instruments. People say that the saxophone and therefore instruments like the aerophone with the same fingering system are some of the easiest instruments to learn to play on. So if you are an enthusiastic learner who wants to have more flexibility to go further on a wind synthesiser then I’d certainly have a look at the aerophone Go or even the aerophone AE 10.
I'm likely going to pick up one of these, and perhaps eventually moving on to the AE-05 or AE-10 later. Being a life-long bandie, I'm a big stickler for a case, and I'm disappointed that even just a soft case isn't included with the AE-01. That being said, I think this padded flute case (that's made to go over your actually flute case) would do the trick. amzn.to/2YFIsOZ
hello can you tell me if i could use this Aerophone as a midi controller with my Roland FA synthesizer (who has a USB midi connection). thank you a lot
+Christophe Vancostenoble Yes but to get full expression the sound needs to be tailored to respond well to the Aerophone. The other thing is you can’t just plug an Aerophone directly to the FA. You need a computer or a Kenton USB to midi converter interface.
I think this is it. I’ve never used it so you need to research this a bit. www.gear4music.com/Recording-and-Computers/Kenton-MIDI-USB-Host-for-Class-Compliant-Devices/21EP?origin=product-ads&gclid=CjwKCAiA5JnuBRA-EiwA-0ggPags5LZMUQaAC7DfYYFCKNTRY2LAvbb4-ExBp_LkWb8gJHfXvwm0ChoCd3cQAvD_BwE
If you have a friend with or if you have one, you could design a case and print it out on a 3D Printer. I have designed and printed cases for several things in my home.
Hello Alistair, thanks for your great videos. I hope you can help me: I play the guitar, the theremin and a few other not-wind instruments as a hobbist. I love the sound of the recorder, is one of my favourite sounds out there, but I live in a studio surrounded by lots of other studios in the same building here in London, so I cannot play loud to not disturb my neighbours. Do you think this instrument is a good practice instrument for learning to play the recorder properly despite of its lack of 'expression', as no pitch bend or non-software vibrato is possible? I could practice during my lunch breaks at work, too! TIA, you have a new subscriber here!
+Hiro Protagonist firstly I must say that I’m not a recorder player myself. Perhaps somebody that reads this could comment if they are a recorder player. This instrument certainly gives a good grounding in basic wind instrument fingering. There are of course differences with all wind instruments but many of the basic fingering patterns remain the same. So in that respect I would say the aerophone mini is a good instrument as a starting place for anyone looking to get into wind playing.
@@isax.academy Does it have custom fingerings, like the AE-01? One thing I set up on the AE-10 is fingerings for recorder notes above second A, which are not intuitive. +Hiro Protagonist The other problem is half holed notes - none of the Aerophones allow you to do those properly, unfortunately.
If your target is to practice a real recorder, AE-01 is far away from your need. Only 7 notes are same and all other notes are way different from a real recorder fingering - a lot simpler. So this does not serve you as a practice tool.
Aerophone Mini Case - This works for me. Not cheap, but that could be a good thing. Could be customized with a bit of extra foam to keep the Mini from sliding about. Protec Flute Case Cover, Black -- Amazon Protec Flute Case Cover, Black Brand: ProTec
I hope they keep coming out with new instruments- it’s exciting- I have been playing the Ae 10 far more then my tenor sax lately. It’s so easy to play and it’s so Lightweight. You don’t have to blow as hard. and I can play it on a recliner. It’s very relaxing- and it has endless possibilities with its numerous octaves and sounds. I love it.
Hello Alistair, when you wanna use the sounds of the app, there's this little delay between you playing and the sound you here.... which makes it pretty complicated when you use the instrument together with other people playing.... is this instrument not meant to be used with others ..or is there another trick... ?.. gr.
Hi. If you have time to watch both my Aerophone Mini videos I do explain how the little finger of the left hand is used to play semitones steps. Thanks for watching.
Hi there. What device are you using? It seems there's some Android devices which suffer from the delay. I think this is the fault of the device and software on the device rather than from the Aerophone. For me on an iPad Pro it works really well.
The device looks corny but the sounds are FANTASTIC (what else would we expect from Roland, eh?). Compared to Akai sounds, the Roland is miles ahead. Thanx
I have the Aerophone mini and I think I've found the near perfect carrying case. I came across a semi-rigid case for the Melodica 37 Key. It is the perfect size for the mini. I then cut a Kaizen foam insert for a perfect fit for the Mini and its accessories. My investment was $14 and 15 minutes of my time. I also made a table-top stand for my Mini by modifying a wooden upright paper towel dispenser. I couldn't be more pleased.
Which Melodica 37 key case did you find? Do you have a link?
This link should take you to the case like the one I found at a garage sale... www.libertybellows.com/shop/c/p/NEW-Black-Hohner-Performer-37-Melodica-37-Key-x34940081.htm ...hope this helps.
Bought the mini today. I have no previous experience of wind instruments so I appreaciate this series.
Awesome "Closer Look" demonstration and tutorial, Alistair. Thanks very much!
Just ordered one for myself, and I really can't wait to get my hands on it.
Am an absolute sax beginner (recently bought a gorgeous gold and black Ammoon *acoustic* sax (granted, an entry level instrument) and have been really loving playing it, but am struggling a bit with the old "squeaks" and "squawks"/reeds/embouchure, etc etc, and - main issue - have been finding it restricting to practice without disturbing others with the somewhat unpleasant "hard on the ear" results of a beginner sax player making a NOISE...
PHYEW....
And so this seems to me to be the somewhat perfect answer to my prayers: a relatively cheap DIGITAL instrument, with (to my ears) most impressive sounds indeed, and providing the ability to practice anytime and anywhere without disturbing others!
I am feeling really excited to get my fingers (and thumbs) - and mouth - on it to see how it performs when it arrives!
Will let you know how I get on... and thanks again for a most splendid demonstration. You certainly sold me, sir, with your wonderful presentation! :-)
P.S. A little request (though I am sure you have better things to do), would you possibly consider doing a demo on this instrument of the sax solos on "BAKER STREET", "CARELESS WHISPER", and Spandau Ballet's "TRUE" sometime. Be much appreciated, if you would, as I would love to hear how they sound on this nifty little musical gadget ;-)
Hi Alistair
My Roland AE10 and sometimes the EWI always go on holidays with me too. That’s what I find great about them.....and you always get people, on the beaches, coming up to chat and ask what instruments they are. I wish I’d bought shares in the company for the amount of people that go away afterwards saying that they are now going to buy one! Great videos.......keep up the good work!
Love this little instrument. Brought the Ambertech Keyboard Case for a computer keyboard as a case. It fits and provides some protection for the mini.
Glad to learn that the app is applicable for Aerophone GO as well!
WOW!!!! THANK YOU, VERY MUCH, FOR SHARING THIS WONDERFUL DEMO VIDEO!!!! I HAD NO IDEA THAT SUCH WONDERFUL, INTERESTING INSTRUMENTS EVEN EXISTED!!! I'M INTERESTED IN THESE!!! WAY COOL!!!!
Many thanks.
Thank you for the review! Your professionalism with balance between lots of information with a little opinion is perfect.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Excellent info as usual. Thanks for the tip on the app update. I'm new to the Aerophone GO and will definitely check out the instructional material. I also have a BG curved soprano sax strap on the way - the one you mentioned on an earlier video. Great stuff!
It’s great to see the full potential of “beginners’” instruments demonstrated. It really encourages novices to try something new, knowing that they won’t have to upgrade as soon as they’ve mastered their fingering. Keep it up.
Many thanks.
I play the Akai 4000s which you only need to blow into it to get beautiful sounds...no aperture is required.
Is the Roland Mini the same?
Thank you for your honest review gripes and all sounds like this will fit a nitch for beginners.
Wow ..sir ,.the way you explained about the mini instrument just changed my idea of buying any other wind instrument.I bought it.👍
I use a briefcase found in a charity shop (£3) and a couple of folded-up towels for padding. The instrument fits very nicely diagonally and there's plenty of room for leads, headphones, speaker etc.
I love the instrument and have lots of fun with it.
That's a great idea!
Alastair, Considering the size of the Aerophone Mini by Roland, I found the size to be comparable to a melodicas case. Since I happened to have a extra case for my melodica, I found a really good fit. Thanks for the video. Very thorough.
Many thanks for this.
Well done Alistair.... interesting instrument... thank you!
+Andrew Oh Thanks again Andrew.
Good morning sir! Can the mini have a line out to a PA system? I play guitar in church and was wondering what your thoughts would be concerning playing the mini with our group?
Yes you can plug in an audio cable (mini jack) to go to a PA.
Very interesting! I want one!
Go for it!
Thank you for the details. Can you clarify what makes this a beginner instrument? What features do you feel are missing that an intermediate or advanced player would need?
Mainly because it lacks any kind of bite control. It’s a great investment for the first timer/casual player and because it’s so simple it’s very easy to learn.
For the the more experienced player I think they might miss the extra keys, bite sensor and sound options.
Thanks for this and the other video.
One of the reasons I didn't buy it was the lack of a case. I think a simple sleeve, maybe with lambs wool (or synthetic-something similar, on the inside to protect the instrument) with a leatherette type outside and snap closure, would have been perfect. And it would not have cost them anything hardly to have made and included it with this little instrument. . Also, they really should advertise this more along the lines of a digital recorder, rather than saxophone since it does not have the lip control function like a saxophone and the keying is more similar to a recorder.
Hello Alistair,
Thank you for giving us an overview of this new controller, and specially .. thank you for the Akai EWI series videos!
I'm a multi-instrumentalist, coming from classical Percussion, and i finally got an Akai EWI usb a few weeks ago. This was an old idea of mine, although i knew it would come along with a steep learning curve.
In comes this Roland Mini, 5 or 6 weeks too late.. and i am left scratching my head.. as this seems a better device for me to getting into wind instrument performing&recording.
(i can no longer return the Akai to the seller.)
It is my intention, to adding an EWI to my setup.. both for recording and live gigs,
SO
i come to you (i think we have exchanged msgs in the past) to get a better picture, on the fingering on this controller, vs the Akai.
I haven't progressed much on the Akai, i must admit. Not that much time to dedicate to it..and the learning curve is, in deed, quite steep.
This one looks simpler..and with a better form factor, as it seems it would work very well in tandem with my iPad & ROLI Seaboard Block, as my Backpacker setup.
Should i just press on, a liitle more on the Akai, or is this instrument's fingering easier to absorb, and all in all a more approachable way-in, to this MIDI wind controller world.. ?
Thanks very much
Cheers from Portugal
Difficult question. The Aerophones are all easier to get on with quickly but some would say that the Akai offers better control with practice.
It really depends on you and how much time you can dedicate to getting the skill required to make a good job on the Akai.
@@isax.academy thanks Very much for the reply, Alistair.
Is the fingering scheme the same, then ?
+V4D2 Pretty much identical. The AE-10 has more octaves of course.
iSax - Alistair Parnell so....no real advantage of switching from the Akai to the AE-01, it seems.. Right ?
Do u have to be on the internet, to use app for sounds or just downloaded app and the sounds come with it..app?
No you don’t have to be connected to the Internet to use the app. Once you’ve downloaded it all the sounds are on the device and can be played from the Aerophone mini.
Hi, There are 11 songs in the app to learn. Where can I find more? Thanks
Why not check out my Basics Course at www.iSax.academy
You could also look at the Tomplay app.
I play recorder, and I'm curious about the vibrato issue. With a real recorder, the limitation is that we are limited in terms of dynamics because air pressure changes the tuning. On the flip side, this allows us to create vibrato by varying the air pressure. It seems the AE-01 "maps" breath to dynamics instead of pitch bend. Is it possible to alter this? It could be quite interesting if there was a way to change this on the fly or even as a setting. MIDI allows for both, of course, so I would think as long as Roland is measuring breath pressure, it would simply be a software issue to map the input to the desired MIDI signal. We couldn't have both at the same time, but choosing one or the other would be nice.
Hi.
I don’t think you can map breath to pitch within the instrument but you could of course do that connected to a computer.
Looks like great fun!
I've been having a hard time finding these answers online: The AE-01 has no control for vibrato or pitch-bend? Thank you for taking the time to create such clear concise videos.
Correct. There is no bite sensor or pitch wheel on the AE-01.
@@isax.academy Thank-You. I was attracted to the simple form factor but afraid it wasn't quite expressive enough.
Hi Alistair,
Would be great if you could show us more demo.
I bought this instrument one month ago and I can play simple and easy songs quickly. But the three octaves have limited the songs I can play with. Would you please provide another UA-cam to explain how to program the fingerings.
Hi there.
That’s just the sort of thing we cover in www.iSax.academy
Connect your Aerophone to the app.
Select fingering mode on the top.
You’ll see a list of 10 fingerings there that you can make for yourself.
Try missing off the first finger in left hand while fingering D and set that to be D4. Press write and you’ve made your first fingering. 😀
Where can I get that mouthpiece? Every video I watch has that mouthpiece but mine only came with the round one 😣
Hi. You should be able to order one from your retailer or online. Remember its the same mouthpiece as the AE-05. Amazon UK have them.
I have found this is a big complaint from many other posts in numerous forums! AE-05 MPC adds about another $30 in the USA. Keep up the great work Allister
Hi Alistair, your website mentions a separate course for the mini. Do you have a rough in timescale when this would be available?
Thanks.
Hi. I promise, it’s in the works. There’s quite a bit of time that goes into making courses like this and it’s important to get it right. I’d hope to be ready early in the new year at the latest.
@@isax.academy Hi Alistair, that's good news. You are the only place that even offering courses (soonish). Thanks for the good news.
Thanks Alistair
What would be your thoughts on this as a replacement for my trusty EWI USB?
+Split Enz I would say it’s worthy of consideration. You might just miss a few keys that will make accidentals a bit harder because you’d have to relearn some fingerings and sadly there’s no pitch bend on the thumb like the EWI USB which I really miss.
Do you need an i-pad? Or can you use an android pad or even a pc?
@@berniarmstrong it looks like the app is android or apple phone.
@@splitenz1770 Bugger. Oh well, one more reason to join the I-Pad owners, I guess.
is there any delay between the playtime and actual sound? How can you use it to play live? Can I connect it to an audio interface to my iPad?
Have you use it to. perform live?
Hi yes. I've actually played this live at the Abbey Road Studios in London. I connect from the headphone out straight to a mixer or an amp. You can connect to an audio interface with the correct cable.
Another question! If I want to play using the app sounds, and connected to an amp, do I need to connect my phone to an amp output, or just connect the Aerophone itself?
Yes. You’d need to connect your phone to the amp. The app sounds only come from the phone/tablet.
Hi Alastir, great video - thanks. Which ewi do you like the best?
I spend much more time on the Aerophone AE-10 lately because of the reliability and the control functions that are available. I still play and enjoy the Akai models but my Yamaha WX7 died many years ago.
can this unit connect to a casio ctx300 ,by midi , and play the casio suonds ,using the roland ae 01? , thank you dave in the philippines
Hi. You can’t connect directly through midi. You’d need to either use a computer as a go between or something like the Kenton USB to midi converter.
Also consider though that the Casio will not work very well when controlled by breath control because the sounds won’t be programmed to respond well to breath. That would mean you’d have to edit the sounds to make them work well. I’m afraid I don’t know if that’s possible on that keyboard.
An alto, or probably a tenor recorder case might suit.
Thanks for your vids. I bought an Aerophone GO on the basis of your vids. I'd been considering an AE-10 for a while, but the GO works for me. It ISN'T a saxophone and the octave key thing is a bit finicky, but the GO is very useful to me for working on fingering patterns that transfer very well to my alto sax. AND I can play it at anytime with headphones!
+GGauche I’ll check out those cases. Many thanks.
Hello sir! Can I use Ae-01 mini as a midi controller (via usb cable) for using with any DAW like Logic Pro or Ableton?
Absolutely. 👍
Hi and thanks for your posts. I have
recently purchased an Aerophone Mini and I found it harder to blow into than I
have initially thought, thus I would like to ask what would be the best
settings of the “Breath MIDI Out Parameter 1 & 2” in order to make the
lightest effort when blowing (my lungs aren’t that strong anymore). The “Breath
Sensitivity” is set at 1 already. Thanks beforehand.
Hi there. Sorry you are having some problems. Firstly did you try doing a factory reset? Next I would try changing the breath setting to make sure that the instrument has registered the setting of one. Are you finding the same difficulty with internal and sounds from the app? I believe the breath setting in the mini is usually set to CC 11. It really shouldn’t be too hard to blow so either there is a setting that is stuck or perhaps you have some sort of obstruction in the sensor. So the other thing to try is to blow as hard as you possibly can down the mouthpiece with the instrument turned off. Take the mouthpiece off and make sure it’s nice and clean inside and at the top of the neck of the instrument. See if that gets you anywhere. Let me know
Hi Alistair,
I saw your video, and I bought a Mini because you were so convincing re the fun, and you're right. Now I wish It had a few more octaves. BUT there is one irritating thing, namely, I cannot seem to be able to turn off the volume of the external speakers when I am in USB mode. It is very distracting to hear the external sound while playing my plugins.
Hi. Not quite sure I understand this. The volume of the external speakers? Did you mean internal?
Of course you can just turn the internal volume down when you are playing your plugins. Did you also try the speaker settings in the app?
Another trick would be just to plug in something like a little headphones adapter into the headphones socket which would turn the internal speakers off (with speakers set to auto in the app) that way zero sound should be heard from the internal speakers.
@@isax.academy Hi -- I meant internal speakers. Your suggestion is sound, so I will use a headphone adapter.
Just bought an IRIN S56 - one of the newer, inexpensive 'digital-sax's - and I'm already so impressed that I'm considering a more capable model and the AE01 is on the shortlist... but it's also up against the EWI Solo and possibly some of the other Chinese digital sax's.... Decisions, decisions, decisions........... In the meantime, the IRIN has still got so much potential to investigate - and I've got reflexes to get out of after playing trad-flute for over 40 years!
Sounds ideal to get a toe hold in the midi world for beginners to wind instruments (I play penny whistle, badly).
Do you know what version of operation system you need for the i-pad to be able to use the app?
Hi there. I don't know specially what version it will work with but I've been using the AE-05 version for a few years on a 5 year old iPad with no problems.
@@isax.academy Thanks for replying. Was it the i-pad that had problems or did you mean to say "no problems"?
I will find out myself soon. I just ordered one. I once had a Casio Horn (DH1) and got quite good on it before it gave up the ghost. I am too long in the tooth to learn saxophone fingering and go for a more complicated wind synth. 😉
Sorry. Meant to say NO problems. Edited now.
are the fingerings that of a soprano recorder or the alto recorder?
I’m embarrassed to say my knowledge of recorder fingering is very poor but I’m pretty sure it’s the Soprano fingering.
can you use another VTS sounds on it? It sounds more like wood instruments... we can not feel a lot that metal sound so it can actually sound like a saxophone
No you can't load VSTs into the instrument but if you connect to a computer or iPad then you can play any sound there. Just keep in mind that the sounds have to be programmed to work with the breath CC02 messages for best results.
Hi Alistair, I am a Roland MC-707 user and I want to add a instrument like the Roland Aerphone mini (I have no experience in wind instruments) to play patterns in the Groovebox. Can I send out midi via the usb to record the notes whit the sounds in my Roland Groovebox? Or can I connect the headphone out directly to a line in on the Groovbox? Otherwise, is there a possbility to connect this to a Roland Go Mixer Pro? I like to hear from you what the options are to capture the sounds on an extern device. Thanks in advance, grtz. Marcel
Can you put sounds from the app on the aerophone? If you can't, how could you live perform with the app sounds?
Sounds cannot be transferred from the app to the Aerophone I'm afraid. You have to take your device with you and plug the device into the amplification.
Can you put where u can buy the cables online
Good afternoon, I would like to know how many semitones he reaches in his transpose?
Hi. You can transpose to any key and any octave.
Hi Alistair great video as a complete newbie very informative does this work directly with a blue tooth speaker Shame it’s not a USB-C plug as the new iPads only use theses and there’s no head phone socket
thanks again
Unfortunately there will be a delay in the sound if you use a Bluetooth speaker.
I bought the mini, partly due to your video, the one issue I have is latency when using with an iPad especially if the iPad is using wireless headphones, am I correct, is their a solution? Thank you
Hi. There will always be a delay using wireless headphones. It’s simply a fact of the time it takes to convert, transmit, receive and convert again the sound. You don’t notice it with music just playing from the iPad but when you are playing the note it will feel like a big delay.
Yes. Use wired headphones always.
@@isax.academy Yes I was just enjoying the mobility of all around Bluetooth and being lazy, I know you are right, thank you for your time and prompt reply
May I check how I could get more than 3 octva with custom fingering?
Hello,
I've seen some videos about Roland Aerophone AE-01 Mini, AE-05 Go, and AE-10. Son i'd liké to know if it's could be connected to a PC Windows 10 with USB port. To play with software on midi sequencer software like Cubase VST or SX?
Is it possible for the 3 devices, or only AE-10? And what about to control with a Master Keyboard to pilote Aerophone Sound? What sort USB to MIDI interfaces are compatibles ? I'd like to know the real MIDI possibilities for each device, please. Thank per advance. (Sorry, I'm French and my English is old like me. 😂)...
Hi. Not sure I quite understand your question.
Yes they will all work as a midi controller for Cubase. You will have to program the sounds to receive CC02. See my other video on this. I think you might be asking if you could use the Aerophone as a breath control for a keyboard??
That can sort of work but not the easiest thing to set up.
@@isax.academy Thank you for your answer. I'd like to know if AE-05 and/or AE-10 can be used like a sound module generator to play SUPERNATURAL sounds with a keyboard ?
Hi Alistair, a few days ago I purchased a Roland Aerophone Mini. It’s a fine instrument, but unfortunately I experience a problem that spoils the pleasure of playing: after a few minutes of practising (lowest breath level) some ‘water’ drops fall from the end of the instrument. This surprises me. Then when I play a recorder or harmonica, dripping never occurs. Maybe the (deep) mouthpiece is a trigger. Or the fact that it is a relatively closed instrument (no or little internal ventilation). Would it be different if I had an EWI from Akai? Or is it a general problem with this type of electronic windinstruments? I am curious about your opinion. Thank you for your videos. The are very helpful to me.
Hi. It’s very normal and happens on all
Wind synths. Remember it’s actually mostly condensation so temperature will affect it. The fact the water is coming out is a good thing.
@@isax.academy Thank you for your quick response. I'll ignore the drops from now on and will focus on playing! :-)
Can i use this as midi controller in fl studio for windows?
Yes indeed. 😄
Yes indeed
Hi Alistair, I am considering either this or the go. I have the budget for either so that is not a concern. My thought process is.....will this be enough for me or will I always be wishing I had the GO. But then would the GO be more complicated which might put me off or make it harder initially.
I am a complete beginner so this is why I was thinking this option might be better for me. I guess I could always trade up in the future. Thanks for the great videos!😀
That’s a hard question without knowing you. It depends on how much time you want to put into playing and what your aspirations are. The Mini is very easy and fun and for the occasional tune and ease of transport it’s great. If you really want to put some time in and go a bit further you’d soon hit the limit I think and the Aerophone GO would give you much more potential without too much complication.
Hello Alistair, firstly, thank you for your excellent videos. You are the best. A quick question... From the app, can the settings (octave shift, transpose, etc) be saved and quickly recalled? I want to bring up different settings quickly between songs during a live performance. Again, thanks for your great work.
I haven’t done this really but you can save settings. I’m not sure if you can select different backups or just one.
I imagine it won’t be too quick in performance though. The AE-10 would be much better for this.
@@isax.academy Thank you for the reply. I will keep my fingers crossed that Roland will add this feature to an update of the app. Until then its "+++++++" and "----" between songs ... LOL :) Take care and thanks for the amazing videos. Your talent inspires.
Fabulous! I am becoming a fan of your videos! Very articulate, precise and super helpful!
I have just ordered an Aerophone Mini and eagerly awaiting it.
I have two questions for you:
1. On other videos, I saw a comment of a substantial timelag (latency) when using the app over Bluetooth. Is it possible to avoid that by connecting via USB cable instead? Or does one just have to live with the lag?
2. Your AE-10 video showed how to play chords. That made me super excited. But is that feasible on the Mini also? Maybe I am asking for too much ;). Related, how does one switch between chords and simple lead in the midst of a performance? Is that feasible?
For what it is worth, I play a bunch of different instruments amateurishly. I play Indian music - film and classical-based. I love to experiment. When I get my Aerophone Mini going, I will be happy to popularize it among Indian music fans! I have a youtube channel myself ("ajaysathe")
It seems that some Android devices might have time lag but I have always found it to work very well. Yes you can connect by USB for a super fast response. The AE-01 will not produce chords by itself but yes you could connect it to a computer and use something like MainStage to produce chords. Theres also some good iPad apps to make chords as well.
Thank you for all the info! I bought a mini but I find the onboard speaker tinny-sounding. Which wire do I need to connect to an external speaker?
That depends what you want to comment to. The Mini has a mini jack out port.
probably a guitar cable
Roland's Support Team seam to be down due to the virus. Do you happen to know if it's possible to use the USB port to output USB MIDI? It doesn't really touch on it in the manual. I bought it mainly to control external gear hoping it would be easy. So far all I can get figured out is how to route it to control other iPad apps. Worth mentioning I own a USB MIDI Host as well (Retrokits RK-006).
Hi. I just tested this again make sure and YES it does send midi over USB. Perhaps you have an issue with the hub or the cable?
iSax - Alistair Parnell It was indeed a cable issue. Thanks for the reply!
This work on Windows 10?
Thanks for your vindeos sir!
Sir transpose facility in this ??
Yes. You do this. Is the app.
I know all the fingering on the mini AE-01 apart from upper 'D ' which I'm struggling with. The fingering for this note is not shown in the fingering chart.
I can play ' C' and on a recorder you simply cover the hole at the back of the recorder and this gives you 'D.' However, with no hole at the rear of the AE-01 do I need to press the rear button to send it up an octave ?
Any help appreciated.
Hi there. I had exactly the same problem. If you go onto the app you can program your own fingerings. I programmed a whole load of extra high notes that simply used leaving off the left index finger. Then I just used the regular fingerings for D Eb E ETC. And got half an octave more out of it.
Hello Allistair, thank you for this video... is the Mini a real music instrument, or a musical toy ? I’m an ex Sax player, I can’t play Sax now because an accident... AVC... do you think the Mini could offer some pleasure to play in place of Sax..., tanks for answer...
I have glaucoma and can't play the brass sax but not as much pressure blowing the AE 10 love it. Dr. Measured my pressures and said I can play it.
Nice video about an interesting instrument. Rather than just 11 lesson songs, is it possible to get an entire library of songs, something like 250 or 500, in the lesson style?
Parnell you have a big cable conected where does It goe
Hi. I'm wondering whether there's a way to silence the 'peeps' when you change settings. If the Aerophone is plugged into an amp when I'm playing live, I don't want the 'peeps' to be amplified every time I need to change the voice/reverb/transpose etc.
Any clues?
Thank you.
Hi. Connect to the app and look in settings>System. Turn off the beeps there.
@@isax.academy Thank you so much! 😊
Good review
Thank you
hello, thanks for this video and the translate to Spanish .Dude, is possible to make a video about this wind controller using on Logic Pro or notation softwares like Sibelius? Thank¡¡¡¡
sorry for my English :(
I already have a video on this for the AE-05. It will work the same with the AE-01
Please somebody clarify if app sounds can be used at all because of such latency? Is there a way around? Also I am worried if there will be some user manual available for midi connectivity?
App sound works very well for me on iOS devices. My Aerophone GO tutorial series on UA-cam explains midi connectivity which works the same on the Mini.
As someone who is a string player, I find the Aerophone very tempting. However, I think if I went for the mini, I can see a time when it would not satisfy me anymore and I would want to upgrade. I understand the mini is primarily for beginners, but how much more difficult would the big brothers be? Bearing in mind that I have never played a sax.
.
+john sullivan that’s a very difficult question to answer not knowing your ability for picking up new instruments. People say that the saxophone and therefore instruments like the aerophone with the same fingering system are some of the easiest instruments to learn to play on.
So if you are an enthusiastic learner who wants to have more flexibility to go further on a wind synthesiser then I’d certainly have a look at the aerophone Go or even the aerophone AE 10.
Soprano sax or rifle case
Is there any spare for main mouthpiece,when I uboxing my aerophone mini realized that the main mouthpiece is'nt there in my package please guide me.
Hi. Not sure why that would happen. Perhaps you should contact the place you bought it from.
Does it have any delay of fingering like AKAI ewi usb? It drives me crazy....
I'm likely going to pick up one of these, and perhaps eventually moving on to the AE-05 or AE-10 later. Being a life-long bandie, I'm a big stickler for a case, and I'm disappointed that even just a soft case isn't included with the AE-01. That being said, I think this padded flute case (that's made to go over your actually flute case) would do the trick. amzn.to/2YFIsOZ
I play the Akai 4000s which you only need to blow into it to get beautiful sounds...no aperture is required.
Is the Roland Mini the same?
A Roland alternative to the 4000s would be the Aerophone AE-10. The Mini is kind of a "beginner" step prior to the full potential of the AE-10
Is this usable with the Android system or is iOS a must?
It’s useable on both but I do hear that latency can be an issue on some Android devices.
Awesome!!!!
Use a melodica case for earophone middi.
Can you drive a MIDI synth (or record MIDI notes to Cubase) with this instrument?
Only via a computer or a USB/midi host converter like the one from Kenton.
@@isax.academy Thank you! but how the Aerophone Mini connects to a PC (Cubase)?
hello can you tell me if i could use this Aerophone as a midi controller with my Roland FA synthesizer (who has a USB midi connection). thank you a lot
+Christophe Vancostenoble Yes but to get full expression the sound needs to be tailored to respond well to the Aerophone. The other thing is you can’t just plug an Aerophone directly to the FA. You need a computer or a Kenton USB to midi converter interface.
@@isax.academy Thank you a lot for those details. I cannot find those anywhere in the internet !
I think this is it. I’ve never used it so you need to research this a bit.
www.gear4music.com/Recording-and-Computers/Kenton-MIDI-USB-Host-for-Class-Compliant-Devices/21EP?origin=product-ads&gclid=CjwKCAiA5JnuBRA-EiwA-0ggPags5LZMUQaAC7DfYYFCKNTRY2LAvbb4-ExBp_LkWb8gJHfXvwm0ChoCd3cQAvD_BwE
Would it fit a straight soprano sax case?
Can the Aerophone mini pitch bend and glissando?
Hi. No the Mini can’t do pitch bend or gliss. The AE 05 and AE-10 can.
If you have a friend with or if you have one, you could design a case and print it out on a 3D Printer. I have designed and printed cases for several things in my home.
How about a drumstick soft case for it?
Good idea. I’ll look into that.
Hello Alistair, thanks for your great videos. I hope you can help me: I play the guitar, the theremin and a few other not-wind instruments as a hobbist. I love the sound of the recorder, is one of my favourite sounds out there, but I live in a studio surrounded by lots of other studios in the same building here in London, so I cannot play loud to not disturb my neighbours.
Do you think this instrument is a good practice instrument for learning to play the recorder properly despite of its lack of 'expression', as no pitch bend or non-software vibrato is possible?
I could practice during my lunch breaks at work, too!
TIA, you have a new subscriber here!
+Hiro Protagonist firstly I must say that I’m not a recorder player myself. Perhaps somebody that reads this could comment if they are a recorder player. This instrument certainly gives a good grounding in basic wind instrument fingering. There are of course differences with all wind instruments but many of the basic fingering patterns remain the same. So in that respect I would say the aerophone mini is a good instrument as a starting place for anyone looking to get into wind playing.
@@isax.academy Does it have custom fingerings, like the AE-01?
One thing I set up on the AE-10 is fingerings for recorder notes above second A, which are not intuitive.
+Hiro Protagonist The other problem is half holed notes - none of the Aerophones allow you to do those properly, unfortunately.
If your target is to practice a real recorder, AE-01 is far away from your need. Only 7 notes are same and all other notes are way different from a real recorder fingering - a lot simpler. So this does not serve you as a practice tool.
Aerophone Mini Case - This works for me. Not cheap, but that could be a good thing. Could be customized with a bit of extra foam to keep the Mini from sliding about.
Protec Flute Case Cover, Black -- Amazon
Protec Flute Case Cover, Black
Brand: ProTec
Thanks
I hope they keep coming out with new instruments- it’s exciting- I have been playing the Ae 10 far more then my tenor sax lately. It’s so easy to play and it’s so
Lightweight. You don’t have to blow as hard. and I can play it on a recliner. It’s very relaxing- and it has endless possibilities with its numerous octaves and sounds. I love it.
Glad you’re having fun and thanks for watching the videos.
Can this be used as a MIDI controller connected to PC DAW?
Yes indeed.
If you connect it to a speaker, what kind of "in" or cable head? Where is your video explaining this?
1/8" Mini jack for the Aerophone, the other end will depend on what you are plugging it into.
Are they worth the money?
I guess thats a very subjective question. Certainly the Mini has been a very successful instrument so there are lots of folks that would answer yes.
The only sounds I'm interested in using are the iOS SWAM instruments. But, I get the impression that the Mini isn't very expressive.
Hello Alistair, when you wanna use the sounds of the app, there's this little delay between you playing and the sound you here.... which makes it pretty complicated when you use the instrument together with other people playing.... is this instrument not meant to be used with others ..or is there another trick... ?.. gr.
See reply to your other comment.
Does all Roland Aerophone's work on Windows 10?
I’ve not personally tried them with Windows but haven’t heard of anyone having any problems with this. They work just like a Bluetooth keyboard.
Thanks, I will test it out. I hope Ronland would release the App for Windows, but I gonna try a Android emulator and see if that works.
I’d go for a flight case with removable foam inserts. It’s what I use with my TD 30 ( drum) brain.
I'm using an ukulele case with removable coating, fits perfectly :)
How do you play semitones? -
Hi. If you have time to watch both my Aerophone Mini videos I do explain how the little finger of the left hand is used to play semitones steps.
Thanks for watching.
@@isax.academy i will do that! thanks
anyone...?? I'm not able to play along with the lessons using the app sounds, because my notes come out well over a second late
Hi there. What device are you using? It seems there's some Android devices which suffer from the delay. I think this is the fault of the device and software on the device rather than from the Aerophone. For me on an iPad Pro it works really well.
@@isax.academy Thank you for your answer. I indeed use an android device ... I'll try another one to see what happenens... Merry Xmas.
I wish the app had a recording feature.
The device looks corny but the sounds are FANTASTIC (what else would we expect from Roland, eh?). Compared to Akai sounds, the Roland is miles ahead. Thanx
i just bought one with case on ebay
About the case : You could wrap a adhesive plastic film round the original cardboard box . That should make it more robust.
+Denis Hermans Good idea. Thank you.
Then mini doesn't support vibrato by lips, right?
@@fgerv So it cannot completely replace current Ewi. Thank you for your reply!
GREAT instrument. can you play sounds through MIDI from a synthesizer? been thinking...
+George Kwesi Davis Yes, but there’s no Midi out socket so you’d have to go through a computer or an interface of some sort.
@@isax.academy So we have all midi instrument with even midi channel settings in app etc. but no midi output? So how to trigger sounds from any DAW?