EWI (short for electronic wind instrument, pronounced EE-wee) is a type of wind controller, an electronic musical instrument created by Nyle Steiner. Many musicians use the EWI in different music styles. It is well-known for being used in jazz fusion, especially in Japan by members of T-Square, Takeshi Itoh and Masato Honda.

History

The EWI was created by Nyle Steiner as his second design for an electronic wind instrument. In the 1970s, Steiner introduced a brass-style fingering analog wind synthesizer called the EVI. Later, he developed the EWI, which had a fingering system more similar to that of woodwind instruments. The first working models of these instruments appeared in the 1970s, and the EWI became available for sale in the early 1980s.

Operation

EWI models can control external synthesizers or other MIDI instruments, either at the same time as or in place of the synthesizers included with the instrument. Earlier EWI models needed an external box unit, while the discontinued EWI4000s (as of 2019) and the still available EWI5000 have built-in MIDI outputs. The EWI SOLO, released in 2020, includes a USB connector and a built-in speaker shaped like the bell of a soprano saxophone. In 2021, a small company called Berglund created its own versions of classic Steiner EVI and EWI designs. These designs were approved and tested by Nyle Steiner. Berglund’s models use wireless MIDI, while Akai products (as of 2022) do not. Wireless MIDI can be added to Akai models using unofficial third-party products, though these require some assembly by the user.

Any EWI can control software synthesizers running on a computer.

The first EWI and EVI models (a type of EWI with trumpet-style fingerings) had two parts: a wind controller and a digitally-controlled analog synthesizer in a rackmount box (which also contained the instrument’s electronics). Akai took over the EVI and EWI instruments from Steiner and released several models with his help. Today, Akai only produces designs based on the EWI, no longer making the less popular EVI. The current Akai models, EWI5000 and EWI SOLO, include built-in digital synthesizers that use samples and do not strictly require an external box. Akai also made the EWI USB (discontinued in 2022), a five-octave MIDI controller that connects directly to a Mac or Windows computer via USB and uses software for control.

Fingering system

Electronic Wind Instruments (EWIs), depending on the brand (Akai or Berglund; the latter is called NuRad), can use the Boehm fingering system, which is common on woodwind instruments, or other systems like those used on recorders or tin whistles. The instrument feels similar to a soprano saxophone or clarinet, except its keys are activated by touch instead of being pressed (the player's fingers do not rest on the keys).

Nyle Steiner's EWI fingering system is unique because it does not function like an acoustic instrument. Instead of opening or closing holes, each EWI key changes the pitch by a half step or whole step. This allows fingerings similar to Boehm instruments, but many other options are available that are not possible on acoustic instruments. This design offers flexibility while remaining familiar to woodwind players.

Later EWI models can be switched to fingering systems used on flute, oboe, and saxophone. The EWI Solo, EWI 5000, and EWI USB also include an electronic valve instrument (EVI) fingering mode, allowing brass players to use the EWI. Like a straight soprano saxophone or clarinet, the EWI is straight with a slight inward curve near the mouthpiece and is held in front of the body with a neck strap.

The EWI has a silicone mouthpiece with sensors that detect air pressure (sending MIDI Breath Control by default) and bite pressure (which sends a quick pitch up-down "blip" by default, but can also be used for other controls). Unlike acoustic instruments, the EWI keys do not move; instead, they detect finger touch using body capacitance. These features make the instrument highly responsive, though some players may prefer mechanical buttons found on other electronic wind instruments. The EWI also requires less breath control than acoustic instruments, and breath sensitivity can be adjusted to the player's preference.

Unlike acoustic wind instruments, the fingering system is the same in every octave. The current octave is selected by placing the left thumb between rollers (the number of rollers depends on the model) or by moving the thumb to the ends of the EWI USB roller track. Touching a plate next to the rollers sends a smooth pitch slide (portamento) by default (this feature is not on the EWI USB). Pitch bend up and down plates are operated by the right thumb. The latest model, the EWI Solo, has only a pitch bend down plate, requiring players to start from the lowest pitch before blowing a note for an upward bend. This limits the range of pitch bends compared to other models. The EWI Solo also includes a dedicated F# key, a feature not found on earlier models, which may be helpful for players using saxophone fingering.