Vangoa EWI-100 MIDI SAXOPHONE! Is it any good? (Instrument Investigation Episode 1)

Product link: www.amazon.com/promocode/A1NC...
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#Vangoa #VangoaMusic #ElectronicWindInstrument
Thanks, Vangoa!
www.amazon.com/dp/B0C1GC5K5Y
www.vangoa.com/
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Background music provided by the KZbin Audio Library
00:00 intro
00:20 unboxing
01:28 instrument closeups
02:12 first impressions
03:03 deglitch/key delay
03:45 more presets
04:34 pinky keys
04:53 fingerings
06:34 midi control
06:51 Bluetooth midi
07:51 usb midi
08:25 glide/portamento issues
08:51 comparison with akai ewi/nurad
09:58 breath sensor hum test
10:25 time for some music!
12:03 final thoughts
12:52 outro
#vangoa #ewi #musicproducer #review

[@zyzzyva303]

Best review on this class of controller I've seen.

[@peter8036]

love this! excited for the series :D

[@joerxworx7299]

Great review ! diggin your improvisation !!!

[@_alexxon]

Love how Vital integrate with electronic wind so seamlessly!

[@dannuttle9005]

This review was much more helpful and relevant than I expected. Answered every question I had. Didn't waste time.

[@shugie]

you're obviously an expert like this where you demonstrate by going real fast up and down the scale doesn't help us leave beginners to make a choice of what it would sound like playing songs

[@romandegtiarev]

Nice improvisación! Added to my "to transcribe" list!

[@bluegrassmagee8697]

Sooo Grateful for this video! I needed this fingering chart big time. I've played recorder for a while & could not get the Vangoa to go above the middle scale even with the octave buttons. Your improv playing at the end is really Awesome 👍❤🎉

[@PhilGeissler]

Awesome! Thanks!

[@rebeccaabraham8652]

Haven’t got this one… but I’ve just bought a device which, in one guise, identifies as an Irin S56. It’s an amazing instrument - but I’ve made 3 mods in the first week - a hand-carved thumbrest that I’ve glued in the correct position, a home-made octave-rocker plate plate glued over the octave switches - and a screwed in hoop for a lanyard. It’s as good as I can get it - and for under a hundred dollars - it’s a stunning device. I’ve also been using the midi capabilities - and I’ve found that Fluidsynth with a good soundfont makes it a truly formidable instrument. I love these devices and I can’t wait to see their evolution over the next year or two! Btw - I’m not a professional - but I’ve been playing folk and blues for a long time… and I’m more likely to pick this up than one of my Dizi’s or the rosewood flute!

[@bodhibeats8257]

“Bit of a missed opportunity there.” 😂 Great video! Love the idea of this series, looking forward to more!

[@StefHaynes]

Thank you hahaha glad someone caught that

[@chaplainmattsanders4884]

Dude nice improv work!!

[@blazemama5361]

Thank you for this great information!! I play native american flutes, digital piano and have played several side blown flutes. I saw someone playing an Akai EWI recently and was very intrigued. I can't afford one of those right now, but this one looks like a nice entry level version. Thank you. 😊 😊

[@user-un5mj9ej9j]

Thank you!

[@hsitz]

That was an excellent product review. It was potentially even more useful for the manufacturer than for prospective users, if Vangoa choose to follow your suggestions.

[@StefHaynes]

that's my target audience!

[@charlesdiaz6974]

Thank you for showing this video for beginner excellent thank you, thank you. I really enjoyed the demonstration. I'm gonna get it, I will. Keep me Bixby😊

[@jgaudiowerks6115]

Very good presentation. Seems like it's a pretty nice instrument for the price.

[@emericklamontagne3652]

Great tutorial! Aloha from Hawaii.

[@aldairsax]

Nice for travel...

[@blanchae]

Very good review. I would like to hear how it sounds played through an amplifier rather than the little built in speaker.

[@HideOut55007]

Such An Awesome Video! really love the Vangoa EWI. Just wish I could figure out how to play the next upper octave, fingered like a Recorder. The only way I've figured it out, is to drop all my fingers back to the home position & move my thumb to the octave up button on the bottom. Really appreciate any help Thank You in advance!

[@edigabrieli7864]

First time here...with a last name like Haynes you must be a real flute player 😊

[@StefHaynes]

Well I did play flute on Russ's most recent album!

[@shad_unoxx]

awesome review, any word on a firmware update for key delay?

[@CristinaTeixeiraTV]

Your video is really good. Thanks so much. Do you have any video with this ewi showing about the performance with an app midi on cell phone? Conected by the blue tooth. Android. Thanks so much

[@peterthepiper333]

Do the WARBL next! I find that it complements my ewi usb and Re.Corder nicely.

[@ruscular]

I vote for one on one Bb fingering. The latency of the wireless seems pretty bad, and I am not sure if firmware can fix that. I have been playing the Aerophone-AE-10, and loving the pitch bend joystick, but I was just gifted a Yamaha WX7 which also has a pitch wheel. I might end up going back to that.

[@manuelgonzales6483]

🥇🏆

[@KingfisherTalkingPictures]

Thanks for the review. It looks like the product isn't on their website yet.

[@rjones1357]

Possibly available on their site and/or Amazon towards the end of May 2023.

[@anemoia5549]

Nice...have you tried it with the SWAM instruments? And have you tried connecting it to an ipad via usb...i cant get it to recognise. Plus if i do Bluetooth midi its playing the audio through the speakers

[@robertp2934]

Great review. Much appreciated. Is that a flutaphone to your right, behind the keyboard??

[@StefHaynes]

something like that ;) i'll make a video about it one of these days

[@alexsokolov330]

Молодец, приятно послушать грамотного человека.

[@StefHaynes]

Спасибо!

[@tonycastro711]

Stef -- very informative videos, and your suggestions for improvements via a firmware update are sound, eg, I hate the fingering for Bb, but I am having fun playing this instrument. Question -- I noticed that you made a thumb rest for the re.corder. What did you use? I would like to do the same for the Vangoa.

[@StefHaynes]

I used sticky tack! It's not a permanent solution but it works well enough

[@tonycastro711]

Thanks so much. I just watched your Greaten AP300 review, and I look forward to more reviews! @@StefHaynes

[@calvinchong8740]

Nice - those little updates could make it a really nice travel instrument to carry around. I wonder if they have Irish tinwhistle fingering and whether you can create your own? I'm guessing not. O by the way, I checked it out on the amazon link you posted - it's not available !!!

[@StefHaynes]

I agree! I actually recently brought it on a vacation just to stay somewhat musical while I was away for a week. No custom fingerings, I'm afraid

[@calvinchong8740]

@@StefHaynes Yes, i would love to bring my R1 along on my trips but there are always logistics and security issues that come with carrying meter long instruments onboard! Something small that is inexpensive, responsive, low latency with BLE midi, and in a fingering I prefer would be great. I have a WARBL but I always have issues with it plus it doesn't play wirelessly!

[@curtisklinger1141]

I'm thinking about purchasing this EWI as a starter one, and I have a small question. Does the sound from the midi software exit through the Vangoa's speaker, or is it from the digital software?

[@greglisk9408]

Hi, I am completely new to wind instruments, but a baught one of these because it looked so cool. Question! How do you know what key it is in? I see that there is a transpose buton to adjust the key, but what is the default? The fingering patterns are confusingly shown in Do-Re-Mi- which apparently is not universal, so can you help with an A-B-C map for fingering and key settings?

[@StefHaynes]

it defauts to the key of C, unless you use the transpose functions, Do is C, Re is D etc

[@bobsykes]

I wonder if they new what they were getting into lending you that? If they follow up and add/fix that stuff, it woudl say alot about the manufacturer. Still, it sounded great on the song at the end given the very low price tag.

[@StefHaynes]

I wonder too 😂

[@priscillatalitasilva7336]

How to clean the inside of the midi flute?The entrance is very small.

[@Back2SquareOne]

Thanks for the great review. I have been thinking about picking up an instrument to get myself back into playing music for fun. It has been a long time since I actively played, so I am really just looking for something fun and fairly easy to pick up. This EWI-100 looks like it might be the ticket. It is cheap enough to be in the impulse buy category. On the other hand, the re.corder is also pretty affordable and looks more capable, perhaps. I would be interested in people's opinion as the the best EWI for a total beginner to get started. Are there other options I should be looking at? Also, I would interested in people's opinions about what DAW or other software I should consider. I am a professional software engineer so I am pretty good at dealing with software tools. On the other hand, I am just looking for recreation and not looking to spend a lot of time and energy learning a complicated system. I would like to be able to play with some high-quality sounds so I am looking to be set up to be able to use the instrument as a midi controller hooked up to a soft synth. The on-board sound would only be used for practice, I think. Anyways, I appreciate any guidance/opinions people could give me.

[@StefHaynes]

I'd be happy to give you some advice on DAWs! What OS do you use? Mac, Windows?

[@Back2SquareOne]

@@StefHaynes I have Windows desktops and laptop. I also have an older Ipad Pro.

[@StefHaynes]

@@Back2SquareOne Gotcha. Some free DAW software you might want to check out: -Cakewalk -Reaper I don't know many people who use Cakewalk but it seems cool. Creatice Sauce has a good video about it called "Why You Should Use Cakewalk by Bandlab in 2022." I know a lot of people who use Reaper professionally. I use it occasionally for specific tasks. It's technically not free, but it has an unlimited trial period. If you're willing to spend more money, Ableton Live is my favourite. Bitwig might also be worth checking out.

[@davidelmalek3888]

Nice Video! is it possible to use it to input music into notation software like sibelius? by the way, which EWI Akai are you using in your video 09:08 timer?

[@StefHaynes]

Thank you! Yes it is possible, and I do this occasionally. I usually do it note per note, as having it automatically transcribe my playing is typically not very accurate, and requires a lot of editing or quantization. And it's an EWI 5000!

[@davidelmalek3888]

@@StefHaynes I understand Ewi 5000 is much more precise in terms of quantization, right?

[@StefHaynes]

@@davidelmalek3888 i meant specifically rhythmic quantization for the purposes of creating legible sheet music. This would be done on on the notation software side, so while the 5000 is a great instrument it wouldn't necessarily be better suited to the task you're describing than any other midi controller

[@alltron66]

Are you able to connect this device to a bluetooth speaker for better sound or di you need to use the headphone jack?

[@StefHaynes]

Definitely avoid Bluetooth! Audio over Bluetooth adds a significant amount of latency that makes the instrument impossible to play well. Headphone jack is the only way

[@rjones1357]

This seems like a similar design to some other small recorder sized electronic wind instruments released over the last couple of years (e.g. Carry-On Digital Wind Instrument, MIDI EWI, KONIX DC02). I notice the upper hand pinkie keys are different. Do you know if there is a planned release of a software app that will allow the user to make changes to the instrument like creating user defined fingerings? Per another video, it looks like this product is not due out until the end of May 2023. Did the product come with an instruction manual? Do you think you will come up with a methodical way to evaluate the different electronic wind instruments that you plan to feature in these videos? As always, thanks for your contributions to EWI community.

[@StefHaynes]

Thanks! As far as I know, there are no plans for a companion app. The product did come with a manual, but it was one page and fairly rudimentary. To be fair, it's a very simple design. As for methodical evaluation method, that's a good question. I'll give it some thought. I don't think that it would be very productive/useful to evaluate all instruments based on the same criteria, given that they have vastly different feature sets and price points. I think I'll generally try to "meet the instruments where they're at." Like, I could criticise this instrument for lacking more control features, like pitch bend, a bite sensor, accelerometers, etc, but I don't think that would be a fair critique... for one thing, I'm not sure either the instrument or the target customer base needs those things. Fingerings and MIDI implementation on the other hand... I feel like that's fair game! In any case, I think some sort of consistent rating system would be a little reductive. But I could be wrong, I guess!

[@rjones1357]

Sorry. I was thinking more along the lines of having a collection of tools like “how to detect the overlapping of MIDI notes” and “how to determine the quality of the breath sensor”. I found those sections of your video to be most useful. I suspect those differences in implementation contribute somewhat to the “character” of the different instruments. While one player may find a characteristic totally useless another player may be able to do something new and musical with it. I think I did a crappy job of asking the question. I think what I am looking for is a collection of tools or methods that can be used to explain why an instrument sounds/behaves a certain way.

[@StefHaynes]

@@rjones1357 Oh I gotcha! Thanks for your feedback! I'll keep that in mind when I make the next videos in the series and I guess we'll see how the methodology evolves!

[@normietwiceremoved]

Some of the piano at the end demo sounds like Facebook Messenger pinging off lol. Kept confusing me.

[@PotatoGunCamper]

I want a mid sax that looks like a sax and that has standard saxophone fingering out the box

[@tareytenaya4668]

How do I get a hold of the fingering for the keys from you for this Vangoa? I tried your website but didn't see it there

[@StefHaynes]

check this out! drive.google.com/file/d/1KxQkYsDc2TOykYT0Siqj5ifBvWxHSk6M/view?usp=sharing

[@cresshead]

Q. why do you have music playing in the background? .. it';s rather distracting from the review of the products sound. i thought i had another tab open playing sound. overall a good review mind you.

[@micweis]

Great review, lots of the details I was looking for. I just ordered one, hopefully that was a referral link in your description! I appreciate that you suggested improvements for them, but I'm going assume that this thing will NEVER get a firmware update (hopefully they surprise me). I'm personally okay with the limitations for $70. Bluetooth seems bad enough that it's a non-feature as far as I'm concerned, I'll stick with USB MIDI.

[@manickamvictor4377]

What is the price of this instruments

[@mayiask654]

thanks for the video. As far as i understand this instrument has fixed pitch: you breath in, push a button and the note comes out of it already intonated and in perfect pitch. So that the player doesn't have to bother about his intonation. Do you know of any electronic wind instruments or breath controllers with variable pitch instead of fixed pitch? Or where you can switch between fixed and variable pitch? So that the player himself has to take care of the right intonation and pitch of the notes. Just like on real trombones or eg on violins. Many thanks in advance

[@StefHaynes]

Most electronic wind instruments have some form of pitch bend control. The vangoa is an outlier in this regars

[@mayiask654]

Thanks for answering 🙂 Yes, i know about the pitch bend control in EWIs. But this is different from what i am looking for. Even with pitch bend control (afaik) you don't have to worry about the right note or pitch when playing a certain note. You "simply" blow into the instrument and depending on which button you press you get the right note. (which then can be modulated within a given range with the pitch controller). What i am looking for is an EWI which forces me to intonate the note correctly by myself. Like eg on a real trumpet where you control the note with valves which can produce seamless variable pitches.

[@StefHaynes]

@@mayiask654 something like what you're describing with true pitch freedom is not widely available yet outside of the keyboard world! However, if you can manage to have fine control over the portamento/glide parameter of a synthesizer, you can get pretty close. Check out this super old video of mine for more details if you're unfamiliar: kzbin.info/www/bejne/poK1fqWwpKiceck

[@davidblankenau]

Can you play it through headphones to avoid disturbing other people? And what about using amps and effects pedals? I think that would be quite interesting.

[@StefHaynes]

It has an 1/8 stereo out for headphones, with some adapters/smart signal part and cable management, amps and pedals would certainly be a possibility

[@bbbloechl5243]

To overcome the described glide/portamento issues use the Dwell of the Reverb? I usually use analogue sound modellers with my EWIs as I do with my guitar and bass.

[@ralphkruger9996]

Is there a projected price for this when it becomes available for purchase?

[@StefHaynes]

69.95 (USD)

[@mikeclarke9605]

@@StefHaynes did they say when it would be available for sale? Looks like a great value starter EWI for a nephew...

[@StefHaynes]

@@mikeclarke9605 I'm not sure! But I think relatively soon.

[@cresshead]

not listed on their website any more.

[@StefHaynes]

Seems like the release might be delayed a bit. I don't know any details though!

[@Mrzapo78]

Hi man, is it avaible for the european market?

[@StefHaynes]

Not sure!

[@Mrzapo78]

@@StefHaynes What do you think about Yamaha YDS-120?

[@StefHaynes]

@@Mrzapo78 haven't played one personally, but Jay Metcalfe from Better Sax did a pretty good review

[@DennisCaunce]

Any firmware fix yet?

[@StefHaynes]

yes, however, I am having some difficulties installing it on my instrument to test, so I haven't tried it yet!

[@valaus2065]

Do you like this instrument better than the recorder?

[@StefHaynes]

That's a tough call! I like the customizable fingerings and motion controls on the re.corder. I like the pinky keys and octave mechanism on the Vangoa EWI. I think that, with the Vangoa EWI in it's current state (firmware-wise), the re.corder is a better MIDI controller, which is something I prioritize. That said, as a sax player, the Vangoa EWI allows a more direct transfer of my skills. So it's hard to say. TBH, neither of them check all the boxes for me, which is why I play a NuRAD, but that's a vastly different instrument at a vastly different price point so... yeah I dunno. Sorry for the unsatisfying answer!

[@valaus2065]

@@StefHaynes I like your honest answer having tried so many ewis. I have the recorder but that key configuration in vangoa will be very useful for saxophonists. Maybe I will venture to have this instrument too. thanks for the reply. The only thing I don't like about the recorder is that the humidity/spit makes the back button useless. In vangoa these problems would not be there I imagine.

[@georgef1801]

Great answer !@@StefHaynes .I had the exact same question about customizable fingerings / pinky keys and octave mechanism .Being clarinet newbie neither check all the boxes for me as well but i went for the Re.corder wait to deliver next week for 99euro.Lets see how it will go .Great work .Kudos !

[@georgef1801]

One question on Re.corder: Can you customize the LH thump as a note [instead OCTAVES] or you can do that only on the rest front holes ? I guess you also play clarinet so you get what i mean.Thanks

[@stevenmillano1880]

you are so cute ❤

[@bobbyboyderecords]

Could you not remap the keys in the daw?

[@StefHaynes]

fraid not.. combinations of keys send one predefined signal. unlike a keyboard or a drum pad, individual keys do not send individual signals.

[@bobbyboyderecords]

@@StefHaynes but they send mini out note information? You should be able to tell the daw that when note C comes in play an A. In logic you could do this back in 1993 I'm sure that they left that in. I can't check at the moment as I'm away from my studio but I'll look into it. Will try and buy one of those and test it. They are half the price in the county I work in which is nice.

[@bobbyboyderecords]

@@StefHaynes ah I see what you are saying now. They would have to do that in their own software or firmware.

[@Andrewtafelklavier]

It needs an app!

[@StefHaynes]

Not a bad idea! What kind of features would you want this app to have?

[@Andrewtafelklavier]

-change fingering patterns, set octave jumping based on air pressure like the warbl, set midi parameters, allow for firmware updates, download new sounds to the instrument. This instrument is soooo close to being usable for serious music but not quite there yet.

[@StefHaynes]

@@Andrewtafelklavier for sure! do you have a warbl??

[@Andrewtafelklavier]

Yes I have a warbl, but want an instrument I play without a host device, ie just with earphones. I find the IR sensors on the warbl troublesome sometimes. I’m actually building my own EWI to experiment with transverse flute mouthpiece sensors, I am a flute player.

[@StefHaynes]

@@Andrewtafelklavier That's awesome! I'd love to try a warble someday, seems like it's very unique among electronic wind instruments. I'm a flute player as well (transverse), and I've always been intrigued by how the octave switching through breath pressure problem could be solved in the digital realm. Seems like it would be hard to de-couple pitch and volume.

[@joedee1863]

I love Saxaohone, but why call this thing a saxaphone when all the sounds coming out are plastic moog synth sounds that are nothing like any accoustic instrument ? Hearing a sax sound would have been very nice.

[@StefHaynes]

Good question! I think this is a "MIDI saxophone" because the fingerings/key layout resemble a saxophone (mostly because of the presense of pinky keys that raise and lower the pitch by half steps). Sound-wise though, saxophones are notoriously difficult to emulate synthetically, and the best emulations are several times the price of this instrument. The first two sounds that I play at around 2:13 are, I think, meant to emulate tenor and alto sounds.

[@joedee1863]

@@StefHaynes - ok ... I get it Stef, this EWI thing is an electronic sound thing with saxophone finger mapping. (I love accurate definitions.😊♥️) My assessment of these synthetic sound gadgets/devices/ things are based on how much the sounds of each note appeals to my senses. If some one plays a sustained note sequence like Bach's 'Air on a G string' (Which I play on a fipple flute) then I can savour the full flavour of the notes. Also Cory Henry's intoxicating 'Lingus' solo is the measure of a 'top end' instrument that I'd love to possess for it's richness and therapeutic value. I have heard you play this and it gives me a state of heightened consciousness very close to the sensation I get when imbibing certain substances that stimulate my pleasure zones which can be quite addictive. I would like to hear this EWI thing play something that shows off its tonal richness . If it has an electronic/synthetic flute then hearing the modern jazz version of Bach's 'Bourree' would be an excellent test piece for this EWI thing. 😊

[@StefHaynes]

@@joedee1863 Plenty of amazing EWI recordings out there! Check out Michael Brecker, T-Square, Jeff Kashiwa, and Eddie EWI

[@ryanlai1201]

first

[@snugdumpling]

second

[@StefHaynes]

@@snugdumpling you guys are rediculous

[@49taur]

Io l'ho acquistato ma sono rimasto molto deluso perchè è una cagata pazzesca!

[@StefHaynes]

sorry to hear! hope you still get at least a bit of use out of it

[@tschupa]

NOT GOOD