Make Sylphyo Pro with 2 LH top keys, 2 LH side keys, a "bis" key and 2 RH bottom keys.
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Two top keys can extend the top range by three semitones. An additional left hand side key can bend pitch down one semitone. An additional bottom key can add flexibility by adding an Eb, where an Eb belongs (hint: it should not include the left pinky). A "Bis" key can aid greatly with the commonly fingered LH Bb and all iterations of scales and arpeggios requiring rapid fingering combinations.
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I fully agree with you Erik it would be easier to process alternate fingering
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Hi Eric
I would not call it a Sylphyo Pro but a Sylphyo Sax
This opens the opportunity to create a Sylphyo Cla (albert or BoehM) or the Sylphyo Hobo as well?
Maybe see it like you as a sax player and you add a flute. One has to learn to play a new instrument. A second instrument is not as difficult as the first, but one has to practice.
The same count for adding the Sylphyo to your setup. One has to learn a new instrument. Luckily one can tune the key settings close to the sax. But one has to practise.
But that is also the matter when the keys are exactly the same. So many responses are different, that the only way one can master the instrument is : practise. Even if you choose a different sound, say a soprano sax, to a bass clarinet type, one can only master, get the proper sound by practising: feel the mass, how a vibrato feels, and sounds, how to breath, and more.I am a sax player myself (tenor, soprano, bas) started on a recorder as a kid. Wx11 was my first wind, than wx5 and EWI 4000, 5000, I preferred the wx5, but the Yamaha's broke down. On each i had to relearn how to play sounds on the Vl70m.
The Sylpyo now is a dream compared to the previous ones, except the lacking pitch bend with the mouth piece : half fingering and clever legato helps a lot to compensate.What do the additions you proposed bring?
The top lh keys do not bring extra notes, all midi notes can be played already (7 octaves): one octave up, and those keys would not allow half notes.The additional LH key G# is already there, a key to lower a half tone under low C? Not really necessary since one can just go the octave below.
I actually find the pinky up or pinky down rather convinient since can be applied on any note. Still needs some more practise
I would not mind a slider like the bottom one for the octaves, gives some more perspective, but that is a different subject.
Kind regards
Frank -
@frank Hello,
Actually, because I have played EWI instruments for over 30 years, (going back to my EWI 2000/2000m), I find that the acoustic-based restrictions of the sax, clarinet, and flute are not present on the EWI. Additionally, because I also play the Roland AE-10, Yamaha WX-7, EWI 3020, EWI 4000s, and a few others, I can compare the contemporary approaches to instrument fingerings. One thing that is unilaterally applied is maintenance of modern flexibility and options for the modern performer. It is not cool to eliminate the standard options from an instrument that is meant to be performed live. I perform with each of my other instruments with the exception of the AE-10 (not due to a lack of fingering there, it is more of an actual flakiness in tonal consistency and expected response with the AE-10). Each of the other instruments accounts for my suggestions in their own way. It is a simple matter of practice to get used to it. However the Sylphyo is more like an early 20th century saxophone before the articulated G# key became standard. Every instrument evolves, not just the Sylphyo. Sure I can choose to play an historic 18th century instrument, but most people play piano, not harpsichord or clavicord for very reasonable, very practical reasons. I really like most things about the Sylphyo and want it to become great.However, the Sylphyo fingerboard is REALLY holding its worldwide adoption back. That is the truth...but only until it (the Sylphyo) is updated, using very sensible, simple to implement, very expected changes that can easily differ from what I suggested, just like the AE-10 differs from the EWI and WX-7, but they are on "the same modern page".
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Hi Eric
First af all thanks for taking your time to elaborate and explain your point.
I see that in time we have a parallel development in the use of wind-controllers. But a different end result.
Started as a sax player, tenor and soprano -started lessons on both instruments at the same time, because i found soprano players never had the proper control over their instrument. Tenor players add a soprano at a much later moment, not realizing that they are totally different instruments.
I wanted more colour in my sound and i decided to add a synthesizer. The Kurzweil K2000R. It was delayed by more than a year, and i filled the gap with a Yamaha SY99. Quickly i found that it is impossible to make realistic wind instrument sounds with a keyboard. found that Yamaha just released a wind-controller the WX11 and had to convince the dealer to import one. The result was so much better, but limited. So the urge to get a better controller was always there.
I upgraded from the 11 to the 7 and to the 5 : every time an improvement, so i never looked back.
Akai came with the EWI 4000, got one , tried to master it, but found that the bite control cannot be a replacement for the reed control. Sold it and continued with the WX5. Experimented with extra sensors on the machine to control more sound aspects.Than my wx5 broke down: and could not be repaired. Reluctantly with a bit of hope i acquired a WX5000. To my amazement it is only partially wireless. Exactly the most important, the controller information is NOT transmitted. The Internal sounds are not very bad but can not be drastically changed, so external tone generators are needed. The most important Pitch information is via thumb control. Not the mouth function. The vibrato is lfo controlled, switched on via bite ...
The keys are with touch control: no feedback, and disastrous, fail in humid environment. So please tell me, who does not sweat at an life concert?
Seach for a second hand WX5 or WX7. The ideal companion for those is the VL70m. found. Looking for a editor i found IMOX who also have an exiting instrument, the Respiro.Because of the Respiro I became aware of the Sylphyo. Looking at the specs, it was like a dream come true. Missing was the reed pitch function: but that is under development.
Playing there is a lot more control than before, so a lot more to learn. But that is natural.Basically where we differ is that i only play the wind-controller which has the best control and controllers. The most modern. I do not touch the less capable anymore (They are for sale).
You stay and play them all and want a common denominator. Not the best controller, but those who hare the same keys.If i now look at the enhancements you propose:
The top left hand keys do not extend the range. above the highest octave is nothing
The G# key you propose is there: lh pinky. Not so kind to suggest that the keyboard is equivalent to an 18th century instrument. On the contrary it is a sharp on any note. On Ewi is looks like it will only supply a G# and C##
You suggest the Bis key gives me a ??
There a several solutions for f f# jump and also for c c# more than with the other wind controllers have.Your statement
However, the Sylphyo fingerboard is REALLY holding its worldwide adoption back. That is the truth...but only until it (the Sylphyo) is updated, using very sensible, simple to implement, very expected changes that can easily differ from what I suggested, just like the AE-10 differs from the EWI and WX-7, but they are on "the same modern page".
I cannot agree with your truth: The Sylphyo is more modern than any of : half fingering is not offered on the controllers you mention.
True is more difficult to mix almost the same controllers: but why should one do that?
Kind regards
Frank
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@frank I have read what you refer to as control. I personally prefer EWI fingerboard control to others (especially control of Matt Traub's EWI Patchman Music programming), although I am a historical sax/clarinet player. The control I need is the ability to leave and re-enter a register without using the octave slide (palm keys on sax/oboe or the bridge crossing Bb/A/Ab keys on clarinet). This is standard within Boehm fingerings. I did not invent this. Nor did I invent the ability for alternate low B/Bb left hand pinky fingerings, once again, leaving the octave without use of the octave slide. Additionally, right hand pinky Eb is always standard. The availability of these fingerings allow for the playability of virtuostic improvisation, classical passages, and the like (in other words, performance of complex musical passages that have been mastered after years of sweat-equity woodshed training) for musicians familiar with Boehm-styled fingerings.
Likewise, the currently produced piano keyboards uniformly do not surprise players by moving the position of the C#, Eb, F#, Ab, and Bb keys. That choice would limit the ability to sell the keyboards, regardless of the control/malleability of the sounds produced.
Finally, my request for improvements is also part of the natural progression of any instrument that becomes widely accepted by musicians and audiences. See below, links to a sampling of the historical relationships developed between musicians, composers, instrument maker and more recently engineers throughout history that are linked to instrument maturation.
https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Clarinet/History
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saxophone#Early_development_and_adoption
https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Lentis/Electronic_Inventions_that_Shaped_Popular_Music
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hammond_organ#HistoryAcceptance of an invention almost always spurs a desire for perfection of the original invention by the early adopters. From the clarinet evolution, to the saxophone evolution to the electric guitar iterations, and even the Hammond Organ engineering history, early adoption inspires the desire for improvement. I certainly hope that like the EVI/EWI1000/EWI2000/EWI3000/EWI3020/EWI4000s/EWI4000sw/EWI5000, the WX7/Wx5, the AE-10/AE-05/AE-01, the Sylphyo also evolves into what it must become.
BTW I want to play Sylpho every week at my gigs but cannot at this time, due to the lack of modern fingerings. After viewing YouTube, I can see that I am not alone. Can you imagine all the free advertising that Aodyo could benefit from, after turning the profit from increased sales over to R&D after wide adaptation (due to fingerboard improvements) by currently performing musicians on a global scale?!
