Great sound module for a wind controller (Akai EWI Solo in my case)
These sound modules were built from 1996 to 2013, quite a long run.
They can generate sounds for a variety of instruments, using Yamaha's Virtual Acoustic (VA) technology - a kind of physical modelling synthesis. The waveform of the sound to be generated is computed using a mathematical model, a set of equations and algorithms to simulate actual musical instruments.
The unit has a lot of presets for various real wind and string instruments, as well as some invented instruments, various synths and effects. It also allows one to create and load up to 6 custom presets, which opens up the possibilities of playing around with instrument design, and to come up with an entirely unique sound.
Working with the device from the control panel is a bit tedious, but it can be controlled by MIDI. A (paid) software called VL-Wizard is available for Windows and macOS, which greatly simplifies life with the sound module. It also includes a huge library of ready-made presets which can be loaded into the custom presets bank at a press of a button (or when commanded by another MIDI controller).
Many of the instruments sound very good. The main advantage of physical modeling over the much more common sample-based sound modules is their expressiveness when played using a wind controller or a keyboard with a breath controller.
One limitation of this device is that it is monophonic, it can play a single note at a time. If you want to be able to play chords, or layer different instruments or effects, multiple devices can be chained to achieve this - but this can quickly get expensive!
Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned