I started working at Akai as product manager at the beginning of 1987. A month later I took my first trip to Japan for product meetings. But on the first day (when I was jet lagged to the max) we went to the Tokyo Music Fair where the Michael Brecker Band was playing. Then, the band was him, Mike Stern-guitar, Jeff Andrews-bass, Kenny Kirkland-piano and Omar Hakim-drums. That was my first time meeting them. Michael suggested we split a taxi for the long ride back to the hotel. And with my jet lagged brain, I got to know Michael Brecker. I saw that band many times after that.
Wow, obviously one of the experiences you‘ll never forget! Mike Brecker is one of the all-time-titans of music. he must have been a very humble and nice personality. I only saw him once live in concert. But nowadays in RU-vid times there is a lot more of him to Discovery! Great! Rest in Peace, Michael!
Ah, that Steps Ahead sound. Had their albums on cassette in my youth, cruising to the pub in my car with music-loving friends, we played them quite a bit. Miss you, Mister Brecker! So sad to have lost such a great artist.
Really?? Ask them to allow custom patches to be uploaded to the new EWI models... the 4000 has this, but the 5000 is borderline useless without a laptop 🫤
@@wd25a 4000s owner here, who researched exactly that before buying it a couple years ago. The 5000 is sample-based and uses a fixed library of samples, with an emphasis on imitating the sounds of acoustic wind instruments, whereas the 4000s uses VA synthesis and is able to accurately reproduce the sounds & endless programmability of its analog synth predecessors. While the 5000 includes some synthy sampled patches, they can't be modified like a true synth and don't respond to expressive playing in the same way. As for the 5000's acoustic patches, they're decent, but not entirely realistic sounding by modern standards; if realism is what you're after, you'd be better served by buying some high-quality sample libraries or modeled instrument software (like SWAM) and playing those via MIDI from your 4000s or the cheaper EWI USB controller.
@@TheBeatfox Okay, thanks for the reply. I have the entry USB only version and use software synths and software sample instruments too. I had wondered if it was somehow operationally/mechanically inferior in terms of the breath sensor or the finger sensors. Or maybe people were suffering more latency, things like that. Seems not, which is good. My only gripe with the USB only version is the somewhat unnecessary downgrade of the transpose rollers, which are both slippy and limited in octaves, but you get used to the former. Apparently Akai dropped the 4000s in 2019. Something of a shame that they don't keep improving on the EWI with the addition of a higher grade USB version and a new high end version with a true analogue synth for the pro market. I hope they keep making a USB EWI though.
@@tedsta It's virtual analogue (DSP) isn't it, not actual analogue but thanks for the reply, no need for apologies. I was tempted to get one of these older 4000s (now out of production). The PC is much more powerful for virtual analogue synths and sample instruments though so probably would end up just using VSTis anyway. I would rather have a decent DSP virtual synth than dated samples any day of the week.
At the time this video was recorded I lived in Virginia and traveled the state for my work. No matter where I went in the state you could find jazz on the radio and there was always live jazz in some club nearby. I just spent the last 13 years around New Orleans and was hard pressed to find any jazz anywhere whether on the radio or being played live. The music isn't gone, it's just gone into hiding. What is being called jazz these days is either "show tunes" or synthesized loops with a swing or Latin beat. RU-vid videos teaching how to improvise to blues and jazz is being taught by Europeans and Pakistanis. An Indian teaching the country where jazz was born how to play blues scales. pfff! Good on the guy from Pakistan ... but pfffft!
