Watching the amazing Jon ask you if it was ok to drink some coffee, then subtly and SO thoughtfully step back away from you (& the mic) almost brought tears to my eyes. Having a supportive, nonjudgmental, understanding partner when you have misophonia is so incredibly important. Made me love Jon even more. Oh, and the rest of the video was marvelous, too! ❤
I bought one just for practising, but it's so much fun and the sounds are really good, so that I changed as tenor player completely to this digital sax in public. I don't have to care for embouchure and weight of the instrument and when I'm practising I can sit easily on my sofa. I love, that I have all different saxophones in one instrument. It's just fun and inspires all the time to play new tunes. Just perfect! Love it!❤
Always great seeing Jon in your videos. He has the beautiful energy of Robin Williams (God rest his soul). I hope Jon sees it as a compliment because thats how i mean it. My son plays saxaphone and is willing to teach me. This would be a good way for many to learn, I"m sure. Also thanks for including the price on this one. Great video! ❤🎉❤🎉❤ 🎉
YAY! It's been too long since a full Jon video. I've never played a saxophone, but I'd be very tempted to ask Santa for one of these. I checked and it's $500. I would want some sort of interactive help with learning all the keys, etc. though. Yamaha should provide this.
Your review is such fun, thanks! I already have a YDS-120 as well as the older YDS-150. Now that the 120 is available there is no reason to buy the 150 unless you want the Bluetooth capability that the 150 has. The YDS-120 sells for $500 in the USA. Batteries don't last very long, so it's best to connect your phone charger instead of batteries. I don't like the internal speakers, so I connect to my hi-fi receiver via the Yamaha's phones jack. Or you could connect to a powered speaker. Either way you can get more volume and the voices are quite nice through the phones output. The app allows you to modify the User voices; you can transpose the User voices to key of C or F or whatever you like. Recorder players can fairly easily learn the sax fingerings which are similar to recorder soprano or tenor fingerings. The app also allows you to change the fingerings to whatever you like.
It's really nice to see electronic wind instruments popping up. Pianists have keyboards, string instrument players have had electric instruments and effects for ages, and wind players were left out for a long time. And one of these would be an excellent travel instrument as well. Is it the right size to fit into an airplane as a carry-on?
Had ignored the previous model due to its price and the fact that I already have a regular alto sax, but, now that I'm gearing up to move to an apartment, the quiet practice aspect is looking beneficial. Plus, the possible midi controller option to make use of other sounds.
I'm actually curious, because my biggest problem with sax, as well as clarinet, which family members do play with no problems, is the mouthpiece. Since the Yamaha doesn't have the reed-based mouthpiece, and one can just blow into it, would it be more difficult once a person wants to transition over to a real saxophone and have to readjust the embouchure to play the mouthpiece with the reed? My pro-level clarinet family member actually has a hard time playing my recorders or Irish whistles because it's a different blowing style (and they tend to overblow like crazy) and they don't want to take any I've offered because they are afraid of messing up their embouchure for their actual instruments. I did give them the chalumeau I had, where I found I couldn't deal with the mouthpiece. It's so cool to see Jon getting excited over a new "toy". I'd be tempted to get this for my hubby, who actually played sax for about a year, with lessons, before he got too busy with work to really practice.
I used to have a Yamaha Windjammer which used either sax or recorder fingerings. It was $600 back in 1990. Ended up selling it to someone for $300 that needed a spare one for parts.
Loved the video, it seems you are really having fun! As I play both saxophone and keyboards I find this interesting, might be a more expressive way to control a synth than just a keyboard. I'd certainly miss the ability to control the sound with embouchure though. But this would in my opinion be of very limited use as a learning tool if the idea is to learn to play a "real" saxophone as this will only teach the fingerings and they are just a very small part of saxophone playing. The embouchure and breathing/blowing technique is so crucial that it's often recommended to first practice with just a mouthpiece to get the hang of it. The embouchure should be the first, not the last, thing to start learning as it will take the most time to master (it's not just a matter of technique but also of developing certain muscles, at first your lips will get tired in just a couple of minutes) and the fingerings can be learned at the same time. Yes, you'll sound horrible at first, so did everybody else, but you'll get better with practice. I would find a digital instrument like this to be more of a new way of expression for a person who already knows how to play or an alternative for people who want to have fun playing something saxophone-like without the time and work involved in learning the acoustic instrument. But if you want to learn to play the saxophone just get a saxophone. They can be had for not much more than the cost of one of these, especially used ones. Don't waste your time on learning a fundamentally different instrument with just a somewhat similar user interface first.
Its an electronic instrument that can be played silently ( with phones on) so as to immerse yourself with musical pleasure and not offend neighbours. Neighbours can make your life hell especially if you are learning a full blown sax!!!!!!! Its early days yet with EWIs. The embouchure bit will come. Also....you can change the sound of this thing to the unimaginable., key, the octave, transpose etc etc etc. Leaves a sax standing.
@@petercane6376 Yes, as an instrument in itself it has many advantages. But in my opinion as a tool for learning to play an acoustic saxophone it's of very limited value. As a practice tool for learning new songs for someone who already knows how to play a saxophone it might be great though, provided the keywork is realistic enough, as, as you said, it's silent.
Even with the previous YDS-150 (with the real soprano sax bell), the alto mouthpiece/plastic reed combo is still a dummy and has no effect on the way it plays - you can play the 150 even without the mouthpiece as it only responds to breath pressure rather than lip pressure. The mouthpiece is only there for some sense of familiarity with sax players. If you tried to use the plastic reed it comes with on a normal sax, you'd die as it's probably a number 50 strength reed. The main problem I have with the keywork is the delay when using closed-standing keys (front F, high F#, F, E, Eb and D, side C and side Bb, G#, chromatic F#, low Eb and low C#) as the note will only speak once the key is at the end of its travel and not at the start and the 8ve key button is temperamental. Maybe some of these things have been ironed out on the 120. The funny thing is how the YDS-150 seems to resonate whilst you're playing it and you can feel that in your fingers just as you can on a real sax - I assume the 120 does as well. If you want to play at 415Hz, then you can always transpose it down a semitone instead.
Baritones have the low A key (which sounds C2 in concert pitch) because that gives the saxophone the same extension as the Cello, which allows musicians to play, well, "that" suite :), as well as other pieces.
A lot of those keys are for trills. You dont use them much in regular playing, but it allows you to just change one finger to be able to play either a whole step or half step up.
His elder brother, the 150, is double as much but also comparatively inexpensive and has the typical sax mouthpiece (in plastic). I think they are lovely instruments, not to mention the usual up side of being able to practice whenever you want because the neighbours won't hear you.
Thank you, splendid people! I'd like to think that we've just witnessed the birth of the world's premier baroque klezmer bebop electronic crossover duo. 🙂
this looks and sounds like a ton of fun, i had a akai ewi solo but retuned to back as there was a boot up problem, now i'm looking to either replace with another akai solo, the yamaha yds120 or a roland AE wind synth.
Thanks for this! Memo from the Ministry of Nit-Picking: 1. Can you disable the transpositional shift when you move between 'instruments'? I've got a cheapo EWI of the kind you've reviewed previously and one of the many things I like about it is that you can play across saxophone registers easily. 2. It doesn't come with even the most basic kind of case or bag, which seems a bit mean. 3. Is there any way of cleaning the entire 'bore', such as it is? 4. You can't impale it on a stand! All that said, I'll probably get one anyway...(mutter)...😊
#1. The Yamaha app allows you to transpose the User voices to whatever key you want. For me it's great to be able to play alto, soprano, tenor and baritone sax voices all in the key of C. #2. The YDS-150 comes with a case and neck strap; the 120 does not. #3, no you can't, however I've had a YDS-150 for several years and that has not been a problem. #4. You can put a YDS-150 on a soprano sax stand, but I would still choose the 120 over the 150. I had fingering issues with the 150 that have been solved with the 120.
😂😂 Just absolutely love Jon, he is SUCH a badass. I hope he is getting ALL the gigs there in the Netherlands. But that sax....wow, the sound is nasty. I hope some of the other 56 sax sounds are less artificial and...science-fictiony-sounding.
It sounds MUCH better if the Phones jack is connected to a hi-fi system or powered speaker, or headphones. The Yamaha's internal speakers are not great.
I have this instrument ! It’s brilliant !!! Check out the video mission impossible on its brother the yds 150 to see its capability . It’s brill as a stand alone performance instrument also great as a practise for sax beginners . Luv the review !!!
Nice video, Sarah and Jon. Fun to watch and full of useful information. So far to my knowledge, only Bob Mintzer has adpoted synth woodwind instruments in live performances (see him play Red Sea, it´s here on RU-vid). Ademir Junior, (my friend and a great brazillian saxophone player) had one, but I guess he sold it. Who knows if whe are gonna see musicians playin it in concerts in the near future.
A very entertaining and informative review. As a beginner instrument for teaching sax, this instrument would work well. I like its versatility in sounds programmed into the instrument. But, I have to say that, in my opinion, the saxophone sounds which the two of you demonstrated don't have the tone quality of the real instruments.
It would be nice if it had other modes that more coosely reaembled recorder fingerings. The main issu would be an inability to half press a key like you can half cover a hole. It would also be nice if it had a clarinet mode (or if a virtual clarinet had a sax mode), allowing for how the sax jumps up an octave with the register key (and has a lot od overlapping notes), while the clarinet jumps up an octave and a fifth.
I also love the concept of this one. However, Jay from Better Sax noted that Yamaha has removed the bluetooth option. Not good. Also, using disposable batteries is not very environmentally aware, so that's offputting as well. But I loved your video, thanks Sarah and Jon.
You can use rechargeable batteries or just connect a phone charger to the USB port and not use batteries at all. I have the older YDS-150 (with Bluetooth), and the new YDS-120. The lack of Bluetooth is not a problem for me, but that will depend on how you use the instrument.
@@robertnoblitt518 thanks Robert, but it's the concept of disposable batteries that is so out of date. As a photographer, I'm used to the rechargeable ones, and a lot of them have a very finite life too. I am drawn to the portability of this practice instrument, but bluetooth is actually an expected component in 2023. Our phone batteries last for years with constant recharging, and I'm sure lithium ion batteries are not expensive to include.
I have both the 150 and 120 and don’t miss the Bluetooth at all . IMHO the cables work perfectly and the 120 has the same functionality as the 150 at a super price point !
I've got one and I can't seem to make it play different sounds with different keys. And I played the clarinet for about 6 years. Where do you get the keyboard chart?
I love watching your videos I love when John is in your videos every time when you do one of these videos it makes me wish that I had one of these instruments of my 0:27
Nice presentation! 😃 But, I being old school, 😌I’ll stick with my acoustic saxophones being both the soprano and alto saxophones. 😊🎷🎶 There’s nothing quite like the sound of a pure acoustic instrument. 😉 👍
I also play a genuine soprano sax, and you can't beat the sound of a real sax. But the YDS-120 is much easier to play, and has good-sounding alto, soprano, tenor and baritone voices that sound great via the phones output.
I just recently bought this myself and it's great I do have a question though about the user buttons U01 through U20 what are those for and how do I use those and access them is this to add your own sounds from your VST Instruments?
hello Sarah, I hope you dont mind if i ask a question that is off topic from this video. im a long time subscriber and recently began playing tenor recorder after playing alto for about two years. I think you are probably the best source for a solution to my question, if there is a solution. question: is it possible to play a (two above the low register) E on the tenor recorder? Ive figured out a c# (two above the low register, and of course there is the D) but i cannot seem to be able to get above the highest D. There must be some trick to get this because i saw a short that somebody posted and he hit at least a very high E (2 +) but did not offer any instruction. any help would be appreciated. i love your videos and youre personality is just lovely. thank you for your time, in advance. from Herb, an aspiring recorder player from the states.
Not sure how much you paid for these, but a quick check puts them at roughly $500!! (U S.) How accurate does it sound compared to the the brass / reed one?
I hope these don't catch on too quickly. Half the joy of playing with saxophonists is tossing ping-pong balls in their horn and seeing how long it takes them to figure out what happened.
Wait is Daphne sad??? Also, Jon looks hotter with a thiccer beard (and the where's Waldo hat). Also, I have not seen you play an actual pan flute yet. But if I had 388 euros I'd first buy a wooden recorder, just sayin'
Digital saxophones are good when a person records in a studio and does not need more players for different instruments. However, they will never replace a classic saxophone. Saxophonists are distinguished mainly by the tone they develop over time, and that is what distinguishes saxophonists.. This is a keyboard that cannot affect the player emotionally and performance.
