Akai EWI5000 - Manual (Page 5)

5
To play EWI5000 as a "wired" MIDI controller:
1. Make sure EWI5000 is powered off. If it is not, press
and hold the Power Button for a full second.
2. Use the included USB cable to connect the
EWI5000's USB port to your computer.
3. Make sure the EWI5000's Wireless Switch is set to
Off.
4. Play!
Hold the mouthpiece gently between your lips with your teeth, and exhale so your breath
passes through both sides of your mouth. The EWI5000 detects this wind pressure with the
breath sensor and expresses the change in sound volume and character, depending on how
you blow. (It should not take much breath to activate the instrument.)
Tips:
• There is a bite sensor in the mouthpiece. You can produce a vibrato effect by gently
biting the mouthpiece, which will bend the pitch up each time you bite, but do not bite
too hard.
• You can create small bursts of air by tonguing the mouthpiece for even more expressive
control.
• If the EWI5000's note keys, octave rollers, pitch-bend plates, or glide plates are not very
responsive, it could be because you are playing with dry hands (the EWI5000 works by
using the body's capacitance). If this happens, you can use a very small amount of non-
greasy hand lotion to improve the connection between your hands and the keys.
Note Keys: The note keys are sensors that let you produce sound
with only a light touch. The EWI5000 has multiple fingering
options, so it can feel familiar to saxophonists, flutists, etc. You
can adjust the position of the three lowest keys by loosening the
screws that hold each of them in place.
Octave Rollers: Place your left thumb between any two octave
rollers (and over the grounding plate) on the EWI5000's back
panel. Slide your thumb up or down across the octave rollers to
shift its octave range up or down. While playing, keep your left
thumb in contact with the octave rollers. The position between
the two knurled octave rollers indicates the standard pitch.
Glide Plate: While playing a note, move your thumb across the
octave rollers (without rolling them) while touching the glide plate
on their right side to create a "glide" effect. This will smoothly and
continuously slide the pitch up or down—a technique known as
portamento.
Pitch-Bend Plates: Touch your thumb to either of these plates to
move the pitch of the note you are playing up or down. Touch the
upper plate to bend the pitch upward or the lower plate to bend
the pitch downward. Before you get accustomed to using these
plates, you may produce unexpected sounds by touching them
accidentally. You can adjust the position of each plate by
loosening its screw.
Pitch-Bend
Up
Pitch-Bend
Down
Standard
Pitch
Glide
Plate