Over the last few months of owning my Aerophone AE-20 I've discovered some things I don't like about it. I decided to make this video to show you those things as well as talk about the things I love!
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
0:13 Spit catch
1:11 Thumb rest
1:52 Batteries
2:18 Key work complaints (S1/S2 keys)
3:51 Alternate fingerings that don't work
5:38 Software updates could fix a lot of this
6:01 No mouthpiece patch
6:26 The app...
7:12 I need more favorites
8:11 Renaming sounds
8:36 The stuff I love
9:05 PHYSICAL BUTTONS!!
9:26 Pitch bend wheel is fun
9:55 Downloading sounds is easy
10:06 Breath sensor sensitivity
10:23 You can customize everything!
10:57 1/4 output
11:13 Default sounds are great
11:37 Should you get one?
One thing I forgot to mention was that when you have batteries in the Aerophone you can plug/unplug it and it will automatically switch to the wall power. It also has a battery level indicator when it's unplugged which is awesome. I haven't had to replace the batteries yet (cause I almost always play with it plugged in) so I don't really know how long they last if you only use battery power.
#saxophone #aerophone #roland
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Hope you enjoyed the video! I have a HUGE announcement coming this Friday 8/12 at 3pm EST, stay tuned👀
what is that?
@@gerykis kzhead.infoAM2TsT30dZs?feature=share
Yes I enjoyed your Video . I had another problem with the AE 20 . The Screen quit lighting up when I press on Menu . I am returning the Aerophone I purchased on Amazon .
Thanks. Its getting harder to find genuine product reviews so good job!
Just trying to stay honest!! Thanks for watching 🙏🏻
Wonderful review...I've been considering one of these for a bit and this video is helping push me to the purchase point, lol. Thanks
Ahh awesome you’ll have to let me know what you think once you get it!!
great thorough and honest review of pros and cons.. good stuff
Thanks so much!!
Great Video. I have fixed the thumb rest issue by using hot glue 😅. It's easy to get off whenever you need to but not too terrible in leaving too much damage on the instrument. I actually forgot I had this problem until I watched your video. Keep it up!!!
Wow that’s good to know that it will come off I’ll probably end up doing that!! Thanks so much :) 🙏🏻
On my AE-30 I've usually got an audio cable and MIDI out cable connected. I loop a hair elastic around the cables and attach it to the Aerophone's cable clip. Not only does it act as shock protection in case a cable gets tugged but it holds the spittoon in place! 😎
Ohhh that's a smart idea!!
I’m a former clarinet-player who DESPISES the Reed. It’s a texture thing that just got worse with time. Technology’s progressed since I last clarinetted, so I decided to see what might have come about. I tried the plastic reed. Nope. Still too close. I tried the Akai EWI, but it was so synthetic sounds. So I found the Roland. And the plastic Reed… I thought, maybe… Yours was the only video I found that really broke down the ae 20 for what it was worth and not in a way that seemed motivated by advertising money. I I weighed the cons you highlighted and decided it was a bearable compromise. So when it arrived this week, I was ready for the rubber parts being potentially a letdown, and MOST IMPORTANTLY, I learned about that mouth piece protector!!! Holy smokes!! I never put those on a clarinet and I did but like the feeling like my teeth were getting forced forward. The guard? Has a cushion that lets the teeth have some space. It’s such a little thing, but that detail alone was a game changer and thank you so much for introducing it!! The saxophone keys play very much like a clarinet, and the extra instruments are great. Fort people who also hate Reed’s, this does have the initial feel, semi feel, of a reed and it worried my mouth, but once my tongue figured out we weren’t getting splinters or any of that nonsense, it is totally fine. So if any of you out there have a similar tactile thing, this is truly TRULY a heaven-inspired solution. To you sir, who made this video, thank you thank you!! And especially for the mouth piece guard info. That was huge ❤❤❤
Glad you found this useful!🙏🏻🙏🏻
Great post. I have played the EWI since it was introduced and was wondering about this due to the sounds.
Hey thanks so much! Yeah the nice thing is you can load whatever sounds you want on it just like the ewi, but it's fun just to try different instruments
This was a good insightful video I have just got my Ae 30 and I was wondering what 10 sounds do you find that you use the most?
Ahh that's awesome! And I definitely use Reel Lead and Taking Lead the most but I rotate through a handful of other sounds just depends on what I'm playing!
I just had two of the Battery Coils pop off when removing the batteries on my new AE 20 . I finally figured out how to put them back on . I hope they don't keep popping off .
I really liked this video and agree with all the likes and gripes. In addition to the issues you mentioned with the battery system, the user is required to use not any old AA batteries but NI-MH only. This means no packing along a box full of cheap alkaline batteriies for emergencies. Also, since the batteries are required for anything other than stationary use you reaaly need to purchase at least 12 batteries for pactical use. Please, ROlad, make a belt battery pack and/or an extension for the AC adapter available. My second gripe is that the reed is listed as non-replacable, despite the fact that it is held in place by a screw. This forces the user to purchase a $50USD mouthpiece "just in case". The battery and reed issues would both be real annoyances in a $200 instrument, but are unconscionable in a +$1000 one. As to your prefences in fingerings, have you looked into the “User Fingering” in the System parameters menu? I am returning to playing after a many decade absence, so I have not tried this but am interested in it from and academic curiosity.
The good news is the reed is super thick and sturdy, definitely not like a traditional reed so I think you’d really have to ram it into something to actually damage it (to the point where you would probably also damage the sensor underneath). I’ve had a few other people tell me to check out the user preferences for fingerings but have yet to dive into it, so I’ll have to give it a shot! Thanks for watching!
Good video. How do you set the favorite sounds on the AE-20?
Thank you!! If you set it on the app you just tap and hold one of the sound squares. But to do it on the instrument itself you have to hold the menu button and select which scene to save it to, then press the menu button again I think
I'm digging the Mario music in the background, but it is kind of funny (and a little distracting) to listen to you talk and hearing random Yoshi distress sounds in the background. haha
Hi, I love your videos and I'm considering buying a aerophone ae-20. I have a few questions. I used to play saxophone many years ago and I'm thinking about start practicing again. But before I buy a real saxophone I want to be able to practice in silence since the apartment I live in isn't isolated. Is the aerophone ae-20 a good way to start my practice and can I transfer the fingering to the real saxophone? I know when it comes to breath control its a little bit different but if I'm getting good with fingerplay I'm on a good start. Tha other question is, I know you will never get the authentic sound from the real saxophone on the wind controller, but is the alto saxophone sound good enough on aerophone ae-20? I hope the questions was understandable. And again thanks for your videos 😁
Hey! The fingerings transfer really easily, though it will still feel different just like playing two different brand of saxophones. The air control and embouchure strength won’t be built by playing the Aerophone so that’s the only downside. As for the sounds, the saxophone sound is fine if that’s what you like. You can check out other videos of people using it to see if it’s suitable for you!
@@FoolishFrankie Thank you for answering 😁 I will consider the aerophone ae-20 😁 The most important thing for me is the fingerings transfer 😊 so if it easy that means it works for my purpose 😊 and getting used to the real saxophone should be easy enough I believe 😊 Thank you for answering back 😊
Fair and level headed points x.
Hey thanks I always try to be honest!
Hey, thanks a lot for the videos, I actually agree with all the issues you mentioned, having the AE20 myself. I would be interested by the name of the GTA preset you use at 08:00 if you remember it?
Ahh I'm glad someone else feels the same!! I'm pretty sure it was Sine Lead KI (in the synth soft lead sound bank) if I'm remembering right
@@FoolishFrankie Yeah it does sounds like GTA indeed, thanks a lot for the quick answer 🙂
@@movigi no problem thanks so much for watching!!😌
Good video! I was considering getting an Aerophone when I was first researching wind synths, but after I heard about the EWI 4000s with its 8 octave range, and how the custom soundbank that Matt Traum designed for it is used professionally, it was simply a no brainer for me. I do see some cats using Aerophones on some select gigs, but the EWI seems to be a lot more common given its versatility.
The Aerophone has the same range, and Matt Traum designed a custom sound bank for the Aerophone as well (can be downloaded from the Roland Cloud). I don’t think there’s anything the ewi can do that the Aerophone can’t, although it has a 3 pin midi out I think? The Aerophone is just much easier to play IMO, but to each their own!
@@FoolishFrankie Ah I see, I didn’t know that! I agree on the fact it’s easier to play, especially coming from wind instrument experience! The EWI feels like a completely different beast, but that’s what made me excited to learn it! It’s too bad the 4000s isn’t being made anymore considering it’s the best out of the bunch! Luckily I was able to snag one on eBay for like $450 lol. Btw, can the Aerophone slide up and down between any note and adjust breath sensitivity like the EWI can? I’d love to know!
@@questchen true that’s hard to beat! And yeah you can adjust breath sensitivity, breath curve, bite sensitivity, how firm your embouchure is for the default “pitch” setting (or turn it off entirely which is actually what I do). It’s super customizable which I definitely like
@@questchen The Aerophone (AE-20/30) does much more than the Akai 4000s in synthesis and depth of tuning. You're comparing a dinosaur to a fresh model with larger scale modern capabilities... Compared to the AE-20/30 with Zen-Core technology, the Akai 4000s are child's play. I mean synthesis of complex sound timbres more modern usability. Zenology Pro take a closer look, get into it and your doubts will fall away....
@@KoltovichLAB Saying the 4000s is a dinosaur is like saying the legendary hardware synths like the DX7, Jupiter 8, and CS-80 are dinosaurs even though the quality of the sounds are still completely relevant (why do you think Arturia's V Collection is one of the most sought-after plugins??). I know about Roland's Zenology software and I will say it's great. But take a look at the price of the AE-30: it's $1500, compared to the 4000s which I got at around $550. Neither the 4000s nor the AE-20/30 are perfect, both have their pros and cons. If you really want to go into synthesis, software synths like Vital, Serum, Sylenth1, Spire, Dune, Pigments, Phase Plant, and Massive are the kings for sound design.
Thanks mate, I always like to know the downsides before I buy anything...because there is always a downside! I had an ewi for years and never played it for long because of the octave rollers being too sensitive and unpredictable. Just ordered one of these, will be interested to see how it pans out past the novelty stage. I suspect I may have to get some sugru and mould those palm keys to my liking. I will probably use sugru on the thumb rest as well.
Absolutely!! I think you’ll like this octave key system better than the rollers then. Let me know what you think of it once you get it!!
@@FoolishFrankie fingers crossed...
@@MrReedmonkey Do you have any thoughts on it yet? I'm torn between getting an EWI Solo/5000 or a Roland AE-20 but the only video I found on them was in German...
@@jonnycastro31 I am not a synth purist so I can't speak to the fidelity of the samples, but the aerophone is soooo much easier to play than the ewi. I have gigged with it no problems; keyboard players hate it because I steal all the cool lines😉. I do find the palm keys a bit wonky and had to alter my hand position to reliably hit the Eb key....initially I thought it was broken but you have to hit the keys dead centre for them to work. Not a deal breaker. The octave system is not perfect but I just dropped some samples down an octave to make things easier. I would not have used the ewi on stage, it was just too hard to reliably find the octave, those rollers suck. Really no complaints. You do look like a bit of a tosser playing it but that would be the same with any wind synth😉
1 agree the spit cup stinks. But you can program some fingerings that you use, I did this on AE-10 as well
Woahhh I didn’t realize this!! Going to try and program some. Thanks for the tip!
8:16 - It's elementary to rename a sound and rank your favorites by group. And you don't need to connect an app/smartphone at all for this. Very easy to do on the Aerophone screen. When the sound you want to save to favorites is active, hold down the menu button on the Aerophone. After a second the save menu is displayed. If you want to save to one of the 12 slots, press the right arrow. BUT! If you make your favorite sounds from the built-in sounds and rank them by category, press the left arrow button. Then you are offered a slot where to save to the user cell. You initially have 600 slots. They are divided into 12 groups of 50. Here to your taste, you can make one group with synthesizer lead, another with wood, another with pads and so on.... When you select a save cell, Aerophone offers to rename the presset. If you haven't changed it, but are just copying your favorites from the built-in ones, you can decline. You can set any name you wish. Press the third click and it's done. That's how easy it is! You can also set default user pressettes in the aerophone settings for easy access. Then you won't need to hold down the down arrow when scrolling the group knob to get to the user-list.
I bought an AE-10 about 2 months before the AE-30 was released. I want to upgrade\, but I'm worried that some of my favorite sounds on the AE-10 will not be on the AE-20. My favorite onboard sounds are 1 Alto Sax, 21 Trumpet, 41 Saw Lead 2, and 70 Trombone to name a few. Does the AE-20 have those onboard sounds?
I’m not sure off of the top of my head, I think there’s a “sound list” on Roland’s website though so you could check to see how many carry over!
I haven't gotten my hands on an Aerophone (yet), but I have an EWI-USB, I actually like the sensor keys--they remind me of the plain holes on a simple-system flute. What I absolutely HATE is the "closed" breath-pressure system. I really want an AE-30, but would start with any of them (except the Mini), for the right price.
hi, like the video. i have the ae-10. i have bought and returned an ae-20 and an ae-30 bought used from ebay. both of them used up the 2800 mah nimh in about a quarter of the time they would last in the ae-10. also i was having occasional no sound problems and pitch and distorted audio problems. some may have been from the battery level. i have asked roland about the problem and didn't get any usefull feedback. i really like the sounds on the ae-20, but i am still worried about getting something that will be an expensive can of worms, even if new. because the 2 others i bought looked new. have you heard of anyone having similar problems?
Hey I haven’t heard of anyone having similar problems that’s really weird😰
@@FoolishFrankie hi i bit the bullet and got another ae-20 used off of ebay. a lot of the problems are battery related. i have used it with the power adapter and don't get the distortions. with the batteries i do have quick draining and sound distortion issues. it is an known issue because it is listed in roland support. they say it has distortion on the speakers with the sound at higher levels. they blame it on not using the right rechargeable batteries {hr6 nickle metal hydride} . which i am using ebl 2800 hr6 nickle metal hydride. i don't have the discharge problem in the ae-10. but i have the identical fast discharge on the 2 ae-20 and one ae-30. so i don't know if there is a better brand to use. i do have the same distortion issue on the ae-10 on speaker. using the power adapter fixes it. i am guessing you probably run it mostly from the adapter or have better batteries
Thanks for you comments. My take after a month: rubber spit catcher is a lame design. Thumb cover has never come off for me. You talked about the S1/S2 buttons but you're showing the octave keys. The S1/S2 are two tiny buttons to the top left of the octave keys. Initially regularly my sax sound would suddenly change to sort of a weird plucked sound--turns out I was accidentally hitting the tiny S1 button. I've disabled the functionality of those two switches. Yes: get a patch. Immediately. My issues: that 80's headband thing (black elastic cotton below the mouthpiece) is ridiculous and actually became very frayed from the velcro straps catching on it in the case--I've tossed it. My biggest issue: the octave keys (there are four: 1 and 2 octaves up, 1 and 2 octaves down, unlike a sax that has just the one key) that partially curve around the left hand thumb rest, are not big or long enough. It has been a journey to adjust my playing to making a constant contact of that key with my small-ish hands. Otherwise, this instrument is incredible. I love being able to practice silently, I really like the sax voices and some of the synth sounds, I can simply plug the USB cable into my computer and play along with online lessons, and the breath control dynamics are natural and very expressive.
Hi Frankie, I am a tenor saxophone player. Do you recommend it for training and finger exercises?
Honestly I think the Yamaha yds150 is better for that. The aerophone is better for live performances though imo
Hi Frankie. I play keyboard and I would like to learn saxophone, do you think it would be a good option to start with. ? Thank you.
I would start with a regular saxophone
Thank you for your advice.🙏👍
I think I'll pass on this one. Thank you for not being a manipulator/marketer. Edit: I said this just before reading some comments solutions, and before your "pros" section!
Q. did they fix the fingering key issues? BTW wow, you talk at like 200mph!
AE 20 or yamaha yds 150 for stage performance? Which is best
I can’t speak on the YDS since I’ve never played one but I don’t think you’ll face any limitations with the AE-20!
I rejected the Yamaha from my shortlist due to the lack of bite sensor.
Can't you customize the fingerings? At least, AE-05 has an app to customize keys. But I'm not sure if it's possible to adjust them exactly you want to fix those issues.
Roland should have you on their team. Thanks for the feedback!
I wish they would reach out to me! Thanks for watching 🙏🏻
@@FoolishFrankie Just got mine, dispite your review ;0), Coming from WX7 and the EWI 4000s. About the 'liquid' container i think a bit of velcro double-sided tape will solve that issue. Those additional thrills you mention are way above my grade, but the Aerophone does allow you to add custom fingering. It might be woth a video showing how to. Also, some of the keys [or is it me] seem a bit loose, a bit unresponsive compared to the EWI's capacitence keys. Have you been inside? Is there anything that might need tweaking? BTW love your 'shorts'.
I've notice 'ghosting' on my ae-20, some notes don't sound the right pitch despite having the correct fingering down. Does anyone else experience this?
Useful
“You dont just wanna spit all over the floor” Brass players: 👀👀👀👀👀👀
Stock Sounds, but they sound very unique! ;)
True!!
I love Ur vids!:)
Thanks so much Hurr1kain:)
@@FoolishFrankie no problem
Smooth criminal
I wonder if a small cloth or sponge would work better than the silicone cup.
Possibly, i feel like that would quickly get moldy and gross though
I have the AE-20 and BT doesn't work, it connects but wont play audio
Hmm that’s weird I’ve never had that happen
There are rechargeable AA batteries and a charger for em
One other thing that is really awkward is the high D palm key sits lower than the Eb so I have to lift my fingers off the keys to reach it, otherwise I hit the Eb flat key instead. On my real sax, that high D sits against the side of my hand so a small motion will activate it. All in all, it is a really fun instrument. I'm going to try the Emeo next.
Very good video ^_^
Thanks:)
Notes in the beginning?
I don’t know what they’re called but I bet you could replicate what they sound like
Does anyone know why it doesn't recharge batteries internally? Seems very annoying having to remove batteries and purchase a charger.
Not sure tbh, I guess it’s just the way it’s designed. Maybe in a future model they’ll add a rechargeable internal battery!
@@FoolishFrankie This speaks to an unwillingness to spend on a bit of circuitry that is STANDARD on any $10 rechargable toy. As annoying as it is, it also is a red flag for me in terms of what other nickle and dime compromises were made (e.g., the non-replacable reed).
@@jamessiler9269 honestly I don’t feel like the batteries were that big of a deal compared to some of the other annoyances. I’ve never been playing somewhere that I couldn’t just plug in and sometimes it gives me more peace of mind just knowing that my batteries won’t die in the middle of a song (although maybe this would be less of a concern with a solid rechargeable battery). I’ve had the Aerophone for quite a few months now and have had zero problems with any of the build quality!
@@FoolishFrankie I learned that one could use a phone power bank battery (I bought Varta Power Bank Energy 20000) plus a usb voltage converter (myVolts Ripcord 6V DC center negative) and it is wonderful... not to have to take the 6 batteries out of the AE-20, mount them in the charger, unmount them from the charger, etc... any more. Just plug the power bank on the usb charger all night, and voila, days of battery life... I got some self-adhesive velcro to attach the battery to the AE-20. Perhaps the battery doesn't have to be that big. I didn't know what to expect in terms of hours of autonomy so I bought the bigger one for 20€. Maybe half of the capacity is enough and it will be less weight. I am very happy not having to do any more the charging ritual, just one cable from battery to the usb charger.
When your instrument isn't fresh, you'll remember AA batteries with a good word. All you need to do is get fresh new cartridges at any store, rather than having to unwrap your device and match it with a brand name battery. Ideally, buy 12 pieces of cartridges for instant replacement and forget about the corded power supply unit connected to the Aerophone. And the fact that Aerofon does not charge the batteries itself is normal. Charging is a plugged in cord. It's a constraint. With 12 cartridges it is convenient when you play without a cord (6 pieces), and the charger charges on the replacement (6 pieces) in a gentle mode! Then the batteries will last a long time.
With respect to the batteries put a set of eneloops in it and... it won't charge them internally. 😮 So you need an additional charger which usually take four cells but you have to charge six celle so you need a big and bulky charger or charging takes double the time. Oh, well. If the darn thing would charge the batteries as any old smartphone does, everything would be fine.
It definitely would be nice but luckily I’ve always been able to just plug it in so I don’t really think about the batteries too much!
If the battery is built-in, there won't be an instant option to swap to another if it's dead. I was worried about AA.... in the beginning, too. But, practice has shown that it is quite convenient to have 12 cartridges. 6 in the clip, 6 on the charge. Yes, exactly ammo :-) For me the replacement has become like loading a shotgun before hunting :-) . And it takes much less time than caring for the cane of an acoustic saxophone.
4:33 Yoshi?
I love many things about the Aerophone. Unfortunately, the keys are not included in that love. They are mechanically noisy, unreliable in response (over time). It’s impossible to perform without an abundance of clicks and clack at night, when others (like babies and wives) are sleeping without awakening them and the neighbors across the street. Forget practicing silently during a church service or funeral. The noise level is unforgivable. It’s amazing a focus group didn’t stop the racket during pre-production testing. Once the keys begins sticking, there’s no simple solution to getting them back to the noisy, expected level of performance. The batteries are ingenious. I bought four sets of rechargeable batteries when I purchased my Aerophone and love the instant recharge I get from a battery swap. This is far more professional and desirable than a dead battery that is not instantly replaceable during a gig on stage. I almost never use the A/C adapter, like I would be forced to do if the batteries were not swappable. Finally, the side keys have an extremely poor design, with a very short operational life. Today, one of my unreliable side keys broke off and fell onto the ground. I looked at it and was not surprised. When I viewed the construction, I noticed it had a single point of contact and an incredibly tiny "latch" that originally held it in place. This is a design error. I didn't know about this weakness until the key fell off. Note: Roland has no history of designing wind instruments, so those noisy, movable keys are truly early adopter experiments.
Why are you practicing during a church service or a funeral?😂
Why when I play for a long period of time my aerophone ae20 come out with very phone sound
Hmmm I’m not sure
waiting for announcement.
This Friday😏
Join me on the NuRAD dark side...
LOL dude I would love to try one sometime!!
Hi
Hello!
Good vid but you haven't mentioned the two faults that drive me absolutely NUTZ!!!!! I have had my 20 since it launched this time last year, and I am quite an accomplished musician, but this is THE worst ergonomically designed instrument EVER! You mentioned the S1-S2 keys but what about the scene keys? They are so far away from one's left thumb you need to call a taxi.... but, back to my 2 HATES. i) the up-down arrows; you press the up arrow to go down the scene list, and the down arrow to go up the list 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬 and ii) the D-Eb left palm keys..... the Eb key is far too clunky and every time I wanted to play a D I'd catch it..... I have overcome this problem by building up the D key with Sugru; not something you should be doing after paying £850!🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬!! However, like you say, there is so much to love about it that you learn to live with it's foibles, but, they could so easily have been avoided by designing the instrument for the musician not because it look nice, e.g. the klunky palm keys !!!
If you have such a need for frequent scene switching, use a foot controller or automate the ProgramCh in the master (main) device on the live stage. Scenes (pressettes) will switch automatically when you receive a signal. About uncomfortable keys is an individual thing. It works for some people. Some don't. Everyone has different hands. I do not experience such a large-scale discomfort. And the AE-20/30 is certainly not the worst ergonomic instrument in the world. Try using an "ergonomic" piece of EMEO saxophone that is blank with no sounds, no screen, no menu control buttons, no cane sensor, perpetually tethered cord to the computer. But, all the keys are ergonomic and familiar, just like on your acoustic saxophone :-))). And yes, it does not come with the full version of Respiro! In addition to the cost of the device itself (which is much more expensive than AE-20) you will have to buy the full software.
Like your subjective review.
🙏🏻🙏🏻
hi! when playing on an aerophone, I sometimes touch buttons s1 and s2, when I turn off in the menu, they still work. What’s the problem? Maybe I need to reflash?Thank you.
Hmmm that’s weird, I’ve never had that issue🤔
@@FoolishFrankie Thanks