Yamaha's new YDS-150 hybrid Digital/Analog Saxophone

[mhschmieder]

https://www.wwbw.com/Yamaha-YDS-150-Dig ... 00000.wwbw

Yamaha announced a new Analog/Digital Hybrid Sax today, which I am considering as it wouldn't bother housemates and I left all my woodwinds behind. Although I did bring my Yamaha WX5 MIDI Wind Controller, I can't use it yet, until my back-ordered computer MIDI interface arrives in DEC.

I'm going to read more about this new model now to see if it could help my temporary situation while I leave stuff in CA indefinitely. Regardless, it too isn't available until DEC.

It's nice to now see four or five major players in the MIDI and/or Digital Wind product space.

[mhschmieder]

Not many specs on the sales pages, but the Yamaha site has plenty of information:

https://usa.yamaha.com/products/mus...l ... index.html

https://usa.yamaha.com/products/mus...i ... tures.html

https://usa.yamaha.com/products/mus...l ... specs.html

There's a lot to read, but I picked up immediately on the most important point, which is that it does support MIDI, albeit Bluetooth.

I wasn't sure at first, as Yamaha also has a series of instruments that are meant for silent or volume-controlled practice, but no MIDI.

[mhschmieder]

I missed the late September announcement as it was during my week-long drive to the east coast for my new job, but there are already some reviews and discussions:

https://newatlas.com/music/yamaha-yds-1 ... saxophone/

https://www.saxontheweb.net/threads/new ... ne.377994/

https://www.sax.co.uk/yamaha-yds150-dig ... xophone.ir

https://usa.yamaha.com/news_events/2020 ... evels.html

https://www.jazz-sax.com/2020/09/yamaha ... saxophone/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQKDqPKxsaw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xu9_4Yt7ONg

It's going to take me most of the evening to dig deep on many of those. Sax on the Web forum already has eleven pages to their discussion!

[mhschmieder]

I'm starting to review the videos, but not yet the sax forum postings or the Yamaha documents. It appears that there is a mini-USB port; not just Bluetooth, so MIDI might be slightly practical after all, except for triggering a module that needs a 5-pin MIDI cable. Apparently the embouchure has no impact, unlike on the WX5. It seems like a more ergonomic version of what the Akai offers, at least.

[mhschmieder]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZREVvVnKxdU

Hmm, is this better than Sample Modeling saxes or not? Hard to say. Not as good as the real thing, as the comparisons clearly show. But possibly more organic sounding than anything that has come along yet.

I wonder how good this new controller would be at triggering realistic trumpet sounds and phrasing, compared to the WX5?

[monkey man]

The baritone was a very-close match IMHO, whereas the others lacked bite and sounded synthetic at times.

Thank you for the heads-up, Mark.

[mhschmieder]

I agree with that assessment as well. And it doesn't seem an adequate replacement for the WX5, but the newest Akai EWI might be. I didn't like the EWI USB and sold it a week after buying it, but the EWI Solo seems a better design altogether.

[monkey man]

Glad you agree, Brother Mark.

I realise market forces have obviously played a role here, but it pains me that brass and sax emu's appear to lag so far behind guitar, specifically the L6 v2 Variax, which is roughly 10 years+ old I'm guessing.

I mean, one could conceivably fool many guitarists by substituting a "real one" in a video clip that in fact uses L6-generated audio, whereas I doubt any of the emu's I've heard could fool any sax player, Sample Modelling™ included.

To add to that, the Yamaha VL series is what, 30+ years old, and yet this latest offering from the same company 3 decades later sounds no better to me (arguably-worse, in fact), the baritone excepted; it's a winner IMHO. The rest? Epic fail.

I whine about this stuff 'cause I still haven't plunked down for a library that will fulfil my funk and pop-brass requirements to my satisfaction. Had I been impressed-enough, I'd have done it many years ago. I keep hoping, but the wait has been seemingly-endless.

[HCMarkus]

I still haven't plunked down for a library that will fulfil my funk and pop-brass requirements to my satisfaction

Ain't nothin' like the real thing, baby.

[monkey man]

Of course, Brother Sir Markus!

I'd be happy with something that'll get me 80->90% of the way there, just as the v2 Variax does.

To my ears, and taking into account articulation reproduction, saxophone on this new-fangled Yamaha is 30% there, the baritone's being the only exception. Give me 80-90% and I'll be all-in, baby.

To date, having listened to demos for 10 years or so, I still think Sample Modelling comes closest so if there's no better alternative when I reach the point that I have to "record" brass (and can - equipment journey 'n' all), it'll have to be SM. I don't have Kontakt so I'd have to buy it just for that, making it even-more expensive than it already is.

[mhschmieder]

And now Roland have announced an Aerophone Pro for $1600.

I look forward to seeing if it is well-received by the folks at the Sax on the Web forum.

It appears to address their main concerns regarding ergonomics, and maybe sound as well.

Not sure if it yet includes as much sensor data as the Yamaha WX5 (the YDS-150 doesn't).

[monkey man]

Thank you for the heads-up, Brother Mark.

I'll stay tuned for your thoughts on it.