3 virtual instruments and an electronic wind instrument with USB connectivity for unprecedented control.

This bundle combines Arturia's Brass 2.0 and Akai Professional's easy-to-use EWI USB Wind Instrument to give you incredibly realistic trumpet, saxophone, and trombone sounds with the incredibly realistic feel and play of a traditional wind instrument. When you use them together, you'll find the music you create to be more genuine and natural then pressing buttons or hitting keys on more common controllers. Plus, when used live, the virtual instruments and electronic wind instrument let you be even more expressive.

Arturia BRASS 2.0 Virtual Instrument
Arturia BRASS 2.0 is a virtual instrument collection consisting of a trumpet, saxophone, and a trombone—all delivered in software format. You can play each of these virtual brass instruments independently, or all of them together using different types of harmonization and effects.

The Arturia BRASS 2.0 virtual instrument collection is based on physical modeling; a technology that allows for more control and flexibility over your sound. It certainly isn't your typical sample-based library that comes with gigabytes of samples. As a matter of fact, BRASS 2.0 is a real instrument allowing for a lot of expressivity, subtlety, and personal interpretation.

Learning how to use the Arturia BRASS 2.0 virtual instrument software in-depth usually takes a couple of hours, but be assured you will never go back to using samples. This is what innovation and technology are for: To offer you more power and creativity, without any additional complexity.

Features in the Arturia BRASS 2.0 Virtual Instrument
Saxophone model: It is based on a tenor saxophone by Buffet-Crampon. Arturia also reproduced two different mouthpieces—one classical and one jazz.

Harmonization: As you can now play four different brass instruments at a time, Arturia BRASS 2.0 software brings you a new harmonization engine that is extremely easy to use. Sections, duets, and trios are now possible.

Spatiality: Realism mainly comes from the core instrument models, but also from the recording scenery. The software's spacialization adds a new level of possibilities to your BRASS parts.

MIDI integration: In version 2.0, Arturia's BRASS 2.0 comes with a better integration in the musician's studio. MIDI settings will allow you to easily decide whether you control BRASS using a simple keyboard, a breath-controller, an Akai EWI, a Yamaha WX5, and more. Riff organization: While the BRASS 2.0 sound collection is primarily a set of virtual horns and brass instruments to play, it also comes loaded with hundreds of prewritten phrases. Organized by style, such as Hip-Hop, Latino, Rock, Jazz, or even Military, they make it easy for non-players to insert realistic brass parts in their music. All of these phrases can be quickly and dramatically modified in all aspects.

Arturia BRASS 2.0: The Live Mode
The virtual instrument's Live Mode allows incredible realism and expressivity thanks to a fully controllable 8 parameters panel especially developed for realtime playing. A complete assignation page allows assigning MIDI information like Velocity, Aftertouch, Modulation, to numerous parameters like Attack, Pressure, and Vibrato.

Choose a preset in the sound library, play via a MIDI keyboard, and use the controllers to add modulation. You want to go further? Configure your virtual brass instrument: make a wooden trumpet, add a mute, or humanize—physical modeling is flexible. In Live mode you have access to a wide range of intuitive qualities to control your instrument.

With a number of presets to choose from, the virtual brass instrument software lets you easily pick the style that suits you best and begin playing. For example, one could choose a setting called "jazz solo" and all the parameters (attack, pressure, etc) are set up to play a jazz solo. Select a "classical section" of trumpets and you will instantly get the right settings for the parameters.

BRASS 2.0: The Riff Mode
The Riff Mode offers an alternate solution to samplers or music libraries. In Riff mode, you can choose from over 500 prerecorded, modifiable segments of music called "Riffs." Riff mode makes it possible to select, listen, play the keyboard, and edit your riffs. You can import or export riffs as MIDI files. All you need to do is choose from the genre you like and start composing.

Physical Interfaces
When interacting with a physical model, the importance of the control is capital. If the horn or brass instrument has been emulated within Arturia's BRASS 2.0 software, the way you will play it is certainly a part of the full experience.

Interfaces you can use: Keyboard, with or without (polyphonic) aftertouch
knobs, sliders
Foot pedals
Joystick
Breath Controller or Ribbon

Keyboard
In using the possibilities of control offered by the keyboard (velocity or after touch for example) you are going to be able to get closer to the level of expression of a master instrumentalist on the trumpet, saxophone, or the trombone.

The velocity is the force with which the keys of the keyboard are pushed. Using the easily modifiable connections given in the presets, the Arturia BRASS 2.0 virtual instrument can connect the velocity on the "Attack" parameter and from then on it will be the force with which you push the key that decides the attack of the note.

The aftertouch is a function that certain MIDI keyboards offer. It is the measure of pressure value on the keys over a period of time. In effect, you can decide to push strongly on the keys, then release, then push with a different amount of force, etc. The keyboards that save the variations permit a control really close to the BRASS 2.0 virtual instruments.

If you were to link the aftertouch to a parameter such as pressure, you could control the pressure sent to the instrument simply by pushing the key.

Breath Controller
The MIDI breath controller is offered only in LIVE mode and is an ideal tool for augmenting the realism of playing a virtual brass instrument.

Thanks to Breath Control, you can control the intensity of pressure with more precision or, for example, make vibrato effects; thus, you will have mastered the intensity and speed. The breath control is most useful when linked to the attack and the pressure. Parameters such as "pitch" you will usually decide with the keyboard.

These are just examples of the physical interfaces used to simplify and enhance your playing experience.

Arturia EWI USB Wind Instrument
The Akai Professional EWI USB is an electronic wind instrument for musicians looking for an easy-to-play, easy-to-use controller. Akai Professional's decades of experience in wind and electronic music instruments are rolled into Akai's most user-friendly—and most affordable—EWI ever.

Premium Pedigree
For over 20 years, Akai Professional has studied the art of playing saxophone, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, and other traditional wind instruments and developed electronic wind instruments that enable wind players to enjoy the same expressive control as in an acoustic instrument. Akai Professional designed the EWI USB to give wind players the expressive musical capabilities previously found only in much more expensive instruments.

Professional Performance
EWIs are the only choice for serious wind players looking to make music electronically. While EWI USB is easy and fun to use, it's also powerful, flexible, and—most importantly—reliable enough for use on stage and in the studio by professional musicians.

Computer Control
EWI USB's is extremely flexible because it harnesses your computer to generate its sounds. Its USB interface means that all you need is nearly any Mac or PC and the included EWI USB software, and you're ready to practice, perform, create, and record with a full collection of wind instrument sounds. Aria Player software was produced specifically for use with EWI USB, providing wind players with an unprecedented level of expressive control.

Arturia Brass 2.0 Software + EWI USB Wind Instrument Bundle Features:

• Brass 2.0
  
• Acclaimed virtual trumpet and virtual trombone models
• 4-part multitimbrality in Live mode
• Harmonization module to control the polyphonic multitimbral instrument kits (60 kits)
• Customize brass instrument characteristics (musical style, attack, use static or dynamic mutes, humanize)
• New "brassing" effect used in trumpets and trombones (tightens up attacks)
• New organization of MIDI controls allowing easier editing and
• better control (includes support for the Akai EWI)
• New set of presets, riffs and kits: 75 presets, 160 riffs, & 60 kits
• Place the instruments in a virtual stereo space with optional ambience reverberation
• Virtual instrument playable through a MIDI keyboard
• Three physically modeled Brass instruments: trumpet, trombone, and saxophone
• LIVE Mode with total control over expressiveness through extensive MIDI
• RIFF Mode with more than 500 modifiable prerecorded MIDI phrases in many different styles (Jazz, Funk, Latino, Reggae, Zouk, Salsa, R&B, more)
• Configuration of the instruments: 4 attack and 4 vibrato types, material, humanization
• Import and export riff presets from and to MIDI files
• Import and export riff presets from and to MIDI files
• 8 parameters to control the instruments in real time:
• Attack
• Pressure
• Pitch (for legatos, falls or expressivity)
• Timbre of the instruments
• Noise amount in the instrument sound
• Vibrato
• Position of the instrument toward the microphone
• Mute (for trumpet and trombone)
  
  Independent automatization of each parameter via a dedicated control window
• Easy and fast searching of riffs with the preset explorer
• Up to 4 simultaneous instruments in a riff
• Editable length, tempo and tune of each riff
• Riff editing with the zoomable pianoroll and independent parameter editing
• Powerful editing options : solo, mute, 8 drawing tools
• Live playing of several riffs with the keyboard
• Chorus mode for all instruments, up to 4 instruments unison section
• Spatialization of the instruments in a configurable room
  
  EWI USB Wind Instrument
• Electronic wind instrument controller
• Easy to play, easy to use
• Powerful, flexible, and reliable
• Plug-and-play USB connection to Mac or PC
• Custom Garritan Aria Player software, contains wind instrument sounds
• Multiple fingering modes: sax, traditional EWI, flute, oboe, and EVI brass
• Expandable sound palette
• Removable, dishwasher-safe mouthpiece
  
  Includes:
• EWI USB wind instrument
• Neck strap
• Cleaning cloth
• USB cable
• Software DVD
• Quick start guide
• Safety instructions

Blow them away with the gorgeous sounds and easy play of this software/controller combo. Order today!

Arturia Brass 2.0 Software + EWI USB Wind Instrument Bundle Specifications:

• Brass 2.0
  
• Required Minimum Configuration:
• PC: 512MB RAM; CPU: 2GHz DualCore
• Mac: 512MB RAM; CPU: 2GHz DualCore
  
  Platform Specifications:
• Windows: 2000/XP/VISTA
• Mac OS X: 10.4 or higher and Universal Binary
  
  Protection
• e-Licenser (old Syncrosoft): USB port required
  
  Formats
• Win: Standalone, VST, RTAS
• Mac: Standalone, VST, RTAS, AU
  
  EWI USB Wind Instrument
• Sensors:
• Mouthpiece: air-pressure level sensor & bite sensor
• Note Keys: 13 touch sensors
• Octave Rollers: 2 mobile, 2 fixed touch sensors (5-octave range)
• Bend Plates: 2 touch sensors
• Ground Plates: 2 touch sensors
  
  General:
• Class-compliant, plug-and-play USB device
• MIDI Output Channels Over USB: 1
• Mac and PC compatible
  
  Hardware:
• Dimensions: 2-3/4" W x 23-1/8" L x 2-3/4" H
• Weight: 1.3 lb.
• Power: ~100mA, 5V via USB
• Terminals: 1 slave connector (MIDI over USB)