WX-5, The New MIDI Wind Controller 
by Shooshie from Dallas, Texas, September 2007
Music Background:  Pro Musician, engineer, and director.

The current incarnation of Yamaha's WX line is the WX-5, following in the wind channels of the original WX-7 and the WX-11 which followed it. While not as elegant as the WX-7, the WX-5 is a workhorse with many, many times more options to make it more playable. Even if you're accustomed to the older models, this one has a learning curve and will take a while to get familiar with its idiosyncrasies. The octave keys are far, far better, but still take getting used to. Trust me, you can do it. It just takes a while. If your sounds aren't Breath Control sensitive you needn't worry. You can also output CC#7 (volume) or CC#11 (expression) to cover most MIDI instruments. You can set velocities for a constant, or you can attack them; again that gives more flexibility with more ways that sounds are typically programmed.

The instrument is lightweight, which saves neck fatigue, but it also makes it hard to hold. You can load it with batteries for more weight. That's also one of several options for power, and it will accept a regular MIDI cable for signal output; gone is the proprietary connection format and the little battery box, though it can still use that, too, if you have one and want it.

Greater range, easier control, more options including various fingering systems make the WX-5 the best wind controller yet. The WX-7 still is the most elegant looking, but looks do not make music. These devices can indeed make music, and while you're in for a learning curve, woodwind players should rejoice that there is still a MIDI Wind instrument that gives us such expressive capabilities.

Thanks, Yamaha!

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