Thanks for your thoughts. They are appreciated.

Just for clarity's sake: the WX5 is still a current product. (We realize you know this, just wanted to clarify for those reading this).

[code type=markup]Just for clarity's sake: the WX5 is still a current product. (We realize you know this, just wanted to clarify for those reading this).[/code]

I would not say that as I had to buy a Akai EWi4000s as there is no way to get one WX5 in Europe except second or third hand ... To be be honest it was not my intention to move to AKAI but Yamaha seems to have ignored they have some European customers.... I am very sad so when does the new WX.... ????

I will add to Rob's List MIDI Out or better Wireless MIDI.

Sorry, that you can no longer find the WX5 where you live. Better than telling us, contact the Yamaha distributor in your area of the world. That will have more impact. They are still available, here, in the USA.

At the recent NAMM (Trade) show, we did show some new Bluetooth WiFi devices, so the obvious application for Wind Midi players is there. Whether or not it succeeds in the marketplace is really up to those who would find it useful. Please, if you and other Wind players are as passionate about this niche category - make some noise!!! Seriously, I highly recommend that you (and as many of your interested wind player mates as you can muster) drop an email to your regional Yamaha Distributor... I'm not saying there is a huge market for Wind MIDI Controllers, but it is significant enough here (USA) that one can fairly easily find dealers still stocking and succesfully selling WX5's.

I know that things in Europe are different from here, and I know nothing about how WX was promoted there; you would know better than I, but I do know that your voice can make a difference. Particularly, when directed at those who make the decisions about what they choose to import into your market.

Hi Bad Mister, I have already mail many time to Yamaha France and Yamaha Europe and it is not because they don't want to import the WX5 it is because they will not get the authorisation to import it due to some Environmental restriction (the WX5 (or some of the components used to build the WX5) do not comply with the EU regulation (if I remember well it does not comply with RoHS Standards).

I guess it would have been too expensive for Yamaha to re-design the WX5 using RoSH compliant componants this is probably why they are not sold anymore in EMEA.

There are many different very active WindControler forums in EMEA more and more traditional Wind player move to WindControler to expand they musical palette Yamaha should take it into account and should not leave Akai taking the lead in EMEA.

Ah, yes, "environmental restriction" that explains it. Something to do with how the batteries are stacked inside the WX, no doubt! Nothing I can do about that. There is no such restriction (yet) over here. If, indeed, it was deemed "too expensive" to redesign, I have no knowledge of this.

I do know that when something is deemed "too expensive" its a result of someone calculating return on investment, (Akai would need to start building acoustic horns to near catch Yamaha in wind instrument manufacturing), but your point is well taken... on the Wind Midi Controller side of things.

I imagine a lot will depend on the potential size of the market in your part of the world. I wish I had some good news for you in this area, but I believe you can rest assured Yamaha never stops R&D.

As you know music industry move very quickly and many wind players got problem to get contracts some of them have already moved to wind controler In order to show adaptability (e.g. A friend of mine (trombone player) was part of à brass section He Is playing In the Band playing for the biggest circus In France they use to have 8 membres (keyboard, drums, bass, guitar, and Horns section Trumpet, trombone, &2 Sax due to budget restriction they have had to reduce the Numbers of musiciens now they are only 4 2x Keyboard, drums and my friend using windcontroler and Expander to émulateur all solo instruments He can play trompette, trombone, flute, Sax ans Horns section on his own.
So even if there Is not huge market there Is a huge potential market In some areas that have not been explored yet and I am convinced that Yamaha have all the tools and knowledge to build a brand new wind controler which could be a success.
Most of my friends were very reluctant with wind controler until I brought mine and demonstrate the possibilities it Is very easy to play Acoustic instruments with a high level of réalisme and there are unlimited possibilities and expressivness with synth sounds so with a proper marketing développement and a good product build by listening to customers needs.
I just wish yamaha will work on such product.
Fred

I can empathize with the situation you describe. But I can only encourage you to stay in touch with your regional Yamaha distributor - because I cannot speak to the situation in France. Those in France who work for Yamaha are the ones who can speak with authority about what they feel will be a successful product in their market.

There has always been a huge potential market. I'm not a horn player, but in my first year at Yamaha they introduced the WX7... I remember observing wind players initial reaction to a Wind Midi Controller... It was not, believe it or not, well received, initially. Again and again, the first impression was that it was a threat. As you recount many were (and still are) "reluctant". I want to thank you for being an evangelist for the concept... That is how sales were made in the USA, through one musician (like yourself) telling others. This is the best way to spread the word.

I can't say what Yamaha plans in the future for Wind Midi Controllers because, frankly, I don't know and even if I did, I couldn't talk about it.
One of the difficulties in selling any alternate controller, and this is particularly true at Yamaha (for some obvious reasons - we also make the acoustic instruments), the further you stray from the gestures used to play the acoustic instrument studied by that player, the more difficult it is to get the player to approach it, and accept it. (It's why we don't make a Trumpet Midi controller, but that's another story) I mean, how brilliant is the "Lip Sensor" for pitch control on the WX? Without that many sax/clarinet players are very "reluctant". And then how cool is "Loose Lip" mode for flute players... etc. And the finger modes...

Yamaha makes Midi keyboards (of course) but also Midi drum controllers, again beginning back in the late '80s -Yamaha does the research so that hitting the pad has the closest possible "feel" and stick response to the real thing - because you don't want to have make extreme adjustments from playing the acoustic kit. The Guitar Midi controller that overcame the latency problem did so but lost the "feel" of the real thing (to make any delay minimal they changed the gauge of the strings - which made it feel different), so it was not succesful. Adapting a real guitar to send Midi, while understandable from a feel standpoint simply was downwind of the delay... High strings trigger faster than low strings.

If you study an acoustic instrument and wish to move to a Midi Controller, Yamaha wants to make that experience something so that the learning curve is measured in minutes, not months. I've watched and actually have taken players through their first WX experience, and the learning curve is short (once they find out "those are octave buttons" oh boy, here come the six and seven octave runs
🙂

Anyway do not lose hope, Yamaha never stops innovating... The Silent Brass series... For example, I watched that introduction, and watched it evolve into an extremely successful product line. Again, initially there was not the love at first sight, but once you got a horn player to try it. Bang, the light bulbs went on. The whole Silent Series of instruments solve a problem for musicians. And it's success is due to that fact, plus, you don't have to relearn to play. It's an instrument, not a controller. The leap from there to being a controller via Midi is now a shorter one.

Midi is one of the coolest things ever. I can think of no other art form that has anything as universally cool. Yet it is not something people are very aware of... There is a whole new generation of music enthusiasts who are using Midi and are completely unaware of the fact they are using it.

Ask any ten musicians if they use Midi you will find at least 4 who claim they *never* use it but are, in fact, using it... That's how invisible it is now. And it's a shame! Because as we go forward, MIDI will need to evolve to include new technologies and if we don't pay attention it will be morphed into something that the computer geeks design but is less useful musically (my fear). I've already watched that happen with audio recording to computers.

Keep spreading the word about Midi Controllers.... Currently keyboard players have been the main supporters of the technology, drummers have now come to use it on a more regular basis... They have discovered you don't have to abandon acoustics entirely, they can easily augment what they do with Midi stuff.
More than 30 years in with Midi and it still is a mystery, a threat, and an unknown to many musicians.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and concerns.

Hi all

Just to inform you that I'm close to release a new editor for the VL70m. This editor works on WINDOWS and MAC and is able to edit indepth the VL70m-Voices. My next step is to build an editor for the VL1.

More information on http://vl70m-wizard.blogspot.be/

rgds
Rudy

Nice looking Editor!!!

I'm located in Australia and have the same issue. The WX5 is showing up as discontinued on the Yamaha Australia website. If you want a new one, your only option is to purchase an EWI... but I don't want an EWI... I'm rather attached to my WX5 and VL-70m.

I think there is a REAL opportunity here though. The EWI 5000 was created with wireless audio, but most people would rather have wireless MIDI instead. To have a WX5 successor that could do both wireless and USB connectivity would be absolutely awesome.

I'm in two minds about Bluetooth personally. My concern would be the reliability of the connection and distance. If there's too much other interference, such as many other WIFI hotspots, then it could interrupt the connection. I do like the look of the Panda MidiBeam solution though. Something like this built into the WX5 could work nicely as well.

My WX5 Successor Wishlist:
- USB Connectivity (plug into Computer or iPAD via camera connection kit)
- USB Rechargeable
- Built-in wireless MIDI transmitter/receiver

My VL-70m Successor Wishlist:
- iPAD software module; and/or
- VST module I could run inside Logic and Mainstage
- Or something that could run SampleModeling sounds as well - or is that asking too much? 😉

Shame they didn't build VL capabilities into the Montage. That'd be a perfect reason to upgrade my MOXF

Anyhow, I'm still interested to learn what the Montage may sound like when controlled with a WX5. I wonder if there's a rack mount version in the works... although I still want an iPAD software module from Yamaha.

Finally the new VL70m Editor called the VL-Wizard is available. http://vl70m-editor.com/site/

has anyone tweaked the vl 70 trumpet sounds to make them more realistic - if so would you be willing to share your tweakings? I have just bought a vl 70 to use with my wx 11 and would like BETTER trumpets to play with my latin band! Thanks

Got my own wishlist, but not holding my breath… 😉

https://yamahasynth.com/index.php?option=com_easydiscuss&view=post&id=291&Itemid=851

Thanks for all of the great replies! When I play, invariably someone comes up and asks me what I'm playing. The singers love the cello and flute that I play over and under their vocals. Yamaha needs to innovate/upgrade and market this electronic ecosystem based on physical modeling technology.

Add to my wish list 'Ableton Live' capabilities in the sound module and the controller to trigger and modulate the slices/loops/samples, etc.