Roland AE-01 Aerophone Mini Digital Wind Instrument, Blue

I bought this instrument from another Amazon vendor. I'm very pleased with it.The first thing to say is that it's fun to play. Unlike a real woodwind instrument, there are absolutely no problems with intonation, so every note you hit is clean and perfectly in tune. For someone (i) coming to woodwind later in life and (ii) of very limited ability and patience, this is a very big plus! As many of us have come to realise, beginning sax/clarinet players often have serious intonation problems.There are three octaves controlled by the position of your thumb, so it has a total range of 4 octaves plus a few semitones. That should be enough for most non-professional players.Very usefully, you can use recorder fingering to get accidentals as an alternative to using the sharp/flat keys on your left little finger/pinkie. I've attached three diagrams that you won't find in the manual. I find these fingerings very useful as my little finger/pinkie doesn't work as well as it should - (Parkinson's disease!) There are other combinations ... but you'll find those for yourself by just playing around on it. There are no alternatives for low C#, Db, D# or Eb. F# can be played in 2 ways either by using the sharp key or by a normal recorder/clarinet fingering. Playing around with these fingerings is useful as it just makes some intervals a tad easier and more fluid.I also have an Akai EWI500. The keys on that are touch-sensitive and don't move. The keys on this one have to be depressed like on a computer keyboard. It's not a problem; it's something to get used to. I have found that I need to be very deliberate with the fingerings to avoid "blipping" notes in fast passages.The sound from the built-in speaker is a bit tinny. It's good enough to play to yourself, but playing with others, you'll either get funny looks or an invitation to go away. Playing through headphones or an external speaker, the sound is excellent.The build quality is OK. Everything feels secure and not as if it's going to break easily. The keys depress firmly and the switches slide smoothly. All in all, it feels solid and well-engineered.A small point, but there is no specialised case available as yet. I'm using a 33 cm x 44 cm (standard size) hard-shell briefcase lined with folded towels. I'll get around to getting some foam lining one day. The instrument (45 cm long) fits diagonally in the case quite nicely and there's room for other bits and pieces. This actually makes a very good case!As regards value for money, I'm not so sure. I love that it's always in tune and that I can just pick it up and put it down any time I want without the faff of connecting 'phones or a speaker. Playing through headphones, it sounds really good. It certainly feels well-made. I just feel that the £200+ price is a tad too high. I get the feeling that I would have been even happier if it had been nearer £150 or so. If I ever get good enough to want to play with others, I'd take my Akai EWI5000 as I'm not convinced that other musicians would take this one seriously. Having said that, who really cares what other people think? I'm guessing that my local community folk band would welcome it as a "novelty" instrument. The local musicians' sessions would probably laugh at it! The important things to me are (i) the convenience of picking up and playing (ii) the sound through headphones/amplifier and (iii) the playability, and they are all fine.

Initially bought this during COVID lockdown as a challenge to learn a new instrument. Easy to learn. Fell in love with it so quickly. Sounds absolutely amazing when played through a PA system. Bought a second one. First is for practicing…second for performing with the church band. Just adds so much depth especially when using the violin setting. Definitely worth the price.