Roland Aerophone AE-20 Digital Wind Instrument Reviews
The Roland Aerophone AE-20 gives wind players the renowned playability of the company’s flagship Aerophone Pro in a streamlined, compact design. Keyboardists have their synthesizers and guitarists have MIDI pickups to open up a world of sonic possibilities and musical expression. With the Aerophone AE-20, Roland evens the playing field for woodwind players with a familiar reed-style mouthpiece, quick response, natural pitch and vibrato control, and configurable fingering for saxophone, clarinet, flute, recorder, or your own custom setup. Under the hood, the Aerophone AE-20 is powered by Roland’s next-gen sound engine technology to deliver leading-edge sounds that will inspire your creativity and take your music to the next level.
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Highest Rated Reviews
Amazing!
I already own an AE-10 and wanted to step up. I aimed for Ewi solo but videos of trusted reviews all told me to stick with the AE-20. Just before it was sent out, Cory Todd was able to change my order on the fly. It came in less than a week. I played on it and yes the reviews are correct. I played on a friends EWI SOLO and fingering was hard and very sensitive. With the AE-20 fingering is based on button clicking. No accidental key tapping that change notes as you perform. Mouthpiece and reed is hard and body feels more robust compared to the AR-10. There are so many advanced features to play with. Only two bad things. Thumb rest pad falls off easily and spit catcher can fall off easily as well. You will need to practice even if you are a seasoned player. I had to readjust on the mouth piece alone. But fingering although close to Selmer and Yamaha sax feel coming from the AE-10 it feels very different. Sounds are better than the AE-20. Not only a good practice choice but also a nice performance instrument using synth sounds.
Easy to Adapt from previous Wind Instruments
The Aerophone AE20 is not my first Electronic Wind Instrument. I am a Keyboard Player foremost but when I learned about the Yamaha WX7 and WX11 in the 80's I wanted to expand my expressive abilities. A Wind Controller along with a full backup track or band allowed me to be the front man . Since the fingering is the same, and WX11 was out dated, the Roland Aerophone AE20 was the logical choice. If I had had the opportunity to try out the Aerophone Pro AE 30 I'm sure I would have purchased one. Who knows I may still buy one in the future. The sounds, built in speakers and connections are top notch. I highly recommend the Roland Aerophone series.
Tops by far in every way!
Stunning sound. Silky smooth playability. Control anything you hook to it. Either the 20 or 30. Roland!! Roland!! Roland!!!!
Roland Aerophone AE-20
I bought this Aerophone to replace my Aerophone Go and it was a great upgrade. The responsiveness and the integrated Roland Zen Sounds are an awesome addition. I have found that there are so many features at times it is almost function overload but I pick my battles in learning and see what I can do one piece at a time. This isn't a replacement for your real wind instrument but it is a great addition to you tonal pallet allowing you to play sounds that you cannot get via your real instrument. The aerophone AE-20 opens new doors for you and is limited only by your imagination and time you put into learning the instruments strong points. I have found it worth the investment and thoroughly enjoy it. Alistair Parnell has great reviews and lessons on the Aerophone series of instruments and his videos were the reason I chose the AE-20.
Amazing instrument! Even better service!!
I started with the Aerophone 5, and moved quickly to the Aerophone 10. And was hooked. I'm a working keyboard player. And was looking for something to move around the stage with. These are so much more.
A whole different way of playing a synth. Nuances, you can't achieve from a board.!
The Aerophone 20 Fun!! The voices are amazing!
Now the reason for this review. Honestly we can buy this gear anywhere. But the service at Sweetwater has made me a permanent customer.
Ian Haas my personal rep, I now consider a friend. He has gone out of his way, made curtesy calls so many times I have lost track.
I have and will continue to endorse this company, and it's absolutely outstanding employees.
Saxophone with an instrument panel
I played alto sax for 6 years as a jr. and high school kid, and then picked it up again earlier this year. Now, at 71, I am playing in a (senior) band that centers on rock, R&B, and blues, primarily from the 60's. I am the only horn player, and the band has called on me to use my alto sax for some solos that were originally recorded with flutes, french horns, baritone sax, etc.
When I saw the AE 20 out there, I thought it would be the perfect fill in instrument when the french horn is needed, and so, took the bait. Larry, my sales tech, was very helpful answering my primary concerns, and I appreciate the personal touch that Sweetwater offers.
Regarding the AE 20, it has more sounds than I need but they do sound quite remarkable through an amp or even headphones for practice. Some sounds are better than others, in my opinion. The internal speakers are ok, but wouldn't hold up in performance without an amp. There are lots and lots of parameter settings and it's taken me a good week to get the lay of the land with them. I was a bit concerned that I was having a sticky F#/E key malfunction, but I adjusted the delay and it seems to be improved. The fingering is exactly the same as my alto sax, however the size/spacing is a bit different and you just need to take some time to get acquainted with the instrument. There is a definite learning curve with this instrument, but after getting better acquainted, I think that it's a keeper. If you've ever had a dog, you can relate to the "getting used to" aspects of the relationship.
I'm really enjoying this thing, and am very happy with it. You need to be patient with learning on all aspects of it, and that includes the maintenance piece. If you don't respect your instruments, and don't like a challenge, this thing will just frustrate you.
