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WIND AND BREATH CONTROLLERS: YAMAHA WX5 and BC3by William Coakley 01/10/2001
To use a breath controller (in this case, a Yamaha BC3) you blow into it and it produces a single control source usually used for real time enveloping sounds. It is usually headset mounted and consists of just a mouthpiece (no reed).
In contrast, when a wind controller (Yamaha WX5) is blown into, it produces three primary control sources usually for pitch, real time enveloping and midi note data. It is a tube with keys on it similar to a clarinet or saxophone and has a mouthpiece with a reed. The intensity of air passing through the mouthpiece controls volume and the reed pressure controls pitch. Before you buy a wind controller like the WX5, keep in mind that it takes more than a little practice to get results if you're not a sax player.
The WX5 seems pretty well thought out with its different fingering modes and other features. But if your not a sax player, forget getting anything out of this controller anytime soon. A breath controller might be the better option for keyboard players who would find learning the WX5 frustrating. However, the wind controller will definitely add more realism since the pitch isn't constant as it would be using a breath controller and those certain fingering patterns that characterize what we hear a saxophone or clarinet play. Other more deliberate variations in pitch (using reed pressure) can also help create more realism.
The modulation lever seems a little clumsy to use but I'm sure with a little practice, some use might be made of it. The problem is controlling small amounts of modulation with confidence. This seems difficult and might require some considerable practice to coordinate it properly. And the octave keys can be a bit difficult if you're not concentrating on just which position your thumb is in. Since your thumb changes its orientation slightly with playing, some surprises may occur since double octave pitch changes are possible.
Battery life seems very limited. You'd be lucky to get through four sets (leaving it on all the time) without seeing the low battery indication.
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