I have the Aerophone mini and I think I've found the near perfect carrying case. I came across a semi-rigid case for the Melodica 37 Key. It is the perfect size for the mini. I then cut a Kaizen foam insert for a perfect fit for the Mini and its accessories. My investment was $14 and 15 minutes of my time. I also made a table-top stand for my Mini by modifying a wooden upright paper towel dispenser. I couldn't be more pleased.

Awesome "Closer Look" demonstration and tutorial, Alistair. Thanks very much! Just ordered one for myself, and I really can't wait to get my hands on it. Am an absolute sax beginner (recently bought a gorgeous gold and black Ammoon *acoustic* sax (granted, an entry level instrument) and have been really loving playing it, but am struggling a bit with the old "squeaks" and "squawks"/reeds/embouchure, etc etc, and - main issue - have been finding it restricting to practice without disturbing others with the somewhat unpleasant "hard on the ear" results of a beginner sax player making a NOISE... PHYEW.... And so this seems to me to be the somewhat perfect answer to my prayers: a relatively cheap DIGITAL instrument, with (to my ears) most impressive sounds indeed, and providing the ability to practice anytime and anywhere without disturbing others! I am feeling really excited to get my fingers (and thumbs) - and mouth - on it to see how it performs when it arrives! Will let you know how I get on... and thanks again for a most splendid demonstration. You certainly sold me, sir, with your wonderful presentation! :-) P.S. A little request (though I am sure you have better things to do), would you possibly consider doing a demo on this instrument of the sax solos on "BAKER STREET", "CARELESS WHISPER", and Spandau Ballet's "TRUE" sometime. Be much appreciated, if you would, as I would love to hear how they sound on this nifty little musical gadget ;-)

Bought the mini today. I have no previous experience of wind instruments so I appreaciate this series.

Hi Alistair My Roland AE10 and sometimes the EWI always go on holidays with me too. That’s what I find great about them.....and you always get people, on the beaches, coming up to chat and ask what instruments they are. I wish I’d bought shares in the company for the amount of people that go away afterwards saying that they are now going to buy one! Great videos.......keep up the good work!

WOW!!!! THANK YOU, VERY MUCH, FOR SHARING THIS WONDERFUL DEMO VIDEO!!!! I HAD NO IDEA THAT SUCH WONDERFUL, INTERESTING INSTRUMENTS EVEN EXISTED!!! I'M INTERESTED IN THESE!!! WAY COOL!!!!

It’s great to see the full potential of “beginners’” instruments demonstrated. It really encourages novices to try something new, knowing that they won’t have to upgrade as soon as they’ve mastered their fingering. Keep it up.

Glad to learn that the app is applicable for Aerophone GO as well!

One of the reasons I didn't buy it was the lack of a case. I think a simple sleeve, maybe with lambs wool (or synthetic-something similar, on the inside to protect the instrument) with a leatherette type outside and snap closure, would have been perfect. And it would not have cost them anything hardly to have made and included it with this little instrument. . Also, they really should advertise this more along the lines of a digital recorder, rather than saxophone since it does not have the lip control function like a saxophone and the keying is more similar to a recorder.

Thank you for the review! Your professionalism with balance between lots of information with a little opinion is perfect.

Love this little instrument. Brought the Ambertech Keyboard Case for a computer keyboard as a case. It fits and provides some protection for the mini.

I use a briefcase found in a charity shop (£3) and a couple of folded-up towels for padding. The instrument fits very nicely diagonally and there's plenty of room for leads, headphones, speaker etc. I love the instrument and have lots of fun with it.

Just bought an IRIN S56 - one of the newer, inexpensive 'digital-sax's - and I'm already so impressed that I'm considering a more capable model and the AE01 is on the shortlist... but it's also up against the EWI Solo and possibly some of the other Chinese digital sax's.... Decisions, decisions, decisions........... In the meantime, the IRIN has still got so much potential to investigate - and I've got reflexes to get out of after playing trad-flute for over 40 years!

Excellent info as usual. Thanks for the tip on the app update. I'm new to the Aerophone GO and will definitely check out the instructional material. I also have a BG curved soprano sax strap on the way - the one you mentioned on an earlier video. Great stuff!

Alastair, Considering the size of the Aerophone Mini by Roland, I found the size to be comparable to a melodicas case. Since I happened to have a extra case for my melodica, I found a really good fit. Thanks for the video. Very thorough.

Thank you for your honest review gripes and all sounds like this will fit a nitch for beginners.

Well done Alistair.... interesting instrument... thank you!

I hope they keep coming out with new instruments- it’s exciting- I have been playing the Ae 10 far more then my tenor sax lately. It’s so easy to play and it’s so Lightweight. You don’t have to blow as hard. and I can play it on a recliner. It’s very relaxing- and it has endless possibilities with its numerous octaves and sounds. I love it.

Got the case of Amazon, forgot to mention this.

Hello Alistair, Thank you for giving us an overview of this new controller, and specially .. thank you for the Akai EWI series videos! I'm a multi-instrumentalist, coming from classical Percussion, and i finally got an Akai EWI usb a few weeks ago. This was an old idea of mine, although i knew it would come along with a steep learning curve. In comes this Roland Mini, 5 or 6 weeks too late.. and i am left scratching my head.. as this seems a better device for me to getting into wind instrument performing&recording. (i can no longer return the Akai to the seller.) It is my intention, to adding an EWI to my setup.. both for recording and live gigs, SO i come to you (i think we have exchanged msgs in the past) to get a better picture, on the fingering on this controller, vs the Akai. I haven't progressed much on the Akai, i must admit. Not that much time to dedicate to it..and the learning curve is, in deed, quite steep. This one looks simpler..and with a better form factor, as it seems it would work very well in tandem with my iPad & ROLI Seaboard Block, as my Backpacker setup. Should i just press on, a liitle more on the Akai, or is this instrument's fingering easier to absorb, and all in all a more approachable way-in, to this MIDI wind controller world.. ? Thanks very much Cheers from Portugal

An alto, or probably a tenor recorder case might suit. Thanks for your vids. I bought an Aerophone GO on the basis of your vids. I'd been considering an AE-10 for a while, but the GO works for me. It ISN'T a saxophone and the octave key thing is a bit finicky, but the GO is very useful to me for working on fingering patterns that transfer very well to my alto sax. AND I can play it at anytime with headphones!

I've been having a hard time finding these answers online: The AE-01 has no control for vibrato or pitch-bend? Thank you for taking the time to create such clear concise videos.

I play recorder, and I'm curious about the vibrato issue. With a real recorder, the limitation is that we are limited in terms of dynamics because air pressure changes the tuning. On the flip side, this allows us to create vibrato by varying the air pressure. It seems the AE-01 "maps" breath to dynamics instead of pitch bend. Is it possible to alter this? It could be quite interesting if there was a way to change this on the fly or even as a setting. MIDI allows for both, of course, so I would think as long as Roland is measuring breath pressure, it would simply be a software issue to map the input to the desired MIDI signal. We couldn't have both at the same time, but choosing one or the other would be nice.

Fabulous! I am becoming a fan of your videos! Very articulate, precise and super helpful! I have just ordered an Aerophone Mini and eagerly awaiting it. I have two questions for you: 1. On other videos, I saw a comment of a substantial timelag (latency) when using the app over Bluetooth. Is it possible to avoid that by connecting via USB cable instead? Or does one just have to live with the lag? 2. Your AE-10 video showed how to play chords. That made me super excited. But is that feasible on the Mini also? Maybe I am asking for too much ;). Related, how does one switch between chords and simple lead in the midst of a performance? Is that feasible? For what it is worth, I play a bunch of different instruments amateurishly. I play Indian music - film and classical-based. I love to experiment. When I get my Aerophone Mini going, I will be happy to popularize it among Indian music fans! I have a youtube channel myself ("ajaysathe")

Thanks for this and the other video.

I'm likely going to pick up one of these, and perhaps eventually moving on to the AE-05 or AE-10 later. Being a life-long bandie, I'm a big stickler for a case, and I'm disappointed that even just a soft case isn't included with the AE-01. That being said, I think this padded flute case (that's made to go over your actually flute case) would do the trick. amzn.to/2YFIsOZ

Aerophone Mini Case - This works for me. Not cheap, but that could be a good thing. Could be customized with a bit of extra foam to keep the Mini from sliding about. Protec Flute Case Cover, Black -- Amazon Protec Flute Case Cover, Black Brand: ProTec

Looks like great fun!

Hello Allistair, thank you for this video... is the Mini a real music instrument, or a musical toy ? I’m an ex Sax player, I can’t play Sax now because an accident... AVC... do you think the Mini could offer some pleasure to play in place of Sax..., tanks for answer...

Very interesting! I want one!

Hi Alistair, Would be great if you could show us more demo.

i just bought one with case on ebay

Hi Alistair, I saw your video, and I bought a Mini because you were so convincing re the fun, and you're right. Now I wish It had a few more octaves. BUT there is one irritating thing, namely, I cannot seem to be able to turn off the volume of the external speakers when I am in USB mode. It is very distracting to hear the external sound while playing my plugins.

Thank you for the details. Can you clarify what makes this a beginner instrument? What features do you feel are missing that an intermediate or advanced player would need?

As someone who is a string player, I find the Aerophone very tempting. However, I think if I went for the mini, I can see a time when it would not satisfy me anymore and I would want to upgrade. I understand the mini is primarily for beginners, but how much more difficult would the big brothers be? Bearing in mind that I have never played a sax. .

The device looks corny but the sounds are FANTASTIC (what else would we expect from Roland, eh?). Compared to Akai sounds, the Roland is miles ahead. Thanx

If you have a friend with or if you have one, you could design a case and print it out on a 3D Printer. I have designed and printed cases for several things in my home.

There are plenty of cases all over Amazon that would fit this.

Hi Alistair, I am considering either this or the go. I have the budget for either so that is not a concern. My thought process is.....will this be enough for me or will I always be wishing I had the GO. But then would the GO be more complicated which might put me off or make it harder initially. I am a complete beginner so this is why I was thinking this option might be better for me. I guess I could always trade up in the future. Thanks for the great videos!😀

Nice video about an interesting instrument. Rather than just 11 lesson songs, is it possible to get an entire library of songs, something like 250 or 500, in the lesson style?

Awesome!!!!

About the case : You could wrap a adhesive plastic film round the original cardboard box . That should make it more robust.

I’d go for a flight case with removable foam inserts. It’s what I use with my TD 30 ( drum) brain.

The only sounds I'm interested in using are the iOS SWAM instruments. But, I get the impression that the Mini isn't very expressive.

I bought this instrument one month ago and I can play simple and easy songs quickly. But the three octaves have limited the songs I can play with. Would you please provide another KZfaq to explain how to program the fingerings.

Hello Alistair, thanks for your great videos. I hope you can help me: I play the guitar, the theremin and a few other not-wind instruments as a hobbist. I love the sound of the recorder, is one of my favourite sounds out there, but I live in a studio surrounded by lots of other studios in the same building here in London, so I cannot play loud to not disturb my neighbours. Do you think this instrument is a good practice instrument for learning to play the recorder properly despite of its lack of 'expression', as no pitch bend or non-software vibrato is possible? I could practice during my lunch breaks at work, too! TIA, you have a new subscriber here!

Hello Alistair, firstly, thank you for your excellent videos. You are the best. A quick question... From the app, can the settings (octave shift, transpose, etc) be saved and quickly recalled? I want to bring up different settings quickly between songs during a live performance. Again, thanks for your great work.

Thanks Alistair What would be your thoughts on this as a replacement for my trusty EWI USB?

May I check how I could get more than 3 octva with custom fingering?

Hi Alistair great video as a complete newbie very informative does this work directly with a blue tooth speaker Shame it’s not a USB-C plug as the new iPads only use theses and there’s no head phone socket thanks again

Good review

Hi Alistair, a few days ago I purchased a Roland Aerophone Mini. It’s a fine instrument, but unfortunately I experience a problem that spoils the pleasure of playing: after a few minutes of practising (lowest breath level) some ‘water’ drops fall from the end of the instrument. This surprises me. Then when I play a recorder or harmonica, dripping never occurs. Maybe the (deep) mouthpiece is a trigger. Or the fact that it is a relatively closed instrument (no or little internal ventilation). Would it be different if I had an EWI from Akai? Or is it a general problem with this type of electronic windinstruments? I am curious about your opinion. Thank you for your videos. The are very helpful to me.

Hi Alastir, great video - thanks. Which ewi do you like the best?

Where can I get that mouthpiece? Every video I watch has that mouthpiece but mine only came with the round one 😣

Good morning sir! Can the mini have a line out to a PA system? I play guitar in church and was wondering what your thoughts would be concerning playing the mini with our group?

Hi Alistair, your website mentions a separate course for the mini. Do you have a rough in timescale when this would be available? Thanks.

Hi and thanks for your posts. I have recently purchased an Aerophone Mini and I found it harder to blow into than I have initially thought, thus I would like to ask what would be the best settings of the “Breath MIDI Out Parameter 1 & 2” in order to make the lightest effort when blowing (my lungs aren’t that strong anymore). The “Breath Sensitivity” is set at 1 already. Thanks beforehand.

Hi Alistair, I am a Roland MC-707 user and I want to add a instrument like the Roland Aerphone mini (I have no experience in wind instruments) to play patterns in the Groovebox. Can I send out midi via the usb to record the notes whit the sounds in my Roland Groovebox? Or can I connect the headphone out directly to a line in on the Groovbox? Otherwise, is there a possbility to connect this to a Roland Go Mixer Pro? I like to hear from you what the options are to capture the sounds on an extern device. Thanks in advance, grtz. Marcel

I wish the app had a recording feature.

can you use another VTS sounds on it? It sounds more like wood instruments... we can not feel a lot that metal sound so it can actually sound like a saxophone

This work on Windows 10? Thanks for your vindeos sir!

is there any delay between the playtime and actual sound? How can you use it to play live? Can I connect it to an audio interface to my iPad? Have you use it to. perform live?

Hi, There are 11 songs in the app to learn. Where can I find more? Thanks

Another question! If I want to play using the app sounds, and connected to an amp, do I need to connect my phone to an amp output, or just connect the Aerophone itself?

Hello Alistair, when you wanna use the sounds of the app, there's this little delay between you playing and the sound you here.... which makes it pretty complicated when you use the instrument together with other people playing.... is this instrument not meant to be used with others ..or is there another trick... ?.. gr.

Sounds ideal to get a toe hold in the midi world for beginners to wind instruments (I play penny whistle, badly). Do you know what version of operation system you need for the i-pad to be able to use the app?

I play the Akai 4000s which you only need to blow into it to get beautiful sounds...no aperture is required. Is the Roland Mini the same?

Thank you for all the info! I bought a mini but I find the onboard speaker tinny-sounding. Which wire do I need to connect to an external speaker?

Hello sir! Can I use Ae-01 mini as a midi controller (via usb cable) for using with any DAW like Logic Pro or Ableton?

If you connect it to a speaker, what kind of "in" or cable head? Where is your video explaining this?

Roland's Support Team seam to be down due to the virus. Do you happen to know if it's possible to use the USB port to output USB MIDI? It doesn't really touch on it in the manual. I bought it mainly to control external gear hoping it would be easy. So far all I can get figured out is how to route it to control other iPad apps. Worth mentioning I own a USB MIDI Host as well (Retrokits RK-006).

I know all the fingering on the mini AE-01 apart from upper 'D ' which I'm struggling with. The fingering for this note is not shown in the fingering chart. I can play ' C' and on a recorder you simply cover the hole at the back of the recorder and this gives you 'D.' However, with no hole at the rear of the AE-01 do I need to press the rear button to send it up an octave ? Any help appreciated.

Can you put sounds from the app on the aerophone? If you can't, how could you live perform with the app sounds?

Does it have any delay of fingering like AKAI ewi usb? It drives me crazy....

Do u have to be on the internet, to use app for sounds or just downloaded app and the sounds come with it..app?

Hello, I've seen some videos about Roland Aerophone AE-01 Mini, AE-05 Go, and AE-10. Son i'd liké to know if it's could be connected to a PC Windows 10 with USB port. To play with software on midi sequencer software like Cubase VST or SX? Is it possible for the 3 devices, or only AE-10? And what about to control with a Master Keyboard to pilote Aerophone Sound? What sort USB to MIDI interfaces are compatibles ? I'd like to know the real MIDI possibilities for each device, please. Thank per advance. (Sorry, I'm French and my English is old like me. 😂)...

Hey Alistair I’ve been following your videos, thanks for the great content. I’ve been looking for advice to choose between ewi5000 and aerophone ae10 - I’m mostly a flute / trumpet player and digital music producer. Just put the Ewi on order... you are one of the few people I can see who has used both instruments. Could you share insight on differences between them and any recommendation?

Parnell you have a big cable conected where does It goe

Good afternoon, I would like to know how many semitones he reaches in his transpose?

Please somebody clarify if app sounds can be used at all because of such latency? Is there a way around? Also I am worried if there will be some user manual available for midi connectivity?

Can you put where u can buy the cables online

Soprano sax or rifle case

I bought the mini, partly due to your video, the one issue I have is latency when using with an iPad especially if the iPad is using wireless headphones, am I correct, is their a solution? Thank you

Would it fit a straight soprano sax case?

Hi. I'm wondering whether there's a way to silence the 'peeps' when you change settings. If the Aerophone is plugged into an amp when I'm playing live, I don't want the 'peeps' to be amplified every time I need to change the voice/reverb/transpose etc. Any clues? Thank you.

I already own the AE-10 and thought the mini might be some portable fun. Really disappointed in the mouthpiece provided on the actual product. The one provided is awful. Really its not much more than a rubber tube. The one Alistair is playing (and the mouthpiece shown in other promotional videos) has a standard shaped sax mouthpiece. That was what I was expecting. Can it be changed for an AE-10 or AE-5 (Go) mouthpiece?

can this unit connect to a casio ctx300 ,by midi , and play the casio suonds ,using the roland ae 01? , thank you dave in the philippines

Just a thought: There are serious 6-8 hole ethnic flute or recorder players who use keyless wind instruments. When you say beginner, would that be from the perspective of a sax player? I’m thinking as a non-sax player who has looked at both the Aodyo Sylphyo and Warbl as serious instruments and can imagine this to be equally a serious, non-beginner midi wind controller! The lip control issue would be a non-issue for flute players as well as recorder/tinwhistle players as that is unique to reed players. I'm new to the Aerophone and other sax-preferenced windcontrollers so am speaking out of ignorance. Would appreciate your thoughts on this.

Is this usable with the Android system or is iOS a must?

Then mini doesn't support vibrato by lips, right?

Is there any spare for main mouthpiece,when I uboxing my aerophone mini realized that the main mouthpiece is'nt there in my package please guide me.

Can you drive a MIDI synth (or record MIDI notes to Cubase) with this instrument?

are the fingerings that of a soprano recorder or the alto recorder?

hello, thanks for this video and the translate to Spanish .Dude, is possible to make a video about this wind controller using on Logic Pro or notation softwares like Sibelius? Thank¡¡¡¡

Are they worth the money?

Sir transpose facility in this ??

How about a drumstick soft case for it?

hello can you tell me if i could use this Aerophone as a midi controller with my Roland FA synthesizer (who has a USB midi connection). thank you a lot

Can this be used as a MIDI controller connected to PC DAW?

anyone...?? I'm not able to play along with the lessons using the app sounds, because my notes come out well over a second late

Can the Aerophone mini pitch bend and glissando?