Roland announces Aerophone AE-20 wind controller - 7th January 2022

Roland has announced Aerophone AE-20, the latest member of the company's family of digital wind instruments. Here's what they say:

Aerophone AE-20 delivers all the playability and expression of the flagship Aerophone Pro in a more compact and streamlined design. Offering a rich musical experience with premium details and Roland's most advanced sound engines, this inspiring instrument brings next-level power and versatility to wind players everywhere.

Developed in collaboration with leading wind synth artists, Aerophone AE-20 is a top-flight instrument with uncompromising musical response. It features the core sounds and expressive control of Aerophone Pro, along with the premier model's acclaimed key touch, refined playability, and go-everywhere design.

Aerophone AE-20 provides a wide range of stunningly authentic acoustic instrument sounds at the touch of a button. Soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone saxes are on hand, plus clarinet, flute, trumpet, and more. Violin, cello, and other string instruments are also included, along with world instruments like erhu, shakuhachi, and bagpipes. Backed by Roland's SuperNATURAL technology, every playing nuance is fully translated with lifelike dynamics, articulations, and overtones.

The Aerophone AE-20 extends with the ZEN-Core Synthesis System, the same sound engine found in professional Roland keyboards like FANTOM and JUPITER-X. Everything from traditional analog synths to modern digital voices are available, all carefully curated by Roland for the unique articulations and extended dynamic range of a wind instrument.

Aerophone AE-20 features a familiar reed-style mouthpiece, immediate response, and natural pitch and vibrato control. The breath and bite sensors are customizable and ultra-sensitive, and it's possible to reconfigure the fingering for sax, clarinet, flute, recorder, or a personal setup. Instant transposition and a five-octave range enable players to cover any style without the range limits found with traditional acoustic instruments.

Aerophone AE-20 also features an onboard speaker for grab-and-go playing, as well as a headphones jack for quiet practice sessions. There's also a line output for connecting to a stage amp or PA while performing, plus USB-MIDI for music creation with MIDI production apps.

Aerophone AE-20 comes with onboard Bluetooth connectivity for wireless integration with mobile music apps. The Roland Aerophone Lesson app is designed to helps users get started right away, even if they've never played a wind instrument. The Aerophone Pro Editor unlocks the customization of sound and performance settings. And with Bluetooth audio streaming, users can play along with music and instructional videos through the Aerophone's sound system.

With Roland Cloud, players can take the Aerophone experience further with Sound Packs created by wind instrument experts and music production apps like Zenbeats and Zentracker.

Price: $999. Available in March 2022.

Read more at: www.roland.com/global/products/aerophone_ae-20/

Roland Aerophone AE-20 Performance by Patrick Shiroishi, Hailey Niswanger, and Matt Traum