Software
A host of music software is compatable with the EWI since it is for all intents and purposes a midi device. Below I will be placing a quick overview of various softwares that may be of use to EWI owners. In addition I will from time to time be writing articles about modifying existing software and posting them in the sidebar here. At some point I will also be creating my own EWI USB configuration software that will make use of the reverse engineering I did of it's NRPN and System Exclusive data.
Aria by Garritan
Rather than develop an in-house application for the EWI USB, Akai chose to outsource to Garritan for a simple player. The key word is simple as a lot of the controls I would expect from a performance grade tool are flat out missing and in general the application has a very 'unfinished' feel to it, like it was rushed out the door last minute. To even get it to work properly I have to resort to using ASIO4ALL on EVERY ONE of my windows based computers.
While it is better behaved on the Mac, many of the same problems exist, from endless pages of scrolling when trying to change the controller data the EWI is sending, to dividing up information and controls that could easily fit a 800x600 display area into multiple tabs. The main panel has these 'knob' like controls which are counterintuitive as to how they interact with the mouse, and there is little if any keyboard controls or rapid way to change multiple settings while playing - making it effectively useless for performances.
In terms of samples used in playback most of them are quite acceptable, though the synthetic 'ring' present in most synthesizers are still quite noticeable on the woodwind and brass patches. Curiously the synthetic sounds are HUGE compared to the accoustic ones, indicating IMHO they spent more time on the sounds that don't sound like anything REAL than they did the ones that are supposed to be normal instruments... But then I never understood the average wind controller player's obsession with "fat synth" type sounds since to my ears they always sounded like ass anyhow.
It also doesn't help that they buried the system requirements, and that the stated requirements are three or four times higher than what is actually needed for something so simple and lightweight.
Still, it was bundled with the hardware, so one really doesn't expect a whole lot out of it. I do hope they improve the product and release some sort of update for it - because it sure could use one.
*** UPDATE - 5 June 2009 ***
EWIUSB.COM is proud to announce our Enhanced Replacement Skin for the Aria software. It addresses a few of the above mentioned issues, first condensing the application to be more small display friendly for the users of netbooks, second to move the transpose controls to the main page and show all your transpositions at once.
ASIO4ALL
Essential software that shouldn't be - ASIO was developed to bypass the normal OS sound subsystems to get lower latency for people working in audio - aka musicians and studio folks. Problem is the drivers from Microsoft and many soundcard manufacturers have NEVER worked right in the first place. ASIO4All is simply a replacement driver that fixes a plethora of issues, from the choppyness in Vista and x64 systems, to greatly reducing the processor overhead that seems to plague the default drivers. If you are trying to do anything resembling professional grade audio under windows, this is a must have.
The Sax Brothers by Sample Modeling
A while back Sample Modeling stunned the music world with their Mr. Sax T Software Synthesizer, which is perfectly suited for use with wind controllers getting you about as close to a tenor sax as you are likely to get without actually using a real one.
The have now expanded the lineup with Mr. Sax A giving us an excellent Alto sax sound, and Mr. Sax B giving us what I consider the the most impressive to date, a deep rich full Baritone full of expression and character.
Another of their products you may want to look at is The Trumpet which delivers the same high quality sculpted sound. They also offer combination packages allowing you to mix and match which sounds you want at a discount.
These products are WELL worth the money as it is without a doubt the best sounding saxophone software synthesizers you are likely to come across. They respond to growl and flutter, which if mapped to the right thumb pressure plates on your EWI will give you a whole new level of expression. I cannot recommend this product highly enough.
Hopefully as I scrimp and save to buy more software, I'll be able to expand this section further.