Roland recently announced that they would be expanding their roster of digital wind instruments with the Aerophone AE-20. Although the AE-20 can deliver the core sounds and control of the flagship Aerophone Pro it features a more compact and streamlined design.

According to Roland, Aerophone AE-20 was developed in collaboration with leading wind synth artists to deliver a top-flight instrument with an uncompromising musical response. It caters to a wide variety of musical styles and has tones that range from woodwinds, strings, and brass, as well as the latest synth sounds. With Aerophone AE-20, users also gain access to stunningly authentic acoustic instrument sounds. From soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone saxes to clarinet, flute, trumpet, and more. String instruments such as violin and cello are featured too, and even world instruments like bagpipes, erhu, and shakuhachi. Roland also claims that Aerophone AE-20 can translate every nuance of your playing with lifelike dynamics, articulations, and overtones thanks to their SuperNATURAL technology.

Since it supports the ZEN-Core Synthesis System, Aerophone AE-20 is even more versatile. It is the same sound engine that can be found in pro Roland keyboards, such as their FANTOM and JUPITER-X. All the traditional analog synths and modern digital voices were carefully curated for a wind instrument's unique articulations and extended dynamic range.

Aerophone AE-20 was designed to sound good and offer players a comfortable and familiar feel. It features a familiar reed-style mouthpiece, immediate response, natural pitch, and vibrato control. Since the breath and bite sensors are ultra-sensitive and customizable, it is easy to configure the fingering for sax, clarinet, flute, recorder, and more. In addition, it surpasses the range limits of traditional acoustic instruments thanks to instant transposition and a seven-octave range. Aerophone AE-20 users can play the instrument using the onboard speaker or connect headphones to practice without disturbing anyone around them. Aerophone AE-20 can also be plugged into an amp or house PA for live performances. To use the instrument with your favorite music production apps, it supports USB-MIDI.

Aerophone AE-20 even caters to people who have never played a wind instrument before with the inclusion of the Aerophone Lesson app. It covers everything from holding the instrument and using the mouthpiece to quickly getting your fingering up to speed. Since it has Bluetooth audio streaming, it is easy to play along to music and instructional videos and keep track of your accuracy. Roland also includes the Aerophone Pro Editor with the instrument giving users the power to unlock its full potential. Via this app, it is possible to dive deep into the customization of all sound and performance settings. To see the complete list of technical specifications for the Aerophone AE-20, check out the official website and watch the video below demonstrating the wide range of sounds and performance capabilities it has.

Features

• Streamlined design with premium details and professional sounds
• Ultra-responsive playability with low-latency breath and bite sensors
• Play using sax, clarinet, flute, recorder, or brass fingerings
• Over 250 acoustic and electronic sounds, including soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone saxophones, orchestral and world instruments, synth voices, and more
• SuperNATURAL Acoustic tones with authentic sound and response
• Advanced ZEN-Core Synthesis System for vintage and modern synthesizer sounds
• Easy operation with OLED screen and ergonomic controls
• Audio and MIDI connectivity via Bluetooth® and USB
• Play anytime and anywhere with a built-in speaker, headphones jack, and battery power
• Editor app for complete visual control and deep editing on mobile devices
• Lesson app for building skills and tracking progress
• Expand your musical palette with custom sounds from Roland Cloud

Roland expects Aerophone AE-20 to be available in the U.S. during March of 2022 for $999.99