MAN O WAR BLEW ME AWAY (MANCHESYER APPOLLO 1984 WOW THESE FELLAS ARE THE LOUDEST BAND I HAVE EVER HEARD AND THEY HAD JUST RELEASED SIGN OF THE HAMMER EXELENT ALBUM AFTER THE SHOW IT WAS LIKE ME AND MY FREINDS WERE IN SHOCK ITS ALL (HEAVYMETALTHUNDER) MAN 0 WAR BOSWELL
I'd say the developers got a totally cracking deal by sending you the re.corder. All that expert feedback ? Basically getting a consultant for free. But what is really impressive is Sarah's openness and enthusiasm. No elitism here , sneering or otherwise.
you're absolutely right, we'll be eternally grateful to Sarah for her precious advices and the time she's invested in making this video. Grazie Sarah... if you ever come to Italy remember about us and please, be our guest :)
Sarah, you're a smile-maker, a first class musician and a real lady for a real world. I love that digital wonder. I used to have a "digital horn" which I interfaced to my synthesiser via midi. Sadly, burglars relieved me of it.
@@artinoise Well done Artinoise this is such an amazing and versatile instrument, and thank you Sarah for giving them your valuable feedback in order to help them to refine it, I'm off to put my name on the waiting list... 👍😉
You know, it now comes with a second mute-tap in case you loose the first one? ;-) Did ypu clean THW recorder, I know it is a stupid question, but the stick that was delivered along with it barely fits in the re.corder and if I add any Kind of small tissue it won't enter at all. Would be glad for any advice. Tried the one from my sopranino but it is too short... Amyway thanks for the great Video without it I would have never known about it...
As a person always trying to play the recorder, re.corder is the best thing ever. I learned more in month that I have in years. Nobody has to listen to my mistakes.
I've been following this with interest. The main area that interests me is the ability to use headphones so you can practise silently. To listen to someone play the same passage over and over must be really annoying and can stop the learner from playing, but if you can plug headphones in, perfect!
This was my main reason for backing this on Kickstarter. Still waiting for delivery, so excited to get this! The one note on using headphones is you want to have a device you can plug the headphones in directly. My understanding is bluetooth headphones would introduce more latency.
@@laurameier4482 bluetooth headphones, oh no thanks. I have a pair and though they're great for listening to music I bought a dongle and tried them with my digital piano. The delay was so bad it was unplayable
Yes, you can use headphones to practise silently. When playing digitally, with the mute plug in, the re.corder itself doesn't produce any sound; the sound is produced via the app on your phone, Ipad, PC, whatever you have connected the re.corder to via bluetooth - so you just plug your headphones into the device in question, not into the re.corder. And you're right - don't use bluetooth headphones or you will get significant latency problems.
Yeaaa I got my recorder singe Wednesday the 31st of March. It is the plastic baroque recorder in renaissance-look. I love Sarah's channel since it is so inspirational. Ehe trigger of buying the recorder was singe ny clarinet broke and needs a repair. So why not learning a new instrument and it' s really fun
That was a valuable review, both for consumers and developers. This product excites me at that price point. Over 30 years ago, I enjoyed playing the Casio DH-100, and this product has much more potential for fun. If Artinoise makes your suggested improvements, I'd like to form a postmodern Devo with all bandmates playing a re.corder. Imagine what fun we'd have!
@Chris Brisson - Casio DH-100! Yes! I loved that, but 'had' to give it to my young cousin whose enthusiasm for it was overwhelming. That had very good breath control, using a sensor that looked like a small loudspeaker with a plastic cone. The cone was displaced by the back-pressure, and the electronics detected this. Very effective.
How FUN!!! I'm on the waiting list. I've been a recorderplayer for 50 years, and find this very cool. (I also have an Orba from Artiphone, love playing with music and sounds. )
I have a re.corder (from the kickstarter). I agree with everything Sarah said, especially regarding the latency and the lack of explanation to the menus. The most important thing to me is, although it's very impressive, this is NOT a wind instrument. It's a MIDI controller using your breath and your finger positions, etc. A real recorder, like any wind instrument, is exquisitely sensitive to your breath - the pitch changes when you blow harder or softer, and it "speaks" when you use your tongue to articulate (ta-da-da or whatever). This thing is not, and I have some difficulty with complex rythms. It's a bit like the difference between your own arm and a bionic arm if you've had your arm amputated. The bionic arm might be a lot stronger, but nobody would cut off their arm to get one!
@@alessandropozzi9575 It can be played as an ordinary recorder, but not a very good one! The normal way to play is as a MIDI controller. Each hole is equipped with sensors (2 for the thumb-hole), plus there is a sensor measuring how hard you blow - you have to put on a mute that redirects air to the sensor. The on-board CPU sends a stream of notes through a bluetooth connection to an app on your phone or PC, which in turn is in charge of generating the notes. Don't get me wrong, if a breath-controlled MIDI controller is what you want it's very good value, and it's quite fun to be able to switch between a flute, an oboe, a sax or a cello. But it's a completely different thing from any of those instruments in real life.
So first off, you are just adorable. I love your enthusiasm!! This really is a cool idea, especially since most electronic wind instruments are useless without power or a battery- being able to play it acoustically is a game changer here.
Just watched all your videos on different EWI devices - your advice as a recorder player is the only one I trust to make a selection between these devices. Thanks for your thoughtful comments from a recorder-focused musician.
No need to apologise, I'm sure they knew they were sending their re.corder to a very competent professional! And what a great review!!! I had dabbled with the idea of buying one of these thingies, there are other midi electronics around, but they are hugely expensive and they have one gazillion functions I will never use because I'm just an amateur and not a composer. Then I saw some previews of this instrument and thought, yes, but how does it work? And now, thanks to Sarah, I know. I was attracted by the idea of a midi instrument based on the recorder - not with its own fingerings but with recorder's fingerings. The learning section would also be great for me. The midi section I don't need but I'm sure others might like it. I am a bit put off by the problems you mention and I do hope they amend them because the price is great and I'd buy one on the spot.
Yeah, hopefully they take notice of Sarah's criticisms. They some like they are mostly software related so they should be able to fix everything or add some kind of software toggle options (like to turn auto-vibrato on or off). They may need to modify the midis a bit to make them seem more responsive, but that sound be something they can easily do at this point.
That's super affordable for what it is (that's about $75 usd or something.) I could see it being used for a wide range of recorder players. It could be fun new learning tool for students, a creative new tool for musicians, great for sound effects, used in performances... Hopefully they take these critiques into consideration before they send it to market and come out with a banging product. this looks super cool
Loved the demo of Sicilienne, I'm doing that piece for my senior recital for trumpet and you don't see it too terribly often, especially outside of strings.
Casio put out the amazing CasioHorn, which looked like a kind of a Sax, but had recorder fingering. And: it sounded like a Casio, but was also MIDI equipped.
I was an "early bird orderer" and already have mine - and it's fun. I totally agree to Sarahs comments (especially the notation irritates me), still struggeling a bit with the bluetooth connections and the best settings. This also depends on the phone/tablet you use. - By the way, Sarah, there's an extra cord to attach the little "mute" plastic to the neck strap (so you won't lose it :-) .
Thank you for this review, very helpful for me. I've just seen those on the market, but not for 60E. More like 180E. I think the best feature is the possibility to play on headphones at night 😊
Hi Sarah, my 'earlybird' re.corder has just arrived and so far I'm delighted. Less plasticky and toy-like than I half-expected. Your review definitely helped to convince me. It seems that they listened to you! My mute plug has a little clip that clips it firmly to the lanyard when not in use. Good work.
Sarah, that's what I call a good review. BTW, you can use the small lanyard loops that came with it to attach the mute to the instrument, so you won't lose it. It says so in the manual ;-) I bought my re.corder through the Kickstarter campaign to add another windcontroller to my 18 piece collection. I've been a sax player for decades before converting to windcontrollers a few decades ago. I've never played the recorder, so I'll have to learn the fingerings. For me it was just a gimmick to add to the collection and never intended to be used regularly. I have more professional windcontrollers for that. However, I was pleasantly surprised by what my €60 got me. I have more expensive windcontrollers with less features. When latency is too high, it's unusable as an instrument. I have noticed some latency with the re.corder. You make some great observation when pointing out the attack of the sound patch. Since you can play the piano patch without latency, the Bluetooth connection isn't causing the issue. I would suspect they intentionally increased the breath response time to prevent glitches (unintended ghost notes) that are so common when playing an electronic wind instrument set to respond fast. If they would add a parameter to adjust the breath response time it would be much better. Maybe they did already with all the MIDI curves you can set, but I agree with you, that UI could be improved as well. All in all, for the money I paid as an early bird on Kickstarter, it offers a lot. From what I've heard so far, I'm quite sure future production runs will not be as cheap as the initial Kickstarter run.
Glad you enjoyed! Yes, in the settings you can change all kinds of parameters, but it was something that try as I could, I couldn't get it to do what I wanted it to... On the EWI the button to breath threshold to prevent those ghost notes is super handy, so a similar interface would be great.
@Blade1965 - Heh! You have more wind controllers than I do! Well done! 👍Yes, you are right - the €60 price (about 50 quid) is long gone, and Gear4music is asking €157 (£135 ) today and seem to be out of stock ? I mostly use our EWI USB with home-brewed patches in ALSA Modular Synth, an old fave. Just checked Thomann - £125 plus postage and allegedly in stock. Thank you for the informed analysis - whilst I'd like one, that is a lot of grocery vouchers to pay in these troubled times😉.
Oh this looks FUN! And I'd love to be able to play any time with headphones in and that's possible too. Thanks for the review Sarah, I've just added myself to their waiting list. I wonder how many colours they'll make it in....
I just discovered your channel and I'm not musical myself so I live vicariously through those that are and I just wanted to say that you a a joy to watch. Thanks for putting great information out there on an oft under appreciated instrument!
pardon the intrusion... You can absolutely connect re.corder to any DAW (Cubase, Logic, FL Studio, etc), in fact in our opinion that is definitely the scenario in which the instrument performs best.
The main problem I heard with that recorder sample (not the actual tone of the instrument played acoustically, the electronic version of it) is that they built the attack into each note, and it takes a fraction of a second to bloom.. and then when it does, it has a bit of Ian Anderson-style second-harmonic overblowing in it. Every. Time. You hit. The note. That fraction of a second before it blooms could actually be the source of what you're hearing as latency issues with that voice - you say you didn't experience it with, say, the guitar voice. Otherwise.. a €69 Lyricon? Yeah sign me up!
The design is based on sampled sounds, and not tone generators, so the built-in vibrato is the result of looping through the sample. I don't imagine there's much the manufacturer can do about it, but I've heard worse. If they stick to the price point, it's an amazing value, and I share your enthusiasm.
Unfortunately, it looks like they already haven't stuck to the price point. Their website now says "Price: 180 €/$." Still a good price for a decent wind controller, though.
you are exactly right. re.corder is a MIDI over BLUETOOTH controller, therefore it can be used with any DAW and external midi sound source ruclips.net/video/xuWZp4qaF2g/видео.html
Thank you! Excellent as ever, and so informative! To update everyone interested in buying one, the good news is that it is on Gear4Music as well as Thomann - but here in the UK the price is ~£135.00! So sad about that. I'm still interested, but will be sticking with my Akai EWI, which was about the same price when new. Well done with the thorough review!😀
While I wait and wait and wait for mine to arrive (I was an early backer) ... I appreciate your review. As someone that has worked with sampling, I'm pretty sure the problem with the recorder sounds and latency has to do with the actual recorder samples (which are sub-par) ... They ought to hire you for a recording session and get some quality samples in there. :-)
Great video Sarah! As a backer still waiting on my instrument it was great to see. I shared this video on the re.corder facebook group and it was a bit hit!
Note: I own and play an Akai EWI 11:16 A possible fix: As it stands wind players don't normally see nor think of Attack-Sustain-Hold-delay or vibration of the waveform. once you learn it it's more like "ohhhhhh yahhh" Changing the levels of the ADSR for Most Electronic Wind Instruments: faster tonguing/breath is usually achieved with longer sustain/hold levels. As for vibrato that in its own right is a control unto itself as a Modulation of the waveform! Set as midi cc message #1 for Modulation. as it stands two solutions exist a lip/bite/thumb Sensor or a Complex pick-up Sensor (in this case micro mic for post fx under audio to midi). unfortunatly * Note2 it could be Hardwear: Under conditions for most delay problems, it's simply an issue of the Latency of computer code from the sensor reaching the cpu device in time to be processed and output through the speakers.
What a fun instrument! Re physical styling, I wish there were more plain old acoustic recorders for the general market with more modern stylings and ornamentation.
Finally, after ~3 months of strugling with latency (Re.Corder & Android), I have "solved" (bypassed) this issue → with external "MIDI BLE to USB" dongle ("WIDI bud Pro") + pocket MIDI soundModule ("Midiplus MiniEngine"), connected through 3,5mm Line-OUT to active repro. ♫ And voil'a: now we have an instant "GeneralMIDI" audio output (128 instruments + reverb), without any "computer" (Android, Apple, Windows, etc.) ... and most importantly → without any noticeable LATENCY (y) 😊
Back in the 90s, I had an idea for a heavy rock recorder song/album/career. I think I wrote the intro to one song before abandoning it as everyone was telling me it was a terrible idea.
Sarah, you are very entertaining to watch, and very nice looking too! I'm going to watch more of your videos even though I don't have any specific interest in the recorder.
Superb review. I'm sold on getting one of these when they're generally available. FWIW, as a software developer, I'd appreciate all the specific critiques as valuable input for future revisions / iterations. I imagine the strap is for kids who are otherwise bound to drop what is a presumably more delicate instrument than a $5 plastic soprano?
Great review! I've seen this before, but I was not sure of everything it could do. Even though the acoustic sound is not refined, it is nice that it can be played on its own as well as digitally. Sounds like a good price for all that it does as well. I hope they take your recommendations, Sarah. 😊🎶
It's called a recorder from the Italian word "ricorda", meaning "remember", from the time when the instrument was used by singers to memorize the melodies for what we usually call _Gregorian Chants_
I’ve been waiting for a while to get mine. I’m excited. I think you should also try it out with other MIDI applications as well. Many synthesizers can take the breath control.
The Re.corder is now (Feb. 2023) priced at $133 U.S. dollars at Thomann. Reviews posted are mixed. Sarah's review seems very complete and fair, but I don't really like the sounds produced by the device, and feel the latency would drive me crazy. I already have a digital wind instrument that I really like: The Yamaha YDS-150.
It would be great if Artinoise could fix some of the things. It would probably be expensive for them, but if they could offset the pinky finger holes, that would be a selling point. Also, it would be really cool if there was a button to easily extend the range, especially lower.
There are buttons to shift the range by octaves in both directions - they are a little bit fiddly, so you need a bit of clear space (a bar or two) in what you are playing to do it - but I find you hardly ever need to; this is because the fingering is configurable and you can extend the range both up and down beyond the range of a conventional recorder. There is a limit to how many fingerings you can have at anyone time, but it's quite big. Theoretically you could set the re.corder up to have nearly a 5 octave range, but it wouldn't be very practical for a number of reasons. I've set mine up to have a three and a half octave range, which, given that I can shift that range up or down by octaves, is enough to accommodate most instruments that I want to 'mimic'.
Hi Sarah, a tech idea that comes into mind when I saw you dropping the labium clip: They could make it a cover you shift up and down over the labium. I don't know whether it actually works as fine like the clip version they built...
The tiny plastic mute is something that belongs in a prototype. There should be a simple sliding interruptor to block or change the the wind path. Esoteric electronics companies relying on mobile apps are prone to be sold and dropped. (At least it's a recorder.) The battery concerns with the CarryOn device also apply. Both devices are being cheap with the chosen (slow) microprocessors. These aren't car radios. They're supposed to be seamless versions of wind instruments.
I don't think that a sliding interruptor would be practical; the mute doesn't cover the labium hole, it diverts the air stream so that the recorder is silent; the muting surface is at an angle, it doesn't cover the hole horizontally (in fact the air stream still has to be able to escape through the labium whole or the air pressure would be too high and you would have very little dynamic control). The mobile/tablet app is not the only option for playing digitally; you can also use it as a midi controller on your PC. I've had one for nearly a year now - no battery problems whatsoever; a full charge lasts two weeks if you don't use the re.corder and about two days of heavy use. I don't agree at all that this is supposed to be a "seamless version of a wind instrument"; it is an instrument in its own right; when you are playing digitally, the only way in which it is exactly the same as a recorder is in the default fingering, and you can change that if you want to. Personally, I didn't buy it as a recorder, I bought it as a midi controller that I could play "out of the box" because I already knew the fingering from playing the recorder. If all that you want is a recorder, then buy a recorder,
The acoustic sound comes across as thin (and maybe scratchy?) to me. Edited to add that the electronic options sound cool. Maybe this has lots of scope for modern music?
I just watched your video (wonderful, and you remind me greatly of a young lady I knew many years ago. I'm 72) and wonder if they took your review to heart, especially the recorder sound "vibrato".
That sounds likely, but it could also be in the sample. It's already quite wet. For as long as the instrument isn't bound to its app, any of those issues could indeed be easily sorted by patching it into any sample player or VST with recorder sounds.
That matches with my experience. Yes, there are some settings that you can change in the app that can make a difference to apparent latency, but the most important factor is the ADSR envelope of the VST etc you are playing - and you sometimes need to adjust these
I’d say the one thing to improve would be the synth sounds: piano just screams midi. Perhaps allow adding your own samples? Or connecting to a third-party synth/vst?
Is it possible to switch it to recorders in F, and maybe in G too? That would be interesting. Also adding ancient wind instruments like cornetts and serpents, shawms, dulcians, raketts etc. would be nice, after all that's a thing which many recorder players look for too.
Yes, it is completely possible. There are two ways to do it: the fingering is completely configurable so you can define it as you wish; there is also a "transpose" feature that allows you to move the sounded pitch up or down a semitone at a time as much as a full octave in either direction - this can be done in seconds, whereas setting up a whole new fingering will take quite a few minutes.
All the MIDI issues can be overridden by having a fuller synth interface. And the breath sensor is slower, since there is an interpreter rather than merely a trigger sensor. You might see it with aftertouch on the keypad sensors, but it would be buried in the decay, not the attack, unless you reverse track with delay like on "Whole Lotta Love". That's mostly just tech. The big change would be the ability to rotate the foot for the bottom notes, maybe a key for the bell...I could see this as a fusion instrument on the order of an Eagle-styled interface. Still, this is not just another breath-input device. This is an augment, not a replacement. It really has potential.
Can you recommend re.corder to practice with headphones to avoid disturbing my neighbors. Will skills gained in this way be applicable to a regular recorder?
@@mrs.kencade7372 I have come to it the other way round; I have been playing the regular recorder for many many years - now I have a re.corder as well. I would say that the answer to your question is yes for some aspects of recorder playing, but no for some others. The default fingering is basically the same (although the bottom hole is not offset as it is on a conventional recorder) and you can tongue as you do on a conventional recorder, so those are two things you can definitely practise in silence. But when you are playing the re.corder digitally, as you have to if you want to listen through headphones, then there are some differences compared to a conventional recorder, basically with regard to tonguing and breath. Playing digitally, you can't produce any kind of "percussive" effects through tonguing; you just start or stop the sound, you can't alter that sound in any way by tonguing hard or soft. Breath is perhaps more important; the re.corder will not drop pitch if you blow too softly, nor will it go sharp if you blow too hard - it will always produce the same (correct) pitch, it will just be quieter or louder. This makes it easier to play in some ways, because you only have to get your fingering right to produce the right note - you don't have to change your breath force for the high and low registers. So in that respect it's not a substitute for practice on a "real" recorder. My own view is that it's not worth buying the re.corder merely as another conventional recorder that has the advantage of being mutable - it's really an electric instrument in its own right and, as such, is easily worth the asking price.
Neat idea, the hole position on the lowest hole really should be offset like in a regular recoder. If you're using this to learn and you're developing muscle memory, it seems like you should learn proper finger position no?
sensing breath is pretty difficult, probably there is a tiny fan inside the device. touch sensing are easy, and we use it a lot in everywhere (such as remote control for a air conditioner perhaps?) and the last two holes are not tilted are probably just engineers are lazy, or manufacturer cost, else there's no really reason why we cant tilt them. a fun device, i would want to get one. I really like these fun device such as otamatone.
Great video. Would you recommend this or the Carry-On Digital Wind Instrument you recently reviewed? I know the Carry-On has built-in sounds and a speaker, but would you really use them instead of a MIDI-triggered sound on your phone or computer? Thanks.
I learned the recorded years ago but now I'm focusing in the ukulele, tbh, I don't really like the populele, but this re.corder sounds pretty cool :) thanks for the review, Sarah
maybe the mute can be on a hinge? it could maybe flip up towards the player? I dont play recorder though so I dont know how that whistle hole thing's geometry works.
Midi instruments never cease to surprise and delight me when an unexpected voice comes out of a package I have a preconceived notion about.
batteries included 😊 ♫
MAN O WAR BLEW ME AWAY (MANCHESYER APPOLLO 1984 WOW THESE FELLAS ARE THE LOUDEST BAND I HAVE EVER HEARD AND THEY HAD JUST RELEASED SIGN OF THE HAMMER EXELENT ALBUM AFTER THE SHOW IT WAS LIKE ME AND MY FREINDS WERE IN SHOCK ITS ALL (HEAVYMETALTHUNDER)
MAN 0 WAR BOSWELL
I'd say the developers got a totally cracking deal by sending you the re.corder. All that expert feedback ? Basically getting a consultant for free.
But what is really impressive is Sarah's openness and enthusiasm. No elitism here , sneering or otherwise.
Aww thanks, that’s lovely to hear :)
you're absolutely right, we'll be eternally grateful to Sarah for her precious advices and the time she's invested in making this video. Grazie Sarah... if you ever come to Italy remember about us and please, be our guest :)
Sarah, you're a smile-maker, a first class musician and a real lady for a real world. I love that digital wonder. I used to have a "digital horn" which I interfaced to my synthesiser via midi. Sadly, burglars relieved me of it.
@@artinoise Well done Artinoise this is such an amazing and versatile instrument, and thank you Sarah for giving them your valuable feedback in order to help them to refine it, I'm off to put my name on the waiting list... 👍😉
You know, it now comes with a second mute-tap in case you loose the first one? ;-) Did ypu clean THW recorder, I know it is a stupid question, but the stick that was delivered along with it barely fits in the re.corder and if I add any Kind of small tissue it won't enter at all. Would be glad for any advice. Tried the one from my sopranino but it is too short...
Amyway thanks for the great Video without it I would have never known about it...
I had never heard about it ... You can always depend on Sarah to keep us up to date on anything recorder related ... thanks Sarah!
As a person always trying to play the recorder, re.corder is the best thing ever. I learned more in month that I have in years. Nobody has to listen to my mistakes.
I've been following this with interest. The main area that interests me is the ability to use headphones so you can practise silently. To listen to someone play the same passage over and over must be really annoying and can stop the learner from playing, but if you can plug headphones in, perfect!
This was my main reason for backing this on Kickstarter. Still waiting for delivery, so excited to get this! The one note on using headphones is you want to have a device you can plug the headphones in directly. My understanding is bluetooth headphones would introduce more latency.
@@laurameier4482 bluetooth headphones, oh no thanks. I have a pair and though they're great for listening to music I bought a dongle and tried them with my digital piano. The delay was so bad it was unplayable
Yes, you can use headphones to practise silently. When playing digitally, with the mute plug in, the re.corder itself doesn't produce any sound; the sound is produced via the app on your phone, Ipad, PC, whatever you have connected the re.corder to via bluetooth - so you just plug your headphones into the device in question, not into the re.corder. And you're right - don't use bluetooth headphones or you will get significant latency problems.
@@adolforodolfo6929 sounds like its still using Bluetooth to connect to your phone, tablet etc
@@LarryShone Yes, absolutely, that is the only way it can connect to anything - it can't be wired in, it doesn't have a USB connection capability.
fun fact abt me i just started playing recorder 1 week ago and learnd 2 songs ! bc of sarah
@Emilie T. Bühler I started last week bc I had to get a recorder never new how much I would live it
Awwww yay that’s lovely to hear! ❤️
@@Team_Recorder yw im in shock that u replied to Me aaa welll i love u and your videos already
Yeaaa I got my recorder singe Wednesday the 31st of March. It is the plastic baroque recorder in renaissance-look. I love Sarah's channel since it is so inspirational.
Ehe trigger of buying the recorder was singe ny clarinet broke and needs a repair. So why not learning a new instrument and it' s really fun
Yamaha: piano can play as recorder.
Artinoise: Well, now recorder can play as piano. All in balance!
If the recorder played as trumpet, it would be like you were playing a Cornett.
it was about time for the recorder's revenge :)
What about my kazoo???
@@AMPProf Crumhorns sound like kazoos, don’t they?
That was a valuable review, both for consumers and developers. This product excites me at that price point. Over 30 years ago, I enjoyed playing the Casio DH-100, and this product has much more potential for fun. If Artinoise makes your suggested improvements, I'd like to form a postmodern Devo with all bandmates playing a re.corder. Imagine what fun we'd have!
@Chris Brisson - Casio DH-100! Yes! I loved that, but 'had' to give it to my young cousin whose enthusiasm for it was overwhelming. That had very good breath control, using a sensor that looked like a small loudspeaker with a plastic cone. The cone was displaced by the back-pressure, and the electronics detected this. Very effective.
How FUN!!! I'm on the waiting list. I've been a recorderplayer for 50 years, and find this very cool. (I also have an Orba from Artiphone, love playing with music and sounds. )
I have a re.corder (from the kickstarter). I agree with everything Sarah said, especially regarding the latency and the lack of explanation to the menus.
The most important thing to me is, although it's very impressive, this is NOT a wind instrument. It's a MIDI controller using your breath and your finger positions, etc. A real recorder, like any wind instrument, is exquisitely sensitive to your breath - the pitch changes when you blow harder or softer, and it "speaks" when you use your tongue to articulate (ta-da-da or whatever). This thing is not, and I have some difficulty with complex rythms. It's a bit like the difference between your own arm and a bionic arm if you've had your arm amputated. The bionic arm might be a lot stronger, but nobody would cut off their arm to get one!
Excuse me I have a question ... but when you play, the sound comes out of the flute or the phone
@@alessandropozzi9575 It can be played as an ordinary recorder, but not a very good one!
The normal way to play is as a MIDI controller. Each hole is equipped with sensors (2 for the thumb-hole), plus there is a sensor measuring how hard you blow - you have to put on a mute that redirects air to the sensor. The on-board CPU sends a stream of notes through a bluetooth connection to an app on your phone or PC, which in turn is in charge of generating the notes.
Don't get me wrong, if a breath-controlled MIDI controller is what you want it's very good value, and it's quite fun to be able to switch between a flute, an oboe, a sax or a cello. But it's a completely different thing from any of those instruments in real life.
@@gerardvila4685 Ok Thanks!
so basically in theory it would be easier to learn than the basic recorder ?
Is there, to your knowledge, an alternative electronic recorder that does a better job of being sensitive to your breath and fine finger subtleties?
This channel is one of the most joyful experiences you can have on RUclips, whether you play the recorder or not!
So first off, you are just adorable. I love your enthusiasm!! This really is a cool idea, especially since most electronic wind instruments are useless without power or a battery- being able to play it acoustically is a game changer here.
In acoustic mode, it sounds more like an Irish whistle to me than a recorder, so it's like a pennywhistle with recorder fingerings.
2:19
A thorough and clear review - far better than most on RUclips. Good job!
There is a downloadable manual in the help section. I was a kick starter backer and have mine, it’s good for silent practice when insomnia hits 🙂
COME ORDINARE IL FLAUTO?
COME ORDINARE IL FLAUTO?
If they added software to produce microtones and historical scales it would be great.
Sarah drops strap "I'm living life on the edge"
:')
Absolutely brilliant review! Nothing left to wonder about, Sarah has answered everything you'd want to know, and more!
Just watched all your videos on different EWI devices - your advice as a recorder player is the only one I trust to make a selection between these devices. Thanks for your thoughtful comments from a recorder-focused musician.
One of the best review I've seen! Not just an unboxing as a lot of people do
Sarah, I love your reviews partly because you give such good, constructive criticism pointing out where improvements can be made. Your videos are 🔥
No need to apologise, I'm sure they knew they were sending their re.corder to a very competent professional!
And what a great review!!!
I had dabbled with the idea of buying one of these thingies, there are other midi electronics around, but they are hugely expensive and they have one gazillion functions I will never use because I'm just an amateur and not a composer.
Then I saw some previews of this instrument and thought, yes, but how does it work?
And now, thanks to Sarah, I know.
I was attracted by the idea of a midi instrument based on the recorder - not with its own fingerings but with recorder's fingerings. The learning section would also be great for me. The midi section I don't need but I'm sure others might like it.
I am a bit put off by the problems you mention and I do hope they amend them because the price is great and I'd buy one on the spot.
Yeah, hopefully they take notice of Sarah's criticisms. They some like they are mostly software related so they should be able to fix everything or add some kind of software toggle options (like to turn auto-vibrato on or off). They may need to modify the midis a bit to make them seem more responsive, but that sound be something they can easily do at this point.
That's super affordable for what it is (that's about $75 usd or something.) I could see it being used for a wide range of recorder players. It could be fun new learning tool for students, a creative new tool for musicians, great for sound effects, used in performances... Hopefully they take these critiques into consideration before they send it to market and come out with a banging product. this looks super cool
Yes, I’d love to use it with students! Would be so fun!
I like these new wind instruments because you can control the sound so you don't disturb family or neighbors while you practice.
Loved the demo of Sicilienne, I'm doing that piece for my senior recital for trumpet and you don't see it too terribly often, especially outside of strings.
It’s a beautiful piece isn’t it!
Wow , I never have imagined that this re.corder exists lol
Looks like a kazoo; sounds like a first generation Casiotone. Obviously I totally want one. :-)
Casio put out the amazing CasioHorn, which looked like a kind of a Sax, but had recorder fingering. And: it sounded like a Casio, but was also MIDI equipped.
Definitely looks like it could be a fun substitute for the Akai EWI.
Also: re.corder's Bluetooth MIDI connects to zillions of responsive MIDI synths and samplers, with plenty of modulation possibilities.
I was an "early bird orderer" and already have mine - and it's fun. I totally agree to Sarahs comments (especially the notation irritates me), still struggeling a bit with the bluetooth connections and the best settings. This also depends on the phone/tablet you use. - By the way, Sarah, there's an extra cord to attach the little "mute" plastic to the neck strap (so you won't lose it :-) .
Ahhhh maybe I should have put on the neck strap!
😁 ....it looks/reminds me of the very first smartphones where you were able to attach little charms/pendants - same system
Thank you for this review, very helpful for me. I've just seen those on the market, but not for 60E. More like 180E. I think the best feature is the possibility to play on headphones at night 😊
Hi Sarah, my 'earlybird' re.corder has just arrived and so far I'm delighted. Less plasticky and toy-like than I half-expected. Your review definitely helped to convince me. It seems that they listened to you! My mute plug has a little clip that clips it firmly to the lanyard when not in use. Good work.
Thank you for the detailed informations about the new re.corder!
Sarah, that's what I call a good review. BTW, you can use the small lanyard loops that came with it to attach the mute to the instrument, so you won't lose it. It says so in the manual ;-)
I bought my re.corder through the Kickstarter campaign to add another windcontroller to my 18 piece collection. I've been a sax player for decades before converting to windcontrollers a few decades ago. I've never played the recorder, so I'll have to learn the fingerings. For me it was just a gimmick to add to the collection and never intended to be used regularly. I have more professional windcontrollers for that. However, I was pleasantly surprised by what my €60 got me. I have more expensive windcontrollers with less features. When latency is too high, it's unusable as an instrument. I have noticed some latency with the re.corder. You make some great observation when pointing out the attack of the sound patch. Since you can play the piano patch without latency, the Bluetooth connection isn't causing the issue. I would suspect they intentionally increased the breath response time to prevent glitches (unintended ghost notes) that are so common when playing an electronic wind instrument set to respond fast. If they would add a parameter to adjust the breath response time it would be much better. Maybe they did already with all the MIDI curves you can set, but I agree with you, that UI could be improved as well. All in all, for the money I paid as an early bird on Kickstarter, it offers a lot. From what I've heard so far, I'm quite sure future production runs will not be as cheap as the initial Kickstarter run.
Glad you enjoyed! Yes, in the settings you can change all kinds of parameters, but it was something that try as I could, I couldn't get it to do what I wanted it to... On the EWI the button to breath threshold to prevent those ghost notes is super handy, so a similar interface would be great.
@Blade1965 - Heh! You have more wind controllers than I do! Well done! 👍Yes, you are right - the €60 price (about 50 quid) is long gone, and Gear4music is asking €157 (£135 ) today and seem to be out of stock ? I mostly use our EWI USB with home-brewed patches in ALSA Modular Synth, an old fave. Just checked Thomann - £125 plus postage and allegedly in stock. Thank you for the informed analysis - whilst I'd like one, that is a lot of grocery vouchers to pay in these troubled times😉.
Definitely, I want one. Thanks for the detailed review.
Thanks for playing Maria Theresa von Paradis!
Whats Is the cost for Colombia?
I really enjoy your presentations; you are a celebrity in my world.
Oh this looks FUN! And I'd love to be able to play any time with headphones in and that's possible too. Thanks for the review Sarah, I've just added myself to their waiting list. I wonder how many colours they'll make it in....
I just discovered your channel and I'm not musical myself so I live vicariously through those that are and I just wanted to say that you a a joy to watch. Thanks for putting great information out there on an oft under appreciated instrument!
I am a guitarist and synth player. you demonstrate this very well and make me want one.
I toally agree with you, Sarah! What I would like to add is the possibility to plug it into a computer and work with it on Cubase or other programs.
pardon the intrusion... You can absolutely connect re.corder to any DAW (Cubase, Logic, FL Studio, etc), in fact in our opinion that is definitely the scenario in which the instrument performs best.
@@artinoise oh,nice. I thought it only works with the app. Now I am considering to buy it.
This is a brilliant and fun review, I am waiting patiently for my Re.corder to be dispatched and look forward to some more performances from you :-)
The main problem I heard with that recorder sample (not the actual tone of the instrument played acoustically, the electronic version of it) is that they built the attack into each note, and it takes a fraction of a second to bloom.. and then when it does, it has a bit of Ian Anderson-style second-harmonic overblowing in it. Every. Time. You hit. The note. That fraction of a second before it blooms could actually be the source of what you're hearing as latency issues with that voice - you say you didn't experience it with, say, the guitar voice. Otherwise.. a €69 Lyricon? Yeah sign me up!
Exactly!
I'm really amazed with this recorder!!!
Super cool!
Please attach the labium inset to the recorder semi permanently.
The design is based on sampled sounds, and not tone generators, so the built-in vibrato is the result of looping through the sample. I don't imagine there's much the manufacturer can do about it, but I've heard worse. If they stick to the price point, it's an amazing value, and I share your enthusiasm.
Unfortunately, it looks like they already haven't stuck to the price point. Their website now says "Price: 180 €/$." Still a good price for a decent wind controller, though.
I think the "built-in vibrato" is a sample looping. If you use this to trigger not the app but a software synthesizer it'll be a lot better.
you are exactly right. re.corder is a MIDI over BLUETOOTH controller, therefore it can be used with any DAW and external midi sound source ruclips.net/video/xuWZp4qaF2g/видео.html
I can see the mute hingeing upward to be clicked into place away from the labium, because you're right -- that thing is waiting to get lost.
Thank you! Excellent as ever, and so informative! To update everyone interested in buying one, the good news is that it is on Gear4Music as well as Thomann - but here in the UK the price is ~£135.00!
So sad about that. I'm still interested, but will be sticking with my Akai EWI, which was about the same price when new. Well done with the thorough review!😀
Just heard about this at NAMM and got one. It’ll be my first MIDI instrument.
While I wait and wait and wait for mine to arrive (I was an early backer) ... I appreciate your review. As someone that has worked with sampling, I'm pretty sure the problem with the recorder sounds and latency has to do with the actual recorder samples (which are sub-par) ... They ought to hire you for a recording session and get some quality samples in there. :-)
It occurs to me that I am not the target market for this, but it is still pretty cool. 👍
Soft and smooth feels, of sounds, voices so sweet's. This is the rights, recorders.....feels .
You had great fun!
I quit learning the recorder bc noise complaints.... I'm waiting for mine to arrive!
Great video Sarah! As a backer still waiting on my instrument it was great to see. I shared this video on the re.corder facebook group and it was a bit hit!
Note: I own and play an Akai EWI
11:16 A possible fix:
As it stands wind players don't normally see nor think of Attack-Sustain-Hold-delay or vibration of the waveform. once you learn it it's more like "ohhhhhh yahhh"
Changing the levels of the ADSR for Most Electronic Wind Instruments: faster tonguing/breath is usually achieved with longer sustain/hold levels. As for vibrato that in its own right is a control unto itself as a Modulation of the waveform! Set as midi cc message #1 for Modulation. as it stands two solutions exist a lip/bite/thumb Sensor or a Complex pick-up Sensor (in this case micro mic for post fx under audio to midi).
unfortunatly
* Note2 it could be Hardwear: Under conditions for most delay problems, it's simply an issue of the Latency of computer code from the sensor reaching the cpu device in time to be processed and output through the speakers.
I love the lip sensor. I play tin whistle, but there are days I can barely breathe. So that would be wonderful.
What a fun instrument! Re physical styling, I wish there were more plain old acoustic recorders for the general market with more modern stylings and ornamentation.
Finally, after ~3 months of strugling with latency (Re.Corder & Android), I have "solved" (bypassed) this issue → with external "MIDI BLE to USB" dongle ("WIDI bud Pro") + pocket MIDI soundModule ("Midiplus MiniEngine"), connected through 3,5mm Line-OUT to active repro.
♫ And voil'a: now we have an instant "GeneralMIDI" audio output (128 instruments + reverb), without any "computer" (Android, Apple, Windows, etc.) ... and most importantly → without any noticeable LATENCY (y) 😊
I love your accent and facial expressions, and your playing is AMAZING!!! Thumbs up for sure! You seem like such a lovely person!!!
Aww thanks!
Just installed the Chamber Orchestra by Versilian Studios. Now waiting for my re.corder😊
Yes this is it! The death metal recorder exsist!
Back in the 90s, I had an idea for a heavy rock recorder song/album/career. I think I wrote the intro to one song before abandoning it as everyone was telling me it was a terrible idea.
@@surfdigby Not a bad idea.
Sarah, you are very entertaining to watch, and very nice looking too! I'm going to watch more of your videos even though I don't have any specific interest in the recorder.
9:15 nice function! Finally I could play some duets by myself :D
Good GRACIOUS! Lord bless the inventor of this instrument forever! I simply and absolutely love its versatility! 🌸🌸🌸✨✨
I just bought a yamaha recorder and I must say the sound is so much better than the cheap brandless recorder I had bought about 12 years ago!
Has it really been only a year? I really feel you did a great job with this video. You are really a great resource. Thanks.
Life on the edge 😍😍
Thanks for sharing your detailed expert observations!
Superb review. I'm sold on getting one of these when they're generally available. FWIW, as a software developer, I'd appreciate all the specific critiques as valuable input for future revisions / iterations.
I imagine the strap is for kids who are otherwise bound to drop what is a presumably more delicate instrument than a $5 plastic soprano?
Great review! I've seen this before, but I was not sure of everything it could do. Even though the acoustic sound is not refined, it is nice that it can be played on its own as well as digitally. Sounds like a good price for all that it does as well. I hope they take your recommendations, Sarah. 😊🎶
Well it took almost 40 years, but finally the mystery why they call this instrument a"recorder" and not a "flute" has been revealed... tx for that!
It's called a recorder from the Italian word "ricorda", meaning "remember", from the time when the instrument was used by singers to memorize the melodies for what we usually call _Gregorian Chants_
@@YozhikvTumane Tx! That's what I call information! So thank you for explaining 😃 grazie!
@@OndrejPopp It's also been said that the name comes from bringing the instrument outside to replicate and "remember" the melodies sung by birds
I just found out there is a musical instrument like this that is wonderful
I’ve been waiting for a while to get mine. I’m excited.
I think you should also try it out with other MIDI applications as well. Many synthesizers can take the breath control.
The Re.corder is now (Feb. 2023) priced at $133 U.S. dollars at Thomann. Reviews posted are mixed. Sarah's review seems very complete and fair, but I don't really like the sounds produced by the device, and feel the latency would drive me crazy. I already have a digital wind instrument that I really like: The Yamaha YDS-150.
just a wonderful review ! ... informative and very entertaining ! cool !
It would be great if Artinoise could fix some of the things. It would probably be expensive for them, but if they could offset the pinky finger holes, that would be a selling point. Also, it would be really cool if there was a button to easily extend the range, especially lower.
There are buttons to shift the range by octaves in both directions - they are a little bit fiddly, so you need a bit of clear space (a bar or two) in what you are playing to do it - but I find you hardly ever need to; this is because the fingering is configurable and you can extend the range both up and down beyond the range of a conventional recorder. There is a limit to how many fingerings you can have at anyone time, but it's quite big. Theoretically you could set the re.corder up to have nearly a 5 octave range, but it wouldn't be very practical for a number of reasons. I've set mine up to have a three and a half octave range, which, given that I can shift that range up or down by octaves, is enough to accommodate most instruments that I want to 'mimic'.
Hi Sarah,
a tech idea that comes into mind when I saw you dropping the labium clip: They could make it a cover you shift up and down over the labium. I don't know whether it actually works as fine like the clip version they built...
That seems like such a cool practice and writing tool.
Never liked the sounds of a recorder but the video popped up for RUclips. I learned something new. A MIDI recorder.
The tiny plastic mute is something that belongs in a prototype. There should be a simple sliding interruptor to block or change the the wind path. Esoteric electronics companies relying on mobile apps are prone to be sold and dropped. (At least it's a recorder.) The battery concerns with the CarryOn device also apply. Both devices are being cheap with the chosen (slow) microprocessors. These aren't car radios. They're supposed to be seamless versions of wind instruments.
I don't think that a sliding interruptor would be practical; the mute doesn't cover the labium hole, it diverts the air stream so that the recorder is silent; the muting surface is at an angle, it doesn't cover the hole horizontally (in fact the air stream still has to be able to escape through the labium whole or the air pressure would be too high and you would have very little dynamic control). The mobile/tablet app is not the only option for playing digitally; you can also use it as a midi controller on your PC. I've had one for nearly a year now - no battery problems whatsoever; a full charge lasts two weeks if you don't use the re.corder and about two days of heavy use. I don't agree at all that this is supposed to be a "seamless version of a wind instrument"; it is an instrument in its own right; when you are playing digitally, the only way in which it is exactly the same as a recorder is in the default fingering, and you can change that if you want to. Personally, I didn't buy it as a recorder, I bought it as a midi controller that I could play "out of the box" because I already knew the fingering from playing the recorder. If all that you want is a recorder, then buy a recorder,
That looked super fun!
The acoustic sound comes across as thin (and maybe scratchy?) to me. Edited to add that the electronic options sound cool. Maybe this has lots of scope for modern music?
I just watched your video (wonderful, and you remind me greatly of a young lady I knew many years ago. I'm 72) and wonder if they took your review to heart, especially the recorder sound "vibrato".
My theory is that the latency when starting the note with breath is actually just a slow attack in the ADSR envelope. Will test when I get my own!
That sounds likely, but it could also be in the sample. It's already quite wet. For as long as the instrument isn't bound to its app, any of those issues could indeed be easily sorted by patching it into any sample player or VST with recorder sounds.
That matches with my experience. Yes, there are some settings that you can change in the app that can make a difference to apparent latency, but the most important factor is the ADSR envelope of the VST etc you are playing - and you sometimes need to adjust these
I’d say the one thing to improve would be the synth sounds: piano just screams midi. Perhaps allow adding your own samples? Or connecting to a third-party synth/vst?
As a pianist I can't agree more!
You can connect to a third party synth/vst, but only by bluetooth.
Is it possible to switch it to recorders in F, and maybe in G too? That would be interesting.
Also adding ancient wind instruments like cornetts and serpents, shawms, dulcians, raketts etc. would be nice, after all that's a thing which many recorder players look for too.
My intuition tells me that's likely to come in an app update.
@@lua-nya I hope so it is.
Yes, it is completely possible. There are two ways to do it: the fingering is completely configurable so you can define it as you wish; there is also a "transpose" feature that allows you to move the sounded pitch up or down a semitone at a time as much as a full octave in either direction - this can be done in seconds, whereas setting up a whole new fingering will take quite a few minutes.
some of that reminds me of Revenge of the Nerds, the stage show. Very nice!!
Thanks for the review. Hopefully we'll have one someday. 👍🙂
All the MIDI issues can be overridden by having a fuller synth interface. And the breath sensor is slower, since there is an interpreter rather than merely a trigger sensor. You might see it with aftertouch on the keypad sensors, but it would be buried in the decay, not the attack, unless you reverse track with delay like on "Whole Lotta Love". That's mostly just tech.
The big change would be the ability to rotate the foot for the bottom notes, maybe a key for the bell...I could see this as a fusion instrument on the order of an Eagle-styled interface.
Still, this is not just another breath-input device. This is an augment, not a replacement. It really has potential.
Waiting for mine! USA is at the end of the line.
Can you recommend re.corder to practice with headphones to avoid disturbing my neighbors. Will skills gained in this way be applicable to a regular recorder?
I was wondering the same thing.
@@mrs.kencade7372 I have come to it the other way round; I have been playing the regular recorder for many many years - now I have a re.corder as well. I would say that the answer to your question is yes for some aspects of recorder playing, but no for some others. The default fingering is basically the same (although the bottom hole is not offset as it is on a conventional recorder) and you can tongue as you do on a conventional recorder, so those are two things you can definitely practise in silence. But when you are playing the re.corder digitally, as you have to if you want to listen through headphones, then there are some differences compared to a conventional recorder, basically with regard to tonguing and breath. Playing digitally, you can't produce any kind of "percussive" effects through tonguing; you just start or stop the sound, you can't alter that sound in any way by tonguing hard or soft. Breath is perhaps more important; the re.corder will not drop pitch if you blow too softly, nor will it go sharp if you blow too hard - it will always produce the same (correct) pitch, it will just be quieter or louder. This makes it easier to play in some ways, because you only have to get your fingering right to produce the right note - you don't have to change your breath force for the high and low registers. So in that respect it's not a substitute for practice on a "real" recorder. My own view is that it's not worth buying the re.corder merely as another conventional recorder that has the advantage of being mutable - it's really an electric instrument in its own right and, as such, is easily worth the asking price.
Neat idea, the hole position on the lowest hole really should be offset like in a regular recoder. If you're using this to learn and you're developing muscle memory, it seems like you should learn proper finger position no?
sensing breath is pretty difficult, probably there is a tiny fan inside the device.
touch sensing are easy, and we use it a lot in everywhere (such as remote control for a air conditioner perhaps?)
and the last two holes are not tilted are probably just engineers are lazy, or manufacturer cost, else there's no really reason why we cant tilt them.
a fun device, i would want to get one.
I really like these fun device such as otamatone.
man, I can't even play the recorder, but that looks like SO MUCH fun I kinda want one, even just to lesrn with =)
Can you create you own tutorial in the app...for example, your own composition?
Great video. Would you recommend this or the Carry-On Digital Wind Instrument you recently reviewed? I know the Carry-On has built-in sounds and a speaker, but would you really use them instead of a MIDI-triggered sound on your phone or computer? Thanks.
I learned the recorded years ago but now I'm focusing in the ukulele, tbh, I don't really like the populele, but this re.corder sounds pretty cool :) thanks for the review, Sarah
maybe the mute can be on a hinge? it could maybe flip up towards the player? I dont play recorder though so I dont know how that whistle hole thing's geometry works.
An very interesting Instrument.