As a saxophone player who's owned a Yamaha WX7 for about 4 years now I can tell you this thing is crap. The thing that people miss about digital wind instruments (I do NOT call mine an EWI - that's about the lamest name ever) is the tone generator. That's what makes these instruments really shine. My WX7 was built in the late 80's but my tone generator (the Yamaha VL70-M with the Patchman chip) sounds AMAZING. Many of the patches (specifically the flutes, clarinet, guitars) are unreal - the control you get by using your breath means they can be amazingly expressive - you can control pitch bend (vibrato) and volume all from breath just like a real instrument. I've fooled several friends with recordings of mine.

As for the poster that mentioned the lack of side/palm keys they are unneeded - on a sax you need those keys to be able to get higher and lower registers - on this you simply roll your left thumb back and forth to change the octave (which is really tough at first). So really you only need 12 keys plus the thumb (and a few others so you can play your preference keys for Bb for example).

So while this thing is lame, and admittedly so is my WX7 in the wrong context, in the right setting these things are amazingly fun to play. I love putting on the Hendrix sound and shredding a guitar solo while trading with a real guitarist.

Just my (very geeky) two cents...

I think I just had a dork-gasm, wow.

Guys the cheat to unlock all songs is:

Red-Yellow-Blue-Red-Red-Blue-Blue-Red-Yellow-Blue

Do this at the "Press Start" screen and you're all set.

Gotta be the 150" Panny right?

If Goro Murasaki happens to read this you have my sympathies, loosing a loved one, famous or not, human or not, hurts. I'm sure he's feeling the pain of loosing is friend... My thoughts are with you...

Hopefully it will actually work with the latest ATI cards - yet another thing that doesn't work with those cards, and I just got a 1950pro!!!

It's about time - I love reading Engadget but it was always such a pain on my Treo 700w. Thanks for doing this...

I wish the main Engadget site looked as good as the new mobile one - I know you guys worked hard on it but it's a HUGE step backwards in design if you ask me. I go back to EngadgetMobile and think, "Ah, there's that great looking design..."

Buffy the Vampier Slayer - Hush episode...

Miles Davis - All Blues

I have to agree, I always hold my meter almost straight up when I test systems, that's really how it's designed (at least that's what I've read countless times).

It's nice to see this guide, so many people think you are supposed to "hear" your rear channels. YOU'RE NOT! You're supposed to "feel" them, and that's how the sound guys mix it. Making ALL your speakers the exact same level with test tones is the ONLY way to get this right. I hate it when I hear friends systems and all you focus on is the rear channel and they think that is so cool...

Nice guide...