Why I Built This

I had the idea for a computer keyboard-based MIDI saxophone controller a few years ago. As a producer/saxophonist I became tired of the workflow of having to either write in MIDI notes by hand or play them on a MIDI keyboard. None of these processes are particularly fun for me, they just felt like means to an end.

I had an Akai EWI 5000, and I never loved the feel of it: the octave rollers are clunky, and the key sensors don't provide a tactile response. Plus, I always felt a bit silly blowing air into the plastic breath sensor…it just doesn't make sense to me!

breathtaker1 was born from this frustration: wind instrumentalists had no intuitive way to control synthesizers. Traditional MIDI controllers are designed with pianists in mind, leaving wind players to adapt their technique to an unfamiliar interface.

What began as a passion project has evolved into a MIDI solution that brings the familiar fingering patterns of wind instruments into the digital realm, making electronic music production more accessible for saxophone, flute, and clarinet players.