Electronic Wind Instrument (EWI) Cheap & Easy Non-destructive Mods & Cleaning

Viable electronic wind instruments ('EWIs') date from the 1970s, with this area of musical instrument design having seen some interesting developments since then. Casio produced several examples in the 1980s and other major manufacturers such as Akai, Yamaha and Roland currently offer numerous models, as do various independent manufacturers.

Launched in the early 2020s, the basic, uncomplicated Carry-On EWI was particularly intriguing, being very affordable and easy to play due to its fingering being similar to that of a recorder or tin whistle. Similar instruments from other brands soon emerged, several of which improved upon earlier designs. My preferred model is one of the latter and we'll be working with it here. It's available under various brand names including Vangoa and also as an unbranded item, but the disc-shaped silver keys are distinctive, so essentially if it looks like this one, it's this one! Furthermore, at the time of writing if you shop around in the usual online places you can find this exact model for just over UK£40 or US$79. What's not to like?

These inexpensive EWIs are unsurprisingly marketed as headphone-friendly instruments for beginners and as fun alternatives for experienced woodwind players, but they can also have a role in the setup of any musician working with electronics who can find their way around this very accessible instrument. However, in all of these situations there are a few simple design tweaks, non-destructive modifications and cleaning techniques that can be beneficial. We'll be having a look at some here.

Before we proceed, however, I'll just mention that I'm aware that there's no actual building or crafting involved in this Instructable. I'm really just suggesting you go shopping for a bunch of really cheap stuff that you can then use to modify and maintain this kind of instrument in effective ways. That said, most of these mods involve items intended for other purposes altogether and I don't think you'll find these ideas anywhere else, so hopefully this is where they belong.

Supplies

The mods suggested here aren't interdependent, but if you'd like to try all of them this is what you'll need in total:

• A couple of flexible O-rings of the kind used for plumbing and similar applications. I've found that an internal diameter of 23.5mm and a section of 3.5mm is the best fit for our purposes, but there's a small amount of leeway.
• A neck lanyard, typically used for vaping devices, ID laminates and so on. You'll need the kind that terminates in a thread loop, ideally with the loop being fixed to a detachable clip. Avoid those that terminate in a miniature carabiner-style clip; while these will work after a fashion they won't be a good fit and may scratch the instrument's casing. The variant made from flat fabric tape rather than cord is marginally more suitable, but either will do.
• A cellphone grip of the kind that attaches to the back of a phone for secure handling. I've specified a particular strap design that slides into a flat position for storage when attached, but other designs should work; check out its function in this context and you'll soon identify which other types might also do the job. The one overriding requirement is that it needs to attach by self-adhesion, not by suction or a magnet.
• A single self-adhesive bumper or foot, ideally 15mm x 2mm, but other similar sizes may do, or you can improvise something. This can be neoprene, rubber or felt. This is shown on the completed project only as I didn't have a spare for the supplies photo!
• A 3.5mm/1/8" stereo jack headphone extension/adapter cable with a right-angled plug. I've found the shortest I could track down (50cm) to be the most convenient for storage (I just connect another lead to the terminating socket), but this can of course be any length to suit you.
• Some isopropanol (rubbing alcohol), shown in the photo on the right with the cleaning supplies.

If you want to clean the instrument using my suggested procedure, you'll need the following:

• A packet of (smokers') pipe cleaners.
• An ordinary cotton bud/swab (a 'Q-tip').
• Some alcohol-free sanitizer that comes as a liquid, not a gel. Check the ingredients, which you may be able to do online if the label doesn't help. We're playing it safe here because the advice as to whether alcohols damage silicone (see below) is contradictory. Many of these products are intended for hand use in the wake of Covid-19, but they'll work on any surface. The particular brand I recommend is Cleenol Senses Alcohol Free Sanitizer.
• Some foam cleanser of the type generally used on the casework of electronic equipment.
• A drop of mild dishwashing liquid (soap) - one of the numerous eco-friendly brands is ideal.
• Some paper kitchen towels or cleaning cloths.
• A single dry, clean soft cloth.

Any of the above items that you don't have to hand can be picked up from the obvious suppliers, or you can just ransack eBay for them - in either event they'll all cost next to nothing.

There are a couple of accessories on the market (mine came from eBay sellers) that don't really belong in an Instructable as they were actually designed for woodwinds/EWIs, but both are quite handy so I'll mention them here anyway:

• A dedicated EWI stand (although you could probably contrive something using anything from scrap timber to a length of pipe or a vase!). I find this useful as I generally play this instrument while seated, so it enables me to park it on the floor by my chair. The type shown works well enough as it is, but as this EWI is smaller than most you can make it fit the instrument better by hacksawing a couple of inches off the internal telescopic shaft to allow the upper support to sit slightly lower. This is self-explanatory on inspection. NB Don't shorten it if you think you might want to use it for a large EWI at a later date!
• A zip-up flute bag. The type I've acquired looks as though it was intended for some kind of traditional flute rather than a concert flute, but the size is ideal and it has a nice padded velvet lining.

Step 1: Applying the Modifications

As this whole procedure is so simple we may as well deal with all of these at once. Just follow the photos as a guide:

1. Slide the two O-rings onto the top and bottom of the instrument as shown. They are meant to be a tight fit, so just pull, stretch and roll them into place.
2. Remove anything that may be attached to the lanyard thread loop - this could be a ring attachment to hold a vape or a clip for an ID laminate - and attach it to the top O-ring on the underside of the instrument. You now have a neck strap that will allow the instrument to hang around your neck while you do other things - in my case, tinker with synths, laptops and so on. Saxophone neck straps are mainly designed to support the weight of the instrument while it's being played, which of course isn't an issue here as these basic EWIs weigh next to nothing, so a lanyard is fine; if it has a detachable clip you can remove it when not required and for storage.
3. I found having an output jack protruding from the middle of the instrument at a 90-degree angle to be quite obtrusive, hence the use of the right-angle adapter cable - just plug it into the headphone socket as shown, passing the cable through the bottom O-ring to keep it in place. This is particularly useful when running the instrument through effects units, which I highly recommend. As this instrument doesn't have a line output as such, keep the output volume low when doing this - a setting of 3 seems about right.
4. Attaching the phone grip as shown provides a thumb rest for the right hand, like those found on clarinets and saxophones. This EWI design incorporates two thumb pads to allow access to two further octaves and additional sharp/flat pads on top; being able to keep stray fingers clear of them when their function isn't required is made much easier with the instrument firmly supported from below. This strap design is particularly useful as it can be slid flat when not in use. As this grip is a self-adhesive type it's a good idea to hold it in place with masking tape initially while you determine its ideal position.
5. The little self-adhesive bumper should be attached between the two octave keys on the underside of the instrument. The area between these two keys is very smooth and as it's not obvious exactly where your left thumb is at any given moment it's easy to trigger these accidentally. The bumper gives you a tactile landmark for your thumb and also improves your left-hand grip (something similar can be found on some more expensive EWIs).

Use the isopropanol to clean the casework surface at the points where you attach items 4 and 5 to ensure the best possible adhesion.

Step 2: The Zip-up Bag and Stand

These are off-the-shelf items being used pretty much as intended, so I've just included them here for information purposes. This type of EWI comes with a basic drawstring velvet bag which is fine as far as it goes, but one of these zip-up flute bags of the correct size also has enough room for your charger cable, spare mouthpiece cover and lanyard. You can in fact place the EWI in its original bag inside the larger one for additional protection while still being able to stuff some accessories in alongside it. The stand folds flat as shown.

Step 3: Keep It Clean!

Given that wind instruments are essentially tubes that you stick in your mouth and exhale into, I've always been a bit wary of their hygiene aspects (Google 'saxophone' together with 'streptococcus' and 'staphylococcus', then tell me I'm being over-cautious!). All sorts of dedicated mops, absorbent pull-throughs and sanitizing liquids are available for wind instruments but these tools are too bulky for EWI innards and it's hard to ascertain whether the liquids contain chemicals that could damage the tubing in this type of EWI. The plumbing of EWIs generally offers a smaller breeding ground for microorganisms, but it's still worth keeping it clean. The manufacturer gives a token nod towards this by supplying not one but two silicone mouthpiece covers as standard.

[Speaking of nods, at this point I'll give one to the intrepid YouTuber WindySynth who does an invaluable teardown of this EWI at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Avfv2L7Kl8 and to the many others who have uploaded useful stuff about these instruments, notably CutiePie and Sarah Jeffrey/Team Recorder.]

Internal cleaning: This type of EWI actually has two internal tubes made from flexible silicone rubber (which is in fact a synthetic polymer rather than actual rubber, but you knew that). If you remove the silicone mouthpiece cover, hold the instrument in its playing position and peer into the mouthpiece you'll see two holes. The smaller one on the right leads via one tube to the pressure sensor that detects your breath when you play the instrument. This tube simply comes to a dead end at that point, with no outlet for venting or drainage.

Your excess breath actually goes into the adjoining hole on the left into another tube that runs the full length of the instrument to a drain hole at the bottom. This tube has no other function than to divert much of your breath directly through the instrument and into the outside world, as the sensor only requires a small amount of pressure to activate it correctly.

Cleaning these two tubes is easily done with the pipe cleaners listed under Supplies above. While you may not feel the need to do this every time you use the instrument, it's certainly best done immediately after playing it.

Firstly, take a pipe cleaner and run your thumbnail firmly along its full length on all sides as shown to remove any loose fragments of floss - there will probably be some and you don't want it to clog the tubes, so do this with all the pipe cleaners you'll be using for this procedure. Insert the pipe cleaner gently but firmly into the mouthpiece end of the vent tube, using a slight twisting motion. Insert it as far as it will go, then pull it out carefully; it'll be wet with condensation. While this is mostly created by moisture from the air in your lungs rather than saliva, as this moisture has passed across your mucous membranes, the food particles in your mouth and so on, removing it is better than just having it and its contaminants drying where they land.

Repeat this procedure at the bottom end of the vent tube, then again with the sensor tube; the mouthpiece hole for the sensor tube is slightly smaller, but the tube itself has the same diameter and the pipe cleaner will still fit. Remember, though, that the latter tube connects directly to the sensor, so as soon as you feel an obvious obstruction, stop and extract the pipe cleaner. On this model this happens at a depth of about 1.5"/4cm.

You now need to repeat this operation twice more, firstly with a pipe cleaner moistened with sanitizer (to the point where it's obviously wet but not dripping), then immediately again with a clean pipe cleaner which will leave the tubing dry; the sanitizer is designed dry in place leaving a bactericidal coating, but it's best to remove it together with any debris it's loosened. The instrument is now ready to play or store - well, almost...

External cleaning: This is quick and easy. The plastic casework can be cleaned with a small amount of foam cleanser applied to a cloth rather than sprayed onto the instrument, thus ensuring it doesn't penetrate where it shouldn't. Use the cotton bud dipped in sanitizer to clean the mouthpiece recess, then give the key buttons a quick buffing with a dry soft cloth (the buttons operate by touch sensitivity, so keeping them free of dirt and moisture is a good idea).

Finally, wash the silicone mouthpiece cover using the dishwashing liquid and warm water, then rinse and dry. This accessory is more useful than it looks. The manufacturer doesn't explain why two of these are supplied; some reviewers have suggested that this allows two players to share one instrument more hygienically, which could conceivably happen in the case of beginners. It's also suggested that this item could be helpful for saxophonists who are inclined to bite their mouthpieces (hence the existence of stick-on bite pads), so when one gets bitten through you have a spare. Neither applies in my case, but while the instrument will work perfectly well without it I find the mouthpiece more comfortable - possibly just because it feels more substantial - with the cover in place.

And now you're done!

Step 4: A Pause for Reflection...

Not really another step, then, but some final thoughts about this kind of procedure. In an age of consumer technology that's too often discarded or 'upgraded' (for which read 'replaced') rather than being used to its full potential, it's tempting to dismiss cheap instruments as not being worth this kind of attention. Just occasionally, though, something comes along that punches well above its weight, meriting both care and some lateral thinking. I'd suggest that this EWI is a fine example of this (and it apparently also comes in white!). Enjoy yours!