Is that a SAX in Your Pocket?! - Travel Sax 2 Review

#bettersax #saxophone #windsynth
Jay Metcalf reviews the Travel Sax 2 digital saxophone.

Use coupon code: BETTERSAXTS2 and get accessory pack free (€45 value)

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[retrohipster]

I feel like this would be super useful to someone living in Japan. The walls they are basically paper-thin and you need to be super quiet all the time..

[normalizedaudio]

I asked for the new Selmer and my parents got me this.

[jokrg]

I have been a user since the ts2 started shipping, and I cannot be happier with it. Whether practicing or just playing with it, I gain more and more confidence AND I look forward to those sessions during just about every break during my work night. I added an external plug in speaker and a sax neck to increase my tactile experience. Highly recommend this one.

[marciaq]

I bought one of these and love it. Fun, small, lightweight, easy for travel, and the fingering is close enough a real sax feel that I now choose this over my Roland Aerophone for quiet practice. I did have a mechanical problem with the unit. Odisei was fabulous in responding--first, they sent me a video link with suggestions. That didn't work. We set up a 30-minute video meeting and Ramon looked at the problem and gave me further suggestions. That didn't work. Then they had me send the unit back (at their expense), checked it, repaired it, and it's coming back today. I was a little apprehensive as a U.S. customer about how responsive their customer service would be, and I just want to praise them for being incredibly engaged with their customers. They are great people. Highly recommended.

[vittli]

I got behind the crowdfunding for the Travel Sax 1 and did preorder it there.

The first version of the Travel Sax was already very promising, but with some room for improvement.

The Travel Sax 2 is absolutely amazing. The perfect tool for practicing at all hours, everywhere, any place.

The keys respond very well, due to the new stainless steel key mechanism, very similar to a real saxophone.

It's also a great way to check your techinque, since you can see your fingers and you can control, if they move too far away from the keys (flying fingers).

The sounds of the built-in synthesizer are wonderful and you can now connect your headphones through the Aux-In input, without having to use a DAW.

I take it to all of my gigs, to practice on long trainrides, which is fortunately possible again after Corona, those dreaded masks all the other chagrin.

I can wholwheartedly recommend the Travel Sax 2 to anyone who is serious about becoming a better musician.

«He who stops getting better, stops being good» - Japanese proverb

[TheGunpowder]

I really hope that they can make a clarinet version, because although its smaller on average, its still a pain for people near by, especially for the high notes. That and its really fricking cool!

[HappyCodingZX]

cute instrument - over thirty years ago, when i was at college I basically gave up playing the saxophone because in student accommodation it was impossible to find anywhere to practice without disturbing people. I ended up selling it to help cover my student debt. What might have been!

[drenngur]

I was recommended this instrument at a local music shop in Barcelona when I went in to get my regular sax repadded. I mentioned that I travel a lot and don't get much of chance to practice and they really solved my problem! I agree that it is not the most perfect version, but the excellent realistic key shapes and response, and the small size of the instrument make it the perfect solution to my decades-long problem. I've really made strides since I bought it and am really pleased with it. Thanks for the tip on the extension and the fact that it is not really necessary to use a mouthpiece with a reed.

[danielorum]

I also have a travel sax 2. I carry it with me everywhere.. just in case I have some spare time to practice a song I’m working on. I use it primarily to memorise songs from sheet music. And for me it translates directly over to the acoustic saxophone.

[JakeArtD]

Thank you for making this video! I've lived in apartments for quite some time, and miss playing music. I hadn't played a Saxaphone for about 20 years. Decided to purchase a Travel Sax 2 after seeing this video and I LOVE IT. I can just sit in my Office Chair, Plug in My Headphones, Have Sheet Music on a monitor and go to town.

[omarortiz]

I started to look into this because for me it’s kind of hard when you have a baby and trying not to disturb their sleep and trying to find some time to practice at the same time during the day, and I was waiting for your insights on this Jay, so thank you so much for this review, although I still think it’s still very expensive specially when I bought a brand new horn recently.

I just feel that for $200 more I can get a Roland wind synth with better sounds, bite sensor, etc.

[bill]

I have had mine for a few weeks. The pluses are obvious and don't need repeating. The basic sound through the speaker is tinny . I get best results with earphones plugged in and Bluetooth headphones over the top.

[Fat_Paws]

I have never touched a sax in my life, not do I have a single microcosm of musical talent in my body. Yet, somehow, I found this in my recommendations and watched the entire thing...😁

[hsitz]

Good review. A couple comments: The original Travel Sax was 3d printed; the Travel Sax 2 is injection molded plastic, stronger and more durable as I understand it, though like Jay I'm uncertain how mine will hold up after years of use. The keys, in particular, are inexpensive and easily replaceable (and probably most likely thing to break), so maybe not a big worry. I'm not sure how much more delicate it is than something like a real sax or an Emeo, metal construction is more durable but those objects are also much heavier and can get dinged, especially if they fall or tip over. Travel Sax 2 is light and seemingly fairly durable.

My second comment is that I don't think Jay mentioned that the Travel Sax 2 has Bluetooth midi built-in, so you can connect to synths on iPhone/iPad/computer without a USB cable. Latency for Bluetooth midi is quite low (unlike latency for Bluetooth audio).

Finally, regarding sounds, on iPhone/iPad or on a computer you have same selection of synths with Travel Sax 2 as you have with any other wind controller. For example, I've used Travel Sax 2 with the Respiro synth, same synth that has a limited version packaged with the Emeo. So, yes, sounds through built-in speaker of Travel Sax 2 are very basic, they sound somewhat better through headphones, but connect up to an iPhone/iPad or computer and you can get sounds that are as good as -- in fact the same as -- any other wind controller.

Travel Sax 2 does seem a little expensive for what it is. I think you just have to get that idea out of your head, realize that you're actually paying a premium for it to be small and lightweight, which is in fact a desirable and hard to find feature in saxophone-like wind controllers.

[beckyn]

First of all…. The title of this video is THE BEST! OK, now the serious comments. Great review. Very informative and quite fair. Makes me want one of these so I can practice patterns or scales, etc. in between projects at work! Or just “jam” while I put my feet up. The best part, if I only have 10-20 minutes, I don’t have to haul out the real horn, then swab it and etc. all the routine for only a very short period of time. I’m not saying anything earth shattering so I’ll quit yapping and again say, an informative and very helpful review. Thanks Jay!

[Mictecuh_]

I love how the thumbnail is a direct response to the title

[fitchyyboi]

This is awesome. Actually considering this as a commuter college student. It would be awesome to be able to practice on the train, or at home and leave my sac at school, etc. thanks for the best content on YouTube as per tradition

[tomball]

I got one. Big fan. The external speaker isn't great but I never use it. Really useful when travelling or late at night.

[saxaphoney]

just ordered one of these. im actually excited to have it help with freestyle training. the fact you can sing and "play" at the sametime is exactly what i need.

[PhinAI]

Yes! I appreciate this presentation and the manufacture of this instrument.