
I’ve been messing around with digital saxophones for over 20 years now and I’ve owned most of these instruments that have been made in that time. In this video I’m going to compare three of the most popular digital wind instruments, the YDS-120, the Roland Aerophone AE-20, and the Travel Sax 2.
People ask me which one of these they should buy just about every day so here are my thoughts, I hope they help you with your decision. Each of these has strengths and weaknesses, and the best choice for you really depends on what you want to do with it. Let’s start with the Roland Aerophone.
Roland Aerophone AE-20
I really liked this instrument when it first came out because it was the most saxophone like compared to things that were already out there like the Akai EWI, which is kind of its own thing. All three of these instruments mimic the key layout of the saxophone so if you play the saxophone you’ll know right away where to put your fingers and how to play the notes.

Onboard Sounds
The Aerophone AE-20 comes with a nice collection of onboard sounds. There are over 250 of them, most of which you would probably never use of course but, I think most people will be able to find a few that they like and be able to work with those.
It has emulations of real instruments like saxophone, trumpet, and flute. These are not going to be good enough to fool a trained ear or even an untrained ear in most cases. The synth sounds are pretty good though, and personally I tend to stick with those.
Technical Aspects
It takes AA batteries and can also be played while plugged in to an outlet which is convenient. I like that it has a quarter-inch jack output which makes it the most performance friendly of the three. You can just play this on a gig with some batteries and a standard cable plugged into the board or your amplifier.
This is the only one of the three with a bite sensor as well. The bite sensor allows you to bend the pitch with your mouth by applying different amounts of pressure to the plastic reed. I used to think this was important but after spending a lot of time with digital saxophones that don’t have this feature I realized that I almost never used it anyway, and I don’t miss it.
Not only that, this pseudo mouthpiece with the plastic reed is not as comfortable as just blowing into a tube with rounded edges.
Responsiveness
I do find find the Aerophone very easy to play and it’s responsive, meaning the notes come out when I expect them to come out. It’s very accurate as well. What I mean by that is I don’t have an issue with glitches. Glitches are when you expect one note to sound but you get something else.
The Aerophone AE-20 plays pretty glitch free. There is an internal speaker which is nice so you can pick it up and hear yourself playing without headphones. The Yamaha and Travel Sax also have this feature.
It also has Bluetooth connectivity so I can connect to my phone or tablet and have music or backing tracks playing through the instrument and coming out of the headphones. This would be my primary usage for one of these.
Best for Performances
I used to take this and also an Akai EWI with me to gigs on occasion, but I never really loved the results I got and I just prefer to play a real saxophone in live performances now. Having said that, if you need a digital wind instrument for performances, out of these three the Roland would be your best bet by far in my opinion.
At the time of filming this the Aerophone AE-20 is on sale at Sweetwater for $200 off, making the price $699. Now let’s move on to the Yamaha YDS-120.
Yamaha YDS-120
One area where the YDS-120 beats the Aerophone is the key work, sort of. The Aerophone has these buttons that are actually quite noisy, and just aren’t very satisfying to press.

Key work and Onboard Sounds
On a real saxophone each key travels a certain distance when you press it and the YDS-120 does a pretty good job of replicating that feeling, so saxophone players will feel even more at home with this key work. Mine is really squeaky though, and I think that noise is even more annoying than the loud clacking of the Aerophone.
The onboard sounds are pretty lacking and none of them are really performance worthy, in my opinion. I would only recommend this instrument as a practice tool.
Glitch Issues
However, I have some issues with the Yamaha YDS-120. First, there is no Bluetooth capability so you would have to play your music or backing tracks through a wired connection, which is not ideal. The other major issue I have are the glitches. This is super glitchy for me, to the point of making it just not fun to play.
Now if you’re someone who may not need to ever play any fast passages maybe you wouldn’t notice. Or if you squeeze the keys pretty hard you might not notice either. But if you’re like me and play with a light touch, this doesn’t always register all the fingers that are down which means that notes just don’t sound, and it’s super annoying.
I know there are a lot of people out there who have one of these and love them. I’m not one of them.
Lowest Price of the Three
The only thing the YDS-120 has going for it compared to the other two in my opinion is the lower price. Right now this one is also on sale at Sweetwater for $50 off which brings the price down to 450 bucks. I think that beginner or intermediate players who have a limited budget and just want a quiet practice tool for home use will enjoy this.
Travel Sax 2
And finally, we have the Travel Sax 2. This one has become my most used digital saxophone, mainly because it fits what I need from an electronic wind instrument right now in my life. I am in the fortunate situation that I could practice a real saxophone in my home studio whenever I want, whatever time of day, except when I’m traveling.
While the travel Sax 2 might look like the least impressive one out of the three, it actually ticks all the boxes that are important to me for my needs.

Onboard Sounds
The sounds are terrible. They’re basic midi and there’s only a few of them to choose from, but this is actually in a weird way a kind of strength. The sounds on these devices used to be really important to me when I was wanting to play them for other people.
But with this, I know I’m only using it to practice, and nobody’s going to hear it but me. Playing this has made me realize that the other sounds on the other instruments are mainly a distraction unless you are performing.
As a practice tool, we should just have a basic sound that isn’t annoying and get to work. That’s what I’m able to do with the Travel Sax 2. I’ve spent literally zero minutes switching between sounds. I just play the default saxophone sound and I’m good.
Key Work and Technical Aspects
The keys are just like on a saxophone, only reduced down to a smaller size. They feel pretty comfortable and because of the metal springs it has, they also feel kind of satisfying to play. For me, this one feels the most natural out of the three.
It also has Bluetooth connectivity so all I need is a pair of wired headphones and I’m ready to practice with my various apps and music and backing tracks. It has a rechargeable battery which is awesome. I don’t know how long it lasts, but it’s definitely longer than I would ever spend practicing.
Like the Yamaha, there is no bite sensor and that is totally fine with me. It does have an app on the phone that actually works, so you can change the sounds, program fingerings, and change the transposition with that pretty easily.
Size Advantage
The best part about the Travel Sax 2 is the size. I am bringing this with me on every trip I take, so several times a year. It doesn’t take up too much space in the suitcase and I’m always glad that I have it when I’m on the road.
I love the minimalist design. It just has a power button and a USB C Port. That simplicity makes it an even better practice tool in my opinion. No distractions with sounds, effects, or gimmicks.
Now because it is so small, I find it to be absolutely necessary to use these attachments which make it much more comfortable to play. So I’m able to hold it at a longer distance from my face rather than up really close.
Free Accessory Pack
The best price right now on the Travel Sax 2 is directly from the manufacturer Odisei Music, and if you use the coupon code BETTERSAXTS2 on their site you’ll get the accessory pack for free, which is a 45 euro value.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for a performance instrument that is also great to practice on, the Aerophone AE-20 would be my pick out of the three. With the current discount from Sweetwater it’s a pretty good deal.
If you want a distraction free practice tool that feels very natural under the fingers and is great for traveling, the Travel Sax 2 is the best choice for you.
If you just don’t want to spend too much money and you’re not too picky about the responsiveness or having a high level performance, go with the Yamaha YDS-120. But I would recommend spending a bit more if you can to get either the Roland or the Travel Sax. I prefer both of those to the Yamaha.
Now there is another category of wind synth that’s on an entirely different level than these three, and that’s the Emeo, which is essentially a hybrid saxophone. I’m a huge fan, but it is in a different price category. Definitely check out my review video here, as it might be exactly the thing you’re looking for.
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