What can I say about SaxMan, from Yudo Games, except that it really blows.

I have no idea what happened to SaxMan on the way from the drawing board to the App Store but it looks like it might have had a house with a three-car garage dropped on it. The app description contains a list of features and screen shots of those features that are not in the version I downloaded a few days ago.

The most egregious error is that the finger positions on the app are reversed from those of a real saxophone. In its app description, the developer attributes that shortcoming to a “fool mistake.” I couldn’t get some combinations of keys to work either.

If you insist on buying SaxMan regardless of fingering, here’s what you’ll get:

Like Smule highly popular Ocarina, you blow into the microphone to generate tones. Varying the force of your breath, the angle and distance of the iPhone from your will vary the tone.

You have the option of selecting altosax, tenor sax and “iewi lead.” The latter is short for either “electronic wind instrument” or “Edison Welding Institute.” It’s hard to describe what it sounds like but I’m thinking it might be the same sound as a Canadian goose as it gets sucked into a jet engine.

I’m not a saxophone player, but I’m a big fan of Dexter Gordon, Charlie Parker, John Coltrane and other jazz musicians and I’ve hard enough saxophones in my life to know that SaxMan doesn’t come close to sounding like anything in real life.

SaxMan has five piano tunes that you can play along with. They include such standards as Twinkle Little Star.. and “Happy Birthday…” Not only do none of the piano songs have proper titles, but also one is “Jupitar/Gustav Holst [sic]. Either that or astronomers at Palomar Observatory discovered found a new planet when I wasn’t looking.

The developer promises the update will have “8 new songs for your listening pleasure.” I’m holding my breath, not in anticipation, but in hope that I might pass out.

The best thing I can say about SaxMan is the keys look nice.

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category: Instruments & Accessories, Music