Hi all. I tried an Fr8x today and loved it however I don't want to fork out the money for it. I have an accordion with q select midi and am thinking about purchasing an arranger like a ketron audya. The ketron is the most cost effective solution and it can play midi files which I like. Would you wait to get a Roland or just use the ketron as it works well with q select.
Buy Roland or arranger module
- Thread starter jdam01
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Thomas N
Well-known member
I have the BK-7M, the FR-8X, and have had a Ketron SD90 with a Petosa Millennium Reedless MIDI accordion.
It's completely user-dependent. If you like your current accordion but like to play along with MIDI files or on-the-fly arrangements then an arranger may be fine for you. If you want a pretty versatile digital accordion then the FR-8X fits the bill. The FR-8X can play MIDI files right from the device itself. Just download them to a USB drive, pop it right into the front grill and play along with it. I have one of the miniature 32Gb SanDisk USB drives and you can't even see it on the accordion.
But it's very different than playing my FR-8X along with the Roland BK-7M arranger. You're locked-in with a MIDI file, but the arranger allows multiple variations, intros, endings, styles, etc. For example, I can play Autumn Leaves as a slow jazz song, or as a fast jazz song, or as a ballad, or as a country song, etc. with the arranger. With a MIDI File you're playing it one way and one way only. I mean you can improvise over it to your liking but it's still going to be the same rhythm with the same fills, intros and endings every single time.
The Ketrons are very expensive but I really enjoyed mine. I don't think I'd shell out the cash now though for one of their products.
It's completely user-dependent. If you like your current accordion but like to play along with MIDI files or on-the-fly arrangements then an arranger may be fine for you. If you want a pretty versatile digital accordion then the FR-8X fits the bill. The FR-8X can play MIDI files right from the device itself. Just download them to a USB drive, pop it right into the front grill and play along with it. I have one of the miniature 32Gb SanDisk USB drives and you can't even see it on the accordion.
But it's very different than playing my FR-8X along with the Roland BK-7M arranger. You're locked-in with a MIDI file, but the arranger allows multiple variations, intros, endings, styles, etc. For example, I can play Autumn Leaves as a slow jazz song, or as a fast jazz song, or as a ballad, or as a country song, etc. with the arranger. With a MIDI File you're playing it one way and one way only. I mean you can improvise over it to your liking but it's still going to be the same rhythm with the same fills, intros and endings every single time.
The Ketrons are very expensive but I really enjoyed mine. I don't think I'd shell out the cash now though for one of their products.
Squeezeplay
Active member
I have tried the midi files, Turbo Sounds, BK7M, and three different Ketron units. X4, Midjay Plus, and the Ketron SD 40. all of which I still own, except for the BK7 M
The Ketron choice in my opinion, is by far the best. My Midjay Plus required an add on and some fiddling around to allow the volume pedal to affect only the right hand sound, as it doesn’t have provision for a swell pedal. Once that was solved, it has been a very reliable unit, and I. Love it. I have since bought a Ketron SD40. It is somewhat smaller than the Midjay, but not as easy for me to program, so the Midjay Plus is staying with me until I have the SD 40 figured out. For ease of use, the old X-4 is the winner by a long shot, but is not as customizable as the Roland, the Midjay plus or the SD40. The Roland although easy to set up with my Fr3X isn’t nearly as good with the rhythms in my opinion. It has a Japanese approach to what they think you want, while my Ketron units are more along the style treatments I like. The Turbo Sounds is a program for the I Pad, that works well. It’s free to try, but isn’t my favourite. Now that I have thoroughly confused you, go buy a Ketron unit. They are bullet proof. The Audya is large in size compared to all the others I have tried or used…It would not be my first choice. Also a midi equipped accordion with real reeds over my Roland. I mostly use my midi equipped Victoria. Just something about those real reeds.
The Ketron choice in my opinion, is by far the best. My Midjay Plus required an add on and some fiddling around to allow the volume pedal to affect only the right hand sound, as it doesn’t have provision for a swell pedal. Once that was solved, it has been a very reliable unit, and I. Love it. I have since bought a Ketron SD40. It is somewhat smaller than the Midjay, but not as easy for me to program, so the Midjay Plus is staying with me until I have the SD 40 figured out. For ease of use, the old X-4 is the winner by a long shot, but is not as customizable as the Roland, the Midjay plus or the SD40. The Roland although easy to set up with my Fr3X isn’t nearly as good with the rhythms in my opinion. It has a Japanese approach to what they think you want, while my Ketron units are more along the style treatments I like. The Turbo Sounds is a program for the I Pad, that works well. It’s free to try, but isn’t my favourite. Now that I have thoroughly confused you, go buy a Ketron unit. They are bullet proof. The Audya is large in size compared to all the others I have tried or used…It would not be my first choice. Also a midi equipped accordion with real reeds over my Roland. I mostly use my midi equipped Victoria. Just something about those real reeds.
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Hi Squeeze play , thanks for your well written comments .............I agree with you .................
I've tried most of the modules you mentioned some I found did not suit me ..........to many drop down menu's that is certainly true of the BK7M
and every action you have to enter the menu thro the main wheel control ..................the unit is good but not for me !!
For me the best set up is midi acoustic accordion with real reeds, with music-tech midi wireless system transmitter/receiver ...My understanding is that the Accordion must have the Musictech midi system installed . and will not work with other makes of midi systems ....................(I'm not 100% sure about this statement !!)
You then can choose what ever module suits you .......or midi to an arranger keyboard ....................just my thoughts ......................
ps not keen on playing with midi files ..........................too restricting I want to be in complete control of accomps ..intro's start ,fill in and end when I want to end ....the music .
to each his/her own !!!.................................once again just my thoughts .........................
Yes the latest Ketron Event module seems to be very good, I have seen several demo's it is very impressive , I worried about it being to Latino in sounds and styles I could be wrong it's just my opinion..........................but i have not tried one myself .
Enjoy what ever you use there is no right or wrong!!! it's what suits the player's requirements !!
My 2 cents (and thats about all it is worth)...
You love the 8X but even though you may be able to afford it do not want to "fork out" the money. My take is that we are on this big rock just once, and if you really want something, do what is necessary to get it and not "settle for second best".
You do know that the new KORG Super Fisa is out, yes? You do know that most of the people buying them are owners of Roland 8X accordions? If you play your cards right, and do the proper research, you may find an 8X for a reasonable price?? Yes that still may be worth more than an arranger (depending which one you choose... the Ketron Event may cost more than a FR-8X!), but it may be closer to what you may want to spend for the accordion that you REALLY want.
Hi Jerry as always you make very good points ......................we are in Exciting times
its all about what you want from the equipment that's what is most important !! and you get joy and happiness from your chosen products and enjoy your music making !!
That is some good thinking right there lol. I will take into consideration.
Squeezeplay
Active member
Not exactly positive, but reading the specs for the Event leads me to believe it is NOT exactly an arranger as such, but more of a build your track , save it to use type of equipment.
As far as midi goes, they all work with the WIDI, which is cheap, and reliable.
As far as midi goes, they all work with the WIDI, which is cheap, and reliable.
The FR-8X can play MIDI files right from the device itself - This statement is incorrect The FR8X can not play midi files only mp3 and wave files
Kinda-sorta, but not fully correct on the EVENTX (the arranger, not the keyboard):
Over 500 Styles. Real Styles, featuring a mix of Midi and audio parts, Live and Midi Styles. 10 groups: Ballad, Pop, Dance, Rock, Swing, Latin, Country, Folk, Party, Unplugged. 3 Intro, 3 Ending, Fill to End, ABCD, 4 Fills, 4 Break. Reintro, Count In, Pause, Key Start, Key Stop, Variation.
The EventX is the currently best arranger on the market with a matching price. But it's not just an arranger... It is a LOT more than just an arranger and it is extremely programmable with over 28,000 sampled sounds available for the user to play with and 2.8gb of room to store settings, it basically has no real limits in terms of amount of presets.
As far as MIDI goes, it has no sound of itself, just a series of on/off/value parameters. Not all WIDI (wireless midi) will work at all levels. An arranger like the EVENTX could easily drown most WIDI transceivers with the amount of data it can pass through, heck, I had my CME WIDIMaster drop connections with my BK-7m and Ketron X3 left and right until I lowered the amount of data it pushed out (just had to decrease the amount of data the bellows pressure sensor was sending).
Well... in a half defence for Thomas, it can play MIDI files that are sent from an external source to the MIDI in port. I know that this is not what was meant, and no, natively, you cannot load a *.MID file on the flash drive and have it output sounds from the internal file player... those can only be a WAV or MP3 file.
Squeezeplay
Active member
Yup it CAN, play those sound files, but on my FR3-X, I find it very clumsy to operate ie select a file to play…the Fr7-X or other models may be different. It’s just simpler to play the files from my arranger. Select the file on my iPad, touch it, and it plays…all wirelessly. I select the style I want on my arranger the same way… touch the song name on the IPad, it sets up everything on my arranger, touch one key, it starts, or it can be started/stopped with a foot switch. Still prefer the sound of the acoustic accordion equipped with midi though. I still think the BK or the Ketron is the best way for him to go. He has the midi in his accordion already. It needs power to the midi port, but that is simple to do if it doesn’t already have it. I have done more than a couple 
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KeysFla
Well-known member
Lots of love for arranger modules here. But with the light Korg pa1000 with Musikant add-on is one of the most fun arranger I ever had. I see it never mentioned as most focus on the module over keyboard arrangers. Korg has been my go to arranger for a long time. Nice to see the FISA is out and quite sure has many of the quality sounds I have been enjoying for quite some time.
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Thomas N
Well-known member
You're right, gents. I get confused on what device can play what. My Montage M8x can play .wav and MIDI, but not MP3 and the FR-8X can play .wav and mp3 but not MIDI, etc. etc. etc. It's easy to convert the files with Logic and that's what I've done in the past with MIDI files on the FR-8X.Well... in a half defence for Thomas, it can play MIDI files that are sent from an external source to the MIDI in port. I know that this is not what was meant, and no, natively, you cannot load a *.MID file on the flash drive and have it output sounds from the internal file player... those can only be a WAV or MP3 file.
In actuality, I don't use any format now on the FR-8X. Occasionally connect up to the BK-7M, but almost universally using the onboard sounds now and sounding more like, well, an accordion.
You can also load midi files into your BK7m and convert them to wave files just load one onto the USB and before you play it press record and you will have it in a wave file that you can place into the FR8X. Before recording on the BK7M you can also go into the menu and rearrange the instruments and drums somewhat to your liking
For me it boils down to dynamics. I can play a real accordion over a constant-volume backtrack with significant variance in perceived loudness without it being drowned out or becoming too much. Mapping the bellows pressure to an electronic instrument just doesn't work out in the same manner. The way that changes the sound is much worse for maintaining a reasonable balance in hearability when varying the lead instrument loudness. With the virtual instruments, the necessity for keeping the overall volume balanced interferes quite more with expressivity for me.
KeysFla
Well-known member
I tend to stay away from midi files when using a quality arranger. Midi files tend to use General midi sounds. An arranger has sounds of their own. They are much better than general MiDi file sounds. Best to program factory sounds on some of the midi channel parts, if you want to use Midi files.
One of the best features I found on the Korg PA4x and Pa1000 is the quick conversion from MIDI file to style. It will actually convert the midi file parts into style variations, endings, fills, intros, etc... No other Keyboard is so simplified in doing this conversion. Then again after I convert, I sometimes find General MIDI sounds in the style parts. Change them to factory where I can.
Strange this feature is not included in the new PA5x. But I am sure may be included in an upgrade. But for now I convert on the pa1000 then the PA5x will convert this style to PA5x format.
One of the best features I found on the Korg PA4x and Pa1000 is the quick conversion from MIDI file to style. It will actually convert the midi file parts into style variations, endings, fills, intros, etc... No other Keyboard is so simplified in doing this conversion. Then again after I convert, I sometimes find General MIDI sounds in the style parts. Change them to factory where I can.
Strange this feature is not included in the new PA5x. But I am sure may be included in an upgrade. But for now I convert on the pa1000 then the PA5x will convert this style to PA5x format.
