New member from Dublin Ireland

[Mockie]

Hello my name is Frank from Dublin.
I am a semi pro accordionist from Dublin . Interested in going digital. I play an acoustic 41/120 Excelsior (60 yrs old) now reconditioned and a 37/96 Ballone Burini Midi musette tuned.
I'm looking at getting a 41/120 digital accordion and moving away from midi completely.
I like the accordion sounds on Roland and Bugari. The Bugari is expensive but it looks the complete article. Lovely class Italian casing etc and it's made of wood, whereas the Roland's looks cheap.

 

[debra]

The "sound" of the Roland and Bugari when played through an amplifier should be the same.
The Bugari EVO uses the same Roland electronics (FR8x) but it has a different (wooden) case, better keyboard (with "real" pallets), and as a result of the different "box" it sounds a bit different, but electronically speaking the sound is the same.
The Bugari has some restriction built-in, regarding sound expansions or something (I don't know the exact details) and my suspicion is that this restriction was forced upon Bugari by Roland in order to prevent Bugari from creating a sound that more closely matches what acoustic Bugari accordions sound like. (When I asked a Bugari representative he formally denied this, and said it was never the aim of Bugari to make the EVO sound like a Bugari accordion).
So in essence both are more or less the same and if you are aiming at making the digital accordion sound like a real (acoustic) accordion of good quality you might be in for a disappointment. But if you aim mostly for the many other sounds you can be happy with it.

 

[Mockie]

Thanks for your informed honesty.
I am an accordionist and I'm only interested in the accordions. I believe that issue with the Bugari model is the location of the battery pack, that is based on what I have read. As a matter of interest can you tell me is that Evo model still being sold today or have they another version at this stage. Are you a player yourself and if so, which digital accordion manufacturer do you favour?

 

[debra]

Thanks for your informed honesty.
I am an accordionist and I'm only interested in the accordions. I believe that issue with the Bugari model is the location of the battery pack, that is based on what I have read. As a matter of interest can you tell me is that Evo model still being sold today or have they another version at this stage. Are you a player yourself and if so, which digital accordion manufacturer do you favour?

I only play acoustic accordions (including Bugari). I am certainly not against digital ones (I do own and play a digital piano). But so far the accordion sounds of the Roland and Bugari Evo are somewhat disappointing. Tremolo registers sound ok, but dry registers are still not convincing. The Roland FR8x is the latest model and is from 2016 (and the Evo is based on this). The fact that nothing new has been announced for 5 years is not a good sign for Roland's commitment to digital accordions.
There is now "Proxima" but it hasn't gone beyond announcements and preliminary demos. So it remains to be seen whether it will really materialize...

 

[Mockie]

Thank you Debra I Play acoustic Excelsior 41/120 and. Ballone Burini 37/96 with midi and my beloved French musette sound.
I heard this Evo played on a YT video by a good player Petosa. I thought the straight tuned sounds he played sound very "acousticy", I have the musette sounds on another video and I figured it too sounded like the real thing. Very impressive from an electronic accordion.
I of course will have to see one "in the flesh"so to speak and play it to be totally convinced and then I'll 'rob a bank ' and buy one.

 

[Mockie]

YouTube demo Petosa

 

[Mockie]

5 row continental Evo featuring dry and wet sounds

 

[debra]

YouTube demo Petosa

When the song on the L (16') register is played the sustained sound of each note is quite reasonable. Where the "emulation" of an acoustic accordion fails is in the way the notes start (the "attack"). It may be possible to change that in some setting, to make the reeds more "responsive". That I don't know. But this demo is not good enough to convince me to accept the EVO as a possible replacement for an acoustic Bugari.

 

[debra]

5 row continental Evo featuring dry and wet sounds

And this demo has way way way too much reverb to illustrate anything other than the reverb...

 

[Mockie]

Not as a replacement but another "weapon"in my armoury" I have a quality old Excelsior for acoustic playing. The digital accordion could be used at outdoor gigs, farmer's markets and the like.
Thanks for your replies.?
I

 

[Alan Sharkis]

I only play acoustic accordions (including Bugari). I am certainly not against digital ones (I do own and play a digital piano). But so far the accordion sounds of the Roland and Bugari Evo are somewhat disappointing. Tremolo registers sound ok, but dry registers are still not convincing. The Roland FR8x is the latest model and is from 2016 (and the Evo is based on this). The fact that nothing new has been announced for 5 years is not a good sign for Roland's commitment to digital accordions.
There is now "Proxima" but it hasn't gone beyond announcements and preliminary demos. So it remains to be seen whether it will really materialize...

Also, the first Proxima to be released, the Mia, is a 37/96 instrument.

 

[debra]

Also, the first Proxima to be released, the Mia, is a 37/96 instrument.

Right, too small for many. I'm always thinking of CBA and I hope that the CBA version will have more notes as it will have enough buttons for more notes.

 

[davidplaysaccordion]

I think the biggest thing to understand when it comes to electric accordions, at least based on my experience with my Roland 4x, is that it’s not actually an accordion. Sure it looks like one and largely played like one but I have found it much better to think of it’s capabilities more like a keyboard. If you just limit yourself to the accordion sounds I think you will be missing out on a lot of the things you can do with these things, also basically overpaying if you are not going to use half of it. Just my $0.02 worth.

 

[Mockie]

I think the biggest thing to understand when it comes to electric accordions, at least based on my experience with my Roland 4x, is that it’s not actually an accordion. Sure it looks like one and largely played like one but I have found it much better to think of it’s capabilities more like a keyboard. If you just limit yourself to the accordion sounds I think you will be missing out on a lot of the things you can do with these things, also basically overpaying if you are not going to use half of it. Just my $0.02 worth.

Well David I have played keyboards / Hammond organ in lounge bands for over 30 yrs. Today I still have a keyboard ,,(Roland DS) as well as 2 accordions ( one with MIDI). Deep in me is my love for the accordion, my first instrument. I want to play music written for the accordion European/ Sth American, not pop songs on the accordion acoustic or digital.
The digital accordion could be used in small venues( no amps, no expanders , and no Midi cables. I will only use accordion sounds, no Japanese nose flutes or vibraphones etc . The Bugari Evo utilizes the electronics of Roland and they are very good. All the sounds are of high quality, however the instrument's appearance is not good, it has an industrial appearance, maybe something one might find in the kitchen, a vacuum cleaner or other.
If I'm playing at a high end function I would favour using a digital accordion with the quality appearance of the Burgari EVO.

Early next year, 2022 I will be looking at what's available. Bugari or other.

frank-hurley.com
(Romantic Accordion)