How to edit User Programs on FR-8X

[Mockie]

How do I go about editing a user program on the FR-8X.
I want to change my none accordion voices on LH, bass and chords and save.

 

[JerryPH]

Download and install the JAVA based editor as the easiest method. It is free from the Roland website. Complete instructions HERE. Then... play away. I had planned to do a nice tutorial on this... but like most things, thanks to working... no time. Maybe sometime in the future.

 

[Mockie]

Download and install the JAVA based editor as the easiest method. It is free from the Roland website. Complete instructions HERE. Then... play away. I had planned to do a nice tutorial on this... but like most things, thanks to working... no time. Maybe sometime in the future.

Thanks Jerry, will check that out

 

[John M]

Thanks Jerry, will check that out

As JerryPH said, download the PC Editor for the 8X from the Roland site. You can do editing with just the 8X screen and editing functions on the accordion, but the PC editor makes it s-o-o-o much easier. If you have any problems loading the PC editor, post on this forum for help. Any extra time you spend getting the editor to work, will be well worth the effort, as it makes editing and changing USER Programs much easier.

John M.

 

[Mockie]

As JerryPH said, download the PC Editor for the 8X from the Roland site. You can do editing with just the 8X screen and editing functions on the accordion, but the PC editor makes it s-o-o-o much easier. If you have any problems loading the PC editor, post on this forum for help. Any extra time you spend getting the editor to work, will be well worth the effort, as it makes editing and changing USER Programs much easier.

John

As JerryPH said, download the PC Editor for the 8X from the Roland site. You can do editing with just the 8X screen and editing functions on the accordion, but the PC editor makes it s-o-o-o much easier. If you have any problems loading the PC editor, post on this forum for help. Any extra time you spend getting the editor to work, will be well worth the effort, as it makes editing and changing USER Programs much easier.

John M.

Thanks John,
What's the procedure. Do I download to computer and then connect to FR8X to computer and do all the editing on the accordion display screen?

 

[John M]

Mockie.

You do not do editing on the accordion screen (you can). It’s all on the PC screen which is so much easier.

Here’s the procedure:
1. First go to www.java.com and download the JAVA program.
2. Go to the Roland website and download “FR-8X EDITOR VER.1.00 FOR WINDOWS” to your PC
3. The file that gets downloaded is "FR-8X_Editor_w100.zip"
4. I created a Folder on my hard drive “Roland” --> C:\Roland
5. Transfer the file (from step 3) "FR-8X_Editor_w100.zip" to the Roland Folder
6. “Unzip” the Roland file
7. Plug one end of a USB cable into your FR-8X and the other end into your PC
8. “Double Click” (RUN) the file “FR-8X_Editor.jar” that you “unzipped” in your Roland Folder (step 6)
9. The Roland screen should now be up on your PC.
10. In the upper right hand corner of the screen you should see red flashing text “Connect OUT and IN to Roland V-Accordion”
11. In the OUT box select “2- Roland Arranger---OUT”
12. In the IN box select “2- Roland Arranger---IN”
13. You should now see “Loading Data” on the Roland screen
14. When “Loading Data” is complete, the PC screen should “come alive”
15. Select the “User Program” button in the lower right hand corner of the screen.
16. A “pop up” will display asking the Bank and Program Number you want to go to.
17. Make your selection and select “GO”
18. You will now see what are the current selections for Left Hand and Right Hand registers
19. Modify them to whatever sounds you like. The changes are ”live”, so when you make a change it happens immediately
20. When you are happy with the new sound select “Tools” in the upper left hand corner of the screen
21. Then select “Write User Program” to permanently make the change in the 8X memory.

CAUTION: Back up your User Programs on a USB Flash Drive in case you want to go back and recover.
What I like to do is to pick an unused Bank (I use Bank 40) for a test area. So the first thing I do after step 17 above, is I go to “Tools” and Write the User program to Bank 40. I then make all my changes in Bank 40 and then when I am satisfied, I Write the User program back to the original Bank I wanted to modify.

John M.

“Poke around” the PC Editor to see what functions are available. That is the best way to learn. You will see how powerful the editor is.

 

[Mockie]

Wow ! That's serious stuff there, I'll talk about this to my son, he's good at the computer.

 

[Valski]

Wow ! That's serious stuff there, I'll talk about this to my son, he's good at the computer.

This looks more complicated when it's being explained. Much easier and more intuitive when you're actually doing it. Driving an automobile would also seem complicated if you only had a user manual. You've seen it many times before you do it and soon enough it isn't as daunting.

 

[John M]

Wow ! That's serious stuff there, I'll talk about this to my son, he's good at the computer.

I went through a very detailed step by step procedure (on purpose), that I think you should be able to do. Just take it, slowly, one step at a time and you should have no problem. If you do, reply back, with your problem, and we'll try to help.

John M.

 

[JerryPH]

Wow ! That's serious stuff there, I'll talk about this to my son, he's good at the computer.

That's why I do videos instead of "the old way" of documenting it all. If I was to document a 10 minute video, it would equal about 15-20 pages of text... lol

As to how to do backups:

 

[Mockie]

I went through a very detailed step by step procedure (on purpose), that I think you should be able to do. Just take it, slowly, one step at a time and you should have no problem. If you do, reply back, with your problem, and we'll try to help.

John M.

Hi John
Thanks for all the info on Java etc. I have not gone the Java way yet my son has the taken the laptop for a few days. In the meantime I explored doing the editing in the Working Area.
I am trying to get a softer Orch1 instrument on chords on the bass side I got as far as changing to an Ac gtr it sounds nice but I want to bring down the volume. The display says -40 ( what's that) anyway it is not possible for me to set the vol value lower. Would that be the same for all Orch1 voices, just saying, if I used an acoustic pno there, would I be 'allowed' set the vol lower.

 

[John M]

. . . I have not gone the Java way yet my son has the taken the laptop for a few days. In the meantime I explored doing the editing in the Working Area.
I am trying to get a softer Orch1 instrument on chords on the bass side I got as far as changing to an Ac gtr it sounds nice but I want to bring down the volume. The display says -40 ( what's that) anyway it is not possible for me to set the vol value lower. Would that be the same for all Orch1 voices, just saying, if I used an acoustic pno there, would I be 'allowed' set the vol lower.

I like Ac. Guitar (#39). I had the same problem. Right now you are at the lowest volume at -40. That is where I set mine also. The range is -40 -> +40.
Under the Topic, “Tone Selection”, There are 8 bellows settings of “Touch”. They are:
1. Fixed High
2. Low
3. Medium
4. High
5. Fixed Low + Bellows
6. Fixed Med + Bellows
7. Fixed High + Bellows
8. Bellows
The lowest volume setting is Bellows.
Under the Topic, “Sound Edit” there is an “Attack” setting that goes from -63 -> +63. I set this to +10. What this does is reduce the initial volume as you press a chord button. If you hold, the chord button, the volume increases to the -40 Volume and Bellows settings selected. The “Attack” has a wide range of adjustment, and you have to listen to it while you make the changes. It is also affected by the speakers you have. I use a Bose L1 Compact. If I don’t use the Bose and use the 8X internal speakers, my adjustments are different. For me, an “Attack” of +10 is good. If I press the chord button with a staccato touch the volume is soft. If I sustain the chord button, the volume increases, which I like for certain songs where I want a nice background chord while the right hand melody is “moving”.

My description above is how I did it using the PC Editor. I don’t know if all the functions are available using the 8X Working Area Editor. I would guess they are all there, but probably somewhat abbreviated, in order to display on the small screen of the 8X.

John M.

P.S. You can also use Bass/Treble Balance on the 8X to balance the volume between the Left and Right hand side of the 8X. I prefer to just leave that in the middle (there’s a detent you can feel when you rotate the pot). The Balance knob affects the volume balance on all your User Programs. I prefer to leave the knob in one place and adjust each program on an individual basis.

 

[Mockie]

I like Ac. Guitar (#39). I had the same problem. Right now you are at the lowest volume at -40. That is where I set mine also. The range is -40 -> +40.
Under the Topic, “Tone Selection”, There are 8 bellows settings of “Touch”. They are:
1. Fixed High
2. Low
3. Medium
4. High
5. Fixed Low + Bellows
6. Fixed Med + Bellows
7. Fixed High + Bellows
8. Bellows
The lowest volume setting is Bellows.
Under the Topic, “Sound Edit” there is an “Attack” setting that goes from -63 -> +63. I set this to +10. What this does is reduce the initial volume as you press a chord button. If you hold, the chord button, the volume increases to the -40 Volume and Bellows settings selected. The “Attack” has a wide range of adjustment, and you have to listen to it while you make the changes. It is also affected by the speakers you have. I use a Bose L1 Compact. If I don’t use the Bose and use the 8X internal speakers, my adjustments are different. For me, an “Attack” of +10 is good. If I press the chord button with a staccato touch the volume is soft. If I sustain the chord button, the volume increases, which I like for certain songs where I want a nice background chord while the right hand melody is “moving”.

My description above is how I did it using the PC Editor. I don’t know if all the functions are available using the 8X Working Area Editor. I would guess they are all there, but probably somewhat abbreviated, in order to display on the small screen of the 8X.

John M.

P.S. You can also use Bass/Treble Balance on the 8X to balance the volume between the Left and Right hand side of the 8X. I prefer to just leave that in the middle (there’s a detent you can feel when you rotate the pot). The Balance knob affects the volume balance on all your User Programs. I prefer to leave the knob in one place and adjust each program on an individual basis.

John, thanks for for all those details, I appreciate the help.
Question "tone selection" and "sound edit" are they on the PC Editor display. Having changed the settings there, do they need to Saved there or on the FR-8X.

 

[John M]

John, thanks for for all those details, I appreciate the help.
Question "tone selection" and "sound edit" are they on the PC Editor display. Having changed the settings there, do they need to Saved there or on the FR-8X.

Yes the "tone selection" and "sound edit" are on the PC Editor display.

When you use the PC Editor it is "live, online in real time with the 8X. So when you make any change it occurs immediately (so you can hear the change) on the 8X. This change is in the 8X memory. However, when you turn the 8X off your changes will go away and the next time you turn the 8X on, you will be right back where you started from. Nothing is saved in the PC Editor. To save your settings you need go to "Tools" in the Editor. I described this earlier in my reply to you, in this thread (see steps #20 & #21 above). I also said in that reply, I use Bank 40 as a test area for checking out my changes. If you make your changes to the original User Program, once you save your settings via "Tools" the old program is overwritten in the 8X memory and it is gone. Of course, if you have done a backup, you can recover it. If you don't have a backup--well--you are up **** creek without a paddle.

When you first open the PC Editor display, you will see what the settings are for the Left Hand & Right Registers:
The Right Hand Registers are: Accordion, Orchestra 1, Orchestra 2, and Organ.
The Left Hand Registers are: Bass & Chord, Free Bass, Orchestral Bass, Orchestral Chord, and Orchestral Free Bass.
To the right of the above register names there is a Square Box. The registers that are active have a "green highlight".
When you select one of the "green highlights", (such as Orchestral Chord -> Ac. Guitar, #39), you will get another menu that will have tabs at the top such as "tone selection" and "sound edit". This is where you can make the changes I described in an earlier reply.

John M.

 

[JerryPH]

Just yesterday I made a video about how Roland is saying that the Arranger Driver is not compatible on a Mac M1 (Apple Silicon), so I did some testing, and it works just fine. So what does that mean? It means I will be making a few more videos on FR-8X programming.


More to come soon!