How popular are digital accordions?

[goldtopia]

If Yamaha were to make accordions, I think they would be a hell of a lot better than Rolands.. The sound quality of Yamaha' Clavinova pianos are sound samples from top quality accoustic grand pianos. They are a dream to play with no other digital piano to beat them. All the time Roland have been making digital accordions they have never been able to get the sound of a real accousic accordion. If Yamaha made accordions they would have the expertise of sound sampling from a top quality accoustic accordion and without the stiff bellows that Rolands have.

 

[JIM D.]

Yes Bill: I must agree with you on the comment that if Yamaha entered into the digital accordion market their product would be of fine quality and competitive. For all these years they have been producing electronic Organs, Keyboards, and expanders that do not contain the musical intelligent feature that Roland and others have incorporated into there products to address the compatibility of use with a stradella bass accordion. Yamaha famous for their Pianos for years have moved their production to China along with all their musical instrument lines. As long as they are making a profit on their name Yamaha thats on every thing musical, automotive and home and garden products, I really dont think will will see a Yamaha Chinese digital accordion in our lifetime. And P.S. Im afraid your in a very small minority of accordionists that have failed to adapt to the dynamic ability of the V digital accordion bellows and dismiss them as stiff. And as for their accordions not sounding realistic you might try a listen to this with your eyes closed ---

 

[Bill V]

Roland have done for the electronic accordion with bellows sensitivity what touch sensitivity has done for the electronic piano.The sounds are light years better than 10-20 years ago.The feel of both types are so realistic proffesional players use them either for practice or on the job.Who makes the best is very subjective,we all go with our own bias for the record I prefer Roland gear,the sound suits my ear.

 

[fjsys]

Count me in as another in the small minority who cannot get used to the bellows. The only way that I play my 3x anymore is with the fixed option and the bellows snapped shut.
I probably should just sell it, but I really don't want to ship it anywhere...

and every time that Bill has said it is something that you get used to I have thought well I can get used to having my arm cut off, but I really wouldn't want to...
Ben

 

[Pietro]

In answer to the original question 'How popular are digital accordions?' my reply would be, "they are popular with the people who play them and no one else."

Pete

 

[Sarah]

 

[QuaverRest]

I think Skrillex should get hold of one of those

 

[QuaverRest]

Having just yesterday taken delivery of my first 'full sized' accordion, and seen the look of pain in my girlfriend's face when I play it, I now see why digital accordions, with their volume controls, are so popular..!

But I'm darn well going to play it anyway, mwahaha..

 

[artelagro]

Trying to be polite, but the words plastic or Marmite come to mind.
Yamaha, Casio etc. usually include one button which shows the capability of their keyboards and makes the newcomer feel like an expert for a few seconds until they are found out.
Is it music?
Garth
p.s. I love Marmite

 

[fjsys]

I find this a better demo of a 1x:



However I also know that Richard Noel spends a lot of time customizing sets for the roland accordions.

 

[pentaprism]

Im afraid your in a very small minority of accordionists that have failed to adapt to the dynamic ability of the V digital accordion bellows and dismiss them as stiff.

Count me in this very small minority of accordionists (sic!).

I bought an FR-3s when I learned PA, and an FR-1XB when I switched to CBA. I use them only for practice in silence. If no one is home to complain about my accordion playing, the electronic accordions just sit on a shelf.

I dont dislike electronic instruments. When my wife was buying piano, I insisted on electronic piano (we have two now). The difference is that the feel of electronic pianos is very very close to that of acoustic pianos. Electronic accordions are not there yet.

 

[QuaverRest]

Call me old fashioned (at 31), but now that I own an accordion, I love the feeling that the enormity and richness of sound I'm creating, albeit at the expense of everyone else's sunday morning lie-in, is coming from an intricately assembled piece of art

I feel that the technology of a v-accordion would detract from that. I may change my mind when letters of complaint start arriving at my house attached to bricks hurled through my lounge window, but until that day..

 

[donn]

Trying to be polite, but the words plastic or Marmite come to mind.

Marmite? Most intrigued, I dont believe Ive ever tried marmite and of course this doesnt greatly increase my desire to do so, but I didnt realize people thought of it as ... artificial?

From my perspective, a digital accordion would have rather limited application. Most of the music scenes I can think of around here where an accordion would be welcome, seem to more or less exclude digital keyboards.

 

[Bill Palmer]

I've been playing Roland V-Accordions for about 4 years now. I have an FR-7x and an FR-7xb, which were my first two digital accordions. I purchased an FR-8xb Dallape model last year. It took me a long time to get it, because the chromatic accordions (that's what the b stands for) are not as popular in the US as they are in Europe. I also have an FR-3xb, which is not as elaborate as the 7x or the 8x, but the 3xb has the same range as the 7xb and 8xb, but is not as heavy. (Note that the range is only the same on the chromatic model 3x, the PA has a shorter keyboard.)

When I play the 3xb, I usually use it to play accordion sounds only. I don't have any complaints about the sound at all. The only problem I have is that I haven't found the right setting for a bellows shake. I can do one on either of my 8x's though, so maybe one of these days, I'll be able to get the bellows to the point that I want them on the 3x.

Tonally, I find the accordion sounds on all five of these instruments to be excellent.

Bear in mind that I also have several extremely good acoustical accordions, including the Palmer Converter Emperor that belonged to my father. It has excellent reeds and is in perfect condition, even though he left us nearly 20 years ago.

Regarding the production of these instruments, the Fatar company took over production in 2014 and have been producing them ever since. My FR-8x was made at the Fatar facility and is at least as good as my FR-8xb, which was made at the Dallape plant.

I find the FR-8x much easier to program, and I have zero complaints about it.

It took me a couple of weeks to get the bellows setting the way I wanted it. I wanted to be able to bring the sound from complete silence to fff without any difficulty. It took a little experimentation, but now, I've got the sound I want.

Regarding the "local music scenes" here, nobody knows they are digital accordions except by either reading the name on the instrument or when I decide to play a saxophone or organ stop.

 

[dunlustin]

Information:
'Marmite' a UK reference as this yeast extract spread (originally?) made from brewery sludge is either loved or loathed.
Comment:
Whatever someone's Marmite position, I've yet to come across it being a reason for unpleasantness.

 

[george garside]

as one who is ,very slightly, considering a roland FR1XB, so as to be able to play in silence none of the you tube clips of rolands sound like a decent musette mmm Scottish tuned box which is what I like. I have tried the Roland FR18 diatonic and to be honest the response to the necessary quick delicate bellows reversals was absolute shite! and Rolands own rep was unable to tune/programme its 3 rows to BCC# even by the following day!

I like the idea of being able to chuck in a bit of percussion on the bass but generaly I am of the opinion that the Rolands are in essence nothing more than a ''strap on organ'' (so to speak!) which they do remarkably well - but disappointing as an imitation aaccordion.

george

 

[acordiansam]

Well now that I've had my 3x box for almost a year now its the best acoustic jam box I ever had. The problem I have had with acoustic boxes was that they are to loud for most acoustic jams. To use an acoustic box I must always watch how hard I play can never relax and play or I drown out the rest. With the 3x I just turn the thing down till I fit. Sum times no one will notic that its not acoustic. For me ther is no replacing an acoustic box. Like any insterment. Even the paino is not the same. Every one is different in what they like. Best thing, no feed back when pluged in!

 

[TW]

none of the you tube clips of rolands sound like a decent musette mmm Scottish tuned box which is what I like

We've had a bit of this discussion before George, but glad you are even considering joining the dark side though.

You can get ace Scottish tuning but via another expander - the V3 Sound.
Youtube for Roy Hendrie. I'd be interested to know your views on the clips.
I now just use my FR1XB to drive this expander and it agrees with me..lots of Scottish Accordions, Gola, Shand etc and a good few melodeons.

 

[TW]

none of the you tube clips of Rolands sound like a decent musette mmm Scottish tuned box which is what I like.

Firstly an apology George for not reading your post fully..it was about the inbuilt Roland sound, not whatever add-on I decide is useful for me.

p35 of the manual discusses Musette Detune - Scottish (number15) is really quite wet when applied to U4 (Scottish) of the Roland user sets. (p24 of the manual).

Richard (BakersfieldAccordion) advised me some time ago that, in respect of his sets, "instead of creating a Scottish musette I stopped at French because, for most people, that's pretty extreme"

I'm sure his advice would be golden on the question of Scottish tuning in the FR1X series.

 

[george garside]

Thanks TW - it all sounds so bloody complicated compared with having to manage with a few old fashioned couplers !

george :?