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blisterpeanuts
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Thanks to all for the great advice and tips. My new FR-3X will be arriving early next week, probably, and then I will become mysteriously unavailable to friends and family.
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JIM D. said:
Would that be too much for the FR 1X .....it only takes 8 batteries .........hang on let me do the maths here 8 x 1 = 8 8 x 5 = 40 .....move decima...... :hb :hb :hb :hb :hb ..........................Look ....Im a crap musician ....NOT a rocket scientist !!! ...........
How does he connect it....not thrpogh the jump leads I hope ........though it would make for a great grunge rock pop image.....I feel a cartoon coming on ...!!!
Seriously though sounds like a great idea to me.....
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blisterpeanuts
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blisterpeanuts said:
....and because you can play with headphones on they cant track you down from the sounds either....welcome to the world of Stealth Accordion :tup: :ch
CJ[/quote]
A friend of mine is a phenomenal bagpipe player; at age 17 hes winning national and international competitions. He got this midi practice chanter that is totally silent; he can plug in headphones and practice on the plane. Or he can plug it into an amp and it sounds not half bad.
Whats next... V-Trumpet? V-Tuba? Drums are already there. Pretty soon everything will be a v-instrument. Sort of great, sort of sad in a way.
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Lpnalda
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Tried my fr1x at a gig with the speakers, and got the complaint it doesn't have the "honk" my acoustic hasL I'm frustrated because, it's easier to play, nore versatile, and lighter, than the acoustic.
george garside
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blisterpeanuts said:
....and because you can play with headphones on they cant track you down from the sounds either....welcome to the world of Stealth Accordion :tup: :ch
CJ[/quote]
A friend of mine is a phenomenal bagpipe player; at age 17 hes winning national and international competitions. He got this midi practice chanter that is totally silent; he can plug in headphones and practice on the plane. Or he can plug it into an amp and it sounds not half bad.
Whats next... V-Trumpet? V-Tuba? Drums are already there. Pretty soon everything will be a v-instrument. Sort of great, sort of sad in a way.[/quote]
I also have an electronic bagpipe which is definitely half decent and brilliant for silent learning/practice. However realistically reproducing the sound of a single blown reed electronically must be a lot easier for the maker than trying to aaccurately reproduce the very complex sound produced by a multitude of different reeds in varying combinations combination as on a box.
geeorge
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blisterpeanuts
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Lpnalda said:
My FR-3X sounds OK in the PA, but the acoustic quality is lacking, and the built-in sound sets are unsatisfying. Its a bit of a compromise because, as you say, its got some major advantages over an acoustic instrument.
The trick with these v-accordions, in my opinion, is to play to their strengths -- use the piano sounds on the left hand and the wide variety of reed sounds. I doubt FR-3X will ever sound as good as my Bugari, but on the other hand it doesnt go off pitch and require a $1,000 reed tuning job. I suppose however that other things might go wrong -- nasty things, like a bad memory chip or loose electrical connection that will turn the accordion into a doorstop. My Bugaris reeds have gone flat, the MIDI and internal microphone system are dead, but it still plays fine.
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acordiansam
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A lot of people seem to compare ther acoustic box sound non amped to the sound of the elect. Boxes. Need to compare the sound miked and how it sounds off stage.
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blisterpeanuts
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acordiansam said:
For me, the big issue is that I dont get enough acoustic interaction from the Roland. Playing a traditional accordion is more of a physical experience--the sound, the vibration, the intimate relationship between the bellows and the reeds and me.
On stage, with a good monitor situation, its OK. For non-amplified events, the Roland falls short. Thats why Im thinking about ordering a new Bugari for acoustic situations.
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acordiansam
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I under stand. I was playing a big electrovox by the time I was 8. Then went to a honer vox4. Had that gutted {kept the reeds} and a midi system installed so I could use a soltan. Now my 3x blows all that away. So over the years I guess I became used to the lack of feel that comes with an acoustic box. Granted it will never replace an acoustic insterment. They all have ther place.
I`ve owned and played some of the better acoustic accordions built from the 50/60`s and there`s no arguing about the authenticity of a good set of hand made reeds that truly sing out , especially when compared to the electronic sampled sounds of my reedless Roland.
However whenever I switch to the Roland (FRX3) I can`t help but notice the expressions of approval when my audience hears what the Roland can do.
The Roland has become my accordion of choice and it`s what gets played most of the time.
Straight out of the box I found the factory preset sounds somewhat thin and mundane but after loading Richard Noel`s Jazz, Italian, Country, and European sets and tweaking a couple of key parameter settings , it really took the Roland to a new level that far exceeded my original expectations. To all this , I also have the option of adding/layering many different orchestral sounds including banjo and mandolin.
However whenever I switch to the Roland (FRX3) I can`t help but notice the expressions of approval when my audience hears what the Roland can do.
The Roland has become my accordion of choice and it`s what gets played most of the time.
Straight out of the box I found the factory preset sounds somewhat thin and mundane but after loading Richard Noel`s Jazz, Italian, Country, and European sets and tweaking a couple of key parameter settings , it really took the Roland to a new level that far exceeded my original expectations. To all this , I also have the option of adding/layering many different orchestral sounds including banjo and mandolin.
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acordiansam
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I agree. To get the different sounds thet I use now with my 3X. I would have to take 3 different boxes to a gig. Also what I hear is what they hear. Most of all no feed back from mikes. Every one I play with likes the roland better. The only spot where I miss reeds is playing jazzie bluse with a basson reed. Can't get that expression from my 3X. Still small price to pay for the over all.
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blisterpeanuts
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landro said:
I am going to have to get those Richard Noel sound sets. I agree with you and Accordion Sam -- the Roland is a fantastic stage instrument, and for that matter its great in my living room, especially when plugged into my keyboard amp
However for acoustic sessions, where there might be 20 fiddlers, 2-3 boxes, a pianist, a guitarist or two-- the Roland is drowned completely out, and I can barely even hear myself. For that reason, Im going to order a new Bugari with hand made reeds and 96 bass, the Junior model which I used to have in the 90s before I traded it up for the overly heavy and now-out-of-tune model that I never take out. Both instruments have their uses; I cant wait to have the best of both. The one issue is that the spacing of the Roland bass buttons differs from Bugaris, which makes switching back and forth a bit tricky, but we accordionists are an adaptable species!
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You might consider a small PA to amplify the 3x --- http://www.rolandus.com/blog/2014/03/13/cube-street-ex-battery-powered-amp/
or -- http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/CubeStBlk/
or -- http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/CubeStBlk/
landro said:
I am going to have to get those Richard Noel sound sets. I agree with you and Accordion Sam -- the Roland is a fantastic stage instrument, and for that matter its great in my living room, especially when plugged into my keyboard amp
However for acoustic sessions, where there might be 20 fiddlers, 2-3 boxes, a pianist, a guitarist or two-- the Roland is drowned completely out, and I can barely even hear myself. For that reason, Im going to order a new Bugari with hand made reeds and 96 bass, the Junior model which I used to have in the 90s before I traded it up for the overly heavy and now-out-of-tune model that I never take out. Both instruments have their uses; I cant wait to have the best of both. The one issue is that the spacing of the Roland bass buttons differs from Bugaris, which makes switching back and forth a bit tricky, but we accordionists are an adaptable species![/quote]
True , the Roland bass machine has a slightly larger footprint than most full sized accordions. It`s almost like it was made specifically for my large hands . Just another reason why it`s MY accordion of choice.
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blisterpeanuts
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or -- http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/CubeStBlk/ [/quote]
That Cube Street EX looks great. Can it take the speaker output from a mixer board, as well as direct instrument/mike inputs?
Thanks for the link.
-Blister
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acordiansam
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Yes the cube can take both inputs. TRS means tip ring sleave witch is a ballanced line input like from a board.
You'll know whether it''ll be ok in the actual circumstances, but in general turning up to an acoustic session with a pianobox AND an amplifier might get a bit of a frosty reception!
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accordionbrian
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well I have had a FR 3x for several years now, and it is still going strong, its for all levels of player, and useful if you live in an
apartment, and need to use ear phones, I am an advanced player.
apartment, and need to use ear phones, I am an advanced player.
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