Roland V Accordians User sets/Programs/Sounds

[JerryPH]

Just to bring back a little bit of a dead thread here, the one and VERY important premise before making ANY changes is to simply make a backup of things before you start... that is going to be the best 3 minutes you spend before starting any changes. If you like what you did at the end, make a 2nd differently named backup and if anything goes wrong, you can choose to use the more recent or starting backup to return too... another couple minute process well spent.

Just like with computers, one cannot have enough backups.

 

[John M]

Right on Jerry! S-o-o-o Important. Another point is to keep track of the latest copy by renaming as Jerry said (also date works good). Also, I periodically, "burn" a CD with the date on it, because sometimes I've written the latest information on my copies/backups and then I think "what was that I did 6 months ago" that I liked and want to recall it.

John M.

 

[JerryPH]

Here is a little thing, the date of the backups made on an 8X always date 2013... Make the date part of the name or make a small text file that mentions what the changes made are. Asilly little idiosyncrasy thanks to Roland.

 

[LoriBrooke]

I have been trying to use the Set Editor for a Roland FR-3X for the first time. Using this thread, I tried some of the tricks mentioned (made sure I have a new enough version of Java installed, tried opening the file from the C drive, etc) but when I open the jar file, I very briefly see a command line screen appear then disappear. I get no errors, at least none that I can see. And the User Interface for the app does not show up. This was all attempted on a Windows 7 PC. Any advice about how to get this to work? Could it be that my virus protection software is blocking the jar file from opening?

 

[larry c]

Good advice if you’re want to play the included sets without a lot of headache. Factory reset is also good advice—my 1xb was set an octave too low on startup, either by previous owner or accidentally by me, and I also wanted the Cajun set back that I’d overwritten with the orchestra expansion sets, only half of which is were usable.

however I found that the set editor is the only way to access some of the sounds I’d like on the instrument. Low octave Acoustic Bass sounds on freebass mode. Rhodes electric piano sounds on chords. Extra customized organ sounds! Vibes and harmonica on treble. All these are possible on a 1x with the set editor, I’ve discovered!


But this seems to be a feature reserved for the higher end models so it will be tedious

I was so glad to read that you could get Rhodes and low acoustic bass on a 1xb. Were you able to load these sounds on yours in the end?

 

[Pbraido]

I make changes to settings in “User Program” mode using the 8X PC Editor. I do not make any changes to sets. All right hand functions (Accordion, Orch 1, Orch 2, and Organ) and left hand functions (Bass & Chord, Free Bass, Orch chord/Free Bass, Orch Bass) are editable. For example, LH bass and chord volume are independently adjustable. Also in the RH, Orch1 can be changed from Clarinet to Sax, Acoustic Bass, Piano, Vibes, guitar, banjo. . .etc.
NOTE: This is only possible in “User program” mode with the PC Editor, as the Menu button to change settings is disabled in “User program” mode. Without the Editor you must Exit out of “User Program” mode. Now you are back in “set” mode and can now use the Menu button to edit changes to the settings.

The "write" command is dangerous as you can write over an existing program (that you wanted to keep) with a new program. For my use with the 8X, I wanted two user program banks (28 register switch selections) that would be available quickly. I have switch selections for my favorite settings such as Piano, Vibes, Sax, Clarinet, Mandolin, Guitar, Banjo, and several Accordion and Hammond B3 settings.
When the user program mode is selected, the default bank is #1. I wanted my 28 selections to be in these first two banks. Since there are 100 available banks, I arbitrarily moved existing banks #1 & #2 to banks 50 & 51 so that I would not lose them. I now use banks #1 & #2 for my 28 program selections. I also keep a copy of my banks #1 & #2 in banks 40 & 41. I also use banks 40 & 41 as a "scratch" area to try out program changes I want to test. I have the Richard Noel Programs in banks 5 through 36.

John M.

John I’m reading your Note above which is in correct - on your 8X if you have a user program up on the accordion screen (not using the editor) you hit the exit button once and you are in user program edit mode you then can modify any parameters you want for that user program (volumes sounds etc ) then when you push write button you will see that it will overwrite the existing user program with you changes and will do nothing to the set you used to create it. It’s actually very easily done on the accordion without the editor

 

[John M]

John I’m reading your Note above which is in correct - on your 8X if you have a user program up on the accordion screen (not using the editor) you hit the exit button once and you are in user program edit mode you then can modify any parameters you want for that user program (volumes sounds etc ) then when you push write button you will see that it will overwrite the existing user program with you changes and will do nothing to the set you used to create it. It’s actually very easily done on the accordion without the editor

I was incorrect--Thanks for catching this. I was so used to using the PC Editor, which can modify a program directly in User Program Mode, I didn't realize that pressing the exit button puts you in edit mode.

I guess I'll be using the "on board" editor of the 8X until I can get my PC Editor working via the USB port.

I still can't imagine how much patience and perseverance Richard Noel must have had to create his set of 30 User program banks for the 8X without the PC Editor.

John M.

 

[Pbraido]

I was incorrect--Thanks for catching this. I was so used to using the PC Editor, which can modify a program directly in User Program Mode, I didn't realize that pressing the exit button puts you in edit mode.

I guess I'll be using the "on board" editor of the 8X until I can get my PC Editor working via the USB port.

I still can't imagine how much patience and perseverance Richard Noel must have had to create his set of 30 User program banks for the 8X without the PC Editor.

John M.

It’s actually not that hard John it’s all I really ever use to create my user programs I didn’t use the 8x editor until about a year ago and even today if I’m playing a song and have different orchestra bass and chords set up that I like for it I’ll add a little drum kit to it then just save it as a user program I find no need to plug it into a computer to run the editor but everyone finds their own way of doing things so whatever works for you it’s nice to have the editor as another way of changing things

 

[John M]

It’s actually not that hard John it’s all I really ever use to create my user programs I didn’t use the 8x editor until about a year ago and even today if I’m playing a song and have different orchestra bass and chords set up that I like for it I’ll add a little drum kit to it then just save it as a user program I find no need to plug it into a computer to run the editor but everyone finds their own way of doing things so whatever works for you it’s nice to have the editor as another way of changing things

Thanks again for this reply. Before, I only used the PC Editor. I'm getting used to it all ready. It's like getting used to a new/different car. You have to "learn how it drives".

John

 

[joden]

just as a late-comer...unless you know EVERY sound and it's location from memory, the editor far outstrips "on-board" editing! A simple drop down menu and there you have the sounds (mostly in instrument order), so it makes it really easy to audition sounds, before committing to saving anything!

Mind you I am still getting my head around the differences between sets and UPGs, one thing that has me puzzled, is how you can select any of the 14 sounds assigned in the set when selecting a UPG...seems you must first press UPG select one and then UN-select UPG, otherwise pressing registrations simply scrolls through the UPGs.

 

[JerryPH]

The reader’s digest version of that answer is…
SET = A SPECIFIC KIND OF ACCORDION
UPG = A CUSTOM PROGRAMMING OF YOUR CHOICE OF ACCORDION AND YOUR COICE OF ORCHESTRAL SOUNDS.