E-Accordion

Until receiving the latest Roland Users Group (Vol. 23 #1) magazine,
I don't think I'd run across an electronic/computer accordion
performance interface and/or synth, but apparently Roland has now
rolled out the Fr-7 and Fr-5 (more basic version).

Check 'em out online:
http://www.rolandus.com/products/details.asp?
CatID=17&SubCatID=0&ProdID=FR-7

Here's the Overview:
"Roland is pleased to introduce a revolutionary new family of
instruments — the V-Accordions. The FR-7/-5 are the first
instruments of their type to successfully integrate powerful
Physical Behavior Modeling (PBM) technology into a traditional
accordion design, combining the familiar sounds and nuances of a
traditional accordion with the versatility of a modern digital
musical instrument. You can instantly select and switch between a
wide range of sounds and/or types of accordions, or customize your
own unique timbres. Because it doesn't depend on moving parts for
sound generation, the V-Accordion is always in tune, and both
keyboards can be transposed to play across a wide range of octaves.
For sound output, the V-Accordions can plug directly into a sound
system, recording device, or plug in a pair of headphones for silent
practice."

It's sound engine:
"Physical Behavior Modeling uses complex algorithms (as opposed to
sampled sounds) to accurately model an acoustic accordion's sound
characteristics. The result is an engine that faithfully recreates
the actual physical behavior and expressive nuances of an acoustic
instrument."

The same issue includes a feature on Kobayashi "Coba" Yasuhiro,
apparently a champion accordionist from Japan who has played on
Bjork's "Homogenic" CD amongst other things. His website is
http://www.jvcmusic.co.jp/coba/

Unfortunately, I can't tell from the info provided whether this
device has any support for microtonality, though I'd hope the the
free bass keys could be individually programmed for MIDI pitch
values.

In any case, I'm quite ignorant about all things accordion-esque, so
don't ask me more about this.
------------
Now do any of ya know how to get a nice fat kickback from Roland for
this post ;)

Heya Harold,

>Until receiving the latest Roland Users Group (Vol. 23 #1) magazine,
>I don't think I'd run across an electronic/computer accordion
>performance interface and/or synth, but apparently Roland has now
>rolled out the Fr-7 and Fr-5 (more basic version).
>
>Check 'em out online:
>http://www.rolandus.com/products/details.asp?
>CatID=17&SubCatID=0&ProdID=FR-7

We reviewed this (at Keyboard magazine). Our editor in chief
Ernie Rideout used to play squeezebox in a klezmer band.

>It's sound engine:
>"Physical Behavior Modeling uses complex algorithms (as opposed to
>sampled sounds) to accurately model an acoustic accordion's sound
>characteristics. The result is an engine that faithfully recreates
>the actual physical behavior and expressive nuances of an acoustic
>instrument."

This is incorrect. It's still a sampler, but with modeled effects
on top.

>Unfortunately, I can't tell from the info provided whether this
>device has any support for microtonality, though I'd hope the the
>free bass keys could be individually programmed for MIDI pitch
>values.

It does, in fact, have the 12-tone tuning implementation typical
of Roland instruments. It has about 3 built-in scales and 1 or 2
user scales... or does it even have user scales?... I forget. At
any rate, I filled the halls of the MusicPlayer group with
quartertone accordion one day. But it ain't anything unusually
useful to the microtonalist.

>In any case, I'm quite ignorant about all things accordion-esque,
>so don't ask me more about this.

Ernie had two top-notch local (Bay Area) accordionists come in
and try it out. He recorded their observations, as well as
MIDI of their playing. I sat in on one of the interviews. The
bottom line is that for the price, you could have a very nice
real accordion, like a used Petosa. $5K is right around where
you start to get into custom instruments, where any tuning (though
fixed) could presumably be obtained if you spoke enough Italian.

Further, most accordions at this level have several sets of reeds
to enable 'stops', like on an organ. They could instead be tuned
to, say, different roots. One could have multi-key JI, for
example, at the push of a button (which real players can already
switch in the mid-piece with as much virtuosity as they use on the
rest of the instrument).

Anyway, interviewee #1 reported that the keyboard is crap -- slow,
too much key travel. Like a student-model Hohner. It is also
velocity sensitive -- something no real accordion is -- but this
can be switched off.

The thing is also heavier than a real accordion of comparable
physical size.

The bellows were unusually tight on our test model, and not as
responsive as interviewee #1 expected.

It does sound like the real thing. Nobody could hear the difference
for single notes -- it's got a killer built-in speaker system. But
for phrases, the lack of responsiveness of the bellows could apparently
be heard.

Basically, wait for version 2.0. Or better yet, get a real reed
box.

-Carl