Brand-new Roland FR-1xb won't make music

[GramSherry]

My pretty red FR-1xb finally arrived on Thursday. How disappointing that I can't get even a few basic tones out of it. I've read the whole manual and watched any seemingly relevant videos I can find, but it seems hopeless. I understand why the bellows would be stiff (it’s straight from the factory), but it shouldn’t be impossible to play three or four notes of a scale because you have to push so hard while holding down a key or two. It is impossible to even attempt a scale--I'd need a third arm or something.

I’ve posed questions online to a Roland tech, who said to adjust the bellows resistance regulator. But it's turned fully counterclockwise, which is supposed to be the setting for the lightest inertia. Also the tech said to try a factory reset. I did and it changed nothing. I also followed instructions in the manual to recalibrate the bellows sensors--to no avail.

I’m wondering if the bellows leak because it is nearly impossible to produce musical tones. With the volume nob turned all the way up, what little sound I do manage to get (medium-low at most) is drowned out by very noisy bellows. When the air button is not being pressed, and no keys are being pressed, shouldn’t it be next to impossible to discharge air? That isn’t the case.

The latest response from the Roland tech was that I should, “Please be aware, the bellows compression or resistance will be much stiffer than acoustic accordions,” which the tech says many accordionists find as a benefit. But something must be wrong--I can’t play three notes in a row. I played a diatonic button box for a number of years so I think I'd know if there wasn't something abnormal going on. And I'm 150 miles away from any such type of repair shop.

Anyone out there have a similar experience? What am I missing?

 

[Thomas N]

Something is wrong. I don't have an FR-1X but have had an FR-8X for a decade. The bellows may have been a bit stiffer in the beginning but nothing like being so stiff that playing a scale was impossible. I don't know enough about the FR-1X features to assist. For example, on the FR-8X you can turn the bellows off if you want to just play without moving them at all. And you can set many resistance levels. Have you tried it with headphones? Perhaps there's a speaker problem? Or does the FR-1X even have speakers? That's how little I know about it!

Many people here have the FR-1X and you'll get good input here. Best of luck to you!

 

[Ventura]

all i can suggest is turn that volume control know up ALL THE WAY
until you figure out which setting you need to change in the paramaters

have you printed out the owners manual yet ?

good luck

 

[SteveBox]

I bought an FR-1xb back in December, and eventually returned it because it was defective - but in a different way, as I had no trouble getting sound out of it. So, by my experience, it is possible to get a defective unit. Did you buy it from an accordion dealer? I bought mine from a general music online retailer. They had a good price, but probably knew little about accordions and did not test it. Here are some things you can try.

Do the demo songs play? If so, there is hope.

After a factory reset (page 64 of the manual), try setting the Bellows Curve "bLC" parameter to a value of 3 (page 49 in the manual). This will turn off the bellows so it will play at a fixed volume level, and of course, turn up the instrument volume to near max. If that doesn't give you any sound, then it may well be defective.

If you get sound with the bellows disabled, turn them back on (set the "bLC" value to 4 to 8). If there is no sound when you pump the bellows, you may have a bellows air pressure sensor problem. This is not the same as the bellows resistance knob you were advised about. The sensor is on the circuit board under the grill and measures the air pressure inside the bellows relative to the outside air. Depending on the difference in air pressure, which varies by how hard you are squeezing, this will cause the sound to be louder or softer.

In my case, I concluded that my FR-1xb had a bad bellows air pressure sensor. There was sound, but how the bellows action changed the volume was uneven and asymmetrical. For example, it would get quieter as I pulled the bellows harder, the opposite of how an accordion is supposed to work. There is a bellows sensor calibration reset procedure described in the Troubleshooting section of the manual on page 67. This did fix the bellows problem for me, but only temporarily. After a few days, the bellows response would be out-of-whack again. One should not have to recalibrate every time you play! I have another MIDI accordion and have rarely needed to calibrate the sensor. You say you did do this recalibration, but try it again.

If this none of this helps, the instrument may really be defective.

The dealer you bought this from should bear some responsibility for technical assistance, unless they are clueless about these instruments. If defective, they should allow you to return it and refund all shipping charges.

 

[JerryPH]

... and do this relatively quick, and reach out to the place where you bought the accordion from. If it's new, it is under warranty... get it replaced, not fixed.

 

[John M]

. . . The latest response from the Roland tech was that I should, “Please be aware, the bellows compression or resistance will be much stiffer than acoustic accordions,” which the tech says many accordionists find as a benefit. But something must be wrong--I can’t play three notes in a row. . .

All the info to help you, on this thread, is great. A little added from me (my 2¢ worth).
I have an 8X, so I don't know the detail of your setup on your FR-1XB. I have my 8X set up 95% of the time to only do "Bellows" -- no Low, Med, Hi Fixed bellows settings is added to "Bellows". I like this because, for me, this is how I have the most control of the "expression/feeling" I can get out of my 8X. Also, I have my "Bellows Curve" and "Resistance" set up for very "stiff" (my bellows hardly move at all). I like this as this is the best setting for "lazy guys" like me to do less work.
With this bellows settings, you should get a strong tone out of your FR-1XB -- if you don't, as others have said, "something is wrong".

 

[GramSherry]

Thank you all for your help. I may have found the problem, but first will answer your questions. Yes, the FR-1xb does have speakers, but I have tried it with headphones, to no avail. Yes, I’ve tried it with the volume all the way up. And, yes, the demos do work (a little hope). However, (don’t laugh) I asked ChatGPT this question (regarding an FR-1Xb V-accordion): When the air button is not pressed and no keys are being played, shouldn’t the bellows stay closed and not open on their own? It said that is correct, and said to test it like this: “Close the bellows fully, then let go—do they start expanding on their own? If so, air is escaping somewhere.” Well, with bellows fully closed and snapped (top and bottom), if I unsnap first the bottom and then top, immediately the bellows open on their own. Also, I can open and close them without touching the air button at all.

So here’s my next question. Does this positively indicate a leak, or could it have anything to do with sensors--since I have no idea how they work? But it would seem that, if the bellows open on their own, even with the instrument turned off, it must be a hardware not software problem. I haven’t yet tried SteveBox’s suggestion to reset the bellows curve, since it will probably be a waste of time if that is the case. Should I box it up and send it back?

 

[dak]

Thank you all for your help. I may have found the problem, but first will answer your questions. Yes, the FR-1xb does have speakers, but I have tried it with headphones, to no avail. Yes, I’ve tried it with the volume all the way up. And, yes, the demos do work (a little hope). However, (don’t laugh) I asked ChatGPT this question (regarding an FR-1Xb V-accordion): When the air button is not pressed and no keys are being played, shouldn’t the bellows stay closed and not open on their own? It said that is correct, and said to test it like this: “Close the bellows fully, then let go—do they start expanding on their own? If so, air is escaping somewhere.” Well, with bellows fully closed and snapped (top and bottom), if I unsnap first the bottom and then top, immediately the bellows open on their own. Also, I can open and close them without touching the air button at all.

So here’s my next question. Does this positively indicate a leak, or could it have anything to do with sensors--since I have no idea how they work? But it would seem that, if the bellows open on their own, even with the instrument turned off, it must be a hardware not software problem. I haven’t yet tried SteveBox’s suggestion to reset the bellows curve, since it will probably be a waste of time if that is the case. Should I box it up and send it back?

ChatGPT does not know a lot about accordions, and about the Rolands. A proper accordion will open, albeit rather slowly (the cardboard from which the bellows is made is not as airtight as a helium balloon). It only uses air when notes are being played. The FR-1xb does not use more or less air when notes are being played. Just how much air it will leak is determined by how the dial around the air button is set. If you close that, it loses rather little air (the air pressure sensor itself is not completely airtight). This is a purely mechanical thing. The air pressure sensor then determines the pressure compared to the outside, and the accordion has settings (the bellows curve) that determine the relation between pressure and volume. How much air is used at a particular pressure depends on the air valve dial setting.

In a nutshell: the FR-1xb leaks by design, and you can set just how much it leaks. It has to do that because in contrast to an acoustic accordion, it does not spend any air on actual note production through reeds. When you close the air leak dial around the air button, it should leak rather little.

 

[Ventura]

that was an excellent explanation

you need to start messing with the bellows curve,
including turning the bellows curve OFF for the purpose of
testing and gathering necessary information to report here