FR4x Reed Comparison template/set

[Alan Sharkis]

Ok, I have the deleepow 3400 milli Watt hours and have run them thru two cycles in my FR4X. They may get better after a few more cycles - I don't know if lithiums do that or not. Compared to my Tenergy 2800 Milli Amp Hour ones they seem just about the same run time give or take about 15 minutes. The Deleepow seem to hold voltage well but drop really fast when the low battery notification comes on. The NiMh give a couple extra minutes before going belly up. The lithium ones are lighter - 5.8 oz for 8 of them as opposed to 11.5 for 10 of the NiMh. When I get time I am going to put an ammeter and voltmeter in line with the batteries and measure the load the Fr4x puts on them and then time the discharge of the batteries with a standard resistance load. Should be an interesting exercise.
Have a Great new year!

Happy New Year, Ventura.

 

[debra]

...

i post this opinion partly because i noticed our good Debra again
"....searching for a "polite" term" in another post, and i hope someday
he will fall into a used FR4x Roland because after you really listen to the
different reedsets in the Raw and spend some time with them

...

I know this post was quite a long time ago but wanted to add this:
I did find an offer for a used FR4xb a few weeks ago, but the bidding went higher than I considered was reasonable for an FR4xb so I missed out. A few days later I received a message from the bidding site that the offer was deleted because it was believed to be a scam.
I still keep on the lookout for a used FR4xb at a reasonable price in order to play with the raw sounds in the hopes learning how to make the FR4xb produce some sounds that at least resemble an accordion... but the prices people are currently asking for or are willing to pay for this 8-year old technology are still way too high. Maybe prices will become more reasonable in this new year...

 

[John M]

I know this post was quite a long time ago but wanted to add this:
I did find an offer for a used FR4xb a few weeks ago, but the bidding went higher than I considered was reasonable for an FR4xb so I missed out. A few days later I received a message from the bidding site that the offer was deleted because it was believed to be a scam.
I still keep on the lookout for a used FR4xb at a reasonable price in order to play with the raw sounds in the hopes learning how to make the FR4xb produce some sounds that at least resemble an accordion... but the prices people are currently asking for or are willing to pay for this 8-year old technology are still way too high. Maybe prices will become more reasonable in this new year...

I wish you luck in your quest to find a FR4XB. Are you sure you wouldn't try to get an FR8XB? It has 41 Treble keys vs. 37 on the 4XB. I remember one of the reasons you went from a PA to a Button accordion was the larger range of the Treble keyboard.

 

[Ventura]

I still keep on the lookout for a used FR4xb at a reasonable price in order to play with the raw sounds in the hopes learning how to make the FR4xb produce some sounds that at least resemble an accordion...

hey paul,

i am glad to hear you are open to trying one someday..
i do think/hope you will be pleased..

completely agree about the price. .when Roland was giving them to me
to use and demo, i then would pass them along at a discount to
others through the local dealer (Levins) and occasionally they would allow me
near wholesale for my personal use of some products like the vocalizer,
the Hammond module, the Sonic Cell and the Digital Mixer, an Ax controller
as well as the AXIS synth and assorted Street Cube amps

but after we parted ways, i basically set prices in my head that would
trigger "buy" when i saw something in the pre-owned marketplace,
and that way continued to have the new models to play with for a time,
but then pass along to others if they bored me.

when you buy at the right price, you can always sell it again easily and quickly..
personally i have a white 7x and a black 4x

currently, i perceive the (USA) tipping point pricing at $1400 FR3 $1600 FR3x $ 1500 FR7 $2200 FR7x
$2600 FR4x

all of these prices were seen and verified in the marketplace during 2023

of course there are wildly higher prices at any given time as well as the scam
auctions and such, but the legit deals are out there

it is a bit more risk in the USA as Roland warranty is short and not transferrable..
it seems in Canada and the EU zone service and support are much more reasonable

for you, i would not recommend the older models, as programming is difficult,
and i am thinking you will tolerate the experiment as long as you can get at
and adjust the raw sounds without too much time being invested, so an
FR4xB will likely be your reasonably priced entry point

for others who are curious but not likely to program their own sounds,
the reliable original workhorse FR7 and the simple and easy to use FR3
remain the best options on a budget.. pick one up at a bargain price..
try it and keep it if you feel it is fun and useful, or sell it off again if not..

there seem to be more of you who would not consider a Roland in the
past, for whom the pricing and feature set of the FR4x seems approachable,
even new from a dealer. i think most of you who have taken the chance
are keeping them.. this also says a lot about what the general group of
leisure accordionists have as discretionary income..

my observations regarding the FR8 in the marketplace would not be
useful, as i have a poison pill obstacle regarding this model, but i AM glad
it is working out for some of you, especially with the editing software
that has allowed you to take true control of your instrument and sound..

if Roland had the foresight to include access to the programming "hooks"
at this level for the original FR7, the entire trajectory of this line of
Instruments would have been massively boosted, and would have been
propelled far into the future, as opposed to being on life support at the present time.

and happy healthy New Year to all of you

 

[John M]

. . . my observations regarding the FR8 in the marketplace would not be
useful, as i have a poison pill obstacle regarding this model, but i AM glad
it is working out for some of you, especially with the editing software
that has allowed you to take true control of your instrument and sound..

Oh-Oh, Maybe you mentioned about your "poison pill" in a previous post. I must have missed it. Let us know what it is. Or, if you don't want to post here, send me a PM. Maybe I can find an antidote for your "poison", so it will help you feel better. We certainly don't want to have you "ailing".