V-e-r-y__I-n-t-e-r-e-s-t-i-n-g. My wife says "wow" whenever I play my 8X, with beautiful Organ, Clarinet, Flute, Violin, etc; sounds -- especially on Hymns. She likes the accordion tone of my 960, but not as much as the sounds I can get out of my 8X
Is a digital accordion a good choice?
- Thread starter Duckling
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Ventura
Been here for ages!
it is worth mentioning occasionally:
when we play our accordions, in our minds we know
the point, counterpoint, improv, jazz chords, etc. and
those elements are all in their own space
when fans hear us playing acoustic it just all sounds like accordion
and they often cannot tell what from which element as the tones
gives few clues so it is kinda jumbled into one thing of homogenous sound
MIDI and Digital accordions typically have separated the
elements with not only different tones, but completely
different instrument sound families, so it is easy for fans
to ALSO hear the varied parts of the songs in their brains,
and so understand and enjoy what we play more naturally
and of course mostly applies to general music, not ethnic specialization
or classical ensembles
when we play our accordions, in our minds we know
the point, counterpoint, improv, jazz chords, etc. and
those elements are all in their own space
when fans hear us playing acoustic it just all sounds like accordion
and they often cannot tell what from which element as the tones
gives few clues so it is kinda jumbled into one thing of homogenous sound
MIDI and Digital accordions typically have separated the
elements with not only different tones, but completely
different instrument sound families, so it is easy for fans
to ALSO hear the varied parts of the songs in their brains,
and so understand and enjoy what we play more naturally
and of course mostly applies to general music, not ethnic specialization
or classical ensembles
Wow. I don't think I could play convincingly when my audience can hear me but I myself cannot.
ChrisH
Member
I played piano and organ for over sixty years before taking up the accordion 11 years ago. The PA seemed the obvious choice at the time.
I subsequently learned to play the CBA as a Covid lockdown project and I haven't looked back... I wish I'd gone for buttons in the first place!
In your situation, if you fancy trying CBA the FR-1XB would seem to be a good choice.
Nico.nico
Member
my experience is a limited one compared to others here.
I been playing the Roland FR 1xb for about three months. It’s my first “accordion” and I share it with my wife, who started taking lessons with it via online teaching while I’ve taken the self teaching road.
Mind you we only have online lessons as an option were we live.
There’re many advantages to the Roland so far. Been able to try different sounds, work solely on your fingering by turning the bellows off, its lightweight, you’re able balance the sound from your left / right hand AND quiet practice .
Specially the lightwight and the quiet practice makes it for the accordion just to be nearby everyday so I can pick it , practice 20-40 mins …. And go on with the day.
This easiness to get yourself playing the instrument is such a huge point to have into account.
I play chromatic harmonica too. Which in itself is a really portable instrument . Even so, it takes a few minutes for me to start playing (setting the book stand / cleaning up the my desk where more or less what I play it’s not heard in the rest of the rooms, and warm the instrument, which is need it to avoid condensation in the valves).
All this routine takes some time , and more than a couple of time prevents me from practicing.
About a year ago I bought a cheap valveless harmonica and kept it in the car. Started arriving at work 30 mins before to I could practice a bit before starting with my routine at work.
That cheap harmonica (with no need to be warmed) and those 30 minutes of constant practice in my car made for the most constant practice I have had in years. I could see the progress and the focus maintained for months.
Sorry about the side story , but I see the Roland exactly as that, an enabler for quickly and hassle free way to get me into practice mode.
The bellows surely feel different compared to an acoustic. I’ve finally bought myself an acoustic this weekend so I finally can compare the two, that much I can say. I can’t give you a comprehensive comparison yet.
I'm pretty much a beginner too . But at least I can totally agree that you’ll see much benefit starting with the Roland .
I been playing the Roland FR 1xb for about three months. It’s my first “accordion” and I share it with my wife, who started taking lessons with it via online teaching while I’ve taken the self teaching road.
Mind you we only have online lessons as an option were we live.
There’re many advantages to the Roland so far. Been able to try different sounds, work solely on your fingering by turning the bellows off, its lightweight, you’re able balance the sound from your left / right hand AND quiet practice .
Specially the lightwight and the quiet practice makes it for the accordion just to be nearby everyday so I can pick it , practice 20-40 mins …. And go on with the day.
This easiness to get yourself playing the instrument is such a huge point to have into account.
I play chromatic harmonica too. Which in itself is a really portable instrument . Even so, it takes a few minutes for me to start playing (setting the book stand / cleaning up the my desk where more or less what I play it’s not heard in the rest of the rooms, and warm the instrument, which is need it to avoid condensation in the valves).
All this routine takes some time , and more than a couple of time prevents me from practicing.
About a year ago I bought a cheap valveless harmonica and kept it in the car. Started arriving at work 30 mins before to I could practice a bit before starting with my routine at work.
That cheap harmonica (with no need to be warmed) and those 30 minutes of constant practice in my car made for the most constant practice I have had in years. I could see the progress and the focus maintained for months.
Sorry about the side story , but I see the Roland exactly as that, an enabler for quickly and hassle free way to get me into practice mode.
The bellows surely feel different compared to an acoustic. I’ve finally bought myself an acoustic this weekend so I finally can compare the two, that much I can say. I can’t give you a comprehensive comparison yet.
I'm pretty much a beginner too . But at least I can totally agree that you’ll see much benefit starting with the Roland .
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Funny thing just how many red flags those advantages raise to me. The different sounds distract from you needing to get one sound right (admittedly not really much you can do on the Roland for that). Working solely on your fingering by turning the bellows off is kind of nonsensical on an acoustic accordion because the articulation interacts with the bellows pressure (a leggiero gets a pressurized start from the last note's end allowing the ongoing bellows travel to accumulate pressure for the brief noteless moment). Balancing left/right is done by proper choice of registers and more importantly by differing articulation between left and right hand.
In short, most of those "advantages" sound like training wheels to me that should not be shed too late because they are masking stuff you actually need to master to get anywhere useful at least on an acoustic accordion.
Now that's something I don't get. Do you store your instrument in the freezer? Why would you need to "warm" it unless you just brought it in from the cold?
Nico.nico
Member
I don't doubt many of the advantages I see could become and issue if used indiscriminately. My wife teacher's proposed her to start with the bellows off. Left hand, then right hand, the both together and then with the bellows on. I don't see a real issue, as the goal is to coordinate all things at the end... sort of a divide and conquer approach.
I know I listed many gadgets as advantages, but is true that the weight and headphone option is what I use everyday. The sounds are also great to have. The electric bass and standup bass sounds on the left plus piano on the right are a killer combo that really can refresh your daily practice
.
But yeah.... gadgets in the end. Whatever makes you come back day after day is probably the most important. A cheaper but nice instrument surely can get many people practicing also, the Roland isn't so available and has a price tag heavier than many student models for sure.
About the valves in the harmonica. Well is just what you do when living in cold weather. The harmonica covers are metal and tend to be cold, which condensates your breath (and produce rattling sounds every now and then when those buggers stick to the reeds). Warming it in your jacket pocket or a warmer for 5 minutes does the trick (and solves 90% of complaints in chromatic harmonica forums)
I know I listed many gadgets as advantages, but is true that the weight and headphone option is what I use everyday. The sounds are also great to have. The electric bass and standup bass sounds on the left plus piano on the right are a killer combo that really can refresh your daily practice
.But yeah.... gadgets in the end. Whatever makes you come back day after day is probably the most important. A cheaper but nice instrument surely can get many people practicing also, the Roland isn't so available and has a price tag heavier than many student models for sure.
About the valves in the harmonica. Well is just what you do when living in cold weather. The harmonica covers are metal and tend to be cold, which condensates your breath (and produce rattling sounds every now and then when those buggers stick to the reeds). Warming it in your jacket pocket or a warmer for 5 minutes does the trick (and solves 90% of complaints in chromatic harmonica forums)
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Oh, that's what you call a harmonica. But your rooms surely are not kept at temperatures where your breath condenses? That sounds more like an igloo than a typical apartment.About the valves in the harmonica. Well is just what you do when living in cold weather. The harmonica covers are metal and tend to be cold, which condensates your breath (and produce rattling sounds every now and then when those buggers stick to the reeds). Warming it in your jacket pocket or a warmer for 5 minutes does the trick (and solves 90% of complaints in chromatic harmonica forums)
noelekal
The Home For Wayward Accordions
A digital accordion seems to be (to this confirmed Luddite) much the same as a high tech flight simulator.
In the simulator one can simulate, practice and mimic flight maneuvers and flight conditions of all sorts, up to and including those never encountered in actual flight, but he'll never get off the ground and experience flying a real airplane.
I suppose that I've never come to accept a digital accordion as an authentic accordion. Perhaps it depends on how it is employed, as an extra-capable "accordion-ish" instrument rather than as a crutch.
In the simulator one can simulate, practice and mimic flight maneuvers and flight conditions of all sorts, up to and including those never encountered in actual flight, but he'll never get off the ground and experience flying a real airplane.
I suppose that I've never come to accept a digital accordion as an authentic accordion. Perhaps it depends on how it is employed, as an extra-capable "accordion-ish" instrument rather than as a crutch.
A digital accordion is indeed an "extra-capable accordion-ish instrument", and the newest (by now quite old though) Roland V-accordions are very capable accordion-ish instruments indeed. They do many things very well, but their weakest point is their "emulation" of an acoustic accordion. When you can accept the somewhat mediocre accordion sound then Roland V-accordions can make you very happy.
Luckily, there’s no need to accept a digital accordion as an authentic accordion (< 8 chin switches don’tcha know), only as itself. Is it a crutch? Hmmmmm, suppose you could ask Dorgival Dantas if he has time after playing in an arena with 60,000 people…..
noelekal
The Home For Wayward Accordions
I have a couple acoustic accordions, an excelsior 960 and an ACE. They both sound good, but in changing the register selections, there is some variation in sound, but each "box" has its own characteristic tone. So, if you are an acoustic accordion fan you will buy possibly a half dozen accordions to get the basic tone you want -- sweet musette tone or an accordion that has a great bass. If you buy the best made accordion in each "class" of tone (folk, classic, etc.) you can spend thousands of $$$ and have an accordion that will fit each type of music you like. However, if you want an accordion with a wide variety of sounds (all in one instrument), and a good approximate to an acoustic, get a digital. It won't have all those exact different tones of your many acoustics but it will be very cheap in cost (even a Roland 8X) compared to a collection of acoustics you may have.
Forming spontaneous Jazz mobs under Thomas O'Maugein.
I don't have any experience with a Roland, although I am tempted to get one. If I can pose a question - once you've learned to a reasonable level, have you a plan of what you'd like to perform and where to play it? That might determine which is the better option. I mostly play Morris dance music, and I didn't really see an electronic instrument fitting in very well. In fact the instrument I've seen that really fitted the genre/setting best was a 1950s Hohner Student VM in gold and red. If I played different music I'd probably have one by now!
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