Roland FR-1x Free Bass

[Nico.nico]

Hello,
I've been playing slowly with some of the features of the Roland FR-1x these last days.
One of those features is the Free Bass option.
How much useful is really? I'm seen mostly the same range played in the left hand as with my right hand when playing in Free Bass, not much of a Bass sound so far actually.
I can get the right hand to transpose to a lower octave (in this way is actually lower than the left register), but I can't find a way to do so on the left hand.

Any advice FR-1x owners can provide? I could due some duets maybe. But a nice bass line would surely be something to aim to.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Dingo40]

Bump!

 

[dan]

I think free bass V-accordion has potential. If I had more time to practice and better coordination…

Playing free bass an octave lower is possible if you create a custom set with the set editor software. There is an octave number that can be changed for each instrument assigned to treble, bass buttons, chord buttons, or free bass. Here is a video I recorded two years ago with the free bass on my FR-1xb set to a a low octave slap bass sound on the first part and a high octave marimba sound (for a duet effect) on the second part.

 

[Nico.nico]

Great news. And by the way nice playing .
I’ll keep myself busy this weekend looking into those custom user sets.

Which it was more intuitive. There’s eve the option to play only bass notes in the right hand (Bass to treble option) which makes it sound like a bassoon accordion, in a very low register. Same thing but for the left hand would have been great .

 

[Rodney]

I’m at the stage of getting to know free bass, it interests me because of the possibility of playing a bassline closer to the composer’s intentions, if using a piano score of course. Currently I’m mapping a C to C chromatic scale for each of the 5 layouts used by Roland in the 8x, i.e. Minor 3rd, Bajan, Fifth, N. Europe and Finnish). Fifth is the shortest so far at only 1 full C to C octave in a 120 bass layout.

 

[Rodney]

Here are the Roland FR-8x free bass chromatic maps!

 

[Nico.nico]

Thanks. I’m playing the FR-1X , with 72 bass buttons. I realize the issue I felt with it having less bass range is because of the amount of buttons in the left side and not having the ability to transpose the register to the lower range (making the free bass range F#3-F#6).
I heard others mentioning transposing free bass register is an option for orchestral sounds using the editor software (but apparently not for accordion sounds) so I still could try that.

I actually used this as an excuse to experiment using the accordion as a MIDI controller. Got myself a sampled Bayan accordion (from Psounds) and there I managed to transpose the register. It sounds deep and rich now (though of course using the PC now).

I’m wondering if using the Stradella bass buttons is something convertor Free bass players do. Those bass notes reach a lower register than the ones on the free bass side in the FR 1X. It could be of use too.

 

[dak]

I’m wondering if using the Stradella bass buttons is something convertor Free bass players do. Those bass notes reach a lower register than the ones on the free bass side in the FR 1X. It could be of use too.

As opposed to typical bayans (I think), the bass octave from the free bass manual (whether separate free bass buttons or the chord buttons under the influence of a converter) does not couple into the chord octaves. That means that the Stradella basses are more powerful and better at masking the octave break. When you are playing organ music, this means that the Stradella basses can be a good fit for the pedal bass while you use the free bass manual as second manual and the right hand for the first manual. In particular when the second manual play wanders through the octaves, it may be quite distant from the pedal bass, and with Stradella, more often than not you can find a place nearby the 2nd hand manual where you can trigger the pedal bass (and you can do finger changes from counter bass to bass and back, too).

 

[dan]

I heard others mentioning transposing free bass register is an option for orchestral sounds using the editor software (but apparently not for accordion sounds) so I still could try that.

You're right, it doesn't work for accordion sounds. I had forgotten. Editing the accordion free bass register gives you option to change the reed ranks, but the only options are bassoon (16') and clarinet reeds (8').



Here is what it looks like if you edit the orchestral free bass register. On my custom user set I changed the string sound to an acoustic bass, and octave from -1 to -3. An organ sound might work for free bass accordion music that would otherwise have to be played up an octave.

 

[Nico.nico]

thanks @dan ! I'll experiment with those. I already got the deep accordion sound using the accordion as a MIDI controller. But having also the lower register in the accordion itself would be great.

I just got a new book in the mail today: "Chromatic Accordion Method for C-System By Elsbeth Moser" and it turns out it covers also free bass. So I'll start practicing with it.

 

[cestjeffici]

thanks @dan ! I'll experiment with those. I already got the deep accordion sound using the accordion as a MIDI controller. But having also the lower register in the accordion itself would be great.

I just got a new book in the mail today: "Chromatic Accordion Method for C-System By Elsbeth Moser" and it turns out it covers also free bass. So I'll start practicing with it.

Nico, I keep dancing with the idea of buying that book but it's expensive and I have several other CBA books. Would you be OK with posting the table of contents?

 

[Nico.nico]

Nico, I keep dancing with the idea of buying that book but it's expensive and I have several other CBA books. Would you be OK with posting the table of contents?

Hi, sorry but the late reply. I finally remembered to take some pics of the index today.
I haven't been too diligent practicing with the accordion these days actually, so I can't say much about my progress there.

I have been practicing with the chromatic harmonica often though, and the accordion is becoming a great way to practice chord progressions and clarifying ideas. I'm actually using it in the way I though the piano would be helpful to me, more as a tool to reinforce theory and excersices than as a main instrument.... but I will get to that for sure.

 

[cestjeffici]

Hi, sorry but the late reply. I finally remembered to take some pics of the index today.
I haven't been too diligent practicing with the accordion these days actually, so I can't say much about my progress there.

I have been practicing with the chromatic harmonica often though, and the accordion is becoming a great way to practice chord progressions and clarifying ideas. I'm actually using it in the way I though the piano would be helpful to me, more as a tool to reinforce theory and excersices than as a main instrument.... but I will get to that for sure.

Nico,
Thanks for the images. I bought the book, it arrived a few days ago. My first take is that it will be one of the most useful books I've purchased. I like that it is a progressive series of exercises for combined left and right hand with good music theory background included. I'm really enjoying learning with it.
I do have some trouble moving back and forth from my Scandalli CBA Stradella and my FR1B Free base. The button sizes are very different.