Roland FR-1XB

[JustinU]

Hi everyone,
I have been playing a Hohner Corona II for about 20 years and recently bought the Roland FR-1XB. Can I configure the Roland to play like the Hohner? Can I make it so that when pushing in the bellows it makes one note and pulling out it makes another note. And can I tune each individual button to the format of the Corona II. I play mostly Norteño and TexMex music.

 

[dunlustin]

Sorry, it's No to all the above.
But it would be a great new instrument to learn on - and there's plenty of learning material out ther.

 

[ChrisH]

You need a Roland FR18 which is a digital melodeon like your Corona, The FR-1xB is a chromatic button accordion.

 

[JustinU]

You need a Roland FR18 which is a digital melodeon like your Corona, The FR-1xB is a chromatic button accordion.

Yes. But they don’t sell these anymore

 

[dunlustin]

Re: 'You need a Roland FR18'
Maybe a good (first) idea is to find someone who has a FR18 and likes it - they were not a roaring success

 

[Alan Sharkis]

I remember that shortly after they came out, eBay was loaded with used FR-18s.

 

[John M]

You need a Roland FR18 which is a digital melodeon like your Corona, The FR-1xB is a chromatic button accordion.

There is an FR-18 diatonic for sale at this link:

https://reverb.com/item/83342059-roland-fr-18-diatonic-red?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=18078637653&utm_content=campaignid=18078637653_adgroupid=138899115974_productpartitionid=2501471917632=merchantid=5308446469_productid=83342059_keyword=_device=c_adposition=_matchtype=_creative=617122855163&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI3_6B2d-XhwMVImZHAR0otACmEAQYAiABEgKiLPD_BwE

 

[JustinU]

Hi everyone,
I have been playing a Hohner Corona II for about 20 years and recently bought the Roland FR-1XB. Can I configure the Roland to play like the Hohner? Can I make it so that when pushing in the bellows it makes one note and pulling out it makes another note. And can I tune each individual button to the format of the Corona II. I play mostly Norteño and TexMex music.

I think I’m just gonna return the Roland and get me a Hohner Corona II Extreme. I just don’t know what key to get. I have a G/C/F and don’t know whether to get an F/Bb/Eb or E/A/D. It’s for Norteño and Tex-Mex covers

 

[dunlustin]

F/Bb/Eb - good for playing with Brass if you do go back to the Hohner
As ' It’s for Norteño and Tex-Mex covers' maybe look at what's used locally?

 

[SergeRbt]

Hello,
As information, it seems that you can easily select the key on the Roland FR18d :

View attachment 13240
see page 32 of https://www.roland.com/fr/support/by_product/fr-18_diatonic/owners_manuals/

Serge

 

[J. Eduardo]

I'm probably a little late here.... but a few thoughts.

If you want another diatonic, then the F/Bb/Eb would be your next key. Traditionally, G for conjunto/tejano and F for norteño. Those things change, of course. I think F is the choice for playing cumbias in do menor (Cm) after Valerio Longoria did it.

I was surprised when I recently learned that David Lee Garza and a few other accordionists in these genres sometimes play button chromatic. Before you swap out your fr-1xb, you might want to check those artists out. Here Aaron Salinas covering Garza on a Roland:

I'm still working out whether to get a used fr-18 or a 1xb for similar interests, too.

 

[kimric]

Learning to play the chromatic Roland would free you to play in whatever key you wanted. There are videos on youtube in english and spanish on how to play.