Understanding the Roland FR-1X

[musicman]

Is there anybody that has a FR-1X electronic accordion that could help me to understand it. I am a competent piano accordionist and have just purchased this instrument but I find it very difficult to understand the complexity of it. I am led to believe that a standard 72 bass accordion has 34 keys whereas the FR-1X has only 26 with 72 bass buttons. So why has Roland made this instrument with only 26 keys, it does not make sense to me because all music I play comes into the range of 34 keys. I thought that being a complex electronic instrument it has a way of overcoming this but I don't understand how can anybody explain.

Also if there is anybody around and about in Swindon,Wiltshire area that owns an FR-1X and could come and help me I would be very pleased to hear from you.

 

[JIM D.]

All the ??s on the FR-1x can be addressed by sending a PM to our Forum member ----
http://www.accordionists.co.uk/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=651

 

[dunlustin]

One answer to your question may be that the FR1X was designed as a button accordion.
The FR1XB (B for button) has a 3 octave range but its keyboard is a lot more compact than piano keys.
Yes, those notes may be skulking inside the software but I don't see how you could get to them.
I wonder if the Piano version was intended to open up the market with an affordable Beginners' model -
I've seen it described that way.
Personally, unless you are into folk dance, I can't see how 2 octaves offers much.
(Roland also produced a push/pull instrument which was not generally well received.)
I'm guessing that as with the FR1XB you can shift up/down an octave but that doesn't address your range problem.

 

[JackieC]

I have a Roland FR-1x and found it to be quite easy to learn. I prefer the 34 key setup, and do find the 26 keys to be rather limited. I had an FR-3x, but found it too heavy on my shoulders following shoulder surgery. I traded it in for the FR-1x. I like having 72 bass because that provides plenty of bass notes for the music I play. Actually, I think the FR-1x is the easiest of the Roland accordions to negotiate. The manual is easy to follow, but if you don't have that, it can be downloaded from the Roland website in a pdf document. You can go from playing with acoustic bass to an orchestral bass with the touch of one button, plus you can change the type of bass from a plucked bass to a bowed bass by selecting one of the buttons on the bass side. Once you find a combination of sounds with the treble and bass sides of the instrument, you can save them in one of the User presets. I find it an easy to use instrument. Hope this info helps.

 

[Simon Max]

This is an old post, but I may as well add my 2 cents. There is a very simple way to Transpose up or down one octave. This can be done quite easily in the middle of a song. You just press the Set button together with the first or second register buttons.
Simon

 

[Tartan Ghostie]

This is an old post, but I may as well add my 2 cents. There is a very simple way to Transpose up or down one octave. This can be done quite easily in the middle of  a song. You just press the Set button together with the first or second register buttons.
Simon

I do that when I am starting a tune and want a lower octave. But switching back and forth in mid-tune would be a challenge on two switches. I thought of programming a single A-B-C-D switch with the Java register editor to go up-down-up-down. Then every time I tapped it it would change octaves. I miss my Hohner Verdi V, but it was too loud in this house.
Craig

 

[Keymn]

I think the fr1x would be fun instrument when performing. Think the smaller look would draw more attention to the show. I have been thinking about a fr1x for some time now. Add to the fr4x arsenal would be nice additional...