Where are the cheap FR-1X's now that they are no longer being made?

[swingbozo]

It doesn't appear there's a real "fire sale" with any of the roland midi accordions. Looks like the cheapest on ebay for an FR-1X is around $1600 used. The entire reason I started repairing accordions is so I could get them cheap! The FR-1X sounds perfect for what I want, but the price is still - yeeesh.

 

[Chris Laarman]

1) Aren't they being made anymore? Thomann (on their German website) expects them (new) to be in stock again in many weeks or several months.

2) Be aware, that the Roland FR-series are not acoustic accordions with MIDI added (as discussed in that other topic that you have just contributed to), but synthesizers only. Which may require a different view on repairing.

 

[swingbozo]

I was aware they were midi only, which is what is sparking my interest. I've purchased about 8 old skewl accordions TOTAL for less than $1000 including shipping. I've already fixed two of them bringing my functioning old skewl accordion count to 4. The "quiet practice" aspect of the midi accordion is what I'm interested in. Right now I just have to walk out to the garage to practice but it'd be nice to be able to practice anywhere.

I will definitely agree midi accordions and standard acoustic accordions are like apples and oranges. They may be the same shape, but they are quite different.

 

[Ben-jammin]

To me “midi only” would be an instrument that is only a controller and requires outboard gear to take the midi signal and generate actual audio. The Roland V accordions have the sound generation onboard. I make this point because frequently on this forum there are conversations that the distinction between a midi controller accordion and a digital accordion is important. All of the Roland V accordions are desirable and Roland hasn’t oversaturated the market by building way too many of them. I imagine part of this is to keep the market healthy for their next generation instrument, but it also keeps the price up in the used market. From a manufacturing standpoint I’m sure Roland has decent development costs in their V accordions and they have to cover those costs with a much smaller volume than their more mainstream product lines.

 

[Chris Laarman]

To me “midi only” would be an instrument that is only a controller and requires outboard gear to take the midi signal and generate actual audio. The Roland V accordions have the sound generation onboard. I make this point because frequently on this forum there are conversations that the distinction between a midi controller accordion and a digital accordion is important.

Not intending to be nitpicking: I disagree on the requirement of outboard gear for being "MIDI only". Just think of those keyboard synthesizers with built-in speakers or Roland's Aerophone wind instruments. - You would say "MIDI controller only" to include your "outboard gear" requirement.

By the way, I plan to master my FR-1xb stand-alone (using earphones), but to use it both stand-alone and as a MIDI controller.

 

[Ben-jammin]

I would say Those keyboard synthesizers are digital/electronic instruments that also happen to have a midi interface and wouldn’t be described as “midi only”. Midi is a communication protocol to transmit and store music performance information. By definition if it’s “midi only” the accordion would only generate a midi signal and still need additional hardware to turn a midi signal to sound.

 

[JerryPH]

Well, first let's define "MIDI". We all know it means Musical Instrument Digital INTERFACE. The interface part is the part that is important. You can have a instruments with internal sound capability with MIDI and not use the MIDI, but you cannot have an instrument with no internal sounds to be of any useful value without using MIDI and connecting it to an external module.

MIDI is a wonderful technology thats expanded to include not just the ability to activate sound on remote modules, but to interconnect and control. If it wasn't for MIDI in my setup, I'd not be able to have a wireless foot switch reprogram my 8X via the MIDI input or send controls to activate a start/stop sequence to the BK-7m via MIDI and a ton more.

MIDI is a means to an end that opens a world of possibilities compared to what it was 40 years ago... and the Roland V-accordions are *not* MIDI accordions, they are digital accordions *with* MIDI integration.