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Author Topic: Roland fr18 diatonic accordion - user group  (Read 213108 times)

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Québécois

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Re: Roland fr18 diatonic accordion - user group
« Reply #640 on: December 02, 2019, 03:35:28 PM »

Coming from a 2-row playing experience, I find Tablature 1 the most intuitive and useful. What Tablature(s)  do most people use?
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EricJamesWhite

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Re: Roland fr18 diatonic accordion - user group
« Reply #641 on: November 13, 2020, 05:47:16 PM »

I've just see a new FR18 for sale at £4000 (yes I've checked to the zeros!). Also from the same outlet a used FR18 at £3000.
 :o

I could sell mine and boost my pension - alas I love my FR18 too much  :-\
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German Hohner Pokerwork, Hohner Club 3M, Dino Baffetti Carnival 3, Sandpiper Curlew, Hohner Atlanta (Midi), Hyde Alchemist (Midi), Roland Fr-18 (Midi)

Vallenato831

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Re: Roland fr18 diatonic accordion - user group
« Reply #642 on: December 01, 2020, 11:39:57 PM »

I've been trying to find out what material is the case made out of.  Doesn't appear to be celluloid.  Looks like vinyl or ? 
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chris hall

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Re: Roland fr18 diatonic accordion - user group
« Reply #643 on: December 02, 2020, 11:41:52 AM »

I've been trying to find out what material is the case made out of.  Doesn't appear to be celluloid.  Looks like vinyl or ?

mine just seems to be solid plastic. not wood covered in anything but ive not taken it apart to check. its super light though.
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Vallenato831

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Re: Roland fr18 diatonic accordion - user group
« Reply #644 on: December 03, 2020, 05:56:45 PM »

Thanks Chris!
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DaveW

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Re: Roland fr18 diatonic accordion - user group
« Reply #645 on: December 07, 2020, 03:50:13 PM »

I've been trying to find out what material is the case made out of.  Doesn't appear to be celluloid.  Looks like vinyl or ? 

I think you will find it is ABS, painted. (A thermoplastic co-polymer used in many bits of kit) Not as strong as wood, not very resistant to heat. So treat it gently.
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DaveW

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Skandor

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Re: Roland fr18 diatonic accordion - user group
« Reply #646 on: December 31, 2020, 01:52:46 PM »

Hello everyone - this is my first post:)

Hailing from Germany I am playing music for three decades. I came across the melodeon about three months ago when I found my grandma‘s old Hohner Club II in the attic. Actually a banjo/guitar/woodwinds-player, the addiction just got me caught and I ended up with several new boxes (and anglo concertinas). Still there is so much to discover, so I was really lucky (and happy as can be) that I found a reasonably affordable used FR-18 in perfect shape from a professional seller (with warranty and everything you need...). And I LOVE it.

I get along perfectly fine with the handling and have programmed already my first bunch of tablatures and user sets (see below), but there‘s still a question left about the hardware:

In the bag accessories the seller has sent me a bunch of replacement buttons, six each white, marked and non-marked with little grooves in the surface. I tried to exchange some buttons but when I screwed them off, I realized that the replacements would not fit in. The original buttons have nuts and the replacements have BOLTS. I don‘t see a way to screw the replacements on the instrument without some kind of adapting device... moreover I found replacement buttons for Stradella Bass System in the accessories, which is odd because there‘s no stradella bass on the fr-18 ;)

I am wondering now if the whole replacement set is obsolete for my instrument and maybe accidentally shipped or if there is a way to install the buttons. I would love to have some markers on both hand‘s sides, treble and bass. Can anyone help?

here‘s my personalized tablature list, just in case if anyone‘s interested :-)
drop me a line if I can help :-)

1. Hohner Compadre original Layout
2. Hohner Compadre without accidentals but low tones
3. Hohner Club II Layout (like my Grandma‘s box)
4. Steyrische Harmonika as found in tablature no 12 from the factory settings
5. Cajun Accordion (one row, with „spoons“)
6. Russian Garmoshka (a brilliant system of it‘s very own, look up „Garmon“ on wikipedia), single action
7. Hurdy Gurdy keyboard layout, single action on the treble, 18 bass standard diatonic double action on the left
8. B/C/C# „British/Scottish Button Box“ on the treble with my own bass system* on the left
9. Chromatic Button Accordion (CBA), B-System, my own bass system
10. CBA C-System
11. like 9 but reversed treble rows
12. like 10 but reversed treble rows which perfectly suits the Compadre/Vallenato Layout
Bernard Loffet is using this system, too on his „petit chromas“ and it‘s really a bliss

*my bass system is a kind of compromise playing chromatic accompaniments with only 18 keys, avoiding the stradella layout. I think the left hand keyboard on a diato is too „straight“ for playing Stradella on in fluently. Some people have „diagonal“ layouts instead but I could not really get along with that. so I sticked with the diatonic way of playing and coded 9 possible chord-combinations (out of 12), while i switched off the thirds on the chord-basses

it looks a little like this:

chin  <—>  knees
bellow

Bb  F# B
F    G   A
C    D   E

two buttons per note (bass and chord without thirds)

as you can see, the root chords of a key (like e.g C, F and G or A, D and E, etc, no matter if major or minor) are always quite close to another while you can memorize the layout really easily. „accidental chords“ Bb and F# made the most sense to me since I had to decide for 2 out of five.

Wishing everyone a great new year. Stay healthy, stay safe, take care :]


Alex
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Michael Driscoll

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Re: Roland fr18 diatonic accordion - user group
« Reply #647 on: January 01, 2021, 08:00:40 AM »

I see this thread was started because the old one became convoluted and this one seems to have gone the same way.  I am one of those wanting to set up an FR18 with a B/C/Csharp tuning and my need has now become more urgent as my neighbours are now at home more.  Would it make sense to form a B/C/Csharp sub group for the specific purpose of getting to grips with this ( if there isn't already one on the go - its hard to know)?
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Bill Young

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Re: Roland fr18 diatonic accordion - user group
« Reply #648 on: January 01, 2021, 11:09:49 AM »

......
In the bag accessories the seller has sent me a bunch of replacement buttons, six each white, marked and non-marked with little grooves in the surface. I tried to exchange some buttons but when I screwed them off, I realized that the replacements would not fit in. The original buttons have nuts and the replacements have BOLTS. I don‘t see a way to screw the replacements on the instrument without some kind of adapting device... moreover I found replacement buttons for Stradella Bass System in the accessories, which is odd because there‘s no stradella bass on the fr-18 ;)

I am wondering now if the whole replacement set is obsolete for my instrument and maybe accidentally shipped or if there is a way to install the buttons. I would love to have some markers on both hand‘s sides, treble and bass. Can anyone help?
....

Those replacement buttons don’t belong to the FR-18. I think they’re for the FR-8bx CBA. It’s the only Roland CBA where the buttons have projecting screws. All the other Roland CBAs have buttons with recessed screw holes, like the FR-18. I once installed three contrasting white buttons on the treble side of a friend’s FR-18 (à la Hohner Trichord) using replacement buttons from a FR-3b.
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Skandor

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Re: Roland fr18 diatonic accordion - user group
« Reply #649 on: January 01, 2021, 12:49:40 PM »

Those replacement buttons don’t belong to the FR-18. I think they’re for the FR-8bx CBA. It’s the only Roland CBA where the buttons have projecting screws. All the other Roland CBAs have buttons with recessed screw holes, like the FR-18. I once installed three contrasting white buttons on the treble side of a friend’s FR-18 (à la Hohner Trichord) using replacement buttons from a FR-3b.

thank you very much, that was really helpful.
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James Tween

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Re: Roland fr18 diatonic accordion - user group
« Reply #650 on: February 06, 2021, 03:39:46 PM »

Are people still watching this thread?

Bought a FR-18 this week and I'm still learning it but one question which I can't find clearly answered in the Manual -- though I see I'm not the only person who finds it a bit tough reading: is it possible to mix and match left- and right-hand sounds from different sets?  I might want different melodeon rights and lefts paired up or I might want a different pairing, like a melodeon treble and a piano-type "Orchestral" bass which id found in a different set combination entirely.

I feel I should be able to do that as part of the three "User" sets, but can't currently see how.

Thanks!

James
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Skandor

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Re: Roland fr18 diatonic accordion - user group
« Reply #651 on: February 06, 2021, 04:51:02 PM »

After a first glance at the manual and my FR-18:

Yes, you can mix left and right hand sounds from different sets. You would want to do this in a user set which are only available in register 4 (see page 60 and following) and save this to a USB if you don't want to build it up every time again after switching off (see p37).
If you like to have a piano sound on both - chord and bass buttons - of the left hand, you'd have to activate "orch bass" but deactivate "left register". this piano setup is in none of the presets, that's why you have to build it yourself. Keep "orchester/organ" deactivated to play the melodeon on the treble side. 

How to combine different MELODEON treble and bass sounds is a really good question indeed... I am afraid, the left and right hand melodeon sounds are linked with another. At page 60 and following the melodeon bass sounds are not mentioned separately, only the right hand.
Hope someone else can help with that problem :-)
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DaveW

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Re: Roland fr18 diatonic accordion - user group
« Reply #652 on: February 06, 2021, 05:26:15 PM »

My advice to newcomers to Fr-18 : just walk before you try running, otherwise you get bogged down with tailor making set ups which may be on the instrument anyway waiting to be discovered.
When looking at the various instruments, folk, Cajun, with their own groups of sounds, including some bass options and not forgetting the orchestral setting on the treble side. Choose a sound you like.
Now choose a keyboard arrangement. These can all be programmed differently but this may not be necessary, changing the key from the ones provide ( default is usually G ) may be all you need. So to call up a D/G melodeon, choose Tablature 8 ( two row in G/C ) and change the key to D.
It took me several years to familiarise the possibilities, most of which I have forgotten!
The instrument is fun enjoy it
DaveW
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DaveW

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James Tween

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Re: Roland fr18 diatonic accordion - user group
« Reply #653 on: February 07, 2021, 07:42:02 PM »

Great advice, thanks.

i only have headphones currently so, to save my eardrums and because i don't only eed to "play silently", do I need to use the two L/R outputs and run them to one amp, or can I just runa  cable from the hedphone socket to an amp?  You might gather I'm not that techy, so both sound engineer and computer programmign alngauges aren't that familiar to me.

Thanks again!
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Skandor

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Re: Roland fr18 diatonic accordion - user group
« Reply #654 on: February 08, 2021, 08:45:08 AM »

You can use the headphone socket, if you want to. When I'm playing at home, I usually use the headphone socket for everything - no issues.
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DaveW

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Re: Roland fr18 diatonic accordion - user group
« Reply #655 on: February 08, 2021, 06:10:33 PM »

Connecting the amplifier to the LH 4.5mm socket is best.
To change relative bass/treble volumes - read the handbook, I think Function key plus no3 allows you to alter this.
As an afterthought, it sounds as though your machine has a variety of custom keyboards installed. It might be better to start from scratch with a factory reset, BUT if you do this, saving what is programmed on the  instrument now would be good for possible future use.
The handbook can be downloaded from Roland website for those that don't have one. Understanding it all requires a similar effort to gaining the old Higher National Certificate - good luck
 
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DaveW

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folkloristmark

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Re: Roland fr18 diatonic accordion - user group
« Reply #656 on: February 11, 2021, 11:57:23 AM »

Ok mine is one lead both takes treble and bass from either of the stereo plugs. If I remember there are instructions in the book to enable this function so one lead .Only using small practice amp. Dont forget you have midi and micro usb options as well.If yours is new then good advice, to back up your set , instruction book,to USB and restore factory settings this is easliy reversed but I have found as you fumble around you can loose all sorts of original sounds and you dont even remember them. Good to to go back and appreciate what you started with and therefore what you are biulding on. This is of course dependant on what others have done.
kind regards
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Mark Taylor
Folkloristmark

folkloristmark

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Re: Roland fr18 diatonic accordion - user group
« Reply #657 on: February 11, 2021, 12:00:31 PM »

my bbc file was supplied from this thread. If you need that tab and can not find it I can send it.I think I have strad end and the tab BC bass. PM an email.

PS found it howard mitchel  page 1 of this thread. Makes me think what have I missed. Thats with a strad bass you can just cut and past the treble settings into your set BC tab of the machine in the prog if you want other bass options.
« Last Edit: February 11, 2021, 12:04:17 PM by folkloristmark »
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Mark Taylor
Folkloristmark

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Re: Roland fr18 diatonic accordion - user group
« Reply #658 on: February 11, 2021, 12:22:02 PM »

Chris I have surfed some of the previous now . You asked if there was an EQ on the Roland. Yes there is and you can use presets or your own custum. Again which buttons are in the manuel somewhere. Is that what you mean?
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Mark Taylor
Folkloristmark

folkloristmark

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Re: Roland fr18 diatonic accordion - user group
« Reply #659 on: February 11, 2021, 04:52:10 PM »

Mike you have a PM will need an email if you feel up to it no hurry BCC#
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Mark Taylor
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