great new ROLAND product! hahaha

[Vartan K.]

http://www.roland.com/products/en/FR-7/index.html

[phalex]

Roland is pleased to introduce another milestone in digital musical instrument history

HAHAHAHAHAHA, the only person I could see getting any use out of that is Weird Al Yankovic.

[ladewd]

HAHAHAHAHAHA, the only person I could see getting any use out of that is Weird Al Yankovic.

Hey don't laugh! I can play a mean accordion. Its not my first choice for a keyboard instrument, but its kind of fun to play.

CA

[phalex]

I like accordions, but accordion midi controllers are kind of silly.

[moosapotamus]

God: "Welcome to Heaven... here's your harp."
---------------------------------------------------
Devil: "Welcome to Hell... here's your accordion."

~ Charlie

[maz]

Was this product announced on April 1? This has got to be a joke. Who would buy this? IT's the anti-accordian!

[psychicoctopus]

Roland... Taking Zydeco to the 24th and 1/2th century!

Seriously, though, it seems like the designers did their homework. It's more than a Keytar with bellows.

[jca83]

i'm getting the red one.

it's sexy.

[b3groover]

My local Polish-American Center will never be the same...

[d.olivier]

has anyone ever listened to the box set: planet squeeze box? I think it proves how versitle and diverse the use of the instrument is. imo it is rather strange that it has taken, what 20+ years for a midi version? If it is april 1st, well, then that will be sad. i had visions...

[ladewd]

Its not a joke! I can't believe I missed it at the NAMM show this year. I just read a short review on the rec.music.makers.squeezebox newsgroup. Some guy tried it at Musicmesse in Europe. Here's what he has to say about it: ( I tried to clean up some of the English)

Pros

-Good model (only piano, bass buttons will maybe be improved next year), nice view

-light weight

-nice display on the top of the accordion

-useful foot pedals

-good ordening of the buttons and knobs for program/tuning

-freebass, melodybass, and stradella bass are implemented

-samples of accordion bass are good

-price is ok if you look at other electronic accordions


Cons:

- the samples of the right hand are very much like keyboard sounds ,for the first 15-30 minutes they sound realistic, but after 30 minutes more and more horrible

- the button for virtual casotto (tone chamber) does not sound realistic

- bellow sensitivity is not very accurate for advanced players (if you want to play with a nice musical feel), but maybe good enough for amateurs

- the built in speakers don't sound good, too thin and not as loud as a standard accordion, lower in volume than a standard accordion.

- if you want to use midi out, not possible to play wireless because the midi out is on the footpedal, and this is connected with special cable to the accordion, if you want play wireless, it's possible with using two wireless audio adapters(one left on right)and plug it in on the bottom of the audio out on the accordion(but then you can't use the midi out)

I agree with Phalex. Accordions are cool, but if you need to do any midi work, a straight keyboard is much better. That is unless you never made the transisiton from accordion to keyboards.

CA

[helstab]

God: "Welcome to Heaven... here's your harp."
---------------------------------------------------
Devil: "Welcome to Hell... here's your accordion."

~ Charlie

I never said that.

[moosapotamus]

Oh... 'scuse me. That must have been my other God.

~ Charlie

[Lazy_Q]

I want one. Specifically the FR-5, as I could care less about the internal speaker rig. also weigs 5.5 lbs less. But then again, I'm on a buying hiatus (excepting perhaps odd looking cheap things at garage sales) until I do something with the junk I got.

Of course, I also want a midi theremin. But that's another story.