This goes back to a post I made recently about ensuring you have decent warranty/after sales service available.
These accordions are great IMHO..but like anything man-made, they could sometimes need fixing...and often with a fast turn-around time frame required.

My local retailer has nominated a local warranty repair guy..I think I need to speak with him to ensure he's up to speed and not just ' winging it '...I don't want to be left with an instrument that requires me to package and post to another state and have it 'lost' in their system for a few weeks.

BTW David..did you do the update/modification process by going back to the retailer or did you have a nominated local warranty/service centre.?

The software update is DIY using a downloaded set of files. You load the files on a thumb drive, plug the thumb drive into the accordion and jiggle some of the buttons. Fast and easy.

I think he meant, from where did you get the files?
(I am assuming a download from Roland website.)

DP

Ah, yes.

Yes, it was a download from the Roland site. It was a .ZIP file.

I'll check it out tonight. I had the hardest time figuring out which tab to use. The default was some weird configuration. I also noticed that the top buttons were silent. But I haven't heard that it is an octave too low. To my ear it sounds right but I could be wrong. One thing I had happen is the treble buttons unscrewing and falling off. One fell off at a gig Sat. night. Luckily my bass player was able to find it. So now I make sure they are tight every now and then. Still better than carying around super glue for when a glued on button falls off. It would be cool if the offered buttons in different colors so you could customize the keyboard. Speaking of custom I have grown to like the Mariachi skull/tattoo motifgrill cover. I too love the silent practice aspect of it. My wife loves it.

I only used tablature #11, as that is (arguably) the most common layout for a triple row. It's what all of my triples rows have, so it made sense.

One of the changes Roland made was for tablature #11 to be the default, instead of tablature #1. I agree with that change!

But, it just so happens that tablature #11 is one of the two in which the note assignments were one octave too low. That meant that I always had to shift the octave manually before it sounded right. The other thing they changed for #11 was assigning the 3 previously unused highest buttons. That was something I was going to do eventually anyway, but it's just as well that Roland took care of it.

So, if you weren't using tablature #11 or #12, you wouldn't have had the octave too low problem.

So the buttons unscrew? Hmmm, well, that would seem to be the way to cusomize it, assuming you can find buttons that are compatible. If you find anything, let me know, because I would very much like to change that myself.

-David

I'm using 11 too. that is the only tablature that is the same as our triple notes. I don't have that octave problem. Go to the link. I'm playing in F,Bb,Eb and it sounds right to me. I'm going to down load that update tonight. On the video I was just using the third register because i wasn't comfortable using the sets. I have since gone through all of them and have settled on the Diatonic 2.2, switch 3 pushed once so it is green. That gives you a wet sound with all the treble registers so I'm thinking that comes close to a nine switch Bafetti or Gabanelli etc. But what do the numbers 16', 8',8'+,
8'-, 4' mean in describing the treble registers on p. 60 et al.? I'm thinking it means the equivalent of reed banks and the + and - refer to the degree of detuning to get musette or wetness. 16 being the lowest and 4 being the highest? Do you agree? I have found that it takes a lighter touch to play this thing so I am working on that.

Wrong link. Sorry 'bout that! Try this one. It doesn't sound like it's an octave too low to me, but am I missing something?
If I am succesful in putting in this upgrade then , really, anyone can do it.

Roland site for updates, etc...OK...thanks.

The other issue I was referring to was what happens if and when things break or there's an electronic malfunction. I recently spoke with the designated Roland local warranty/after sales service guy.

When I asked what he knew about the accordion he said he had the manual, and that's it..but ..he says it's just another piece of electronic equipment and shouldn't be a problem.
Roland's back-up on this trail blazing unit may? prove to be a bit frustrating and inconvenient , however, the accordion may also prove to be a very stable and reliable unit as long as it's not dropped or run over ..LOL.

The numbers 16', 8' and 4' are (I believe) derived from the nomenclature of pipe organs (sixteen feet long, 8 feet long, 4 feet long). Why they do it that way instead of the usual L, M, H (or bassoon, clarinet, picolo) designations I can't say.

So, yes, it means which virtual reed banks are turned on for each setting.

And yes, the "+" and "-" refer to the mussette detuning of the middle reed banks.

The way I noticed the octave problem was when the low reed back was turned on, and I played some of the lower pitched notes on the outer row. I just sounded strange and unnatural. But the octave shift fixed it. If you look at the keyboard layout charts, you will see that the octave designations for the notes on tab 11 and 12 are lower than the other tabs. For example, where a certain button should have been middle C (C3), they had it set to C2.

Have any of you tried the other (non-accordion) sounds, like the organ, plucked string, etc? Also, do you play through an amp, or PA. Could you simultaneously monitor your playing through the headphone jack while also sending a signal to the amp or FOH?

Yes, I have tried all of the sounds. I like the organ sounds and might use them for certain songs. There's a nice tenor sax sound. Some of the sounds are junk that I would never, ever use. But that's normal for any synth.

You can also use it as a midi controller to any midi keyboard or sound module. I have been told that Roland has a sound module that is intended for accordion sounds and that is supposedly the ultimate, but I don't know much more than that.

The outputs are numerous and very flexible. I haven't tried it, but I suspect you could use the headphones and the other outputs simultaneously.

Sometimes I use just the PA, and other times I use the PA and a keyboard amp. The keyboard amp is an insurance policy against an inadequate monitor system. Unless I know for sure that the monitors will be enough to suit me, I bring the amp to beef up my stage sound. I like to be able to hear myself well enough that I can get into the groove and really feel it. If I use the amp, I normally split the signal from the accordions using a couple of those handy dandy ART tube preamp, DI boxes. I think you might be the one who recommended them a few years ago.

-David

I sent Roland a question about replacement buttons. The reply came very quickly:


To order replacement parts (AC adapters, keys, replacement knobs, etc.), please contact our Customer Support department at 323-890-3740. They are available Monday through Friday between the hours of 7:30am and 5pm Pacific Standard Time.

You are the man David!! Pipe organ length!!!Who would've thunk that!!

I like your idea of using a keyboard amp for more monitor. I'm gonna try that next gig. thanks.

Yeah..I use a Roland Keyboard Amp on stage witha wireless set up...that amps also DI'd through the main desk.I'm not sure it matters what type of amp you use....the main thing is to be able to hear yourself at the level you want IMHO.

The reason I now use the amp is that I think I play poorly when I can't get that 'punchy' on-stage level....
If the foldback level is weak, and foldback happens to be all I have, I tend to play weak...and as a result I attempt to compensate by playing too hard to get the output I want...it's tiring.

The guys in the band also seem to get overwhelmed with the sheer output of the accordions when it's played solely through foldback monitors...so, the way I get the level I want, and the punch and drive I like, is to have the amp behind me at the level I want ...and the other band guys, being at almost 90 degrees to my amp are only getting the edges of it's output...and foldback can be reduced to a level that's appropriate.

As you'd appreciate, single row and other accordions with inbuilt mics can be HOT, signal wise...and sound engineers at the main desk ( when you're lucky enough to have a sound guy) , always seem to struggle with balancing the levels....and I always find that they have me down in the mix no matter how much I complain...perhaps I'm going deaf !!! LOL..anyway, these days I have the last laugh..I provide my own foldback, albeit right up my backside !

I just got off the phone with someone at Roland, and they do have replacement button caps. They cost a little over $4 each (!), but since the FR-18 is a brand new product they don't have them in stock yet. They can order them and it will take 6 weeks or so for delivery.

Apparently, you can only get an exact replacement, which means black - there is no other choice of color.

I am going to send an enhancement request to Roland Support to come up with color choices.

The guy at Roland I talked to did say that Roland buys the button caps from a supplier, but didn't say who the supplier was. If there was a way to figure out who the supplier is, maybe they already have other colors available?

In an emergency you could use the buttons off of the extra bass rows I imagine.

I had an idea of where to get white button caps that might work. The Roland chromatic button accordions have black AND white buttons, and from the pictures the button caps look very much like the ones on the FR-18. I just ordered a couple so I can see whether it will work out or not. They don't have them in stock, so it will be several weeks.

I updated the box. It was actually easy and very user friendly. So if I can do it then anyone can. David, you were right. It sounds much better with the octaves corrected and the top three buttons now programmed for sound.
Any idea what the names of the different tablatures are?

I bet you are correct in that the white buttons for the chromatic will probably fit the Fr 18. Let us know when you get them. It would be neat to customize the fingerboard with an interesting design.

Russ, let us know when you get yours and how you are getting along with it.

Thanks for all the info, guys. I'll let you known when mine arrives.