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Re: First live performance with my FR-18

Thanks Nout.

I've asked a local accordion distributor to get one in for approval...but I don't think they're trying very hard as they probably want to quit their existing non-digital 3 row stock at premium prices and margins first.

I play 2 Cajun boxes...a Jude Moreau Bon Temps with Salpas and a Master with Bincis. No prob. with either really, other than the work I need to put into the bass side/bellows action that's killing my shoulder.

I thought maybe the 'regulator' setting on the FR-18 ( which apparently can be set to minimal bellows action for the same sound ) would be the attraction for me..

Re: First live performance with my FR-18

Oh..and just to add some extra to the discussion.

The other accordion player in my band ( he plays Piano Accordion and Cajun box ) had a fall from a ladder a few months ago and badly shattered his wrist. Had steel plates and pins inserted and all that horrible stuff. He also now suffers from depleted mobility and strength in the leftwrist/arm.
Talk about walking wounded !!!

He's saying he wants to quit the Piano Accordion and is willing to share the venture into an FR-18 if it's suitable to play, as discussed.

I just want to lay my hands on one..I think I'd be able to tell in about 30 seconds if it was going to work for me.

If the FR-18 not suitable, we both might have to take up tap dancing as an alternative interest !!!!

too many things

i don;t see what the difference is, if you shattered your hand
diatonic isn;t going to be much different from piano or button chromatic
i mean you still have to do the same thing with your hand
[[though the span of an octave is less with diatonic, because of the missing notes, basically]]

plus learning something new
plus some ambiguous ' make diatonic sound chromatic'
i don;t see it
it;s too many things to overcome at once
just my 2c

wle

Re: too many things

I was hit by a car some years back. Crazed yuppie
female dog came over 4 lanes and hit me from behind in an off ramp. My speed 45mph.. her speed was estimated at 80mph. I was riding an Italian Moto Morini Camel. Bike was totalled. It had 1300 miles.
Shattered my left wrist. 2 operations, pins, casting for 8 months, 2 years of therapy.
At the same time, the ball was broken off my right
humerus (sp) plus ripped up the rotator cuff. 2 surgeries, 8 months in casts, 2 years of therapy.

Yes, you can play the box after such injuries. However, the weight of the box is a consideration.
And, any technique or box configuration that will reduced the push-pull would be of benefit.

Re: too many things

With a PA, or CBA, you won't have to do long pulls of the bellows because you play the same notes in either direction. Now, since I play neither instrument, I'm not sure how this will play out in the eventuality of holding long notes (not common in zydeco), but it's a thought.

Re: First live performance with my FR-18

Darryl,

If I remember correctly, there are 3 bellows tweaks on the FR-18: an adjustable air valve, a software setting for sensitivity, and a software setting for compression. The compression variable lets the instrument speak naturally or, at the other extreme, makes all notes the same volume regardless of amount of bellows movement.

I agree it doesn't sound like a Cajun accordion, but it has some good externally-mic'd 3-row and other diatonic box sounds. It's also a midi controller, which in theory lets you drive any midi-capable synthesizer with their wide range of sounds. If someone sampled a Cajun box very well, the FR-18 could control a synth into which that sample was loaded. Not that I'm aware of any pro-level Cajun accordion samples.

Russ

Re: First live performance with my FR-18

Yeah, thanx Russ and others. The weight distribution with the double strap harness combined with that in- between weight ( between a Cajun box and a Piano Accordion/Traditional 3 Row )probably means the weight would be tolerable at gigs..especially if I lambswool sleeve the harness.

Finger spread and reach is possibly not so much the issue either as Larry was suggesting.

The BIG issue is the lateral dynamics of the bellows action push and pull..

I've looked at some video of FR-18 demos. and the bellows action can be cut down to a minimal movement but still retain a big sound, as amplification is doing all that. Trouble is there's heaps of that awful Tex Mex Conjunto and European playing in those Ytube videos..drives me crazy...I hate that stuff...for me it's what gives accordions a bad name .

The Zydeco sound per Andre Thierry is great. He seems to get on OK with his FR-18..but then again he could play anything ! Johnny Ace plays great too.
Guess we wait to see if we can get our hands on one for a try out.....

Re: First live performance with my FR-18

I use an Erica for some songs. It is light, but is only MM. Lacks some guts by itself, but is ok when the band fills in.



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