Roland FR-18 diatonic

Information

(11/05/2012)
The international Finals of the Roland 6th V-Accordion Festival was held on 3 November, 2012 in Rome.

(02/02/2011)
Create new tablatures for your FR-18 diatonic accordion! The TABLATURE MAKER software for PC/Mac is available now.

A World of Musical Genres in One Amazing Instrument

Introducing the world’s first diatonic digital accordion! With the same level of sound quality and natural, dynamic response as its award-winning V-Accordion predecessors, the new FR-18 diatonic is a dream for accordionists seeking a world-class diatonic instrument that can do it all. The FR-18 diatonic features a brand new sound set that lets you choose instantly from a lineup of 12 virtual diatonic accordions as well as a variety of orchestral instruments, Virtual Tone Wheel organs, percussion, and more!

- World’s first digital diatonic accordion
- 12 onboard accordion models, including three user sets
- Virtual Tone Wheel organs onboard with slow and fast rotary
- Four user program registrations
- Programmable keyboard and bass button layout
- Drum function for manual percussion via bass & chord buttons
- Player is free to roam with battery (AA) power and wireless capability** Wireless unit and batteries are optional, sold separately

12 diatonic Accordions In One

Performing accordionists can cover all bases onstage with this one instrument. No matter the song, you can switch instantly between different tonalities and configurations of the keyboard/bass buttons. Diatonic musicians won’t have to carry a truckload of accordions onstage anymore! In addition to its amazing collection of virtual accordions, the FR-18 diatonic has other great instruments onboard, all instantly selectable. Choose from orchestral and brass instruments, exotic world instruments, percussion, organs, and more. The User Sets let you load your custom layouts of sounds and settings for instant recall.

Dedicated Acoustic and Orchestral Sounds for Each Set

The FR-18 diatonic comes with eight treble orchestra, three orchestra bass and three orchestra chord sounds that are different for each set. This means that each set (Folk, Classic, Tradition, Organetto and so on) will recall dedicated orchestral sounds relevant to that set. Three user sets allow the musician to customise the FR-18 diatonic with new acoustic and orchestral sounds. Dual mode function allows the accordionist to layer orchestral and accordion sounds for the right hand, so as to extend the melody part.

Tablature Sets

The FR-18 diatonic comes with a dozen instantly selectable tablatures, making it possible to cover numerous genres without ever having to change accordions! In addition, you can create your own tablatures with a PC/Mac software app (available via free download). With this software, the FR-18 diatonic is truly an open instrument with customizable layouts for the keyboard and bass buttons. Thanks to USB compatibility, it’s easy to transmit and receive custom tablature sets between computer and accordion.

Performance Style & Comfort

The speaker-less, lightweight body makes the FR-18 diatonic a comfort to wear and play. The long-life battery compatibility lets you roam onstage, free of unnecessary cables and clutter. The classic black finish blends well into any environment; it looks cool and stylish onstage yet elegant in the classiest of settings. In addition, there are exchangeable inlay sheets that let you change the appearance of the instrument. You can also create your own custom-designed inlay sheets and install them easily.

Private or Public

High-quality Roland earphones are included with the FR-18 diatonic package so you can play the instrument right out of the box. Practice at any hour without disturbing neighbors or surrounding environments. When it’s time to blast, however, plug the FR-18 diatonic into one of Roland’s award-winning amplifiers, such as the SA-300 stage amplifier.

Keyboards

Right hand: 37 buttons, velocity sensitive, selectable tablature and key
Left hand: 18 bass buttons, velocity sensitive, selectable tablature and key (same as for right hand), selectable button chord behavior (full chord or omitted third)

Bellows

: Real pneumatic detection of bellows pressure (high resolution pressure sensor), bellows resistance regulator

Sound generator

Max polyphony: 128 voices
Wave ROM: 64 MB of waveforms (8+8 MB expansion sounds)
Tones: 12 accordion Sets, each including: 8 treble registers, 8 orchestral sounds, 4 organ sounds, 3 bass & chord registers, 3 Orchestra Bass registers, 3 Orchestra Chord registers
Treble reed footages: 5
Bass reed footages: 3
Chord reed footages: 2

PBM (Physical Behavior Modeling)

Noises: stopping-reed growl, closing valve noise, left button noise
Individual reed simulation: hysteresis threshold, expression curve, pressure-variant filter, pressure-variant pitch deviation
Reed sound wave switching: by bellows acceleration, by note repetition speed

Musette tuning

Micro tuning presets: 15 (Dry, Classic, F-Folk, American L/H, North Europe, German L/H, D-Folk L/H, Alpine, Italian L/H, French, Scottish)

Effects

reverb: 8 types
chorus: 8 types, rotary (Slow/Fast) for organ sounds

Panel controls

Knobs: VOLUME
Panel switches: 4 treble registers + ORCHESTRA/ORGAN button, SET/FUNCTION register, 3 bass registers, ORCH. BASS button, ORCH. CHORD button, LEFT REGISTER button, KEY/DEMO button, USER PROGRAMbutton, DRUMS button, TABLATURE button, POWER button

Operation modes

ORCHESTRA/ORGAN modes: Solo, Dual
Key: 12 possible keys (C, C#, D, Eb, E, F, F#, G, Ab, A, Bb, B)
Tablatures: 12 types,
Bass & Chord with drum/percussion sounds: On/Off
Octave: Down, 0, Up (for Treble and Orchestra/Organ), 4 User Program memories

Other

Power supply: AC adaptor, Batteries (AA, HR6 Rechargeable Ni-MH x 8)
Current draw: 500 mA
Expected battery life under continuous use (using Ni-MH 2000 mAh batteries): ±5.5 hours
*Actual battery life varies according to usage conditions, the quality of the batteries and the number of charging cycles. Be sure to use only rechargeable Ni-MH batteries.
Connectors: OUTPUT jacks (L/Mono, R/Mono): 1/4" phone type
PHONES jack: stereo 1/4" phone type
USB MIDI connector (computer connection)
USB MEMORY connector (storage devices)
MIDI OUT/IN connector (function adjustable via parameter)
DC IN jack
Accessories: AC adaptor, Owner’s Manual, Straps, 1/4"—1/4" phone (guitar) cable, Earphones (with 1/8"—1/4" adaptor plug), Strip for securing the adaptor, MIDI and/or audio cables, Hexagonal wrench, Replaceable “traforo” inlay sheets
Options (sold separately): Accordion soft bag