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Roland FR5

Roland FR5 Description:

Roland FR5 With Free Carrying Bag!

Roland is pleased to introduce another milestone in digital musical instrument history -the V-Accordion. Models FR-5 and FR-7 are the first instruments of their type to successfully integrate powerful digital technology such as new Physical Behavior Modeling (PBM) into a traditional accordion design, offering performance features and authentic sounds that appeal to a wide range of musical styles.

Roland FR5 Features:

• PBM (Physical Behavior Modeling) enables true sound reproduction and dynamic expression.
• Realistic tone and expressive simulations of a wide range of traditional accordions.
• 22 onboard Orchestral sounds and 7 Orchestral Bass sounds that can be mixed together with traditional accordion sounds.
• Control of the Orchestral sounds via the Orchestral Chord and the Orchestral Free Bass sections.
• Portable, lightweight and expandable via MIDI.
• Expand creative possibilities and explore new performance options not achievable using traditional instruments.
• The FR-5 is lighter weight, without speakers and power amp, and more affordable, offering an optional battery pack.

Physical Behavior Modeling (PBM)

At the heart of the FR-5 is Roland's new, proprietary PBM (Physical Behavior Modeling) sound engine and sound modeling technologies. Physical Behavior Modeling uses complex algorithms (as opposed to sampled sounds) to accurately model an acoustic accordion's sound characteristics. The result is a faithful recreation of the actual physical behavior and expressive nuances of an acoustic instrument.

Super Realistic Accordion Simulations

The FR-5 can simulate up to 40 different accordion sound sets, each including 14 Treble Registers, 7 Bass & Chord Registers 7 Free Bass Registers, 7 Orchestral Free Bass registers, 7 Orchestral Bass registers, 7 Orchestral Chord registers, 22 Orchestral sounds. To create these high quality sounds, Roland engineers sampled scores of popular traditional acoustic accordions, resulting in a single instrument that can faithfully reproduce various models of traditional accordions, including their different tuning characteristics. As a result, the V-Accordion can switch instantly from an Italian Jazz to a German Folk, French Musette, or historic Bandoneon.

Variety of Orchestral Sounds combined with Traditional Accordion Sounds

Along with stellar onboard accordion sounds, the FR-5 incorporates Roland's acclaimed orchestral sounds. Traditional and orchestral sound combinations can be easily created and played back, complete with full bellows articulation and unique keyboard modes such as Solo, Dual and High/Low. Seven high quality bass sounds can be played separately by the left hand, including: Acoustic Bass, Bowed Bass, Fingered Bass, Picked Bass, Fretless Bass, Bariton Tuba, Bariton Tuba + E.Bass.

Version 2

The FR-5 is evolved into Version 2 adding extra value to the V-Accordion. The Bass section has been expanded to include control of Orchestral sounds via the Orchestral Chord and Orchestral Free Bass sections. Moreover the FR-5 expands the MIDI compatibility and it can be used to control external arranger/sounds modules.

Digital Advantages

The FR-5 faithfully combines the familiar sounds and nuances of a traditional accordion with the versatility of a modern digital musical instrument. You can instantly select and switch between a wide range of sounds and/or types of accordions, or customize your own unique timbres. Because it doesn't depend on moving parts for sound generation, the V-Accordion is always in tune and both keyboards can be transposed to play within a wide range of octaves. For sound output, you can plug directly into a sound system, recording device or plug in a pair of headphones for silent practice.

Exploring the Possibilities

The V-Accordion combines velocity sensitive keyboards, and a high resolution bellows pressure sensor to create a whole new world of expressive possibilities. Using the High/Low Mode feature, you can control up to 4 parts simultaneously in real time from just one V-Accordion. Onboard MIDI functionality allows you to expand the range of performance options to sound modules, arranger keyboards or an external sequencer. The more you experiment with the V-Accordion's capabilities, the more possibilities you'll find!

An Appeal to Everyone

The FR-5 V-Accordion appeals to a wide range of musicians, including professional entertainers who play in environments where mobility is essential, traditional accordionists, and those players who simply desire to stretch the limits of the traditional instrument. Additionally, the V-Accordion's headphone practicing feature and portability appeal to students, amateurs and any musician who desires greater flexibility and increased performance options in practice and performance environments.

Roland FR5 Specifications:

• Right Hand: 41 Keys Piano Type with velocity and aftertouch
• Left Hand: 120 Bass buttons with velocity
• Keyboard Mode: Right Hand: Solo, Dual, High/Low (for Orchestral Sounds) Left Hand: Standard, Free Bass, Orchestral Bass, Orchestral Chord, Orchestral Free Bass
• Bellows: Real pneumatic detection of bellows pressure, by a high resolution pressure sensor
• Sound
• Tones: Accordion Set 40 full programmable
• Each Accordion Sets including: 14 Treble registers
  7 Bass registers
  7 Free Bass registers
  7 Orchestral Free Bass registers
  7 Orchestral Bass registers
  7 Orchestral Chord registers
  22 Orchestral sounds
• Treble Reed Footages: 7
• Bass Reed Footages: 5
• Chord Reed Footages: 3
• Free Bass Footages: 2
• Orchestral Sounds: 22: Trumpet, Trombone, Alto Sax, Tenor Sax, Clarinet, Oboe, Harmonica, Muted Harmonica, Violin, Pizzicato, Flute, Pan Flute, Highland, Zampogna, Jazz organ, Perc. Organ, Rotary Organ, Trem. Organ, Voice, Mandolin, Acoustic Guitar, Acoustic Piano
• Orchestral Bass Sounds: 7: Acoustic Bass, Bowed Bass, Fingered Bass, Picked Bass, Fretless Bass, Tuba, Tuba Mix
• Orchestra Free Bass sounds: Trombone, Clarinet, Oboe, Flute, Perc. Organ, AC Guitar, AC Piano
• Orchestral Chord: Trombone. Tenor Sax, Clarinet, Trem. Organ, Voice, AC Guitar, AC Piano
• 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
• Switching Reed Sound Wave: By bellows acceleration
  By note repetition speed
• Musette Tuning:
• Musette-Micro-Tuning Presets: 16: Off (Standard), 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
• Delay: 8 Types
• Rotary for Orchestral Organ Sound: Slow/Fast
• "Cassotto" and "Sordina" Simulation: Yes
• Panel Controls:
• Knob Controls: Volume, Treble/Bass balance, Reverb, Chorus, Delay
• Encoder: Data entry with selection/confirmation switch
• Panel Switches:
• Treble Registers: 14 + Master + Orchestra
• Bass Registers: 7
• Navigation Switches: Up, Down, Menu/Write, Exit/Jump
• Other Switches: Accordion Set Up/Down, Sordina On/Off, Power
• Others
• Display: 48 x 84 dots graphic backlit LCD
• Onboard Connectors: Headphone jack (Stereo), Output jack (Stereo), Multi Connector (to FBC-7)
• Color Variation: Dark Grey, Red
• Supplied Accessories: FBC-7 (Power supply/Battery Charger), Owner's Manual, Straps, Accordion cloth, Treble Reference caps, Bass Reference Caps, Power Cord 19-Pin Multicore cable
• External FBC-7 Specifications: 5 Programmable Foot switches (Set Up/Down, Register Up/Down, Sustain), Multi connector (towards Accordion), Expression Pedal jack, MIDI connectors (In, Out, Thru), Output jacks (L/Mono, R), AC Inlet
• Option: Rechargeable Ni-MH battery pack 24V-4500mAh, V-accordion Gigbag, FBC-7 Gigbag
• Size and Weight:
• Width: 528 mm: 20-13/16 inches
• Depth: 275 mm : 10-7/8 inches
• Height: 423 mm : 16-11/16 inches
• Weight: 9.0 kg :19 lbs. 14 oz.

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