Roland V-ACCORDION FR-5 - Manual (Page 6)

Features | Features
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FR-7/FR-5 V-Accordion
Stand-alone electronic instrument
Though the FR-7/FR-5 is a fully electronic instru-
ment, you do not need to connect the FR-7 to an
amplifier in order to produce sounds. Its onboard
amplification system is powerful enough for small
venues, restaurants, etc. (The FR-5 has no internal
amplification.)
Furthermore, the FR-7 comes with a rechargeable
battery (Ni-Mh) so that you do not need to connect it
to a wall outlet. The battery should last ±8 hours.
(The battery is available as an optional item for the
FR-5.)
Sophisticated MIDI control
The FR-7/FR-5 is the most versatile and “musical”
MIDI controller to date, going far beyond the control
possibilities of a MIDI keyboard with optional perfor-
mance functions or of MIDIfied wind instruments.
The piano-style Treble keyboard even transmits after-
touch messages.
PBM (Physical Behavior Modeling)
The FR-7/FR-5 V-Accordion is based on Roland’s lat-
est sound generation technology called “PBM” (Phys-
ical Behavior Modeling) whose sonic result is very
close to the sound of traditional accordions.
Super realistic accordion simulations
The FR-7/FR-5 provides 40 memories called “Sets”,
with 14 treble registers, 7 bass & chord registers and
7 free bass registers each. All sounds it produces were
obtained by sampling the most popular traditional
acoustic accordions. Different tuning systems are
also available.
This V-Accordion allows you to switch from an Italian
jazz accordion to German folk, French musette or a
historic bandoneon sound – without changing your
technique.
Orchestral sounds
22 orchestral sounds can be used in combination
with traditional accordion sounds – complete with
full bellows articulation and unique keyboard modes
(Solo, Dual, High and Low as well as “M” variants of
these modes).
In addition, the FR-7/FR-5 provides 7 orchestral bass
sounds for the Bass section, 7 orchestral sounds for
the chord buttons, and 7 orchestral sounds for the
Free Bass section that can be added to the Bass
accordion sound.
The digital advantage
The V-Accordion includes all functions and sounds of
a traditional accordion, thus conveying a really natu-
ral feel and sound. Yet it also provides the advan-
tages only an electronic musical instrument can give
you:
• reduced overall weight;
• possibility to choose among a wide variety of sounds;
• you can create and customize the accordion timbres
(program your own sounds);
• you can choose among various bass button operation
modes (Minor 3rd Free Bass, 5th, Bayan, North
Europe, Finnish);
• tuning stability over time and wear resistance of all
mechanical parts;
• you can sound in a different key than the one you are
playing in (transpose function);
• you can play with headphones, i.e. without disturbing
your neighbors or family.
Superb performance flexibility
The V-Accordion allows you to control external MIDI-
compatible instruments. The Treble keyboard and
chord/bass buttons are velocity-sensitive, while the
bellows controller provides more articulation possi-
bilities than any other MIDI keyboard, MIDI wind
instrument, etc., you may know.
In High or Low mode (see p. 26), you can control up
to 4 parts simultaneously (two sounds in the right
hand/two sounds in the left).
1. Features
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