FR-18 diatonic

V-Accordion®

En Español

FR-18 diatonic: V-Accordion®

A World of Musical Genres in One Amazing Instrument

Features

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.

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.

Audio & Video

Video

Specs

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
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
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
Size and Weight (without straps or optional batteries)
Width
365 mm
14-3/8 inches
Depth
195 mm
7-11/16 inches
Height
375 mm
14-13/16 inches
Weight
5.3 kg
11 lbs. 11 oz.
In the interest of product improvement, the specifications and/or appearance of this unit are subject to change without prior notice.

Accessories

Downloads

Brochures & Catalogs

FR-18 diatonic Brochure
V-Accordion Leaflet

Updates & Drivers

FR-18 diatonic System Update Version 1.04
This is the latest operating system for the FR-18 diatonic. Please refer to the "FR-18D Addendum.pdf" document for more information about this update. Please refer to the "FR-18D System Update Procedure.pdf" document for the update procedure.
FR-18 diatonic Tablature Maker Version 1.01 for Windows/Macintosh
The Tablature Maker is an application designed to create new tablatures for your FR-18 diatonic accordion. Using the Tablature Maker you can also edit the tablatures that are already provided in your FR-18 diatonic. Version 1.01 allows users to copy a single tablature to a set.

Support

If you have questions about operating your Roland, BOSS or Cakewalk product, please check our Knowledge Base for answers to the most common questions.

You can also contact our Product Support department by phone or email.

In addition, we have a library of Owner’s Manuals and Support Documents that you can download and reference. If Support Documents are available for this product, they will be listed below.

Product Manuals