Roland FR-7b Musical Instrument User Manual


 
Bass section
V-Accordion
r
23
Using the FR-7b/FR-5b’s digital effects
While playing on the Treble buttons, you may have
noticed that the accordion sounds were enhanced by
effects (probably reverb). It may also have struck you
that the effects change whenever you select a differ-
ent Set. That’s because the effect settings are part of
the parameters you can save for each Set indepen-
dently.
The FR-7b/FR-5b contains 3
digital effects:
Reverb: This effect gives the
impression that you are playing
in a concert hall, a church or a
room. It adds “depth” to the
sound.
Chorus: This effect gives the
impression that several instru-
ments of the same type are
playing at the same time (it is
similar to detuning several
reeds of a register).
Delay: This effect creates echoes, i.e. repetitions.
Short intervals (called “slapback”) create an effect
similar to reverb. Longer intervals, on the other hand,
create real echoes.
The [DELAY], [CHORUS] and [REVERB] knobs allow you
to set the volume of these three effects. Turn them
all the way towards the left (the small dot) if you
don’t need the effect in question.
Turn them towards the right (the big dot) to increase
the effect volume.
Note: The settings of these knobs apply to all sections and all
Sets.
After familiarizing yourself with the FR-7b/FR-5b’s
parameters, you will realize that these knobs should
only be used as a last resort (i.e. on stage). You can
indeed program the effect level for each section sep-
arately, so that the [DELAY], [CHORUS] and [REVERB]
knobs can be left in the center position, while the
effect amount changes with every Set you select.
Note: In certain cases, changing the knob position of an effect
may not produce any audible result. This is due to the Send
Level settings of the sections (see page 47, for example). It
means that a given section was programmed not to send any
signal to the effect in question. Even setting the corresponding
knob to the maximum therefore produces no change.
Bass section
The Bass section can be played via the “Stradella” but-
tons.
The buttons in this section allow you to play both bass
notes and chords. The chords use the (sound) register
selected for the Bass section – hence the name of this
section. The “real” bass notes are assigned to the two
circled rows. The remaining buttons are used to play
chords. (You can also play an orchestral sound using
the chord buttons, while playing accordion with the
bass buttons, and vice versa.)
The FR-7b/FR-5b is supplied with several reference caps
(concave and with lines) designed to help you locate
the bass and chord buttons without looking at them. At
the factory, three caps are installed on the black but-
tons in the following illustration. Feel free to remove
them and to slide them over other buttons if that feels
more comfortable.
Here is what the caps look like:
The sound the Bass section produces is determined by
the register you pressed last. This section can be used as
“accordion”, to play orchestral sounds, or both.
(1) Connect the FR-7b/FR-5b (if necessary) and switch
it on.
See pages 15 and 16.
(2) Grab the FR-7b/FR-5b, press a register and start
playing on the Bass (button) keyboard.
Though the FR-7b/FR-5b is an electronic musical
instrument, it only produces sound if you move the
bellows.
Note: By pressing and holding any register, you can switch off
the Bass section. (Even in that case, the Bass section continues
to send MIDI commands.) Press another register to switch it
back on.
Ab3 Eb3 Bb3 F3 C3 G3 D3 A3 E3 B3 F#3 C#3 Ab3 Eb3 Bb3 F3 C3 G3 D3 A3
E3 B3 F#3 C#3 Ab3 Eb3 Bb3 F3 C3 G3 D3 A3 E3 B3 F#3 C#3 Ab3 Eb3 Bb3 F3
EM BM F#M C#M AbM EbM BbM FM CM GM DM AM EM BM F#M C#M AbM EbM BbM FM
Em Bm F#m C#m Abm Ebm Bbm Fm Cm Gm Dm Am Em Bm F#m C#m Abm Ebm Bbm Fm
E7 B7 F#7 C#7 Ab7 Eb7 Bb7 F7 C7 G7 D7 A7 E7 B7 F#7 C#7 Ab7 Eb7 Bb7 F7
Edim
Bdim F#dim C#dim Abdim Ebdim Bbdim Fdim Cdim Gdim Ddim Adim Edim Bdim F#dim C#dim Abdim Abdim Bbdim Fdim
FREE BASS
ORCH BASS
ORCH CHORD
ORCH FREE BS
Bass
buttons
Chord buttons*
(*) This can be changed to 3 bass and 3 chord rows. See 10.5 Bass & Chord
Mode on p. 70.
Slide up to remove
Slide over button
Reference cap