Electrifying Digital Accordion Performance - Michael Bridge at TEDxYouth@Toronto

[@jspool]

Thanks for that great performance Michael! You are a great ambassador for the accordion, and especially for demonstrating the great capabilities of the FR8x.

[@jasonsummit1885]

Michael Bridge is on a whole different level, I couldn't imagine being able to play as amazing as he does. I saw him in concert about 6 years ago and that's when I bought a Roland FR-7B V-accordion.

[@CH-wf3ev]

Michael is a fantasic professional accordionist He even played my Roland FR-4x at the National Accordion Association Convention in the Dallas area... what a great guy! Thank you Michael

[@alexanderhoffmann-te5rp]

Perfekt , Michael !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@45NCT]

I'm glad you were able to show those young people that the accordion really is not a joke. If more people were introduced to the instrument (in particular,the Roland) they would find a whole new world awaiting them. I gave up playing because of the attitude of some people towards the accordion but now I'm the happy owner of an FR8x (P) and can't get enough of it. I hope with the new models coming that Roland will be able to reach the youth of today with the help of people like you. It may not be the platform to ask, but I wondered if the sets are "factory" or your own creations?

[@CH-wf3ev]

The sets he uses are his own design by far.. but all the instruments and sounds come from the Roland Sound libraries and extentions. Come to a digital accordion convention sometime and explore and learn from experts... Also you can check out Richard Noel's setups for your own Roland accordions like the FR-8x and FR-4x on youtube and his own website makes them available to you.

[@jasonsummit1885]

My dream accordion is a Bugari Evo chromatic button. Wish I could afford one, settled for an FR-7b since I don't really need the x capabilities.

[@andrewchan1888]

you can get much more with your FR 8X by connecting it to Roland Integra 7 synthesiser via wireless midi adaptors WM-1. This synthesiser can provide up to 6000 instrument sounds that can be streamed through 16 midi channels to generate motional sounds through surround speakers

[@Luckystone211]

That's awesome 👍,It was superb ,Music in any form is Divine. It's from up above! and he has got it from there plus hard work. Nothing came free. He's great.

[@guerrinipro4]

Фантастично … Браво !! Геније

[@jorgedario1000]

no words just listen...................

[@leontiosgeorgiou9438]

Μπράβο. Καταπληκτικός ακκορντεονίστας. Συγχαρητήρια φίλε. Wishes from CYPRUS.

[@advancerjing]

Bravo!

[@davidgafo]

Fantastic!!!!!

[@Zgalos]

linda apresentação 👏👏👏👏

[@ChristianStorb]

👏👏👏

[@mcsynth47]

These negative comparisons of acoustic accordions versus digital accordions are pointless. It isn’t a competition! They both have their strong and weak points and they both excel in different ways, depending on the music, the venue, and the player. Most of us started on acoustic accordion, and if we never migrated to digital, that’s fine. For anyone migrating from acoustic to digital, you have to accept that it must be treated as a completely separate experience. You must be willing to understand and adapt to the differences, learn new concepts, and spend enough time with it to judge it from an educated point of view. If you pick up a digital accordion and try to judge it by acoustic standards, of course you’re going to give it a negative review, and you will be evaluating it from a perspective of ignorance. BTW, the comparison to digital keyboards is valid up to a point, but the Roland has some advantages over standard keyboards. Horizontal keyboards use finger velocity, touch, and foot pedals to control expression. In addition to that, the Roland also has bellows control, so that when playing multiple layers of instruments, they can each be controlled separately. Also, the bellows give you a much more nuanced expression so that brass, woodwinds, vocals, etc. will sound more realistic than on a regular keyboard. And, of course, having the bass buttons structured differently than the right hand also gives you more versatility.

[@bencolemanart]

This all sounds like MIDI hell to me.

[@andrewchan1888]

Bugari EVO seems to be a better digital accordion than Roland FRx8 in terms of sound quality!

[@mikeklemen7054]

MIchael's playing is fantastic but is the Roland "really" an accordion. I tried playing one and it felt like a dead fish in my hands. Somehow he manages to get intonation and control out of it. I am not sure how, the bellows control is nothing like a reed instrument. Additionally it is over priced versus a digital keyboard. Two to three times as much just because it is an "accordion".

[@ricardor6388]

Same feeling!!! I had an FR3xb and it just felt empty inside ... I sure liked the sound variety, but the heart ... the heart wasn't there, neither was the breath

[@CH-wf3ev]

A digital keyboard... sir you have no idea what you're talking about... Education and training can help... Thousands of us accordionists enjoy playing and performing on Roland accordions like the FR-8x and FR-4x and Acustical Digital Accordions like the Concerto Accordion. There’s plenty to love about the traditional accordion, from its expression to its portability. But if you’ve ever wondered where Roland’s acclaimed range of digital V-Accordions could take your performances, the new Roland FR-4x is your chance to find out. With its light and compact design, responsive pressure-sensing bellows, and full-range onboard speakers, this latest model feels as familiar as your favorite acoustic accordion. But with the same powerful sound engine as Roland’s flagship FR-8x, this digital accordion goes even further. Choose from a wide selection of accordion sounds from around the world, and play in silence using headphones or connect to a PA for live performance. Control other electronic musical instruments via the MIDI connector, or record your playing to a connected USB stick and share your music with the world. While its sounds and playing feel are reassuringly traditional, the Roland FR-4x is an accordion for the modern age. www.roland.com/us/products/fr-4x/

[@MarioBruneau]

The bellows fealing are totally adjustable on the FR-8X The one you tried wasn't adjusted to your liking and style of playing tout simplement! As for Michael Bridge's performance as a TEDxYouth, his rather "corny" choice of repertoire starting with "Czarda" that we are used to hear from older squeezebox players wont stimulate young people to embrace the digital accordion.

[@brantswanson3763]

Electric accordion is kinda a oxymoron

[@ВячеславМаликов-ч7я]

все это конечно, хорошо, но нужно переходить к следующему этапу - преподаванию владением этим инструментом в учебных заведениях, проводить конкурсы, фестивали, иначе все останется на уровне цирка., а не новой эпохи в искусстве музицирования.

[@NosnXD]

The look on his face is a little bit violent. Looks like he needs a lot of affirmation from the audience

[@errolgumusdere7853]

ACCORDION YES, BUT NOT ELECTRONIC TOY FOR ME. ACCORDION SHOULD BE NATURAL ACCORDION NOT ELECTRONIC TOY. I LIKE THE TRADITIONAL MECHANICAL ACCORDION, I HOPE I AM NOT OFFENDING NO ONE BUT NOT FOR ME.

[@CH-wf3ev]

A digital accordion is not a toy... Acustical Accordions are traditional.. but so was the telephone.. and now most of us use a digital phone like the iphone... it's the future of us all to enjoy the wonders explore how many people enjoy both types see accordionstars.com and the NAA Convention in Dallas... there's a lot more throught the USA and beyond. None of us accordionist are playing toys... sir... so please don't be offensive... thanks Michael Bridge.. you're an inspiration to us all

[@andrewchan1888]

Digital accordion technology has advanced very rapidly over the years. Now with a Bugari EVO digital accordion, you can generate natural sounds almost similar to that generated by instruments with variation control to produce subtle tone effect like pipe organs