Digital accordion

A digital accordion is an electronic musical instrument that uses the control features of a traditional accordion (bellows, bass buttons for the left hand, and a small piano-style keyboard (or buttons) for the right hand, and register switches) to trigger a digital sound module that produces synthesized or digitally sampled accordion sounds or, in most instruments, a range of non-accordion sounds, such as orchestral instruments, pipe organ, piano, guitar, and so on. Digital accordions typically encode and transmit key presses and other input as Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) messages. Most digital accordions need to be plugged into a keyboard amplifier or PA system to hear their sounds.

Purely digital, reedless instruments are not to be confused with "accordion hybrids", which are a standard acoustic accordion with sensors for all the keys and buttons to interface with electronic sounds. This allows the instrument to be played totally acoustically, with no electronic sounds, or operated to just use the electronics, or used with a mix of acoustic and digital sounds. There are a myriad of sound combinations of acoustic and electronic sounds, which require a trained ear to play properly mixed sounds. These hybrids also require an amplifier and sound module, of which some models have said module mounted inside the acoustic instrument along with the reeds. (See Terminology below)

A digital accordion may also be called an electronic accordion, MIDI accordion, or reedless accordion. Some instruments referred to as "MIDI accordions" may be hybrid acoustic-electronic instruments, in that they contain the traditional acoustic elements (reeds, bellows, valves) with sensors and electronic circuitry that converts button and key presses and bellows pushing and pulling into MIDI messages. These MIDI messages can be plugged into an external synthesizer, sampler, or sound module to produce sounds. A hybrid acoustic-electronic accordion may have an "all off" or mute register switch which stops all of the acoustic reed sounds; this enables a player to use an entirely synthesized sound (electronic synthesizer strings or trumpet, for example), or play with headphones plugged into a synth module for night-time practice.

Hybrid acoustic-electronic conversion kits are available for players who wish to add electronic MIDI capabilities to a traditional acoustic instrument. These kits contain the sensors, jacks, circuitry and wiring needed to be able to turn an acoustic accordion into a MIDI accordion. These kits are typically installed by a professional accordion repair shop.

The first electronic accordions were developed in the early 1960s by the Italian Farfisa company, which was formed by the merging of the Scandalli, Settimio Soprani, and Frontalini companies. Farfisa made reed organs using pressurized air (e.g., Microrgan and Pianorgan) and developed the first transistor accordion, the Farfisa Transicord. It was not truly designed to imitate an accordion's acoustic sound; an "accordion-shaped combo organ" would have been perhaps a more fitting name. There were no reeds in the purely electronic instrument. It was designed to be used in conjunction with Farfisa's amplifiers, and had a multi-pin cable that connected the controls of the accordion, with the controls of the amplifier, or the F/AR, an external reverb, preamp and power supply unit. The Transicord came in two models, a "standard" and a "DeLuxe." The Transicord DeLuxe includes organ percussion effects. Opening and closing the bellows engage an effect similar to the "tone boost" knee lever on Combo Compact model organs.

In 1960–1962, Farfisa developed the first-generation Cordovox vacuum tube accordion, the CG-2 and CG-3, which used tubes in a suitcase-sized tone module for the tone generation (the accordion was connected to the tone module with a thick cable). In 1967, Farfisa developed the CG-4 and CG-5, transistor accordions that had more electronic features, such as keyboard percussion and organ stop presets. In 1971 and 1974, the third and fourth generations of Cordovox accordions were developed. The CAG-1 was a combined tone generator and combo keyboard amplifier/speaker in a large cabinet. The CRD-251 from 1974 had updated electronics made by Japanese manufacturers. The CL-20 was a speaker cabinet with a rotating speaker, which added a chorus effect. In 1974, Farfisa launched the Transivox series, which had an onboard tone generator which included vibrato, sustain and wah-wah effects.

The Hohner Electravox is an electronic accordion which has one channel (combined left hand and right hand) or two channel (separate left hand and right hand channels, which enables independent volume changes), 92 bass/chord buttons, keyboard percussion effect for the bass buttons and keyboard, a vibrato effect (with slow/fast options), and a separate power supply unit, which sits on the floor. The Electravox had 16', 8', 5 1/3', and 4' registers. The tuning for the Electravox could be changed to match another instrument, such as a piano or organ, but this required changing all 12 master tone generators with a special tool. Other manufacturers imitated the Farfisa Cordovox, such as the Bell Accordions Duovox, which used Crumar organ electronics. In 1979, Elka, an Italian organ and accordion company, developed the Elkavox and the Iorio Accorgan, both of which are electronic accordions. These Elka accordions have an external sound module, power supply, and pedal which lies on the ground. The Italian-American firm Petosa Accordions imitated the Elka 77/Iorio G accordion electronics to create their Petosa Series II electronic accordion.

Many digital accordions are MIDI controllers, as these accordions' keys and sensors do not make sounds without their sound module. When the keys are played, MIDI messages are produced which can trigger sounds when plugged into an external sound module (or by being connected to a built-in sound module. Like other electronic instruments, such as synthesizer keyboards, digital accordions or their sound modules are usually plugged into a keyboard amplifier and speaker or a PA system for live shows (or directly into a mixing board for recording). Some digital accordions, such as the Roland V-Accordion, have a built-in power amplifier and small speaker, which means that these instruments can be played at rehearsals and small venues without plugging them in (the V-Accordion also has an output jack for plugging it into a keyboard amplifier or PA system).