What do you all think of the Roland Fantom synths

S

Swords

New member
Hey folks,

I quit doing my studio projects about 10 years ago to do some publishing and figure sculpting but recently a label has approached me to reissue my early material and release a CD of new material. I told them it had been ages since I even thought about music but they were still interested and I started thinking that it would be a good break from sculpture for a while. So I've been looking at synths and I'm really attracted to the Roland Fantom X series sampler/workstations. Likely the x6 for price reasons - other than key number is there a difference in the operating systems on them?

Has anyone upgraded the sample memory on one of these? It says the sample rom is expandable to 544MB of DIMMs, where do you get the memory - is it normal PC memory cards from best buy or other PC outlet?

Overall what do you think of the Fantom Xs? Is there a better all in one synth/sampler/workstation that can be used for everything from ambient/darkwave to symphonic & orchestral? Thanks for any thoughts you might have!
 
Swords said:
Overall what do you think of the Fantom Xs?
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I like it, I tried one at the store.


Is there a better all in one synth/sampler/workstation that can be used for everything from ambient/darkwave to symphonic & orchestral?
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Not if you like the Fantom :D The various synths have various overall sounds, they have slightly different visions of sound. Yamaha, for example, has a certain brass sound that is more "synthy" than Roland, its merely a matter of what you like.

I am using two lower price synths, a Roland and a Yamaha. They are pretty similiar overall. There is no "better", they both have their uses, their strong patches and their flaws. Personally, I dont think you could go wrong with ANY workstation in the Fantom price range, these days they all can do some amazing things.
 
I like the Fantom series. Great onboard sounds, plus room for expansion. Be sure to budget for the SRX expansion cards you will need.
 
" Has anyone upgraded the sample memory on one of these? It says the sample rom is expandable to 544MB of DIMMs, where do you get the memory - is it normal PC memory cards from best buy or other PC outlet?"

Good question does anyone know what type of memory these synths use?

I would imagine some sort of propriatary mem modules you have to pay through the nose for perhaps built into a pcmcia card.????

I take that back is says optional DIMMs so they are probably something like you would put in a laptop at only twice the normal price

http://www.crmav.com/synthesizers/47/roland_fantomxr_sampler_synth_rackmount_modul.shtml
 
I used to own the Fantom XR rack, and if I remember correctly it takes SIMM's, not DIMM's.

The problem I had with the RAM expansion is that it is not really geared toward large sample libraries. It's more about sampling and playing back recorded tracks than fitting large amounts of instrument libraries in there.

It's possible that the OS has been upgraded from when I owned the unit, but it was extremely frustrating trying to the Fantom XR into a sample player. Ultimately it just didn't work that way.

But again, that was a couple years ago and they might have changed the OS since then. You'd really need to check into that aspect.

In all other respects the Fantom series is excellent, in my opinion.
 
I use the Fantom X8 with the weighted keyboard for scoring , the sounds are pretty good , the keyboard is about as close to a piano as i can get without buying a piano and it has a fairly decent multitracking module built into it now that i use for recording quick ideas etc .

Large expansion potential through various SRX modules .

something for everyone .
 
Owning the XR Rack for 7 months now

+

TONS of patches onboard + Roland has all the patches from the XV-5080/5050 available for download that can be read by the Fantom - THAT'S ANOTHER 1152 PATCHES !

=

PRICELESS !
 
Thanks for the input folks! I've been looking around and so far the Fantom Xs seem to be my faveorite model out there right now. The fact that Geoff Downes supposedly uses the X8 doesn't hurt neither. I might be metalhead but I sure do love me some classic Prog Rock! Years ago when I was active I wanted a Kurzweil 2500 something-or-other that was supposed to be the ultimate synth & sampler workstation but now I don't even see the K name in stores. Did those synths end up being a flop?

I don't know how much I'll use the onboard sequencer of the Fantom since I scored a KORG D3200 a week ago to do some remastering of ancient material and this thing is pretty cool compared to the recorders I owned years ago. Anyone else got one of these? Any self-destruct buttons to be aware of?

Yes, theres several sound collections that I want from the shop when I bring it home, #1 on my list is the orchestral box. Is it easy to install these optonal sound boards? Also, once I've installed the two that can be fit in the X6 or 4 in the X8 and then I happen to find a different or new one that I want the sounds from instead can I "uninstall" it and put in a new one?
 
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I've owned an X6 for a year and a half now. The DIMMs are standard ones-- about $50 on ebay to max out the sample RAM. Also uses pcmcia memory cards-- I have a couple 256M CF cards with an adapter and they're fine.

Current OS allows for 8 stereo tracks to be recorded into memory-- helpful if you're not using a DAW for composing songs. I tend to use mine as a sound source with a DAW, though I'd use the sequencer and perhaps audio tracks if playing out. Like the SPDIF interface with my DAW. Sequencer is similar to the old MPC series sequencers, I think. I'm spoiled by my PC now, so rarely use it.

Editing sounds is pretty easy with the built-in color screen, PC editor is reasonable. Sampling is pretty simple. Built-in effects are usable-- patching a strat into mine now for the guitar modeler effects (like the Boss GT series effects).

SRX boards can be swapped out, but you can only have a couple at a time (unless you have the X8). Don't have any myself, but my understanding is you open the cover and plug 'em in. Patches on the board show up as new ROM banks when you reboot the first time.

Decent info and user community at www.rolandclan.info.

Biggest complaint you hear about is the file system for the memory cards and data transfer to/from PC is awkward. Uses USB 1.0 data rates for those too, so it's a bit slow on big file transfers.

Good luck!
 
I've got an X8 and I absolutely love it. Bought it through a private sale so it was already maxed out on RAM and had 2 of the SRX cards. Looking to get the World Sounds card soon.

The sounds are amazing especially if you are into tweaking them out, you can really get some great things rocking out.
 
Hey thanks alot you two! Great to hear these things, So theres a guitar FX pedal built into the Fantom? Does it have distortion from the boss pedals? I've been thinking of buying the big Boss pedal (can't think of it) cos I wanted the guitar distortion but if it's built into the Fantom...! What you guys say only makes me want it so much more, C'mon tax refund hurry up and get here...! :)

I won't be using it with a PC for a while as mine is pretty ancient. A computer good enough to record & edit music on is a while away yet for me. If you have one of the Fantoms plugged into a computer can you use any of the sound libraries that they advertise in Keyboard or Electronic Musician?

Sorry for the kinda retarded questions but I'm new to this stuff all over again. In my old days I had a tascam with 4 tracks and a Yamaha synth with a few recording tracks and that was that! There's so much fun looking stuff out there for synths these days!
 
Kurzweil still best.

Swords said:
Thanks for the input folks! ..... Years ago when I was active I wanted a Kurzweil 2500 something-or-other that was supposed to be the ultimate synth & sampler workstation but now I don't even see the K name in stores. Did those synths end up being a flop?
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Flop? You gotta be kidding. I own the Kurzweil K2500XS. The newer version is called the K2600 XS.

The reason why Kurzweil is not being largely handled in stores is interesting reading, which you can Google.

But the short version of what you are up against is this - Roland, Yamaha, and Korg have keyboards out there with lots of goodies, and numerous patches. Kurzweil has always gone for the ultimate in quality, and have not had a serious NEW release since 2001, with the K2600.

The K2600 is by far a better keyboard, still, than any of the keyboards on the market, but at a cost. You get the best engineering and depth of programmability that you will probably NEVER tap its full potential, EVER, but probably not get 1000s of instant patches. The K2600 only has 48 voices compared to the competition which has like twice or three times? as many.

But the K2600 stands out, head and shoulders above in all the things that truly matter. Here is a very short list:

* KDFX effects (maybe the finest algorithms on the martket) in which you can program different effects onto different patches, and play them all simultaneously, maintaining the effect on each program, i.e. bass with compression, guitar with distortion, drums with flange, piano with reverb.

* Built in KB3 (Hammond B3 organ simulation) which just cannot be bested by anybody, regardless of what Keyboard magazine says of late. You gotta hear the B3 sounds (using the Kurzweils 8 sliders and Wheel emulating a real B3's 9 drawbars) to believe. You will believe!

* The X version of the K2600 (or K2500 in my case) is THE best piano board ever. I am a Steinway Grand player, and am not impressed by other people's opinions. I have to judge for myself, and this board is tops. I've had many people play my Kurzweil and are awestruck how much better my K2500XS board feels than their own grand pianos at their homes or schools. TRUE!

* Sweetwater (probably the best music retailer in the world), have sound engineers who have done some pristine sampling/programming for Kurzweil, and their triple strike Piano sample is WAY BETTER than anything else by anybody. Version 3 of their Piano sample CD, also includes the pianos programmed on Version 1, which I still use most of the time, it is so excellent. Their attention to detail and great rounded out sound is stellar. Roland, Korg, Yamaha, suck in this department. Sorry guys, but it is true.

* and... oh yeah.. I said "short list", so I'll quit now.


Search this site's keyboard threads for Kurzweil chatter. You'll see from others what you need to read.
 
Kurzweil is still out there, and you see the K2600 series quite a bit in New York and on touring shows.

While I agree that it is a great keyboard, I'm not quite as enthused about it as the previous poster. The keyboard action is not my favorite, and I'm a "steinway player" myself. As a matter of fact, I'm a "steinway owner". Some other manufacturers have come up with some great feeling keyboards on their digital pianos. The action in the Kurzweil is the same action used in other keyboards--it's not built by Kurzweil especially for their keyboards, not at all.

The Kurzweil 2500/2600 series has certain features that no other keyboard has. Certain professional features that depending on what you do, you might not be able to live without. It's really designed for professional work and is indeed a great keyboard.

That said, they haven't updated it in ages. It still uses SCSI, has low polyphony, low RAM capabilities, and some of the sounds in it were sampled back in the late 80's. Great sounds, but it's really way past time for them to do a major upgrade on the guts of this synth.

I do believe the triple strike piano has been surpassed many times over. It's good, but it can't compete with a virtual piano like Ivory which has 10 velocity layers, release samples, and a host of other features that are not possible on the Kurzweil series. In addition, Yamaha has made some really fine sounding electronic pianos. Believe it or not, the stock piano in the Fantom series is really good, although it is aimed more at pop music production than the Kurzweil piano, which is geared toward a more legit sound.

So while I agree that the K2500/2600 is a great synth I personally would not buy it today for my own personal use due to it's dated sounds, old technology, and high cost. Unless I *really* needed the programming features it offers.
 
SonicAlbert said:
Kurzweil is still out there, and you see the K2600 series quite a bit in New York and on touring shows.
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Yup. lots of Broadway shows use them. Beauty and the Beast has 4 K2600s in the pit.

I like Kurzweil quite a bit, I had a K2000 back in the glory days. I think back then it really stood above the competition. Nowadays, there seem to be so many good units from the 3 majors that Kurzweil is among the gang instead of leading them. I could be mistaken though, I am not as familar with the higher end stuff as I was when I was younger and richer. :mad: ;)
 
I've used a variety of fantom models over the years because it's probably the most favored boards in reguards to hip hop. I've always just messed around and also have always sequenced in protools in cubase. My oppinion is it's a great machine but i like the sound of a yamaha motif better. But the motif is less flexible overall. I don't know what sequencing is like on either machine as i used a computer for sequencing.

The biggest complaint about the fantom line in hiphop is simply that the sounds are "played out" as almost every synth based beat maker uses one. I don't think that will be a problem for you. I hear very little complaints about anything else. So i'd say go for it. Very powerful, defineatly can be used as an all in one board, etc.
 
Thanks for the info on the sampling. I'm curious is it posible to take a sample and apply it to the whole keyboard board or do the samples only load on one key? At the shop the samples only seem to load on one key but theres no book sitting next to the synth at the shop to look it up.
 
Re: the guitar fx-- If I recall correctly, there are Boss DS-1 and HM-2 models in the fx section of the Fantom X. Also has some head and cabinet models. Probably not as deep as what you'd see in a dedicated guitar fx modeller, but interesting to fool around with.

There's two "modes" for playback that affect how the effects are assigned. In Patch mode, you get 2 insert effects plus 'verb and chorus. In Combo mode, you get 3 insert plus 'verb and chorus. There's also a simple comp/limiter or eq on the input preamp in either case (very useful for when I patch my strat into the Fantom).

Don't worry too much about a high-horsepower pc to start hacking around with this stuff. Mine is a 3 year old P4 machine, and it runs Reaper just fine for modest audio recording as well as the various editors to handle patch tweaking and sample edits. Unless you're trying to run a bunch of virtual instrument plugins, a slightly dated machine is fine. Lots of good info on this subject in the computer recording section...

Samples can be laid out across all 128 notes like pretty much any other sampler/workstation. You can limit them to one note or give 'em a range. Also can put a sample onto a drum pad. Either the keyboard or pads can do velocity switching, so you can have multiple samples trigger based on how quickly you hit the key or pad.

Finally, if you're gettin' serious about the Fantom you can download a pdf of the owners manuals from the Roland website. It's under the Support section at www.rolandus.com. Just need to register with an email account (adds you to their newsletter lists) and then you can download immediately. While it's not exactly light reading, ;) the manual covers all the details of this stuff.
 
Hey thanks, I'll definately look up the user manual for the X6! Awesome I can get it w/o buying it first! Do you know if Korg has a user manual online for the Triton Extreme? Those are the two sampler/synths I'm torn between.
So far what I've read on the instrument dealer sites the X series seems to have more total upgradeable ram and such. At Guitar center the guy said I can get the 512 MB DIMM ram chip for the sampler from Best Buy or any computer place.
 
Korg probably has the user manual online-- it's a pretty common thing these days. Not sure where it'd be on their site though. (Last Korg I owned was a Poly-800 :) )

You should be able to find the DIMM in lots of places. I've never been a fan of Best Buy for memory or accessories, due to their prices. Have had great luck with Buy.com and newegg.com for computer parts and memory though, if you're comfortable buying online.
 
if you're comfortable buying online.
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Oh yeah, I'm a pretty bad Ebay/amazon/webstore addict sometimes. So I've been trying to stay away from those places but getting stuff cheaper is always cool! I was just thinking of best buy so I could bring a memory stick home with me from the music shop the night I get the thing ... but then If I get the orchestral SRX board with it I won't even get round to the sampler the first night away.

For some reason I can't download the Fantom manual, I registered and click the download manual button but my PC freezes on the first page of the book (playing the demo songs) and then I'm disconnected from online. I have Acrobat reader 5.0 maybe I need the higher version? I checked google but their "download" of Acrobat reader 9.0 doesn't download. Anyone know of a good place to get it from without the "googlepack" attached?
 
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