Roland integra 7 and other sound modules I want (pros/cons) discussion

[bill45]

I'm sick of cpu spikes, and other issues every time there is a software update. Also these great, big
detailed libraries seem to have more blemishes than the romplers
I'm not gonna abandon working ITB The integra 7 sounds great, it might sppeed up my workflow.
The integra7, XV5080, Fantom XR, have a great reputation for fitting in a mix.

[bill45]

BBFG#,I would keep the ES, it's an extra set of voices.
Where you using the xs firewire card with cubase?
there always seem to be issues with firewire and MOBO chip sets.

[BBFG#]

BBFG#,I would keep the ES, it's an extra set of voices.
Where you using the xs firewire card with cubase?
there always seem to be issues with firewire and MOBO chip sets.

I was using Cubase 4 and the 5AI that came with the Motif at the time. Steinberg had some problems in transition as I was trying to upgrade to 6 during a time they were keeping 7 a secret and then I had a licenser issue pop up during that time also. After getting completely ignored for a couple of months, and not getting Cubase back up, I switched to Sonar again (I had used Sonar in the early nineties). And I haven't used the F/W interface since that time.
So I pulled out my licenser a month ago to demo HALion5 & PadShopPro just to see if it would work and if it would meet some of my Motif expectations. After a quick firmware update the licenser worked like it did before the deluge of multiple things going wrong; all at the same time as getting no support during their transition. But I like HALion quite well and bought it from a dealer offing old stock at a price close enough to Steinberg's sale a year ago. I even had an issue with their ASIO drivers and Steinberg support got back to me the very next day and was up and running without further issue.
So I've been kicking around some ideas for setting up a second portable system to use for multiple reasons and it seems the Motif ES (and Korg N1r) keep coming up as part of those considerations.
And that includes using them or trading them in for a XF7 and/or a second more portable computer for live use and scratch-padding - as well as in the studio.
(I've been getting nudges to "please come out and play with us again" from old associates. So I'm considering it all.)

[grabme]

Integra7 is crying out for some better patches. It sounds good in terms of audio quality but too many of the synth patches are samey and uninspiring. The free Vintage patches improve the situation but I don't get the same inspiration from the synth patches as I do from something like the XV3080.

[Muziksculp]

The Integra-7 is a great sound module, the biggest weakness is its Reverb is not as good quality as it should be. Which means, I often need to use other reverbs to improve the spacial quality. I wish they can improve it via a firmware update. or release a next generation Integra-8 with much better quality Reverb, larger, and better quality PCM samples, and possibly expandability via sample downloads, or new physical expansions.

[grabme]

That's another niggle. There is way too much reverb on everything by default and it's highly irritating.

[bill45]

I just bought a U220 from Rogue music in NYC!
grabme, I think all the XV3080 Sounds are in the integra 7.
The sound on sound reviewer said He'd rather have a fantom xr or a XV5080,
than an integra 7. The efx routing is more flexible in the fantom xr and XV 5080.

[JCJR]

Patch tweaking if not patch creation seems required for me to get much satisfaction from about any synth I've had. Since I got the FA-06 (similar engine to integra), got busy for some months experimenting with sound treatment of the room. Haven't logged a lot of hours tweaking the FA so far.

However, there are lots of good params to tweak in the engine, and I managed to tweak a few sounds so far I like a whole lot better than the closest factory examples.

But it varies so much according to taste. My patches might revolt some other fella, so every fella has to do it for himself if he wants it done to his own satisfaction. Hardly any synth is instant gratification without customizing the sounds, and customizing the sounds is real labor-intensive.

Back when I played live full time and did a good bit of recording, one of the big drawbacks to buying a new synth was all the hours programming necessary to "make it my own" and get my money out of the investment in sound that I liked. Same today. If I "get my money's worth" out of the FA-06 by programming it to suit me, and don't buy another synth until I'm done, it will be a dam long time before I buy another synth.

[bill45]

JCJR, Do You use a software editor for the FA-06?

[JCJR]

Hi Bill45

I'm not even aware whether there is a software editor for the FA. The documentation is pretty complete but only in pdf's. I fed about a ream of paper thru the laser printer to hard-copy all of it. The FA user interface is pretty good IMO, but I've been pushing buttons on tiny lcd screens a long time. Maybe it would be faster or whatever to use a computer editor, but I like the immediancy of playing keys with one hand and tapping buttons and spinning the data wheel with the other, all on the same gadget.

[D-Fusion]

Hi Bill45

I'm not even aware whether there is a software editor for the FA. The documentation is pretty complete but only in pdf's. I fed about a ream of paper thru the laser printer to hard-copy all of it. The FA user interface is pretty good IMO, but I've been pushing buttons on tiny lcd screens a long time. Maybe it would be faster or whatever to use a computer editor, but I like the immediancy of playing keys with one hand and tapping buttons and spinning the data wheel with the other, all on the same gadget.

Holding the shift button while navigating with the arrow keys also speeds up the FA too

Specially when browsing categories and while moving around the tabs in the synth engine
The FA has many cool workflow shortcuts.

[jsp1979]

JCJR, Do You use a software editor for the FA-06?

Pretty sure one doesn't exist. It was one reason I dropped that off my buying list. Roland's philosophy seems to be "if it's relatively easy to tweak on the device, we won't produce a software editor."

[grabme]

Re:I think all the XV3080 Sounds are in the integra 7.

I don't think the vintage synth expansion board sound are in it though,if they are there I haven't found them yet but it would be nice having those as they are great.

I think the Integra is a powerful unit for real instruments but to my ears the synth patches are a bit too similar. Not really found any synth basses that wow me either although the built in XV basses are very good.

[bebop]

The Integra-7 is a great sound module, the biggest weakness is its Reverb is not as good quality as it should be. Which means, I often need to use other reverbs to improve the spacial quality.

I think you just don't understand the point of the Motional Surround. Besides, if you push the parameters on the reverbs you get what you need. It's a digital reverb though, not a convolution reverb, and mostly you'll use the machine in a environment where you'll have a reverb on the desk it outputs to, so...

Since I got it, I just don't turn my computer on anymore to actually play, compose, sequence music. I had to find a hardware sequencer (cheap second hand), but that's so much more real (and silent, for computers make noise!), and it sounds just good enough so that there's no need for more (that is, "real" more here would be all real instruments in a complete studio, not just "more vsti fake real".)

I suppose in a way the same thing would occur with a Motif or MOX or FA : the end of the need for a screen, a mouse, and a tower. But onboard the Integra-7 there's such a massive resource, I've not come across a situation yet where I couldn't get the kind of tonal quality I was looking for.

By the way, there's no problem about the patches sounding all the same, it's only they're sorted by tonal quality, so yes you can have 20 or more saw pads in a row for instance, and they appear all to sound likewise until you get to realise the patches aren't built the same, and react differently to similar edition and modulations. So if you're just demoing it quickly yes it's boring, but if you're after such or such precise timbre, it's the best possible palette to design the sound you look for.

If you're a producer or a music maker or a DJ though you might want more things and stuff to get sounds all played already from... But if you're a musician, it can sure cover for drums, pianos and keys, synths, basses, what not, as much in the new section as in the old rom, it really is the best (Roland style) of each area into one single spot. A bargain.

The multiFX could be more flexible, you "only" so to speak have one per part and cannot reroute them, and some behaviors of them are wild. I wished also the control changes could have been freely assignable, for sysex is a pain. Some really minor issues.

So the real drawback in the end : it doesn't read your email, nor displays silly cats videos

[Muziksculp]

The Integra-7 is a great sound module, the biggest weakness is its Reverb is not as good quality as it should be. Which means, I often need to use other reverbs to improve the spacial quality.

I think you just don't understand the point of the Motional Surround. Besides, if you push the parameters on the reverbs you get what you need. It's a digital reverb though, not a convolution reverb, and mostly you'll use the machine in a environment where you'll have a reverb on the desk it outputs to, so...

Since I got it, I just don't turn my computer on anymore to actually play, compose, sequence music. I had to find a hardware sequencer (cheap second hand), but that's so much more real (and silent, for computers make noise!), and it sounds just good enough so that there's no need for more (that is, "real" more here would be all real instruments in a complete studio, not just "more vsti fake real".)

I suppose in a way the same thing would occur with a Motif or MOX or FA : the end of the need for a screen, a mouse, and a tower. But onboard the Integra-7 there's such a massive resource, I've not come across a situation yet where I couldn't get the kind of tonal quality I was looking for.

By the way, there's no problem about the patches sounding all the same, it's only they're sorted by tonal quality, so yes you can have 20 or more saw pads in a row for instance, and they appear all to sound likewise until you get to realise the patches aren't built the same, and react differently to similar edition and modulations. So if you're just demoing it quickly yes it's boring, but if you're after such or such precise timbre, it's the best possible palette to design the sound you look for.

If you're a producer or a music maker or a DJ though you might want more things and stuff to get sounds all played already from... But if you're a musician, it can sure cover for drums, pianos and keys, synths, basses, what not, as much in the new section as in the old rom, it really is the best (Roland style) of each area into one single spot. A bargain.

The multiFX could be more flexible, you "only" so to speak have one per part and cannot reroute them, and some behaviors of them are wild. I wished also the control changes could have been freely assignable, for sysex is a pain. Some really minor issues.

So the real drawback in the end : it doesn't read your email, nor displays silly cats videos

Hi,

Could you elaborate a bit on how the Motional Surround would solve the lack of a high-quality Reverb in the Integra-7 ? Maybe I'm not fully appreciating, or understanding how to use the Motional Surround.

Thanks,
Muziksculp