Roland new Fantom-0 series

[Bippo]

I still have no idea why people would use such keyboards as workstations when you got daws like cubase, pro tools etc that makes the process 10x more coinvent...
In terms of acoustic sounds, I see there are tons of old xv-5080 pcm sounds and very few supernatural..I think I'll pass.

No idea at all...heh? Have you even bothered to study the functionality of a Fantom's recording process? From what I've seen,it's nearly identical in workflow to that of a PC DAW(with the one exception being...working on a 5.5" display, rather than a 24" display.)
As previously mentioned in this thread, creating tracks on a hardware board is very instrumental in sparing crucial HD space & CPU usage on a PC(especially on a Fantom, as it is a recording studio within a keyboard.)
Moreover...just the sheer joy of working with hardware and having all of your onscreen functions hard-wired with onboard physical controls( & no fidgeting with a pesky PC mouse), is a pleasure you cannot measure.

Yes, I have no idea how working with a 5.5" display is more convient than working with a 24" display...
In term of being a workstation, everything you can do with the fantom, you can do way faster with pro tools/cubase and there are tons of functionalities that are available in those daws that you won't find in any hardware workstation.

As a sound module, there's nothing groundbreaking in it either...not enough SuperNatural Acoustic and too many old xv5080 sounds repacked.

It can be a great live keyboard for sure, and its price is more affordable than the Fantom (without "o")...but honestly the roland-fa can do the same job for less money.

It feels like an "obligatory" release that need to happens once in 7-10 years, but there's not much of innovation.

Okay...I see now....you are a millennial that was born into software workstations
Boomer triggered
and you enjoy having to constantly upgrade your PC as you add more to it, or buy a second PC if need be,
I use the same pc for 7 years and I don't see any reason to upgrade it now or in the next few years.
deal with software registration problems, installation problems, cooling fan problems, potential problems with midi controller issues, having to be connected to the internet just to run your DAW and if you want high-quality acoustic sounds...you have to spend a fortune on NI's Kontakt and deal with their horrible customer service....yeah...sounds wonderfully convenient.
I don't have any of those problems, plus you can use hardware sound module/synths with daw
I'll reiterate again(since you can't seem to grasp the benefits of hardware)...those of us who started out with hardware(before PC DAW's existed)....enjoy having all of our sounds & functionality mapped out with the physical controls, enjoy the added inspiration that hardware provides, enjoy the HD space & CPU usage we save by using hardware and as for the Fantom-0's 5.5" dispaly...well...we also started on monochrome displays that were the size of a small calculator....so Roland's HD color touchscreen is a very welcome upgrade(especially for the price.)

Why don't you use tapes like the good old times instead?
Having a hardware workstation that boots up nearly instantly, already has a sound program loaded, works without internet and has every conceivable physical knob,fader,lever, button & drum pad(with no configuration necessary, unless you want to customize)....is VERY convenient in it's own way(not more convenient than a PC)...but definitely has it's own handy attributes.

Great. I want to see you mix in your little fantom the same way people mix in pro tools. I want to see you staring at your tiny 5.5" piano roll for hours editing midi.
You can lie only to yourself, fantom cant scratch the surface of the things you can do with pro tools or cubase. It's obvious you are mad and triggered because you want to buy that keyboard and can't stand the fact that some people (actually the majority of producers) prefer to use modern daws because they are way more capable than any keyboard you'll buy out there in terms of being a workstation.

I think those keyboards can be excellent for live performances and nice additions as sound modules, but I will never ditch pro tools for something like that.

[AlesisVi61]

I still have no idea why people would use such keyboards as workstations when you got daws like cubase, pro tools etc that makes the process 10x more coinvent...
In terms of acoustic sounds, I see there are tons of old xv-5080 pcm sounds and very few supernatural..I think I'll pass.

No idea at all...heh? Have you even bothered to study the functionality of a Fantom's recording process? From what I've seen,it's nearly identical in workflow to that of a PC DAW(with the one exception being...working on a 5.5" display, rather than a 24" display.)
As previously mentioned in this thread, creating tracks on a hardware board is very instrumental in sparing crucial HD space & CPU usage on a PC(especially on a Fantom, as it is a recording studio within a keyboard.)
Moreover...just the sheer joy of working with hardware and having all of your onscreen functions hard-wired with onboard physical controls( & no fidgeting with a pesky PC mouse), is a pleasure you cannot measure.

Yes, I have no idea how working with a 5.5" display is more convient than working with a 24" display...
In term of being a workstation, everything you can do with the fantom, you can do way faster with pro tools/cubase and there are tons of functionalities that are available in those daws that you won't find in any hardware workstation.

As a sound module, there's nothing groundbreaking in it either...not enough SuperNatural Acoustic and too many old xv5080 sounds repacked.

It can be a great live keyboard for sure, and its price is more affordable than the Fantom (without "o")...but honestly the roland-fa can do the same job for less money.

It feels like an "obligatory" release that need to happens once in 7-10 years, but there's not much of innovation.

Okay...I see now....you are a millennial that was born into software workstations
Boomer triggered
and you enjoy having to constantly upgrade your PC as you add more to it, or buy a second PC if need be,
I use the same pc for 7 years and I don't see any reason to upgrade it now or in the next few years.
deal with software registration problems, installation problems, cooling fan problems, potential problems with midi controller issues, having to be connected to the internet just to run your DAW and if you want high-quality acoustic sounds...you have to spend a fortune on NI's Kontakt and deal with their horrible customer service....yeah...sounds wonderfully convenient.
I don't have any of those problems, plus you can use hardware sound module/synths with daw
I'll reiterate again(since you can't seem to grasp the benefits of hardware)...those of us who started out with hardware(before PC DAW's existed)....enjoy having all of our sounds & functionality mapped out with the physical controls, enjoy the added inspiration that hardware provides, enjoy the HD space & CPU usage we save by using hardware and as for the Fantom-0's 5.5" dispaly...well...we also started on monochrome displays that were the size of a small calculator....so Roland's HD color touchscreen is a very welcome upgrade(especially for the price.)

Why don't you use tapes like the good old times instead?
Having a hardware workstation that boots up nearly instantly, already has a sound program loaded, works without internet and has every conceivable physical knob,fader,lever, button & drum pad(with no configuration necessary, unless you want to customize)....is VERY convenient in it's own way(not more convenient than a PC)...but definitely has it's own handy attributes.

Great. I want to see you mix in your little fantom the same way people mix in pro tools. I want to see you staring at your tiny 5.5" piano roll for hours editing midi.
You can lie only to yourself, fantom cant scratch the surface of the things you can do with pro tools or cubase. It's obvious you are mad and triggered because you want to buy that keyboard and can't stand the fact that some people (actually the majority of producers) prefer to use modern daws because they are way more capable than any keyboard you'll buy out there in terms of being a workstation.

I think those keyboards can be excellent for live performances and nice additions as sound modules, but I will never ditch pro tools for something like that.

WTF is your major malfunction? I never said anything about choosing one over the other...as I still use and will continue to use Reason 10, Studio One and at times, Mixcraft 8( & possibly Ableton that comes with the Fantom.Moreover....the Fantom is purported to work seamlessly with Ableton. That said, I will have the option to use the Fantom inside Ableton...so I can circumvent the onboard 5.5" display if I want to.
The Fantom & Ableton complement each other....which actually makes hardware workstations relevant & very useful(something of which you kow nothing about,since you choose to wallow in your smug ignorance.)
You clearly have no interest in hardware whatsoever...which begs the question; wtf are you even doing in this thread at all?

[Bippo]

I still have no idea why people would use such keyboards as workstations when you got daws like cubase, pro tools etc that makes the process 10x more coinvent...
In terms of acoustic sounds, I see there are tons of old xv-5080 pcm sounds and very few supernatural..I think I'll pass.

No idea at all...heh? Have you even bothered to study the functionality of a Fantom's recording process? From what I've seen,it's nearly identical in workflow to that of a PC DAW(with the one exception being...working on a 5.5" display, rather than a 24" display.)
As previously mentioned in this thread, creating tracks on a hardware board is very instrumental in sparing crucial HD space & CPU usage on a PC(especially on a Fantom, as it is a recording studio within a keyboard.)
Moreover...just the sheer joy of working with hardware and having all of your onscreen functions hard-wired with onboard physical controls( & no fidgeting with a pesky PC mouse), is a pleasure you cannot measure.

Yes, I have no idea how working with a 5.5" display is more convient than working with a 24" display...
In term of being a workstation, everything you can do with the fantom, you can do way faster with pro tools/cubase and there are tons of functionalities that are available in those daws that you won't find in any hardware workstation.

As a sound module, there's nothing groundbreaking in it either...not enough SuperNatural Acoustic and too many old xv5080 sounds repacked.

It can be a great live keyboard for sure, and its price is more affordable than the Fantom (without "o")...but honestly the roland-fa can do the same job for less money.

It feels like an "obligatory" release that need to happens once in 7-10 years, but there's not much of innovation.

Okay...I see now....you are a millennial that was born into software workstations
Boomer triggered
and you enjoy having to constantly upgrade your PC as you add more to it, or buy a second PC if need be,
I use the same pc for 7 years and I don't see any reason to upgrade it now or in the next few years.
deal with software registration problems, installation problems, cooling fan problems, potential problems with midi controller issues, having to be connected to the internet just to run your DAW and if you want high-quality acoustic sounds...you have to spend a fortune on NI's Kontakt and deal with their horrible customer service....yeah...sounds wonderfully convenient.
I don't have any of those problems, plus you can use hardware sound module/synths with daw
I'll reiterate again(since you can't seem to grasp the benefits of hardware)...those of us who started out with hardware(before PC DAW's existed)....enjoy having all of our sounds & functionality mapped out with the physical controls, enjoy the added inspiration that hardware provides, enjoy the HD space & CPU usage we save by using hardware and as for the Fantom-0's 5.5" dispaly...well...we also started on monochrome displays that were the size of a small calculator....so Roland's HD color touchscreen is a very welcome upgrade(especially for the price.)

Why don't you use tapes like the good old times instead?
Having a hardware workstation that boots up nearly instantly, already has a sound program loaded, works without internet and has every conceivable physical knob,fader,lever, button & drum pad(with no configuration necessary, unless you want to customize)....is VERY convenient in it's own way(not more convenient than a PC)...but definitely has it's own handy attributes.

Great. I want to see you mix in your little fantom the same way people mix in pro tools. I want to see you staring at your tiny 5.5" piano roll for hours editing midi.
You can lie only to yourself, fantom cant scratch the surface of the things you can do with pro tools or cubase. It's obvious you are mad and triggered because you want to buy that keyboard and can't stand the fact that some people (actually the majority of producers) prefer to use modern daws because they are way more capable than any keyboard you'll buy out there in terms of being a workstation.

I think those keyboards can be excellent for live performances and nice additions as sound modules, but I will never ditch pro tools for something like that.

WTF is your major malfunction? I never said anything about choosing one over the other...as I still use and will continue to use Reason 10, Studio One and at times, Mixcraft 8( & possibly Ableton that comes with the Fantom.Moreover....the Fantom is purported to work seamlessly with Ableton. That said, I will have the option to use the Fantom inside Ableton...so I can circumvent the onboard 5.5" display if I want to.
The Fantom & Ableton complement each other....which actually makes hardware workstations relevant & very useful(something of which you kow nothing about,since you choose to wallow in your smug ignorance.)
You clearly have no interest in hardware whatsoever...which begs the question; wtf are you even doing in this thread at all?

Lol...you are so mad man...I would seek professional help if I were you.
Let me help you understand, because you fail to do so:
For MY workstation purposes, this new fantom-o isn't a replacement for daws such as pro tools/cubase.
As a sound module? There's nothing too groundbreaking in it that wasn't available in the older fa series, and imo, there are better alternatives out there (yamaha modx is far more capable and even the roland's integra is loaded with tons of SuperNatural Acoustic presets that are unavailable in this new fantom).
So for me personally, there's not much use for it, I would probably not buy it.

If you can't stand that fact and feel an urge to get mad, you probably got some deep issues that you need to take care of, because me not buying this keyboard shouldn't make you lose your temper like that

[AlesisVi61]

Nothing grounding breaking in the Fantom-0? In addition to the PCM & SuperNatural tones, it also has VA. You have more access to the sound libraries,a bigger display and more physical controls and it's the SAME price as the old FA-series....that is by definition, groundbreaking.
MODX? Comparing apples to oranges, aren't you? The MODX is NOT a workstation. I had the MODX and apart from a robust FM engine...it's pretty useless in terms of onboard recording(i.e., no editing in the sequencer,no pattern-based loop recording & no copy & paste function.)
I could not care a less as to whether or not you find the Fantom useful or not....but stating that you find it unfathomable as to why someone would use hardware(namely the Fantom)...while also stating that the MODX would be a better choice(despite the fact that it's not even a workstation)...is patently absurd. Are you a complete retard?

[TheFrozenSea]

Nice to see such a calm and balanced discussion

Anyway... I just ordered a B-stock Fantom 06 from Thomann, it should be here next Monday or Tuesday. I'm so excited, first thing I'll do is program my song "Freedom for Free" that I now perform on the Nord Lead/Model: Samples combo, and see if I like this workflow better. I'm quite convinced I will.

[Bippo]

Nothing grounding breaking in the Fantom-0? In addition to the PCM & SuperNatural tones, it also has VA. You have more access to the sound libraries,a bigger display and more physical controls and it's the SAME price as the old FA-series....that is by definition, groundbreaking.

Tons of the same old sounds that came out 20 years ago in the xv5080 module, the integra7 has way more SuperNatural Acoustic sounds and that tiny 5 inches screen is ridiculous .Even the Fantom G that came out more than a decade ago had a larger screen...seems like they took a huge step backwards in that department.

MODX? Comparing apples to oranges, aren't you? The MODX is NOT a workstation. I had the MODX and apart from a robust FM engine...it's pretty useless in terms of onboard recording(i.e., no editing in the sequencer,no pattern-based loop recording & no copy & paste function.)

At this point I'm not sure if I'm talking with a troll or just a plain idiot.
Did I refer to the MODX as a workstation, or as a sound module? Try again, go back, read slowly this time and try to breathe...


I could not care a less as to whether or not you find the Fantom useful or not....but stating that you find it unfathomable as to why someone would use hardware(namely the Fantom)...while also stating that the MODX would be a better choice(despite the fact that it's not even a workstation)...is patently absurd. Are you a complete retard?

When did I state the Fantom as "unfathomable"? That's your choice of words, not mine.. Again, try to pay attention this time, I said that the MODX is better as a sound module, never referred to it as a workstation.

I will reiterate, because it seems like you have major difficulties:
I don't think that the Fantom is a better workstation than all the daws available today.
I don't think that the Fantom is better than the MODX, or Roland's Integra-7 as a sound module.

You, however, have my blessing and authorization to purchase as many as new Fantoms that you wish.
You don't need to convince me that I need it when I know for a fact that I don't need it.
Goodluck, and have fun

[dellboy]

Nice to see such a calm and balanced discussion

Anyway... I just ordered a B-stock Fantom 06 from Thomann, it should be here next Monday or Tuesday. I'm so excited, first thing I'll do is program my song "Freedom for Free" that I now perform on the Nord Lead/Model: Samples combo, and see if I like this workflow better. I'm quite convinced I will.

Please report back and give us a quick review of it.

[AlesisVi61]

Nice to see such a calm and balanced discussion

Anyway... I just ordered a B-stock Fantom 06 from Thomann, it should be here next Monday or Tuesday. I'm so excited, first thing I'll do is program my song "Freedom for Free" that I now perform on the Nord Lead/Model: Samples combo, and see if I like this workflow better. I'm quite convinced I will.

I'm confused....how could there be a "b-stock" item that hasn't even hit the shelves yet? I looked at Thomann's website & it says it'll be 4 to 5 weeks before it's in stock.
Are you referring to the olf FA-series(rather than the new 0-series??

[TheFrozenSea]

Please report back and give us a quick review of it. 

I will

I'm confused....how could there be a "b-stock" item that hasn't even hit the shelves yet? I looked at Thomann's website & it says it'll be 4 to 5 weeks before it's in stock.
Are you referring to the olf FA-series(rather than the new 0-series??

Actually it has hit the shelves. Only a few days after release it was "in stock" at Thomann, then changed to "7-8 weeks" and now "4-5 weeks" but with one in B-stock from the first batch. So I snatched that one

I was also surprised it hit the shelves so quickly after release.

[AlesisVi61]

I wish it would hit the shelves here in the U.S..(or at least be given a firm date as to when it will arrive.) Here in the U.S....retailers like to play games, by advertising false dates to obtain preorders and each & every time when a new product is announced....the date continually & mysteriously gets bumped up to a later date....which can go on for several weeks and even months.

[ghettosynth]

I personally can't wait to hear the techno and hip-hop demo tracks.

(IBTL)

[zakufan]

I wonder how many model expansions can be installed simultaneously.

[3ptguitarist]

I have the FA-08. Is the Fantom-08 worth upgrading to? Does anyone have a chart of differences and updates?

[TheFrozenSea]

My Fantom 06 arrived yesterday some first impressions:

- The keybed is very nice, light and quick. Not as light as my Nord Lead 4 but lighter than my Korg Prologue. I like the Prologue more, but the Fantom is good also.
- Overall the hardware feels nice, while keeping weight at a minimum
- The screen felt great at first but as soon as my finger got dry the response worsened. It's still not bad imo, but I'd prefer not to rely too much on it in a performance.

- The VA synth engine is nice and it's good to have lots of PCM waves to complement it with. Having two identical saw waves is seldom what I'm looking for, for example.
- The filters sound great, better than my Nord Lead 4. Great variation among the different LP filters.
- The analog-emulation is not great but adds a little something when set very low. It sounds nothing like the Korg Prologue though. Being able to set random pitch drift for each oscillator separately from the overall "analog" knob is a nice touch.

- The tonewheel organ is great, my only gripe is the bass on the rotary speaker is a bit too noisy (I recently recorded on a real Hammond/Leslie combo that was not as noisy). Apart from that I'd say the organ is on the same level as my Nord Electro 4 and Arturia B3-V.
- The Clavinet sounds are not bad (PCM samples), but not as nice as my Electro or Arturia Clavs. If I do decide to play this live with a band that requires Clav I might want to buy a multisample pack of a D6 (no idea if such exist).
- The SuperNatural woodwinds are a bit hit and miss. The Oboe sounds quite nice, but the Clarinets and Flute (called piccolo flute) are way too similar, and the Bassoon is not available as a SuperNatural sound, only PCM. Neither of these are anywhere near my (budget) Vienna Symphonic Library samples, but I guess that's fair.

- Working with the TR-rec and step-sequencer feels quite intuitive and flexible. I'm probably not using it optimally yet but getting a basic idea down with drums and a woodwind-quartet was fairly straightforward. Only 3/4 and 4/4 time signature is irritating but I'll manage. I will not use this as a replacement for my DAW when sketching out ideas, but putting together patterns for live performances will be easier and more fun than with an Elektron sequencer.

[AlesisVi61]

My Fantom 06 arrived yesterday some first impressions:

- The keybed is very nice, light and quick. Not as light as my Nord Lead 4 but lighter than my Korg Prologue. I like the Prologue more, but the Fantom is good also.
- Overall the hardware feels nice, while keeping weight at a minimum
- The screen felt great at first but as soon as my finger got dry the response worsened. It's still not bad imo, but I'd prefer not to rely too much on it in a performance.

- The VA synth engine is nice and it's good to have lots of PCM waves to complement it with. Having two identical saw waves is seldom what I'm looking for, for example.
- The filters sound great, better than my Nord Lead 4. Great variation among the different LP filters.
- The analog-emulation is not great but adds a little something when set very low. It sounds nothing like the Korg Prologue though. Being able to set random pitch drift for each oscillator separately from the overall "analog" knob is a nice touch.

- The tonewheel organ is great, my only gripe is the bass on the rotary speaker is a bit too noisy (I recently recorded on a real Hammond/Leslie combo that was not as noisy). Apart from that I'd say the organ is on the same level as my Nord Electro 4 and Arturia B3-V.
- The Clavinet sounds are not bad (PCM samples), but not as nice as my Electro or Arturia Clavs. If I do decide to play this live with a band that requires Clav I might want to buy a multisample pack of a D6 (no idea if such exist).
- The SuperNatural woodwinds are a bit hit and miss. The Oboe sounds quite nice, but the Clarinets and Flute (called piccolo flute) are way too similar, and the Bassoon is not available as a SuperNatural sound, only PCM. Neither of these are anywhere near my (budget) Vienna Symphonic Library samples, but I guess that's fair.

- Working with the TR-rec and step-sequencer feels quite intuitive and flexible. I'm probably not using it optimally yet but getting a basic idea down with drums and a woodwind-quartet was fairly straightforward. Only 3/4 and 4/4 time signature is irritating but I'll manage. I will not use this as a replacement for my DAW when sketching out ideas, but putting together patterns for live performances will be easier and more fun than with an Elektron sequencer.

Congrats on your new bit o' kit. I heard that the filters on the Fantom 0 are of high resolution, but better than that of the Nord? Impressive!
Key-bed feel is a very personal & subjective thing....but your assessment of it's action sounds promising!
Thanks for the heads up! Will be receiving mine this Friday.