Roland has announced their new FANTOM series of professional keyboards for music production and live performance. Developed from the ground up for modern players, the next-generation FANTOM 6, FANTOM 7, and FANTOM 8 models fuse Roland's latest synthesizer technologies with fluid operation, a color touchscreen, and deep computer integration. FANTOM instruments are designed to offer superb playability, and tour-ready construction to meet the demands of everyday life on the road.
Today's professional keyboardists need to integrate with computer-based environments that form the backbone of modern stage and studio setups. FANTOM is designed to meet these needs and more, giving players a new type of creative hub to realize ideas and accelerate workflow.
FANTOM 8
A key feature of FANTOM is its modeless interface. FANTOM is always in full-on creative mode, providing a consistent working experience in every musical scenario. And with workspaces called Scenes, the instrument can be fully customized and instantly reconfigured for different composition and performance setups.
FANTOM's sound engine leverages decades of research and development, providing an endless range of inspiring and authentic electronic, acoustic, and hybrid sounds. Players can combine different synthesis technologies along with the onboard analog filter for new and unusual sounds. There's also an enormous selection of effects available to enhance individual sounds and process entire mixes.
With FANTOM's DSP engine, players can run all 16 parts with all available effects at once, complete with patch remain for transitions. In addition to the color touchscreen interface, there are plenty of knobs and sliders for intuitive and immediate control, plus a dedicated synthesizer section with oscillator, filter, and envelope controls.
FANTOM is a complete music composition platform, filled with options to build arrangements fast. Available tools include RGB pads, a classic TR-REC style pattern sequencer, real-time recording with piano roll editing, and a grid for recording and launching clips.
FANTOM's powers grow when connected to computers, analog synthesizers, and other gear. DAWs and performance software like Apple's Logic Pro and MainStage can be operated from the touchscreen and panel controls, and virtual instruments from Roland Cloud and others can be controlled and combined with FANTOM's internal sounds. It's also possible to drive modular and analog synthesizers from its dual CV/Gate outputs.
The FANTOM 8, FANTOM 7, and FANTOM 6 will be available in the U.S. in September for $3,999.99, $3,599.99, and $3,299.99, respectively.
