Roland Fantom X6- any thoughts?

[scruffydog]

Hi
I am dangerously close to buying this !
But I would love to have some feedback from any users who might have used it.
It is a long time since I bought a new keyboard and I tried one for a while today and felt quite at home with the interface..which is a good sign..
I got a little lost with the Motif...
I really liked the layout and the sounds seem hot.

So..any little insights or even put offs will be so very important to hear.
Thanks
Scruffy

[thethrillfactor]

Originally Posted by scruffydog

So..any little insights or even put offs will be so very important to hear.
Thanks
Scruffy

Its OK.

It has nice looks but that sounds are ok.

I prefer the sounds on the Motif if you ask me.

[Jamz]

I've been looking at the Motif, Fantom and Extreme.
Currently leaning heavenly towards the Fantom. Pretty nice interface. Sounds great.
I prefer the acoustic piano sounds in the Fantom and think the way you can vary the opening of the lid on the grand is pretty cool.
Not sure if I need all the features i.e the drum pads, sequencer...but it does offer a lot.
I know the sound engine is supposed to be the same in all Fantom models but I swear I hear slight difference in the 88 key version. It sounded a little warmer to me.
I've pretty much decided the Fantom is the way to go. However, I'm still not sure if it's going to be one of the keyboard versions or possibly the rack.

Good luck to you.

[thethrillfactor]

Originally Posted by Jamz

I've been looking at the Motif, Fantom and Extreme.
Currently leaning heavenly towards the Fantom. Pretty nice interface. Sounds great.
I prefer the acoustic piano sounds in the Fantom and think the way you can vary the opening of the lid on the grand is pretty cool.
Not sure if I need all the features i.e the drum pads, sequencer...but it does offer a lot.
I know the sound engine is supposed to be the same in all Fantom models but I swear I hear slight difference in the 88 key version. It sounded a little warmer to me.
I've pretty much decided the Fantom is the way to go. However, I'm still not sure if it's going to be one of the keyboard versions or possibly the rack.

Good luck to you.

The keyboard sounds(rhodes,wurlies,electricpianos) in the Motif are inspiring.

Also it has a real nice touch.

I haven't really played keys in years, but when i sat down and start playing it i was like"yeah i want this thing".

I have the Fantomn at the studio and basically its like a decoration for me.

Clients walk in and see the blinking lights and moving images on the screen and they go "ooh and aah".

But i know sonically behind it its a glorified JV 1080.

[Pepe Ortega]

you must look here. a better place to know about fantom series thumbsup
http://forum.fantomized.info/index.php

[ozraves]

I think the differences between the Triton, Motif, Fantom and K2600 sort of depend on what you like. My faves probably would be (from most liked to least liked) K2661, Fantom X8, Triton Studio and then one of the Motifs. YMMV. I own a Fantom S. I like the sounds and features.

[ImJohn]

I fairly recently got a Fantom XR (the rack version) and while I haven't really dug into using a lot of the features yet, I think it sounds awesome and I'm impressed with the amount of power stuffed into a single rack space.

The standard audio demos are here ( click the Launch Product Demo link ):
http://www.rolandus.com/products/det...odid=Fantom-X8

[AB3]

Fantom X is the way to go. Of course the expansion cards help. The editing software is great. The Yamaha ES is nice but not as user friendly, at least to me.

[midiman123]

-Can we rule out the Triton Extreme?
I`m thinking of the Fantom as well, but heard some really good things about the Extreme.
I will try both of them today, so we will see then....:-)

KK

[Dr.Wu]

IMHO the Fantom has the most advanced soundengine of all the samplebased workstations.
Its like having 4 totally independent synthesizers in one box-you can create some seriously complex patches with it.
Cant beat the big screen when it comes to editing sounds.
And the bread and butter stuff is always a good starting point when composing.
I would recommend to get a couple of SRX boards with it like the Dynamic Drum Kits, The Studio Board and Supreme Dance.

RU with me?
Dr.Wu

[Jamz]

Originally Posted by midiman123

-Can we rule out the Triton Extreme?
I`m thinking of the Fantom as well, but heard some really good things about the Extreme.
I will try both of them today, so we will see then....:-)

KK

IMO you should not rule it out.
I own the Triton, Trinity, O1W, ASR10 and 1080 racks. A keyboard player I work with has been bringing his Extreme in for sessions. I find myself borrowing his Extreme to replace MIDI piano performances done with my racks. The acoustic pianos sound better to me in the Extreme than those listed above. Visiting my local GC and comparing the newer keyboards is what led me to the Fantom.

Unlike true synthesizers that actually use real oscilators to generate wave forms (analog) most of todays keyboards are all sample based playback systems. As technology improves and manufacturers find better methods of squeezing this technology into more cost effective chips the keyboards improve in sound quality...for the most part i.e Korg's O1W --> Triton --> Extreme.

The Motif, Extreme and Fantom are in the same league. For me it's pretty subjective.
You should check them all out and see what suites your needs and taste.

Two questions if anyone has comments:
1.- In your opinion does the Fantom rack sound equal to the keyboard versions and does it offer the ability of "opening" the top of the acoustic pianos?

2.- Has anyone compared Ivory to these keyboards?

[scruffydog]

Hi
Wow..the Gearslutz elves have been busy!!
Thanks..
So very helpful and sobering to read the different thought from around the world.
I checked out the forum as you suggested papa ortega..landed on some useful insight but mostly argument and dodgy demo tapes!
So the ball is in my court as usual!
I did like the Phantom board from a user angle and did notice that it was definately a very Roland sounding affair..but it seemed to also be a good variation on the sound pallete. I am a little restless with my JV 2080/Vintage keys and Korg Z1 and others..

And whilst I know that I already have more than enough to make a record or two with..I am simply looking to this new purchase to spark a little more depth in my programming options.
The sequencer is not required as I am an out and out Logic user but I recall back in the day my first SQD8 sequencer and how much fun it was....so even the sequencer might be a bit of light relief..The pads will also be a good vibe thing as I played drums for many years and now have become little more than a table tapper supremo!!!
So it comes down to the sounds!!
Well I liked the sound search facility...and a lot of the patches were clearly inspirational.
Lacking the soft pad stuff but there are more banks available to download from the roland site...like several hundred!!! Good for the London Rainy evenings!
The screen is a real winner..not touch screen but I never had one so I wont miss it and the keyboard felt passable...I have always struggled with my Z1 as a mother keyboard ...
Effects are as usual 'how you use them' but at least as good as the jv2080 which is still very creative..probably a lot better but still not perfect at all..this will not surprise me.
I read a lot about how the demo tunes are pumped up compared to the out the box keyboard sound..that was useful as I did feel the Phantom demos were some of the best around..certainly more impressive than the Motif..
But I just did not like the yamaha user interface...this is where roland have spent all there money obviously!!
This is important to me..
I have quite a lot of keys in my room already,so the new one is not so much a fix it all but an addition to what is already a great selection..the law of diminishing returns is never far from my mind as far as my studio goes!!!
Big thanks and love for your input.
I think I will chew on it some more..take one more look at my options as you all suggest...brilliant.
Scruffy

[AB3]

Originally Posted by midiman123

-Can we rule out the Triton Extreme?
I`m thinking of the Fantom as well, but heard some really good things about the Extreme.
I will try both of them today, so we will see then....:-)

KK

The Korg sound to me is not as natural sounding as the Roland. The Korg has a strange color or sheen that I just cannot get use to liking.

The Roland is the safest best IMHO and has the best SRX cards collection.

BUT it depends on what you are doing. If you want it "really electronic" sounding, you may prefer the Korg.


On the other hand if you ever want an oboe or harp or something like that to sound more natural, go with the Roland.

Once again, the editing on the Roland is the easiest and that allows easier manipulation of the sounds.

If you are in a store comparing these things, bring your own headphones, unless they have a good sound system. Trying them out on a cheap sound system can be dangerous.

Good luck.

[Mark Warren]

I would not buy a Fantom. I owned one and it went back to the store shortly thereafter. Since you're dangerously close to buying it I'll go into some detail to try and talk you out of it.

It is sort of a 'jack-of-all-trades' type of box, but of course master of none. However it depends what you want it for, and what type of sounds and programming abilities you're going for. In my case and opinion, I was looking for two things: 1. Really realistic sounds for standard instruments and drums 2. Really way out there sounds and sampling morphing mangling capability.

The Roland Fantom as mentioned here by others has a mediocre sound set when it comes to standard sounds such as pianos, sax, drums, organs, cellos, flutes, etc. etc. The Motif ES series absolutely smokes it when it comes to these sound sets. The level of realism is above and beyond in the Motif series.

Now yes the Fantom does come with sampling and sequencing capabilities, but again if you're using a DAW for sequencing it becomes useless, and the sampling is very limited. On the plus side the Fantom interface is better than the Motif with the color screen, and it comes with digital out and balanced outs standard, and on the Motif you need to spend a few hundred extra to get the digital in/out board, etc.

What I ended up doing is returning the Fantom and getting a Motif ES Rack for all my traditional sounds (stunning sounds in this IMO and the rack does have the SPDIF out standard), and a Roland V-Synth XT Rack for all the progammable synth and sampling related stuff, since the capabilities of the V-Synth XT runs circles around the Fantom in this department, and there's no code/space wasted trying to come up with the next bestest awesome grand piano sound. The V-Synth also offers editing far and above the Fantom's capabilities.

Again, they tried to stuff pieces and parts of everything into the Fantom but IMO it doesn't fly. The only reason to get the Fantom would be if you're a keyboard player by background who is used to programming on a keyboard and are out performing and at rehearsals, etc. where you need the keyboard/sequencing/recording/sampling/diverse sound set all in one neat package and can afford to have limits on each of those aspects.

Before I got the Fantom I thought it would be the answer to everything but I'm much happier now with the Motif ES Rack, and I'm waiting for the V-Synth XT to arrive from Roland. My friend knows the Roland rep and they have sold out of V-Synth XT's in this country (at distributor level) since the demand has been so high. Supposedly the boat just came in on the West Coast from Japan with a pile of XT's so I should have it within about a week.

It's been reviewed highly in every pub that's reviewed it (and it seems like every pub has reviewed it in the last two months) and you should go to the Roland site www.rolandus.com and watch through every video demo of the V-Synth XT and you will understand the sheer creative power of this thing when it comes to editing, programming, and sound mangling. The plug-in expansion boards they're coming out with for this are awesome as well, and it comes with two already installed.

One other note on the Motif's - the arpeggio's are awesome. Motif's come with 1,800 arpgeggios's, Fantoms come with 128. Do the math on how much this expands the creative possibilities of the respective sound sets. The only limit is on the rack version Motif you can't create and save your own, but on the Motif keyboard you can create or import your own arps via MIDI file. The factory ones though are AMAZING and more than enough, and go beyond basic MIDI loops, whereby they self adjust based on style and how many keys you're holding down.

In one final opinion if you have to get just one keyboard/module and you're set on having the integrated keyboard and some sampling/sequencing, get the Motif ES series. It may take you a little more time to adapt to the display, but spend some time with it in the store and you'll see it's quite intuitive. The Motif Rack ES version is a cryptic NASA control panel, but I picked it up over the full keyboard Motif because I was able to score it for $800 brand new.

If you've already got 'a lot of keys in your room' then I truly feel that the Fantom will be as someone said here 'another decoration' and you will be better off with one of the units I went with instead if as you mention - it all comes down to the sounds. Get something that will really be a step above and beyond something you already have.

[scruffydog]

Hi
You and a couple of people I spoke to have made me think very hard!!!
Makes a change..
I think I will go and really check out more options and have a rethink..
Thanks a lot..
Scruffy

[CaliTone]

I recently bought the Fantom XR which is the rackmounted version. I love the sounds. The piano is one of the best that I've heard. A few years back I ditched all my hardware modules and keyboards for soft synths. But I just couldn't get passed how great the Fantom sounds, so I had to get it. Next on my list is the Motif rack. Another must have.

[Mark Warren]

If you're comparing rack to rack it may be a bit tighter comparison, but again I love the Motif sounds over the Fantom, at least for traditional instrument mimickery.

When I bought the actual Fantom keyboard I did what I always try not to do, and that is buy for bells and whistles. I did a ton of research on Motif, Fantom, Korg and did read that yes the Fantom 'has the most advanced sound engine blah blah' and was practically ready to go in and just buy it.

But when I got to the store I was floored to listen to all the keyboards and find that the Fantom sounded the worst (thin and blanketed are the adjectives that come to mind, but this is in the splitting hairs sense since these are all high end keyboards). But I figured maybe it's the monitors they're using at the store or the keyboard needs some settings adjustments, and I let the hyped feature set and color screen sell me on it and I still walked out of the store with one that day.

However upon getting it home it became apparant that the sounds were just lackluster, and I couldn't get the sounds of the Motif that I heard out of my head, so the Fantom had to go back.

[vudoo]

If you don't need all the bells and wistles of the Fantom-X6..why not get the Fantom XR and the Motif Rack along with a controller...

[delano517]

I own one the sounds are fantastic. Getting to be very popular, people are tired of hearing the same old sounds(triton and motif). Buy one you wont regret it.

[Jamz]

Originally Posted by vudoo

If you don't need all the bells and wistles of the Fantom-X6..why not get the Fantom XR and the Motif Rack along with a controller...

Ya know!?...while sitting on the..err..reading in the library, I was browsing through my Sweetwater Pro Gear catalog. Arrived at that very conclusion. I just looked back on this thread to post the same.

Cheers!

[scruffydog]

Well...tried out the keys for a while today
Both the Phantom and the Motif ES have great things to offer...I hate the Motif Layout though..need a degree in lateral thinking to work it out!
The Phantom sounded a little warmer to me but the motif might sit better in a track.
So I may go for the rack versions of each very soon!!
Thanks for the help...

[midiman123]

I`m going for the Fantom X 6: Fantastic keyboard.
Yeah it looks a bit "flashy" for some people, but this baby is fantastic thumbsup

KK

[scruffydog]

Thinking on my try out a bit...I must admit that on the fantom I had a lot of fun whilst on the yamaha I sat and played the demo as there seemed to be a real mental block for me.
I could hear nice things though...I like the rhodes sounds..very richard t ..perhaps a bit too good if that is possible..whilst the phantom's seemed more modern and in the face (I took my own headset as advised by fellow gearsluts!)
I could see myself setting up good song templates in the fantom and the screen is a huge bonus..I do like it...So tired of little screens and layered menus.
I played the fantom patches in multi mode with the fx off and they still sounded very nice and full, and when I added reverb I was surprised at how they have enlarged the spaces. I never really manage to get a good reverb on the jv and most of the EFX are variations on distortion.
But the real test for me is will I get to work it without a video or the manual..and for me the fantom wins head over heels.
The little mixer is cool and the patch library and search seems really quick.
Control for frequency and rez are vital to have on the control surface as is envelope.
The drum pads are not too ugly and wil be welcome..I might sample in my congas and stuff as these sounds would be fun on pads and the drum sounds onboard seem pretty varied.
The large patch list was a bit of a head ache and I thought ..''oh no..more rubbish than I can handle''..but flicking through there seems very little that is filler.
Even the accordian took me back to my first Bontempi.
I never really played with the EFX as I would hope they will only add to what is a fun and creative sound set.
And I like the footprint..the yamaha is simply to big for my room and I found the weighted keyboard too heavy..
So for me it wouldbe the fantom x6 and motiv rack...but the motiv for me would come later as I really need to get on.
So ..on a purely feel good vibe the fantom feels good...but I have a real respect for the yamaha and will chew on it for a moment longer.
Scruffy

[NuSkoolTone]

I am a motif classic (The original) owner and I'll chime in.

I've been researching to upgrade and here's what I came up with:

For realistic sounds : Motif ES hands DOWN!

For Electronica and Dance: I think fantom has the edge, but only slightly.

The reason why I am looking to upgrade the motif is because as a WORKSTATION it SUCKS! I hate it, and now it collects dust. The master controller abilities are a joke, and the sequencer (to me) stifles creativity. Usually by the time I get some basic scratch tracks down on the motif, the vibe is gone. This is why I'm getting rid of it. I do like the sounds though, I'll be getting a Motif ES rack in it's place. Before you say RTFM, I have and I've been sequencing on keyboards for 20 years and have a Comp Sci Degree. If it frustrates me, I can only imagine for other people! In the End it just doesn't "click" with me, and that's why I'll be moving on.

By contrast I was in the music store with a Fantom X6 and I had KILLER tracks in 15 minutes! Whole music bed, DONE. This took forever on the motif.

The both have quirks though. Check out motifator.com and fantomized.info for their respective sites to do the research.

I was going to do it this fall, but at this point I'm not moving until I see what's at this years NAMM.

They are both due for new flagships. Also Yamaha just released the MO series, which is basically a stripped down Motif ES. Half the poly, no sampling, less fx, no expansion whatsoever. Just the core soundset and sequencer. The price they are asking is pretty nice though.

[AB3]

If all you are comparing is the sounds these keyboards come stocked with, then Yamaha ES may be better. However, once you add SRX cards to the Roland, there are many SRX card sounds that are great for acoustic sounds, like oboe, harp, harpsichord, strings, etc.
So, while the Fantom X at first blush may not always have the best sounds, when you add the SRX cards, i believe it beats out the Korg or Yamaha, not only for electronic type music, but for acoustic as well.

[smk]

Well I got a Motif ES after listening to the three somewhat objectively. The Triton Extreme sounds old and one dimensional. The Roland sounds typical and "safe." The ES, though sounds punchy and 3d. I just got the analog expansion board and have yet to install it, and also just got the mLan board but haven't put this in either yet. There's tons of sounds on the Motifator site to download to the board so this is hard to beat. Remember, the Triton is not expandable, but it sure is good for Trance music. The Fantom may be expandable but the stock sounds are very ordinary. Like the other guy said - it's a glorified JV 1080, which I also own. I think the main thing with the Fantom is the sampler and 8 tracks of audio but if you have a DAW, then why bother? Get the Motif ES. I absolutely promise that you won't be disappointed. One gripe - work flow kind of sucks...

[midiman123]

Originally Posted by AB3

If all you are comparing is the sounds these keyboards come stocked with, then Yamaha ES may be better. However, once you add SRX cards to the Roland, there are many SRX card sounds that are great for acoustic sounds, like oboe, harp, harpsichord, strings, etc.
So, while the Fantom X at first blush may not always have the best sounds, when you add the SRX cards, i believe it beats out the Korg or Yamaha, not only for electronic type music, but for acoustic as well.

Yeah, you are absolutely right!!
Yamaha has something really fantastic going: It sounds very real....
But at the same time not real enough if you know what I mean...
I am not gonna compose, and record songs entirely with one keyboard, so I dont need the Yamaha for that!
I`m gonna blend it in together with drums, bass, Guitars, vocals etc.
And for my money, nothing beats the Roland sound!!

And I am also tired of small displays, and in that sence, I almost feel that the Motif brings back the old "80`s" feeling of synths!

I will use my Fantom X6 together with Pro Tools in my studio, but it`s so much more than a studio instrument!
I can take this baby with me in to the living room when the family has gone to bed, and compose, and "record" new song layouts in 30 minutes, and then the next day run it straight in to Pro Tools and take it form there!!

KK

[The MPCist]

I have a Fantom X8. Sound-wise, all Roland modules are about the same but I do dig the GUI and the keyboard feel of the X8. For sounds, I would think that you should get a module of each, Yamaha, Roland, and Korg..... None of each are super by themselves.... Blend the sound sources together...

[Mark Warren]

I will say that Yamha's decision not to enhance the screen on the Motif was a banana-head move, but I did read an interview somewhere where it said that in moving forward to the ES series the development group had a limited budget put to them and they decided to spend it all developing better sounds and software than on the interface, and the cost to develop the new interface along with the new interface hardware itself would have raised the retail price point beyond what they felt was competitive.

Guess it makes sense. All I know is if the Motif ES keyboards had digital outputs and a color screen standard, they would own the market, even at a higher price point.

But that black and white dot matrix lookin screen, I mean it's like the screen on a Yamha drum machine I had back in 1986. Get with it Yamaha!

[DivineMusic]

personally, sound wise i like the fantom x over the motif. the interface is much better too. so we have a triton studio, fantom x and a motif Es rack.
they all get their use.. the fantom and triton get the most use though