Roland Fantom G ?

[Shingles]

Hi All,

I have a modest set-up based around a Yamaha QY700 MIDI sequncer, Yamaha AW16G audio multitracker and an Emu E5000 Ultra sampler. I work alone making Ambient/Industrial/Gothic/Symphonic/Progressive metal and minimalist, experimantal, loop-based stuff.

I am giving some serious thought to replaceing those three central bits of kit with a Roland Fantom G6. This in an effort to streamline my workflow; have a single project or song file to work on, containing all sound and sequence data. And to reduce the amount of space my studio occupies. My wife and kids seem to be expanding and the amount of time I have to give to music is shrinking.

I have a Proteus 2000 that I use for played sounds more than the Emu, which mostly handles loops and FX. I want to re-aquire the Wavestation SR and Morpheus modules that I sold (along with others) some years ago and miss. My primary instrument is guitar. I don't currently have a keyboard in my studio.

So I would miss the compositional features of the QY which I have used a lot - including the Chord Track. But I see my music becoming increasingly based on samples and loops. I might miss the mastering tools and CD burner in the AW16G and the provision of dynamics on every input and playback channel.

What else would I miss?

And would I be better off with an MV-8800?

[hollowsun]

And would I be better off with an MV-8800?

I think you mean Fantom G!

[Shingles]

No. I do mean MV-8800.

I am trying decide between Fantom G6 and MV-8800. Of course, the wild card might be the Alesis Fusion.

[Guest]

Here are a few of my thoughts with regard to the Fantom G. First of all, as we all know, the G has been discontinued by Roland. Up until recently I had been looking around for a brand new keyboard workstation to replace my ailing Kurzweil PC3K7. I wanted one with sampling inputs, full sample editing and a big color LCD screen. I was seriously considering the Korg Kronos when I found out about the Fantom G. Although I wanted a new keyboard, I eventually decided on purchasing a used Fantom G in very good condition.

So here are my thoughts...

I found the Fantom G really hard to figure out at first - mostly because I'm accustomed to using Kurzweil gear and also because of the unique nature of the Fantom G. I was having huge problems trying to figure out how to erase, insert and copy specific sections of MIDI data. In fact, I was seriously considering returning it under the mistaken impression that there was either something wrong with it or else it was way too complicated. Of course, the problem was actually me. It just took some time to figure it out (with a lot of help from the manual and online tutorials).

Turns out, that unlike the Kurzweil PC3K ( or even the Roland FA-06, for that matter), the Fantom G will not allow you to edit copied MIDI events in the events editor (which Roland calls Microscope). For example, let's say you record a 2-bar loop and then copy that loop 20 times. Now your sequence is 22 bars long. You are then only able to edit those first two recorded bars as individual MIDI events in the Microscope, not any of the next 20 (because in the Fantom G they don't really exist). Only real-time data can be edited in the Microscope (if that makes any sense). This is not the case with the PC3K or the FA-06, which allow you to edit ALL data in MIDI events, even if that data is copied. Also, any edits in those first two bars will likewise edit all subsequent 2 bar loops that follow. That's because the Fantom G's sequencer records "phrases" or parts of a recorded performance, not just the individual notes. That I think is what makes the Fantom G different in comparison to other keyboard workstations. You can basically create and save musical or rhythmic patterns as phrases. And then it's actually pretty easy to copy and insert all of those saved musical phrases anywhere in your sequence as part of your arrangement.

Having said that, I've had the Fantom G for about a month now, and although (obviously) I found it very intimidating at first, it was well worth the effort. It's actually become quite easy to use and has so many great features. I totally love this keyboard and would never dream of switching to anything else at this point.

Best Regards...
Brian

To Shingles: I'm sorry if this post didn't answer your questions, but I'm not familiar with the other equipment you mentioned...

[Wonks]

To Shingles: I'm sorry if this post didn't answer your questions, but I'm not familiar with the other equipment you mentioned...

As the post you replied to is over 10 years old, I don't think he'll mind.

[Random Guitarist]

Although if he did return, I have a fusion 8 for sale . . .

[Wonks]

Shingles does pop in from time to time. His last look-in was back in November.

[Guest]

Just wanted to check if you were paying attention