A couple days ago I recieved my Fantom and have been able to play around with it for the past few days (Spring Break, so I got PLENTY of time, day and night ) First off this thing is amazing, I cant think of anything I dont love about it. I will break down its functions into several catagories and rate it by that.

First off, funtionality: This thing has many amzing features that make this thing very easy to operate, manuever, edit songs, ect. The very large Four color LCD is much to thanks, very nice clarity, and the four shades really makes a difference, its just as good as color IMO. Roland layed out the songs in patches, and catagories. Finding the right sound is so easy, even with thousands of sounds to choose from. They are in catagories such as Ac. Piano, El. Piano, Keyboards, Ac. Guitar, Electric guitar, Bells, Mallets ect, there are 39 of these. Each botton is large, easily accessed and layout out very wisely.

Features: The Fantom has so many great features its gunna be hard to name them all! First there is the D-Beam, a very unique feature that is quite useful and has many different settings. It has the ability to modulate just about everything in a sound, trigger loops and drums, and play a solo synth. It adjusts the level of modulation or loudness of the sound by the distance your hand is from the sensor. Its great for very quick triggers, just a quick swipe over it and it plays.

It also has the V-link, I dont know much about it, but all i know is it is used to attach to a video projector and it plays and triggers different videos, ambient visual effects ect, but you need some edirol thinger.

I really like its Arpeggio control, with hundred of different presets, and hundreds of user settings. It has and arp creator to make you own unique sequences.

My favorite feature is the Performance Mixer, this is so cool. I dont know if many other products have this but ill exsplain it anyways. On the mixer screen you have 16 rows each one assigned a sound or loop. And on this mixer screen you can adjust the loudness of the sound, the pan of the sounds, adjust eq's assign arpeggios to it, combine two sounds ect. Its the cats meow for high quality sequencing. http://www.fantomized.info/gear/fantom-s/images/FS_LCD_mixer.gif

Another very ingenious feature is skip back sampling, which is the ability to play back what you just played, and save it as a sample, you can even chop it up so you can start and stop the sound exactly when you want. Its awesome for when you play something that you really like, but just cant do it again

The Fantom allows you to connect to your computer via USB, where a file will appear on your desktop where you can click and drag any sound, import it into the board, chop, edit and do whatever to you want to the song and save it as a sample with different dynamics as you move up and down the board.

Smart media is also included, you can save hundreds and hundreds of different songs, samples ect.

Another very unique feature is the dynamic drum pad! Its great for writing drum pieces, you get alot more control than what you would playing the keys. They are also velocity and aftertouch sensetive.

Construction and quality: Like a typical Roland this thing is a TANK! built from brushed steel, not anodized, so you cant scratch it. Im not worried about this thing ever falling apart on me. Every part included into making this product is very high grade and feels great. It is fairly heavy at close to 28 pounds. The Key construction is far better than any other keys ive felt. They are very high quality, think, springy and have great action, to me it feels more like a hammer action board. They dont feel the least bit plasticky either, more like metal, or ivory. I also like how when you play a note so lightly it doesnt play, more like a real piano, and gives you a better feal IMO.

Sound quality: Packed with thousands of sounds and high quality 64mb of wav rom it isnt lacking anything. Each sound to me is very unique, none sound remotely similar and each one is more useful than the next. Unlike my XP-60, the sounds not only get louder the harder you play, but they change sounds almost completely, like when you play a guitar, when you play harder you can really feel the vibration in the sound, very similar to what you would find on a real guitar. This also adds to the ability to play sounds that have more feeling into them.

Overall this thing is amazing, I cant think of any wishes, or anything I dont like about this board. I cant imagine what the X is like, I just have the S, and its truely awesome.

Phil

[This message has been edited by Pennywizz6 (edited 04-01-2005).]

Penny,
Good review. I'm glad all worked out for you and you now have your synth The fantom is an amazing workstation. I have to agree with you on the key feel. If I'm not mistaken the keybed on the Fantom is an improved version of that found on the XP series. The XP was adverstised with semi-weighted keys (and boy I thought the action on the XP-60 was awsome!) Look under your Fantoms keys and see if there are little metal weights fixed to the underside of the keys. What's Roland calling the action now.. Waterfall keys or something like that????

Squeak

[This message has been edited by squeak_D (edited 04-01-2005).]

Squeak, yep there are little metal pads molded into the key. I still think they call it semi weighted, but it might be waterfall. Whatever it is I like it *edit* this is what I found on the specs [S] 61 keys (synth action, with velocity and channel aftertouch)


Phil

[This message has been edited by Pennywizz6 (edited 04-01-2005).]

Waterfall keys is related to the shape not the feel. Waterfall keys are rounded and fall straight down (like a waterfall). This is the type of key shape you would find on an organ. This is great for doing glissandos. Pianos usually have whistle shaped keys.
Starkeeper

Yes, arpeggio is fine!!!
Unfortunality in the most cases it isn't an alternative for using it as an equivalent lead instrument but it works more than good enough for accompanying instrumantations and also for composing.
Why do I think so? Well, the arpeggio gets its ability from a random pulse generator. Those randomized pulses sounds a little bit like human's randomized drumings, tippings and pickings but not more. Maybe with AI it'll be a great step next to the origin...

Hey, Phil, don't waste your time with writing such big postings, better you 'work'n'feel' more with your new device, so we may could hear some more tunes out of it...!!?
Haha...no, just kidding. It was a nice gesture of you to share your experience with us. But I really want to hear more from your Fantom's sound abilities...

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Greetings from Frankfurt (Germany),
Sheriff ;-)

Hey Sheriff,

I love using an arpeggio, but I feel that it takes such less talent, even though it always seems to sound better, in alot of cases anyways. The feel and variation with using arps always has a more realistic feel. And of course is much more steadier than if you were to just press keys.

I posted another song in the First "Song" on the Fantom thread. This one is more of a real song, and think that you will like it better And Im looking forward to your future creations when your studio gets back on line!

Thanks,

Phil

[This message has been edited by Pennywizz6 (edited 04-04-2005).]

Oh, I like both. There are not only Rock or Metal running through my veins, but also Classic, Folk and Synth-Experimentals sometimes even reaching toward Techno/Trance. And there are many other influences in my music like Funk, Jazz and last but not least Blues, but usually not all at the same time...
I think that all kinds of music are linked to another using the line of tunes, chords and effects. It's no matter to change between different music directions if the main line of the arrangement keeps untouched and/or unbroken. I hope you know what I mean...


There will be a chance that I can swap the one track you know with another one that was created a few month ago. But at first I have to ask the 'chief' if I'm allowed to do so - well, you know this, a contract is a contract, and there are many points to be attended - especially if I post it in a public place like this forum.
With the first song of mine you've heard was the remake of an earlier production with older rights. So the M.C.B.-Studios didn't worry about publishing this song - especially when it was inofficial in such a way I did.

But nevertheless I enjoy music and don't let me pushing down by anyone. Well, in the most cases those hard working people are really helpless by handling a musician (or any other kind of 'free-minder'). So we have to help those people and explain them the right way to handle their life...*lol*
...and that's the point where I mostly return to music. There's no better way to feel and explain life than making music...*yeah*


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Greetings from Frankfurt (Germany),
Sheriff ;-)

Sheriff,,
sounds like you and I like a lot of the same kind of musdic.

Pennywizz,

Good Luck with the Fantom. If I had room ( and funds ) for another workstation, I'd surely want one. Even the original Fantom had a few things going for it that I realy thought were cool.

Then, I'd also like the room and funds to add a Triton Extreme too... lol

AJ

I don't know what you're listening to but I would like to hear music instead of musdic...hahaha...

It could be interesting making a jam with you, couldn't it?


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Greetings from Frankfurt (Germany),
Sheriff ;-)

[This message has been edited by Sheriff (edited 04-07-2005).]