Roland Fantom-06: Two-Month Review - likes and dislikes

[@nickmoloney9820]

As Fantom 0 'ners we all seem to suffering from polyphony Issues however i'm rocking an O8 live, playing left hand bass and basic layers and splits with some leads, the Ed Diaz videos on Rolands KZbin channel are brilliant, I haven't enjoyed playing live this much in a long time, and no polyphony issues in this simple but fun setting, get straight in and build your own scenes is definitely the way.

[@DigitalDoxology]

Good to hear! I'm going to be playing some live gigs with the 06 in the next few weeks - getting my scenes set up now with the layers I like ahead of time too. It will be interesting to see how it cuts through the mix live...

[@ErraticFaith]

It's a limitation of the engine. Although the bigger FANTOM offsets the issue somewhat at times (inclusion of VPiano) it can still hit similar walls. For a western audience, Darrick Keels covers this somewhat reasonably on his videos if you've not seen them.

[@tomaszdomagala]

I'm surprised how everyone has problems with something... I have a Roland Fa 08 and the operation is wonderful, simple. Recording and creating entire 16-track songs is very simple and enjoyable. Can I also record 16 tracks on Fantom and export them to mix later? No one talks about it, as if nearly $5,000 hardware didn't provide the ability to compose and export tracks to a computer or pen drive. If so, what should I buy to compose electronic music without using Daw???

[@davebassP5]

Zone Edit has a full EQ for each Zone. Effects edit has EQ settings as well. Very versatile.

[@DigitalDoxology]

Thanks for the tip! - I will play around with the Zone edit some more - it does really help add some sparkle to some of the on-board sounds which always seem a bit dull or flat to me.

[@jaysidd]

To play the weighted action keys you can hookup Kronos with Fantom via 5 pin midi cable.

[@DigitalDoxology]

Thanks for that tip - I've actually thought about trying that just to see...

[@reinhardtilker8552]

Last year I switched from my Yamaha CP5 to a much lighter 76-key Yamaha keyboard, and initially I was worried about the synth action keys. I also felt 'spoiled' after 50 years with weighted hammer action instruments, but I got along surprisingly well with the new lightweight stuff. So, your gripes are not causing me too much headache, and I'm really, really looking forward to my Fantom-07. Ordered it last night.... 😁

[@DigitalDoxology]

It’s really all about what works best for you and getting used to it - best wishes and enjoy the new 07!

[@Sam_Utah]

Biggest drawback for synth players is lack of after touch pressure keys. I have to give ASM kudos for poly after touch on a $1000 digital board. Not that it is a better synth, it has narrower purpose but that it can be done. Sure it would add costs and compete with its big brother, but it is just one of those little but important nuances I look for. It is really helpful, though if it receives after touch from another controller like Korg's Wavestate, although there is not global receive, just per scene.

[@edrumsense]

If you think about it, any cheap midi controller of 200 does have better keybed and also aftertouch, so in my opinion the builders are just ridiculous by not putting those features in this kind of expensive keyboard

[@ErraticFaith]

A completely different scenario for their company and ignorant of the price point in that respect, is all. The musicians the board is aimed at, don't request or use it - and ask for the features that were included, as an upgrade from the prior edition. There's no conspiracy behind the omission, it's simply not worth the production cost.

[@manrajhusan]

The only problem is in this keyboard we can’t change samples time Strech. Otherwise I am fine with this keyboard

[@ailwyngregory1716]

Comparing Fantom 0 (budget synth) with a Kronos that clearly costs a lot more… would have been a better comparison with the full blown Fantom which you don’t have…

[@carlsenmusic3149]

I got the fantom 08 with weighted keys. They are a bit heavy weighted for my taste. But at thus price point you get a really great feeling of a really piano, you can really express you feelings into the songs that you play. I have lightweighted arturia midi keyboard, those are also great for studio recording with other vsts synths. I had a Yamaha psr 3000 before which was also lightweighted keys, but still amazing sounds, but it makes you wanting to play on a real piano when it comes to piano sounds, weighted and lightweighted are both good, f. Eks. When it comes to synths sounds, I rather want lightweighted, but when it comes to piano sounds Mann! Weighted is a must. That's why I got the fantom 08 instead of 07 or 06. 06 has way to few keys to roll up and down on. I'm happy with the fantom 08. It's just hard to use. The Yamaha psr wasn't a synth, but still a great keyboard with a lot of sounds, but the sound engine or sound quality wasn't as good as the roland. Psr 3000 is also very old 😂

[@DigitalDoxology]

Glad to hear you enjoy it, yes I too love weighted keys for playing- especially the piano 🎹😊

[@handsfree1000]

I wish the manufacturers would make a keyboard action slightly heavier than the synth action without being fully weighted.

[@DigitalDoxology]

Some of them do, look for a keyboard that is described as “semi-weighted.” I can’t recall if the Fantom 6 (not the Fantom 06) has that feature or not. It does add some weight to the overall unit. Personally, I prefer the weighted keys, but can tolerate the lighter ones.

[@lassel1644]

Good review. Very clear and straightforward

[@KUPPSKAGNEY]

After getting use to hammer action keys, I just cant get the same nuances from a synth action keyboard while playing piano sounds. So I just midi them together to use the hammer action keys for all piano tones.

[@CarltonMoxley]

You need to adjust the key action from normal to heavy or soft. It makes a world of a difference.

[@DigitalDoxology]

Thanks for the tip - I wasn't even aware you could do that on the Fantom-0! I'll check into it.

[@karlhaese7183]

exactly

[@roderickalbus5818]

What are your settings? I’m still going back and forth as I can’t find the right spot for me. Find the acoustic piano sound disappointing to be honest as if there’s a blanket over the sound.

[@sidthetech7623]

I just got the 08 earlier this month. The keys feel weighted and ... creamy... Smooth. The 4+ instrument polyphony feels like someone cut you off while you are trying to say something.

[@DigitalDoxology]

Yes, the newer (2022) Fantom-0 Series has some limitations over the older (2019) series and polyphony limits is one of them, along with memory as well as overall build. I suppose Roland felt it needed to trim a few features in order to lower the price point. That said, It’s still a very capable keyboard. Enjoy!

[@sidthetech7623]

​@@DigitalDoxology Oh! Yes internal memory is a spec that isn't up to par with the flagship Fantom series and some of the hardware I guess is equipt to handle the VPiano that the 0 series does not have... I'm curious to what internals are in an out of each that allows such... is the flagship hardware more capable? It's an audio interface so I'm thinking this thing is mostly software controlling a capable chip. I got some research to do on that topic. Originally I was going to get the Juno DS, but then I seen this 08 on Demo, liked the keys, and decided to bite the bullet... It's a capable Workstation keyboard, sounds great.

[@jarodgregor6682]

I've heard before that Roland sequencers are not good. I'm used to a KorgT3 and a Yamaha Motif ,very old machines but i like the sequencers. I think the Korg Nautilus and The Kurzweil Pc4-76 have decent old fashioned sequencers. I might buy one of them. Thanks for your review.

[@DigitalDoxology]

Yeah, I haven’t been very impressed with the Fantoms sequencer so far, I’ve learned to get what I need out of it but my Korg Kronos sequencer still has it beat by far. Haven’t tried a Kurzweil 😉

[@magnusjohansson295]

With that many sounds I wonder: can you mark certain sounds as favourites? That's a feature I like on my Yamaha Motif.

[@DigitalDoxology]

Yes you can give them stars as your favorites

[@MKA63]

That timing problem with the sequencer cost me multiple hours of time on my old Fantom X6. I have the audio track upgrade and maxed out the memory, but if the sequence changes tempo, it all goes south (specifically if recording vocals on the audio tracks). It seems that they still haven't sorted that out. Don't worry, the sequencer on my MODX7 is no better - albeit no audio tracks, but it's a pig to use. The only sequencer I have ever been happy with was my first - a Roland MC-500 (runs with 3.5" disks). I've never been comfortable with any others since. Go ahead ... call me a dinosaur 😰

[@DigitalDoxology]

I loved my MC-500, bought it new in ‘86 and could do so many things with it! Used it until I bought my Triton in 2000, but kept it around a few more years for fun!

[@ChordFreak]

I got lost on the way to my first synth. I got lost in my cheap made MODX. And I got lost in the community I got into. Now I try to find a reasonable way to get, what I initially wanted. To be honest... are those points the most important? Piano? Weight? You buy a car, and only care about the colour and the radio inside? What about the sample-quality? Did you ever play a sample over the whole range? Or am I worldwide the only workstation-player who does? A Cello-Sample, a Supersaw-Sample...? What about the heart of music: sample(-quality)? Piano, piano, piano ... I didn't count YT-videos dealing with "piano" ... on SYNTHESIZERS. Sometimes I wonder, if I am kidnapped by aliens and transported to the piano-planet in the andromeda-galaxy. A machine with countless abnormal nasty features ... and then piano??? My MODX is claimed to have the best samples of all. And on the first sight ... of such short-times-reviews this is true. BUT: there are horrifying faults in those samples. There bugs all over my MODX in whole. From one key to the next you have different timbre, different volume, even panning to one side. Sometime only one note, sometimes, 2 or 3. In the middle of the scale. My review: crap! crap! crap! Is that unimportant????????? Numbers ... biiiiiig numbers. I have 2.000 preset sounds; actually the right number would the number of samples. Even Yamaha doesn't know how much. About 300 toms, 300 snares, 300 kicks, 300 cymbals................. who the heck needs such a vast percussion-selection??? What's the use? You can burn time with searching! No other use! I have 10.000 arpeggios. Ten ... Thousand! Is this normal? A 6yr old boy would be highly impressed by such numbers. Me not!!! The searching for a fitting one is a one-week-challange ... only for one song! Do you play sometimes? Or only search? What did I learn? The higher the numbers, the more horrifying for me! I craft my arpeggios myself. Even simple Basedrum. Much faster than searching for it in this bin they threw all in. I am a working, 53yr old man, playing eOrgans, Pipe-Organs, ePianos and Keyboards for over 40 years. Ask me about keybeds ;) I am nor a freak nor a fan of a company. I think clearly, I hear clearly. When I am on an intrument, I LISTEN! Is there a "wrong" pipe, is there a strange noise ... music ... samples ... quality. And with this machine the second thought are the features. Does the side-chain sound well? No. Ooops, there is an effect that causes sound-collaps. Why is it there? Browsing arpeggios the machine stalls ... restart. And so on... Does the company fit bugs? No. Because the community only requests: piano and more (buggy) features. A pitty, that in the synth-scene a normal man like me has no chance to get a true insight via reviews. If a keyboard would be that crappy. If an Organ would be that crappy. If a grand would have such sound-faults .... only the synth community is able to accept all kind of crap ... without loosing any thought on it. That is perhaps the most shocking I encountered with my workstation.

[@UFO-Ark]

So Fantom0 or MODX+ ?

[@ChordFreak]

@@UFO-Ark Do you ask ME? I don't know much about the Fantom; only master the MODX completely. There are no serious reviews available ... what I explained. Weight, keybed ... what's that? Crazy. This lack of true inspection is a special feature of the synth-scene. The rest of the world spends money for quality; or saves it by conscious buying cheap crap. But everything else in the world is tested and judged. Even hair rasors for 50 bugs are tested better. So, you want to speculate with your money? I assume the MODX more potential and flexible... if you invest 2 years with handling the miserable UI. There is nothing I cannot produce with it; and I don't use a DAW so far. If you plan to use a DAW, buy a cheap input keyboard! No need of knobs and sliders ... which cost 2000$. Sound? Buy a softsynth. MUCH easier to operate and electronic sounds are a galaxy better than everything those Workstations (which are mainly "Rompler", "Expander") could ever produce. Me, a fan auf electronic sounds, would better have bought a Fantom. In those videos the Fantom sounds much smoother, better balanced ... and after all: Roland invented "supersaw". Yamaha ... I call their machines (also genos etc.) "granny bags" (translated from German). It also seems to be way more playable than the MODX (solo-entertainer-style). Also remarkable, if you are beginner, are those fine explanation videos of Roland. Yamaha? NEVER EVER AGAIN!!!!!! By principle!!! YT has not enough Gigabytes to tell you all the crap/faults/lacks I found in this machine. No support! No fixes! Help in forum is ridiculous. "Buy and bye". Take a look at the view numbers regarding "MODX". Dead! "Cheap" was the way to come into the market. The new MODX is surely the same crap. If noone admits faults, you cannot expect a fixed version. And 400 coins more for the "+", with ridiculous expansions (in comparison to the MODX) is a bad joke. Those machines - also the Montage - are dead! If you want to risk your money ... risk it at Roland ;) But don't blame me for what you are finding :D

[@UFO-Ark]

@@ChordFreak Thank you for your reply. I will put you down as a Fantom0 man.

[@ChordFreak]

@@UFO-Ark You still didn't get me;) Don't put me down to a company! Put me down as "man with a scientific mind, searching for quality". I played everything with keys for over 40 years. Some more, some less. From disgusting 100-pound-keys of an old Kawai-Grand (less, Bechstein's are more to my likings) to a non-resistant high-end-plastic-keybed of a high-end Wersi-Organ with velocity and aftertouch (more). Want to know, what criteria I have for keybeds since those times? Functioning!!! Not wearing-out!!! AND ... SILENT!!! My MODX-keybed is this loud hammering (88 GHS), the neighbour can hear me playing. Is that "quality"? I bet all my money, that the Fantom is full of such "special-effects"/faults too. Simply because this "synth-scene-people" are weird. They don't tell you that ... because they don't know it😂...they only use 10% of their expensive machines...weird I would only buy a Fantom after I inspected it for a couple of weeks ... and MY "inspect" means MUCH MORE than silly things like keybeds (60 seconds) or weight (10 seconds)😉

[@DavidPadin-q3m]

I prefer the original Phantom 6 that costs a little more, that came first before the Phantom 06

[@frankmoser1802]

even the sequencer of my KORG 01W/FD from 1991 can be programmed with changing measures. But nevertheless I just bought the 08 after a long thinking about it

[@littlebubba6199]

Needs interactive chord. Jdxi is better with real time transpose and 16 track sequencer and variphrase

[@Robbinsffxi]

Could you check if your Fantom-06 is bent? Put it on a desk and see if the center touches the table top. A friend of mine have sent 4 units back so far, and some was so bent, the controlls didn't function.

[@DigitalDoxology]

Mine is fine, my first thought is that sounds like a heat problem - maybe during shipping this summer? I mean they’re mostly made of plastic and aluminum - How recently were these units purchased? I purchased mine last year in June.

[@Robbinsffxi]

@@DigitalDoxology These where purphaced in the summer allright. Though we live in norway, and is’s not a hot summer this year. This is a strange issue. Maybe we got a bad batch this year.

[@marknagle-vi7og]

To my ears the first piano voice he played sounds really bad. I own the Yamaha CP88 and it sounds gorgeous. To me Yamaha outshines Roland every time with the piano voices. However Roland to me does an excellent job with realistic production synth voices. In fairness the CP88 is in the higher end category. It could be what he’s playing it through or just bad acoustics.

[@DigitalDoxology]

@@marknagle-vi7og first, the camera / microphone never do really provide a real accurate qualitylive sound, however the Roland piano sound on the Fantom 06 even when using a good sound system, isn’t the greatest - with some EQ’ing you can improve it, but still not as good as your Yamaha I’m sure or my Kronos either. But, it is adequate for live play with a good PA system or speakers. Just MHO… now I’m told the larger Fantom 76 and 88 key, 2019 edition has a far better sound quality…

[@Fran6230]

I think you can change time signatures within a sequence with microscopic editing.

[@DigitalDoxology]

I’m not sure that’s possible - even if it is, Rolands micro editing feature is a pain in the rear to work with its faster and easier for me to just re-record the passage (several times if necessary) then use the micro editing.

[@gokhanyurdusev]

Hi there, nice tips, thank you. I also own a Kronos 73 and 61 and thinking of getting a Fantom O series. As a Kronos user you have the ability to test the capablities of both devices. Can you please compare the ease of use and patch quality of both synths? I am also gigging once a month and using my Kronos 61 yet want to have something lighter but I am affraid of losing good sounds of Kronos and ability of creation for the scene. I hope I was clear on my request. Thanks in advance.

[@earrelavant3816]

Had the original fantom 6 (the latest version) and after careful consideration I traded it in for the mpc key 61 and I have never looked back. The sounds are surprisingly good! Especially after tweaking sounds. On top of that it can sample other keyboards/plugins. Is it perfect no I admit I do have some gripes but for the first offering from akai this is a real statement. I'm sure the next one will be even more of a beast!

[@DigitalDoxology]

Good to know, I’ve heard good things from others about the Akai - glad to hear it’s working out for you!

[@joannehorrex7548]

Let’s see if Akai still support that board after a year..pretty much ditched Akai advance support within 12 months of product release I hope do your sake they don’t though

[@natanunorthodox]

Is anyone else having problems with theirs going out of tune if you have parts with pitch bend in it? I just got mine, and I'm already running into tuning problems and the pitch bend is taking the beginning of loops out of tune if I use the pitch bend towards the end of the pattern? Is there anything I can do, or are there any setting that can help me out?...SBN RESONATE

[@DigitalDoxology]

I’ve noticed in a few of the pre set patches / scenes-voices, that there’s a noticeable change or drop off in pitch after a second or two that’s annoying since there’s nothing I’m doing to trigger it. Which scenes do you find this happening? Might be something they (Roland) programmed into the scene?

[@natanunorthodox]

@@DigitalDoxology Hey there, I just got mine and I didn't update it yet, but it still should not be going out of tune like it is, and I'm just wondering if it does this for every single fantom 06 unit? When I do pitch bends it happens a lot, and even if I don't have pitch bends on the projects, it still goes out of tune pretty often. Did any newest updates seem to help with any of this? This is kind of unacceptable for a unit that is this much money. Do you have to update it to get the slave sync mode to come up? It's on the flagship Fantom, so I don't know why it's not on here, because it's not showing up on the system menu under sync/tempo? I don't know why for the life of me there isn't a slave, but there's an internal, remote and external mode. Does yours not have a slave sync either? Thanks...SBN RESONATE

[@DigitalDoxology]

@@natanunorthodox yours is the first I’ve heard of doing this - other than what I’ve experienced inside a few scenes with patches that have pitch drop offs. But no pitch bend issues. I’d give CS Roland a call it may be something simple you can fix in settings or a bad keyboard even?

[@tonylancer7367]

Great video. Love what Roland did with this board, same as how Yamaha did with the MODX, just the piano sounds on these are not it.

[@MrSpaceace1999]

I just bought one and am a newbie on keys. I got 61 o6.

[@u4yk]

I've got the O8, and it has weighted keys. I'm more of a synth head; so, weighted keys really aren't my bag. TBH, I only got the O8 was because the store I was at was out of the O6, and the price difference for me between the O7 and O8 was less than $200. I should have stuck with the O7, but I'm still loving my Fantom-O.

[@williamshaneblyth]

Does it have touch response settings my Medeli AKX10 has about 10 settings to adjust the touch response curve it makes a huge difference to acoustic pianos

[@DigitalDoxology]

I’ve heard it does have that feature - but I’ve never used it. I use my Kronos for anything I want piano sound on.

[@doce.c.1365]

How do you guys like it now after some time has passed.

[@DigitalDoxology]

I use it mostly for playing live gigs (since it’s lighter) or for the occasional extra sounds.. my Kronos is my go to for everything else.

[@Tre313.]

How do I enable my touch screen feature? Mines doesn’t work.

[@DigitalDoxology]

You should be able to touch the screen after start-up of your Fantom-0 and change between scenes on the page etc. etc. if that isn't happening... then, press the "menu" button to the bottom left and then press "utility" and try a factory reset. Or, do a google search for anyone else that's had that issue - but my guess is your the first! Try the reset - or call Roland. That shouldn't be happening.

[@DigitalDoxology]

Come to think of it - you can't do a reset if you can't manipulate your screen - so I'd call Roland if that's happening - let me know if you have any luck getting something to work for you.

[@Tre313.]

@@DigitalDoxology yeah I brought it brand new fresh out the box and it never worked. I’ll call Roland thanks for your help.

[@DigitalDoxology]

@@Tre313. sorry to hear about your keyboard - they should take care of this for you, best wishes.

[@Tre313.]

@@DigitalDoxology thanks man I contacted them I have to send it out thank you for your help.

[@blades1978]

What about keybed?

[@DigitalDoxology]

I mentioned it briefly around 3:00min into the video - the 61 key has synth action keys - I’m not a huge fan of them, but can adjust. That’s why I use the Kronos mostly at home and use the Fantom for live gigs, it’s lighter and easier to carry around.

[@xp50player]

Wait, your gripe is that you didn’t know you could EQ things? 😅. If I had to choose between a dark shot of myself or the keyboard and or screen, I would show the synth.

[@DigitalDoxology]

Thanks for the tip

[@colinlenehan961]

I ve ordered the fantom 07. Ive since read on forums about polyphony issues. Have you experienced any such issues?

[@DigitalDoxology]

I haven’t had any problems with that, probably since I use my Kronos to do the heavy lifting and use the Fantom for live gigs or to add extra layers of unique Roland sounds to my music.

[@SakettShriram]

Nice info .....thank you sir. I have some problem I couldn't dump tracks with logic pro x. Searched about the drivers in the site but I couldn't find drivers for Mac 10 version what's the solution sir ?!

[@DigitalDoxology]

Hi, a couple of quick questions and things to check: have you upgraded your Fantom OS? /if not there are some good videos out there on the Roland Website to help with that it - I have Mac 12.6 on my desktop and Logic Pro and Roland sync up as soon as I plug it in. However, I am not sure what you're trying to do - it sounds like you want to dump midi or audio tracks over into your Fantom0, if so - I haven't done that yet - but might need to connect them via an audio cable and treat it as it were a sample. If that doesn't help keep checking around - someone else may have worked that out already. I'll keep checking into it too. Good luck.

[@SakettShriram]

@@DigitalDoxology no sir actually I made a song in Roland fantom 0 just want to export the tracks in my system iys Mac 10.13.5. So there are no drivers for that version so I couldn't make it through midi lock as we used to do all that stuff with Korg Triton. I think you got my point. Thank you 😊

[@williamshaneblyth]

Sold a Kronos it crashed once a month even onstage with a quality backup power conditioner and waiting near 3 minutes to boot sucks the new nautalius is 3 minutes that's a huge negative

[@DigitalDoxology]

Oh man that would suck for sure! I haven’t had that problem with mine once, however I’ve never used it on live gigs. I’ve often wondered how they hold up under rugged use. Yes three minutes is a nuisance too but I do love the sounds even over the Roland.

[@williamshaneblyth]

@@DigitalDoxology funnily I preferred the acoustic in my Casio px5s. . the Yamaha pianos are also perfect on stage cause they are eqed to sit in a mix. You need tweaking for solo playing though . The best for live work is actually kurzweil units. You touch nothing and they are perfect for a covers band

[@lankududniteshift]

⁠@@williamshaneblythI agrre with u. The Kurzweil K2700 is the better unit, overall. In my 45 years of playing/performing, i have owned/played lots of pro keyboards (Korg Triton, Korg M1, Roland Jupiter 8, Roland D70, Roland Juno 60, Juno Alpha series, Roland U20, Fantom 7, Fantom 06, Solina String, Nord (can’t remember the model), Yamaha Motif ES7, Yamaha Motif XF7, Yamaha Montage 7, etc……my all time favourite are the Korg Triton Pro “Classic” (76 keys) & the Yamaha Motif ES7. Both these unit cuts thru the mix easily & sounds great for live or recordings. Unfortunately both of these two keyboards are no longer playable as they both have broke down & are beyond repair. Somehow, these two keyboards left a big impression to me, so much so that most of the present keyboards are not to my satisfaction, but this is just my own personal thing. I found that the Kurzweil K2700 & the Roland Fantom series & even the Roland Fantom 0 series , gets near to my personal preferences. Whatever it is, these are really my own personal opinion & taste….

[@rgx4306]

Hello, thanks for your review. I'm torn between getting a midi controller, workstation, or what setup I should consider. I currently have a FP30. I got it for a steal as neighbour was moving. Yet I'm here wanting to start producing songs as well as accept gigs. I mainly want to sing, then layer on piano chords and drum beats, as well as possible synth manipulations. Is there any keyboard that can do all this? I am considering workstations for the hands on approach. Yet so many choices! Are there any that have the option to do the looping and effects I want but also portable, or even wireless (though that's a bonus). I know Juno can go off batteries but not sure how good it is with live looping/layering. Or is midi+laptop also easy to do shows with? Thank you 🙏🙇‍♀️

[@DigitalDoxology]

If you have a laptop already, have you tried using your FP-30 along with a DAW set up such as pro-tools or Ableton? Don’t forget your sound/pa set up as well. Lots to think about, lol! Best wishes on your pursuits.

[@rgx4306]

@@DigitalDoxology Thank you

[@lassel1644]

I would say JX3P is the little brother to JX8P and maybe JX10

[@timfleischer8710]

I'm kinda finicky about keybed feel. I actually really liked the key action of my old Triton Extreme 61. Are the Fantom 06 keys inferior to the Triton in your opinion?

[@DigitalDoxology]

Yes the action is very similar to the Triton 61 that I had years ago - I really do miss my Triton’s sounds, combis and sequencer though!

[@danreavey2062]

I’m still using a Triton Extreme 61 as a top board for gigs. Would like something lighter and can’t decide between the Fantom 06 and Yamaha MODX 6. Surprised to read about notes running out and patches not sounding great in general. I don’t think the MODX6 needs much tweaking.

[@ErraticFaith]

@@danreavey2062 You'll find both of the 6 series beds (Rol/Yam) atrocious if you have been with Ex for any period of time. That era was solid on 6/7 in a way that's now lost (cost). The best selling unit Yamaha make is the 7 and it's the ultimate top board, when you consider it's closer spec to the Montage - and it's incredible sampling/synthesis engine + better bed. Fantom 0 really chugs in the top spot because I find I am pushing the Poly most there (compared to a more basic split in the piano board). Seems most of Yamaha consumers agree with me (hence the advent of the +). Modx is extremely deep. It's fun - but not immediate. Not like the Fantom, which has been built for that on the fly integration. A step towards DAW user/primaries. Which isn't really for me. If you were to mainboard Fantom I'd argue with the power of Zen - it demands the full flagship model. There is a market for the cheaper one but the crippled BMC and Memory - leaves me wanting in my own areas of use. It can work; but you have to be careful with walls. Which I don't like. The full fantom has much of it offset by the Vpiano. Which is the only real 'great' sounding option on the F. The rest of the SuperN are a downgrade on the F-0 (over past models) because the resonance features have been loosely baked in (no longer adjustable). It will ultimately depend on you - and there are plenty of 'vs' videos here on youtube for you to compare. Some great ones comparing the sounds. Yamaha wins out there I believe, in all acoustic, synth (FM) and otherwise. Not the dig at Roland you might think (I prefer the prior model) but I do think you'll get much more out of Modx as a top board. I use it every day.

[@Jack_S_Albert]

@@danreavey2062 i bought a modx7+ and sent it back because the keys are so uneven, they appear like a toy. Then I got a fantom 06. there is no comparison. Fantom is much better.

[@Jack_S_Albert]

@@ErraticFaith the keys on modx+ are built like a toy. the fantom has much more controls for real time playing and the touch screen is capacitive, much more versatile too. The yamaha touch screen is awful, resistive....too bad, I first bought a modx7+ but sent it back the next day.

[@CBServices]

Perhaps a stupid question... But I have no experience and want to buy my first keyboard (I also will go on lessons so it needs to be a bit portable). Should I buy an FP-E50 of a Fantom?

[@DigitalDoxology]

IMHO, if you’re just getting started the FP-e50 is a better choice overall than the Fantom. It has the weighted keyboard along with a very nice selection of Roland sounds. Also consider the FP-30 as an option if you want something light weight to carry around since the 50 weighs around 36lbs vs 31lbs for the 30. Try one out first if possible- Hope this helps.

[@CBServices]

Thank you

[@varoennauraa]

The biggest issue for me is the lack of Variphrasing! The sequencer is not complete without time stretch and leaves the sampler crippled.

[@magnusjohansson295]

Another question: what is a scene? Excuse my bad french, but your gripe about not bring able to change the meter in the middle of a song probably doesn't bother 99% of users, because nearly all music is in 4/4.

[@DigitalDoxology]

A scene is some unique to the Roland Fantom’s - it’s basically similar to what my Korg calls a patch or combination.

[@magnusjohansson295]

@@DigitalDoxology I dig! I think that's a performance in the Yamaha world. Thanks for your replies! In the video you speak a lot about the keys. Anyone who wants Fantom with weighted keys can just get the 08. Personally, I like synth-action keys on a workstation because "piano parts" are only a small part of the whole sum total that makes up a song.

[@dariovicenzo8139]

Another fa06 with some more controls and a bigger display. Same crappy piano. This is innovation in recent years. Buy an old fa and you have the same

[@DigitalDoxology]

Kinda figured that out after using it for a while - no problem though for me since I never owned an FA I won't know what I'm missing lol! Still won't part with my Korg though.

[@thelibrarian3734]

Would you recommend this over the Kronos/Nautilus or if you had to choose one over the other?

[@DigitalDoxology]

To be honest, no. I had a Krome for a while too and ended up selling it to get the Kronos. Nautilus I can't attest to since I've never used one - but I hear they're sort of a little brother to Kronos. Also I've never played the full sized Fantom (2019) and was looking at those at first... so if weighted keys are important then I would give them a try. But I don't see me getting rid of my Kronos for quite a while! lol!

[@RogerBrenon]

The Kronos is twice as much. To be honest I got rid of my Kronos 88. Sounds were kind of boring and it has a terrible resonance. Not a very warm sounding keyboard at all. If you don't play live, stick with software. Omnisphere sounds and functionality make both of these keyboards look stupid and it's a hell of a lot cheaper. Get a laptop, midi controller and Omnisphere and your way ahead of these hardware synths, and you got twice the money in the bank. The market for these keyboards is almost dead, which is why no one even has em in stock anymore.

[@gothaFILM]

Good Information for using O-series. But can you invest some money for a better cam? This low defination hurting my eyes a lot. Maybe you also can have more users.

[@DigitalDoxology]

Thanks for the feedback - I’ll take it into consideration I also think more light would help too.

[@WesNavy]

Does this have fender Rhodes?

[@DigitalDoxology]

Yes. Well a close approximation of one at least 😉

[@natanunorthodox]

Hey, I've asked a question on here awhile ago, and I'm wondering, before I decide to keep this or not, can I put sound expansions from other keyboards like the Fantom X6 or FA-06 onto hear somehow? Is that possible to do, or can sounds from other units be exported into the Fantom 06? I have never done it before, so I was wondering if that's possible? I know that there are sounds that you get on Roland Cloud Manager, etc, but can you put/export sounds from older units into this unit if there is an expansion for it? I appreciate any feedback. Thanks...SBN RESONATE

[@DigitalDoxology]

You can import any sound or sounds you want by sampling the sound into the Fantom-O keyboard. However, you will be limited on the Fantom O by on board memory, the 2019 Fantom has a larger on board memory roughly twice, or about 2 gigs. There are several sound mods you can select from on Roland cloud manager that have many of the older keyboard sounds such as the Jupiter and Juno series, and some are offered for free. I haven’t added but only a few since my Kronos has everything else I need. There’s no expansions that I know of for the Fantom, other then the cloud/software expansions - just remember, you’re limited on memory! Hope that helps.

[@doce.c.1365]

Started with JX-3P as well.

[@faautobahna9416]

Thanks.

[@randytorrez6858]

RANDY JUDAH TORREZ ❤️ < Enjoy your video tutorials I have a 2019 FANTOM 7 76 keys one of the differences between the one you have and the one that I have I believe that the main chassis the body of the 07 it's metal and the sliders light up and all the knobs up on top and those knobs directly under the screen they light up it's actually really cool but I'm sure there's a lot more my sales representative told me that it came with a lot more bells and whistles the big brother to the 06. I also still have my KORG Triton Pro workstation 76 keys that keyboard is a beast in it itself to me it's a lot easier to work than this new Roland FANTOM but I always wanted a Roland and they complement each other. I subscribed to your Channel I like the way you make it simple and simplistic between you and the Phantom tutorials I should be okay the problem is I play guitar bass and drums so it's a challenge to stay focused on one instrument at a time for a very lengthy period but that's just the way it goes for me. 😆 🤣 😂 Keep up the great work 👍🏼 Sincerely: RANDY JUDAH TORREZ

[@djtransaction1982]

I already have a roland JDXI and Juno DS. I been wrestling if I should get fantom 06. My main goal is getting more sounds. whats your opinion on the preset sound banks and possible expansion sounds for this unit? Looking to make deep house and trance music. I have enough real life instruments from my juno ds.

[@DigitalDoxology]

I have been very impressed with the F-06, and I’ve been spoiled with my Kronos for the last few years! Thousands of stock sounds and Many expansion packs available through the Roland website too! Note there’s a trade off between the 2019 Fantom and the 0 series you need to be aware of. The 0 series has less internal memory for expansion than the 2019 series but the 0 series is easier on the wallet! Btw, Juno sounds are available as an expansion!

[@djtransaction1982]

@@DigitalDoxology the juno sound expansions suck very bad as it limits you to only be able to use 1 single expansion at a time. You can't just load all of them simultaneously. I herd fantom 06 has a ton, thousands of preset sounds compared to my juno few hundred sounds.

[@DigitalDoxology]

@@djtransaction1982 got you - I think Ed mentioned like 4000 + sounds on the Fantom series- but definitely don’t get rid of your other keyboards !

[@lousyracuse]

@@djtransaction1982 I have a DS 61 and am thinking of swapping it for the 06. Not only are there more sounds, but the sound engine is supposed to be better from the reviews I have seen. May head out to the store and check one out tomorrow....

[@TheMadisonHang]

Uh, what was that intro track... Lol

[@DigitalDoxology]

Most likely just the stock iMovie music 😉

[@niladribiswas-s3c]

Is it semi weighted?

[@DigitalDoxology]

Not the Fantom-O6 Roland calls it “synth-action”, I believe the 07 & 08 has semi-weighed action, and apparently, only the big brother Fantom is the one with the heavier “hammer-action” keys.

[@thefunkypopcorn]

great stuff you rock!!!!!

[@MOKPT3]

Some good info if you can sift through it all. I would suggest you take your ADD meds and make a more organized video. Not a shot at you about the ADD. I have it, and I can recognize it when I see it. Example you make a gripe about sounds and then talk about how you can make them the way you like with 3 simple knobs with the eq.... Grip... Like....I would call easy personalization a like. You kind of put the 32 measure limit in a grip, and at the same time say it is expanded to 64 measures in an update. How is that still a grip? Maybe mention that Fantom-O8 does have weighted keys since that seems to be a big deal to you.

[@DigitalDoxology]

Lol, funny because I live with ADD in my family too - probably should script these out more ahead of time it would help me stay on point better. Thanks for feedback.

[@MatthewTomich]

Man, people love to complain about a free video.

[@FordPickUPRed]

Korg Triton Extreme is superior imo..

[@DigitalDoxology]

Yep, I’ve kicked myself many times for selling it.

[@FordPickUPRed]

@@DigitalDoxology Also that EMX-1. I miss mine dearly. What an amazing grove box.

[@grahamsyoutube7570]

I had to get help to work how to save songs , it's great

[@DigitalDoxology]

Did you figure out how to save? Roland calls it "write" but it's the same thing. And do "write" as often as you remember to, I made the mistake of working on music then deleting it by accident by switching to a new scene. uggh!

[@grahamsyoutube7570]

@@DigitalDoxology I messaged ed diaz. He said save the scene. That does save the song your were doing. The FA 06 wa easier with save and loading songs

[@laveaux8915]

the keys suck, everything else is cool

[@daniela9171]

I mean they're just synth keys