Roland FANTOM EX Upgrade Josh Blair Interview

Josh Blair, London-based Grammy Award-winning engineer and producer has worked with superstars such as Lady Gaga, Adele, Duran Duran, Paul McCartney, Bruno Mars, Mark Ronson, and Daft Punk.
In this interview, he talks about the making of Duran Duran’s new album Danse Macabre and the usage of the new FANTOM EX Upgrade with ACB technology within the record.
00:00 Intro
00:57 Synthesizer Tour
02:11 JUPITER-8 ACB
03:54 SH-101 ACB*
04:45 JD-800
05:40 German Concert V-Piano
06:07 Closing
*Note: The SH-101 ACB Expansion is scheduled for release in December 2023. Early purchasers of the FANTOM EX Upgrade package will be notified when it is available for download.
About FANTOM EX Upgrade
The FANTOM EX Upgrade supercharges the FANTOM synthesizer with even more firepower. Available for purchase via Roland Cloud, FANTOM EX Upgrade adds six expansions to FANTOM synths, including JUPITER-8 and SH-101* Analog Circuit Behavior (ACB) Expansions, JD-800, V-Piano German Concert Piano, SuperNATURAL Acoustic Piano 3, and n/zyme Model Expansion. New studio-grade reverb effects are also included, along with numerous tools for practice, stage, and studio.
To learn more about the FANTOM EX Upgrade, please visit: www.roland.com/global/product...
To learn more about FANTOM synthesizers, please visit: www.roland.com/global/product...
To hear more FANTOM EX Upgrade sounds, please visit: • Roland FANTOM EX Upgra...
To watch the FANTOM EX Upgrade Overview, please visit: • Roland FANTOM EX Upgra...

[@sharingmatters]

Software is the new hardware. Roland - you are doing a great job for your devices. Giving it more life and making it even more attractive to potential clients.

[@fazegregpaul3152]

Just wow , although it’s a bit of money , it’s great to see Roland investing in this keyboard . Love my fantom 8 for the keybed and it’s Logic Pro integration.

[@cds8137]

Great positive attitude but 10% of the original outlay is a not funny joke

[@SynthgodXXX]

OK people do the math. Roland added ACB to the Fantom, add the analog filter / output, and you have some true magic. Seriously awesome, Roland!

[@TheBebe666]

That is true...but i have Fantom, System 8 , Juno X , Jupiter X and Gaia 2 . Something tells me that this would be pointless for me. And also paid already for the N Zyme....😉😉 ( but i did it anyway )

[@ChrisPBacon3000]

@@TheBebe666 It would be a downgrade for you.

[@TheBebe666]

@@ChrisPBacon3000 Not really , but only a convenience if i don´t want to turn on anything but Fantom. I will still keep all my hardware anyway. And piano upgrade is excellent.

[@ChrisPBacon3000]

@@TheBebe666 If you don't care about polyphony, layering, knob per function, etc,....then yes.

[@TheBebe666]

@@ChrisPBacon3000 As i wrote i have other Synths so i am covered very well regarding everything but sometimes i just want to turn on one for fun time. Sometimes it is Fantom, Montage or PA5X. Only then i do not care about anything...almost. 😄

[@kaydoubleyou6203]

I wish there had been more of Nicks Keyboard collection! 🙏🏻🙂

[@zoomzoom3950]

My new Roland Fantom-EX-6 is scheduled for delivery next week. As close to what I want as I can buy today, hardware upgrade for the new EX would have been nice though 😎

[@fishgutt242]

Not long bought N/zyme and now it comes with this paid upgrade. So its costing me £350 instead of £199. Bit unfair.

[@mudi2000a]

There should be discounts for people who already bought n/zyme and/or jd-800.

[@TheBebe666]

Buyers of N Zyme will be emailed by Roland with discount codes. How much...i don’t know.

[@WoodyPianoShack]

great video and congrats on the upgrade! @RolandChannel, what's the poly on the ACB Jupiter?

[@TheBebe666]

Jupiter 8

[@idemditto]

I hope that the EX upgrade or a part of it will be available for the Fantom 0 series. This is a great upgrade.

[@squeakD]

I’d like to see a good O series update like this, but honestly, how much can Roland really give to the O series considering the major memory differences? The SN Pianos are already a lighter version compared to the big Fantom.

[@cds8137]

Technically not possible. 1 board not 2. It's why its less than half the price.

[@Digiphex]

Nice. I hope they bring models of the SH-101 and Juno to the MC-707.

[@mudi2000a]

Technically I am sure it would be possible as they seem mostly to be parameter mappings. No idea why Roland doesn’t do it. Maybe too much effort or the MC-707 does not have enough memory to accommodate this.

[@hermandavid1757]

There are two ways of thinking about it 1. you could be mad to pay for a update 2. or your could be happy to add these new features without buying a completely new keyboard they have done a bunch of updates to a keyboard that is almost 5 years old now they could have released this as a new keyboard ijs

[@fishgutt242]

Dont think people will be mad to purchase the upgrade, I'm mad that n/zyme comes with it. N/zyme cost 75% of that by itself. Why can't I purchase the rest for cheaper.

[@hermandavid1757]

@@fishgutt242 they just released that people who bought nzyme can purchase the update for 99 bucks

[@paulussantosociwidjaja4781]

Superb! Cheers!

[@PianoImprovVlogger]

Fantastic!!! I play on an FP-30 😅

[@alexandrosroussos]

OK now Roland needs a Fantom M(odule). And what about the Vocal Designer Expansion support ? 🙃

[@SeaofWires-dx4hm]

I didn't really like the Fantom but I would buy one of those Jupiter 8's right now. How do I get one? Will Roland listen to the customer, it seems like everyone wants the actual Jupiter 8.

[@nonchai]

One thing to note is that this EX upgrade doesnt get passed along to the new owner if fantom bought second hand and then resets the firmware and changes the cloud login to his own (new ) one.

[@TheBebe666]

You only need to register that Fantom under your account. Delete what was inside previously and reinstall your EX again. I did that and it works. I had exchanghed my Fantom 8 for 6 because of lack of space and removed Fantom 8 from my account...registered 6 and reinstalled everything after removing what was in it.

[@antyhingforeverythingnew6285]

This device seems to be good for live However, I mainly think that this device is an hardware station of digital versions. Therefore, it may provide friendly opportunities for DAW users who are using roland plugins.

[@rguez2332]

PLEASE!! PUT THE SUPERNATURAL A. PIANO 3 ON SALE FOR FANTOM 0

[@nonchai]

wonder if eventually the ACB stuff will come to the 0 series - or if the CPU/DSP in the 0 series isnt up to the job for ACB..

[@davebassP5]

Couldn’t all this be done already with the JP8 expansion? He makes it sound like the aging thing is new.

[@Bashanvibe]

I hope they fix the polyphony problem when they bring out the next update!!!🤔

[@ursullavandenbord2322]

I wonder if every model adds its own polyphony to the ensemble????? so could help global polyphony pb ???

[@biggiesmalls7939]

I wish they did . I bought a fantom a month ago, it's a great machine, but the polyphony problem is a MASSIVE let down for me. I get voice cuts with three or four layers within like 8-10 notes sustained. They really manipulated the 256 polyphony claim.

[@elmerfudd5925]

​@biggiesmalls7939 did you do that 3.02 update?

[@alexandrosroussos]

I wonder, is this paid upgrade linked to our Roland Cloud account ? What if you sell your Fantom a day and you want the new user to combine this with his own expansions bought from his own RC account ?

[@biggiesmalls7939]

Considering the fantom doesn't know what account the usb drive got the expansions from, I can't see how that would be a problem.

[@alexandrosroussos]

@@biggiesmalls7939 let’s say the new buyer wants to add another expansion, he has to create his one RC account then buy it then link his RC account to his Fantom : he’ll have to reset the Fantom and he’ll lose the EX-upgrade or any expansion you sold it with. Also, some of the major firmware upgrades require resetting your system.

[@mikewalker2274]

Two thoughts: I love my Fantom but I already bought N/zyme when it came out so I do feel we users who did that need to get a discount on EX: we've already paid a good sum for the N/zyme itself. Secondly, I don't get this bit about Duran Duran being so excited to have the Jupiter-8 on their Fantom because they could have bought a Jupiter-X. I mean, if you're carting around original Jupiter-8s the logical replacement option is the Jup-X. That's what that board was made for.

[@TheBebe666]

Roland anonunced that discount codes will be emailed to N Zyme buyers. For me is too late but i hope i might get discount for something else.b

[@TheBebe666]

Update...i have just god half of the amount back from Roland because i have also bought N Zyme just month ago. Really nice move from Roland

[@zxkevin57]

Plus already paid for enzyme 149.00 now another 199.00 for what I already have 😡😡🤬🤬🤬🤬

[@------YeahOK------]

No way I'm paying for this, unless there's a discount. I already bought all model expansions. AND the Fantom8 cost me £4k brand new.

[@mudi2000a]

I think everyone who already has those should open a ticket with Roland support to say that it is not good to do it that way. Maybe they will move if enough people complain.

[@mattsynth]

The best part of this $200.00 upgrade is that you do not have to purchase it if none of these new features work for you. I am on the wire about getting this upgrade, maybe or maybe not, let's just wait a bit to see how it all pans out after they fix the download process everyone is complaining about. My JD 800 just went down so it could work for me, and I do like Shimmer reverb. I just wish the Fantom had "user preset memory for effect settings" that I could recall, that would save me a lot of time.

[@peiruifu]

I suspect the subtitles at 0.33 should read 'TAPE Modern' (DD's label, and presumably studio), not 'Tate Modern'. I guess wordplay isn't always AI's strong point...

[@garyclement2888]

I love this board and I understand that the polyphony is an issue on the Fantom 6,7,8- is this a software fix or it can't be fixed?

[@nonchai]

Now ROLAND needs to just improve the built in sequencer user interface and workflow aspects- so i'd be v tempted to buy one. ie if the MIDI composing aspects made this a goto first cut production tool not just a great stage keyboard. this thing is so heavy anyway most will jus stay home or in studios! unless one can afford roadies!

[@normannormannormannormannorman]

Roland Fantom 6 EX 3999€ Roland Fantom 6 2699€ + EX Update 220€

[@jeno.javori_music]

Synth in a Synth hha thats cool, however on a small screen. I'd rather use a VST with a big midi controller and a big PC screen / Laptop rather then pushing small virtual sliders on a small screen. But the idea is great . I mean for sales.

[@zoomzoom3950]

I'm the opposite; not having to bring a computer to a live setting is great; I recently got the Arturia AstroLab so I can load my V Collection and Pigments into it, and leave the computer at home. The Fantom EX is the best at what it does that's available today w/o needing a computer IMO - which for me is having a solid catalog of Roland synths and sounds in a workstation. FWIW, I also have a Nektar Panorama P6 I use with Omnisphere 2.8, so I will bring a computer if I need it.

[@jeno.javori_music]

@@zoomzoom3950 Thats Great! Wow! I ve checked, great solution!

[@zxkevin57]

Also wait on getting the EX upgrade, you'll get a better deal on the next upgrade,is that how it works Roland,most musician are struggling and we shouldn't have to spend more because we are loyal,your marketing is lousy,149.00 for enzyme upgrade and 100.00 for EX upgrade,then no one feels cheated,plus this will set the tone for future upgrades.

[@RandyTorrez-wb5sz]

RANDY JUDAH TORREZ ❤️ < No upgrades for my ROLAND FANTOM 7 Don't need it 🎹 Maybe later all depends on ROLAND. I'll wait till ROLAND drops the the price down, and figures it out 😆 🤣 😂

[@luisneitzke106]

So we bought an expensive flagship to pay for the upgrades it should have got since day 1? Yay. Synth industry is going the game DLC way, it seems. Pay full price, then pay more for things they could have offered you with the main purchase.

[@mudi2000a]

At least if you buy a new one right now it def should be included.

[@Tommenaker1]

Who told you that?

[@defenderstargate1447]

What makes you say that these upgrades should have been there at the beginning? These are substantial updates that go far beyond the original scope of the product you bought, and took time and money to create.

[@Curious_Skeptic]

Vst! I see no reason to buy a 4k midi control! A laptop and midi controller can still do far more

[@andrewbailey6382]

Hi what is the actual UK price for this update, only I cant find it on Roland's own website

[@Jdinrbfidndifofkdndjoflfndjdk]

Roland is still trying to push this ACB thing ?

[@alexandrosroussos]

It's excellent news they give the choice. Virtually we have a successor to the System 8 with better finish and keyboard. Would be cool if the Jupiter X/XM also benefited from ACB support.

[@mudi2000a]

ACB is a very good analog emulation and sound-wise far superior to ABM. Of course they should push it!

[@xios1515]

I just don't see why you would pay for this. We already have vintage synth emulation. The average layman probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference, and really at the end of the day that's who's buying your music. Idk though maybe I'm missing something? Like it makes sense for the Nzyme expansion, that was great. This though, idk.

[@AGB_2000]

I bit the bullet and bought the update even though I own N/zyme already... The ACB patches they included have a little something that's hard to place, Best way to describe it is 'slightly wild' which is how an analogue synth should be. They really do sound lovely, BUT Keep in mind they will only be available in zone 1, so no layering multiple ACB patches, and no V Piano with it either.

[@xios1515]

@@AGB_2000 that sounds about right, but I guess maybe it needs more processing power than usual? I bought n/zyme too... the fact that the update isn't discounted or anything for people like us is pretty disappointing. I feel sorry for people that recently bought it only to have it bundled in this update.

[@mudi2000a]

@@AGB_2000 The processing power of the Fantom is just too weak, largely disappointing for a "flagship"

[@mudi2000a]

The ABM emulation which is already there sounds much worse than ACB. You can easily try yourself without paying anything, register for Roland Cloud 30 day demo. ABM emulation is in Zenology Pro (install model expansions) and ACB are standalone plugins. You hear the difference immediately. Also, contrary to ACB, the ABM emulation of Jupiter-8 can't do some things that the OG Jupiter 8 can (I think use sync and crossmod together) which is because the Zencore engine (which is basically an upgraded version of the engine they have been using since the JV-1080 engine.. ) can't do it.

[@Winter-zv1dv]

@@mudi2000a Also, the new ACB Jupiter has velocity sensitivity over VCA and VCF, like the System 8. The ABM model does not.

[@succulenthd]

$200 for an upgrade :/

[@defenderstargate1447]

Fair price for this one. I am only bummed that previous purchasers of Nzyme don't get a discount.

[@succulenthd]

yes, bought the upgrade last night. @@defenderstargate1447

[@atharvarai3609]

I believe Fantom 0 owners should remain quite. 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@cds8137]

I paid almost 3k and you're still trying to sell more upgrades? Sold... Back to Yamaha and UDO.

[@mudi2000a]

it contains a lot of value, tbh, before, if you bought JD-800 and n/zyme expansion only, it would have cost already more than this. BUT I also think, if you buy a new Fantom now, it should be included.

[@antikytheramechanism7909]

Yamaha is no better, releasing a new keyboard for a AN1X expansion basically and making you buy the 88 key to get the polyphonic aftertouch that could easily be put on all their models but they do a money grubbing operation making many buy the 88 key version.

[@cds8137]

Both companies make excellent synths and workstations. I've had both and more since the 80s. However, the fact remains. If I purchase a product, I shouldn't be charged for updates that should have been there in the first place. I've never paid for montage upgrades or DSI..Oberheim.. Moog...Elektron. But Roland. £350 if you paid for N zyme first... Jokers but I'm not laughing to be mugged.

[@defenderstargate1447]

. @cds8137 What makes you say that these upgrades should have been there first? These are substantial updates that go far beyond the original scope of the product you bought, and took time and money to create.

[@antikytheramechanism7909]

@@defenderstargate1447 Roland had these ACB models already. They probably added them with a few mouse clicks. Nevertheless, it is Roland's prerogative to do as they wish. They ignored their customers for years who wanted a TB-303 or 808 drum machine until enough dedicated people out there reverse engineered it and showed it is feasible and even easy to do. Then Roland released a half-hearted digital boutique copy of their original great product. Strange company.

[@hazeentertainmenthiphop]

Nothing compared to the fantom g series.

[@dirkkeersmaekers4343]

It's better than the Montage M

[@TheBebe666]

No it is not. But at same time it is not worse.

[@mohitpanchalkeyboardist7838]

Very bad workstation synthesizer Please don't Purchase 😡

[@Crookedletta601]

The EX Upgrade is $200.00 Oh Wow 😮 Dope!!! I am going to NOT buy this💯💯💯🦾🫡

[@nonchai]

cheaper than getting a new board!

[@Crookedletta601]

@@nonchai True, but no way it’s going to sound like the real Juno 8. Should be $50.00 at minimum. I paid over 3K for my Fantom which is a flagship product and should come included!!!!

[@TheBebe666]

@@Crookedletta601 Jupiter 8

[@Crookedletta601]

@@TheBebe666 My bad, was all in my emotions 😂

[@davebassP5]

Couldn’t all this be done already with the JP8 expansion? He makes it sound like the aging thing is new.

[@mudi2000a]

ACB sounds better than ABM ... at the cost of polyphony and that you can have only 1 instance of that. Together with it being similar in the Montage M where you can load AN-X only on 1 slot, to me it shows how weak the processors on those synths are. If you load the ACB emulations on a computer you can run quite a number of them, even on a laptop.