Roland Fantom - Exploring “Zone Control”

The "Zone Control" area of the new Roland Fantom can be confusing at first, and the manual is of little help. Hopefully, I can clear some stuff up with a few minutes of demonstration.
THE RULES:
1. Discussion is encouraged, but please stay on-topic: If the video is about a particular feature of a device ... discuss that feature, not some other feature you don't like. Off-topic posts may be deleted without notice or recourse, at my sole discretion.
2. Critical, thoughtful commentary is also encouraged. It doesn't have to be all "happy talk" Bickering and overtly hostile posting will be dealt with quickly ... the delete button and ban-hammer are used when necessary.
3. This is an amateur effort. Keep that in mind. Comments about how I should have done something differently are not helpful. If you want to show me how to do it better, please link to YOUR videos where you do so.

[@blacktminister415]

Brilliant. You are an excellent teacher. Not only because you explain things well, but also because you clearly can identify where confusion might arise.

[@Capt-Cran]

I have watched many tutorial videos on the Fantom - this one is the most common sense approach I’ve seen regarding zones … and it makes sense … thank you for sharing!!

[@KevboKev]

12:14 - That really threw me off. I really thought you would be turning off 1 and 2. I get why it's done this way, as it's only one button to press, as opposed to all the instruments you want turned off, but it would take me a few seconds to "get that". Great video!

[@justiniangoldrif]

Same

[@apq6558]

Yes, does not make sense. I have a Fantom now for more than a year, and there are several head scratchers on this instrument.

[@pierren5305]

Thanks! The first video to watch when you start with a fantom

[@RobertSaintJohn]

Just wanted to add that, even one year later, these tutorials are so useful and watchable. Thanks so much for the time and effort

[@ZTAudio]

Very kind of you, thanks.

[@donwilliamssr]

Thank you so much , that was very educational for me. I know I’m not slow but I’ve been having the toughest time trying to figure this thing out. I’m trying to build my favorite patches so I can go out and perform with it. ❤

[@mikeflick4091]

Wish I had seen this video six months ago when I bought my Fantom! It would've saved days of head scratching trying to figure out Roland's logic with Zones! And, as you show, ZT, there definitely is logic here ... Roland has really thought out the UI on this platform. Everything is extremely intuitive once you know the underlying architecture.

[@Koksknoedel]

Same with me - had to reset it yesterday, due to make Scene A002 silent and didn't understand why ... -.-

[@captainmauser4675]

You really do first class tutorials. Many thanks for your effort.

[@marctronixx]

Many thanks for your tutoring sir! Much much appreciated!! I've got the F8 and im just still in the early stages of wrapping my head around the workflow. your videos and Ed Diaz's little video bits are extremely helpful than you cats know.

[@sureshthakor714]

Thanks sir

[@PianoManChuck]

Excellent presentation!

[@Ryahan]

Really insightful and helpful. Thanks

[@scorpionleader1967]

I was on the fence about what workstation I was going to get, but you helped me make up my mind. Fantom 8 it is. I'm binge watching your channel until I'm caught up.

[@jeffperonto3234]

I agree. Confusing but you shed some light on it. Thanks

[@thomascook2535]

Thanks for these videos Zt Audio. I appreciate it. Really detail tutorials. Would be awesome if you can make a tutorial about how to add effects to the drum kit parts individually.

[@henkmaritz007]

Thank you, now I understand my new Fantom 8 better!!

[@AndrewIngkavet]

Wow very helpful! Fantom is deep and you answered my exact question

[@landrum182]

Thank you for that breakdown..it was extremely helpful..

[@mattsynth]

Nice explanation, thanks.

[@jr6786]

Good job, those controls can be independently assigned to each zone to control resonance, cutoff etc for further control. I sent both units I got back to the retailer due to freezing issues. I commend you for your valiant effort to explain the ui to this seemingly wonderful instrument. I'm sure roland will fix the issues at hand I just wish it would have been addressed before its release.

[@groki30]

Thanks - great tutorial!!

[@geoffreyharris5931]

Ok. The upper zone buttons basically enable a particular zone for editing. The lower 8 determine which are being played in the blend/the layer. However, instead of getting rid of the zone sounds u don't want to hear by turning them off with their own buttons or dialing them down with their sliders, you just turn off the sounding button for the zone u are controlling and editing. It looks like the zone control knobs are used for "stereo" panning.

[@angelfmusic]

Brilliant tutorial.

[@michaelfenemore1168]

Got it. Great tutorial.

[@MartinSc76]

Ao everything makes sense here :)….what a happy end :o). Thanks for explaining!

[@pgtips4240]

B R I L L I A N T!!! Best on youtube!!

[@truthmanifestingtruth]

I can see how this is a very cool board to get to know.

[@RandyTorrez-wb5sz]

RANDY JUDAH TORREZ ❤< Your tutorials are very helpful I really appreciate them.👍💯 Your walk through of the keyboard is very Informative i have the FANTOM 7 I'm learning alot from your videos Thank you I hope you continue. 🎹

[@MidiMusic]

Nice, thx !

[@gustafbrandt2281]

Great video! Is it possible to tweek cutoff on multiple zones simultaneously?

[@bmatchick]

Thanks for this video. I just picked up a Fantom-08 and it's been extra confusing since the baby Fantoms only have one row of buttons. Not sure I really like the way solo-track is implemented, but at least I understand it now. Still trying to figure out what the Single Zone Play button is doing as I came from the FA and playing different individual sounds only meant flipping through sounds on the first zone of a studio set. On the Fantom it brings up a batch of 16 zones in a buffer or something and when I try getting back to the original scene it's asking me whether I want to save it, etc? (I'm not even used to a Roland telling me I changed something and asking if I want to save it.) :)

[@geoffreyharris5931]

I see zones as being instruments, scenes bands, and tones being outputs from function generators.

[@sandyseth19]

Excellent video!! Quick question - is there a way to "save" configurations, eg. when I press Zone 1, to enable layers 1,2 and 3, but then when I press Zone 4, enable layers 4 and 5? I have some quick changes to make, and am struggling achieving this quickly. Thanks!

[@ZTAudio]

Write/Save your Scene in the condition you want it to be when you call it up. That's part of what Scenes are for.

[@sandyseth19]

@@ZTAudio So I save it with Zone 1 and layers 1, 2 and 3, which is how my scene starts. I play my intro, then need to switch quickly to Zone 4, with layers 4 and 5. Is there a way to do that within the same scene, or do I need to change scenes (quicker to change a scene than to press the 3 buttons, though I'd rather stay in the same scene). Thanks!!

[@ZTAudio]

@@sandyseth19 Do a search on "Roland Keyboard Switch Groups". That feature is probably what you're looking for. ED Diaz has done a number of videos on this feature (unique to Roland, BTW) ... very powerful stuff. Between Scene-switching, Keyboard Switch Groups, and Scene-Chaining ... you'll find some combination of those features that work for you.

[@sandyseth19]

ZT Audio I will do that. Thanks so much - really appreciate your help!!

[@gravyguns]

Does it have wavetable oscillators and fm synthesis?

[@DrGargani]

Brilliant explanation, but just a suggestion: your voice is nice and loud and clear to understand, but the keyboard sounds are so low, that the sound of you hitting the keys is very noticeable and distracts from hearing the layered sound properly.

[@MorrisHayes]

As you said, great explanation and it's not a super big deal but, I found that to be quite off-putting as I was trying to listen to the instruction. I think I'm Monk or something.

[@MrSheddingshadows]

if u hit shift and fx button what is that about

[@danafiorucci83]

Is there a mirror internal keyboard option? Say you had a Fantom 6 or 7 and you wanted to hookup a 88 note weighted controller and have it mimic the internal keyboard without having to setup all the layers and splits on it.

[@IamCarlFree]

Is there a way to save the tones you’re editing within the scene. After I’ve made my edits to when I go to save the scene. I get the pop up message “Edited tone will be discard. Are you sure?” How can I avoid losing the changes I made inside the scene?

[@Popchansons]

So if I play the layered zones 1-3 with one hand and want to prepare a 4th sound while playing, how can I do it? Intuitivly pressing the "select zone 4"-Button in purpose of editing and preparing the sound would fail, because the other zones wouldnt play while the 4th zone is selected. This is strange. How can I prepare the 4th zone instead while playing?

[@ZTAudio]

Your best approach would be to prepare "Keyboard Switch Groups" in advance, or possibly even another Scene (for seamless switching).

[@Popchansons]

Thx for the fast reply@@ZTAudio

[@burydudexxx]

How did you pull up the 'Bank Select' window at 3:20 ? Cheers

[@ZTAudio]

When you are on the Scene view, hit [Enter].

[@burydudexxx]

@@ZTAudio ahhh nice one - simples :-)

[@shyjushyju5534]

Can't work 9_16 tracks in the sequence r

[@buildusarocket3410]

Thank you kind sir! roland has horrible support and such bad manuals. I would have lost my mind if I didnt find you. My fantom is not working as a midi input device via usb all of a sudden I have contacted roland but they never answer, could you please tell me what might be wrong? I tried a reset too!

[@davearonow65]

Let's see? How can I say this without cussing? EFFING THANK YOU!

[@ZTAudio]

I LOL'd :-)

[@GypsyPaz]

Dont dumb it down so much, your viewers are smarter than this video assumes.

[@blacktminister415]

I don't think we have met, earlier? ;)

[@marctronixx]

for me, im new to the fantom world and these fundamentals are exactly what I need. not everyone is a master at these instruments as you may be sir. Totally understand your side of things but there are a lot of folks out there who need this kind of hand holding on such a powerful instrument.