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NEW for 2008. The ultimate Roland WorkstationRoland Fantom G Available in 3 different Versions(click below to see product specific information)
Interested in prices or purchasing a Fantom G? Click here |
The new Fantom G obliterates boundries laid down by previous technologies. Roland have worked hard on the G series to provide everything you need all in 1 unit. The result is astounding.
As a specialist Fantom G dealer for Roland, anyone who attends the shop for a demo will be entered into a prize draw. You could win your money back if you have bought a Fantom G or win one just by coming in to see us! More details can be obtained from in-store at A&C Hamilton Preston.
Check the product specific pages above for specifications and details of the Fantom G products.Don't forget to keep checking back here for all the latest info and deals on the Roland Fantom G range.
Fantom G Review from April 2008
I attended training to get first looks at the all new Fantom G on the 22nd of April. I can now give my honest and full opinion on the first insight ino the Fantom G.
First impressions count.
Taking my first physical look at the Fantom ( it was a G7) I was hugely impressed. The overall looks and styling of the product were stunning. The screen really stands out and really is huge! It also has a superb definition for the most clear of views on what is going on with the machine. This will also come into play after when using more in-depth controls and set-ups. The controllers to the left were also nice to see. Well laid out, smooth control and offered that little extra you composers, bedroom studios, and live giggers will need. Of course this is all before actually using the product! There were also some buttons such as Transpose which have been missing from previous products which will definitely come in handy. The first impressions are good.
Initial Touch.
The first thing I did notice upon trying the sounds was the amazing action. Even though this was not the G8 weighted action, the nicely sprung action felt very smooth, quiet and responsive to play on. This goes along way when you have to sit at your product all night! Aftertouch is also superb with a digital monitor on the screen showing how much is being applied which really gives oyu more control when you know what really is going on.
Sound Overview
The first setting was a 'Live Mode' setting which offers 8 parts for live use with up to 8 FX. The patch was a what we may expect from such a synth, phatt synth bass with a drum loop playing and layer splits going on. It showed how large the sound could be from the new Fantom G sound chip and it was of course very impressive. The screen shows absolutely everything you need including the notes you are playing, layer seperations, aftertouch levels and pretty much everything you could think of but the screen is so big that Roland have been able to get it all on neatly and clearly which is a most for such a mighty product. One of the great features here is something called perfect patch remain. To explain...when a user changes a sound whilst the sound is still playing or sustained, you will always get a glitch as the effects processors switch their job and cut off what was playing or simply ruin the sound itself. This is common to most products. What Roland have done is engineered the FX system so that this does not happen and sound changes are perfectly smooth and flawless. This is of great advantage when playing live for any gigger. Moving from delay synth to piano, for example, is perfect and the sound continues to play from the first without glitch whilst you can continue to play the new selected piano voice. It is of great use and design!
Choosing a voice has also improved. Of course new sounds and set-ups are to hand but it was always a pain in the original X series to have to flick through categories using buttons. Roland have now added a control called a 'magic control' which can be assigned to do many jobs including changing sound banks. The smooth transition and fast control is of much use when you need to flick from piano to string category at a speed. It is these little things that make a great difference in these new products and Roland have really worked it out. They have catered for every use from messing around with sounds, use in a studio with new studio mode or playing live with live mode. Ther is now also a favourites category which is instantly accessible to store all oyour own and favourite settings which includes mode changes, song loading and the lot! It is as stunning for live work as it is for studio.
Overall sound quality is superb as you would expect from Roland. Some of the sound I must admit are representive of the Fantom X and if you are a user of a Fantom X you will see a lot of the same stuff, but there is also a lot of new sounds. Some of these include new pianos of which really are stunning offering a true multi-sampled stereo piano that actually sounds real! Guitars, E.Pianos and strings offer a superb selection as well. There are of course a ridiculous number of sounds and I did not have time to try them all but there are some crackers! For the Fantom X users that may initally find the sounds similar to theirs then I recommend to spend a little more time with the Fantom G as a full demo from the right person will show the unit off to its full ;) I also had chance to see and hear the new ARX cards and put quite simply - if you are going to buy a Fantom G - Buy the cards!! The technology and sounds are knock out!
Workstation Capability
Well this is where the Fantom G walked it over all other competitors in the market. It is not for me to put down competitors products but when it comes to workstation power, then look no further, The absolute combination of stunning sounds, huge screen with mouse control, instant access sliders, huge FX processing, multiple control pads with dynamic control and combination of live input sockets on the Fantom G makes it,in my opinion, the best out there. If oyu are recording in your bedroom it will do it all, in a studio, at a live gig -- it will do it all!!
At first use, the 'Studio' mode seemed very easy to use but at first you do not realise what it can do. When you realise it can control internal tracks, extrenal tracks and device, seperate control for ARX card devices and all from a simple tab system then you start to see its power. Move tot he song mode from the studio view brings you to the un-matched sequencing power. 128 tracks of sheer quality recording. 24 tracks of audio and 16 part internal mul-timbrality with 16 part external control. You can record only 1 input source live at a time but that is fine for most people who want to get each part down tight and riht. There also seems to be no delay or timing problems as there were with the Fantom X audio recording system which is of course a plus point. You can insert audio and drag it around the screen with the mouse or using buttons on the Fantom G. The mouse control helps make life easier though. When you have laid down your tracks you can then start assigning your amazing number of FX. Each MIDI track, 16 parts, has its own Part FX along with another 2 inserts that can be assigned to each of the 16 tracks. There are then 2 master FX processors as well with compressors for the final touch. It will blow you away! Processing power we have not had before apart from on computer systems. The ARX cards even have their own FX systems in place so more FX can be used for the boards on their own!!!!!
Overall conclusion
For users of the Fantom X the Fantom G will at first seem only a small upgrade but after a short time with it, its un-deniable power and functionality will show. I am the owner of the X6 and if I had the money I would change it straight awa!. The sounds are superb, the sequencing power un-matched, the live use is smooth and glitch free and it is all made easy by the very large LCD screen. It is worth every penny and in my books is the most powerful all in one workstation in its class.