FANTOM X AS MIDI SOUND SOURCE

[JARROD29B]

Hi. I have had a Fantom X8 and X6 for years in my live set up but now I am using them for studio recording. I am using MIDI through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 into Logic Pro X on a Mac. I am using MIDI as Roland have discontinued the USB drivers for the X range.
My question is, what settings do I need in order to use the Fantom as not only the MIDI keyboard but also the sound source as I have many SRX cards installed.

The Scarlett has MIDI in and out and I just need the internal settings in order to be able to record MIDI, quantise and edit, and then hear the sounds from the Fantom in the final mix.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

J

[harmonizer]

The simplest way is to just connect 1/4" cable (or 2 cables for stereo sounds) from your audio output jacks to a A/D converter or interface, such as your Focusrite device.

There is another option, in that your Roland Fantom X8 does have a digital output for its sound. There is an S/P DIF digital output jack on the back of the X8 (It probably looks like an RCA audio jack). You would need to connect this to some interface which could accept an S/P DIF digital coaxial input. The output signal sent from the digital output is supposed to be identical to the signal that comes from the OUTPUT A (MIX) jacks.

Such a pure digital setup might produce better audio quality, but I don't know if you will notice that much difference. I did a quick look at the connections on a Focusrite 2i4, and I did not see anything that was labeled as an S/P DIF connection, so you would probably need to use a different interface in order to go all digital. I suggest you try just connecting standard 1/4" cables from the analog outputs of your Fantom X8 to your Focusrite, and see how you like the audio quality in the resulting recording.

[Andy Keys]

Hi Jarrod,

Isn't it just a case of turning off the MIDI Local switch?
[Menu > MIDI page > Local Switch: OFF]

See OM, page 229 for more information on how the local switch works.

Let us know if this works.
Regards
Andy

[JARROD29B]

Hi. After all this time I am still no nearer to achieving my goal.

I still cannot figure this out.

I just want to record in midi using the fantom then set it as an external midi sound source to use my SRX cards as the midi sound source.

It's driving me mad

Any more ideas?

thanks

[cecchino]

Hi! Unfortunately you simply can't set your Fantom as a sound output as if it had a built-in USB audio interface. You may:
- record a MIDI track setting up your Focusrite as the MIDI In device (which means the fantom once you have connected its MIDI Out to the card MIDI In)
- Play that track setting the Focusrite as MIDI Out device (if you have connected Fantom MIDI In to the card MIDI Out this will make the Fantom play the part for that track) while you record a pure audio track where the Focusrite is the audio source (you will have the audio outputs of your Fantom connected to the audio inputs of the card). You'll better monitor this track from the card's headphone output.
The resulting audio track will have the notes you played in MIDI with the sound of the Fantom.
HTH
C.