The Roland V-Stage 73 and 88 were officially announced on Jan 21, 2025. Some online stores had them in stock on the same or the following day. Some information leaked through an online store one week earlier, including the specifications and product photos.
The official Roland pages are:
In the US, several online stores list the V-Stage 73 for about 3,500 USD, and the V-Stage 88 for about 4,000 USD.
NEW: Roland V-Stage 73/88
Re: NEW: Roland V-Stage 73/88
Organ Section:
I tried to identify changes in comparison to the Fantom based on the documentation. Note that the documentation seems to be inconsistent at the moment.
The V-Stage has 9 dedicated physical draw bars, whereas on the Fantom, the 9 sliders can be used as draw bar while zone 2 is selected.
The organ section on the V-Stage supports an UPPER, a LOWER and a PEDAL section. The sections have separate draw bar settings, keyboard ranges, and MIDI channels. Most other parts are shared by the 3 sections. For example, the organ type and the organ effects. The Fantom only supports 1 section.
On the V-Stage, the organ has a dedicated delay and reverb effect, in addition to the rotary, ring-mod and overdrive effect. The organ reverb and delay are in addition to the master reverb and delay. On the Fantom, the VTW has an overdrive, rotary and generic MFX effect. Additionally, the VTW can be routed through the two scene insert effects.
The V-Stage rotary effect has its own amp distortion, which does not exist on the Fantom.
The V-Stage has multiple organ types: tone wheel, transistor1, transistor2, pipe, draw8, draw16, calc10. The Fantom only has tone wheel.
The V-Stage supports assigning multiple destinations to the 3 control pedals, the 2 wheels and the 2 assignable buttons. It also supports more organ-specific destinations: level, pan, drive, ring-mod switch, ring-mod freq, ring-mod sense, delay switch, delay time, delay feedback, delay balance, reverb switch, reverb time, reverb balance, organ switch.
I tried to identify changes in comparison to the Fantom based on the documentation. Note that the documentation seems to be inconsistent at the moment.
The V-Stage has 9 dedicated physical draw bars, whereas on the Fantom, the 9 sliders can be used as draw bar while zone 2 is selected.
The organ section on the V-Stage supports an UPPER, a LOWER and a PEDAL section. The sections have separate draw bar settings, keyboard ranges, and MIDI channels. Most other parts are shared by the 3 sections. For example, the organ type and the organ effects. The Fantom only supports 1 section.
On the V-Stage, the organ has a dedicated delay and reverb effect, in addition to the rotary, ring-mod and overdrive effect. The organ reverb and delay are in addition to the master reverb and delay. On the Fantom, the VTW has an overdrive, rotary and generic MFX effect. Additionally, the VTW can be routed through the two scene insert effects.
The V-Stage rotary effect has its own amp distortion, which does not exist on the Fantom.
The V-Stage has multiple organ types: tone wheel, transistor1, transistor2, pipe, draw8, draw16, calc10. The Fantom only has tone wheel.
The V-Stage supports assigning multiple destinations to the 3 control pedals, the 2 wheels and the 2 assignable buttons. It also supports more organ-specific destinations: level, pan, drive, ring-mod switch, ring-mod freq, ring-mod sense, delay switch, delay time, delay feedback, delay balance, reverb switch, reverb time, reverb balance, organ switch.
Re: NEW: Roland V-Stage 73/88
Acoustic Piano Section:
The V-Stage supports seamless sound transition for the V-Piano, and the Fantom does not.
The V-State does not seem to have a dedicated MFX slot. It can use the global send effects (reverb and delay) and the total effect. The Fantom has an MFX slot for the V-Piano.
On the V-Stage, velocity curve and velocity curve offset can be configured per scene (for the acoustic piano), whereas on the Fantom, these are global system options.
The V-Stage supports seamless sound transition for the V-Piano, and the Fantom does not.
The V-State does not seem to have a dedicated MFX slot. It can use the global send effects (reverb and delay) and the total effect. The Fantom has an MFX slot for the V-Piano.
On the V-Stage, velocity curve and velocity curve offset can be configured per scene (for the acoustic piano), whereas on the Fantom, these are global system options.
Re: NEW: Roland V-Stage 73/88
Electric Piano Section:
There seem to be significant improvement to the E-Pianos in comparison to the Fantom. On the Fantom, the SuperNatural E-Pianos are effectively Zen-Core tones that can not be edited (except for the noise parameter that controls the level of the fourth partial).
On the V-Stage, there are many more parameters and additional effect slots. Unfortunately, the documentation is rather inconsistent. Based on the MIDI implementation, there are the following parameters (that do not exist on the Fantom):
The V-Stage has additional destinations that can be directly assigned to the pedals, wheels and assignable buttons: SoundLift, FX1, FX2, FX3, Tremolo Rate, Tremolo Depth, Amp Drive, Amp Bass, Amp Treble, MFX switch, Tremolo switch, Amp switch.
There seem to be significant improvement to the E-Pianos in comparison to the Fantom. On the Fantom, the SuperNatural E-Pianos are effectively Zen-Core tones that can not be edited (except for the noise parameter that controls the level of the fourth partial).
On the V-Stage, there are many more parameters and additional effect slots. Unfortunately, the documentation is rather inconsistent. Based on the MIDI implementation, there are the following parameters (that do not exist on the Fantom):
- Velocity Curve & Velocity Curve Offset (system settings on the Fantom)
- Tone Category: Tine, Reed, Digital, Clavinet
- Mechanical Key On & Off Noise
- Damper Noise
- Key Off Resonance
- Sound Lift
- Hum Noise
- Bell
The V-Stage has additional destinations that can be directly assigned to the pedals, wheels and assignable buttons: SoundLift, FX1, FX2, FX3, Tremolo Rate, Tremolo Depth, Amp Drive, Amp Bass, Amp Treble, MFX switch, Tremolo switch, Amp switch.
Re: NEW: Roland V-Stage 73/88
Synth Section:
The V-Stage has two synth parts. Both of them are standard Zen-Core parts that support 4 partials, VA, and basic FM. There is one generic MFX slot for synth part.
At the moment, it is apparently not possible to do deep editing on the V-Stage itself. However, all the parameters are exposed via MIDI SysEx, and it is likely that third party software will soon get support for editing the synth parts on the V-Stage.
The V-Stage supports additional synth-related destinations for pedals, wheels and assignable buttons. The destinations are separate for the two parts.
Level, Pan, Attack, Release, Cutoff, Fx1, Fx2, MFX switch, Resonance, Part Switch.
The V-Stage has two synth parts. Both of them are standard Zen-Core parts that support 4 partials, VA, and basic FM. There is one generic MFX slot for synth part.
At the moment, it is apparently not possible to do deep editing on the V-Stage itself. However, all the parameters are exposed via MIDI SysEx, and it is likely that third party software will soon get support for editing the synth parts on the V-Stage.
The V-Stage supports additional synth-related destinations for pedals, wheels and assignable buttons. The destinations are separate for the two parts.
Level, Pan, Attack, Release, Cutoff, Fx1, Fx2, MFX switch, Resonance, Part Switch.
Re: NEW: Roland V-Stage 73/88
Common Parts:
The V-Stage has a master EQ (5 bands with 3 full parametric bands) and a master compressor (similar to the Fantom).
The V-Stage has 128 scene chains with 128 scenes per chain (similar to the Fantom).
The V-Stage has a total MFX, which can be used as a master effect or as an insert effect on one of the parts.
Each of the 7 parts has their own MIDI RX channel.
The V-Stage has the LEGATO (aka HOLD) functionality from the Fantom.
The V-Stage can be used to control other keyboards via MIDI. The 7 parts can have their own MIDI TX channel, routing can be configured through OUT1, OUT2, USB and ALL. It supports sending program changes and a number of other CC messages to the external keyboards (similar to the Fantom).
Assigning pedals, wheels and the buttons to destinations is much more flexible and powerful on the V-Stage. It has 8 slots per controller, each with their own range and destination. Many of these assignments are not possible on the Fantom, and for others, they need to be done via the control matrix within the used tones.
The V-Stage has a master EQ (5 bands with 3 full parametric bands) and a master compressor (similar to the Fantom).
The V-Stage has 128 scene chains with 128 scenes per chain (similar to the Fantom).
The V-Stage has a total MFX, which can be used as a master effect or as an insert effect on one of the parts.
Each of the 7 parts has their own MIDI RX channel.
The V-Stage has the LEGATO (aka HOLD) functionality from the Fantom.
The V-Stage can be used to control other keyboards via MIDI. The 7 parts can have their own MIDI TX channel, routing can be configured through OUT1, OUT2, USB and ALL. It supports sending program changes and a number of other CC messages to the external keyboards (similar to the Fantom).
Assigning pedals, wheels and the buttons to destinations is much more flexible and powerful on the V-Stage. It has 8 slots per controller, each with their own range and destination. Many of these assignments are not possible on the Fantom, and for others, they need to be done via the control matrix within the used tones.
Re: NEW: Roland V-Stage 73/88
Comparison with Nord Stage:
The Roland V-Stage has some features that are known from the Nord Stage:
The Roland V-Stage has some features that are known from the Nord Stage:
- The V-Stage has 7 parts, the Nord Stage 4 also has 7 parts, and the Nord Stage 3 has 6 parts.
- The V-Stage has 128 scene chains with up to 128 scenes each. The Nord Stage 3 had a song mode with 8 bank and 50 programs each.
- The V-Stage has 8 EX scenes, which are similar to the 8 live programs on the Nord Stage 4, and 5 live programs on the Nord Stage 3.
- The Nord Stage 3 and 4 have a morph functionality with 3 sources (wheel, pedal, aftertouch). The V-Stage has assignable controllers that can be used in a very similar way. It supports 3 pedals (both continuous and switch), 2 assignable wheels and 2 assignable buttons (both momentary and latch). Each controller can have up to 8 destinations, and each of them with its own range.
- The Nord Stage 3 and 4 support up to 3 split points. On the V-Stage, each part can have its own key range (based on the MIDI implementation).
- The V-Stage has 4 assignable outputs (balanced). The Nord Stage 3 and 4 also have 4 assignable outputs (unbalanced).
- Class-compliant audio over USB.
- Loading a backup from a USB thumb drive instead of a computer.
- User samples for the synth section.