Namm 2010

[BoricuaRoland]

Can't Wait!....

[madAhorn]

Rumors, Rumors please! I know...top secret, right?

[madAhorn]

This is probably not far from the truth....read 2nd post...

http://www.motifator.com/index.php/forum/viewthread/446855

[Quinnx.]

Who knows..
But if your already making music does it really matter?
Roland just keep recycling anyway, even the G is not much better that what went before..
Rolands latest recycle is the sp404sx, if this is not an clear indication that roland no longer has the edge when it comes to new ideas.

Id say its going to be boring on the roland side and much more interesting everywhere else.
But lets not get distract right now and just keep making music.

[madAhorn]

And from the same post I provided the link to above:

Sponge Bob said:
"For live play, computers are still years away from the functionality, quality and reliability of a 15-20 year old hardware synth, not to mention the outstanding hardware selection we enjoy today, to include current generations of Motif/ES/XS, Korg, Roland, etc.etc..

As far as learning curves go, one is probably no worse than the other, but once you learn the hardware you’re done. When using a computer, how many evenings of making music have turned into a week of computer problem solving? I finally got fed up with it and will stick with hardware."

Bob

[johnc]

exactly madhorn. software pc problems just end up as a total distraction. the g still has a few little software bugs to sort out that i have found out on route but nothing major ( and im sure/hope will be sorted out in a future os update ) and absolutely nothing compared to software pc problems!! if you have found something that reliably does what you want it to do and are familiar with how to use it. thats it. just make music.

[Daniel Mioni]

Johnc, You said bugs and G at the same sentence?

....

About NAMM, I´m not expecting anything especial (from roland). If It came, thanks, If not... Meanwhile I have this place here, with a lot of info caming from you guys and Art, like the new manual for FG. THANKS!!! This is exciting, this place is more exciting then the Roland website that I spent more then $3k to get their keyboard.

[Pharlopez]

I think that in no more than 5 years we wont be able to distinguish between pure hardware devices and a computer, as they will be one (from a music device point of view)

Nowadays we have things like Muse Receptor, Oasys, Open Labs, etc. Still have its drawbacks, but It's only a question of time (~OS and processing power) that we get a solid computer-specific machine for making music. And I love the idea...

[johnc]

the bugs i have encountered

highlighted a phrase for editing. but upon entering it you are editing a different phrase.

a repeated phrase playing late after the first pass of the phrase. rectified by deleting all but the first one and then re copying them . ONLY on one specific sound i had a problem with before "pullstrings "

some samples playing at a lower volume after a certain passage of music.
or playing late. rectified by putting it on another audio track.


i have ONLY encountered these in a fully laid out song: intro verse chorus etc.

[cyclops]

Pharlopez: I'll agree with you, but I wouldn't put the OASYS in the same category as the other VST-based or windows-based devices you mentioned, like the Muse Receptor or the Open Labs machines. The OASYS, albeit advertised as an Open System, and certainly more a computer than the average Fantom or Motif (it runs a Linux-based OS), it depended on Korg's will to update it with new features and instrument types. As far as I know, there was never open space for third-party developers to write instrument routines for it. The other machines simply play some or all of the free or commercially available third-party plugins and hosts. This gave the OASYS a relative advantage about it reliability during a live situation, as it is certainly a sturdier concept, considering the "on stage" factor. From my point of view, the OASYS is a musical instrument, designed and programmed to act in a certain, controllable way, while something like the Neko is primarily a computer, afterwards modified for music, thus unreliable for a live situation. Personally I would never trust on a Neko on stage as my sole keyboard. I would certainly carry a "normal" synth as well, with all my sounds and parts programmed on it as well.

That's why I currently carry my Fantom-G along with my laptop when I play with my band. The laptop holds all the bells and whistles (mostly the parts that need big orchestral sounds, choirs and so on, courtesy of some very good sounding libraries, like the Symphonic Orchestra Platinum Strings, Symphonic Choirs, my favorite ProjectSAM Symphobia, plus the Best Galaxy Steinway Grand Piano, all of them running through NI Kontakt 4). And because when you use a PC, everything can happen, all these parts have their Fantom-G equals. With merely two or three button presses I go in another favorite bank in which all these libraries get replaced with Fantom-G sounds. And naturally, this system relies on the Fantom-G working as the audio interface and controller as well, areas in which the Fantom-G does really well.


All, said, I believe that when it comes to studio applications, songwriting and music production, computers are second to none.
I really hope we'll see some real progress on the live stage area too in the next few years to come.

[jessej]

As far as reliability I want to point out that my macbook running Logic froze 0 times during the last 15 months, meanwhile the Fantom G froze 4 times during that same 15 months requiring a reboot. I would feel as secure to run my macbook onstage, as my Fantom G.

Also to be noted is that I backup my macbook harddrive 1:1 to an external harddrive and in case of hardware failure I could boot up ANY macbook from the external harddrive backup. Getting a replacement Fantom G would require a lot more effort and I have no idea how fast I could get an replacement FG.

At a gig, there's usually more than one macbooks in the house, including the Djs macbooks, light control macbooks, VJ macbooks, venue workers macbooks etc...

I think the DAW is the future, but a beast like the Fantom G surely has it's place, specially if it is kept updated and up to par with the software competition.

I am looking forward for the next Fantom G OS update and I hope Roland won't let us down, since they have got a LOT of feedback from us users and should know which things we feel need improvement and what new things we like to see in means of ARX expansions etc.

It will be interesting to see what NAMM 2010 brings for the FG.

[Pharlopez]

Cyclops: yes, you're right about the differences between OASYS and the other devices, it was not my intention to put them all in the same bag, but to note that they have a 'computer' running a known OS inside, as being more usual these days. It seems that this will be the trend, although not mature yet.

My feelings/dreams are that we will be able to enjoy powerful open-system machines in a near future, as soon as the stability of the OS gets improved (maybe with a dedicated and standard system for all the machines) and the processing power gets increased a little bit more.

Someone could say that, with that philosofy, giant companies like Roland, Korg, Yamaha, etc will get into troubles. I don't think so, as they also have experience in software (DAW, VST) and 'If you want to exploit at maximum the very best powerful VST, you'll need to buy my very best powerful machine/peripheral/card $$$$$' (like todays PC market)

[cyclops]

jessej:
Be sure that if I could afford a MacBook when I bought my current laptop, I would surely get myself one.
Definately an Apple machine will be my next stop.

Pharlopez:
I'm sure that many of us, if not all of us, would be willing to sacrifice some of our freedom (meaning all the power of a pure computer system, like the ones we use in our studios), in favor of more stability. So, personally I'd like a not-so-open system, while I could have an extremely steady OS, which is critical when you play live. If someone decides to build a widely accepted OS, made only for music computers and workstations like the Neko, this would be the best solution. Let's face it, neither Windows nor OSX were built with the musician in mind first and most, so they will never be appropriate for the gigging musician.

[kenchan]

Wouldn't it suck if Roland introduced a new fantom line up "limited edition" and its just painted another color with a few software tweaks? . Hahaha

Bound to happen...

[karlosserio]

In my opinion computer solutions merged with good hardware is the future. From what i can understand we already have the technology to make this happen, but we lack an common environment were dedicated plugins would be customized. Open Labs, Muse, Lionstracs, intend to go this way but they face major setbacks: -every plugin that cames out releases new and improved software, making the companies race to improve compatability; -a lot of software has security measures that creates some problems to install and reprogram; -after having a stable running OS and customized plugins, you face the task of programing everything to respond as the user intends (something that companies as Kurzweil do superbly, making ROMs of 42 Mg stand on a Gb market); because having the right sounds is the beginning, after they have to be organic and respond to diferent messages, effects, etc....
This details i've seen live when i tested Muse Receptor and previously laptops running vst's: it's real but it's not a final product yet.