Fantom G6 or Fantom X6

[Jupiter8fan]

Hey,
Sorry if this is a bit long, but I do have a few questions to ask.
I am a student doing my final year of school. My parents have offered as an incentive plus birthday & Christmas to get me a workstation to go along with my SH-201which I love, but need a keyboard that has some decent piano, sounds. After doing a bit of research and playing around on the yamaha and Korg equivalents i decided I liked the fantom sound. I'm just hesitant about which model to buy. I'm going to do a film/composition course at UNI and my main source of inspiration is Vangelis but at the same time I want something that has good acoustic instrument sounds. I have heard a lot of good things about the fantom X, from reviews and the like. However all I seem to hear about the fantom G is complaints. I like the fact that the Fantom X is more expandable, i was thinking of expanding it with the, Classic keys, Complete Orchestra, Brass, and Strings SRX's. The first thing I would like to know is what your opinions are about the Fantom G, and X. Secondly, I know that there are a couple of B3 emulators for the X that allow you to change drawbars, is there such a program for the fantom G?. I really like the 8 sliders on the G to control the levels of the different patches and the adjustable keyboard range, does the X have the adjustable keyboard range for each sound? and are there any cheap midi controllers that I can use to do the same thing ie. with the sliders?.
Thankyou for bearing with this particularly long post, and I appreciate your replies.
Cheers
Jupiter8fan

[Rodan]

Hi Jupiter.
Welcome to the Clan. You have asked a question that will draw out strong opinions from a lot of members. Here is mine. The G series is replacing the X series. It has an improved user interface (among many other things) and is being supported by Roland with software updates. The X series is on its way out and no longer supported with updates. I own an X and love it. However, I would trade up to a G in an instant if I had the chance.

-Rodan

[Arjan]

I could easily swap my Fantom X for a G but have no interest in doing so for several reasons. First of all a lot of really great sounds are missing from the so called 'best of SRX' sounds on the G. There is no good substitute for some of the best large choir sounds from SRX-06 for example.

Another reason is that my main motivation for the G would be the seamless switching in live mode. Guess what, within 5 minutes after sitting down behind a G it became obvious to me that the sound switching is not always seamless. I have reported this to Roland when the G first came out but nothing has been done about it. It has to do with settings like mono, portamento and Hold enable/disable which are applied globally from the _current_ live set, even if the previous live set had different values here.

If Roland would fix issues like these and make available the sounds I'm missing I might reconsider although by now I have come up with my own solution for seamless sound switching which is even more convenient and flexible than what the G does. Check out http://www.livecommander.com if you're into that sort of thing. Reminds me that I should really upload the new version one of these days, I'm at version 0.77 right now and I've added some really neat features.

Have fun,
Arjan

[karlosserio]

I currently own a Fantom XR with 5 SRX (Complete Orchestra; Symphonic Strings; Ultimate Keys; Ethnic; Brass) that is the rig you where pointing out.
I do love the number of great sounds you have in the expansions and for me this makes the X my all-in-one sound library. But don't be mistaken, in live situation there is, as always, no perfect solution. In the past i've used the X for the acoustic sounds, Kurzweil Pc2r for Strings and layered Brass, and Yamaha CP33 for the pianos (they do stand well in the mix).
The Fantom G i don't own but if i were in your situation i would wait for the coming update to see what is in the future for this workstation. Maybe it turns itself in a worthy successor of the X in terms of sounds offered (that for me is alone the best reason to buy the X: immense sound-library).
Do keep in mind that your best choice is trying to match budget and expectations.
Also try every workstation before you buy and judge for yourself.

[Diametro]

If one is inclined to go G and never know the X, I say go for it ... For the most part, you won't know what you're missing ...

However, if you're considering the X ... things are more complicated ...

Don't be too overwhelmed by the long list of Fantom-G "upgrades" presented in the Fan-G forum version of this thread... It's designed to impress with volume, but many of those features are trivial, especially when compared to the overriding stark reality that a maxxed out Fan-X will have a larger, better, much more complete and user-variable soundset than Fantom-G ...

For me, excellent sounds are the cornerstone of a workstation ... User expanded Fan-X has them all for the most part; Fan-G soundset is more than a bit bland and certainly not the "Best of SRX' Roland used to claim ...

Functionality and UI, is next ... And the Fan-X has plenty of good vibes there ...

The main advantage Fan-G has over X, imo, is faster, more up-to-date file system (though it's apparently still not perfect either from what I've read), faster -- but not radically faster -- data processing ... the sliders and a larger number of tracks for MIDI and audio (although audio tracks don't sport any new functionality over Fan-X; you just get more, which is a benefit, though ... ) There are also pitch bender functionality improvements and other features (see that last ... although naturally it doesn't include what was lost from X to G ... )

The best of both worlds approach is a Fantom-G with Fantom XR and SRX cards ... however, you'll pay a fairly hefty price for that firepower and you're paying for A LOT of overlap ...

I still may end up with that setup ...

But for now, I soldier on happily with fully expanded Fan-X (complete orchestra, studio, dance and ultimate keys) ... though I must admit I'm getting itchy to upgrade after four years of almost daily use of Fan-X ...

But Fan-G was not the kind of upgrade most current Fan-X owners, including myself, wanted ...

Fan-X users wanted a more powerful Fantom X... (more routable insert effects, more NEW sounds and naturally access to our SRX cards or at least a soundset that made them seem redundant; better file system and faster data processiing)

What Roland gave them was a different Fantom with different abilities that two years on, still seems underdeveloped and in need of a whole new model revision ... ARX is a bomb at this point ... and Fan-G is not selling that well, I suspect ...(although the whole workstation market is down, I'm sure ... )

Spend some time with the G ... If you can get on with the soundset, that's the biggest hurdle to liking the Fan-G imo (that and knowing there are no cool expansions to make the workstation sparkle down the road) ...

Keep in mind, you can always add a module and have some pretty good control over it with Fan-G ...

If only Roland had seen fit to give the Fantom-G another 128 megs of sound ROM -- and chosen the other 128 more carefully -- as well as started off with an VA ARX card (for starters, to allow more acoustic patches in sound rom as opposed to sampled synth sounds -- blah) we probably wouldn't be having this discussion ... Instead, Fantom-G users got a giant screen to look at as they try and find the great sounds that aren't there ...

[Beantown]

Might as well go with the G. Top to bottom, the G has more features than the X. If you decide later down the line you want to use the SRX, you can always get an XR which will support up to 6 sound cards. However, in my opinion, the best overall piano sound is the Ultimate Grand on the FX. It also has the Piano Mode, which I'm sad to say is missing from the G.

[lordelix2.0]

Hmmmm been a long time since i posted anything here lol..... for some odd reason I cant seem to get into my original screen name so here I am in version 2.0 format lol!!! I have been out of commission for a while doing band writing and preproduction and drum track recording....that is all finished now so its on to the guitars lol!!

In this situation you need to seriously consider your objectives and what it is you are looking for in a synth. If you don't mind getting under the hood and doing a lot of your own sound programming, then the G may be an OK fit for you. If you really want a large array of awesome sounds out of the box (provided you get SRX cards with it) that are incredibly versatile, then the X is your only choice. I have said it before, the Fantom X with its SRX card expansions is the swiss army knife of synths. I have played the G many times and Until something is done about the internal sound set to at least give it decent choir and other sounds that are useful to what I do as a musician my money stays in my wallet. The G is not a bad instrument but it has not impressed me enough to part with my X.

[fantomboss]

I had Fantom G6 and after 10 days i sold it and bought Fantom X6 ....Fantom X6 is definitivly better in these things: Keys(Tastature),ROM board with more profesional sounds,Amaizing Drums Pianos,EP,,Basses,Guitar's,Brass etc,piano mode,srx cards,more practic for transport live music etc etc ...sure that Fantom G has more qualitity sound but Fantom X sound better for live then G.
Fantom G is more for studio recording thats all.

[Vlad_77]

Either way you are going to have a great workstation. Diametro however is spot on in that ARX is a bomb right now. One of my workstations is a Fantom X8. I love it. It works for me.

The X right now DOES sport a much larger sound palette when fully maxed, it is still and will be a viable instrument for a LONG time to come, Paul Shaffer still uses a Fantom X7 - not bad company to be in

The G DOES have dazzling POTENTIAL. But, even if ARX never delivers on its promise, the G is a hell of a workstation.

It may come down to price, in which case you could go for a X7 or maybe even an X8 for less than the price of a G6. Having 76 or 88 keys is a HUGE advantage, especially if your work uses a lot of piano, or if you need more notes per zone in a performance.

Beware though: X8 is a HEAVY keyboard. Also, if you are NOT used to piano action, I would advise you to opt for the X7.

Ahimsa,
Vlad

[Jupiter8fan]

Hey everyone, Thanks for the responses.
I just wondered if the X (as its unclear in the manual) can layer more than 2 sounds together. I know the G can do 8 (to the best of my knowledge) so that you can have a layer of 8 different instruments and control the keyboard cover of each layer. I really like this feature. Does the X have a similar function? or is it just limited to 2 voices like my SH-201.
Cheers
Jupiter8fan

[Rodan]

Yes, you can layer multiple sounds on both boards and I think the maximum is at least 16 for the X, maybe more for the G. They both have 128 polyphony which will usually be the limiting factor (a single patch could have up to 4 tones, so if you play multiple notes simultaneously, you can't have too many instruments layered before you reach 128.)

-Rodan

[Jupiter8fan]

Thanks Rodan, do you know if you can change the keyboard range on each layer on the X?

[Rodan]

I'm not quite sure I understand your question. You can certainly set the key range for each layer. If you had in mind that you wanted to play, say middle C for three different patches at three separated places on the keyboard, you could edit the patches to do that as well.

[Diametro]

Yes ... you can change key range on each layer ...

[Diametro]

...