BAD NEWS

[Hobo]

I think Roland are doing great in solving our problems. I emailed Roland UK and got a reply next day. They are fixing my XR without any problem and my store lent me a replacement while waiting.
As for not supporting the S , they will still supply spares for repairs etc, as they do with all their old stock.
All companies move onwards and release new products, this is a good thing! I didn't expect my XV3080 to have os updates etc, I bought it and it worked, it got slightly out of date and so I upgraded...... this is how it works no?

[toom driver]

Hobo

Not exactly how I had expected it to work. After carefully looking at the three options for my first workstation, I spent the most ££ I have ever spent on anything remotely musical on my FS, partly influnced by the fact that as it was the newest offering from the big three manufacturers there would be a level of ongoing support for it and it would emain a flagship for Roland for some 3 years. Having it 'replaced' in that position after just a year was a huge disappointment and did not leave a good taste in the mouth. Yes I knew it would be replaced eventually - but no way was I expecting it to happen as fast as it did. A manufacturer committed to its customers should have known that a lot of FS owners would have been angered by the release of the FX so soon afterwards,and an excellent manufacturer would have considered offering the new model as an exchange. I paid more at a heavily discounted price for my FS than the street price/Roland price for the FX.

Toom!

[pianodick]

I know what you're thinking here, "oh no here he goes again". I honestly think that were it not for this fantastic forum, all you X owners would be sitting at home with your boards suffering from the original issues with the Mother Board. It is only by the spreading of the word through this forum that Roland even acknowledges that your board is any more worth salvaging than all the other products that they let fall by the way side without even admitting that any thing was wrong. All of you should stop for a moment and thank Artemio for providing you all with the chance to collaborate your issues in a public place that could only go so long without being noticed. You can all think what you want. I can't change that. I just hope you think what issues you would have faced if you had to approach your "dealers" without the ammunition this forum provided you. Roland has only stepped up to the plate because of a constituency of nearly 2000 members that are well informed and in direct communication with one another. It is even obvious in some of the posts here. One member even mentions that he was told it would cost XXX dollars. Another was told he would have to pay shipping. If you still call what Roland is doing "Customer Service" then I guess I just expected more from a company that touts its attention to the consumer. JMIO

Signed, "Nature is hard enough on us, let's not be hard on each other."

[V-CeeOh]

I think pianodick is pointing something we should all think of:
We are part of the problem but also part of the solution - its just the way things are. How can we expect for a company not to launch new products if we keep asking for more features (some that we don't even need) - just see the last threads/post about the NAMM to proove what i'm saying. So Roland was supposed not to have an X just because the S was new ? While all the other companys "loaded their weapons" Roland is supposed to keep loosing customers? If I close remeber a few years ago everybody was complaning about the XP-50 being the "same" as the XP-80 being the "same" as the FS-76. Oh yes they were all excelent and retro-compatible and so on. I kept working with my XP-50 till I decided that was time to change - changed for a X. I'm not saying I'm doing the right thing, I'm just saying we cannot rush to the store everytime a new board comes out and we must also think that our board will not be outdated that easy. The fact is that many of us just "scratch" the potential of the boards we use. I remember my first Windows worked fine for 2 years. Now I have to update it every week - just to compare. But of course PD is right - in our case its just because of Artemio and this forum and spreding of the word that Roland acknowledges and is forced to "update/ugrade". Just imagine what it would be (and like it was in the past) if we did not had the net. We would probably take the "bugs" just as beeing "natural" but its because someone is pointing them now that we see they're wrong.
PD is not slamming Roland and I'm not certanly defending it. I just accept things the way they are, what doesn't mean I sit and wait. I try to be active and certanly Roland must also try to do better. But most of all I try to get the most out of my X. If the new mobo replacement is free, well, good for all of us. If the new OS2 is to be payed I'll soon find out if its worth or not.

Never too much to say: Thanks Artemio,
Regards

[Mexico]

How many of you had noticed the problem before reading about it? How many have noticed it even after reading about it?
It's kinda like dating a beautiful girl, and then someone tells you she's got a horrible nose... You hadn't even thought about it until then... Now you can't stand looking at that nose, and demand plastic surgery!!! :D:D:D

Kind of a stupid comparison, but up to now I'm happy with my Fantom's (second) nose.

M

PS. Apologies if the text above is too stupid. I'm tired and I wanna go home. Cheers!

[badbib]

well I wish there was an upgrade for FS

[V-CeeOh]

Yes but I also didn't had any for my D-50, my JV-80 and my XP-50. That didn't kept me away for using and loving them all the way, specially the XP (6 years and still working). Thats what I'm trying to say after all.
Still don't have the price for the OS.2 but I surely will try to get it if the price is right for me.
Regards

[joelee]

Eurofantom, I phoned Roland UK and they had not heard of a newer 2nd mainboard replacement. Have you had yours done and was it from Roland Uk

[EuroFantom]

really? that's strange... i'm havning mine done in canada i live 10 minutes away from roland of canada:) umm the service manager i spoke too said this problem has been documented since decemeber of 2004 he hadn't heard about it until i called him up on it.. try giving him the service note number found on the other thread regarding this problem

101989, "Mainboard Change Specifications"

that refers to the second motherboard replacement give them that info and they may be able to do something for you

Fantom X6
EMU 1212m
Sonar 4 Producers Edition

[John01W]

Yeah I phoned Roland US too(I'm an XR user), I had my main board replaced at the mid of november, I checked the part# with the guy on the main board, and I have the latest main board for the Fantom XR which he informed me had the newest converters(whew, happy about that)

Upon first checking out my main board replaced XR back then, I noticed that the unit not only got fixed on the patch change lag, and shock noise when patch changing, but I also noticed the unit had much greater headroom and smoother sound than before because I would always clip out the Fantom XR on the OLD MB, I commented on this here right after.
.
There was noise on the old mobo(which was actually clipping), the new one sounds better in that regard.

The guy did mention that the converters were replaced and other issues fixed on the run main board, so it's possible XR users that I can speak would not have this problem. The replacement board on my XR I can confirm, is the latest run(confirmed it with a customer support guy, and a product specialist, both of which were very very cool)

Thank God, I didn't want to take all those SRX board out again, and put in that 512mb ram stick specifically, it was hard as hell to get that thing in there on the newer board(easier to go in on the older). That thing is in there, lol.

[John01W]

Thanks EuroFantom, I called them again and got a different guy who wasn't so friendly this time lol. He hasn't heard of it, and I tried to give him that number and stuff but he really kind of cut me off. If there still is a problem, I sincerely hope they take care of business.

Thanks again EuroFantom.

[Arghblarg]

John01W, do you have the part # for the new converters, by chance?

Someone else here posted the old converters, I'd like to know what the new ones are. Roland Canada won't do anything for me since my X is used, so I may consider replacing the DACs myself someday. But they won't say what the differences between the old and new mainboard are.

Error 144 - Reboot y/n?

[John01W]

How do I find this out, opening up the unit, that in itself will void my warranty wont it?

I want to find out, to tell you the truth the last guy I talked to at Roland US was not friendly at all, he would cut me off with "what's your problem" over and over again. That guy I talked to, real jerk(the first 2 guys I talked to were awesome)

[joelee]

Eurofantom, I just got this reply from Roland UK

Dear Sir,

I can confirm that there is another main pcb revision for the Fantom XR.

As you have correctly stated, this change is related to a possible problem with the DAC. However, if you are not experiencing any problems with the sound quality of the Fantom then it is not necessary to replace the main pcb,

Having checked the previous repair record, your Fantom does not have this latest revision fitted. If you are experiencing a problem then we will arrange collection of the Fantom and replace the main pcb.

Well now, the plot thickens!!

[joelee]

I phoned Roland UK and they are picking up the Fantom in the next 2 days to fit the 2nd newer mainboard. There is apparently a problem with DACs.

Those of you who had the 1st one fitted should get on to Roland support and get it. Hopefully this is the last change I have to do.

Many thanks Eurofantom for bringing this to light.