Bye bye Fantom G - it's been nice but.......

[pc]

......selling my G for which I have great affinity having understood and overcome its little quirks......but it all has finally got too much. For live use it's a great keyboard but I have had to work hard to create the custom sounds I need......and it's just easier in X-land with the large array of SRX boards to choose from. Plus I feel that Roland broke the mould with the X and produced what I think is a classic synth keyboard. Anyone want to buy a G7???? In UK just north of Carlisle.

[PauloF]

......selling my G for which I have great affinity having understood and overcome its little quirks......but it all has finally got too much. For live use it's a great keyboard but I have had to work hard to create the custom sounds I need......and it's just easier in X-land with the large array of SRX boards to choose from. Plus I feel that Roland broke the mould with the X and produced what I think is a classic synth keyboard. Anyone want to buy a G7???? In UK just north of Carlisle.

How much you are looking for to kiss it goodbye??? ;-)

[pc]

It's on gumtree priced at £990. There's someone interested but he hasn't come back to me yet. It's probably best to do this by private messaging.

PC

[Quinnx.]

yeah i can understand dropping the G for the X
as they are sonically similar
and when you stop relying on the sequencer it becomes a different beast..
I have also contemplated on swaping out my g for the X that is currently in storage..
who know.. maybe i will give it a go but..
I would miss the VST plug in which make life so easy on the G too.

[PauloF]

yeah i can understand dropping the G for the X
as they are sonically similar
and when you stop relying on the sequencer it becomes a different beast..
I have also contemplated on swaping out my g for the X that is currently in storage..
who know.. maybe i will give it a go but..
I would miss the VST plug in which make life so easy on the G too.

C'mon Quinnx, are you saying you are considering the idea to swap the G for a X ?
can't be true...
;-)

[cello]

I know I'm being lazy but you guys know your stuff... what's the difference(s) between the Fantom G and X?

[Quinnx.]

I wont go into the long list of what was lost from the X except to mention the SRX interface for any cards you invested in on X you loose if you come from the X to the G which can hurt..

On the other side, what was gained on the G was

dedicated External midi mixer
DAW Controls/faders
USB storage with project based file system
Dedicated fx slot for every patch
larger lcd
Its wav library has also been updated with some of the SRX wavs
Faster load times
New pattern based sequencer which work great once you get use to it
USB Audio
VST plugin

Sound wise..
The addition of patch based fxs does help add a certain quality to the sounds on a patch level.
However little or no tweaking on the X can achieve the same results especially in the studio.
from the live point of view the G wins but in the studio they both have the same abilities when it comes to sound.

C'mon Quinnx, are you saying you are considering the idea to swap the G for a X ?
can't be true...

As far as swapping out the G for the X
Recently i have found myself using less on the G things like the sequencer, patch tweaking and mfx etc and as far and setting up for tracks i usually have some dedicated type instrument sounds i will use over and over so im not needing to do alot of tweaking and doing most of it externally so it seems that what im using less of leaves me with what already exists on the X and then some if you include the SRX Library installed.
Which is why its a consideration

[Leh173]

If you have both why not use them together?

[johnxyz]

For purely synth sounds (classic JP8, OB, Pro 5 type stuff) is the G better or the X.. with or without expansion cards?

[Quinnx.]

If you have both why not use them together?

space and i dont need to use 2 synths
Also if i can get away with using just the X I can then look at Selling the G and getting something else in its place.

For purely synth sounds (classic JP8, OB, Pro 5 type stuff) is the G better or the X.. with or without expansion cards?

You have similar potential in both

[delirium]

I would take X over G any time of the day (and night) - X is great workstation, G is ...retarded and abandoned kid by roland.

[KEYS88]

Why not just add the Roland XR Mod to the mix..Done you would have the best of both ..?

[Parsifal]

Why not just add the Roland XR Mod to the mix..Done you would have the best of both ..?

X rack is discontinued. Hell, even SonicCell is discontinued. There's no Roland SRX placeholder products on sale at the moment. Integra is VERY nice, but it's quite expensive to add-up as a supplement to FG. Not to mention the 4 SRX limitation.
If they're going to remove the 4 slot limitation on Integra (in this case they could keep the same price) while at the same time delivering another cheaper Integra line module (keeping the 4-slot limitation), well, it might work.
JP-50 is another discouragingly expensive product. It should have had AT LEAST an AC inlet and aftertouch-able keybed at the current price.

[tranztek]

...and Ive just bought one! So it's "Hello Fantom G from me"...

I didnt give it enough chance when i first had one a couple of years ago, so thought Id give it another go having been through a Motif XS (yuck) and a Korg M3 (which I still like after having dismissed it when it first came out). Kronos? Well it sounds a little better than the M3 but not as different as I had hoped, and the build quality isnt up to Rolands standards. So it will be interesting to see how the G fares now.

[apex]

...and Ive just bought one! So it's "Hello Fantom G from me"...

I didnt give it enough chance when i first had one a couple of years ago, so thought Id give it another go having been through a Motif XS (yuck) and a Korg M3 (which I still like after having dismissed it when it first came out). Kronos? Well it sounds a little better than the M3 but not as different as I had hoped, and the build quality isnt up to Rolands standards. So it will be interesting to see how the G fares now.

I've considered doing this as well... I really want to give the Fantom G another chance. I sold it to purchase the Motif XF because of the pattern mode sequencer that I use live to go from part to part of a song (in a church setting based on where the choir director says to go.) It allows me a chance to make full backing tracks and I just play organ on top of the tracks... I didn't even realize consider the fact that I could use the Fantom G IN THE SAME MANNER... albeit... I was able to sell the Fantom G and purchase the XF and pocket about $600 in the process.... that's a hard deal to pass up.

But I'm reconsidering now. (2 years later almost) I'd like to add a G to the mix. There were some things that I do really miss about it. But who knows. I've got a Kronos8, XF7, and the M3M, plus a few other rack modules... No "real" room to add the G? Who knows...