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Roland FA-06 and FA-08


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So can the FA, within a studio set, tell external gear to change to a specific patch? (e.g. have a King Korg which does the VA duties in my setup so if I had my own setup for a song can the FA communicate to KK to change to the patch I require for that song?)

 

No, it cannot.

Hitting "Play" does NOT constitute live performance. -Me.
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I don't think it's too much to expect, and hopefully it's something Roland can implement in a software update at some point.

Live: Korg Kronos 2 88, Nord Electro 5d Nord Lead A1

Toys: Roland FA08, Novation Ultranova, Moog LP, Roland SP-404SX, Roland JX10,Emu MK6

www.bksband.com

www.echoesrocks.com

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Sure, but be aware this is probably not the final version, I need to gig it some first. I want something that cuts in the mix but also has a good solo character. It's definitely bright sounding. A lot will depend on the overall keyboard velocity setting you prefer too. I have mine set to light with an offset of 9 to push it towards the medium setting. It takes away from some of the softer sounds but it doesn't require you to bang on it real hard to get a good bright sound.

 

main wave is concert grand 001

string res and key off 64

hammer noise +1

stereo width 63

nuance type 3

tone character -2

 

mfx reverb send is 34

studio set reverb is a hall 3, send set to 80

 

everything else I believe is stock.

Live: Korg Kronos 2 88, Nord Electro 5d Nord Lead A1

Toys: Roland FA08, Novation Ultranova, Moog LP, Roland SP-404SX, Roland JX10,Emu MK6

www.bksband.com

www.echoesrocks.com

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Some of my recorded samples pop when I first press trigger pads. Is this a sign my samples are too hot or is this just the nature of this sampler?

"It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne

 

"A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!!

So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt

 

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Yes. Mic straight into to FA. They sounded fine during edit play back but sometimes make popping noises live when first hitting trigger pads.

"It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne

 

"A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!!

So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt

 

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I created my custom studioset by writing the studioset that comes up on reboot to the 1st user slot then I edited it.

 

Does anybody know why slot 16 is gray and will not play? It was originally some sort a drum patch and I replaced it with a SN synth but it won't play from the keyboard. Does 16 have to be a drum thing?

 

This is because Part 16 is by default assigned to the sampler, so it cannot be used to record anything else. Of course it can be re-assigned if you want to use it.

 

Another thing: I have noticed that the piano sounds have notably less volume (weaker sound) that the leads (critical when playing live)... Has anyone noticed this, or it's just me?

 

Gear: Yamaha MO8, Roland FA-06.
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I was going to the wrong screen. I need to go menu then Studio Set Common the set Pad Part Select to OFF then I could do what ever I want with part 16.

"It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne

 

"A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!!

So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt

 

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I started playing with sequencer mode last night, working on On The Run.

 

I step recorded the sequence on track 1. Couldn't get it to trigger my Moog for the life of me. Made sure the song utility mode was set to only trigger external. Made sure the midi channel on the track was set correctly. I could play the Moog from the FA keyboard, but the sequencer wouldn't trigger it.

 

What I finally found out is the sequencer doesn't care what channel you have things set to- it only transmits on the midi channel that corresponds to the track number. Track 1 transmits midi channel 1, 2 transmits 2, etc. I have my Moog on ch 16. Once I copied the sequence to track 16, it worked.

 

The other problem, which is the Hammond's lack of software midi thru capability, is I had to introduce a midi patch bay into the equation to be able to rout the midi note data to the Moog.

 

Normally I connect the FA out to the Hammond in, then the Hammond out to the Moog. Patch change from the FA calls the Hammond patch, which in turn has external zones/midi set up with the Moog patch change programmed into the Hammond patch. With no midi thru, there is no way to trigger the notes from the FA to the Moog. :) Maybe Hammond can address this in a future software update and provide a soft thru option when setting up the external zones/midi config. I did find 1 of the preset midi settings in the Hammond that did pass the data thru to the Moog, but it also triggered the upper manual organ sound, and there was no way to turn that off except to push in the drawbars. Not really a good solution.

 

The patch bay resolves the issue, but at the expense of more gear to hook up, and potentially problematic changing of midi routing in the middle of a song to set up the sequence/Moog link. We'll see how it goes.

Live: Korg Kronos 2 88, Nord Electro 5d Nord Lead A1

Toys: Roland FA08, Novation Ultranova, Moog LP, Roland SP-404SX, Roland JX10,Emu MK6

www.bksband.com

www.echoesrocks.com

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What I finally found out is the sequencer doesn't care what channel you have things set to- it only transmits on the midi channel that corresponds to the track number.

 

Thanks for the tip.

 

It is always interesting (and annoying) to learn about limitations infused into these budget-priced keyboards.

 

There are any number of reasons why the FA could have ended up designed this way. I have never used internal sequencers to control external synths, but would expect more flexibility.

 

Michael

Montage 8, Logic Pro X, Omnisphere, Diva, Zebra 2, etc.

 

 

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What I finally found out is the sequencer doesn't care what channel you have things set to- it only transmits on the midi channel that corresponds to the track number.

 

I've seen a few Roland units behave strangely when the track/part number is different to the MIDI channel, I guess this is one way to avoid it?

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MorayM, could be. It's easy enough to work around- but no where in any of the documentation does it say this. Would have saved me a good bit of troubleshooting time. Just like some of the other little things about this board, once you get it figured out, it's easy, but actually figuring it out sometimes takes a little investigation.

Live: Korg Kronos 2 88, Nord Electro 5d Nord Lead A1

Toys: Roland FA08, Novation Ultranova, Moog LP, Roland SP-404SX, Roland JX10,Emu MK6

www.bksband.com

www.echoesrocks.com

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Rather than start ANOTHER FA08 thread, I thought I would share this here.

 

So, in the effort to remove my rack from gigging, and slim down the gigging rig as much as possible, I have now got it down to the mixer stage. Im still excruciatingly slowly programming the main bands repertoire, but I will have it done for next Saturdays gig. But it occurred to me I should determine whether I can use my iPad and Yamahas SET LIST app to do program changes.

 

DOESNT WORK.

 

iPad sends message: Roland FA08 not supported. Drag.

 

On the other hand, not so much: switching the FA08 pads to numeric makes Studio Set selection a breeze (if you know where youre going! LOL), so now Ive eliminated the iPad/holder/camera kit from the rig. Another 2 minutes saved in set up, another 2 in tear down, and at least 35-45 minutes per gig of rearranging the set list on the iPad and then re teaching the program changes to the app. So thats cool.

 

I had planned to use the sample pads as a zone in/zone out tool, but so far, even with elaborate set-ups for Come Fail Away and Here I Blow Again, I havent had to utilize that function; regaining the ability to pinpoint splits (as opposed to Nords options) has made things a breeze.

 

I really am loving this keyboard.

 

Hitting "Play" does NOT constitute live performance. -Me.
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Tony, there is an FA group on Facebook and a guy there supposedly has SLM working via the camera kit. Not sure if he's changing studio sets or patches within studio sets.

 

For me, the numeric pad mode works like a charm. I used it live last weekend and the only thing I forgot to do was hit Go a couple times. I like being able to stage the next sound and then just hit enter to execute it at the end of a song.

 

I've programmed the expression pedal to bring layers in and out. Even multiple background pads is easy to do that way.

 

You can also change the pad mode during a song, even if a sample is playing, and go to your zone in/out setting. A couple extra button presses but entirely easy enough to do.

Live: Korg Kronos 2 88, Nord Electro 5d Nord Lead A1

Toys: Roland FA08, Novation Ultranova, Moog LP, Roland SP-404SX, Roland JX10,Emu MK6

www.bksband.com

www.echoesrocks.com

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Got my FA06 yesterday, already fallen in love. Working through our entire set today to get it gig ready for tomorrow and I have one worry - the Global TFX.

 

It seems there's no way to reset them - for example, if I change the cutoff/attack on some kind of synth string tone then switch to an EP for the next song, the cutoff/attack will still be affected. Now this isn't the case all of the time - sometimes it depends on which menu I'm in and if I'm in the same studio set, etc, but I've not found a constant so far. Sometimes the TFX resets when I change tone, some times it doesn't.

 

Does anyone know 1) If there's a way to reset your global FX instantly, and 2) In which cases the Global FX are reset when you switch sounds and in which cases they don't? Been at the thing for almost 4 hours with headphones on, ears are almost bleeding so it's time for a break I think...

Hammond SKX

Mainstage 3

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Tested it now with a slicer, if I put a slicer on an organ tone in Studio set 1, and then switched to piano in the same studio set, the slicer stayed on. Then if I switched studio set to studio set 2 and played the different tones there, the slicer was still on. Then if I came out of studio set mode and into single tone mode, the slicer stayed on. I had to exit studio set mode then press one of the category buttons to get the TFX to reset.

 

Is this normal? I know they're supposed to be Global effects, but if I put a slicer on something as an effect mid way through a song and it carries into all my patches and other studio sets for the next songs without resetting itself, that's going to be problematic, especially if it means it overrides the delay, rotary, chorus, or whatever I have for those other patches. I'd have to manually set those TFX up again on the spot, which kinda defeats the purpose of using the pads to quickly switch between tones between/during songs. Has anyone else encountered this? Is there a workaround I'm just not seeing?

 

EDIT: Checked the menu and there is an option for knob reset when in single tone mode, which is fine, but not in studio set mode, which is frustrating because I've set up all my single tones in studio sets for quick access via pads. Will keep exploring...

Hammond SKX

Mainstage 3

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I'm finding mono doesn't do the piano much justice. I played thru my K10 last night as we were in a small place so nothing in the PA for me to get in my in ears. The gorgeous stereo piano sound that I have thru my IEM's (and even my cheap studio monitors) was pinched and nasal sounding. Between sets I grabbed the SN mono grand and tweaked it some, it was better, but I need to work this out, because one of the features I like the most about the board is really compromised running in mono.

 

I can run stereo into my rack mixer when I use my IEM's, but I'm not sure it'd sound using a mono send from the monitor out to the house.

Live: Korg Kronos 2 88, Nord Electro 5d Nord Lead A1

Toys: Roland FA08, Novation Ultranova, Moog LP, Roland SP-404SX, Roland JX10,Emu MK6

www.bksband.com

www.echoesrocks.com

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Ok, I'm sure someone's ran across this so here goes,

 

While in a studio set, I have a TW organ program with it's Leslie speed ( slow to fast ) being controlled by a foot pedal (momentary). When I layer a piano sound (grand piano 1) with this organ and step on the pedal to increase the Leslie speed, I get a vibrato sound from the piano. How do I remove this from the piano?

Kurzweil Forte 7, Mojo 61, Yamaha P-125,

Kronos X61, Nautilus 73

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I am wondering if the FA can be played via a USB only MIDI controller.

"It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne

 

"A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!!

So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt

 

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Ok, I'm sure someone's ran across this so here goes,

 

While in a studio set, I have a TW organ program with it's Leslie speed ( slow to fast ) being controlled by a foot pedal (momentary). When I layer a piano sound (grand piano 1) with this organ and step on the pedal to increase the Leslie speed, I get a vibrato sound from the piano. How do I remove this from the piano?

 

Are you using the leslie as a MFX on the studio set? You'd need to use it as an insert effect on the organ only.

Live: Korg Kronos 2 88, Nord Electro 5d Nord Lead A1

Toys: Roland FA08, Novation Ultranova, Moog LP, Roland SP-404SX, Roland JX10,Emu MK6

www.bksband.com

www.echoesrocks.com

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Tested it now with a slicer, if I put a slicer on an organ tone in Studio set 1, and then switched to piano in the same studio set, the slicer stayed on. Then if I switched studio set to studio set 2 and played the different tones there, the slicer was still on. Then if I came out of studio set mode and into single tone mode, the slicer stayed on. I had to exit studio set mode then press one of the category buttons to get the TFX to reset.

 

Is this normal? I know they're supposed to be Global effects, but if I put a slicer on something as an effect mid way through a song and it carries into all my patches and other studio sets for the next songs without resetting itself, that's going to be problematic, especially if it means it overrides the delay, rotary, chorus, or whatever I have for those other patches. I'd have to manually set those TFX up again on the spot, which kinda defeats the purpose of using the pads to quickly switch between tones between/during songs. Has anyone else encountered this? Is there a workaround I'm just not seeing?

 

EDIT: Checked the menu and there is an option for knob reset when in single tone mode, which is fine, but not in studio set mode, which is frustrating because I've set up all my single tones in studio sets for quick access via pads. Will keep exploring...

 

I just experienced THIS. I am not happy! This "carry over effect" IMO is a glitch which should be fixed in an update ASAP ! Unless there is something being obviously overlooked, as the original poster stated this makes using individual programs within the studio set, each with their own MFX, useless.

Kurzweil Forte 7, Mojo 61, Yamaha P-125,

Kronos X61, Nautilus 73

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