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Roland FA-07


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Just saw this online.

https://www.roland.com/global/products/fa-07/

 

Same spec as the 06/08 models but I think the keys are semi weighted so I imagine they would be more robust that the 06 model? Pretty light too and the 76 keys give you an extra bit of space for splits etc. Might have a look at this for the more awkward gigs where I have to drag an 88 key up the stairs of a church gallery. :rolleyes:

Yamaha MODX8, Legend Live.
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Figures.

 

Why wouldn't they introduce this? After all, I purchased a Jupiter-50 less than two months ago.

 

Since I bought Logic last week, now it's all but guarantueed Apple will release Logic 11 within the next two months...

 

 

 

BTW, they also introduced the SE-02 analog synth: https://www.roland.com/global/products/se-02/

 

Collabo with Studio Electronics, apparently.

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The documentation from your provided link says the FA-07 has synth-action keys with velocity, but if they are full-sized keys (unlike the FA-06) then I still might be willing to consider this.

----------------------------------------------------------

 

Gig: Yamaha MODX7, NumaX 73 Piano  Studio: Kawai ES-920; Hammond SK Pro 73; Yamaha Motif ES7 w/DX,VL,VH; Yamaha YC 73; Kawai MP-6; Numa Compact 2x

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Why do they insist on these 90s sounds on all the Roland and Yamaha demo videos though?

Life is subtractive.
Genres: Jazz, funk, pop, Christian worship, BebHop
Wishlist: 80s-ish (synth)pop, symph pop, prog rock, fusion, musical theatre
Gear: NS2 + JUNO-G. KingKORG. SP6 at church.

 

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Woohoo! Much more important news!

 

Now, master control functionality has been added to studio sets, enabling you to use the FA as a master controller for a large studio or live rig. You can save MIDI messages like bank select, program change, volume, and many others. This info is sent out via MIDI when you select the studio set, letting you reconfigure the FA and multiple external devices with one command.

Life is subtractive.
Genres: Jazz, funk, pop, Christian worship, BebHop
Wishlist: 80s-ish (synth)pop, symph pop, prog rock, fusion, musical theatre
Gear: NS2 + JUNO-G. KingKORG. SP6 at church.

 

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Woohoo! Much more important news!

 

Now, master control functionality has been added to studio sets, enabling you to use the FA as a master controller for a large studio or live rig. You can save MIDI messages like bank select, program change, volume, and many others. This info is sent out via MIDI when you select the studio set, letting you reconfigure the FA and multiple external devices with one command.

 

Seems the FA07 comes with a significant software update also available for the other 2 models... yet cant find any exact update notes yet...

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Woohoo! Much more important news!

 

Now, master control functionality has been added to studio sets, enabling you to use the FA as a master controller for a large studio or live rig. You can save MIDI messages like bank select, program change, volume, and many others. This info is sent out via MIDI when you select the studio set, letting you reconfigure the FA and multiple external devices with one command.

 

this is great news- the biggest weakness of the board in my opinion.

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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other goodies:

sound remain on assignable multiple sounds in a studio set

pad mode assign storeable by studio set

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's Roland's "semi-weighted" action? Any boards out there for comparison?

The FA-06, Jupiter 50, and Jupiter 80 have all been referred to as semi-weighted, though they are different from each other. Roland seems to be distinguishing the FA-07 action from the FA-06, so my guess is tha this will probably be the J50 action.

 

Love the weight, 18 lbs 12 oz.

 

Whatever it costs, I wish it were $100-$200 more and had aftertouch. And as long as I'm dreaming, since it has the SN tonewheel organ already, it would have been very cool to take advantage of the extra panel space (compared to the 61) and bring over the VR-09's drawbars. Real-time organ control will remain an advantage of the Kurz Artis7.

 

These other changes mentioned are really useful too, and it's great that it looks like they will be available in a software update to the other FA models.

Maybe this is the best place for a shameless plug! Our now not-so-new new video at https://youtu.be/3ZRC3b4p4EI is a 40 minute adaptation of T. S. Eliot's "Prufrock" - check it out! And hopefully I'll have something new here this year. ;-)

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Not very good as a master controller when it won't (can't) transmit AT...

 

Even my 30 year-old Yammie KX76 can do that.

 

..Joe

Setup: Korg Kronos 61, Roland XV-88, Korg Triton-Rack, Motif-Rack, Korg N1r, Alesis QSR, Roland M-GS64 Yamaha KX-88, KX76, Roland Super-JX, E-Mu Longboard 61, Kawai K1II, Kawai K4.
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Well, it's kinda hard to transmit AT when it doesn't have it to begin with... You can assign AT to an expression pedal and transmit it that way if needed.

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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I am a former user of an fa06, i,ve loved a lot of things of this keyboard but can stand with those tiny and awful keys. I will purchase a fa07 if keys are full size and a little better responsives to my playing (i,m an aficionado, amateur, but can appreciate the quality of a keybed). If someone of you have more information about fa07, please share!
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Woohoo! Much more important news!

 

Now, master control functionality has been added to studio sets, enabling you to use the FA as a master controller for a large studio or live rig. You can save MIDI messages like bank select, program change, volume, and many others. This info is sent out via MIDI when you select the studio set, letting you reconfigure the FA and multiple external devices with one command.

 

this is great news- the biggest weakness of the board in my opinion.

 

 

This is huge news. We've all been waiting to see if Roland listened to us. That and the pad mode assign by studio set is also a very good thing.

David

Gig Rig:Casio Privia PX-5S | Yamaha MODX+ 6 | MacBook Pro 14" M1| Mainstage

 

 

 

 

 

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If this had been out when I was looking to replace my Fantom X7 last year, the FA-07, I probably would have gotten one (went with a used Kronos 2-61 and no regrets at all about that, but I do miss having the extra keys on my top board).

Rich Forman

Yamaha MOXF8, Korg Kronos 2-61, Roland Fantom X7, Ferrofish B4000+ organ module, Roland VR-09, EV ZLX12P, K&M Spider Pro stand,

Yamaha S80, Korg Trinity Plus

 

 

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I am a former user of an fa06, i,ve loved a lot of things of this keyboard but can stand with those tiny and awful keys. I will purchase a fa07 if keys are full size and a little better responsives to my playing (i,m an aficionado, amateur, but can appreciate the quality of a keybed). If someone of you have more information about fa07, please share!

 

Doesn't look promising...from the website:

Available models include the 61-note FA-06 and 76-note FA-07, which both feature velocity-sensitive keyboards with synth action, and the FA-08, which features an 88-note keyboard with weighted action.

 

--Sean H.

 

Yamaha MOXF8, Korg TR76, Novation X-Station 61, Casio PX-320

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Too bad, would probably be very interested, but really hate the keybed in the FA06. Oh well.

Numa Piano X73 /// Kawai ES920 /// Casio CT-X5000 /// Yamaha EW425

Yamaha Melodica and Alto Recorder

QSC K8.2 // JBL Eon One Compact // Soundcore Motion Boom Plus 

Win10 laptop i7 8GB // iPad Pro 9.7" 32GB

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actually the website says the FA07 has a semi-weighted, velocity-sensitive keyboard, while it says the 06 has a velocity sensitive keyboard. It sounds like 2 different actions to me.

 

If it's something like the JP50 that would be a good thing.

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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Why wouldn't they introduce this? After all, I purchased a Jupiter-50 less than two months ago.

Well, at least the boards are still pretty different, in their sound sets and their ergonomics/interfaces. But if it was mostly the "reasonably priced, lightweight board with 76 decent feeling keys" that pushed you to that purchase and you just wished there had been a 76-key FA instead... yup. If indeed this has a different action from the 06, which is still a bit ambiguous.

 

I was discussing the obvious value of 7x keys for LH bass in the floating splits thread. I prefer doing LH bass on my "top" board rather than my 88, because my preferred E-to-E range for bass leaves me just 56 piano keys on an 88, which is too little for piano, while it leaves me at least 44 on a 7x, which is generally passable for my 2nd-tier sounds. There are just so few lightweight 7x boards to choose from, and some of what's around have questionable actions besides. I am happy Nord added the low E to their 73, but for LHB purposes, it's much more useful on the Stage than the Electro (where a LH bass patch restricts your RH sound to piano/organ sound categories, and even expanding that via MIDI is inhibited by the board's limited MIDI functionality).

 

I don't need the FA-07, but I'm awfully tempted to buy it anyway. Good job, Roland. ;-) It could kind of take the place of my MOXF6, giving me those extra keys I want, but I know I'd miss the Yamaha sounds. That and the weight are why the Artis7 (which I like a lot too) hasn't replaced my Yamaha. But the FA is lighter, and has some other nice features (sub out, pads) and an interface that seems more inviting. If it has the Jupiter 50 action, that could seal the deal. Though I like Yamaha sounds so much, I might still be tempted to take both. (FA sounds are okay, but outside of the handful of SN sounds, most of the non-synth sounds are from the 15+ year old XV-5080, or from downloadable SRX soundsets that are not all that much newer... yes there are still some great sounds in there, but I still generally give the edge to Yam.) Sonically, I could address that by going for an 88-key Yamaha on bottom. It's a trade-off... I prefer the lower weight and better action of my current 88, but is it worth taking an extra board for...

Maybe this is the best place for a shameless plug! Our now not-so-new new video at https://youtu.be/3ZRC3b4p4EI is a 40 minute adaptation of T. S. Eliot's "Prufrock" - check it out! And hopefully I'll have something new here this year. ;-)

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My hope is Yamaha is following suit with an MOXF7.

I'd definitely already have that one if it existed.

 

But please SOMEONE bring back aftertouch! I guess the only lightweight 7x with AT is the Nord $tage. Korg hasn't had it since the TR76, Roland since the JV90.

Maybe this is the best place for a shameless plug! Our now not-so-new new video at https://youtu.be/3ZRC3b4p4EI is a 40 minute adaptation of T. S. Eliot's "Prufrock" - check it out! And hopefully I'll have something new here this year. ;-)

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Ah, story of my life.

 

The ONE upgrade I want - the ability to turn MFX on and off without having to be on the Effects Edit Screen is not (nad probably won't ever be) addressed.

 

If you want Bass on the lower part of the keyboard, and an Electric Piano with the ability to turn the Tremolo on with a Button or Footswitch (or Phaser, or Chorus, or Delay, etc.) there's no way to do it other than to create two parts and use the pads or something to toggle between them - 1 part non-trem and one part trem.

 

You could do this in two studio sets but previously there was no tone remain across studio sets (if the sound changed IIRC).

 

There are some patches with effect on already that a parameter such as trem depth (on/off essentially) could be assigned to S1 or a pedal, but if it's not the sound you want, you'll either have to save new versions of each of the (same) tones with each effect you want on it and assign all the parameters.

 

It would be so much easier if the MFX just worked like the TFX.

 

The Controller upgrade looks like a MAJOR deal.

 

I was just playing with the pads last night for an experiment and I was disappointed that the mode doesn't save with the studio set, so that's a nice upgrade as well.

 

What kept me from buying the 08 was footprint and weight.

 

I already knew the key size on the 06 was like my A-800 Pro. I'm fine with the action, but the size of the keys is not right.

 

IF the 07 has "more traditional" sized keys it would be perfect for me.

 

Though at this point, I couldn't afford to trade in the 06 and take the hit on it and pay the difference to get the 07.

 

I'm actually kind of surprised because it seems by and large, 76 key boards are becoming a bit of a rarity - the producers and edm people want 1 octave things, pianists want 88 weighted, and two handers usually find 61 enough. 76 is a hard market to fill - but a "middle" action and in this case, "middle" key size would certainly make it a worthwhile product to make.

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Actually, it looks like the "Keyboard Switch Groups" may address the MFX issue. While my example would just entail leaving 1 armed and switching between 2 and 3 (for trem and non trem versions of the same sound) it sounds like the tone remain functionality has been improved.
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Current FA users: back when people first started getting their hands on this board, there was mention of an issue regarding the black keys triggering louder than the white keys, particularly on Supernatural piano sounds (it's discussed here: http://forums.rolandclan.com/viewtopic.php?f=55&t=49133)

1)has this ever been fixed via firmware?...and 2)if not, how big a deal is it (how noticeable)?

 

That was one of the reasons I never actually bought the 06...for my multi-set, decent-paying R&B/soul gigs, it wouldn't be a big deal, as I would be paring it with my MOXF8 and would rarely use the Roland keys...but for the gigs where we have 20-25 minutes to perform and are expected to break down within a minute or two--this happens quite often with some of my gospel duties--I would be taking the Roland by itself, so uneven velocity response on the main piano patches is somewhat of a deal-breaker.

--Sean H.

 

Yamaha MOXF8, Korg TR76, Novation X-Station 61, Casio PX-320

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it was only on the 61 note that this happened. Not a problem on the 88.

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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