Roland FA-06 and FA-08

[Analogaddict]

Tony, I have a Slickbag, fits like a glove..! I downloaded the waveform expansions today, loads of nice patches from SRX07 there. Great clavs, better Wurlitzer, all the classic SRX07 sounds except for some basses and drums. Yesterday I installed the Integra patches too - Roland are really going the extra mile with this synth..!

[DanL]

I'm hoping it fits in my old jumbo size SKB. My S90ES didn't fit in there but the S70XS fits with room to spare on either end, I had to add padding in.

 

1st issue- saving favorites, if you save a single voice mode patch, when you press the favorite button for it, it only changes that tone, not the whole studio set- so any effects you had are not called up. If you use the dial it works fine.

 

Example- 2 studio sets, one for Wurlie, one for piano. Press the favorite for the Wurlie while on the piano- and the studio set name stays the same but the part 1 voice changes to the Wurlie.

 

My workaround was to program a dual voice patch and mute the 2nd voice, this way the whole studio set gets recalled.

 

I suppose it's not that big of a deal, considering a lot of my sounds are going to be multi splits/layers anyway, not many single voices.

[Botanicus]

I have been watching this thread with great interest since I awoke as if from a dream and realized that I have been gigging with an original Triton 61 for almost 15 years. As with the O1W/FD I gigged with for 10 years before that, it ain't broke, but I find myself wanting a 'new car' to bring a little more excitement to the gigs.

 

So, I've been trying out keyboards and seeing what the state of the art is these days. As I mentioned, the Triton has been my gig machine since the turn of the century, but around that time I also picked up an S80 and Roland XP-80, which served their purpose in the studio. The years since have focused on studio purchases and putting more and more things 'in the box'.

 

I had back surgery a couple years ago so the aging process has me eager to find, like many of you, a solution that incorporates lighter weight keys and improved piano and EP sounds. My Triton is around 32 lbs. which is still manageable. But I'm intrigued not only by workstations that are half that weight, but also by 88 key options that are now worthy of consideration. I loved my S80, but lugging those 54 pounds out the door a couple times was more than enough.

 

So, here's my take on what I've played so far... I must say that in the last 15 years I'm a bit surprised how little has changed, although there are definitely some improvements. In the Roland dept., I've played the FA-08 and RD-800 in recent days. I LOVED the SN sounds in the RD-800 and the feel, lots of great EP variations. But it's too heavy. I was disappointed that they went for the SN Synth engine instead of the full piano engine in the FA. I don't need 49 Saws. The best sounds in my XP-80 all come from the expansion boards, the Session, both Orchestrals, Bass & Drums, and 60's and 70's. Disappointed as well that virtually none of those sounds are in the FA, yet the entire base XP sound set of 512 that I never used in the first place. No new SN electric guitars. On the plus side I thought that the SN Organs were very nice, I just have trouble dialing in the right amount of Leslie from the Roland wheel. I've come away thinking that since the XP80 is less than 30 pounds I might just as well find it's case and take it out for a gig or two.

 

Played the Yamaha MOXF8 a couple times now, and really enjoyed my session with it the other day. Can't quite make up my mind about the keybed action. I'm quite fond of my S80 sounds EPs/piano/strings etc. but was never able to gig with them because of the weight. User bank 9 in the MOXF seems to have the new sounds like the S6 piano, but really really liked the Electric Guitars in that bank and Strings among others as well. Love the definition of so many sounds.

 

I tried the Korg Krome and although I love the piano and EP sounds, in many ways I'm losing more from the Triton because of it's MOSS board and other expansions. I use the MOSS Whirly and MOSS Brass combi all the time and they're fantastic, as is the Resonator Guitar and 12 String which came from another expansion board, and to not have them transition to even the Kronos is disappointing. So I tried the Kronos next. I find the EPs and Pianos stunning, so many things to like including the great organs that I've been spoiled by on my Triton. Like Roland, however, they haven't made changes to their electric guitar offerings in 15 years. The internal power supply is a plus though as my Triton has been rained on and snowed on innumerable times and just keeps ticking.

 

What's a mother to do? I think I have to go Kronos, maybe used. I want the MOXF but can't decide between the 6 and 8, and would I take it out with the Triton, with a Kronos, or by itself? X factor is the Casio PX-5S, which would be nice paired with one of the above.

 

I'll probably do what I did 15 years ago and eventually buy one of each.

 

Sorry to be so long winded!!

[agitato]

Those that are familiar with both instruments, do you think the fa6/8 have better/more authentic clavinet sounds than the vr09?

[Jazzmammal]

Botanicus don't overlook the Kurzweil PC3. Lots of Kurz fans here including me, great keyboard.

 

Bob

[AnotherScott]

The best sounds in my XP-80 all come from the expansion boards, the Session, both Orchestrals, Bass & Drums, and 60's and 70's. Disappointed as well that virtually none of those sounds are in the FA

You will be able to load them into the FA. Most or all of those sounds ended up on SRX cards, which are being made available as downloads for the FA (you'll be able to load two of them). The sounds may be slightly different, because of changes made to the patches between the JX and SRX versions, or changes in the design and architecture of the board you are playing them on (effects in particular may be different), but they should at least get you close.

[DanL]

I spent some more time after rehearsal last night getting to know the keyboard.

 

Good: setting the pad mode to numeric lets you go to any live set via it's number just by tapping in the number and hitting the hold button. No need to use favorites for this, plus, you can pre stage the next live set by entering the numbers and not hitting the hold button, so for live use, this will be very efficient for my needs.

 

More good- I'm really digging the EP's. With a little adjustment, adding amp sim, etc, they are very nice sounding. A pure basic tone that can be made to sound as nasty or as pristine as you want. I also really like the AP sounds. I made some adjustments to one of the stock patches and it's very playable.

 

More more good- the SN synth sounds are going to be fun to use. There are a ton of them and they sound fantastic. Better than the Yamaha XS sounds. Strings and pads, both SN and PCM are all very nice and there is plenty to choose from.

 

Bad: The brass is a step back from the Yamaha XS sound set. No velocity fall off horns. Section sounds are not super realistic. Solo horns lack the articulation capability of the XS versions. I did spend a good amount of time building the XS horn section that I use, so to be fair, I need to do the same here and see how it ends up. I don't do a lot of brass so it's not a killer for me. Superstition, Shake Your Body, a couple Motown tunes.

 

I didn't spend a lot of time on the clavs, and will revisit them, but they sound pretty good, I'm sure that with making some adjustments they will be more than gig worthy.

 

I'm a lot more familiar with the work flow on the unit now so as I start to create some of the more complex splits/ layers and midi up my Hammond and Moog, things should move along pretty quickly. The biggest problem will be selecting the tones for the layers, there are just so many to choose from!

 

I think my biggest challenge will be recreating the acoustic guitar strumming part on Torn by Natalie Imbruglia. On the Yamaha there is a strumming arpeggio that is spot on to what the recording sounds like. I haven't found one in the FA yet, though the guitar sound is very nice. I have a couple options though. 1, I can sample me playing each chord from the Yamaha, then assign each sample to the appropriate key, so the F chord plays when I play an F notes, etc. 2, create a custom arpeggio by having the Yamaha arp trigger midi and then load it into the FA. Also there could be a close enough arp in the FA, that I simply haven't found yet. There are a lot of them and each one has up to 8 variations, so it's hundreds to go thru.

 

Yeah, not much sleep coming my way...

[Botanicus]

The best sounds in my XP-80 all come from the expansion boards, the Session, both Orchestrals, Bass & Drums, and 60's and 70's. Disappointed as well that virtually none of those sounds are in the FA

You will be able to load them into the FA. Most or all of those sounds ended up on SRX cards, which are being made available as downloads for the FA (you'll be able to load two of them). The sounds may be slightly different, because of changes made to the patches between the JX and SRX versions, or changes in the design and architecture of the board you are playing them on (effects in particular may be different), but they should at least get you close.

 

I can appreciate that, but my point is that I already have these sounds, and can have 4 boards available at once, in a rig that has a superior power supply and no doubt equal or better action and weighs a manageable 27 lbs. It seems absurd to spend good money on sounds that I already have.

 

I do like the FA interface and improved navigation, and no doubt a lot of the included patterns are inspiring, but I wouldn't be able to use them in a live context with my bands. Although most of my keyboard work uses the usual AP/EP/Organ variations, I also provide 'color' for a wide variety of styles, so Accordion is needed for Zydeco, Banjo and Pedal Steel useful for country and bluegrass, Harmonica for Buffet, and I also play electric guitar and synth leads of an aggressive nature. The Triton has covered these needs adequately, whereas in some of the considered boards there are only fairly tepid GM versions of these instruments.

 

I am actually enjoying re-evaluating the XP80 and Roland sounds after years of only using it for left hand bass from the Bass Legends. To be sure, there's some very nice sounds across the board. If the FA had the AP/EP SN soundset of the RD-800, I would be chomping. As it stands, for MY needs, the SN Synth engine focus would not be as useful.

 

Thanks for the feedback, AnotherScott, I really enjoy your posts.

 

 

[Botanicus]

Botanicus don't overlook the Kurzweil PC3. Lots of Kurz fans here including me, great keyboard.

 

Bob

 

Thanks Bob, I remember watching the PC3LE videos with great interest when it was released. I just never seem to be able to get to a place where I can check out the Kurzweils in person. Lots of good feedback on the SP4-7 as well.

 

In one of my bands (New Orleans jazz/standards) I just play winds and sing lead, and my keyboard playing partner has used Kurzweils for years. The pianos and electric pianos are indeed exceptional live. He hasn't had the KB3 organ component so his organs are a little lame (pardon my French). And again, I never have a chance to actually play the Kurz's to check out the 'variety' color instruments I need on occasion like accordion, banjo, pedal steel, and harmonica.

[ABECK]

More more good- the SN synth sounds are going to be fun to use. There are a ton of them and they sound fantastic.

 

If you haven't done so yet, check out the Integra downloads on the Roland Axial site. The SH101 and Jupiter tones are fantastic.

[DanL]

I downloaded them before my FA came, but haven't had time to load them yet.

[nadroj]

So my local finally got them in. Went in all excited and started playing around on the FA08 which I was planning to buy. 15 minutes in and I wasn't feeling it. Started to get disappointed, then I tried the FA06. Bingo. Loved it. Stayed there for another hour.

 

I just couldn't feel any connection with the instrument using the 08's keybed. I have the 700NX at home and have spent a lot of time experimenting with the new 800 in store, and the (in my opinion) downgraded action the 08 came with just couldn't compare. I'm used to playing the 06 keybed as I use a Juno Di live over 3 times a week, and fell in love with it. Think I'm gonna buy the 06 to replace the Di and keep searching for an 88 bottom board, which means pretty much hitting the reset button on my rig - the opposite to what I planned, but meh. Still need to have a play of the PX5S sometime, but can't find anywhere that stocks it.

 

Was disappointed that there was no SN brass, it kinda felt underwhelming but it'll still be better than what I use on the Di. Love hearing how you guys are all getting on, keep the comments flowing please! Fan the flames of my GAS.

[ABECK]

It's funny how tastes vary. I had the opposite reaction. After a few weeks, I am impressed with just how connected I feel to the 08's keybed. Of course, I don't have a 700NX to compare it to. I've only owned a few weighted 88 boards in my day, but the 08 is my favorite from an action standpoint.

[Tonysounds]

I'm hoping it fits in my old jumbo size SKB. My S90ES didn't fit in there but the S70XS fits with room to spare on either end, I had to add padding in.

 

1st issue- saving favorites, if you save a single voice mode patch, when you press the favorite button for it, it only changes that tone, not the whole studio set- so any effects you had are not called up. If you use the dial it works fine.

 

Example- 2 studio sets, one for Wurlie, one for piano. Press the favorite for the Wurlie while on the piano- and the studio set name stays the same but the part 1 voice changes to the Wurlie.

 

My workaround was to program a dual voice patch and mute the 2nd voice, this way the whole studio set gets recalled.

 

I suppose it's not that big of a deal, considering a lot of my sounds are going to be multi splits/layers anyway, not many single voices.

 

What you could do is hit the Pad or Pad Function whatever that button is called (Im not at home, but its the button at the top left of the pad buttons, and use the menu to change the function to .(damn, I did this how many times last nite, youd think Id remember it)either Kybd Sw, or Part Select (something like that). What happens then is all the buttons are green solid except those parts that have sounds in them, and then you can just hit the appropriate button to activate/deactivate that zone.

[DanL]

I'm hoping it fits in my old jumbo size SKB. My S90ES didn't fit in there but the S70XS fits with room to spare on either end, I had to add padding in.

 

1st issue- saving favorites, if you save a single voice mode patch, when you press the favorite button for it, it only changes that tone, not the whole studio set- so any effects you had are not called up. If you use the dial it works fine.

 

Example- 2 studio sets, one for Wurlie, one for piano. Press the favorite for the Wurlie while on the piano- and the studio set name stays the same but the part 1 voice changes to the Wurlie.

 

My workaround was to program a dual voice patch and mute the 2nd voice, this way the whole studio set gets recalled.

 

I suppose it's not that big of a deal, considering a lot of my sounds are going to be multi splits/layers anyway, not many single voices.

 

What you could do is hit the Pad or Pad Function whatever that button is called (Im not at home, but its the button at the top left of the pad buttons, and use the menu to change the function to .(damn, I did this how many times last nite, youd think Id remember it)either Kybd Sw, or Part Select (something like that). What happens then is all the buttons are green solid except those parts that have sounds in them, and then you can just hit the appropriate button to activate/deactivate that zone.

 

Right, I use that to select what zone I want to have the control knobs active for, but as far as having the part muted by default, it's just easier to set up a dummy patch that way to allow it to change the way I expect from the favorites.

 

In my earlier post today I mentioned that using the keypad mode for the pads makes changing studio sets really easy, and that's how I'm aiming to use it live. I won't need the favorites buttons and any workarounds that mode needs.

[Tonysounds]

Tony, I have a Slickbag, fits like a glove..!

 

Which model Slickbag, and where did you get it? A link would be awesome, but the info will do.

 

Thanks AA!

[RedKey]

Slickbag

Sweden

 

Probably this one

 

I haven't found any US distribution yet.

[Tonysounds]

Yeah I'd already emailed them.

[aellison62]

Botanicus don't overlook the Kurzweil PC3. Lots of Kurz fans here including me, great keyboard.

 

Bob

 

Another one HERE !

[CEB]

If I didn't need the sampler IMO the PC3LE61 is the bestest bang for the buck in a digital top tier synth. $1295 for a decent quality build instrument.

[Analogaddict]

Which model Slickbag, and where did you get it? A link would be awesome, but the info will do.

 

Slickbag

Sweden

 

Probably this one

 

I haven't found any US distribution yet.

 

D'oh, I have the FA06... Sorry about the confusion. It turns out I know the guy who runs Slickbag, and their main storage is 5 minutes from where I live... I originally bought it for my Krome, and the FA06 slid right in. If you're already in touch with them, they're very helpful people and willing to go the extra mile. Say hi from me!

[Botanicus]

Botanicus don't overlook the Kurzweil PC3. Lots of Kurz fans here including me, great keyboard.

 

Bob

 

Another one HERE !

 

Hi again, don't mean to get too far off on a tangent as I'm following this thread with great interest, enjoying getting to know you getting to know your FA's.

 

But I'm piqued by the Kurzweil refs, so a question. Does the PC3LE61 have the same sounds as the PC3K6? I noticed where Sweetwater was throwing in the Kore 64 expansion board and other extras on the PC3K, which looked like it had some of the sounds I'm looking for (great guitars, brass, etc.). I would assume the LE versions came out after the PC3K series, so similarly to the FA and MOXF does the LE have all the sounds of the PC3K along WITH the Kore 64 sounds??

 

Thanks!

[aellison62]

More more good- the SN synth sounds are going to be fun to use. There are a ton of them and they sound fantastic.

 

If you haven't done so yet, check out the Integra downloads on the Roland Axial site. The SH101 and Jupiter tones are fantastic.

 

Regarding the Axial downloads, ...do you have to format the USB stick in the FA first?

 

And, I see the FA EXP soundsets but are the Integra soundsets also compatible with the FA ? All of them? Are the Jupiter soundsets compatible ? I'm a bit confused.

[aellison62]

@Botanicus,

 

I own the PC361 but AFAIK, the PC3LE is a somewhat scaled back version of the Original PC3. It does not have sampling capability like the PC3 and PC3k series and, if you are wanting to really use the KB3 mode, the LE version does not have the 9 sliders the PC3 and PC3k have. One of the advantages of the PC3k is that it is backwardly compatible with the huge library of Kurz K2500, 2600 sounds (predecessors). The PC3k is generally going to have the most up to date, inclusive soundset of this series of Kurz keyboards. The Kore 64 is an add on to any of these and if it is being thrown in on a deal for a PC3k I would strongly suggest you consider it.

 

Also, I don't know if you are familiar with the Kurzweil Artis and the newly announced Forte ( which sounds REALLY interesting) but $$$$$$.

 

Hope that helps and I'm sure other Kurz owners will chime in.

[CEB]

Get the K if you can swing the extra cost.

[MoodyBluesKeys]

The original PC3 came first, the LE was released next as a scaled down version to sell at a lower cost. The PC3K series was designed by Kurzweil primarily to satisfy the need of musical show producers (think Broadway in the US) to have a machine that could be made to play the many already made special patches arranged in order for specific Broadway shows. It is like the PC3, but with the added feature of 128 megs of flash RAM storage and partial (as close as they could get) compatibility with the earlier K2000, K2500, and K2600 series Kurzweils - which were the gold standard for theater productions, but are no longer made.

The original PC3 was discontinued (Kurzweil marketing felt there was too much duplication), but the LE and PC3K series are still current. None of the current Kurzweils have full sampling capability, the PC3K can play back samples in the correct format, but cannot record samples.

 

On the lower end of the market, the SP4 stage piano, and on the upper end of the market, the Artis stage piano and new Forte instrument have been released.

[DanL]

More more good- the SN synth sounds are going to be fun to use. There are a ton of them and they sound fantastic.

 

If you haven't done so yet, check out the Integra downloads on the Roland Axial site. The SH101 and Jupiter tones are fantastic.

 

Regarding the Axial downloads, ...do you have to format the USB stick in the FA first?

 

And, I see the FA EXP soundsets but are the Integra soundsets also compatible with the FA ? All of them? Are the Jupiter soundsets compatible ? I'm a bit confused.

I loaded up the SRX02 board tonight, you don't have to format the USB. It's actually one I use for my Hammond. You drop the file in the root and then hold down the preview button and power the FA on to get into the sound load mode. It was easy.

 

For the banks, like from the integra, those you have to load onto the SD card from your PC. There's a different procedure for that that I haven't tried yet.

 

Also, tonight I hooked up my Hammond, and found that the studio sets do indeed send midi data and allow you to play the attached keyboard from the FA keys- but there is no provision for mapping patches or calling up other banks, so if you have studio set #1 and you want program 27 on your attached keyboard, it won't work. 1 maps to 1, 2 to 2, etc. A little inconvenient, but with the Hammond, it's not a big deal, I can move stuff around easy enough. My thought is with the 88 note keyboard I can eliminate a lot of the extra voice sounds the Hammond was being used for and program them into a studio set.

 

[ABECK]

are the Integra soundsets also compatible with the FA ? All of them? Are the Jupiter soundsets compatible ? I'm a bit confused.

 

I don't believe anything other than the Inegra soundsets are compatible. On the Integra download pages, there are specific instructions for FA06/08 installation. These don't exist on the others.

 

The EXP soundsets and the Integra sounds get loaded into different areas of the FA. The EXP sets get loaded into one of the 2 virtual expansion slots. This is done using a USB stick.

 

The Integra sounds get loaded into the user banks. This is done using the SD card.

 

With EXP, you need to load everything in one shot. WIth the Integra sounds, you can choose which ones you want and where you want them to be stored. (Someone can check me on this, but this is how it appears to me).

[CEB]

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?

[DanL]

That's right, you can pick and choose on the Integra sounds.

 

That'll be a project for sometime today hopefully! I have 45 or so studio sets to program. I'm about halfway thru since a lot of them are repeats or tweaks of each other, or are easy splits or layers, but I have some pretty complex stuff still on my plate. I'm hoping to have it ready for tomorrow night's gig. I might take a vacation day tomorrow just to finish it off and set up/test the whole setup.

 

One thing that was killing me last night was doing a 3 way split. I had the key ranges set, but every voice was sounding on every note when I tested them individually. Then I found out I had left the solo button on when I was auditioning tones to go in the set! Doh!