Current Roland gear... underestimated?

[Losendoskeys]

Still gigging my XP30 (and it still gets £400+ on EBay) and Fantom XR.

I still have my Fantom FA76.

Can't fault these boards but I haven't bought any Roland recently as the Kronos fulfilled all my other needs.

I would certainly look at Roland but the feedback here isn't very encouraging..........

[zephonic]

About Roland's build quality:

 

I've gone from the D-20 to the D-70 to the XP-80 to the Fantom X7 and invariably the buttons will malfunction over time. The D-70 was actually the best in this regard, but maybe that was just because I didn't gig with it as long as I did with the others.

 

About Roland's sound quality:

 

Roland had this bad habit of sticking their top-of-the-line piano/rhodes/organ sounds on expansion boards, which made the stock flagship models unsatisfactory to play. In the case of the XP80 it wasn't that big a deal as the competition was nowhere close at the time, but the Fantom really paled in comparison to the Motif when it came to piano/EP/organ, and I think that is how they got their current bad rep.

But as a synthesizer it is pretty awesome.

 

There is something about a Roland 76-key flagship with aftertouch that just works for me. Maybe it is childhood memories. I remember walking into the local music store as a wee one, just ogling that beautiful JX-10.

 

http://www.synthmuseum.com/roland/roljx1001.jpg

 

 

[Aidan]

Roland still has plenty of fans out there, judging by the number of its boards I see in use on stages. But you could say the company has made a few faux pas recently which have affected its reputation, at least among the 'chattering classes' here on KC:

 

* The limit of 64 stage sets on the Integra module is pretty inexplicable.

 

* The very poor 61-note keybed used by several models has limited their appeal. A friend of mine, who has played at the top pro level for many years, recently bought a VR09 as a prospective replacement for his ageing VK-7. His verdict: "I like the sound a lot but can't live with the keyboard it feels like a toy."

 

* That shiny plastic they use for the VR09 and FA series is the worst choice of material for a keyboard I've ever seen. There's 'cheap', and then there's 'looks cheap'. Almost brand new boards look knackered after only a few weeks on the show floor. Doesn't help struggling MI shops to shift them.

 

* The power cable debacle on the RD800. Enough said.

 

There is also the inevitable charge of recycling of tech but I guess that really applies to nearly all the major manufacturers.

 

The reason there's been no true successor to the Fantoms (i.e equivalent to the Montage), I believe, is that Roland are keeping their powder dry and see which way the market falls. For all the pre-sale drooling over the Montage, I'd be interested to see how many Yamaha eventually sell.

 

More and more, there is a division between the high and low ends of the market, quality-wise, and the top is increasingly reliant on software for sound generation, certainly in the studio and increasingly on stage too.

 

At the lower end, it's all about value for money and cutting weight and in fairness, you can't accuse Roland of failing to pay attention to that part of the market.

[Legatoboy]

Roland is a class act, their synth sounds were always top notch

along with a lot of their other products. For the most part well built and thought out, good documentation, features and sounds.

 

 

[John64]

I hope Roland also has monitored the Kronos, because that one really is an equivalent to the Fantom, and it shows that workstations in the higher price range can sell well, not forgetting the fact that many have expressed their interest in a Roland with their V-tech onboard.

Roland has the technology, but does the company also have the willingness to invest in the R&D of a new high end workstation?

I hope so, because many miss Roland's presence in that area.

[joegerardi]

I kinda get the feeling that Roland has ceded the top spots top the other 2 guys, and now are quite satisfied making budget, limited-feature synths for the masses. They have no full-fledged workstation any more, and seem perfectly happy with one flagship, one cheaper copy of that, and then keeping everything else under 1500 bucks, with the bulk of that under 1000 bucks.

 

..Joe

[MorayM]

* The limit of 64 stage sets on the Integra module is pretty inexplicable.

I may be missing something here, but is that really a big problem? I get the impression it's pitched for studio use so surely you can just leave it in multi-mode and remember to set the program changes in your DAW? Admittedly it's a bit weird in these days of cheap flash memory (and probably a relic of its JV/XV heritage), but is it really such a deal breaker?

[marczellm]

The ease of tweeting

You can tweet from an RD-800?

[John Lee]

I had an FA-06 for a while and on paper it was everything I needed: good acoustic and electric pianos, separate out so that I could run the organ through my Mini Vent for live; audio and midi interface, sequencer and wide range of sounds for composing at home. But I just never really got on with it.

 

It was partly down to the poor keybed, that others have pointed out, but I don't think it was just that, because I don't get too hang up on keybeds. For example, I can have a whale of a time playing electric pianos and organs from my computer on my Novation Launchkey and I recently tried out the YC and CP Refaces and really enjoyed them, despite the mini keys.

 

For me, the FA-06 just wasn't inspiring. It was adequate in a lot of areas but just not fun. I bought a second hand Electro 2 to replace it and instantly felt much more of a connection with it.

 

Long feature lists and bang for buck are all very well but, at the end of the day, it's still an instrument that has to inspire you to play - and I think that's where a lot of Roland's stuff is falling down at the moment.

[Song80s]

I don't gig and am not a ' synth collector'. I have owned plenty of Roland up thru 2012. But nothing since.

 

I also do not 'flip ' equipment. Anything I purchase is for long term use, at least 3 yrs.

 

I consider Roland keyboard products to be slight improvements and/or 're-arrangements ' of prior and older product. Thus I have no compelling reason to spend a lot of money on Roland.

[Krakit]

I bought the FA-08 last year and am very happy with it. Having said that there are problems with it that could have been easily avoided. The pads should have been on the left instead of the right IMHO. Also the printed on text could have been made to stand out more for easier readability. As it stands now I shine a light on it just to read. The keybed is "acceptable" not great. I prefer the Casio keybeds by FAR. Wish it had one of those or that Casio made a workstation that had the bells and whistles that the FA-08 has.

 

However those SN sounds really blow me away. Wish there were more of them. I'm impressed with the ones that aren't keyboard instruments at all. The brass, winds, stringed instruments etc. I can play the guitars for hours just marveling at how it sounds so realistic. The Oboe is sublime.

 

I agonized over this purchase for a long time and came to the forums for help. Ultimately I still feel I made the right choice. (FA-08 plus used Korg M3M over Kronos 88).

 

Carl

[Krakit]

I should also point out that I have had a relationship with Roland products since the beginning of my keyboard playing history. I consider the JX-8P to be my first real keyboard purchase. I since bought so much Roland gear I don't think I could remember it all to list. Currently the MKS70 sits in my rig and gets continued use full of patches that I made myself.

 

I would say that Korg and Roland are easily my go to brands with the occasional Alesis here and there.

 

What I guess I'm saying is Roland has been berry berry good to me.

 

Carl

[tucktronix]

From what I've seen, the main issue with Roland these days is build quality. IIRC, many of the Juno-G's came out with busted screens. Roland refused to make good of the situation and foot the cost of repair. That left a bad taste in many mouths, I think. I bought my Juno-G through the local CL new, fresh out of the box. The screen went bad after a month of ownership. Afterwards, I vowed never to buy another Roland. About 6 yrs later, what do I do.. get a Fantom X6 through eBay, and it's been great so far though I probably won't get another Roland when this one goes bad.

[wineandkeyz]

I've used a ton of Roland gear over the years -- from an RS-202 Strings machine back in the 70's to the Fantom X7s I have now. Along the way I settled into rigs that had a Yamaha S-series weighted units on the bottom and Roland 76-key semi-weighted units on top. From the early 90s to now, I moved from a D-70 to an XP-80 to a Fantom FA-76 to a Fantom X7, and each time I felt like I was upgrading in features and capabilities.

 

When Roland's G series came out, it didn't support their existing SRX expansion boards and its other new features didn't justify the cost of upgrading for me. So I held onto my X7 and waited to see what was next.

 

When the Jupiter-80 came out, I was pretty stoked. But I have yet to see one live and in person and I wasn't going to plunk down that kind of cash sight unseen. So I held onto my X7 and waited to see what was next.

 

When they trotted out the FA series, I saw that they didn't even offer a 76-key version, so I haven't bothered to play one, even though they're in all the chain stores. So I've held onto my X7, picked up a second one used for my rehearsal rig, and replaced all the key contacts on both units.

 

Until Roland shows me something that is such a step up that it justifies the cost to upgrade, I'm hanging onto my X7s. As for complaints here that the pots wear out, I've never had that issue. I did replace the volume and audio input pots on the used X7 I bought, but that was because they'd been bumped pretty hard at one point and had a bit of a wobble. The pots are readily available online and if you're handy with a soldering iron and screwdriver, fairly easy to replace.

[Bachus]

When the Jupiter-80 came out, I was pretty stoked. But I have yet to see one live and in person and I wasn't going to plunk down that kind of cash sight unseen. So I held onto my X7 and waited to see what was next.

 

When they trotted out the FA series, I saw that they didn't even offer a 76-key version, so I haven't bothered to play one, even though they're in all the chain stores. So I've held onto my X7, picked up a second one used for my rehearsal rig, and replaced all the key contacts on both units.

 

 

 

What Roland should have done is instead of spreading their technollogy over several different products in that periode : Jupiter 80, Integra7, FA06, RD800, BK9 Arranger, VR09 and now the DS88.. is combining all this power in a single instrument.. add the good stuff of the Fantom G, make it 32 channels multitimbral and go for it with a new Fantom....

 

 

I still am convinced most people like their workstations as an all in one solution for the stage and the studio..

 

 

After fiddling with the Jupiter 80 earlier today, i found that the live sets add so much flexibillity, you can even create your own superknob..

[MorayM]

I still am convinced most people like their workstations as an all in one solution for the stage and the studio..

The DAW killed the keyboard workstation in the studio. As for live, that may still be the case for some of us (it is for me) but for the rest of the world the VR or RD will be plenty good enough. Why splurge on R&D to developing the Fantuptier-VNX-88 when you'll only sell 10 of them? It doesn't look good on the books of a large company presenting quarterly accounts to twitchy shareholders.

[CEB]

When the Jupiter-80 came out, I was pretty stoked. But I have yet to see one live and in person and I wasn't going to plunk down that kind of cash sight unseen. So I held onto my X7 and waited to see what was next.

 

When they trotted out the FA series, I saw that they didn't even offer a 76-key version, so I haven't bothered to play one, even though they're in all the chain stores. So I've held onto my X7, picked up a second one used for my rehearsal rig, and replaced all the key contacts on both units.

 

 

 

What Roland should have done is instead of spreading their technollogy over several different products in that periode : Jupiter 80, Integra7, FA06, RD800, BK9 Arranger, VR09 and now the DS88.. is combining all this power in a single instrument.. add the good stuff of the Fantom G, make it 32 channels multitimbral and go for it with a new Fantom....

 

 

I still am convinced most people like their workstations as an all in one solution for the stage and the studio..

 

 

After fiddling with the Jupiter 80 earlier today, i found that the live sets add so much flexibillity, you can even create your own superknob..

 

What parameters can map to a macro on the JP-80 and can you control the macro from an expression pedal?

[burningbusch]

A few years back I was talking with my friend who ran a good size music store here in Seattle about what was selling. For him the Nords, Kronos and Motif all did well. He said it had been years since they sold a Roland Fantom workstation. Roland bet big on in-the-box sequencing with the Fantom G: huge screen, plenty of audio/MIDI tracks, mouse support, etc. AFAIK, it remains one of the best solution for this approach, but I don't believe it sold well and I doubt Roland is chomping at the bit to get back into this segment.

 

It's hard to say where the company is going since the management buyout in 2014. Some of the products that are currently being sold were developed long before that. Does the company still believe in those products? Only things that have come out in the last few years are true, if only partial, indicators of where the company is going.

 

Busch.

[RABid]

I like Roland gear and have owned a ton of it over the years. As of late they have made some odd design choices. The JP-80 seems like it was designed by committee with too much input from the home console organ department. I mean, really, how many of us need dedicated buttons for oboe and flute? They took great hardware, synth engines and patches, then make it look like a cross between the original Jupiter 8 and a 70's Lowery organ.

 

And for a real :idk moment ...

 

Roland electric cajon.

[CEB]

I find the Roland vs Yamaha postings kind of funny. To me, since the DX-7 till today Roland and Yamaha complete each other.

 

For most of the last 30 years I would have a piece of Roland synth without Yamaha synth. They work really well together given each other's strengths and weaknesses.

[Devnor]

I mean, really, how many of us need dedicated buttons for oboe and flute?

 

You don't. That is why all the buttons are assignable. It is a very handy feature to bring in your favorite sounds on the fly into any registration (combi) without programming.

[RABid]

I mean, really, how many of us need dedicated buttons for oboe and flute?

 

You don't. That is why all the buttons are assignable. It is a very handy feature to bring in your favorite sounds on the fly into any registration (combi) without programming.

 

I know. On mine, oboe = sync lead and flute = screaming guitar with feedback. I've thought about printing labels in hopes that it will cover the 70's console organ design elements.

[Moonglow]

A pleasant surprise I have enjoyed with the Jupiter-80 are those small square buttons below the keys to select the registrations. My pre-purchase thoughts were that I would never touch those things....but I now use them all the time.

[TomKittel]

For a long time I did not deign a look at Roland. But the Roland brand was my startling discovery of last year. First, I ignored all the silly criticisms in the web and got an Integra 7. Simply because it seemed to be the only full-fledged rack module available. After many years with Kurzweil and Nord I was pleasantly surprised how much I liked the Integra's sound and how much it could do.

 

Long story cut short: a couple of months later I now own an Integra, a FA06 and a RD64 stage piano. Especially the FA06 has a lot to offer under his plasticky hood. If you tolerate it's cheap plastic chassis and if you are ready to download the SRX07 Ultimate Keys and the SRX12 Classic EPs expansions - both for free - it delivers like no other board in it's price range. And if you dig into some programming you can create some of the fattest analogish synth sounds which a Nord Stage or a Kronos would never be capable of. It's a really amazing instrument - not only for it's price. My bandmates prohibited me from ever selling it.

[Legatoboy]

Roland is a class act, their synth sounds were always top notch

along with a lot of their other products. For the most part well built and thought out, good documentation, features and sounds. This to me always seem related to the 'Twang' issue on their Supernatural Concert Grand in the FP-7, RD-700. Something about not only a hot sample but their filtering also. I could be off base about this.

 

But looking back they have made a lot of great usable gear. My JV-880's still amaze me. Prefer the JV to their SRX for warmth.

 

1 caveat to this is there outputs, especially on the VR-760...I could never get a decent loud signal out of that instrument that didn't distort.. believe I tried everything I know of.

 

rethinking my post there are a few things that I have had problems with through the years. I had similar problems with their SRX technology in terms of a distorted signal. I couldn't really keep up with the band without distorting.

[Spotting Jonah]

* The limit of 64 stage sets on the Integra module is pretty inexplicable.

 

* The very poor 61-note keybed used by several models has limited their appeal. A friend of mine, who has played at the top pro level for many years, recently bought a VR09 as a prospective replacement for his ageing VK-7. His verdict: "I like the sound a lot but can't live with the keyboard it feels like a toy."

 

* That shiny plastic they use for the VR09 and FA series is the worst choice of material for a keyboard I've ever seen. There's 'cheap', and then there's 'looks cheap'. Almost brand new boards look knackered after only a few weeks on the show floor. Doesn't help struggling MI shops to shift them.

 

* The power cable debacle on the RD800. Enough said.

 

That's MY list of Roland complaints!! Exactly what I've been saying... to a T. :-)

 

In this age of soft synths, the hardware guys need to make their boards thoughtful, intuitive, and rock solid.

[MurMan]

+1 on the comments about Roland reliability. Although the switches can fail, Roland has replacement parts available in L.A. They don't overcharge. I replaced the rotary encoder on an XP-80 for around $10.

 

My last piece of Roland gear was the Integra 7. I thought that I could use it with a Novation SL MKII as a light-weight main board. Although all the sounds were there, it became clear after I bought it that Roland was targeting the studio, not live. All that spacial processing was cool, but totally useless when feeding mono to FOH.

 

That experience took me to the Nord Stage which lead me to the Kronos. During that transition, there was never anything in the newer Roland product line that interested me.