.

[EscapeRocks]

Whatever. Let the "experts" weigh in.

[CEB]

The sample editing tools on the Fantom blows away other workstations. I would replace my FA-06 with a Fantom G in a second if I could find the right one. I wish the Kronos sample editing and file management worked like the Fantom.

[RABid]

Setting up splits and layers, sampling, controlling external MIDI modules. The Fantom X does a lot of things well and makes a great stage controller. I prefer a Famtom X7 + Integra over my JP80. Don't think I will ever sell my X7.

[AnotherScott]

Sampling opens up all kinds of possibilities. It's a shame it's such a bear to set up sampled sounds on the Kronos and Yamahas. Piece of cake on the Nords, albeit limited to one velocity layer (and the sampling itself is something you'd need to do on the computer). On my to-do list is to use an iPad for this.

 

One advantage of using a computer to generate the samples in the first place (as opposed to sampling directly into a keyboard) is that they won't be tied to that keyboard, you'll be able to re-use your samples in other environments in the future.

[nickd]

I had a Fantom Xa, and the sampling was a great way of adding sounds to what it provided on-board.

 

Loading is slow, though, and filename management was confusing (at least to me) so some organisation is needed.

 

Enjoy!

[tucktronix]

Did some sampling with my X6 very recently for my top 40/party band.. worked well

[nickd]

oh, and try skip-back sampling

 

It's potentially very powerful, but I used it most as a 'quick and dirty' way of doing things like sampling a chord or short riff and assigning it to a single key.

[mojkarma]

The sample editing tools on the Fantom blows away other workstations. I would replace my FA-06 with a Fantom G in a second if I could find the right one. I wish the Kronos sample editing and file management worked like the Fantom.

 

Exaggerations aside, Roland actually is the worst when it comes to sampling, for a couple of reasons:

 

1. One reason is, it lacks a loop crossfade function. Without that function, it is almost impossible to create clean loops on samples without clicks on difficult material, and most acoustic instruments belong into this group (voice, brass, strings, pianos, and so on).

 

2. When it comes to the comparison with Kronos, the file system on the Roland, at least on my former Fantom G - and I believe there it's the same with the X and S line of Fantom - each individual sample is indexed with a number from 1 to 2000. So, you fill up the memory with samples from 1 to 2000. But once you decide to delete some samples, it creates holes in this system. For example, you would delete samples from 5 to 15 because you don't need them. Now, if you load new samples, they will be saved from 5 to 15 and on the next free available slot. Within time, this creates an extremely fragmented structure where you can't be sure if you have deleted every single sample which belongs to a multisample you don't need anymore. Your new multisample maybe needs 20 individual samples. So Fantom saves those samples from 5 to 15 and the last 5 samples on the next available free space. On a Kronos when you delete a multisample, you have the option to delete the respective samples too and you don't need to think about where they are saved. It is a single process. You don't need to delete samples separately from the multisample.

 

3. Roland never created a multisample file format. Put simply, if you have a Kurzweil multisample (called keymap) from a K2000, you can load it into the newest Forte. If you have a Korg Trinity multisample, you can load it into a Kronos. You can use your favorite samples from 25 years ago! Roland on the other side never created a dedicated multisample format. Put simply: if you created 50 multisamples with 1500 individual samples on a Fantom S, you had to do this tedious work again on the Fantom X and again on the Fantom G. That's unbelievable for a company which produced samplers and sold sample cd's in the nineties!

 

I could continue with the list (the Fantom G doesn't even recognize correctly when a wav file has a loop so you have to turn it manually on...) but this should be enough to picture where Roland is when it comes to sampling.

[EscapeRocks]

Ok, I acquiesce to those who say I shouldn't like my "new" board's workings.

[burningbusch]

 

Exaggerations aside, Roland actually is the worst when it comes to sampling, for a couple of reasons:

 

1. One reason is, it lacks a loop crossfade function. Without that function, it is almost impossible to create clean loops on samples without clicks on difficult material, and most acoustic instruments belong into this group (voice, brass, strings, pianos, and so on).

 

2. When it comes to the comparison with Kronos, the file system on the Roland, at least on my former Fantom G - and I believe there it's the same with the X and S line of Fantom - each individual sample is indexed with a number from 1 to 2000. So, you fill up the memory with samples from 1 to 2000. But once you decide to delete some samples, it creates holes in this system. For example, you would delete samples from 5 to 15 because you don't need them. Now, if you load new samples, they will be saved from 5 to 15 and on the next free available slot. Within time, this creates an extremely fragmented structure where you can't be sure if you have deleted every single sample which belongs to a multisample you don't need anymore. Your new multisample maybe needs 20 individual samples. So Fantom saves those samples from 5 to 15 and the last 5 samples on the next available free space. On a Kronos when you delete a multisample, you have the option to delete the respective samples too and you don't need to think about where they are saved. It is a single process. You don't need to delete samples separately from the multisample.

 

3. Roland never created a multisample file format. Put simply, if you have a Kurzweil multisample (called keymap) from a K2000, you can load it into the newest Forte. If you have a Korg Trinity multisample, you can load it into a Kronos. You can use your favorite samples from 25 years ago! Roland on the other side never created a dedicated multisample format. Put simply: if you created 50 multisamples with 1500 individual samples on a Fantom S, you had to do this tedious work again on the Fantom X and again on the Fantom G. That's unbelievable for a company which produced samplers and sold sample cd's in the nineties!

 

I could continue with the list (the Fantom G doesn't even recognize correctly when a wav file has a loop so you have to turn it manually on...) but this should be enough to picture where Roland is when it comes to sampling.

 

THANK YOU.

 

#2 above was particularly irksome when I worked with Rolands.

 

My process is to bring the samples into Kontakt where I can quickly map them into multisamples (decent Auto Map functions). Can tune, level adjust here if desired. Save out and use Translator to bring it into the Kronos or Kurzweil. Conversion is very good. Sample Robot is a similar process. I still convert using Translator, better results. I would use Chicken Systems Creator but I prefer Kontakt's auto mapping capabilities and dealing with all this in a more visual format. Yes, I've invested in a few products here but these have been some of the best software investments I've ever made.

 

Busch.

[AnotherScott]

Save out and use Translator to bring it into the Kronos or Kurzweil. Conversion is very good. Sample Robot is a similar process. I still convert using Translator, better results.

Can you describe in what way the results are better?

[EscapeRocks]

It's funny how whenever I simply talk about things I am enjoying and discover as I learn, everyone shits on it. In my other thread a lot of people said I probably will not like the X6.....

 

Or tell me why I shouldn't like.

[burningbusch]

I have not found SRs Kronos conversion to work all that well. On occasion it's fine. Not worth the hassle for me to try it out so I save in Kontakt (.SXT??) format, Translator it and then no problems.

 

I probably should make the guys at SR aware of this and give them some example files to track down the issue. They're usually open to this. I've done this with Chicken Systems a number of times.

 

Busch.

[J. Dan]

It's funny how whenever I simply talk about things I am enjoying and discover as I learn, everyone shits on it. In my other thread a lot of people said I probably will not like the X6.....

 

Or tell me why I shouldn't like.

 

You'll like what we TELL you to like, dammit! Now quit your whining and buy a Nord Lead.

[AnotherScott]

I have not found SRs Kronos conversion to work all that well. On occasion it's fine. Not worth the hassle for me to try it out so I save in Kontakt (.SXT??) format, Translator it and then no problems.

Ah. I never tried SR's Kronos conversion, I've used their soundfont conversion, and brought stuff into the Kronos that way.

[CEB]

It's funny how whenever I simply talk about things I am enjoying and discover as I learn, everyone shits on it. In my other thread a lot of people said I probably will not like the X6.....

 

Or tell me why I shouldn't like.

 

The Fantom is cool. It makes sense and is straight forward. Do don't have to have bitch about how the manual doesn't properly explain why you keep losing all your sample work like in the Kronos.

[EscapeRocks]

It's funny how whenever I simply talk about things I am enjoying and discover as I learn, everyone shits on it. In my other thread a lot of people said I probably will not like the X6.....

 

Or tell me why I shouldn't like.

 

You'll like what we TELL you to like, dammit! Now quit your whining and buy a Nord Lead.

 

 

[mojkarma]

It's funny how whenever I simply talk about things I am enjoying and discover as I learn, everyone shits on it. In my other thread a lot of people said I probably will not like the X6.....

 

Or tell me why I shouldn't like.

 

If this is in any way directed at me, you hit the wrong man. Do enjoy your Fantom X and have fun. If it does what you want to do and if it supports your music, there is nothing more to wish.

I simply don't like general statements about how A blows B out of the water, without a single example or argument. And I have owned Roland keyboards long enough to learn where they excel and where they fail.