Roland Fantom-08 to Replace Roland RD-88 ("GAS attack")

[Old No7]

Does anybody need a Roland RD-88 from a non-smoking home, that's never left the house, was always covered and is in mint condition?  PM me if so!

 

With that as an intro...  I need to resolve the GAS buiding up inside me, so...

 

I'd posted over a month ago about trying the Roland Juno DS-88; and while I liked many of the workstation features, I just couldn't live with the mushy-to-me keybed after playing one for several hours over a few trips to the local GC.  As some folks say here, "workstations are passe" and many users have moved onto DAWs and VSTs.  But honestly, the "very LAST thing" I want to do after a long day working on a computer -- is to start up yet another computer!  No way!

 

Plus, having played with some of my friends VSTs & controllers, I find I just can't get as motivated or inspired playing keys that way...  Sure, they can sound great, but I am old enough to be old school and want a real keyboard -- those I find inspiring.  (It's likely a mental block, but after 55 years of playing keyboards -- I want a real keyboard!)  I've considered other options like the Kurzweil PC4 or PC4 SE (no sampling, or "stripped edition" on that version) or the Korg Nautilus 88 (but the weight is 56% more than the -08).  I've also not had the chance to try any Kurzweils (does ANYONE carry those in stock anywhere?) and the Nautilus seemed OK, but I didn't get to play it for long and it's a beast to move.  That said, I do like the keybed of my RD-88, and its the same on the Fantom-08.

 

-->  Has anyone here made the upgrade from an RD-88 to the Fantom-08?

 

If I recall, there might be a few of you.  Thanks!

 

Old No7

[ElmerJFudd]

Do you need high polyphony and split/layer capability?  Sequencer/DAW features?  Sub outputs?  User sample playback? 
 

Or do you just want a good action that’s not too heavy with bread and butter sounds that can do a simple split and/or layer? 

[Ibarch]

I'm sticking with my RD-88. It strikes the right balance for me between a good weighted keyboard, a large range of sounds, full synth capabilities when used with Zenology Pro yet nice and light for gigging and doesn't cost silly money (looking at you Nord). 

[RABid]

And if you subscribe to the cloud... ... ...

[Old No7]

43 minutes ago, ElmerJFudd said:

Do you need high polyphony and split/layer capability?  Sequencer/DAW features?  Sub outputs?  User sample playback? 
Or do you just want a good action that’s not too heavy with bread and butter sounds that can do a simple split and/or layer? 

I do want the sequencer features and sample playback capabilities, the RD-88 has the "b&b sounds and can do the layer/split" you mention -- but I'm looking for more beat/song/music production capabilties from my main board (with a decent piano action) for when I retire.

 

32 minutes ago, Ibarch said:

I'm sticking with my RD-88. It strikes the right balance for me between a good weighted keyboard, a large range of sounds, full synth capabilities when used with Zenology Pro yet nice and light for gigging and doesn't cost silly money (looking at you Nord). 

Oh yeah, I agree with you about the pricey Nords, I saw that first-hand when at Sam Ash/NYC a few weeks ago!  And while the RD-88 does have great sounds, Zenology Pro (sound synthesis, design & tweaking) is not the direction I'm heading in.

 

3 minutes ago, RABid said:

And if you subscribe to the cloud... ... ...

Nope, not yet...  I'm still basically an old school hardware (if it's on the board, I'll use it) guy; there's too many song fragments and snippets stuck in my head since the late 70s (yeah, I know -- a long time!) that I need to get out of my head and play on my boards -- using the sounds they have as stock -- and recorded onto my Tascam DP-24SD before I can even think about making "new sounds".  I have tons of "old music" that I've written over the years to finish, arrange and produce (mix/master).

 

Hope all that gives you more details for what I am after.

 

Old No7

[ElmerJFudd]

Ok then.  Fantom 8 is a good pick.  Yamaha Montage - although that is about to get updated this fall so watch for that.  These tend to come with quality actions - so I would not say they are going to be light.  

[David Emm]

4 hours ago, Old No7 said:

 But honestly, the "very LAST thing" I want to do after a long day working on a computer -- is to start up yet another computer!  No way!

 

That answers half of your query, right off the top. The 08 makes the best sense overall. A decent keybed is a thing of beauty and not at all common. Having come into my own once I acquired a big Korg, I understand your mindset, pro and con.

 

I occasionally shiver like a dog when something really impressive like the 3rd Wave comes along, but then I recall how weary I became from hunching over a display. Part of my day job when I landed the Korg was on an office network, but going with a DAW took a lot of the fidgety aspects off the table. It improved my posture a lot and put things up front. I always enjoyed digging in, but it was part of an evolutionary process leading to having a CS-80 in a box now.

 

So go with an 08. Its speaking to you clearly on several fronts.