Jazz+ Posted November 26, 2004 Share Posted November 26, 2004 Has anybody heard the mp3 demos of the Yamaha PLG-150AP and had a chance to compare it to the Fantom X piano? And how does the Fantom-X piano stack up against the Yamaha P250 piano? PLG-150AP DEMOS: http://files2.keyfax.com/MP3s/plg150ap/ FANTOM X DEMOS: http://www.rolandus.com/products/details.asp?CatID=8&SubCatID=36&... Find 660 of my jazz piano arrangements of standards for educational purposes and tutorials at www.Patreon.com/HarryLikas Harry was the Technical Editor of Mark Levine's "The Jazz Theory Book" and helped develop "The Jazz Piano Book." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waynester Posted November 26, 2004 Share Posted November 26, 2004 It is, WITH headphones only !its garbage in MONO and pretty average through stereo amplification hey JAZZ i sent you a private message buy you didnt get back to me Roland Fantom X8 (SRX-04, SRX-07, SRX-11, SRX-12) - Yamaha Motif ES7 - Kawai MP11 - Hammond XK-1C - Korg TR Rack - Korg SG Rack - Quiklok Z72 - Quiklok SL930 - Electrovoice SXA360's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phait Posted November 26, 2004 Share Posted November 26, 2004 Sigh. Try it yourself. Then decide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Song80s Posted November 26, 2004 Share Posted November 26, 2004 Jazz sheesh. Haven't you done a search ? This sounds like a familiar post by you Why fit in, when you were born to stand out ? My Soundcloud with many originals: [70's Songwriter] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazz+ Posted November 26, 2004 Author Share Posted November 26, 2004 BonGioviPlayer, I replied. Did you get EV SXa360 speakers? Find 660 of my jazz piano arrangements of standards for educational purposes and tutorials at www.Patreon.com/HarryLikas Harry was the Technical Editor of Mark Levine's "The Jazz Theory Book" and helped develop "The Jazz Piano Book." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlito Posted November 26, 2004 Share Posted November 26, 2004 It's too bad we all get bored with our piano sounds after a while.Our audiences on the other hand couldn't tell the difference between an old Kurzweil K1000 piano and this new Roland.In live performance any of these new pianos will do a great job. For recording, practicing or home entertainment, get Ivory and use your stereo system instead of your P.A. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sven Golly Posted November 26, 2004 Share Posted November 26, 2004 Originally posted by Phait: Sigh. Try it yourself. Then decide. > Phait, you don't actually expect me to use my own judgement to decide whether or not I like a product, do you???? I mean, imagine the stigma I'll face when I add another line to my 75-line-long sig detailing every piece of musical equipment I've ever touched (not to mention everything I ate for lunch), and someone on the forum whom I've never met criticizes me for my poor taste in gear?!?!? The humiliation will be more than I can bear! > Okay, as much as I completely agree with Phait on this one, I'll try and add something constructive of my own to the thread. After much hyping of the Fantom X's grand piano sound, I sat down at an X8 at my local retailer and slapped on the headphones to play around with it a bit. Initially, I was impressed with the quality of the samples, and the expressiveness that I was able to coax out of the instrument. However, as with all gear, I arranged to get a Fantom XR rackmount for a week to use in the real world. I was quickly disappointed once I got it in my rig and played in the context of a 5-piece rock band. It effectively disappeared in the mix to the point where our guitar player mentioned it. I muted the Fantom, unmuted my venerable JV-2080, and everything was back in place. Sure, the 2080 doesn't hold a candle to the Fantom, but in that specific context, it stood head and shoulders above the Fantom. The only environment that I found the Fantom shone was for solo piano accompaniment, and a quieter trio gig I did. I then tried the Motif ES7, and the Fantom went back and the Motif stayed, but only because it fit my needs better. I can't stress that enough. I checked both instruments out for myself, and for me the Motif won out. I wouldn't begin to suggest that this analysis would hold water for ANYONE but me (well, possibly BonGioviPlayer, as we have somewhat similar gigs). As always, YMWV (Your Mileage WILL Vary). No two ways about it. Cheers, SG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Song80s Posted November 26, 2004 Share Posted November 26, 2004 Sven, I am reading from some folks that they expect their Fantoms ( XR's and keyboards ) to be Plug and Play ready at gigs. Before you jump to conclusions, you should check out ' master effects' and improve the gain on low, medium, high. There are several recent posts at Fantomizer with more specifics how to get the acoustic piano to stand out in the mix. This is not much different than your guitarist adjusting his leads with more gain, etc. If your XR was in the first production batch , it might be eligible for a motherboard replacement. Several folks, including myself , noticed an oocaisional burst of static when changing patches. The new mobo solves that plus it creates extra headroom on patches. I owned the 3080 and the Fantom acoustic piano stands head and shoulders above it Why fit in, when you were born to stand out ? My Soundcloud with many originals: [70's Songwriter] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sven Golly Posted November 26, 2004 Share Posted November 26, 2004 Greg: Thanks for the response. I spent a week with the XR, tweaking here and there, trying to get it to sit better in the mix. This was using the "Ultimate Grand" patch, which was touted (by my local retailer) as 'the best piano sound on the market'. Of course, I ignored the hype, but I've known this person for a while, and he hasn't really steered me wrong in the past, once you get past the exuberance. I'm not slamming the Fantom; in fact, I hadn't bought a non-Roland piece of gear since my original Yamaha DX7 back in '89 until I picked up the Motif last month. I really WANTED to the Fantom to be the answer for me. Unfortunately that wasn't the case. There were other things that dissuaded me from picking one up, but none of that pertains to the piano sound. Also, I did not experience the much-discussed noise burst with the XR that I had. All that being said, as I mention above, YMWV. For my use, the Fantom fell short. Simple enough, and my money went to Yamaha this time around. Next time? Who knows, but I'm pretty sure it won't be a ROMpler, as all I'm missing is a VA now. Cheers, SG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waynester Posted November 27, 2004 Share Posted November 27, 2004 Hello again Well i got another gig tomorrow night with my FANTOM X8 and MOTIF ES7, then following day i have booked a rehearsal room to go thru ALL my patches and program some, if after this and ONLY this they still dont cut thru, i WILL Be selling the X8 next week on EBAY and everywhere else i can find on the internet, it cost me £1839 ! plus £70 to upgrade it to 544MB Maximum Sample Ram, plus £170 for flightcase, TOTAL is £2079 !i must say i dont like the MOTIF ES piano sound at all, so christ nose what i`m gonna do !maybe i should get a Digital Piano and get a couple of rack modules? im at the moment VERY unhappy with all this equipment! i wish i had kept my KORG SGPRO X with YAMAHA S80 and KORG N264, all these boards cut thru the MIX beautifully... oh well nite nite Roland Fantom X8 (SRX-04, SRX-07, SRX-11, SRX-12) - Yamaha Motif ES7 - Kawai MP11 - Hammond XK-1C - Korg TR Rack - Korg SG Rack - Quiklok Z72 - Quiklok SL930 - Electrovoice SXA360's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Song80s Posted November 27, 2004 Share Posted November 27, 2004 hey sven, you are 100 % correct, picking a board is subjective. The ES7 is very popular for good reason. I almost bought 1 exactly a year ago and hesitated because I felt January 04 NAMM might shake things up and it did. Certainly from a module standpoint, all reports say that the XR is way ahead of the Motif Rack and Triton Rack. I think the Fantom Ultimate Piano is more of a ' sensitive ' piano then a balls out cut thru the mix piano. Why fit in, when you were born to stand out ? My Soundcloud with many originals: [70's Songwriter] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waynester Posted November 27, 2004 Share Posted November 27, 2004 Hi Greg I agree, the ULTIMATE GRAND patch is truly awesome, when i put the headphones on i cant get off the damm thing! im gona have to try this EQ thing so it cuts thru the mix better, i play 2 Tracks in my Bon Jovi Tribute, "Always" and "Bed of Roses" and my FANTOM X8 just dont cut thru sure its got a nice coloured screen etc, but i want something more, im actually thinking about the GEM PROMEGA 3 Digi Piano, how does that weigh up against the X8 ? does that cut thru? and is it a better acoustic piano sound? i have heard many reliabilty issues with it thanks Roland Fantom X8 (SRX-04, SRX-07, SRX-11, SRX-12) - Yamaha Motif ES7 - Kawai MP11 - Hammond XK-1C - Korg TR Rack - Korg SG Rack - Quiklok Z72 - Quiklok SL930 - Electrovoice SXA360's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waynester Posted November 27, 2004 Share Posted November 27, 2004 Hey JAZZ, there is NO comparison, the YAMAHA Board sucks big time compared to the fantom, i used to own the PLG150, which i had installed in my old YAMAHA S80 and it was garbage,i sold it in 2 days for a profit! (oh the joys of EBAY) yeah it sounds good dont it? but try it and then laugh! Roland Fantom X8 (SRX-04, SRX-07, SRX-11, SRX-12) - Yamaha Motif ES7 - Kawai MP11 - Hammond XK-1C - Korg TR Rack - Korg SG Rack - Quiklok Z72 - Quiklok SL930 - Electrovoice SXA360's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waynester Posted November 27, 2004 Share Posted November 27, 2004 Forgot to say, heres your proof! http://www.harmony-central.com/Synth/Data/Yamaha/PLG150-PF-01.html ROLAND FANTOM X8 WINS BY TECHNOLOGY ! Roland Fantom X8 (SRX-04, SRX-07, SRX-11, SRX-12) - Yamaha Motif ES7 - Kawai MP11 - Hammond XK-1C - Korg TR Rack - Korg SG Rack - Quiklok Z72 - Quiklok SL930 - Electrovoice SXA360's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waynester Posted November 27, 2004 Share Posted November 27, 2004 doh !! what a complete idiot i am ! i got confused, thought you meant the PF board and NOT the AP, SORRY ! i used to own the PF board, didnt even no about the AP board, jesus where have i been! too many gigs on the road, and not enough store playing, lol Roland Fantom X8 (SRX-04, SRX-07, SRX-11, SRX-12) - Yamaha Motif ES7 - Kawai MP11 - Hammond XK-1C - Korg TR Rack - Korg SG Rack - Quiklok Z72 - Quiklok SL930 - Electrovoice SXA360's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeT156 Posted November 27, 2004 Share Posted November 27, 2004 Originally posted by Phait: ___________________________________ Sigh. Try it yourself. Then decide. ___________________________________ I got to agree with Phait, again. If this isn't subjective rehash, I don't know what is. Give it a break. Mike T. Yamaha Motif ES8, Alesis Ion, Prophet 5 Rev 3.2, 1979 Rhodes Mark 1 Suitcase 73 Piano, Arp Odyssey Md III, Roland R-70 Drum Machine, Digitech Vocalist Live Pro. Roland Boss Chorus Ensemble CE-1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Song80s Posted November 27, 2004 Share Posted November 27, 2004 hey Bon-G, you have an impressive setup . The GEM Pro 3 does appear to be a formidable board but I have no experience with it. I found some mp 3's here: http://www.musicallyyours.co.uk/Piano%27s%20Keyboard%20P When you have some time with your Fantom X, try boosting the decay on all 4 tones and changing the Sympathetic Resonance. As you know, you can boost the gain of low, mid and high in the EQ section of Master Effects. This will effect all your patches but add some nice edge for performance. I can't be more specific since my XR is in the shop for a mo' board replacement. When I get that baby back home, it will be fun setting up new performances. For excellent advice, there are Fantom power users over at fantomized.info Why fit in, when you were born to stand out ? My Soundcloud with many originals: [70's Songwriter] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waynester Posted November 27, 2004 Share Posted November 27, 2004 Sorry to sound a stupid moron but how do you do all this ? thanks Roland Fantom X8 (SRX-04, SRX-07, SRX-11, SRX-12) - Yamaha Motif ES7 - Kawai MP11 - Hammond XK-1C - Korg TR Rack - Korg SG Rack - Quiklok Z72 - Quiklok SL930 - Electrovoice SXA360's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Song80s Posted November 27, 2004 Share Posted November 27, 2004 hmmm, sounds like you need to hire a ' Sound Technician ' As I mentioned, I own the Fantom XR, the rack version of your Fantom X8. Its not touch screen, and the menu navigation is different than your X8. And my XR is in the shop. I will try to get you started. Press the menu button, look for effects- press that and look for MFX. Now here is the most important step- find your manual and look for ' Adding Effects ' and read the steps, and make changes on your X8. You can do this, I have confidence in you. Why fit in, when you were born to stand out ? My Soundcloud with many originals: [70's Songwriter] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill H. Posted November 27, 2004 Share Posted November 27, 2004 Hi Sven- I was wondering if you had any thoughts as to why the Fantom X piano wasn't cutting through. Isn't there enough attack transient...or is it in the wrong frequency range? Like you, I'm a live player and cueerntly limping along with the Session piano played from a Fatar SL-880...well, at least it cuts. Both my boards...the Fatar and an XP-60...are wearing out from countless bar gigs and I have to do something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sergievsky Posted November 28, 2004 Share Posted November 28, 2004 I just took my FantomXR on a concert last night after just arriving the previous night. There were about 5,000 people packed (quite dangerously) in a gym-type venue with a sound engineer who doesn't know what he's doing. Our monitoring were really quite awful. But anyway, despite all that, the piano sounded very good, and thought it had more attack than the Triton piano expansion that I was previously using. I still like the Triton exp board for rubato songs, but I think the XR was more...grand. A 9ft as opposed to a 6ft steinway. But of course still not like the real thing, but on a pop rock setting on PA systems that run from bad to great, it's pretty damn good. I bought it so I could free up my triton for pads and synths, and I only previously heard the XR very quickly on a fantom kybd hooked up to a little amp. I was blown away then, but not quite as much when I heard it again in a different atmosphere. But still, impressed enough that I bought one. And now after taking it on a gig with a bad soundsystem and still sound good, I am back to being blown away by it and can't wait to test out the other sounds, adding layers to the piano and such. I'm about to hook it up now to my ADAM S3As so now I get to really nitpick on its sound quality. But as it is, I highly recommend it. ............... So after hearing it through the ADAMs, the Ultimate piano patch now has a too midrangey sound. The concert grand patch was much better, still better than the Triton exp piano, but not by a whole lot. Once I have time I'll have to edit that Ultimate patch, but again, the regular concert grand patch is so good I've have no qualms using it in a recording. BTW, the ep on the XR are really great too, and actually, the synth sounds as well. A real good module. Raul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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