Roland decisions? Fantom XR or XV-5080

[superpowter77]

After the xv-2020's w/SRX-09 & SRX-10 BIG Fiasco. I'm thinking to get a pro unit with better DA converters, pro effects and better output. THose are my considerations besides motif rack es which I'm going to test it personally this weekend.

 

Is fantom XR sound module worth its $1395. How XV-5080 compare against fantom XR.

Should I expect my SRX library's will sound a lot better on those babies??. I'm going to use them just for live performing.

[soundscape]

AFAIK the XV-2020 uses the same or similar 'XV chip' to the XV-5080; the difference is in polyphony, and the XV-2020 only has one insert effect and lacks COSM. The D/A convertors of the XV-2020 are fine quality.

 

I doubt the XV-5080 will transform patches that really aren't doing it for you on the XV-2020 into something you like.

[RABid]

The 5080 was designed to be studio quality and I think it is still the most powerful unit they have released. The difference is the bit rate and processing power for the effects and multiple outputs. It also has dual MIDI inputs and will play 32 parts at once. None of this will really be noticed on stage unless you want to assign organ or bass parts to special outputs so they can be process seperately.

 

I think your main problem my be the Roland sound which is different than the Korg sound which is different from the Yamaha sound. Roland sounds do very well when layering a lot of parts and Roland was a favorite for orchestration before everyone moved to computers and GigaStudio. With a Roland unit you can have a lot going without making the song muddy. On the opposite end, Korg sounds are designed to be thick and full and take a lot of space. I think this is why you used to see a lot more Korgs on stage while Roland units were popular in the studio. Yamaha seems to be somewhere in the middle and while the OS is the hardest of the three to manage the sound has a nice balance, full but not muddy.

 

Robert

[Song80s]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Roland-Fantom-XR-rack-No-Reserve_W0QQitemZ260038812774QQihZ016QQcategoryZ38090QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

I have no idea how the SRX 's sounded on your 2020

Of course, the 2020 is a budget unit with basic effects.

I can't give you a breakdown on D/A convertors.

You can assume you get what you pay for.

 

I think you should consider the XR over the 5080. The XR has different efx plus COSM. Another subtle difference is improved

head room plus it has balanced audio outs. You would expect the XR to be more updated than the 5080 and it is.

Plus you can convert the XV soundset to your XR. Go over to

Fantomized for more details

 

The XR is not as expensive as you think if you shop a little.

I think you would be solid with an out of box as long as you submit the warranty card. No warranty, no buy.

 

I see you like the SRX's, as do many of us. The XR will be a nice holder for more SRX's

 

Rab is correct about ES Motif Rack. Crappy OS, great sounds. Tweaking patches is doable but will take more time. If you are used to the Yamaha OS you would have an easier time

[Kayvon]

I replied in your other thread about the SRX/XV and I've just myself bought an XR.

 

I think it would be wrong to think that if you just bought a Fantom XR, all you problems would be solved. I believe there is an acceptable acoustic piano for live band use onboard the XR without the SRX-11 but I think it will require some tweaking to tailor to my particular taste and midi controller.

 

What I can say about the XR is that the onboard effects are excellent and the editing from the front screen is easy to use, it'll be a while before I start using it to its full potential.

 

Also bear in mind the XR is a sampler so if it's the SRX-11 you've got a thing against, you could upgrade to a third-party library.

[Jazz+]

Playing live, you won't hear a difference live between the XV-2020, XV5080 or Fantom hosting the SRX Expansion Boards. The Effects will be the only variable and for live playing I think they are irrelevant. I turn the Effects off live.

You will hear a difference between their Internal Factory Patches. The 2020 Internal Patches sound compressed and lack the same sonic detail as the Fantom and 5080 Patches.

[soundscape]

Originally posted by Jazz+:

You will hear a difference between their Internal Factory Patches. The 2020 Internal Patches sound compressed and lack the same sonic detail as the Fantom and 5080 Patches.

I thought the XV-2020 and 5080 both had the same Wave ROM? (64Mb.)

[Jazz+]

I don't know about the MB size, but the Output is not the same.

 

Like the 1010, the 2020 really dumbs down the same sound set.

[Jazz+]

For live playing, try the SRX-11's Piano # 4. It sounds clearer and less muffled.

[soundscape]

Originally posted by Jazz+:

I don't know about the MB size, but the Output is not the same.

Well, I'm not denying that you've not heard a significant difference. I'm just curious as to why--after all if the SRX boards sound the same as the other Rolands then the XV engine and D/A conversion are presumably up to high standards.

[Jazz+]

The Internal patches on the 2020 are compressed to hell.

[RABid]

Even though a lot of the Roland products use the same sample set, they don't all process in the same way and not all sample sets are saved the same way. Like many companies, Roland compresses the samples that are stored in ROM. Note the XXX Meg uncompressed disclaimer when listing sample size for internal ROM and JV/SRX expansion ROMs. Just as sample compression can vary when stored, the units also vary on bit rate when they process the samples and pass them through effects. Processing rate when using reverb or filters can make a huge difference. If I remember correctly, the internal sounds of the XV-5080 are the same as the XP keyboards, but those sounds are converted and processed at a higher rate when playing. The early Fantoms and 2020s have samples stored at a higher bit rate on ROM but the sound processing was not quite up to the standards of the XV-5080. You cannot really expect the budget rack unit to compete with the top level unit in sound quality. The best sound is obtained when uncompressed samples are loaded into a XV-5080 and then put through the synth engine and effects.

 

I studied this before the FantomXR was released so I am not sure how it compares to the XV-5080 in processing power. I do know that the XV-5080 has more outputs, plays more channels, and holds 4 SRX and 4 JV expansion cards. The FantomXR holds 6 SRX and no JV expansions. Both have a nice computer editor. Oh, I am not sure if the software was ever delivered to allow the XR to import older Roland Sample CDs. The XV-5080 imports them fine.

 

Robert