Keyboards

[The Sushi Hunter]

I was out in Tokyo shopping and ran across a very motivating music store. I saw this really good looking and sounding keyboard in there. It`s the Roland Fantom G8. Anyone know if this is all it`s cracked up to be? I may be getting a new keyboard when I return to the U.S. and this seems like the creme of the creme so to speak. I like that it has a very sizable monitor with mouse. Makes it very easy to negociate around. Not like my old Yamaha SY77 where I spend more time fucking with programming and setting it up then I do being creative.

In Japan, the Roland Fantom G8 is selling for 327,000 yen. That is roughly $3,015.00. If anyone knows about this keyboard, could you tell me if it`s a good unit and if the price is too much or o.k. I`m into creating original music using an assortment of different instruments. So it would be overkill if I was just interested in playing classical piano. But I`m into full on songs.

Thanks

[larryfromnextdoor]

why would anyone in their right mind want to play the Keyboards??.. for that price you could obtain 2 les paul standards, a little 30 watt amp .. an ibanez tube screamer and a date..

and for crying out loud.. deep fry your food.. lard is our friend..

[Monstrock]

What the fuck? Are you planning to revive your musical career or what?

[stevew2]

why would anyone in their right mind want to play the Keyboards??.. for that price you could obtain 2 les paul standards, a little 30 watt amp .. an ibanez tube screamer and a date..

and for crying out loud.. deep fry your food.. lard is our friend..

You are retarded Larry, how could you even like Journey without keyboards. Guitar has one fucking sound. Keyboards, are Piano, Organ {B3 ] brass, and all kinds of synth,and any kind of sounds you can imagine

[larryfromnextdoor]

why would anyone in their right mind want to play the Keyboards??.. for that price you could obtain 2 les paul standards, a little 30 watt amp .. an ibanez tube screamer and a date..

and for crying out loud.. deep fry your food.. lard is our friend..

You are retarded Larry, how could you even like Journey without keyboards. Guitar has one fucking sound. Keyboards, are Piano, Organ {B3 ] brass, and all kinds of synth,and any kind of sounds you can imagine

that one sound is your money maker..

who gets the first solo???guitar.. then it might be passed to the keyboard player.. after the harmonica..

[stevew2]

Lets have a grand piano intro re; Faithfully, top that fag Fregga

[larryfromnextdoor]

Lets have a grand piano intro re; Faithfully, top that fag Fregga

ok....

you know i LOVE that B3 sound.. wow.. and boy can that cover up guitar mistakes.. just love it.. but carrying it .. is ANOTHER STORY!!

speaking of story.. make sure its upstairs when we play.. UGH!!

[stevew2]

Lets have a grand piano intro re; Faithfully, top that fag Fregga

ok....

you know i LOVE that B3 sound.. wow.. and boy can that cover up guitar mistakes.. just love it.. but carring it .. ANOTHER STORY!!

speaking of story.. make sure its upstairs when we play.. UGH!!

??

[G.I.Jim]

why would anyone in their right mind want to play the Keyboards??.. for that price you could obtain 2 les paul standards, a little 30 watt amp .. an ibanez tube screamer and a date..

and for crying out loud.. deep fry your food.. lard is our friend..

I will CUT you Larry! To answer your question though...are you really big into sampling? If not, I'd definitely go with the Motif XS. I've got 2 Motif's, and to me they're the best thing out there on the market. They do have hellacious samplers too, but I think the Roland is just bigger with sampling, and having more beat-making features. It's hard to beat the ease of use of the workstation functions of the Yamaha. The recording features couldn't be more user friendly, and I think the sounds are much better quality than the Roland. JMHO.

[The Sushi Hunter]

What the fuck? Are you planning to revive your musical career or what?

Just make it a bit easier to negociate. I`ve never stopped. Just haven`t made it the number one priority or the most time consuming of my dealings. But I would like to find a way to do things a bit easier where it would save me some time instead of programming only.

I don`t know about the sampling deal. I usually just choose various voices and create a good melody and work on it from there until the music becomes complete and finished. I was not intending to get a new keyboard, until I happened to sit down and play around with the display model that they had set up and out for hands on experiencing. I was really drawn to it right way and before long, I realized that I could spend more time creating then just programming and making voices.

Anyways, thanks for the information. When I get back home, I`ll go down to the local big music shop and see whats available. But so far I really like what I got from the time I spent with the G8.

[Ehwmatt]

why would anyone in their right mind want to play the Keyboards??.. for that price you could obtain 2 les paul standards, a little 30 watt amp .. an ibanez tube screamer and a date..

and for crying out loud.. deep fry your food.. lard is our friend..

I will CUT you Larry! To answer your question though...are you really big into sampling? If not, I'd definitely go with the Motif XS. I've got 2 Motif's, and to me they're the best thing out there on the market. They do have hellacious samplers too, but I think the Roland is just bigger with sampling, and having more beat-making features. It's hard to beat the ease of use of the workstation functions of the Yamaha. The recording features couldn't be more user friendly, and I think the sounds are much better quality than the Roland. JMHO.

Jim, can you shed some light for me on your piano sounds? Are you pleased with what you get out of the Motif? My keyboard player has the Motif rackmount unit and we both agree that the built in tones from his Casio DP (its one of those 500 or 600$ ones, the DP-something) sound crisper and have more attack. We've been pretty disappointed with the piano tones and some other sounds from the Motif. I know tons of people get great sounds from the Motif, including David Paich and Dennis DeYoung. Is this a problem with the rack unit or is he just not setting things up right? All my tech knowledge is with the guitar gear so I'm clueless.

[chynablue]

I went to Guitar Center during their Thanksgiving "madness" sale to buy my dad something for Christmas. I went to check out a Motif but there were kids hanging around it banging out all this hip hop stuff. I really wanted a Motif (still do!). The Fantom was avaialable so I tried it. The piano was AMAZING. I went over the pros & cons with my dad, I mean I don't need all this sampling stuff! My dad said "but that piano sounds like YOU. Damn. I bought the 88 key version on the spot, and I've been recording with it ever since. I am right now in fact. And I have it on good authority that J Cain has used the piano from both the Fantom and the Motif.

Still, I want my Motif! But the Fantom price in Japan sounds around the same as the U.S. price. I'd wait and get a blemished model from Musicians Friend.com, they never have a scratch on them anyway. : )

[Deb]

I went to Guitar Center during their Thanksgiving "madness" sale to buy my dad something for Christmas.  I went to check out a Motif but there were kids hanging around it banging out all this hip hop stuff.  I really wanted a Motif (still do!).  The Fantom was avaialable so I tried it.  The piano was AMAZING.  I went over the pros & cons with my dad, I mean I don't need all this sampling stuff!  My dad said "but that piano sounds like YOU.  Damn.  I bought the 88 key version on the spot, and I've been recording with it ever since.  I am right now in fact.  And I have it on good authority that J Cain has used the piano from both the Fantom and the Motif.Still, I want my Motif!  But the Fantom price in Japan sounds around the same as the U.S. price.  I'd wait and get a blemished model from Musicians Friend.com, they never have a scratch on them anyway.  : )

Have a blast on the 29th Eric!  Would love to be seeing that show too! Anybody going.......reviews and pics please.     I gather you and the Mrs. won't be able to make JSS's show on the 28th at Palidinos this time?

[chynablue]

Thanks Deb! Sadly I won't be able to see my friend JSS rock the house, or to blow away the masses at San Francisco. I'm glad he was able to take that SF gig, when the promoter asked me Jeff was my first suggestion! I'm leaving for NY on Wednesday and will be rehaersing with both Ted Poley's band and Eric Martin's guys also - I'm pulling double-duty for this show, it should be a blast! For those that are stranded on the east coast that weekend, come to PA! It's an all ages acoustic show that is turning into something really special (and not just because I'm crash coursing on 28 songs in 7 days!). Somebody buy my boy a Grey Goose, eh?

It's kicking off to be a rocking summer. Put on your dancing shoes!

[G.I.Jim]

why would anyone in their right mind want to play the Keyboards??.. for that price you could obtain 2 les paul standards, a little 30 watt amp .. an ibanez tube screamer and a date..

and for crying out loud.. deep fry your food.. lard is our friend..

I will CUT you Larry! To answer your question though...are you really big into sampling? If not, I'd definitely go with the Motif XS. I've got 2 Motif's, and to me they're the best thing out there on the market. They do have hellacious samplers too, but I think the Roland is just bigger with sampling, and having more beat-making features. It's hard to beat the ease of use of the workstation functions of the Yamaha. The recording features couldn't be more user friendly, and I think the sounds are much better quality than the Roland. JMHO.

Jim, can you shed some light for me on your piano sounds? Are you pleased with what you get out of the Motif? My keyboard player has the Motif rackmount unit and we both agree that the built in tones from his Casio DP (its one of those 500 or 600$ ones, the DP-something) sound crisper and have more attack. We've been pretty disappointed with the piano tones and some other sounds from the Motif. I know tons of people get great sounds from the Motif, including David Paich and Dennis DeYoung. Is this a problem with the rack unit or is he just not setting things up right? All my tech knowledge is with the guitar gear so I'm clueless.

Yeah.....first a few things. There are 3 different Motif's out there. Motif, Motif ES, and Motif XS. The XS is the newest one, and the features are incredible! I also have a Motif ES, but I didn't care for the piano sounds either. I went online, and bought real piano samples. I'd heard several samples before, but Keyfax sells a couple of different sound banks you can buy and just download. Those are the best piano sounds I've ever heard come out of a keyboard. Each set that you download comes with several different types of pianos, pads, etc...

I now use the new XS for all of my recording, and the sampled pianos won't work for the new board. I do have to say though, I'm really digging the sounds from the new Motif. It has great organic sounds (Piano, strings, horns). I also use a Korg Karma, but only for pads/lead guitars. It has some really lush sounds.

I don't think there's a more reliable, easier to use workstation out there for building and recording songs. JMHO. I can't say that I've really spent any time trying to record with the Rolands though. Yamaha's just really accessible, and you don't have to dig in the manual too much.

I guess to go along with your question though, it's not just the sounds you're using. It also depends on how you eq them, and set them in the mix. You could try messing around with the EQ settings, and see if that brightens up the sound. Just an idea. If you're serious about recording, they sell sonic maximizers that change piano sounds a LOT. I used one on a country album I recorded, and it brought the piano right out. They only run about $150-$200. You might like it if you try it out.

The website you can hear the samples at is www.motifator.com

Good luck with your music!

Jim

[G.I.Jim]

forgot to tell you, when you check out the website, click on "Motifmart" at the top, then click "midi sample libraries". There's a BUNCH of different samples you can buy. Good luck,


Jim

[JohnH]

I'm reading a lot of negative reports on the sounds of the Fantom. The Motif XS seems to be the cream at the moment, as well as the new Kurzweil. Keep in mind, the best way to get really good piano sounds is to layer them in the Performance (or the XS Rack's Multi) Mode. You also have to bring up volumes from the stock value of 100 to the full value of 127 and adjust Eqs from their zero values and turn up or down things like Reverb and Chorus. The piano sounds on the Es are actually pretty good if you do the things I suggest. I have an S90Es and MO6, both of which are based on the ES and the stock piano sounds are pretty lame unless you adjust them. The new XS is a lot better, but it's the same story. Without turning stuff up, it's not as great as it could be. Oh and yes, Im primarily a keyboardist, but I also have a strat and a Jackson and a Mesa Boogie and Rockman Chorus. I can play solo and rythym guitar . Neal is one of my influences.

John

[AlienC]

I was out in Tokyo shopping and ran across a very motivating music store. I saw this really good looking and sounding keyboard in there. It`s the Roland Fantom G8. Anyone know if this is all it`s cracked up to be? I may be getting a new keyboard when I return to the U.S. and this seems like the creme of the creme so to speak. I like that it has a very sizable monitor with mouse. Makes it very easy to negociate around. Not like my old Yamaha SY77 where I spend more time fucking with programming and setting it up then I do being creative.

In Japan, the Roland Fantom G8 is selling for 327,000 yen. That is roughly $3,015.00. If anyone knows about this keyboard, could you tell me if it`s a good unit and if the price is too much or o.k. I`m into creating original music using an assortment of different instruments. So it would be overkill if I was just interested in playing classical piano. But I`m into full on songs.

Thanks

You need to realize that the MI ( Music Instrument) Industry is a lot like the automotive one. Models may be developed and released in a certain geographic area with no intention of expanding, ever.
It's a parallel side of "grey Market", differing in that there would be no equivalent model in the final destination country.

You should find out if they will honor any warranty in the US or if they will disown it if it appears at Roland dealer counter for service.

Seriously, contact Alan Rosen at Bananas at Large in San Rafael. ( alan@bananas.com) tell him I said he's the man.
Roland USA does not equal Roland Japan.


not like he needs me

[The Sushi Hunter]

Thanks for all the info. I will definitely check out all the models mentioned and go from there.

Does this mean that Roland in Japan is far better then Roland in the U.S. or do you mean the other way around?

[JohnH]

Yea....Warranties are not transferable across borders. Also, If I buy the keyboard new and sell it to you, there is no warranty.

[Rip Rokken]

Are you planning to revive your musical career or what?

Just make it a bit easier to negotiate. I've never stopped. Just haven't made it the number one priority or the most time consuming of my dealings. But I would like to find a way to do things a bit easier where it would save me some time instead of programming only.

Change your stage name to Jonathan Clam and the doors of opportunity will magically open everywhere you go!



Seriously, wishing you the best of luck with your endeavors! Looking forward to hearing more about it.

[JohnH]

Also another thing...Japan is @ 100 volts...US is 120 Volt...you may need a step converter to use it in the US. Some keyboards have switchable voltage. The Motif XS is switchable, no converter needed

[The Sushi Hunter]

Also another thing...Japan is @ 100 volts...US is 120 Volt...you may need a step converter to use it in the US. Some keyboards have switchable voltage. The Motif XS is switchable, no converter needed

I purchased my Yamaha SY77 in Japan and brought it back to the states with me. It works purfectly. But back when I brought it to the Philippines when joining the new Uly band, I didn`t use my brain and plugged it directly into the wall socket at my then girlfriends house. That`s when I learned that the sockets in the Philippines are 220 volts. Didn`t damage the keyboard thank god for miracles, but I did blow the four fuses that are in the unit. Had to drive fucking all the way to Manila from Pampanga in a shitty truck that had only second gear to bring the unit into the only authorized Yamaha service place. I didn`t know it was just a matter of replacing the four fuses. Thought I burned it out for good at first. You know how fucking long it took to make that usual 3 hour trip! Fuck that sucked, but I did get my keyboard back on line without completely distroying it which made this entire experience forgivable.

I will definitely check out this Motif when I get home. The mention of this product has me really currious.

Thanks a bunch

[NealIsGod]

why would anyone in their right mind want to play the Keyboards??.. for that price you could obtain 2 les paul standards, a little 30 watt amp .. an ibanez tube screamer and a date..

and for crying out loud.. deep fry your food.. lard is our friend..

You are retarded Larry, how could you even like Journey without keyboards. Guitar has one fucking sound. Keyboards, are Piano, Organ {B3 ] brass, and all kinds of synth,and any kind of sounds you can imagine

that one sound is your money maker..

who gets the first solo???guitar.. then it might be passed to the keyboard player.. after the harmonica..

I'm with Lar. Gimme more guitars and less keys.

[Rhiannon]

who gets the first solo???guitar.. then it might be passed to the keyboard player.. after the harmonica..

I'm with Lar. Gimme more guitars and less keys.

I'd like to hear more cowbell.

[larryfromnextdoor]

I'm with Lar. Gimme more guitars and less keys.

i said all that before i realized all those hot shot piano/keyboard players would respond..

i couldnt even make a simple C chord on the piano..

[stevew2]

I'm with Lar. Gimme more guitars and less keys.

i said all that before i realized all those hot shot piano/keyboard players would respond..

i couldnt even make a simple C chord on the piano..

Can you play a D chord on guitar?

[larryfromnextdoor]

I'm with Lar. Gimme more guitars and less keys.

i said all that before i realized all those hot shot piano/keyboard players would respond..

i couldnt even make a simple C chord on the piano..

Can you play a D chord on guitar?

yes, underwater and behind my back too!!

[stevew2]

I'm with Lar. Gimme more guitars and less keys.

i said all that before i realized all those hot shot piano/keyboard players would respond..

i couldnt even make a simple C chord on the piano..

Can you play a D chord on guitar?

yes, underwater and behind my back too!!

If you can play D G and A,you got the makins of a a good country song

[StyxCollector]

I was out in Tokyo shopping and ran across a very motivating music store. I saw this really good looking and sounding keyboard in there. It`s the Roland Fantom G8. Anyone know if this is all it`s cracked up to be? I may be getting a new keyboard when I return to the U.S. and this seems like the creme of the creme so to speak. I like that it has a very sizable monitor with mouse. Makes it very easy to negociate around. Not like my old Yamaha SY77 where I spend more time fucking with programming and setting it up then I do being creative.

In Japan, the Roland Fantom G8 is selling for 327,000 yen. That is roughly $3,015.00. If anyone knows about this keyboard, could you tell me if it`s a good unit and if the price is too much or o.k. I`m into creating original music using an assortment of different instruments. So it would be overkill if I was just interested in playing classical piano. But I`m into full on songs.

Thanks

Probably too late, but the G series is out here as well. Same stuff. It's the successor to the X series. I have the Fantom X7. The Fantom G series has some nice enhancements, but has some negatives like it doesn't support the SRX expansion boards, so for now you'd be stuck to using the waveforms in it creating your own sounds or using presets (of which they didn't port 1:1 from the X series or the SRX boards). They will have ARX expansion boards.

The Yamaha Motif series is also good. It really depends what you like/need/are used to. I've been using Roland stuff forever so their OSes are intuitive to me. The Yamaha and Korg stuff is less intuitive to me. The Yamaha Motif is a great alternative to the Fantoms.

I will say this: the Roland stuff is generally built like tanks. My Fantom X7 took a spill down an elevator shaft and it only needed $300 in repairs.

Tokyo is great for guitar shopping (drool - esp. some of the used stuff), and I saw some decent used Fantoms over there (too expensive and a pain to schlep back).