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Hammond Organ Style Sounds on Roland Fantom XR


ggm1960

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I'm thinking of upgrading to a Roland Fantom rack module. I've always liked the Roland piano sounds but have never been very impressed with their organ sounds.

 

I Currently have a JV-1080 sound module and an XP-30 keyboard which are essentially the same sound engine wise and have what I think are very good piano sounds but I also use a Korg X5D that I prefer for organ sounds on live gigs.

 

Recently I purchased the M-Audio Key Rig software and although I thought the piano sound sucked I was really impressed with the "electro-magnetic" organ module. It's really a shame I can't use them live but my laptop doesn't have the muscle to play these software programs realtime.

 

The big question is..... does the Fantom have better organ sounds and/or do any of the expansion boards have better organ sounds?

I know the Fantom does sampling. Is it possible to get better organ sound in there that way?

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I think the Fantom Rack (which hosts a Fantom X in rackmount format) surpasses the XD5 in organ sounds. This holds even more so for the SRX-07 expansion card. To me, SRX-7 offers the best organs I heard in a non-clonwheel package.

 

There is a guy at www.fantomized.info who programmed a performance in such a way, that a drawbar B3 is emulated. It's called B4real or something like that. I haven't tried it, but it looks like a very good route.

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SRX-07 is the way to go at present for Hammond/Leslies in a Fantom. The only way to go, as stock organs are awful.

 

The Hammond and Leslie are sampled together as a single instrument. There are significant drawbacks doing it this way and there are those who can't stand this approach, but I personally think they're the best B3/Leslie sounds in any rompler today given the current state of Leslie simulation technology.

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Sounds like maybe that SRX-07 may be the way to go. It apparently includes lots of the old JV expansion module sounds.

 

I went ahead and ordered the Fantom as I knew I would anyway. An eBay store is selling them for $1190 total as opposed to $1395 quite literally everywhere else.

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Attempting to make Hammond sounds from a rompler is hazardous to your health. You will break out in hives. You will be struck deaf and blind. Your girlfriend will cheat on you. Your growth will be stunted. You will smell bad and be shunned by society. Your music will suck. Your mother will throw you out of the basement, and you will be forced to get a real job.

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If you play organ on 2-3 songs a night, you can probably get by with the stock sounds in the Fantom. If you play any decent amount of organ, I'd go with a dedicated clone.

 

I saw this band recently that did a bunch of old funk and soul and had a lot of organ based keys, and a lot of organ solos. The guy was a good player but he was using a Roland XP80, and it sounded flat and lame.

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Attempting to make Hammond sounds from a rompler is hazardous to your health. You will break out in hives. You will be struck deaf and blind. Your girlfriend will cheat on you. Your growth will be stunted. You will smell bad and be shunned by society. Your music will suck. Your mother will throw you out of the basement, and you will be forced to get a real job.

 

 

This is exactly why I had to moonlight as an international assassin until I could afford a clone-wheel, luckily I never went blind, though.

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If you want good organ sounds you really have to get a XK-3, CX-3 or Nord.

 

 

It's a tough call; the need for practicality, portability and multi-functionality at local bar room gigs balanced against the desire to emulate sounds that are accurate and inspiring, all while staying within a weekend gig style budget.

 

In my own case I'm still playing guitar for 2/3 to 3/4 of the night so I'm toting a double rig already. Most the keyboard stuff I do requires piano sound so it's the first priority.

The Fantom will be a direct replacement for the JV-1080 which can only be an improvement as well as freeing up one rack space.

 

The day will come when I have a portable computer with the muscle to use some of my favorite software synths but until then I'll have to make do with what I have and what I can afford.

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It's a tough call; the need for practicality, portability and multi-functionality at local bar room gigs balanced against the desire to emulate sounds that are accurate and inspiring, all while staying within a weekend gig style budget.


In my own case I'm still playing guitar for 2/3 to 3/4 of the night so I'm toting a double rig already. Most the keyboard stuff I do requires piano sound so it's the first priority.

The Fantom will be a direct replacement for the JV-1080 which can only be an improvement as well as freeing up one rack space.


The day will come when I have a portable computer with the muscle to use some of my favorite software synths but until then I'll have to make do with what I have and what I can afford.

 

 

Ok I understand just do not expect much is the basic point. What MateStubb and Danz88 says is true.

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I found some great B4 samples for my Triton. I actually preferred to use the Triton w/samples, rather than my XK2 for the six months that I was in a situation similar to yours (guit + keys).

 

I don't know if you can load samples in the Fantom, but if you can, it would be worthwhile to check the net for Hammond samples in Roland format.

 

Good Luck.

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I have a fantom XR module and the organ sounds suck, IMO.

 

(FWIW, Roland has some other decent organ options... I always liked how the leslie sim on the VK's sounded... much better than most other leslie sims... and the FP 7 has an OK organ patch.)

 

Either way, if you're in need of a good organ patch look somewhere other than the Fantoms.....

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I have a fantom XR module and the organ sounds suck, IMO.


(FWIW, Roland has some other decent organ options... I always liked how the leslie sim on the VK's sounded... much better than most other leslie sims... and the FP 7 has an OK organ patch.)


Either way, if you're in need of a good organ patch look somewhere other than the Fantoms.....

 

 

 

My roland RD300sx has a great hammond patch. Its just a stage piano ,, but for the price , and the wt ... it will do anything I want. rat

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Roland does not make good organ sounds in general.

 

No rompler does, or none that Ive found, or at least *every* time I want to use a hammond type sound, usually something with some real punch and balls to it, the harmonics I want to bring just aint there, and no amount of comrpesion/saturation and eq will bring it out... Grrrr!

 

I thought the fusion might have been good actually, but stil not the soujd Im after, best best so far has been synthesising it on a virus ti... :confused:

 

BTW - anyone used that roland vk-8m module? Any good?

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The organs on the SRX 07 are sort of weak, but I like their leslie modeller. The Korg sounds better but I dont like the leslie (except the Oasys rocks- but hey thats 8K) The Nord is great but if you are on strict budget try to get a old EMU B-3 module.

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I thought the fusion might have been good actually, but stil not the soujd Im after, best best so far has been synthesising it on a virus ti...
:confused:

BTW - anyone used that roland vk-8m module? Any good?

 

FWIW, there's a patch on the Fusion called "Warm and Toasty B" that doesn't sound all that hot by itself but once in a mix sounds fabulous. Actually, even my Electro doesn't sound exceptionally fabulous by its lonesome but when it's in a mix it's stunning.

 

I guess you can say that about nearly every instrument. Few sounds by themselves are truly mind-boggling, and the ones that are really don't play well in a mix.

 

Some people swear by the VK8. A lot of folks seem underwhelmed by it. I'm sure it's better than first and second generation clones (by degrees) and better than nearly all ROMplers.

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Some people swear by the VK8. A lot of folks seem underwhelmed by it. I'm sure it's better than first and second generation clones (by degrees) and better than nearly all ROMplers.

 

 

I would hope its better than *any* rompler for the raw tone. Same with the electro 2 rack - which suprisingly seems to be a similar price to the VK-8M (here in the UK at least).

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