Looking for 2nd Keyboard

[Midi26]

Hello everyone I currently have a Yamaha CP4. I am looking at Roland as a 2ndary keyboard. I am not sure which one to buy. I like the features of the FA08/06 but I like quality. I am looking at Roland because of the D-Beam. This is something I really want. Please give me honest suggestions on most features/sounds. I am looking for pads, leads, e guitars and etc. the cp4 is primarily for the piano.

[kbeaumont]

Personally if I were looking for a Roland to add to the CP4 I would spend $200 and get The VR-730, keys make a difference and the ones Roland uses on the 61 key synths suck! The VR730 is way better built, the shiny plastic top on the FA series scratches way too easily.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/VR730--roland-v-combo-vr-730-73-key-live-performance-keyboard?mrkgcl=28&mrkgadid=3248788497&rkg_id=0&product_id=VR730&campaigntype=shopping&campaign=aaShopping%2520-%2520Core%2520-%2520Keyboards%2520%26%2520Synthesizers&adgroup=Keyboards%2520%26%2520Synthesizers%2520-%2520Synthesizers&placement=google&adpos=1o3&creative=217452498644&device=c&matchtype=&network=g&gclid=Cj0KCQjw5-TXBRCHARIsANLixNwo_PoE-QFjG1Usrwj0riusG9L5dvQCRbx9i6HV8kp6czemMo3_wk8aAhGSEALw_wcB

[ggm1960]

The FA series are pretty versatile. I'd kind of forgotten about the D-Beam, I probably spent all of two minutes messing with that and I could see where it might be a lot of fun. I'm hoping to have more time to play with that, and other features, when I can get out of the band. I have gotten some use out of the vocoder function.

I've downloaded all the sound banks from the axial website but I hesitate to "experiment" too much with my FA-08 because it's setup as my main gig workhouse and I don't want to be re-configuring or making many modifications because my time is limited and the thing needs to be performance ready when I need it.

 

I've always had good luck with Roland units as far as quality and dependability and this one is no exception. I know there have been a couple models where people have had trouble with displays but this series doesn't appear to be one of them. The display is big and I find the layout to be easy to work with. It still saddens me that there was not an editor/librarian program included. I like the versatility and functionality of the pads but I've often wished it also had multi-sampling.

[kbeaumont]

I have an FA-08 its a decent 88 key workstation I have created quite a few studio sets for it. But its my backup board on gigs because it really does scratch easily. When I got mine it was so badly scratched I had to buy plastic polish and a buffer. I almost returned it because it really looked bad. The 61 key, I really don't like the keys. I have a VR-09 with the same keys and if I had to replace it the VR730 is way better in just about every way. Its about $500 more than the VR-09b but worth it. But when comparing it to the FA-06, the cost is much closer and unless you specifically need an on board sequencer and sample pads much better all around. Many people buy full blown workstations and never use half of its capabilities. Every other person I have seen using the FA-08 only uses the pads as a numeric keyboard for calling up patches within a studio set. I haven't met anyone who has loaded any additional samples. Myself included, I have bought multiple workstations (MOX8, FA-08 etc) and have come to the conclusion I never use the functionality live and in the studio a DAW and plugins are better suited for recording. The only place I think a workstation has value is the theatrical or other scripted shows. Where you are following a score and that's where the on board sequencing makes a lot of sense.

[ggm1960]

Every other person I have seen using the FA-08 only uses the pads as a numeric keyboard for calling up patches within a studio set. I haven't met anyone who has loaded any additional samples.

 

I'm the exception. I have samples loaded into the pads for a couple songs (there is a studio set for each song on the set list). I also use the pads in DAW controller mode to load the next/last sequence ("chunk"), stop, play, rewind and midi panic in Digital Performer.

 

I think having a sequencer in those boards these days is silly and multi-sampling would be something I would actually use. Instead I have Reason with NN-XT rewired to DP for that.