XP30 Vs Fantom Suffering from GAS need an antacid

[wheresgrant3]

Ugh!!!

 

Less than two weeks after selling my PK6 for an XP30 I fall right into an opportunity to buy a used Roland 76 key Fantom for $660 including shipping!!! With 30 seconds to decide and my sales bonus just cashed, do I walk away? Absolutely not! (Sorry Scuby... I was almost wishing you had called him to tell him you were going to be late... that would have saved me this decision)

 

My question is how do these two synths compare in sounds? I can't afford to keep both ( not to mention it's a little redundant)so I will likely sell the XP 30 if I like the Fantom or vice versa... I'd like a few opinions on how they match up. I'm using the XP30 to gig with in a cover band with a Triton LE. For two gigs it was a beautiful fit I'm sure I'll like the Fantom but I'm actually growing quite attached to the XP 30 (so many sounds, Vox, JV strings) and I feel guilty for not having the chance to dig into the editing capability of the XP30 if I sell it. I paid $650 for the XP30 so whichever I sell it won't be an issue. Why, why, why do I do this... ugh.

Anyone gigging with the original 76 Key Fantom? Are the features and sounds accessible on the fly during a gig?

Someone please help before buyers remorse sets in.

[b3keys]

Personally, I prefer the XP series over the Fantom. The new X series might change that though.

[wheresgrant3]

I haven't heard or toyed with the XV sounds yet. I'm hoping the XV 24 bit DAC's makes a different for playing live. The XP30 has some great sounds, however live, I have the same challenge as I did with the PK6 I just got rid of. The Presets sound like they are being played under a pillow next the the Triton LE. The LE's 1 insert effect and DAC aren't the best quality either but the ROM samples sound so crisp and alive next to any synth I pair it with. For instance I've tweaked Combi preset B 50 Kromatica in the Triton for the intro to Kid Rock's 'Bawdidaba' and it slays any sound I've tried to come up with on the XP30. Where the XP 30 shines is with strings, pianos (not great but a notch above the LE)and vox pads.... so much depth. I'm hoping that I can find the same and more in the Fantom.

[Nicky]

Keep the Xp-30. You will not hear a difference in sound quality live....not even sure you would hear it in the studio. The Xp30 is lighter to carry around, has more rom with the built in exp bds (you will not have these extra sounds with the fantom) and is much more of a live performance board than the fantom. There isn't even a # keypad on the fantom, so if you're used to typing in a patch # on the Xp, you can't do this on the fantom-you have to just scroll to it.

[Kirumamoru]

Well, there's something to be said for have 76 keys on a board that you're using for piano sounds. There's also something to be said for having another sequencer, though that might be of more or less importance to you.

 

I'm pretty sure that the original Fantom had 64MB of ROM onboard, which means it has the same amount of ROM standard as the XP-30... though it might be that there's less overall variety of sounds in the Fantom. It is, however, more expandable.

 

Kiru

[wheresgrant3]

 

Originally posted by Nicky Keep the Xp-30. You will not hear a difference in sound quality live....not even sure you would hear it in the studio. The Xp30 is lighter to carry around, has more rom with the built in exp bds (you will not have these extra sounds with the fantom) and is much more of a live performance board than the fantom. There isn't even a # keypad on the fantom, so if you're used to typing in a patch # on the Xp, you can't do this on the fantom-you have to just scroll to it.

 

 

 

Cool, this is the info that I need. The Fantom is 32 lbs, the XP30 is 14lbs... right there, that's enough to make me stick with the XP30 (I lug a 2x12 cab 28lbs, Peavey XXX Head and case-83 lbs, two guitars, two synths, an apex stand and a 20lb pedal board). Although 76 is nice... finding a case will be rough... and the Fantom might be too big on smaller stages where we're already cramped for room.

 

I wish I could keep both. I guess I'll just try both of them out live and make a decision.

[wheresgrant3]

If some of balk at my concerns of room on stage... check out this pic. (notice my rig behind the chica)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hugging my boards was all I could do to prevent a mosh pit from knocking over my rig on Saturday.

[DigitalAddict]

I like the Fantom much better than the XP and I CAN hear a difference. The Fantom/XV series has more bottom and sounds smoother. You will also like the big screen and quick patch access buttons. The favorites banks makes keeping up with and changing patches on stage very easy. You will also appreciate 76 keys when playing any piano parts.

[eminor9]

Very happy Fantom user here.

Editing patches & performances is a breeze with the big screen

(read you editing concerns on the XP30 yesterday). This one wipes the XP30 and sound quality is excellent, especially strings,

vox, atmospheric pads etc.

Wouldn't hesitate a second to swap.

[SUPAPRODUCA]

I own a XP-30, I've played with a Phantom quite a bit (I worked in a Guitar Center and a Mars off and on for 4 years) I was in a similar situation where I was picking one of the two.

 

If you do not need the Phantoms sequencer, go with the XP-30, it has almost double the amount of patches, and you can install up to three JV cards.

 

I admit the Phantoms sounds are a bit brighter, but that does not mean they sound better. Also the Phantom can get a bit confusing.

 

Also, the Phantom is geared more towards techno, house and all that other dance stuff. It has a TON of xtras that you will probably NEVER use. Every Phantom owner I know has sold or wants to sell their Phantom to get either a Triton or a Motif.

 

Roland still has the best sounds, Im just not a fan of the Phantom.

[J3RK]

Kinda depends IMO. If the XP-30 uses the same components as the XP-80, I'd get the Phantom. The boards that use the older DACs have trailing noise on the release phase on certain types of sounds. My XP-80 did this. The newer modules like the XV and Phantom use different DACs if I'm not mistaken. A friend of mine had a JV 2080 or something like that that also had the noise. He upgraded to an XV and it didn't do it. Anyway, something to consider if those tiny little problems annoy you the way they do me. I also had a DM5 that did that. Kind of a soft distorted noise on long releases. I suppose you could hook up the XP30 to some nice monitors and see if it did that first though. Anyway, my .02

[brzilian]

I've owned my XP30 for 5 years now. I see no reason to get rid of it and and still waiting for a true replacement for it from Roland. None of the gear since the XP30 (RS series, Fantom series) has impressed me.

 

I ended up adding to my setup last year, but chose to go with a Motif 6.

[wheresgrant3]

Well I passed on the Fantom. ScubyFan had first dibbs on it and really wanted the board. I went to my local shop and they had one they and it is way too big for me to lug to shows anyway. We normally play small rooms and real estate is a premium. I probably would have looked at the X or the Triton Extreme down the road anyway.

 

 

The XP suits me fine. The LE is my primary synth and I just need the XP for piano, some synth leads and for overlap.

 

Now if someone wants to sell me a Motif for $700 I'm all ears!

[mrcpro]

The reverb on the Fantom is much improved over the one in the XP's. The reverb in my XP-60 sounds the same as the one in my old (1992) JV-80. Now, if you have reverb on all your patches, they're all going to sound better on the Fantom. Take the reverb off and see what you think then.

 

Actually, I never gig with reverb on my keyboard sounds anyway. I found that it gets to washy, so I either go dry (on pianos) or replace it with a short delay...which can sound a little pronounced at home but usually fits onstage. There's an old axiom for using effects live which I've found usually true: reverbs thin, delays thicken. Replacing reverb with delay on patches is fairly simple on an XP....you should even be able to do it without a maual yet, wheresgrant3. You will have to write your edit to a user location to keep it though.

 

I've also found that the subtlies of different DAC's in Roland gear are totally lost in a live environment. I mean, I find it tough to hear through headphones...through a PA in a noisy bar....

[wheresgrant3]

 

Originally posted by mrcpro I've also found that the subtlies of different DAC's in Roland gear are totally lost in a live environment. I mean, I find it tough to hear through headphones...through a PA in a noisy bar....

 

 

I agree... although I'm sure the Fantom is an improvement in DAC's, in a noisy bar, no one tends to notice the difference. The XP30 is smaller, lighter and ... much easier to access the features for what I need it for.