Fantom X6 - $1,595 NEW?!

So I just noticed that Sweetwater is selling the Roland Fantom X6 for $1,895.97 - http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/FantomX6/reviews/#anchor

...plus, it says that Roland is running a $300 "cash rebate" (which I assume means they actually send you a check for that amoung).

Hmmm... does that mean $1,895.97 - $300 rebate = $1,595.97 Final Price?

That's quite a price drop... I guess it's 'cause they're about to unleash the Roland Fantom G series? ...which will apparently be about 2,500 bucks - http://www.musiciansbuy.com/Roland-Fantom-G6-Live-Workstation.html?source=google#tabs

...so even though the Fantom G will surpass the Fantom X in some ways - I'm thinking that a 900 dollar discount would be very nice and still get you into a real good workstation (Fantom X) - if you're in the market for one.

I would have guessed the same thing. And yeah, based on what I've seen, the Fantom G is far and beyond better than the X.

...but is it 900 BUCKS better?!

I mean, the Roland Fantom X6 was their flagship 'board, only in a 61 key format, 'til just a few weeks ago - and now it can be had for 1600 clams. Sounds like a pretty good deal to me.

Based on the few videos I've seen, I'd pay an extra $900 if I had it. The interface looks amazing- the fact that you can hook up a mouse and everything. And that is about the only place that keyboards are gonna get a whole lot better- not a whole lot of places to go soundwise to improve a ROMpler.

Cool - though you told me what I was looking to hear, that soundwise the Fantom G is probably not a HUGE improvement over the Fantom X... so I'm thinking that a 900 savings on buying the soon-to-be-out-of-production Fantom X series instead of the brand new Fantom G series is worth it, even if it means losing the ability to hook up a mouse.

Yes and no, IMO.

True to Roland fashion ... many things are the same, some things are better, and a few things aren't

The demo video I saw last week said the Fantom G has 20 MFX units.

It will sound much different than the Fantom X with 3 MFX units.

I'm still love my V2.0 Fantom X8 and two V-Synths V2.0.

I probably need to update the Fantom X8 to V2.10 and buy SRX-12 EPs.

Mark

Yes, but currently it's unclear wheter they could be chained (i.e., can you, for example, put an overdrive and then a delay after it). Most sources say there's one MFX per part without any mention of chaining.

Wait a month or two and it will be $995.

Well, depends on how many left they have to move ...

The G has quite a few features that make it nicer in not just sound but navigation and real time control. The 8 sliders, the live mix screen with an Exit that takes you back to the previous screen, the mouse, etc... There are a lot of nice things missing on the X. One thing the G does not seem to have is the soft buttons for choosing sounds in live mode... Looks like you need to punch in numbers on the keypad which is something I don't like. I like how the soft patch buttons on the X allow me to switch patches without taking my eyes away from the screen. During a show that's a big feature for me and was a feature that steered me away from the Yamaha Motifs - I couldn't handle all that hunting a pecking for panel buttons on dark stages. After the rebate, you should be able to get the FantomX for $1,400 or less. I got mine for $1,400 new from a local store and then got a $200 rebate. If you plan on doing a lot of production work the mouse could be nice. I use the sequencer a lot on my X and never really yearned for a mouse. If we were talking $300-500 difference I'd say go with the G without thinking about it. But, from $1,200 to $2,500, it's a really big consideration. Plus, I'm not so sure I want to gig with $2,500 board... what if it get's stolen or a dancer knocks it off the stand? As a pro player, money for gear is not an issue and I am still thinking about whether I'm going to make the switch. I recommend you spending an afternoon with the X and see if it has short-comings for you that the G resolves before I made the plunge. Just another view on it.

My main reason for giving up my fantom X was not anything to do with its sound or limitations - It was all about workflow, which was very very poor. Everything from file management to getting from one area of the instrument to another was illogical and discouraged me from using the instrument to its fullest.

If they fixed all that in the G, it will be well worth the $900 bucks. It will, hopefully, make the instrument a pleasure to use instead of a pain.

I am going to be needing to get a workstation soon for when my band prepares for live shows again, and the G will get consideration for sure.

Hmm ... I get around the Fantom pretty fast ...

in fact, there's only two simple features that keep the Fan-X from being truly useful as a compositional device ... no ability to automate volume or panning on the audio tracks ...

Other than that

Good. That's the first drop. 6-8 months from now, a Fantom X will be around 1.2K. And I'll buy one.

I wonder what the availability of SRX cards will continue to be in the future ... ?

I've heard nothing about them being discontinued or prices going up/down or sideways ...

Right - I guess as founder of "The Rompleristas" you're pretty much obligated to (buy one), eh?

I still think the Fantom X will be closing out at $995 once the G hits.

That would really be schweeeeeeeeet...

They're already showing up for about that used on local craigslist. New prices are sure to follow once the G is actually in the stores and Roland users really start to dump their X models in large numbers.

The G looks to be significantly better for live performance. The return of assignable sliders (and 8 of them... I use the ones on my XPs all the time and sorely miss them on my Fantom), 10 key pad, elimination of the old bank patch system, seamless program changes... even if it doesn't sound any better than the X I'll be getting one because I'll be able to get so much more out of it onstage.

But it will.

It's not like Roland's still making them. At this price, they'll most likely be gone soon. By the time you're ready to buy, you're looking at the used market.

I got a Sam Ash sale paper at home last week that said the Fantom G was shipping in April and they are now taking orders.

Mark

Avail mid-April here:

http://www.americanmusical.com/Item--i-ROL-FANTOMG8

I played at least a couple of Mellotron patches on the Fantom-X yesterday. I think these were the ones, but I'll have to recheck.

073 Mellow Tron 3 STRINGS

004 Mellow Tune 2 AC.PIANO

030 Mellow Tron 3 STRINGS

031 Moody Tron 3 STRINGS

032 Tronic Str 2 STRINGS

They had the characteristic tape jitter. At least one patch had an aftertouch modulation effect, as I recall.

I upgraded from my Juno-G to the Fantom-X6, primarily because of the $300 rebate. With the rebate check, my net cost for the X6 will be about $1300. I really liked the Juno-G, and I still think it's one of the best values going. The X6 at that price was worth it to me to get the pads, aftertouch, color LCD, expanded ROM and SRX slots. The Juno-G packed a lot into its mere 14lbs, considering that the X6 is 28lbs.

I don't plan to upgrade to the Fantom-G6 anytime soon. I can't see how it would be worth double the price I paid, and I certainly wouldn't get double the useful features. Having mouse control is cool, but not $1300+ cool. Don't need the 128 track midi or 24 track audio, as the X6 16 midi+8 stereo tracks are fine for me since I have Cubase 4 for anything beyond that.

I meant the G ...

Roland will probably continue to manufacturer specific SRX cards in batches. They will stop doing so when demand dries up. Some of the earlier SRX cards may have already stopped production, but I suspect they will continue to make the last two SRX cards for a while, given they haven't been out long.