Fantom g and gear

NiTROGENE STUDiO

Keyboards :
Roland Fantom-G7 ( master )
Roland V-Synth GT
Yamaha MOTIF XS7
Yamaha EX5S
Yamaha CS-30
Yamaha CS-40M

Modules/Other Synths :
Yamaha FS1R
Yamaha EX5R-1
Yamaha EX5R-2
Yamaha DX200

Recording/Controllers/DAW/Monitors :
Logic Pro 9 / MacBook Pro
Yamaha 02Rv2
Yamaha i88x
Yamaha WX5
Edirol UA-101
Edirol UM-3EX (3x)
Edirol MA-15DBK
MOTU Timepiece AV 2x
Roland DS-7
KRK VXT-8

Thanks RonF you have been so helpful. @EX I hope one day to have that many keyboards. I am just starting out and it is so hard, but i take everything I learn and appy it. ik83 that Korg PadKontrol was at the top of my list until I bought Maschine.

Hey RonF can you use the Maschine control to use with Kore2

Maschine being $600 is a bit more than I'd like to spend on that - I don't do hiphop really, but I'm having trouble making convincing drums on the keyboard, and I think the Korg pads might be a bit more intuitive than hitting the keys. Maschine looks amazing though!

OMG so much gear. Just for contrast, I'm going to keep it real here

FG
Logic 9
NI Komplete 5 plugins

Maybe I don't have the dexterity of mind, but even with this selection I ban myself from using most of the software synths on various projects just so I don't paralyse myself with choice!

How do you guys do it????

Just my Fantom G7

How do you guys do it????

The hardest thing about having multiple workstation is remembering how to operate them. More than once I've spent time on a touch screen synth, then continued to touch non-touch screen synths expecting a result.

At Home, all by myself, I generally approach one keyboard as the base for the song, then use others as a single line melody.

Different models also end up being used for the same sound over and over again as if they are deticated.

Korg SV-1 is almost always used as an electric piano

Roland X7 is used primarily as a piano

Korg M3 is used for Karma, or generally not used

Yamaha Motif XS is used for it's arps.

Kurzweil PC361 is used as a single sound source only, I've just not taken the time to understand it's seq/riff functions.

synths are used as synths

BUT, The FANTOM G 7 is use to rule them all. Master Keyboard, Sequencer, Live gigging keyboard.

When I play away from the studio I start with the Fantom G7 as the main keyboard and take along another one or two for leads, backup or just plain old fun.

I love them all, and regret the few I've sold, like the moogs, wulitzer electric, Rhodes, Alesis micron, Korg Prophecy, Triton Le.

My dust collectors tend to the the M1, Wavestation & D50, I don't seem to plays these much anymore.

Still saving my money for the Gaia, SH202, V-Synth GT, and I am sure there will be a few more before I am done collecting and playing.

I got the Korg Pa500 arranger and discovered a whole new world of playing on the back porch.

Hey guys. I just bought myself a FG. I was using the MO for the past two years so I'm more familiar with the Mo's sequencer. I've never worked with Roland on thsi level before. (Just had a Juno D). After seeing the dvd and seeing some clips I've learned a thing or two but I just seem to have problems.

The first time I formatted my usb flash, it gave me that files like its suppose to open for me where I can put my SMF files in. After formatting my usb again and I didn't find that folders again. It only opened a Import folder, which means I can't put my SMF files on my usb flash. Does anyone know why this happens.

Also how can I free up some of my USER memory? Cause I loaded and saved about 10songs or so then the keyboard told me that its memory is full. I tried saving it on the usb, but it told me that the usb was also full which was not true cause I have a 4gig usb stick. I had to do a factory reset.

After formatting my usb again after the reboot, it still only opens just an Import folder. I hope I explained my story well so I can get the help I need.

Thanks

@Atlas5
You've got some sweet gear, and I reckon I "get" why you still use most of it (I always wanted a DX7 and D50 as a kid and if I had them now I'd hang on to them whether I used them or not - I'm sure!!)

So just wondering IF you were starting now rather than with a good collection whether you'd still find value in most of it, or whether you'd stick mostly with your Fantom??

I got my D50, M1 when they were still hot stuff, I paid over $2K for the M1 when it was new and had to get credit.

I find most equipment has some use, even when it's somewhat "last week".

I decided to make the Fantom G the center of my rig after the 1.3 upgrade. It has enough features and the workflow is straight forward enough to accomplish the majority of my goals. Years ago I had to rely of DAW systems (Vision was my choice at the time) the onboard sequencers just did not cut it, But the FG has changed that for me.

About the only thing I use the computer for these days is simple mastering, using Bias Peak, to cleanup the beginning and end, fades and such. I just don't find the mouse & keyboard to be the right motivation for creation of music, although the finishing touch do work better on the computer.

The LIVE mode on the FG is just too cool when playing with others, it's fast to configure to the application or song needs, bass in the left hand piano in the right, strings, synth leads is just easy to do.

The Fantom G is just to well suited to 90% of my applications it would be stupid to do any other way.

The only missing feature I'd like is more MIDI interfacing, I'd like 2 MIDI in's and 5 to 8 MIDI out. I currently use an old MSB+ rev II (an 8X8 MIDI Switcher/router) to route the MIDI signal from the FG to the others.

One of the biggest reasons to use the Fantom G as the main sequencing workstation, it just too hard to remember how to operate them all. I have a friend that would say the same thing about the Motif XS. Once you really learn one the others start to become a lot of effort to learn. I think this is one reason people tend to "dis" workstations. Converts from one platform to another whine about what they have to do differently.

@ Atlas

why do you need that many midi outs? Can't you just daisy chain them? (midi in to one and then midi out to another in, then out to another in... etc)

Basically because I am lazy.

If I had 8 midi port on the FG I could make assignments by port and leave everything on channel 1.

Of course you'd have to be able to address each port (along with the channel) in the sequencer.

To daisy chain now I'd have to configure each instrument to receive on a different channel.

I believe this is possible on the MV8000 series via midi output ports A and B. (I do remember the MV-50 sequencer working this way.)

The real reason is just like everyone else's, I just want more. That's right, more sounds, more features, more power, more control. Not because there is not a work around or alternative solution.

I would like the Fantom to have individual control of all my keyboards, maybe on the Fantom C, and the C is for control, where S was for sampling, the X was for xtra, and the G is for Gee I want more.

P.S. Anybody care to share their workflow and setup and the reason why they prefer a certain configuration? Learning other workflows helps develop your own.

Oh, someone asked me the other day why I like music and music equipment so much, I replied, because only in music can I make so many mistakes and have sometime good come from it.

What do you get when you drop a grand piano down a mine shaft? Abm (A flat minor)

As you might have already figured out, I owned an M3 but sold it to go to the G8. It is a great piece with the Karma, pads, and other cool features. Sequencing was not the best, I found myself going through Logic and Record software instead of using the board sequencer.

man wtf atlas! Im super jealous of your gear.....some kinda gear slut eh?

Atlas5,
Impressive gear man!! Any photos ??