New Roland Synthesizer Workstation Coming at Namm 2014

Checking out the loop record demo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YE6xH0e8aV8
just wondering what makes it so unique?
the same thing can already be done on the G??

The FA's let you change tracks while recording. (BTW, does the Fantom-X work this way?)

We can do similar loop recording on the Fantom-G, but everything would be recorded into the same Phrase on one Track.

I still dont see what makes it unique..
Just because we see the recording on separate tracks?
Thats by no means something NEW?
The way roland promotes it, you would think they where offering something that's not available elsewhere
and if you export and import via midi on the g you achieve the same result (if you really want everything on different midi tracks.
I think roland is realy pushing it when they try to promote something as unique when its nothing of the kind.

Quinnx. wrote:

I think roland is realy pushing it when they try to promote something as unique when its nothing of the kind.

That's marketing! ;-)

Quinnx. wrote:

I still dont see what makes it unique..
Just because we see the recording on separate tracks?
Thats by no means something NEW?
The way roland promotes it, you would think they where offering something that's not available elsewhere
and if you export and import via midi on the g you achieve the same result (if you really want everything on different midi tracks.

I don't think you understand what the FAs are offering. Yes, having a DAW play MIDI tracks is no different than having the FA sequencer play them. What the difference is, is allowing the FA to generate wav files of those tracks, and load them as individual tracks into a DAW for the kind of processing that DAWs are good at. For instance, the plugin effects are good in the Integra engine, but you can get much better EQs, vintage compressors, tube and tape emulations that don't exist on the FAs. Better reverbs too, and as many effects per stereo track as your computer will support.

Hopefully this clears things up.

I use DAW all the time I understand the concept of exporting WAVs and processing on the computer
since i no longer use the G sequencer for composing or sketching.
However if your going to use the FA as a scratchpad as per say then midi is about all you can realy look forward to because the idea of doing full midi composition and then having to wait for the whole thing one track at a time to be resampled before gong to DAW is alot of time waisted,

Using my current DAW setup i can and do record wav along side midi data simultaneously from the fantom G
So i never have to deal with the concept above which appears to waist alot of time on re sampling midi tracks.
The idea that the FA rendered rather than resampled was exciting, but resampling every track in realtime, even automated is soooo 80s in the 21s century unless the FA actualy resamples in realtime all tracks simultaneously in one pass then all is forgiven ;)

You're assuming a lot. The pads record in real time because samplers work in real time. That's the nature of sampling. They aren't little time machines.

Instead of making assumptions based on no information and getting upset about it, maybe we should wait to see how the export function works, as I've never seen such a thing function in the klunky way you think it does.

One thing I've noticed about the FAs is that people with misgivings have mostly had their fears addressed somehow. It doesn't have aftertouch on the keyboard, but it does have expression pedal and D-beam for that, and I haven't found many keyboards with good aftertouch, and prefer exp pedal anyway. It doesn't have SPDIF, but it does have USB 2 audio out and .wav export to SD card. It looks to be expandable, at least with SRX style sample data, and might even allow the expansion of more SN acoustic instruments, since that is data much like samples are. The Sub Out might even be a full stereo out, since it's a TRS output.

Roland looks to be trying to make us happy. We can ask for added features here and on other boards where Roland has a foot in the water. And we can even ask for a real serious flagship workstation in the $3000-ish range, and if enough people want it, they may make one. They may not, and leave the extra legwork on that to other workstations in the market. For that matter, an FA partnered with an Integra may be more powerful than an all-in-one workstation solution. If the new AIRA synth is the SN synth engine with a few goodies added in, even if those goodies are a raft of real time controls strewn all across the panel, that would address my needs for a full featured synthesizer. Or in my case, variety is wonderful, so partner the FA with something like a Kronos, PC3, Motif, and get an even greater range of sonic power than just a big Roland.

I'm lucky enough to own a good number of workstations and synths, so that I don't really need anything more than one of these Rolands. Mostly it's a matter of making up my mind on which Roland to get. ;D

You're assuming a lot.

Nope the information presents itself in the videos
everything is factual, they even state that tracks to be exported are sampled in realtime.
What has not been demonstrated is if this is all tracks at once or one at a time

The pads record in real time because samplers work in real time

Were not talking about pads we are talking about the FAs functionality to export all midi tracks
as wavs.

and getting upset about it

Your reading too much in to my comments
they are simply observations

I'm lucky enough to own a good number of workstations and synths.......

Same here ;-)

On the Sweetwater vid with Ed Diaz, he actually demos the export, it's a track at a time, and he says it may take some time so may be a good time to go make a cup of coffee. For me personally this would still save some time as it's more automated than manually setting up and recording each track. Creating stems In the box could also help to assure better audio quality, depends on the conversion process. I like the concept, just not the time saver I initially thought...not a deal breaker and personally I'm still very interested in the fa-06. I would have liked some SN brass ideally, however I understand that at this price point a line must be drawn somewhere from both a cost and marketing strategy perspective.

thanks PauloF for the info on the sub out, sounds promising for what I need.

Yeah that what i thought...
so if you happen to use up all 16 channels a full 3-4 min multi track
will set you back upto an hour or more..
Its a shame its a realtime render.
But none the less at least its automated which will save you having to sit and do it yourself
(time to take a quick lunch and watch a movie)

synthguy99 wrote:

... The Sub Out might even be a full stereo out, since it's a TRS output.

The SUB OUT is Assignable and STEREO!

PauloF wrote:

The SUB OUT is Assignable and STEREO!

Well that's good to know. Just have to make sure I have a good new insert cable handy if I go the FA route for separate outs. Roland sure likes to have people buzzing about their gear! ;D

synthguy99 wrote:

…Roland sure likes to have people buzzing about their gear! ;D

No, Roland prefers silence.

synthguy99 wrote:

PauloF wrote:

The SUB OUT is Assignable and STEREO!

Well that's good to know. Just have to make sure I have a good new insert cable handy if I go the FA route for separate outs. Roland sure likes to have people buzzing about their gear! ;D

Yes, in fact this time why the h*** they came up with a Stereo OUT instead of the normal MONO L/R Sub-Outs? only Roland knows...

Grammar Wombat wrote:

synthguy99 wrote:

…Roland sure likes to have people buzzing about their gear! ;D

No, Roland prefers silence.

Silence of the Wombats?

jjjiii...pardon me, Silence of the lambs?

something is not "sounding" right here... ;-P