Will the New Fantom Motivate Korg ?

[theshinenz]

[qu

My 6 is rock solid... to be honest you'd have to push pretty hard to even notice movement... the Fantom touch screen response is very good and you only need to touch very lightly to get it to respond, no double/triple presses to select something like on the Kronos.

I think its very cool you got a Fantom quickly. I am not concerned if a few don't like it. Everyone has their own music requirements.

If there are some defects, I believe Roland or the dealer will quickly solve it.

I am very interested in the clarity and contrast of the Fantom LCD. My reading vision has declined, and I can't handle super tiny fonts.

Lets hope, Korg fanboys will be delighted to know that quite a few users are having issues with random freezes, we are currently compiling a list of conditions where it occurs to send to Roland,... this should be priority before anything, we all want a stable system for live use.

[GregC]

[qu


If there are some defects, I believe Roland or the dealer will quickly solve it.

I am very interested in the clarity and contrast of the Fantom LCD. My reading vision has declined, and I can't handle super tiny fonts.

Lets hope, Korg fanboys will be delighted to know that quite a few users are having issues with random freezes, we are currently compiling a list of conditions where it occurs to send to Roland,... this should be priority before anything, we all want a stable system for live use.

I think that ' fanboy' stuff has faded, for example, " My Yamaha is better than your Korg, so there " sentiment.

These days, and I could be wrong, keyboard players appreciate the various boards. And then have their prefs what they like/dislike.

[benny ray]

Yea Greg agree it's what keyboard best suits your needs and what sounds best to your ears.

The big 3 Korg, Roland, Yamaha workstations are all excellent just depends or your preference.

I am really interested in the Fantom but waiting a few months to see if they are any bugs or really interesting updates.

[19naia]

https://youtu.be/I-2dx9Mirwc

Wow. I like new Yamaha pattern sequencer better than Fantom TR pattern sequencing.
Would be nice to see Kronos have a pattern sequencer like that, to go along with RPPR and Karma.

Kronos would be very far ahead again if it did just a few additions like a new pattern sequencing style.

I am beginning to suspect Kronos will need a totally new hardware base to go in the direction it needs to go for keeping up with where the others are going.

[GregC]

ht
I am beginning to suspect Kronos will need a totally new hardware base to go in the direction it needs to go for keeping up with where the others are going.

Yes, I more than suspect. I don't think a tweaked Kronos will cut it for where high end, expensive production synthesizers are going. IMO, Roland has more than upped the game, even while each co has its own direction.

Even so, these 3 co's are competing for our wallets/credit card, our first $4000, etc. Not everyone can put together $8000 to buy 2 or more production synthesizers in a year.

Even so, I like the challenge of seeing the best and at least considering having the best. Which is a reason I started this topic.

Is Korg going to jump aggressively into the game with that next level board, that we know that they have the potential to create ?

My guess its 60% likely by Jan 2020 NAMM. 40% sometime later.

As a Korg watcher, I try to keep an eye on the retail channel, on new Kronos available for sale and the current pricing.

[theshinenz]

Got a bit more info today from the french Sud-Claviers video on youtube. A guy on facebook was nice enough to translate some of it.

The French Roland Rep confirmed the Fantom has 8 expansion slots, which will be used for Plug-Outs, Axial Sounds & New Filters... look forward to some of these rolling out

This is going to be one killer machine in the future.

[PCFREE]

I think I may have said this before....

I get the feeling Korg is going to come out with something really special when the time comes.

No doubt, when this happens, musicians will still be complaining and there will still be long wish lists ! It’s human nature !

These are exciting times for us musicians!

[SKung]

I think I may have said this before....

I get the feeling Korg is going to come out with something really special when the time comes.

These are exciting times for us musicians!

Korg has got the ability to bring out the ultimate Workstation:

- based on a (replacable) mainboard with a decent cpu, could be taken from notebooks
- 64 bit OS ported from Kronos
- maybe 16GB RAM, upgradeable to 64GB (with RAM available at the computer store next corner)?
- 128 banks for programs, combis etc. (or just ignore the MIDI limitations and go for 1024 banks)

Korg could make money in the long-term with selling new instruments(aka engines) and effects in addition to new EXs

[jimknopf]

I guess "in the future" is the key key expression for the Fantom.

Roland has bulit a great UI and put some great synth sounds into it for the start. But it is still VERY far from being a convincing allround synth/workstation.

If they were wise enough to leave enough headroom and are fast enough to fill that within the next two years, it may be worth what it costs right now. I for one would be glad if they succeed in doing so.

For the moment, I couldn't care less, looking at all the things it doesn't deliver yet, while still asking a premium price.

So I'm looking forward to the bright Fantom future.


P.S. in the French video, the funniest part was when the Roland rep said he wanted to "visit the groupies" (he meant something like technical 'groups' of course). It was not clear what he meant by the 8 extensions, physical or virtual ones. I guess the latter. My German French gets most of the conversation, but perhaps not every detail.

[GregC]

[quote=

Korg has got the ability to bring out the ultimate Workstation:

- based on a (replacable) mainboard with a decent cpu, could be taken from notebooks
- 64 bit OS ported from Kronos
- maybe 16GB RAM, upgradeable to 64GB (with RAM available at the computer store next corner)?
- 128 banks for programs, combis etc. (or just ignore the MIDI limitations and go for 1024 banks)

Korg could make money in the long-term with selling new instruments(aka engines) and effects in addition to new EXs

todays computer components are understood. Its really the software, OS development, the high level sound programming that Korg used to show off with Kronos in 2011 and Oasys prior.

I think the big question is does Korg still have the R & D talent to show why Korg is best.

Its not a challenge for a co like Korg, to slap together todays components, add the keyboard and legacy Korg sounds with some Kronos tweaks. I call that a Kronos 3.

I hope Korg is more motivated than this. Lets see Korg imagination and ingenuity.

[GregC]

I guess "in the future" is the key key expression for the Fantom.

Roland has bulit a great UI and put some great synth sounds into it for the start. But it is still VERY far from being a convincing allround synth/workstation.


For the moment, I couldn't care less, looking at all the things it doesn't deliver yet, while still asking a premium price.

So I'm looking forward to the bright Fantom future.


r.

I would rather see Fantom today and consider my $4000 purchase over the next few months. Roland marketing is smart- they jumped the NAMM 2020 window.

I don't expect 100% perfection out of the gate. Even for $3000, or $4000 for a new concept production synth.

I estimate Fantom is 85% complete. We can quibble but I prefer Rolands approach.

[jimknopf]

With a lot of good will, I estimate the Fantom 40% complete, and that at a price of 120% over a possible future 100% Fantom. So I couldn't care less about the present status of the Fantom, really... But I see a lot of potential IF Roland really does their job over the next two years.

Anyways, it's still enough to ask Korg a serious question or two about the Kronos! And if Korg doesn't find answers on today's hard- and software-level in due time (Namm 2020), they will lose A LOT of customers, rather sooner than later. Not everyone looks at the new Fantom as dry and and sceptical, and quite unimpressed, as I do...

Today I became aware that the new Fantoms seem to keep the ridiculous 4 velocity layer format of the stone old JV architecture (pianissimo, piano, forte and fortissimo sample levels). Have I gotten something wrong, or are they serious to keep this meanwhile utterly substandard velocity format with their waveforms, besides all their many other shortcomings??? I hope to be corrected ...

[GregC]

With a lot of good will, I estimate the Fantom 40% complete, and that at a price of 120% over a possible future 100% Fantom. So I couldn't care less about the present status of the Fantom, really... But I see a lot of potential IF Roland really does their job over the next two years.

Anyways, it's still enough to ask Korg a serious question or two about the Kronos! And if Korg doesn't find answers on today's hard- and software-level in due time (Namm 2020), they will lose A LOT of customers, rather sooner than later. Not everyone looks at the new Fantom as dry and and sceptical, and quite unimpressed, as I do...

Today I became aware that the new Fantoms seem to keep the ridiculous 4 velocity laye ...

I think Korg is like most corp's- they are motivated by potential new product profit.

New product profit is the lifeblood of these co's.

From my observation, folks find a way to buy a new Montage, a new Fantom[ even if its half baked like you say, new owners are not very concerned].

Safe to say there is profit in the high end. And a new concept $4000 synth gets folks excited and interested.

So its up to Korg to show how its done- again. They were good at this.
I made my numerical guess, 60% chance by NAMM 2020, 40% beyond that.

[Lightbringer]

I guess "in the future" is the key key expression for the Fantom.

Roland has bulit a great UI and put some great synth sounds into it for the start. But it is still VERY far from being a convincing allround synth/workstation.

If they were wise enough to leave enough headroom and are fast enough to fill that within the next two years, it may be worth what it costs right now. I for one would be glad if they succeed in doing so.

For the moment, I couldn't care less, looking at all the things it doesn't deliver yet, while still asking a premium price.

So I'm looking forward to the bright Fantom future.

That's about the same page I'm on. If I didn't have a workstation and wanted to buy one today, I pretty certain I'd still buy a Kronos. When you look at everything that's packed into Kronos and compare it Montage or Fantom, there's a pretty long list of things you'd be missing out on if you went with Montage and Fantom. When you look at Montage or Fantom and ask what's truly missing from Kronos - there really isn't much. And the K leaves you with enough extra cash to pick some nice selections from the vast expansion library, a nanopad, or Karma software.

I do really like some of the UI choices Roland made on the new Fantom - that's the most appealing part to me. Kronos UI feels a bit dated and is kind of hard for someone new to Korg to learn and remember in some cases. That's the main thing I'd be paying attention to if I were Korg.

[Devnor]

Today I became aware that the new Fantoms seem to keep the ridiculous 4 velocity layer format of the stone old JV architecture (pianissimo, piano, forte and fortissimo sample levels). Have I gotten something wrong, or are they serious to keep this meanwhile utterly substandard velocity format with their waveforms, besides all their many other shortcomings??? I hope to be corrected ...

PCM? Yeah nothing changed there. A whole bunch of folks are upset there isn't more that "utterly substandard velocity format" JV/SRX stuff and 400 PCM waveforms isn't nearly enough. VA synth engine is my focus. It's completely new, a massive upgrade from SN-S.

We're way more than 40% finished. EP, behavior modeled acoustic instruments and TW organ (no comment) already coming. They need control surface plugins for other DAW platforms and some tweaks to the sequencer. That's a finished product. It's been hinted the engines from Jupiter X will come to Fantom. I'm very skeptical about that. Roland never puts all their toys in one box. It would be freaking cool, no doubt.