using the Fantom x for making beats

Hi

I used to use CUBASE but sold my studio when had children. In the meantime I got a Fantom, but after 2 years solid, and I do mean solid (Illspend house just gmaking one kick sound, then change it the next day!), I've concluded it aint up to the job, if you want a modern professional mix.

Making beats is very simple, but not worth the bother. The kicks for example are no where near good enough, and no amount of layering or editing ever works. I always compare my work to cutting edge tracks by professional and amateurs on leading websites such as anjunabeats, and the DAW based users get a MUCH better sound.

You know you can psend £8000 on one reverb or compressor unit, yet we expect the FANTOM at £1500 to do everything - it just wont happen.

Maybe the beats will work for hip hop in a rudementary sense ( I've see those youtoob vids too). But for anything like house or trance they dont cut it.

I still enjoy the FANTOM but really its only a toy, fun but not professional. I will use it to record some midi tracks with CUBASE in future, but not expect it to do everything, and defo not use the kicks, claps, hats etc. For those Im getting Vengance minimal house samples.

used to use CUBASE but sold my studio when had children. In the meantime I got a Fantom, but after 2 years solid, and I do mean solid (Illspend house just gmaking one kick sound, then change it the next day!), I've concluded it aint up to the job, if you want a modern professional mix.


Of course not you tool its a workstation not a daw and lots of vsti's work with what you have it possible to get goo sounding mix's using the fantom just try also search on here for a guy named pianknow I think who has done some tracks on the x and they sound great also look at youtube for inspiration. If necessary use a freeware editor and vsti's to get the sound you want then import into the X

Making beats is very simple, but not worth the bother. The kicks for example are no where near good enough, and no amount of layering or editing ever works. I always compare my work to cutting edge tracks by professional and amateurs on leading websites such as anjunabeats, and the DAW based users get a MUCH better sound.

Use sounds off sound libraries then import again you are seeing the negatives and comparing to a well evolved daw try doing some of the shit you want to an say an older workstation

You know you can psend £8000 on one reverb or compressor unit, yet we expect the FANTOM at £1500 to do everything - it just wont happen.

Thats true but it still sounds good bang for the buck

Maybe the beats will work for hip hop in a rudementary sense ( I've see those youtoob vids too). But for anything like house or trance they dont cut it.

see above and get a life

I still enjoy the FANTOM but really its only a toy, fun but not professional. I will use it to record some midi tracks with CUBASE in future, but not expect it to do everything, and defo not use the kicks, claps, hats etc. For those Im getting Vengance minimal house samples

then get an oasis and shut up whining i use it pro and so do a lot of people and big named bands and to me still knocks the G into a hat its a well evolved pro product that takes years to master.

using the Fantom x for making beats
hello my name is J.Caso been toying with the Fantom x8 for a good sollid month. In and out of the manual the dvd everything and lo and behold find myself here. Been looking over the forum and really dont see much about what i am looking for. Basically i am really used to using progs such as reason 4.0 actually been using reason since it first came out years ago..but i am really struggling with the fantom on many diff. levels. i've managed to have it do some of my bidding but still feel mostly uneasy working with it.

Just keep plugging away I felt the same now its an extension of my arm I couldn't live without it


Ok so basically i wanted to introduce myself and not just jump into all my problems with it, but there are quit a few. first and foremost i would love to have someone keep me informed about what i may be doing wrong or am i going about creating songs the hard way. i see so many peeps on youtube doing nice work flawlessly. Well first problem is i feel its like pulling teeth to compose a song in a decent amount of time.


what software is out there that allows you to control sequencing faster if any at all.

none look at the workbooks the links are posted on here somewhere and keep going you will get faster and better at it its just learning a new way of working and remembering commands etc


i feel like you have to take a ton of steps to accomplish one simple task like copy and paste. i know i am a newb and everyting is straight forward with manual and dvd . would realy just like to know some secrets for faster song production if anything.

Just hunt around have a look at the FAQ the manual is not very specific etc I know there are a lot of steps but there is only a limited amount of front panel room and there cant be buttons for everything IMHO its the easiest of the big 3 to use the motif has a tiny screen and lots more menu's etc the korg triton has a good screen but a so so sound engine unless your into your beeps swooshes etc and you have those nice pads to tap away at just keep trying

Ah ha found it 4th post down Pirates not beats but shows what can be achieved on the fantom alone with a couple of srx boards I think.

http://forums.rolandclan.info/index.php?action=show_thread&thread=25773&fid=1&page=1

You could also look into the srx 01 drums for a bit more choice and range

I agree with born2die,there are a few records that sold a million+ using the fantom-x on one of there songs.(USHERS "LET IT BURN")I was using an MPC before the fantom,it has one of the best sequencers IMHO,but i can do the same style of tracks on the fantom & much much more.As a matter of fact i traded my MPC for the x.The fantom is diffrent to get around on,but the potential is endless.Learn it,it can do alot,but not everything.Every sound is not perfect for every thing,of course you may need your own drum library,but that sets you apart from others.& yes VSTI are cool & i have lot's,but with the fantom you can take your mind off cpu performance & plugin params.& focus on ONE MACHINE at a time,& master it.Im not downing VSTI'S but for me, right now, i love working with fantom.I also feel that a lot of people want things so quickly,nothing wrong with that.But to take your time & perfect the beat is an art.It can also set you apart from the pack.Look at DR.DRE it takes him forever to make a finished track by some standards,but when it done.......anyway the fantom is far from a toy,i think it sounds good,& it will work just as hard as your willing to work on it.

i have had the fantom for about 3 yrs now and i am just starting to get the sound i am looking for. I put about a thousand of my own drum kits in that i tweak around a nice 808. There is so much to learn on this machine and it aint gonna happen overnite.

I've also had the fantom for about 3 yrs. I use it to make beats. I recently got my first television placements with the fantom x (6 beats on 2 MTV shows) . I used to come on here complaining about the slow load up time and the hard as hell sequencer. But once you get used to it, it becomes like second nature. I have gotten so use to the routine that I find it hard to make music on cubase with a small midi keyboard and a laptop. Even though its more convienient for travel, I still tell myself "there's no place like home.......on my fantom" As far as the stock drums....I DO recomemed building your own personal drum library and importing because the stock drums are kinda DUDU. (for hip hop) But other than that, its my baby. I havent even gotten a chance to fully explore making my own patches or multi-samples yet. Theres so much that it offers. But anyway, if you have any questions feel free to ask if you dont find it in any old posts. Plenty of experienced users.

www.myspace.com/claudioaudio1

fantom x is more than enough to make beats. if you know about the history of house, hiphop and techno music, then you will realize that you have far more than you ever need just with one fantom x. in fact in think you have too much.

understand that 'pristine' audio sound is not the main point of club music. think about what instruments they actually used in the past that started club music culture since the 1980s. they used garbage.

thrown away cheap roland junk sold for 10 dollars at the pawn shop. and with this they could make excellent classic dance tracks. if someone has a 2000 dollar fantom even with all its capabilities and still complains that its insufficient to make club tracks, then they better quit can get into live orchestral music. club music is directly about groove and structure for danceability.

even if you have a 'perfect' sound and meticulously mixed and sequenced by the top DAW, its all a waste of time and money if no one wants to dance to it. the musician skill in making audience dance is first. the instrument is just the secondary.

Any sound that comes off of a cd is basically able to come out of the fantom X. CDs are basically several long samples, and cd players simply play those samples back at a rate of 44.1 Khz. If you can't find the sound you want you have to find it and sample it. Everyone has a favorite way of working. Usually, it comes from how they started working. I started with hardware, and I still love working with hardware. The fact is, they can both produce the same results just in different ways. Find what is your way of working... Any of the Mps or workstations can produce professional results. Its really a scientific fact.