Fantom-G tips and tricks collection

Auditioning patches with same customized PFXs on all 16 parts.

1. Basic concept:

We will use some great features of Fantom-G to overcome a one basic shortcoming of Fantom-G. The basic idea is to save the edited effects into non-looping RPS. Save the effects for each part in separate RPS and then save those RPS into a custom RPS set.

2. Methodology:

We will record the changes to PFX at an extremely slow tempo, so that at normal tempo, the changes can be applied quickly.

3. Setup:
Make sure 'Transmit Edit Data' is ON under MIDI Setup of System menu.

4. Process:
Set the tempo to slowest: 5.0
Select an empty track on sequencer.
Select the part for which you want to save PFX settings.
Bring up the Effects routing, PFX screen. (Effects > F2)
Edit the PFX as you need, by recalling a default effects setting, and then changing the parameters as you like. Note the parameters you changed.
Go to PFX type and dial in the previous or next PFX type. (very important)
Hit Record and start recording.
Now redial the PFX type you wanted.
Highlight the parameters you changed, and dial -1 then +1 for only the parametrs you changed.
When all are done, stop recording and save the phrase.
Rename the phrase as "Part # PFX" etc...
Call up an empty RPS set.
Set Play Mode of all RPS to ONCE
Now, select the Phrase you recorded the PFX into for the respective Pad. If you record for Part 2, select "Part 2 PFX" for pad two.
Repeat the above process for all parts that you want to use customized PFX.

5. How to use:
Once you have all of the PFX settings recorded as Phrase and linked to RPS in a specific RPS set, you are ready to use it and have some fun.
Reset the tempo of the song to normal. (from 5 to what ever).
Now, select a part. Call up a different patch. It will load the PFX saved with patch. Now just hit the corresponding pad to run the RPS containing the effects settings.
Your customized PFX will be back, and you can audition as many patches as you want with your customized PFXs.

When I get some time, I will record a video of this process.

Hope this helps.

Changing the RealTime Controls Without Hassle

To change any function of the knobs or the sliders, just hold down the shift button and operate them, you will get to the place where you can tweak around with them.

LCD Dim and Switching screen savers

If your Fantom-G is currently in screen saver mode... pressing different pads will switch among different screen savers...

by default, pressing Pad 6 will dim the screen brightness... hopefully extending the life of the LCD?

• Screen saver #8 is a variation of the video game Pong. Use the D-Beam to move the left-hand box up and down to deflect the other boxes.

• Screen save #16 is a tennis video game. Swipe the D-Beam to hit the ball.

• I keep my pads in Part Select mode most of the time. From the Patch List screen, the pads instantly switch the current part, so you can assign sounds incredibly quickly.

• Most people are unaware that single samples don't have to be assigned to the keyboard at all. From the Patch List screen, use knob #4 to scroll all the way down to the User Sample category and then use slider #8 to choose the desired sample from the sample list, at which point it's instantly mapped across the entire keyboard range.

• Inexplicably, most people don't understand the advantage of many MIDI tracks. I'll use 60+ tracks per song, with individual drum hits on their own tracks, volume automation for each part on its own track, panning automation for each part on its own track, left and right hands of a complex piano part on their own tracks, effects tweaking (normally tape delay feedback/timing) automation on their own tracks, PC/BS messages for switching patches/Studio Sets on their own tracks... Because each track can be named, it's easy to see at a glance what's on each track.

Since this is about tips and tricks, here's what I discovered. There isn't a secret that the FG saves the status of the sound generator together with the song. Because of that I rarely bothered to save individual Studio Sets, I just saved the songs. If there's anyone doing that... here's what can happen.
Let's assume you're working on a project at a certain song and you save it like that, without saving the Studio Mode itself. After saving the song, you go to Single Mode to play a little with some sounds, than you save the Project or back it up whatever. Then you perform a Factory Reset or load another project. After a while you load back the old project with the song you were working on. But, surprise!!! When you load the song, you will see the sound generator switching automatically to Single Mode! And the Studio Mode settings are lost. The idea is that the Fantom G retains THE LAST MODE you were in before performing a factory reset or loading another project.(or at least this is what happened to me) And when you load the first song from the list, the sound generator will switch instantly to that last mode. So be aware: in case you count on the auto-saving of the sound generator settings, don't leave Studio Mode right before loading up another project or performing a Factory Reset (UPDATE: or before saving project or saving project as. However, with all the OS updates now, the observation may no longer be valid).

Create lots of Projects.

The FG saves all data into a project. You can only have so much data in a project but you can have as many projects as you like so create lots of projects.

p.s. save new projects to a usb

from xptrix: Always schedule to make a copy of your projects on your computer. So If you erase something or overwrite a project by acident, you have a place to get It back.

phil replies -

i dont know if this was fixed in 1.3 but after project 33 once i created a new project it would overwrite project 1. project 34 overwrote project 2 and so on. i dont know if this is still an issue but be careful making as many projects as you want!!! i lost 7 songs before i realized this was happening. this was happening on a usb stick that has given me no other problems whatsoever.

Groovin'

1. Take your preferred 4measures breakbeat sample. I choose this for simplicity only.

2. In sample edit, chop it the way you want as it get chopped into 16 chunks. Adjust them until you hear no cracks between one chunk and the next. Don't forget to assign the chopped samples to a new sample set when asked.

3. Edit the sample set as your willings and make every sample to stay in sync with bpm (this way you get better results when making bpm changes)

4. Now the fun begins: use the arpeggio for making interesting variations of your original beat. Start with a 16-beat pattern for now, try different arpeggio motifs and see what you get, try different accent rates...and YES, you can shuffle your new beats!

5. Got bored? Play with the chord memory function and think about all the possibilities when combining 4) and 5)

6. Did you forget to add PFX and MFX in step three? It's time now.

7. Create a temp working song. Assign your new sample set to any part, hit record and forget that you are recording, it's time for fun and creativity.

8. YES, this way you can have automation tracks for your 'audio' loops. Don't forget that, once we have a sample set, we only deal with midi...and midi phrases support full automation for many params.

9. Extract the beats you like most, save them to phrases. Maybe you want to quantize... Feed the arpeggio or play with them as RPS.

10. Resample and...GOTO 1.

Use your mind, this is only a starter tip.

Easily Set Key Ranges in Live Mode using the Mouse Wheel

Click to select either the Key Range Lower or Upper in the main Live vie, now you can mouse wheel up and down to set the ranges, and even better, hold down Shift to jump by an octave at a time. Nice!

- Rick

Duplicate A Phrase Then Assign a New Patch To The Duplicate Phrase (updated)

In my last synth this was three button presses. Hopefully Roland will improve this process in the next update. But until they do:

1. Pick a phrase you want to duplicate and remember the phrase number.

2. Press SONG button once to get to the "Song Play"screen then press F3 Phrase List. Find and highlight the phrase from step 1, then press F3 Util Menu, Duplicate, F8 Select, OK. Remember the new phrase number assigned by the Fantom G to the duplicate phrase

3. Press SONG button twice to get to the "Song Edit" screen. Put the curser where you want to insert the duplicate phrase.

4. Press Insert and highlight the duplicate phrase. Press F8 Select and the phrase appears in your chosen track on the “Song Edit” page.

5. Now press the STUDIO button once which puts you in the "Studio Play" screen. Press F3-Part View, and note the Part # of the instrument being used by your original phrase and then note the Part# of the instrument you want to put into your duplicate phrase.

6. Press SONG button twice to get to the "Song Edit" screen. Press F4 Edit Phrase; F3 Modify; 8 Change Channel; F8 Select and in Src Ch input the Part # containing the original sound of the original phrase you chose in step 1; in Dst Ch input the Part # containing the sound you want your new duplicate phrase to play.

7. Your new phrase will now play in unison with your original phrase but with a different patch/instrument. From here you can erase sections of either phrase so that one or the other or both are playing.

Never insert or remove a USB memory while this unit’s power is
on. Doing so may corrupt the unit’s data or the data on the USB
memory.

PiaKnowGuy
Please listen to 'Pirates' done entirely on the Fantom X8


PiaKnow

"Permanent" transposition vs "temporary" transposition. (NOT octave shifting, just transposition)

When there is the need to play a song in a different key than it was originally written and use the front panel transposition keys, if you use Favorites, the transposition is reset because normally you don't set any transposition into Favorites.

To keep the transposition and still use Favorites, go to:
Menu > System > Sound and change the "Master Key" parameter to your liking.

I've come up with this one just today, rehearsing some songs when playing along with Winamp and wanting to use my Favorites as well...

I use Master key UP or DOWN with S1 & S2 switch(next to the pitch).You just need to go in to the SYSTEM and under S1,S2 to put MASTER KEY UP and MASTER KEY DOWN.In this way there is no need to go to the system every time you want to transpose.

Thanks to 'The Audacity Works' for this one! Patch change info for the ARX expansion boards -

ARX-01— MSB=64, LSB=0, PC=1-50
ARX-02— MSB=65, LSB=0, PC=1-50
ARX-03— MSB=66, LSB=0, PC=1-50

Cheers!
PiaKnowGuy
Please listen to 'Pirates' done entirely on the Fantom X8


PiaKnow

Thanks to 'Flumpster' for this!

Saving songs to your 'Favorites' button -

Import all your songs into one project and have them set up with their studio sets as normal.


Now press the "Favorite" button twice until it flashes.

You should be on bank 1 patch 1 if you haven't used them before.

Press f6 for "Util Menu" then "Set song"

Select the song you want first and press F8 "select"

This will now have saved the studio set and the song to that Favourite position. DO NOT press F8 "regist" after this or you will lose the song from the favourite.

Use the right arrow on the "Value dial" to move to the next favorite and do the same for the next song etc.

When you are finished press "Favorite" once so that it is solid lit and press F1, F2 etc to switch between your songs and sets instantly. You can also asign them to the pads.

PiaKnowGuy
Please listen to 'Pirates' done entirely on the Fantom X8


PiaKnow