Obsolete

And how is that better with other manufacturers?

How do you expect companies to keep up with old equipment when operating systems are changing? Have you got any idea how much this costs? If a company would offer lifetime support for their equipment, which is really impossible to do, but suppose if they would, that would raise the price of the equipment maybe even double the price. Would you be willing to pay that? I know I don't.

Moreover, I think Roland did a great job with updating the FA series. I found v2.0 a great improvement and I was grateful for it. Maybe I am an old fart, since where I come from, keyboards were sold as they were and no updates existed yet. The moment you bought a keyboard, it was already obsolete. Next year there would be a follow up keyboard with better specs for the same price. Or the same specs for a lower price.

But hey, maybe you could start a company with keyboards for a reasonable price with life time support. Good luck with that!

Paul99,

Well said.

Frankly, I LOVE my FA-07! Just a fantastic all-around workhorse of a board.
BUT, I'm a bit disappointed in the updates. There have been a grand total of TWO.

I mean, C'MON Roland! Throw the dogs a bone!!
(And I have been a good Roland customer. I still have my Roland W-30 workstation from the mid 1980's, as well as some other gear.)

There were times when hardware gear was sold 'as is'. Roland has proven, that this is a valid way to generate classics.

Regards,
RoDi

maniacmusicman1 wrote:

Why is it that every Roland / Edirol product I have purchased is now obsolete and unsupported? Never again Roland.

Well, #1, Edirol.

#2, they're no different than Apple or anyone else - and unfortunately we as consumers have allowed this to happen - even instigated it.

I have a meeting tomorrow to discuss this very issue.

Here's my thing: If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Do NOT upgrade a working system. Do not upgrade a Mac to Catalina if it's not going to support your FA for example. I have had systems for decades where everything still works. Upgrading is always an "at your own risk" thing and it will always make things SEEM obsolete.

But I can grab an old TX-802, throw a MIDI cable on it, and it'll work. You just can't expect to be able to control it with software. My old Sound Canvas - you can't get software to make it work anymore - but I can make it - and I can control it in other ways. Just hooked it up today.

Now, I have my complaints about Roland too - especially since I tried the Cloud thing which I couldn't even get registered for - and their "customer support" emails makes it clear they don't care. But as long as people who seem to have an endless supply of money keep buying Fantom Workstations the day they come out, they're going to keep accepting that money...