A few pre-purchase questions

Fraxis wrote:

Hi,
* Is Wheel 1 'sprung' like a pitch bend wheel, or does it stay in position like a modulation wheel?

Hi,
Wheel1 = like PB
Wheel2 = like MW

Rob, I am answering a couple of questions only, since I am not using any DAW and am far away from the Apple sphere...

Roland Customer Support is great, has very well answered all questions I have reached them with (65 Omhs recommended impedance for headphones, lenght of notes shown when recording....), but I think perhaps a registration might be in the needs prior to accessing any support.

Importing and exporting files is dealt with a USB stick, previously formatted by Fantom itself and connected to its USB A memory port, the operating manual not considering any other way. Experts have been seen recommending a maximum of 16 GB stick ("because more will be too much for Fantom") but I am using a SanDisk Ultra Fit USB 3.1 with 128 GB (works flawlessly), since no capacity limitation is stated in the manuals. Otherwise I would had strictly adhered to it. Experts, do they really exist ?

Many magazines dealing with music production matters recommend, after the M1 release and new OS for Macs, to stick for a while to previous laptops and old OSs until new drivers and new adjustments for DAWs are released.
https://www.musicradar.com/news/apples-m1-macs-and-macos-big-sur-heres-what-music-producers-need-to-know-about-daw-and-plugin-compatibility

https://www.roland.com/us/support/support_news/20101100r/

https://www.roland.com/us/support/support_news/20101100mr/

Wheel 1, not grooved, has a dent, is assignable, located upper left top, and pitch bend/modulation lever, not assignable, lower left bottom, are both spring loaded, returning to their neutral positions when released; while wheel 2, not grooved, with a dent, assignable, upper left top and next right to wheel 1, turns freely and stays where you leave it.

Zones do receive inputs from as many controls as you want, be them software or hardware, via the function panels and the system/scene/zone/tone/partial editing functions. Since any, many and even all 16 zones can trigger inner sound engines, external ones or both, I guess the controls will affect accordingly the connected device, but I insist: not using any DAW so far, just a reasonable guess, and I can tell that not all commands trigger CC messages but the result obtained by the knob relates to a CC that can be received from other devices. An example is the variations available via E1, that relates to CC#80, CC#81 and CC#82.

According to Owners manual, page 11:
"Controller:
This includes the keyboard, pads, pitch bend/modulation lever, wheels, panel knobs, sliders, and pedals connected to the rear panel. When you perform a performance operation such as pressing or releasing a key or pressing the damper pedal, the operation is converted into a MIDI message and transmitted to the sound engine and to an external MIDI device.”

.
The Fantom 8 has such a wonderful keyboard I recommend you think twice about buying a 7...and please, excuse my advicing you without your asking about.

I can't add much, but I greatly wish Roland would add FM (DX7) capability, and I agree that the Fantom 8 has a really great piano keyboard which is why I chose it, but there are lesser times that I wish I also had a synth-action keyboard. My solution will be to get a second keyboard eventually that has FM and a synth action keyboard. I am thinking about a Kurzweil PC4, MODX, Montage, or a Kronos 2 (used is ok with me). The other thing I miss is my old music styles (arranger capabilities - sacrilege around here I suppose, lol) so I use vArranger software for that. That allows me to just sit down and play and not have to create everything first. I don't know if any of the mentioned keyboards have arranger capabilities, but I don't think so. If they did, that would make the decision for me which one I would get. The patterns in the Fantom are "stuck" in one key. I wish they could be used like an arranger keyboard by playing chords with the left hand. With all that being said, I love my Fantom and it has endless capabilities on its own. I just want something else in addition to fill in what is missing.

Edit: I can answer this one:
* Can you control parameters in Logic using the physical faders and rotaries on the left of the instrument, or is this only possible through the touch screen?

- Yes, this should be no problem at all. You can use these to control other MIDI instruments as well. The Fantom can effectively be your DAW unless you need VST's.

Thanks very much for all the responses so far. They are really appreciated. Can anyone else help fill in the remaining blanks please, as I'm going to wait to see if there are any Black Friday deals, and then probably purchase at that point?

What blanks are remaining?

Remain unanswered questions:

* Can the Fantom record MIDI sent over USB from Logic on the Mac in real time? Or does the sequencer only record notes etc. from the Fantom itself? I appreciate there would be a limit of 32 measures for each recording.
* Has anyone from Roland unofficially said (maybe in an online demo/chat, social media or other forum) when their drivers and software will be compatible with Big Sur (as opposed to the official statement on their website)?
* Has anyone heard of any plans for the ZEN-Core engine to offer FM or wavetable synthesis?

Thanks!

* Can the Fantom record MIDI sent over USB from Logic on the Mac in real time? Or does the sequencer only record notes etc. from the Fantom itself? I appreciate there would be a limit of 32 measures for each recording.

I thought DAWs were the ones recording and helping the composition.
Anyway, you record in Fantom whatever you play, be it internal, external or both...even from the same zone. System...Sound....Advance/Basic set to Advance...and then shift+int/ext zone till reaching yellow.
Exceptions are the alterations envelops suffer via the movement of knobs in the corresponding panels, analog filter...They affect the tone, not the zone, so in the end you are requested to save the new tone so produced.

* Has anyone from Roland unofficially said (maybe in an online demo/chat, social media or other forum) when their drivers and software will be compatible with Big Sur (as opposed to the official statement on their website)?

Already told....Roland will report as soon as ready. See previous post answering you.

* Has anyone heard of any plans for the ZEN-Core engine to offer FM or wavetable synthesis.
Recently rumours have it that next upcoming OS version will be somewhat connected to new sound engines.

Fantom 8 offered now: 2699€. Free shipping.
https://www.madridhifi.com/p/roland-fantom-8/