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#381492 - 01/15/14 01:39 PM Re: New Roland FA-06/FA-08 Workstation and RD-800 [Re: shueymusic]
rosetree
Unregistered


The Kronos is very popular at least according to the main German synthesizer forums, maybe 50/50 with the Motif XF.

Regarding the mid-priced segment, I don't see that the FA could outperform the MoXF. It might sell better than the Krome. The most important thing lacking is a flash board in order to load third party sample libraries.

Regarding the (virtual) expansion slots, it could be the same as BK-9, but with a different sound structure: the BK-9 (like all arrangers) only has tones as the lowest editing level, whereas the FA PCM section most probably has the system of tones/patches consisting of 4 waveform elements (as it has all the sounds of the XV5080, in which this architecture is used). The SN synth section has a system of 3 waveform elements per tone. These architectures are also used in the Integra.


Edited by rosetree (01/15/14 01:44 PM)

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#381499 - 01/15/14 01:49 PM Re: New Roland FA-06/FA-08 Workstation and RD-800 [Re: shueymusic]
Diki Offline


Registered: 04/25/05
Posts: 14182
Loc: NW Florida
I don't take forum chat as any particular proof of sales. Primarily, I simply look at live shows on TV, try to spot what is being used.

Massive Motif dominance there, but admittedly, it's been out a lot longer than the Kronos. Not to mention, the Kronos is another step UP in price point, Yamaha don't really make anything in that ballpark yet.

I played one quite a bit (both, actually). On the whole, I still felt the Kronos sounded very 'Korg-ish' and reminded me quite a bit of the M3's and even Triton overall basic sound. Not that that's a bad thing (still have a Triton), but I was hoping, along with the new streaming capabilities, to have something that departed radically from what came before. There are some amazing things it can do, but as a pure gigging machine, not exactly head and shoulders above anything else, particularly the XF series. But it's a good start. And hopefully, the streaming from SSD approach rapidly becomes the norm.

What an addition to an arranger that would be!
_________________________
An arranger is just a tool. What matters is what you build with it..!

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#381516 - 01/15/14 02:30 PM Re: New Roland FA-06/FA-08 Workstation and RD-800 [Re: shueymusic]
rosetree
Unregistered


Yes, the Kronos is definitely very much an M3 XPanded. I had an M3XP module last year, then I tried the Krome in a store and listened to many demos of the Kronos preset sounds. Korg blew up the German piano (which also sounds very much like the M3 XP 4-way grand) to 2 GB size due to very long samples, which however doesn't change its general timbre. At least regarding the PCM orchestral sounds like brass, strings, woodwinds, a lot is nearly identical to the M3 XP. But IMO it is the ample space for additional sample libraries which can turn it into a great sound monster, not so much the on-board preset sounds.

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#381531 - 01/15/14 03:56 PM Re: New Roland FA-06/FA-08 Workstation and RD-800 [Re: shueymusic]
rb293 Offline
Member

Registered: 07/18/07
Posts: 153
Loc: Binghamton, NY USA
Keyboard Magazine Quick Review

http://www.keyboardmag.com/article/153803

Ron

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#381544 - 01/15/14 10:59 PM Re: New Roland FA-06/FA-08 Workstation and RD-800 [Re: shueymusic]
shueymusic Offline
Member

Registered: 04/26/11
Posts: 648
Loc: Lebanon, PA
The Roland FA-06 sells for $1199.

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/FA06

Roland FA-08 sells for $1799.

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/FA08

Roland RD-800 sells for $2499.

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/RD800
_________________________
~Johnathan
"The Shueys"
www.shueymusic.com
Yamaha Genos - RCF M20x - RCF HD10A (Stereo) - Jupiter Pocket Trumpet - Sennheiser e935 - Neumann KMS-104 plus-N

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#381551 - 01/16/14 05:16 AM Re: New Roland FA-06/FA-08 Workstation and RD-800 [Re: shueymusic]
rosetree
Unregistered


Great prices. If the MoXF hadn't been released, the FA-06 would be mine.

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#385423 - 02/27/14 11:34 AM Re: New Roland FA-06/FA-08 Workstation and RD-800 [Re: shueymusic]
rosetree
Unregistered


The first expansion package for the new Roland FA has popped up on Roland's AXIAL website today. It is a slightly reduced version of the SRX-08 (not my area of interest, just vintage techno beat samples etc.). But it confirms that other expansions based on SRX boards will be available in future - and indeed for free. (Remember However, only 2 of these waveform expansions can be loaded into a FA.)

http://axial.roland.com


Edited by rosetree (02/27/14 11:39 AM)

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#387033 - 03/27/14 07:47 AM Re: New Roland FA-06/FA-08 Workstation and RD-800 [Re: shueymusic]
rosetree
Unregistered


The second expansion package for the Roland FA, EXP 02, has been released now. It is a reduced version of the SRX-07 Ultimate Keys, containing 400 sounds and 629 waveforms, e.g.:
-Roland's best grand piano of the 1990s (from 1996)
-lots and lots of e-pianos and e-organs (again from the 90s)
-saxophone, flute, vocals which were oustanding in 1996
-lots of electronic synthesizer sounds.
Although all the sounds go back to expansion boards from the 1990s, the SRX-07 is probably the most popular of all SRX boards. But a considerable 200 waveforms have been skipped in the EXP02.

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#388454 - 04/29/14 06:40 AM Re: New Roland FA-06/FA-08 Workstation and RD-800 [Re: shueymusic]
rosetree
Unregistered


Just a quick note that the 3rd expansion pack for the new Roland FA-06/08 has been released: the EXP 03 is 99% identical to the renowned SRX 09 expansion board 'WORLD': more than 400 terrific ethnic sounds and waveforms ranging from plucked to brass, from Asian to Mexican and a bit of Country. Although the samples date from about 1995-2000, they are highly usable and partly excellent. (The FA has got 2 virtual slots for expansion packs.)
Here's a demo of the SRX 09:
https://soundcloud.com/rolandcom/srx-09-demo-song?in=rolandcom/sets/srx-09-world-collection
(Once again, Soundcloud seems to have some technical problems...)


Edited by rosetree (04/29/14 06:52 AM)

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