Korg vs. Fantom vs. Motif

[flygrade]

i got $1000+ to spend on a keyboard for my cousin's studio....my choices thus far are the motif 6, fantom xa, or triton le...any comments or opinions?....which has the most sounds?...and the best sampled instruments?....the synth sounds are not that important but the quality of sampled intruments are (such as strings, guitars, pianos, woodwinds and brass)...and i know alot of answers are gonna be subjective (nature of music) so lemme just say that we do Hip-hop/RnB and Dancehall/Reggae

[AlexHall74]

Decisions, decisions...hmmm.

I would not go for the Triton LE as it is not too expandable.

The Motifs I have heard sound GREAT!

I have not heard the new Fantom X or Xa. The sampling pads would be cool to have on the Xa if it were your only synth/sampler.

What about getting a full fledged rack Motif, Fantom, or Triton and a Midi controller? Then you get all the goodies of the synth and can expand it like crazy later...

Whatever you do:

1. Go to a music retailer and play any model you are considering for as long as you can before you drop ten C notes.

2. Make sure you understood the retailer's return/exchange procedures. If they give you any crap buy it from Zzsounds as they are very cool about them.

Good luck!

-AlexHall74

[Va_hotrod]

If you love your piano sounds then I would avoid the Triton LE. Also, just to let you know, the Xa does not come with the same sound set as the XR/X6/X7/X8. It comes with the same as the S61/S76/S88. Also the Xa's pads do not have Aftertouch and I think that they are not even touch sensitive (someone correct me if I'm wrong). With that in mind, If you choose to go with Roland then I would get the S61.

http://www.zzounds.com/a--3745/item--ROLFANTOMS

[flygrade]

i read in the Xa's specs that it has the S 61's sound set plus an extra 128 sounds...i also read that the Xa is expandable as is the motif...but anybody with firsthand knowledge could set the issue straight...

[Va_hotrod]

But with the Xa you can only put in one SRX expansion board. With the S61 you can put in up to four. Which in the end gives you more sounds. And again, I don't think that the pads on the Xa are velocity sensitive. So if you are not using a drum machince then that is something that I would take into consideration.


I'm not saying the Xa is not worth it. Just letting you know some of the differences between them that I have noticed. Ultimately the decision is yours.

[AlexHall74]

[b]Va_hotrod wrote:
But with the Xa you can only put in one SRX expansion board. With the S61 you can put in up to four. Which in the end gives you more sounds.[/b]

That's right, and let's not forget:

Fantom S-61 also has:
1. 320X420 Dot Graphic LCD display
2. More sample pads

The display makes a big difference in being able to navigate your synth.
I bought an Access Virus KC last year. I love it to death but it took me weeks to navigate the tiny little display effectively. It is only possible to fit so much menu context in two lines of LCD screen.

Fantom S 61: $1,2995 Only 2 left!
http://www.zzounds.com/a--3745/item--ROLFANTOMS

[flygrade]

thanks for setting the record straight....so basically its the fantom s over the motif 6 and triton le?....what do y'all think of the nord lead 2x?...i'm considering the rack version in the near future like summer or so

[AlexHall74]

There are alot of good virtual analogs out there.
I REEEALLY like my Virus KC.

The Virus TI is coming out soon so I would check it out as well if you are considering the Nord Lead 2x.

[WRX07]

I have a Motif ES8 that I love. It takes a little getting used to, but once you get the basics, it's really a great keyboard. To me I think the samples seem a lot more "real" than the other keyboards I played. You can really hear the wood and the wind from the acoustic instruments...very natural. All of the samples are very tweakable, too.

I think the Motif's are best "all-around," the Triton's appeal more to drums and beats, and the Fantom's are more techno and synths. But then again this is my opinion and I bet a lot of people will disagree with me

The best advice I can give you is go down to the local Guitar Center and just start playing with the keyboards. The guys there will do their best to screw you and make you buy the product, so just ask for a demonstration and try to ignore all the salesman-babble they give you.

[flygrade]

ummm the motif ES is a lil outta the price range...i'm considerin the older motif 6...are the sounds the same? out of the motif6 and the fantom s which has better midi implementation? and which is better suited for DAW integration?

Yeah i've heard good things about access...but their stuff is too pricey...i'm ballin on a budget right now

[Tweak]

The original motif has an 85 meg rom and the ES put it up to 175 I think. The Fantom S has a 64 meg rom but has 4 64 meg expansion slots. The otif allows for some PLG boards which add different types of synthesis other than sample playback. The Fantom only does sample playback.

I think midi implementation is not a concern unless you want to do some unusual things--is there something you need it to do?

The Fantom has a USB port for swapping samples and banks of presets into your computer. I am not sure how the Motif handles this. The Motif does have a scsi port.

http://www.zzounds.com/a--3745/item--YAMMOTIF6

http://www.zzounds.com/a--3745/item--ROLFANTOMS

Both are well worth the money.

[jsepeta]

I have a Fantom S 61 and have played the X6/X7 and Xa. The sounds on all the models use the same engine, and the kind folks at www.fantomized.info have hundreds of patches for the Fantom that don't require pricey expansion boards -- perfect for someone on a budget.
1) Patches from the XV series have been converted to work in the S, X, and Xa
2) Patches from the X series have been converted to work with the S and Xa (which have less onboard ROM).
3) Patches from the Xa have been converted to work on the S

the main differences that make the Xa cheaper are the smaller non-lcd display and lack of drum machine style pads. but the Xa's benefit over the S and X versions are streamlined access to some features. I cannot comment on fantom X OS 2.0 which was recently released.

I think I prefer my S to the Xa because of the *4* SRX expansion slots. I've maxed out my FS and it's got some 1700+ patches, instantly accessible, which is hundreds more than you get from a triton or motif. plus the triton has an asinine (can i say that?) scheme for loading patches into banks, as i've experienced on my triton rack. roland's srx boards, once loaded, are ready to roll; korg's boards require more monkeying around to actually use the patches.

If I were buying new and wanted a synth that was still in production, the Xa is a good modern unit. In any case, the Xa struck me as a better-sounding synth than the Triton. triton pianos are the worst; motifs are probably the best -- but i like the fantomx too...

counting the amount of onboard ROM by MB is a foolish debate. different companies use different compression schemes. and good synth programming will make make the best use of the waveform ROM that comes with your synth.

[flygrade]

i'm leaning towards the roland...we have an old JV-90 at the studio right now as the main keyboard synth...and it works great i like it...we've borrowed a triton le twice(so we havent really even cracked the surface) and my friend uses a kurzweil kme-61(his stuff is nice too...) but overall i think the roland might be the best bet...i thank y'all for the insight...

[Dancing Dave]

The Motif allows for some PLG boards which add different types of synthesis other than sample playback.

AND THAT'S IMPORTANT.

Korg and Yamaha are actually two brand lines of one company like Chevy and Buick are two brand lines of General Motors. They tend to share patents, so there are some underlying similarities.

Most Tritons can use a great MOSS expansion board which gives you all the extra vitamins the sample playback synths lack. But I'm not sure that the Triton LE can be expanded like that. That would sure knock out one of the best things that Tritons have over other Workstations. It would be worth checking on that.

If the LE can't take a MOSS synthesis expansion board, and you can't afford any other Triton, a Yamaha in your price range might be expandable that way...and Yamaha has a history going back to the classic SY series of combining different synthesis methods well.

[jsepeta]

don't forget that PLG expansion boards like the ones the Motif uses cost $200-300. your 2 choices of new synthesis types are Virtual Analog and 6-op FM. Korg's MOSS board with physical modelling is $475, and cannot be added to the Triton Le, which can only add the sampling option (please correct me if i'm wrong). Although having 13 oscillators is pretty cool, keep in mind that MOSS is limited to 6 simultaneous voices.

The Roland SRX boards are $220 or so and although they do not add a whole new type of synthesis like MOSS or FM, they contain a ton of patches and ROM samples that have been pre-categorized so that they're easier to find on a Fantom (acoustic pianos, electric pianos, yada yada). The Xa and likely 2.0 X6/X7/X8/XR will let you select patches using the numeric keys, which is a feature I miss on the Fantom S that was sadly not carried over from the XP/XV series.

So if you want to dig deep into synth programming, the conventional wisdom is that you should try the Yamaha or Korg solutions with their expan$ion boards. But don't discount the Fantom's bundled editor software, which puts all the synth's settings on your Mac or PC, making patch creation much more enjoyable than paging from one screen to the next on the keyboard. I wish that there was documentation on Roland's software, but it's pretty self-explanatory. (the patch librarian is pretty... pretty fugly... but allows you to manage your expanding library). I'm not sure about the Motif ES, but the Triton doesn't include patch management software, which is really a shame.

[flygrade]

zeen zeen...i'ma still stick with the roland...in terms of synthesis i plan on getting a Nord rack by fall or so this year...

[flygrade]

zeen zeen...i'ma still stick with the roland...in terms of synthesis i plan on getting a Nord rack by fall or so this year...

[fil149]

I pretty much have been trying to decide between the motif and the fantom s 61. At first I was leaning toward the motif because I read it was pretty easy to find sounds and that the sounds are very realistic. However I am mostly a modern rock performer but would like to add some industrial to my style. I assume the Fantom is newer than Motif 6 since most of the reveiws for the motif 6 are from 2002-2003. Sounds and a user friendly synth is very important to me and that is how I prioritize what board i should purchase. I read tweak has fantomized and I take his opinion with much regard. But being a newbie to synth I would like an easy to use board with a good range of sounds that are realistic without going over 1300. Any suggestions appreciatied MOtif 6 of fantom s 61 would be greatly helpful. Thanks.

[Tweak]

Its a tough call. I suggest playing with both if you can. Mess around with menus and try different presets. I think the Motif has a crisper sound while the Fantom is warmer. I personally like the Fantom's interface over the Motif.

[fil149]

Thanks tweak. Tomorrow I am going to go to Sam ash and I will mess around with the motif and the Fantoms. However i notice that the fantom xa 6 and the fantom s 6 there is only a one hundred dollar difference. What is the main difference between the two and is the xa better than the s series? I know the Xa connects directly to the computer via usb does the the S do the same thing. I have been leaning toward the fantoms after doing research on the web last night. MOtif and fantoms both sound good but It seems like the features on the fantom are better.

[AlexHall74]

fil149 wrote:
However i notice that the fantom xa 6 and the fantom s 6 there is only a one hundred dollar difference. What is the main difference between the two and is the xa better than the s series?

Read this thread from the beginning to get many pertinent answers toyour question.



-AlexHall74

[jsepeta]

the Fantom S is older and features drumpads and 4 SRX slots; the XA is newer, has a smaller screen, and only 1 SRX slot. i've got the S and while the XA was cheaper by $100 from what I paid, the S seems like a bit more high end of a machine; having more slots is good if you're a gearhound like me and want to fill it up with $200 cards. but i've seen demos for the XA, and it looks like roland improved the operating system to make the XA easier to use.

[fil149]

The first time I read this thread I was pretty much focusing on the fantom vs motif. Now that I have reread this thread I did find useful information on the S Vs xa. Thanks Alexhall73 and jsepeta. I have been browsing through the Fantomized site and I have found that some X owners have had to replace their motherboard due to static and noise. Has any S owners have had the same problem? By all means I am a newbie and I am about to make a very important purchase. It seems like the S edging out the Xa, but i hope that I can directly connect the S to the computer through usb. I am looking for a store that has an interest free easy pay plan. Sam ash is the only one I Found that has one but they do not carry the S anymore, at least not online. I have bought gear at zzounds and i am very satified, i would love to buy the S through them but I dont think that have an interest free easy plan. thanks to all for the info.

[Va_hotrod]

the Fantom S is older and features drumpads and 4 SRX slots; the XA is newer, has a smaller screen, and only 2 SRX slots. i've got the S and while the XA was cheaper by $100 from what I paid, the S seems like a bit more high end of a machine; having more slots is good if you're a gearhound like me and want to fill it up with $200 cards. but i've seen demos for the XA, and it looks like roland improved the operating system to make the XA easier to use.

The Xa only has one SRX expansion slot.

[Va_hotrod]

The first time I read this thread I was pretty much focusing on the fantom vs motif. Now that I have reread this thread I did find useful information on the S Vs xa. Thanks Alexhall73 and jsepeta. I have been browsing through the Fantomized site and I have found that some X owners have had to replace their motherboard due to static and noise. Has any S owners have had the same problem? By all means I am a newbie and I am about to make a very important purchase. It seems like the S edging out the Xa, but i hope that I can directly connect the S to the computer through usb. I am looking for a store that has an interest free easy pay plan. Sam ash is the only one I Found that has one but they do not carry the S anymore, at least not online. I have bought gear at zzounds and i am very satified, i would love to buy the S through them but I dont think that have an interest free easy plan. thanks to all for the info.

You will be able to connect both the Xa and the S61 using USB. But if you are planning to send audio of your completed work through the usb port then you will need to add a stick of RAM (128MB should be fine) because they only ship with around 32MB Sampling memory.