Roland, a manufacturer and distributor of electronic musical instruments and professional video products, announces the flagship FANTOM lineup, an all-new series of professional keyboards for music production and live performance. Developed from the ground up for modern players, the next-generation FANTOM 6, FANTOM 7, and FANTOM 8 models fuse Roland’s latest synthesizer technologies with fluid operation, a color touchscreen and deep computer integration. The instruments also feature tour-ready construction to meet the demands of everyday life on the road. The FANTOM 8, FANTOM 7, and FANTOM 6 will be available in the U.S. in September for $3,999.99, $3,599.99, and $3,299.99, respectively.
A key feature is its modeless interface. Players never have to worry about what features work in which mode—FANTOM is always in full-on creative mode, providing a consistent working experience in every musical scenario. And with workspaces called Scenes, the instrument can be fully customized and instantly reconfigured for different composition and performance setups.
FANTOM’s flexible and expandable sound engine provides a range of electronic, acoustic, and hybrid sounds. Players can combine different synthesis technologies along with the onboard analog filter for new and unusual sounds. There’s also a selection of effects available to enhance individual sounds and process entire mixes.
With its DSP engine, players can focus on music, not rationing processing power. It’s possible to run all 16 parts with all available effects at once, complete with full patch remain for transitions.
FANTOM models offer playability and aftertouch support with Roland’s best keyboards ever, including the PHA-50 on the 88-key FANTOM 8 and a brand new semi-weighted action on the 76-key FANTOM 7 and 61-key FANTOM 6. In addition to the color touchscreen interface, there are plenty of knobs and sliders for immediate control, plus a dedicated synthesizer section with oscillator, filter, and envelope controls.
Available tools include RGB pads, a TR-REC style pattern sequencer, real-time recording with piano roll editing, and a grid for recording and launching clips.
FANTOM can be a standalone instrument, but its uses grow when connected to computers, analog synthesizers, and other gear. DAWs and performance software like Apple's Logic Pro and MainStage can be operated from the touchscreen and panel controls, and virtual instruments from Roland Cloud and others can be controlled and combined with the keyboard's internal sounds. It’s also possible to drive modular and analog synthesizers from its dual CV/Gate outputs.
To learn more, visit Roland.com.
