If you are a subscriber to our newsletter, you may have noticed the intriguing teaser from Roland embedded in there. An ad that was actually fun to click on - whatever next?!
Well now the secret is out and it is this: Roland have released the Fantom-Xa sampling workstation, an affordable way to get your hands on the Fantom-X technology.
Many of the most popular features from the flagship Fantom-X line have been ported to the Fantom-Xa, including 128-voice polyphony, major memory expansion, high-resolution built-in sequencing, realtime audio time-stretching, COSM� modeling effects, mastering processor, Skip Back Sampling, USB port, WAV/AIF compatibility, and an SRX expansion slot. The onboard PC Card slot allows up to a gigabyte (!) of patch and sample data storage.
Under the Fantom-Xa�s hood is one of the most powerful synth engines on the market. It�s loaded with great raw waveforms, semi-modular structures, multiple filter types, and up to eight syncable LFOs per patch, including the ultra-expressive programmable Step LFO. The Fantom-Xa shines with bank after bank of great patches, covering the classic keyboard and orchestral instruments plus modern electronic textures and much more. The 1,000-plus internal patches are categorized by family (Electric Guitars, Soft Pads, Organs, etc.) so it�s easy to find your sound quickly.
Whether you�re sequencing MIDI tracks, triggering samples, or even recording audio directly to RAM, the Fantom-Xa makes combining these elements a simple process. Lay down a drum track by combining the internal drum sounds with audio loops, which can automatically sync to tempo via realtime timestretching. Then record some keyboard parts via MIDI and finish your song by tracking a guitar or vocal as audio. The high-resolution sequencer holds up to 400,000 events, and supports Standard MIDI Files.
The Fantom-Xa is loaded with studio-quality COSM� effects. There are three MFX processors onboard, plus dedicated reverb, chorus, and even a mastering processor with multiband compression. Export your polished, finalized mixes to a PC or Mac via USB for CD burning.
Worthy of the famous Fantom-X logo, the new Fantom-Xa delivers powerhouse workstation performance at a price that won�t break the bank.
www.rolandus.com
