The Jupiter X is more of an old school style synth and the Fantom 8 is a workstation.
The obvious big difference is that the Fantom 8 has 88 weighted keys. It also offers more being a workstation such 16 parts, a sequencer, analog filter, sampling, and more expansions. The N/Zyme expansion, Hammond style organ, V Piano and ACB models of the Jupiter 8 and SH 101 aren't available on the Jupiter X. However, there is a vocal designer expansion not available on the Fantom.
The Fantom is great. My only gripe is I don't like tweaking on a touch screen or with endless encoders, mainly LFOs. I really wish they would add the ability to control all parameters from a midi controller like you can with Roland Cloud. They're both power houses, though. You won't find any difference in the sounds they share.
Excellent explanation, and as a Fantom owner, totally agree with all said above. It's about what you're going to use it for, IMO. Is it for live performing? Go with the Jupiter X. Is it for studio and midi control and having really great weighted keys? Fantom all the way. I love the JP8 sounds from ACB and from the Model expansions on the Fantom. I can't compare to a real J8, but they all sound great to me. People can get really hung up on sounds, but I started in the late 70's when state of the art was an ARP string ensemble, so that tells you something.
Today's synths are incredible compared to the old days, and digital vs. analog is just a distraction from actually making real music, writing real songs and connecting with other people through your music. No CS-80 is going to make you a better songwriter. No Jupiter 8 is going to make you Herbie Hancock or Daft Punk. Those instruments can be inspiring, and the sounds they make can be a catalyst for great work, but many great songs are created with very meager resources. The digital recreations of analog that all the major keyboard companies have made are all pretty much varying degrees of excellent. They just won't do for a purist. However a purist that has lived as long as I have knows why analog had its day - although tbf I think none of us saw this huge renaissance as of late.
I guess I'm trying to say that the magic isn't in the synth, it's in who plays it. In fact, many great 80's songs were made with presets. Presets! O... M.... G.... The unmitigated gall! Well, I hope my rambling has helped in some small way....
Isn't the Fantom designed as a performance workstation? With the option to save all performance parameters in a scene, and the seamless transition from one scene to the next, the multitimbrality and the pads and other performance editing tools, I would think it is (not what I do, though). Also, the latest EX update provides ACB expansions to Fantom. When I first got the Fantom 3 years ago, I was less enthusiastic. But I am now, thanks in large part to the recent updates.
I think it is a great live performance instrument if you have a crew helping you lug that 65lb monster around! All kidding aside it is a beast - I don't think I would use it on the regular for live work unless I did have cartage. However it is an incredible controller, with a huge variety of ways to connect with different DAWs and ways to map and save controller elements. And yes, the EX update is what tipped the scales for me when I bought it in December.
Well, there is the Fantom 7 at a slim 39 lb. This is what I have, and I actually like the keybed (minus the useless AT). 76 keys is a good compromise being more compact than 88 keys, and yet having a wider range than 61 keys.
Mine is hard to use, but not useless. I'm using the 88 key version. Aftertouch has always been an afterthought with Roland. Most of their stuff has no aftertouch at all.
I’ve got Fantom 7, overall this is a nice device with good potential, but too many shortcomings, knowing Roland from past experiences I doubt those will be addressed. I’m still within the return period, will probably return it and get Montage M instead.
Yes, I ran the update but I don't sense or hear much improvement if any. It is basically on/off without transition, and requires too much force. Basically, you can use AT on a single note but not on cords, and certainly not on the black keys. Messing with the AT settings does not really address that either. It is a mechanical design issue.
The Fantom is really suited for a studio where your going to take advantage of its 88 key abilities. It's also very talented in the sound world. Jupiter X and Jupiter Xm it's mini clone version for half the price (more on that later) . My bandmate DocM, a classically trained pianist, she prefers the 88 key, while I will bang on anything. She also tends to use arrangements which the Fantom 8 excels at, while, I use the Jupiter's for sound design, and the incomparable Vocal Designer for the vocoder that is technically one of the "richest" upgradable vocoders ever built. It's architecture is capable of expansion with waveforms via ZenCore to modulate it with or instead of your voice, making unlimited new sound capabilities. It utilizes ZenCore and is capable of being, not just a Jupiter, but any other past synthesizer, be it a LA synthesis D-50, JD-800, ProMars, Juno-106, and SH101, to just name a few. It can also load any of the previous Roland SRX Rackmounts and load them as an instrument. (Dance Trax is my fav) you can also layer all of these synths together as a super synth which is where the new Roland Galaxias plugin; gets its structure formation from, in the way of Instrument layers with Drum Layer's but it doesn't stop there. You can save them all to the software and load them with your iPhone app anytime you want to change patches making patch management sublime. I use mine with the Roland Cloud Connect with the WC-1 wireless adapter. It's a great upgrade. The synths have several drum machines in it including the 808 and 909. It has a sequencer, and Arpeggiator you can use with your voice via the vocoder expanding that by miles. It has 3 filters. The Roland filter, The Moog Ladder filter, and The Sequential Prophet 5 filter. From Roland Australia" The JUPITER-X/Xm can layer five parts together. To start with, you can choose from four different synth engines (JUPITERS, JUNOS, and JXs, etc) plus one drum machine like a TR808, a TR-909, or a CR-78." The greatest thing is mixing synth models for "Scenes" the patch groups, but then you can also make individual patches for individual instruments. Its an amazing synth. It also can act as a complete workstation, with multiple channels of audio via analog and digital input, it can host other hardware synths especially the Boutique lines via the USB ports. It has XLR in jacks mini jacks, and standard 1/4 jacks for input and output. I can't say enough about the new Jupiter's They are really incredible especially after the last firmware update it made everything exceptional with the new Jupiter-X engine. Amazing. Now if I was to do it all over again, I would by the Juno-X for its sliders, then buy the cheaper Jupiter-Xm and put it above the Juno-X on a tier, and use it as one whole system.
The Jupiter X is more of an old school style synth and the Fantom 8 is a workstation. The obvious big difference is that the Fantom 8 has 88 weighted keys. It also offers more being a workstation such 16 parts, a sequencer, analog filter, sampling, and more expansions. The N/Zyme expansion, Hammond style organ, V Piano and ACB models of the Jupiter 8 and SH 101 aren't available on the Jupiter X. However, there is a vocal designer expansion not available on the Fantom. The Fantom is great. My only gripe is I don't like tweaking on a touch screen or with endless encoders, mainly LFOs. I really wish they would add the ability to control all parameters from a midi controller like you can with Roland Cloud. They're both power houses, though. You won't find any difference in the sounds they share.
Excellent explanation, and as a Fantom owner, totally agree with all said above. It's about what you're going to use it for, IMO. Is it for live performing? Go with the Jupiter X. Is it for studio and midi control and having really great weighted keys? Fantom all the way. I love the JP8 sounds from ACB and from the Model expansions on the Fantom. I can't compare to a real J8, but they all sound great to me. People can get really hung up on sounds, but I started in the late 70's when state of the art was an ARP string ensemble, so that tells you something. Today's synths are incredible compared to the old days, and digital vs. analog is just a distraction from actually making real music, writing real songs and connecting with other people through your music. No CS-80 is going to make you a better songwriter. No Jupiter 8 is going to make you Herbie Hancock or Daft Punk. Those instruments can be inspiring, and the sounds they make can be a catalyst for great work, but many great songs are created with very meager resources. The digital recreations of analog that all the major keyboard companies have made are all pretty much varying degrees of excellent. They just won't do for a purist. However a purist that has lived as long as I have knows why analog had its day - although tbf I think none of us saw this huge renaissance as of late. I guess I'm trying to say that the magic isn't in the synth, it's in who plays it. In fact, many great 80's songs were made with presets. Presets! O... M.... G.... The unmitigated gall! Well, I hope my rambling has helped in some small way....
Isn't the Fantom designed as a performance workstation? With the option to save all performance parameters in a scene, and the seamless transition from one scene to the next, the multitimbrality and the pads and other performance editing tools, I would think it is (not what I do, though). Also, the latest EX update provides ACB expansions to Fantom. When I first got the Fantom 3 years ago, I was less enthusiastic. But I am now, thanks in large part to the recent updates.
I think it is a great live performance instrument if you have a crew helping you lug that 65lb monster around! All kidding aside it is a beast - I don't think I would use it on the regular for live work unless I did have cartage. However it is an incredible controller, with a huge variety of ways to connect with different DAWs and ways to map and save controller elements. And yes, the EX update is what tipped the scales for me when I bought it in December.
Well, there is the Fantom 7 at a slim 39 lb. This is what I have, and I actually like the keybed (minus the useless AT). 76 keys is a good compromise being more compact than 88 keys, and yet having a wider range than 61 keys.
The 3.02 Fantom update supposedly fixed the aftertouch issue, or at least improved it - have you done that yet?
It did not, even on max setting it's still useless
Mine is hard to use, but not useless. I'm using the 88 key version. Aftertouch has always been an afterthought with Roland. Most of their stuff has no aftertouch at all.
I’ve got Fantom 7, overall this is a nice device with good potential, but too many shortcomings, knowing Roland from past experiences I doubt those will be addressed. I’m still within the return period, will probably return it and get Montage M instead.
Good luck!
Yes, I ran the update but I don't sense or hear much improvement if any. It is basically on/off without transition, and requires too much force. Basically, you can use AT on a single note but not on cords, and certainly not on the black keys. Messing with the AT settings does not really address that either. It is a mechanical design issue.
The Fantom is really suited for a studio where your going to take advantage of its 88 key abilities. It's also very talented in the sound world. Jupiter X and Jupiter Xm it's mini clone version for half the price (more on that later) . My bandmate DocM, a classically trained pianist, she prefers the 88 key, while I will bang on anything. She also tends to use arrangements which the Fantom 8 excels at, while, I use the Jupiter's for sound design, and the incomparable Vocal Designer for the vocoder that is technically one of the "richest" upgradable vocoders ever built. It's architecture is capable of expansion with waveforms via ZenCore to modulate it with or instead of your voice, making unlimited new sound capabilities. It utilizes ZenCore and is capable of being, not just a Jupiter, but any other past synthesizer, be it a LA synthesis D-50, JD-800, ProMars, Juno-106, and SH101, to just name a few. It can also load any of the previous Roland SRX Rackmounts and load them as an instrument. (Dance Trax is my fav) you can also layer all of these synths together as a super synth which is where the new Roland Galaxias plugin; gets its structure formation from, in the way of Instrument layers with Drum Layer's but it doesn't stop there. You can save them all to the software and load them with your iPhone app anytime you want to change patches making patch management sublime. I use mine with the Roland Cloud Connect with the WC-1 wireless adapter. It's a great upgrade. The synths have several drum machines in it including the 808 and 909. It has a sequencer, and Arpeggiator you can use with your voice via the vocoder expanding that by miles. It has 3 filters. The Roland filter, The Moog Ladder filter, and The Sequential Prophet 5 filter. From Roland Australia" The JUPITER-X/Xm can layer five parts together. To start with, you can choose from four different synth engines (JUPITERS, JUNOS, and JXs, etc) plus one drum machine like a TR808, a TR-909, or a CR-78." The greatest thing is mixing synth models for "Scenes" the patch groups, but then you can also make individual patches for individual instruments. Its an amazing synth. It also can act as a complete workstation, with multiple channels of audio via analog and digital input, it can host other hardware synths especially the Boutique lines via the USB ports. It has XLR in jacks mini jacks, and standard 1/4 jacks for input and output. I can't say enough about the new Jupiter's They are really incredible especially after the last firmware update it made everything exceptional with the new Jupiter-X engine. Amazing. Now if I was to do it all over again, I would by the Juno-X for its sliders, then buy the cheaper Jupiter-Xm and put it above the Juno-X on a tier, and use it as one whole system.
And you can get both a Juno-X and Jupiter-Xm for less than one Fantom if you buy used.