The Fantom EX Upgrade supercharges the Roland Fantom Synthesizer workstation series with ACB technology, new synths, pianos, and more.
In 2019, Roland introduced the next generation of its Fantom Synthesizer workstation. A newly developed hybrid engine with ZEN Core elements (a surprise) powers these new flagship synths. They bundle synthesis, sampling, and sequencing/composing in one device.
At the beginning of 2022, n/zyme followed another engine that transformed the Fantom into a wavetable Synthesizer. Now, just before the end of the year, the Fantom series is getting its most significant upgrade.
Fantom EX Upgrade
This is a novelty. Unlike the other updates, the new Fantom EX upgrade is not free of charge. It offers, however, for $199, an impressive set of features and content that supercharge Roland’s flagship synth workstation with more power.
It’s almost like a Fantom MK2. With the difference, you don’t need to buy new hardware.
Next-Gen ACB
The core platform takes the biggest step forward. The new FEX upgrade expands it with the powerful analog circuit behavior technology (ACB). Yes, the tech you know from the System-1/-8 synths or TR-8S/6S drum machines.
In the Fantom (6-7-8), however, it’s the next generation of ACB. The developers have continued the initial technology and made it more efficient and powerful to run the codes on Roland’s latest DSP cores.
This includes the latest ACB advancements like the circuit mod and condition functions for dialing in varying degrees of vintage character.
These are improvements that we have already seen in the latest v2 updates for the Jupiter-4, -8, and Juno-60 plugins. Just recently, also in the JX-3P. plugin.
If you upgrade, you can explore two ACB synths: the Jupiter-8 and the SH-101. Both are included in the upgrade and are the first next-gen ACB synths.
Plug-Outs?
I asked Roland in advance whether it’s possible to load the other PlugOuts into the new Fantom ACB engine. Roland says:
NO it is not possible to load in other ACB instruments at present. The Fantom runs on a more modern DSP chip set to the System-8 and other AIRA products, so any ACB instrument must be individually re-coded to make it compatible with the Fantom platform, which has been a massive undertaking by the development team.
So at launch only the Jupiter-8 is compatible, and the SH-101 will follow later in the year (but both are included in the price of the Fantom EX upgrade).
So, the current ACB-based plugins in the Roland Cloud are not compatible. Roland has to recode these PlugOuts to make them compatible. I hope the System-8 PlugOut will be added in the future. That would be a big deal. And the new ACB is just a part of the new FANTOM EX upgrade.
Two Concert-Class Acoustic Pianos
Then, the FANTOM EX Upgrade adds two new deeply expressive grands primed to elevate stage and studio endeavors with Roland’s renowned piano performance.
First, you get the new German Concert V-Piano Expansion O1 (available in the RD-2000 stage piano). Secondly, you can explore the new SuperNATURAL Acoustic Piano 3 Expansion, offering 15 distinctive sounds. Plus, Fantom’s V-Piano interface got a makeover with a new graphical design.
Two Upgrade Goodies
Roland will reward Fantom upgraders with two additional non-ACB-based synthesizers. These are two well-known Model Expansions titles driven by the ZEN-Core engine. One of these is the JD-800, which authentically reproduces the sound of the Roland JD-800 with its original waveforms.
Further, you get the n/zyme Modal Expansion that turns the Fantom into a multi-layer wavetable Synthesizer. It gives you wavetable synthesis, phase and shape modulation, resonant filters, two powerful step LFOs, and more.
N/zyme users probably won’t be happy here because they already pay for the engine in 2022. Update: users get a $100 discount on the update.
New Effect And Workflow Enhancements
The upgrade also comes with two new effects. A new shimmer reverb for instant ambient soundscapes and a new modulation reverb for rich spaciousness and intense harmonic color.
Fantom’s DAW control has been expanded with profiles for Steinberg Cubase and PreSonus Studio One. Additionally, the Master FX processor includes new preset templates for faster workflow and refreshed graphical interfaces for the Mastering Comp and Mastering EQ sections.
No Upgrade No New Features
I also asked Roland what happened to all Fantom users who will not buy an upgrade. This group doesn’t get any new features in this release, but maybe in the future, but I’m not sure. Roland says:
The new instruments and features will only be available as part of the Fantom-EX upgrade. However, we have just recently released in October a new firmware (V3.02) which has fixed some bugs and made some tweaks to the aftertouch parameter.
So customers who do not wish to purchase the upgrade can still get this firmware update to fix some small issues on their unit.
First Impression
That’s a major upgrade for the Roland Fantom series. It’s not free, but a very impressive one. As I said, it seems like Roland introduced the MK2 but without new hardware. I wonder if this will be done more often in the future. Charging money for firmware upgrades on hardware synths.
I’m excited to see where Roland takes the ACB integration and whether we’ll have synthesizers like the System-8 in the Fantom.
Roland FANTOM (6 – 7 – 8) is available now for $3,499, $3,899, and $4,199, respectively. The Roland FANTOM EX Upgrade is now available for $199. It’s not compatible with the FANTOM-0 series. Existing users of the N/zyme Modal Expansion users, get a discount of $100, so for $99.
More information here: Roland
Available at my partner
Hello
Is the Fontom EX software included in brand new Fantom (built from now) or free to download for guys who buy brand new Fantom starting today ?
Thanks
No, the Fantom EX is an upgrade that is an paid add-on. It’s not included in a new Fantom purchase.
Bought a fantom 06 for pretty cheap used and I’m happy with it. But It’s a shame the fantom-0 line gets shunned by Roland because it’s the “didn’t spend enough money for us to care model.” hopefully they throw us poor folk a bone at some point
I assume that the Fantom-0 series has different internal hardware and so they can’t offer all the feature on it. But not sure.
I agree, it’s seems they forgot about us Fantom 0 Series people.. Plus they want us to spend a ton of cash for the expansions on Roland Cloud.. Our price tag may be cheaper, I bought mine cause of the weight compared to the big Fantom, it wasn’t because of the price tag, but at almost half the weight is why I got the 08.. I traded in a practically brand new Nautilus 88 and an Kawai MP7 to get the Fantom 08, and that was totally due to the weight.. Same reason I purchased the MODX over the Montage.. Roland doesn’t need to cut corners, but learn how to make a full featured keyboard that is light.. And Roland needs to give us or at least make available updates and perks for even buying the Fantom 0 series…
Hello!! I dont perform with the keyboard, so no weight or transport/case issues considered. I got a fantom 8 6 months ago, upgraded to EX and loaded the Jupiter 8 ACB (because it was there, no other reason). I own a Fantom XR since 18 years. The learning curve was zero, I was up to speed in like one hour. The difference in
– sound quality
– sound management (effects, compression, equalization)
– sound sources
is impressive.
Still, it lacks of some modernization, like Z Core still only 4 parts. No computer edition program (like the Fantom X Editor for XR). V Piano/ACB only channel 1. VTW organ, only channel 2. 100% preset sounds in the XR are also in the 8, but not the expansion boards, like SRX01 (drums).
Polyphony is another topic, is not the equivalent to the money. SN, ACB, Expansions, n/zyme are all engines very restrictive, very strict, very limited.
But the pros – cons > 0. So, I am still happy.