FANTOM-S88 88-Note Sampling Music Workstation

This FANTOM-S88 is an advanced music production studio featuring an 88-key, hammer-action keyboard, all-new patches and rhythm sets built from a new 64MB wave ROM, 32MB sample RAM (expandable to 160MB) with WAV/AIFF compatibility, 16MB of flash RAM for retaining your favorite sounds, three MFX processors, plus dedicated reverb, chorus and new mastering processor, and seamless integration of audio and MIDI using ROM waves and sampling with realtime timestretch capability. 16 velocity-sensitive pads are available for easy sample triggering, and a USB port connects to a PC or Mac for file exchange. It's expandable via SRX-Series Wave Expansion Boards and comes with 4 line outputs (2 stereo, 2 mono), stereo line input and 24-bit S/PDIF digital output.

A strong emphasis is placed on the way audio and MIDI are integrated on the FANTOM-S88. The result is a fluid environment in which both worlds can come together as one. Audio can be sampled using the stereo analog inputs or imported via USB, and then integrated directly as a waveform in the expressive stereo 4-tone synth engine. Audio can also be sequenced alongside MIDI data. The FANTOM-S88 will even automatically stretch your samples in real time to match any tempo.

Instead of just adding sampling, Roland carefully thought out ways to make it even more useful in production. To start, the FANTOM-S88 comes with 32MB of sampling memory, expandable to 288MB—more sampling memory than any other workstation—and enough space to resample an entire song. The onboard USB port makes it easy to load WAV/AIFF files or export your finished song to a computer for CD burning or Internet distribution.

To make triggering samples easier, Roland added a Dynamic Pad Bank. Samples can be easily mapped to the touch-sensitive pads; the pads can even be used to play ROM sounds or RPS patterns. Another Roland innovation is Skip Back Sampling. This function continuously samples your performances so you'll never lose a great idea. It also makes an easy way to resample any realtime knob and controller tweaks.

A new Mixer View screen gives the FANTOM-S88 the feel of a digital mixer, with intuitive graphic editing of a multitimbral performance in one simple screen. Mix down your song using four knobs and the LCD to change track levels, panning and effects settings. Now, audio and MIDI can be mixed together with the feel of a digital recording studio. Roland even makes it easy to set up your performances using the new Layer View Screen with quick graphic editing for layering and key zones. Features like these turn the FANTOM-S88 from a workstation into a studio.

The FANTOM-S88 is loaded with a complete set of pro-quality effects to take your song all the way to final mixdown. To start, you get 24-bit reverb on par with rackmount processors and professional plug-ins, plus a dedicated chorus processor that serves up warm, rich chorus and delay. Three multi-effects processors handle everything from tempo-synced delay and lo-fi processing to COSM guitar amp modeling. Slicer, isolator and more contemporary effects are included. Finally, a dedicated mastering processor lets you add the finishing touch with multi-band compression.

With onboard USB, importing samples from a PC or Mac is easier than ever. Just browse your computer's hard drive for WAV and AIFF files, and import the sounds you want using simple drag-and-drop commands (the FANTOM-S88 will appear on your computer as a hard drive). Now, the audio can be used as a synth waveform or even assigned to the Dynamic Pad Bank for sequencing. Likewise, you can also export a fully mastered song to your computer for burning CDs or MP3 creation.

With Roland's V-LINK feature, musicians can integrate video clips with their music for a more captivating performance. Using the optional Edirol DV-7PR Digital Video Workstation, you can trigger video clips from the FANTOM's sequencer or Dynamic Pad Bank. Capture your background music using Skip Back Sampling and paste it with the clip onto a single pad. Any audio/visual combination you perform can be recalled so you won't lose ideas. Never before has so much power and flexibility been offered in a workstation keyboard.