Power on demand

Fortified with an arsenal of inspiring, authentic electronic, acoustic, and hybrid sounds, the FANTOM EX is powerful, versatile, and expandable. Its sound engines draw on decades of industry-leading Roland technology, powering the instrument with smooth, precise control, massive polyphony, and full patch remain for seamless transitions. This flexible architecture lets you combine various synthesis and sampling technologies along with FANTOM EX’s onboard analog filter for new cutting-edge sounds and take advantage of new sound expansions and premium sound content on Roland Cloud. FANTOM EX gives you carte blanche to coveted instruments from Roland’s vaunted legacy of genre-defining synths while blazing new synthesis frontiers. With all this firepower, you can focus on creating music, not conserving processing power. You won’t have to concern yourself with how many effects you can use or if you can change sounds seamlessly without affecting existing sounds. With the massive power available in FANTOM’s engine room, you can run remarkably complex patches concurrently with all available effects.

ZEN-Core: sonic superpower

Roland’s flexible and expandable ZEN-Core Synthesis System leverages decades of research and development to bring you a broad selection of premium electronic, acoustic, and hybrid sounds. Build expressive tones with up to four partials, each with an independent oscillator, filter, amplifier, dual LFOs, and effects. You can pack up to 16 tones in a Scene to build complex splits, layers, and sequenced parts. FANTOM EX ships with six preloaded Model Expansions driven by the powerful ZEN-Core system. From rare, coveted classics to the sounds of tomorrow, Model Expansions give you immediate access to the ever-growing Roland oeuvre. One of these Expansions is n/zyme, an interactive instrument with an all-new synth engine specifically developed for FANTOM EX. Incorporating wavetable oscillator layers, phase and shape modulation, resonant filters, and two Step LFOs, n/zyme will spark endless creative explorations. The JD-800, JUNO-106, JUPITER-8, JX-8P, and SH-101 Model Expansions capture the essence of sought-after vintage Roland instruments, fortified with more polyphony and additional features for today’s musicians.

Go organic

Roland’s Virtual ToneWheel sound engine faithfully emulates the sound-generation process of vintage organs, complete with multiple tonewheel types, adjustable percussion, key click, leakage, and more. There’s also a swirlicious rotary effect with variable speed and brake control, as well as tube distortion and overdrive. The FANTOM EX touchscreen, sliders, knobs, and keyboard action are automatically configured to give you an authentic organ-playing experience, complete with hands-on control.

Updated classic pattern sequencer

FANTOM EX is a self-contained, 16-part multitimbral music composition platform designed for rapid creation and fluid arrangement. You can create patterns on FANTOM in a variety of ways, including step- and real-time polyphonic sequencing or the TR-REC pattern sequencer — ideal for rhythmic parts — as on Roland’s iconic drum machines. The cornerstone of dance music is the step sequencer, none more classic than the 16-step TR-REC found in drum machines like the TR-808, TR-909, and TR-8S. FANTFANTOM’soard TR-REC sequencer is completely updated with sub-steps for ratcheted parts, motion control for per-step automation, and support for chords.

Clip-based sequencing

Also at your fingertips are 16 RGB performance pads, real-time recording with piano-roll editing, and a grid for recording and launching clips. You can use any or all of these tools at any time to realize your musical goals. Build up tracks easily and quickly by arranging groups of clips. Record drums, bass lines, pads, and melodies into clips and trigger them separately or in Scenes. This is an expeditious way to compose — and perfect for triggering backing tracks onstage.

Uber playability

After sonic quality, there’s nothing more important than playability — in other words, the way an instrument feels under your fingers and how it helps you express your musical intentions. Roland’s acclaimed 88-note keybed combines wood and molded materials for superior feel and durability, enhancing the sensation that you’re playing a fine acoustic grand piano. With authentic hammer action, the FANTOM 8 EX keyboard communicates every nuance of expression in your playing. Whether you’re playing hard or barely tickling the keys, you’re in control of a responsive keyboard that reacts to every nuance of your touch and technique. And it’s also equipped with something serious synthesists covet: aftertouch. With FANTOM 8 EX, you can use assignable aftertouch to add a bit of tasty vibrato or other modulation to your sound without taking your hands off the keys. And speaking of modulation …

Intuitive hands-on control

To control a workstation this powerful, FANTOM EX offers a cockpit packed with an array of knobs and faders for immediate, intuitive real-time hands-on control, with high resolution for creamy-smooth filter sweeps and parameter fine-tuning. FANTOM even features a dedicated synthesizer section with oscillator, filter, and envelope controls, along with buttons and pads for triggering and sequencing. For enhanced expression, FANTOM lets you connect 3rd-party, class-compliant USB controllers to any of its three USB ports. And while FANTOM provides enormous creative potential, you may also want to integrate analog synths or drum machines into your rig. FANTOM EX features two sets of CV/Gate outputs so you can sync tempo or play them from FANTOM’s keyboard or its pattern sequencers.

Your music. On steroids.

The more you get into your FANTOM EX, the more you’ll appreciate its superior design and the thoughtful details. From its customizable RGB-lit controls and buttons to the subtle curvature of the top panel that lets you see rear-connection legends from your playing position, FANTOM is built for one purpose: to supercharge your musical creativity. Whether it resides in your home or commercial studio or is part of your touring rig, FANTOM is built for the long haul with a robust metal chassis, premium components, and balanced connections to stand up to the rigors of professional use. The Roland FANTOM 8 EX: it’s the ideal vehicle for your musical explorations.