I also had the KORG Kronos 2 and it was a nightmare. You can do anything with it but with a very steep learning curve. so i really like what i see on YT about the GUI of the Fantom and hope its a lot easier than the Kronos

Thanks Scott, yes it seems to me with the Roland its really easy, but i thought the same about the Montage/MODX when i saw all the YT videos, those guys like Scott Tibbs etc.. they make everything look so easy 🙂

I am sitting in front of both right now. I'm going to do a little review later on comparing the two, but I will say that there's much less in-it than you might think.

but I will say that there's much less in-it than you might think.

what exactly do you mean with this statement?

Got a bit more info today from the Sud-Claviers video on youtube. I guy on facebook was nice enough to translate some of it.

The French Roland Rep confirmed the Fantom has 8 expansion slots, which will be used for Plug-Outs, Axial Sounds & New Filters... look forward to some of these rolling out

This is going to be one killer machine in the future.

I like Scott's playing more - but this run in this first impression I thought I heard more dynamics in the interaction of the body of the piano and maybe string-to-string. Montage simulates this somewhat, but for this aspect of the sound - I prefer a modeled approach (various resonance).

https://youtu.be/0spqtaHkH5A?t=1383

Piano sounds are, as you say, highly subjective. Having options is great - so it's nice to have more libraries in Montage or other keyboards that each have their own approaches/character.

For me, I think Yamaha pianos have always played in a mix better. If I was doing solo work - some of the modeled nuance may be helpful/"better" - but this sort of thing tends to get lost in the settings I play in.

I completely agree... I've had some experience with Roland's older flagship products and while I loved their overall capabilities and workflows, I usually turned to Yamaha for piano for exactly that reason. That said, I've reached the point that I'd really prefer a dedicated digital piano for piano sounds (Kawai, Nord, etc.). It is nice, however. to have most of what you need on one instrument.

One interesting aspect of the Fantom piano is that you can have only one piano part with the modeled piano. That is okay in most situations but in some it can be limiting...

The initial look at the Fantom, I experienced some significant buyer's remorse, as I purchased my Montage on July 8, 2019 and the MIDI receive limited flexibility, not adequately addressed in 3.0, was a shocker. Then I had to give it some thought for myself. I have owned Rolands since initially using synths (Jx3P, Juno106, JV 80, and subsequent modules and expansion cards). I abandoned Roland in 2001 due to being sick and tired of purchasing an amazing, updated machine only to discover "expansion slots" that seed the "if-I-only-had" urge.

Then I purchased a Yamaha Motif Classic in 2001. Only other Yamaha I owned was the DX7. Although the Motif had expansion slots, few players used them, because Yamaha gave you a fairly completed product. My Motif Classic 7 is still a relevant machine and controller. I currently own the Montage which is my bread and butter.

So I had to ask myself why I wanted the Montage. The main reasons were, having an updated, real DX7 on hand (fm8? Nah! I own fm8, DX7 was hard enough), a flexible integrated excellent quality audio interface to merge my Laptop based VSTi's and some updated natural and synthetic instruments. I already own Omnisphere 2 and Blue3 with IKmultimedia Leslie and Amplitube4 which offer the absolute best pads, granular synth and Hammond B3 sounds. Do I need another analog synth? No. If I did, it would be an Access Virus.

Never seen an onboard sequencer used live since the release of Ableton. Why would you? In the studio, I use a DAW. Sequencer is only a scratchpad.

Montage detects BPM on the fly in a live gig so that my aprpeggiator stays in sync with the slightly vacillating live drummer. Really need this. I have an aux to my A/D in from the drummer with A/D volume disabled.

What concerns me about the Fantom is the expansion slots. Is this the old Roland trick coming back? Put out a great product, then seed the expansions as "now, if you only had this!" Forget it. I'm out.

I don't tweak a lot of knobs when performing, other than faders for drawbars, (B3 patch) adjusting distortion or engaging an LFO for funk. I don't tweak a lot of knobs when using PT12 or Cubase Pro 10. I guess the only hardware thing I miss on the Montage is the drum pad area that's on the Fantom. I would use them to launch Ableton scenes during a performance.

Drum sounds on Montage are plenty and absolutely stellar (haven't used EZdrummer for a while) as are the natural instrument sounds (even the dreaded keyboard sax solo can be pulled off with the velocity nuances Yamaha programmed for a more fluid sound without the stupid pitch bend).

Can the Fantom support a touchscreen? Maybe it can. Would I like a Fantom? Absolutely! Seeing the video of the Fantom elicited the "I want this thing! I'm sorry I got the Montage!" But that is what a sales video is supposed to do. However, what am I actually doing when I am using my instrument? Got my audio interface, DX7, VSTi's, killer synth and natural instrument sounds. All I set up is a controller keyboard, the Montage and a laptop and send a R/L to the soundman. The Fantom has much more, little of which I would actually use, and no DX7. Anyone adjusting the resonant filter live with a knob rather than a foot pedal? Or at all?

That's just me. Thinking it through. If Yamaha doesn't get their s*&^ together on the MIDI receive, the Fantom is going to crush them. It probably will anyway.

Update:
Well. I am an FM synthesis person. The workflow on the Montage in the FM-X is far better than poking through the DX-7 for days to finally get "that sound." Fantom probably does not have the Yamaha FM-Synthesis engine in it. For that, alone. I wouldn't get a Fantom.

I have recently reported on a message that in trying to start my synth path away from an old Yamaha CVP96, I had chosen a Roland Fantom 8 to start with while waiting for a Yamaha Montage replacement that should come sooner or later, matching at that time a better knowledge from me to work on it.
Yes, it has been reported that Fantom was easier than Montage, and also it was recently released, while Montage was born in 2016.
After being much happy during a week, I started suffering what had already been reported by other buyers: freezings while playing, locks during power up,
Today my Fantom 8 is not working anymore. It is locked with many lights glaring and a black screen. And not even the power switch responds.
I am returning my Fantom 8.... Version 1.11. The latest so far.
I am so sad I cannot tell you.

Sorry to hear that my initial "10 minute" kicking-the-tires of a Fantom and having it lockup on me is not an isolated event -- and not just limited to the first firmware. There's at least one other report that upgrading the firmware should fix some lockup issues. I haven't seen lockup fixes mentioned in the firmware release notes although this may not want to be something Roland wants to advertise too heavily.

I really do want to see Roland and any other gear succeed. Solid competition and compelling choices for the keyboardist is healthy for everyone.

Hoping this gets straightened out soon. I can't bet my gigs on Fantom due to personal experience and now based off of others reporting similar issues.

The shop where I bought my Roland Fantom 8, serial number Z4K0888, has confirmed it is faulty, just after receiving it.
A new keyboard has been shipped based on my request to replace the returned one.
I hope the incoming new Fantom behaves as it is supposed to and I will not be commited to writing a song in Dm like "Blue day, sad days, your boomerang won't come back, my Roland Fantom won't power up “
I will let you know....

Got my replacement new Fantom 8 on January 10th.
Serial number Z7K2287. Updated to OS 1.5 yesterday.
Connected to a 90 watts Philips stereo amplifier [my beloved Denon died recently and turns out it is still being fixed] and to a pair of DefinitiveTechnology Mythos STS...
Flawless performance. Outstanding sounds. Easy to match and perform own ideas...Lots of fun.
Best toy I have ever had...so far.
😀 😀 😀 😀
Standing-by for a new Yamaha synth....2023 will do.

I've had a Fantom 6 now for about 6 months, I love the thing to death. I'm currently using it with a Kurzweil Forte below, but lately thinking I might venture back to a Montage, not because I don't love the Fantom, but mainly because I;m wanting to lug less gear. Currently the Ipad integration with the Montage is better so I'm thinking a Montage 7 and a decent Ipad running synths and B3-X might do the trick without the need to lug a second board. I prefer the Montage scene buttons location VS the keyboard switch groups using the pads on the right hand side of the Fantom. Top right hand side is not the most convenient location to quickly switch sounds IMO.

Well, as intelligence is quite a meter of how fast one adapts to a new condition, you could use it so as to quickly find a solution to such a MISPLACEMENT, so to speak...

1. My darling, would you please just push key number 14 in that pad as soon as you see my right hand pushing these keys here...? You will hear a female choir, then you push number 14. Thanks....

2. I was having my right hand standing still on D5 waiting for a female choir to sing along a compass when I felt there would be something that would allow me to move while their singing and soon I searched and discovered OFFSET.
Then I ordered a 40 units delay and by striking and releasing the D5 key I heard that very choir performing the assign duty while my right hand was suddenly free to move to trigger a tower bell. a thundering church and a pipe organ, rolling drums ....

3....

4...

5...

Montage has superior acoustic sounds (guitar, orchestral, wood, brass, sax, piano, e.piano, e.organ, accordion, pipe organ, choir, strings, ac.bass, ac.drum), Fantom has superior synth sounds (pad !, lead, other synth, syn brass, syn.bass, vox). Fantom has slighty better DA converters. Just my opinion. I own both.