Aside from this, though, comments pertaining to the XR also apply to the X6, X7 and X8.

Roland supplied SOS with an XR Rack pre-installed with the FANXRUP1 kit, so this review pertains to the XR version, and there will be no discussion of the eight-track audio features. These are not available in the XR Rack upgrade, which is understandable, as the XR has no onboard sequencer, but rather less fairly, the XR upgrade is the same price than the keyboard one. The major difference between the rack and keyboard upgrades is that the keyboards' sequencers receive the benefit of eight fully sync'ed audio tracks. The upgrade is also available for the rackmount Fantom XR, in which case it is more properly known as the FANXRUP1 upgrade, but both versions offer very similar new features for both keyboard and rack Fantoms, including improved Fantom X Patch/Performance editing software, a Fantom Librarian, proper large-scale, on-screen sample editing, a multisample editor and - at long last - an S700-series sample-library converter. The FANXUP1 Sample Tools Expansion Kit is an operating system upgrade for the Fantom X range of workstations, namely the X6, X7, and X8 keyboards (reviewed in SOS September 2004), but not the cut-down Fantom Xa. Can the v2 OS and editing software provide the solutions? The Fantom X is Roland's best-ever workstation, but it has suffered from one or two annoying omissions, such as the ability to import Roland's own sample format.

The upgraded Fantom XR used for this review, with the additional Sample Tools printed manual and the bundled disc containing the v2 Editor software.

Fantom x roland fantom x6