Roland debuts next-gen Fantom keyboards, Jupiter synths

New releases are part of brand’s annual 909 day celebrations.

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As part of its annual 909 Day festivities, Roland has unveiled two next-gen series’: Fantom and Jupiter. The flagship Fantom range comprises keyboards featuring Roland’s latest synth tech, intuitive touchscreens and DAW-integration. The new Jupiter line consists of synths that boast emulations of vintage Roland gear as well as an AI-based I-Arpeggio feature.

Learn about the Boutique JU-06A synth module and new MC Grooveboxes launched for 909 Day.

Here are the details for the Jupiter-X and Fantoms:

Jupiter series

The Jupiter-X synth series consists of the flagship 61-key Jupiter-X and its smaller sibling, the battery-powered Jupiter-Xm with 37 keys.

Both synths arrive with a wealth of emulations. These include reproductions of vintage synths like the Jupiter-8, Juno-106 and SH-101, digital machines like the XV-5080 and RD pianos, plus drum machine sounds from the TR-808, TR-909, TR-707 and CR-78.

Roland Jupiter synths
The new Jupiter-X and Jupiter-Xm synths

You can sort these emulations into the synths’ five-part sound structure, which comprises four synth slots and a single drum slot. Sounds can be further tweaked via onboard knobs, sliders and buttons, all of which feed into an informative display. The hands-on approach extends to a dedicated effects section that’s designed to provide “quick switching between synth layers”, according to Roland.

Another noteworthy Jupiter feature is an AI-based assistant named I-Arpeggio. It produces complementary drum parts, chords and basslines – in real-time – to complement your notes, rhythms and phrases.

Retails at $1,499.99 (Jupiter-Xm) and $2,499.99 (Jupiter-X).

Fantom series

Roland Fantom keyboards group shot
The Fantom keyboards

The Fantom keyboards are available in three different sizes: the 61-key Fantom 6, 76-key Fantom 7 and 88-key Fantom 8. They’re designed for professional keyboardists, offering pro features such as a flexible and expandable sound engine, 16 parts and a bevy of controls.

The Fantom keyboards boast what Roland calls a “modeless interface”, which is intended to provide a consistent user experience across different scenarios. In place of modes are Scenes, which let you customise the keyboards according to composition and performance needs.

As for the Fantoms’ sound engines, they’re packed with electronic, acoustic and hybrid sounds. You can combine these with an onboard analogue filter. And should you need to enhance sounds and mixes, the keyboards are stocked with a healthy library of effects.

Zooming on user-interface, the Fantom models each feature a colour touchscreen along with knobs, sliders and a dedicated synth control section. The keyboards also sport RGB pads, a TR-REC-style pattern sequencer, piano roll editing and a grid that comes in handy for recording and launching clips.

Last but not least, Roland has designed the Fantoms to be compatible with DAW performance software. You’ll be able to execute functions in programs like Logic Pro and MainStage right from the keyboards’ touchscreen and panel controls.

Check out this sound demo below:

Retails at $3,999.99 (Fantom 8), $3,599.99 (Fantom 7) and $3,299.99 (Fantom 6).

More info at roland.com.

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