User Reviews at zZounds

"Spend an hour playing it...you'll be hooked !!" submitted May 7, 2003

By a customer from aol.com

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The Wow Factor

Music Style: Rock/classical/jazz/original

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VERIFIED BUYER

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Sound: This keyboard sounds and feels like a million bucks... Feature: This keyboard is so comprehensive...easy and powerful sampling...the PA-5 piano action...the expandability...the touch sample pads...the comprehensive display screen...I could go on all day !! Quality: Hey...what can you say ?? It's Roland, and exudes quality all the way. Value: I much prefer the feel and sound of this over the Korg Triton 88 key...I find it easier to use, and warmer sounding...much better keyboard action...and over a grand less. Value is on par with the Yamaha Motiv8 (also a really nice board, but not as nice as the Fantom-S88 in my opinion). Manufacturer Support: I just ordered my Fantom, but from my Roland experience support is fantastic over the phone. Years ago I had a Roland organ that was constantly breaking keys, and they sent me keys even out of warrenty. Overall: I fully expect to keep this until Roland again ups the ante.

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"one of the best keyboards i've ever played on......" submitted August 17, 2004

By a customer from bigpond.com

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The Wow Factor

Music Style: Rock, Dance, Country, Alternative, Jazz, Drum & Bass.

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Sound: Because of you can edit any sound and change anything on the board i would rate this one of the best keyboards i have evr worked with!!!! Feature: being able to change sounds, or in my case use high quality sounds for an excellent recording.... Quality: i have never had one problem with my keyboard and i do run it pretty hard, i've had some really bad keyboards in the past and upgrading to this is the best thing i ever did..... Value: thought it was a bit pricey, but being able to upgrade sounds and put more memory in the keyboard it self was the selling point for me. Manufacturer Support: never had to deal with a problem so i couldn't say... The Wow Factor: it's just a practical addition to your setup.... Overall: i don't expect to be upgrading for another 5 to 6 years, unless something drastic happens in the music industry and all the sounds become out dated....

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"Great board!" submitted April 13, 2004

By a customer from yahoo.com

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The Wow Factor

Music Style: From dreamy to screaching. Laid-back groovy stuff to psuedo-techno.

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Sound: Very, very lovely sound. For synthetic sounds, this synth can go from ultra-dreamy pads to screaching and cutting leads. The stock-piano sound is pretty good, especialy with the sympathetic resonance effect. The orchestra and other acoustic sounds are a little dated...but...that's what a Vienna Symphonic Library is for! If you can't find what you want in the presets, just edit patches to your heart's content. Feature: Hmmm...Great piano action, check. All manner of knobs and buttons to fiddle with, check. Actual useable sampling, yep. Easy-to-use internal sequencer, check. I actually prefer using the keyboard for programming rythm and drum parts over the dynamic pads. I don't know why, though. Quality: The S88 is solidly built, not to mention heavy (due to the piano action). I'm not a touring musician, but I'm very sure it could be used "on the road." The only problem I have is keeping the dust off of it! Value: The preset patches are mostly all useable, and everything is pretty much customizeable. It sounds great, it's built well, and the interface is the best I've every seen and used (no postage-stamp-sized screens here!) Manufacturer Support: I haven't had to contact Roland ever...so...I couldn't say. The Roland dealer in my area is extremely friendly and helpful. The users manual gets some points knocked off of the score. The Wow Factor: I love the brushed-steel look the S88 is sporting, and friends who see it usually comment something along the lines of, "That's quite a synth!" Overall: I'll probably end up keeping this board for until either I or it falls apart and dies. The S88 has no major weaknesses, so to speak. This is the easiest synth I've ever used. For me, it practicaly takes no effort to get a good sound (ie, no difficult programing).

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"having this keyboard makes me want to play all of the time. it has many sounds and they sound more realistic than any other key" submitted August 8, 2004

By a customer from sbcglobal.net

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The Wow Factor

Music Style: rock

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Sound: i love the way this keyboard sounds. the sounds on it are much more real than any other keyboard i have heard. Quality: i have had no problems with it Value: definately worth the price

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"This keyboard is very under estimated." submitted July 14, 2004

By a customer from hotmail.com

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Music Style: Gospel, Jazz, R&B

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Sound: The sounds are so amazing especially the piano and acoustic guitar sounds. The pianos and there are so realistic down to very key to the lower phases. The acoustic guitar have the DSP effect the give the real sound. Feature: I love the new spectrum of how you sample and record. I love the skip-back sampling button it really so easy to understand. Value: I think the sell price should be much high because it has much that has gone into this monster.

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"Great turn around on the X8. A must try and buy keyboard." submitted August 4, 2004

By a customer from hotmail.com

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The Wow Factor

Music Style: Smooth Jazz, R&B, Pop, House.

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SPOTLIGHT REVIEW

VERIFIED BUYER

zZounds has verified that this customer bought this product from us.

Sound: The sound quality is "Fat"! The guitar sounds are amazing, even the trumpets,saxes,flutes, and strings are as close to realistic as any keyboard could get, and lets not forget the awesome piano tones. Feature: The most useful feature to me is the skip back sampling. You'll never loose an spontaneous idea again. All you have to do is play it and hit the skip back sampling to save your idea, or even turn it into a sample. Love the soft touch drum pads too. Just like having an Akai drum machine right on board. The least usefull feature for me is the "d-beam", but if you're into electronic music, it's a must have. Also love the large color screen. This is a real big plus for me. Quality: It's SOLID! No if's, ands, or buts. It has a very futuristic look. Should look and last in style for a long time. Value: With all the features that are packed into this keyboard, you are definately getting your money's worth. No regrets from me. Manufacturer Support: For the most part support is good. I've only had one guy that told me something wrong, but I called back after I couldn't figure it out and the person I spoke with that time was very knowledgable. He even stayed on the phone with me to make sure I had it right. The Wow Factor: Good looking design. Very Modern! love the screen savers, large colr screen and the way it boots up with the lights. COOL!! You won't go wrong with this one. Looks damn good in my studio. It gets'a a lot of attention and complements from visitors. Overall: I won't be searching for another keyboard for a long time. I'm truly satisfied with my purchase.

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Roland Fantom-S88 88-Note Sampling Workstation with Hammer Action

User Ratings

"Spend an hour playing it...you'll be hooked !!" submitted May 7, 2003

"one of the best keyboards i've ever played on......" submitted August 17, 2004

"Great board!" submitted April 13, 2004

"having this keyboard makes me want to play all of the time. it has many sounds and they sound more realistic than any other key" submitted August 8, 2004

"This keyboard is very under estimated." submitted July 14, 2004

"Great turn around on the X8. A must try and buy keyboard." submitted August 4, 2004