Why do some people insist on modern technology? As for synths, synths made before the birth of the MIDI sound better than ultra modern synths like the Kronos.
While I don't think it has anything to do with "insecurity", I think it has to do with a matter of the people who didn't grow up with modern technology versus those who do and some "human nature" thrown in for good measure! Here we have this plethora of available products at our disposal, both hardware and software, and yet there will always be those perfectionists who see the glass perpetually as "half-empty" and feel the need to vent their frustrations and point out the weaknesses or faults of anything and everything that doesn't live up to their perceived elevated standards.
I grew up with vacuum tubes for crying out loud! I am amazed at some of the sounds I have at my disposal, and how much better they sound than what I had just a few years ago! And I get a real kick at the modern folks who love the sound of the old gear so much and then complain when the new gear doesn't sound exactly like the old stuff! The irony of it just gives me a real chuckle.
And as far as the old synth's sounding "better" than the newer gear, i disagree that it is really a debatable point because the bottom line is what sounds good to one person will not necessarily sound the same to another. It becomes an issue of "personal choice" then. When I hear the sounds coming out of the LAC or MOD-7 on my OASYS, or out of my V-Synths, or the Vintage Synth ExP on the JD990 or Jupiter-80, the first thing that comes to my mind is not "does it sound exactly like the original that it's emulating", but "how does it sound". And in a mix if it sounds good than I am a happy camper. I stopped expecting perfection in this world of sin and sorrow a long time ago! And neither do I have the time to go find an antiquated piece of gear and hope it still works so I can have that "perfect analog sound" to be happy.
That said, I think everyone has made some valid points here and if Roland due to shortsightedness or lack of vision have made this product unworthy of some afficionados with respect to DAW use then I hope they will have the smarts to make it right. I want everyone to be happy with making sounds, because at the end of the day, that is what it is about with this thing called music. Once it stops being FUN, why bother? If the I-7 doesn't float your boat, no-one is going to hold a gun to your head to make you buy it or lose any sleep if you don't. Instead of whining and complaining, buy another product that does it for you and get on with life so we can make music with this thing.
I mean when you have bought a roland once you may have just bought the whole shop..
because everything that comes later is usually a dumbed down or repackaged item.
The Fantom G is key here, everything else is including the I7 is just revolving around it with a little extra.
As for the Integra being a dumbed down "repackage" of what's been available for years I have to disagree. Yes, while the SRX boards and XV-5080/Fantom waves are "old school", just having them available on this synth is an added bonus. Where the rubber really meets the road is in the latest BMT and SN technology, and that is definitely NOT old school. I can say that when I first heard the APS models on my GT, I was stunned because the realism was reaching a point where it was getting harder to distinguish the real intrument from the modeled instrument whereas in the old days it wasn't difficult at all! And all this for a few quid more than what we paid back in the 90's. I think I payed $1495 for my first JD-990, and that was for 24 voice polyphony and 6 part multitimbral! This thing packs quite a punch for what we're getting with it!
Strats and Les Pauls made in the 50's sound better than modern ultra high tech guitars.
Ah! That's a good one CK. Especially to me being a guitarist for so long. Remember the story of the Ibanez Tube Screamer? Technology being what it is, they replaced those old antiquated germanium diodes with the far superior and newer (and probably cheaper!) silicon ones and the players went "whaa!" The sound just wasn't the same and we all know what happened then to the price of the original "Tubers!"
Did the magnets get some "magical" quality over time? Or was it the hand winding or the age of the wire that gave those vintage instruments their special quality? Maybe it was the natural ageing if the wood. At any rate, tone is not always "just tone" and while I can still enjoy hearing Carlos or Al DiMeola playing through their newer PRS's these days, it just doesn't give me the same thrill as hearing a well-miked Telecaster on "Led Zep1" or SG on "Abraxas". Man...those tones still send chills up my spine!