All samples export option in the Song Export menu

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lalaland
Posts: 12
Joined: 17:20, 3 December 2017

All samples export option in the Song Export menu

Post by lalaland »

Hi,
I am planning to buy a FA06 this month. After checking the manual, I am very disappoint to find out that sample pads are not included when you mix down the sequence into a singe WAV file. I was wondering, is it possible to sample the sequence via KBD input into an empty pad (without recording any existing samples on any pad of course, because recording and playback at the same time is not allowed either!). And then from song export, export 'All Samples' to a SINGLE WAV FILE?

Although, the manual mentioned that you can export a singe sample pad to a WAV file via Sample edit menu, it it is not clear whether All sample pads are exported into individual files or one singe WAV file via the song export menu (maintaining their triggering position on the sequence, excluding ones that were not used). If this is possible then it would eliminate one extra step of mixing down two WAV files in a DAW.

I am planning to buy Logic Pro X anyway so this is not really a deal breaker, but it leaves a bitter feeling that Roland intentionally applied that limitation for justifying price differences with Phantom products (?). Even a cheap CASIO CTK-7000 under $400 keyboard workstation let us do that. How much more would it cost for an extra Audio bus? I haven't read any explanation form Roland why it was necessary to kill this feature to keep the price down. My favorite Roland guy Ed Diaz sounds very diplomatic while explaining the song export feature in Youtube videos, dodging the fine prints.

Yamaha has a dedicated official forum member to answer all user queries who explained why they charge $300 for a 1 GB Flash expansion board while you can buy a 16 GB Flash drive for less than $20! Because these drives are designed to run 128 multisamples at the same time at any speed which commercial Flash drive can't deliver.

So I understand why FA06 sampler has no multisample/key assignment capabilities given that it uses a generic commercial SD card. But this limitation on mix down or duplex playback + recording makes no sense. If you guys can built a workstation so easy to use and at the same time make it act almost like a Phantom under $2000 then what's the problem? People fork out extra $300 just for playing a 88 keys weighted keyboard on FA 08, don't they? They would still buy a flagship board for finer control. Lot of emerging musicians don't need multisample playing or sophisticated sequencer/sample editing capabilities, a complete mix down feature would let them get rid of the DAW completely.

Yamaha played the same trick when they tried to suppress the fact that MOFX doesn't let users to control DAWs other than their native Cubase with all knobs and buttons. I was planning to buy MOFX as a DAW controller for Logic Pro X, but surprised to found out that I can't use even the jog wheel and only 4 out of 8 rotary knobs + transport controls are available for any non-Cubase DAWs! This was a deal breaker and Yamaha lost my business because I wanted a full featured DAW controller with pads + hardware sound generator.

So when I first saw FA 06 which let's me control any DAW without discrimination, I have decided my mind immediately despite the $300 price difference with MOFX6. But this uncalled for sampler mix down limitation took me back to square one. It's not like I would need a WAV mix down on stage at a live show, but still this hiccup in the workflow hurts when other features are so smooth! Roland claimed to make the workflow easy so that we can focus on creativity, but apparently did the opposite! Not sure if they are planning a hardware/firmware update very soon, should I wait?
Echo Supreme
Posts: 1
Joined: 08:21, 2 January 2019

Re: All samples export option in the Song Export menu

Post by Echo Supreme »

Hi Lalaland!

Excellent topic, but strangely there wasn't a single answer from Roland's experts. Why is it? What is the reason for that ridiculous obstacle on the Roland FAs? The only reason of that I can imagine is that Roland is in a cartel with DAW selling companies. So with this, they force you to buy expensive DAW softwares beside your Roland "workstation". Which is a shame!
Why should I use a DAW software anyway if I have a workstation?
I bought my Roland a few weeks ago, but it seems I'm going to sell it because of this problem you mentioned here. And I'm sure that this was my last Roland keyboard I bought, from now I will shift on other brands, and I will buy a REAL WORKSTATION...
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