The Roland Fantom G represented the fourth generation of Roland's flagship workstation series under the Fantom naming, positioning itself as a comprehensive sonic Swiss Army knife for modern musicians. This professional-grade keyboard workstation seamlessly combines performance capabilities with full studio production features, making it equally suitable for live performance and studio composition across genres ranging from pop and dance to symphonic and metal productions.

The Fantom G distinguishes itself with its impressive 8.5-inch, 800 × 480-pixel full-color backlit LCD screen—one of the largest displays found on any workstation at the time and even now. This expansive screen works in conjunction with eight control sliders, five rotary pots, and a large silver data wheel surrounded by four-way cursor controls, creating an intuitive interface that can also accommodate mouse navigation via USB connectivity.

Built upon a foundation of 256MB of sampled waveforms (double that of its predecessor), the Fantom G offers an extensive palette of 2,230 waveforms spanning acoustic instruments, vintage keyboards, synthesized sounds, and ethnic instruments. The sound architecture supports both mono and stereo multisamples, with particularly impressive stereo samples of grand pianos, Hammond organs with Leslie, orchestral strings and brass, and jazz vocals.

The instrument's hierarchical sound organization moves from individual patches (supporting up to four stereo waveforms with velocity switching, layering, and keyboard splits) to Live Sets (multitimbral setups with up to eight patches) and Studio Sets (16 multitimbral slots designed for sequencer integration). A standout feature is the seamless patch changing capability that preserves audio continuity, reverb tails, and decay without dropouts or glitching.

The Fantom G's production capabilities center around a 128-track MIDI sequencer with 480 pulses-per-quarter-note resolution and 24-track audio recording functionality. The 16 backlit rubberized pads serve multiple functions as MPC-style dynamic triggers, mute switches, sound recall buttons, and even a numeric keypad for quick patch access.

Sound quality highlights include exceptional Rhodes electric pianos, realistic pipe organ samples, well-multisampled acoustic pianos suitable for rock and pop applications, and a comprehensive collection of bass and guitar sounds. The vintage keyboard section features quality Wurlitzer electric piano and Hohner Clavinet samples, while the Hammond patches range from supportive registrations to iconic '60s-style arrangements.

The effects section comprises 78 high-quality processors including auto-wah, reverse delay, lo-fi simulations, 3D Roland Sound Space effects, and tempo-synced step filters, all crowned by a particularly impressive master reverb. Each patch maintains dedicated effects routing, ensuring consistent sound quality across all playing modes.

Available in three configurations—G6 (61 keys), G7 (76 keys), and G8 (88 weighted keys)—the Fantom G accommodates different performance needs while maintaining identical sound engines and specifications across the range.

Technical Specifications

Sound Engine & Memory

• Waveform ROM: 256MB
• Total Waveforms: 2,230 (mono and stereo)
• Polyphony: Not specified in source
• Factory Patches: 1,664
• Patch Categories: 39 organized categories
• User Sample Memory: 32MB standard, expandable to 1GB via DIMM
• Sample Format Support: WAV and AIFF (44.1kHz), raw audio only

Sound Architecture

• Patch Structure: Up to 4 stereo waveforms per patch
• Velocity Layers: Supported with velocity switching and layering
• Keyboard Splits: Supported
• Live Sets: Up to 8 patches per multitimbral setup
• Studio Sets: 16 multitimbral slots for sequencer integration
• MIDI Channels: 16-channel multitimbral operation

Sequencer

• MIDI Tracks: 128
• Audio Tracks: 24
• Resolution: 480 pulses per quarter note (ppqn)
• Maximum Capacity: 1 million notes
• Features: Track merging, audio bouncing

Controllers & Interface

• Display: 8.5-inch, 800 × 480-pixel full-color backlit LCD
• Control Sliders: 8 assignable sliders
• Rotary Controls: 5 rotary potentiometers
• Data Wheel: Large silver data wheel with 4-way cursor navigation
• Pads: 16 backlit rubberized velocity-sensitive pads
• Mouse Support: USB mouse compatibility for screen navigation

Keyboard

• 6.5 oct/ 76 semi-weighted keys

Effects

• Total Effects: 78 types
• Effect Types: Auto-wah, reverse delay, lo-fi radio/telephone simulation, 3D Roland Sound Space, step filter, master reverb
• Routing: Dedicated effects per patch with individual send settings per tone

Expansion

• Expansion Slots: 2 slots
• Compatible Boards: ARX series (ARX01 Drums, ARX02 Electric Pianos)
• Legacy Support: SRX expansion boards NOT supported

Connectivity

• USB Ports: 3 total (mouse, memory stick, computer connection)
• MIDI: Full MIDI I/O
• Audio Outputs: Analog outputs, S/PDIF digital (coaxial)
• Audio Inputs: Analog inputs, S/PDIF digital input
• Microphone Input: Combination XLR/jack with phantom power and high-Z switch
• Pedal Inputs: Not specified in source

Software & Computer Integration

• Software Editor: Complete parameter editing via computer
• Sample Transfer: USB memory stick (requires Fantom formatting)
• Computer Integration: USB connectivity for audio/MIDI
• Plug-in: Sound engine not available as separate plug-in

Power & Boot Time

• Boot Time: 15 seconds from power-on to playing mode
• Screensaver: 3D animated screensaver with color graphics

Special Features

• Seamless Patch Changing: No audio dropout during patch changes
• Chord Memory: Complex chord shapes triggered with single finger
• Guitar-style Chord Strums: Supported
• Innovative Pitch Bend: Hold one note while bending another
• Arpeggiator: Built-in arpeggiation functions
• Step LFO: For creating beats and synth phrases
• Sample Beat Detection: With Recycle-style sample slicing
• Patch Directory: Organized browsing with 10x speed scrolling
• Numeric Mode: Pads function as numeric keypad for quick patch access

Sample Import Limitations

• Supported Formats: Raw WAV and AIFF files only
• Import Restrictions: No direct library import, loop points not recognized, manual parameter reconstruction required
• Individual Sample Panning: Not available for user samples