Best Daw For Voice Over (2025 Updated)

When the pandemic hit I had to use Zoom to talk to clients while I worked from home. I struggled for months with my PC’s built-in low quality microphone. Keystrokes and washer/dryer noises were super loud in my audio.

I finally decided to spend $$$ on a setup that better represents me professionally. Since this mic is popular with podcasters I knew it would meet my needs. The first benefit is the look. This mic is handsome and communicates that I was willing to spend some money on my setup.

Second, it’s spectrally complete; whether you need more lows or more highs, this mic gives your signal chain something to work with. One quirk of the SM7B is that it performs best with an ultra low noise preamp with 30 dB or more of clean gain.

While there are cleaner, pricier options, the DBX286 has ample preamp gain and is more than clean enough for zoom meetings. The SM7B has a cardioid pattern, so sounds from behind the mic aren’t picked up.

By keeping my keyboard in this area (and using the noise gate on the DBX286) I was able to completely eliminate keystroke chatter from my audio feed. Finally, the output level of the DBX286 was a little hot for my sound card and caused clipping, so I switched to a Scarlet 2i2.

While there may be more budget options available, I’m thrilled with how this setup looks and sounds. I get compliments on my audio quality.

Fantastic Dynamic Microphone. This is a Professional Mic and one of the best out there with a big reputation amongst users. First thing I noticed how clear and quiet It was. Build quality is fantastic.

I recommend you get a cloud lifter or something similar just to give it a bit of gain to sound even better like a true pro. You will need 48V for that. Dont forget you won’t get perfection even with this Mic even though it’s great at rejecting noises.

You need an acoustic treated environment if In a studio or even in a Room. A great Mic like the SM7B will show the weaknesses in your environment without acoustic treatment. A decent interface or preamp as well.

Dont forget the XLR cable as well and buy a nice cable for it as its worth it. I love the sm7b and it’s a great experience using it live when others wonder what are you talking through.

Everything that has been written positively glowingly about the Shure SM7B is absolutely true!!! 😉 sound reproduction is extraordinary, tuned for voice and patterned to reject off axis and unwanted noise.

Proximity effect boost is perfect up close. Love this mic! Only one thing t Ill say (and why its 4 stars instead of 5) is that if youre going to buy an SM7B for voice work youre definitely going to need a cloudlifter if your not willing to eat it (speak right on top of it) 24×7.

Signal is beautiful , warm and true but signal is Faint and needs help. Plan an extra $100 to get a CL-1 if you buy the SM7B, but once you do, this mic is totally unleashed to reach its full potential! Acts like a condenser mic almost while retaining its great dynamic mic qualities.

Love this mic!.

This was my first synth ever. I purchased it because it had knob-per-function controls for the most important parameters. I’m happy to say that it’s been a fantastic journey learning about synthesis, and doing it on the Moog Sub 25.

It’s straight and to the point without being overwhelming. The sounds are incredible from super fat bass lines to piercing leads. Use the duophonic feature to hold a drone note and solo with the second oscillator.

It’s just a beautiful machine. The design, the wooden end cheeks, the curves on the back panel. Again, it’s just a beautiful machine. It will forever be compared to its bigger brother the 37. The big guy has the arpeggiator and step sequencer, expanded memory banks, aftertouch, and the extra octave.

But it’s also $700 more. If you want all the tone and can sacrifice a couple of bells and whistles, grab this sub 25 and get groovin.

I’ve been a keyboard player for about 8 years now, and the sub 37 is my first ever synthesizer. Not only am I amazed by the build of this thing, but the sounds you can create are INSANE! You’re given over 250 preset sounds–I’ve been focused on creating a lot of synth basses and 808 patches these past few months and you can really feel the fullness of the lower frequencies.

Also the modulation possibilities on this are endless and they can add a lot of color/depth to whatever sound you’re trying to achieve. Even when recording MIDI with the Sub 37 editor, the functionality is fantastic and easy to follow.

Before buying this I didn’t know much about synthesis or synths in general, but MOOG was awesome and they explained the technical processes and terms really well with the included diagram and users manual.

Just make sure if you have this thing above another keyboard that the second tier stand can support it cause it’s roughly about 30 lbs. I’d definitely recommend this to anyone starting out or even pros.

I bought this mic as a replacement for a Blue Yeti that I was using. The old mic had some serious USB port issues, and It was becoming too irritating to keep up with, so I decided to go with this one after a bit of research.

The sound is great, I feel like it captures a more natural tone than the Yeti. Live monitoring is great, and the fact that this mic lets you adjust the live monitor mix is fantastic. Makes it very versatile for both listening and recording at the same time.

I use this mic mainly for Teaching online classes, attending online classes, and amateur podcasting. It works for all 3 of those perfectly with absolutely 0 issue with hardware. Plug and play feature makes setup a breeze.

My ONLY (and I mean ONLY) complaint about this mic is the lack of Mute/Gain. The fact that this mic has no gain knob makes it a little irritating to adjust levels, but its easy to work around that. The lack of a mute button just makes me have to adjust the mix knob if I want to listen without a live monitor.

Both of these issues have very easy, very simple workarounds. The complaint is more about convenience than operation, because this mic does everything I need it to. Great build quality, came with a nice little bag.

I’m no expert in microphones so this is a very amateur review! Bought this product for game streaming purposes and so far it has been fantastic (used for a few weeks). My voice sounds crisp and dynamic especially when up close to the grill.

I do have to use audio filters such as noise suppression and noise gates to mute out typing and white background noise but there have been no issues. The mic has weight to it and feels very sturdy, also love that it comes with a 6m cable and pop filter.

Only thing I would say is missing is a gain knob, seeing that most other mics have this, not sure why they didn’t put one on, but this hasn’t been a huge issue as I hardly change the input volume in the settings anyway.

I’ve paired the microphone with the RODE PS1 boom arm so I’m able to place it at an optimal height/level which has been great. I was tossing up between this and AT2020 and have no regrets picking this one up! It’s a great USB mic option with everything you need in one package.

Also kudos to DJ City for shipping the product the next day I ordered even when it said it was back ordered on the site (maybe my timing was just too good?). Nonetheless, I was super impressed with the speed of service.

Looked towards getting this product after I watched a Linus Tech Tips review. I did a sync recording of both the mic and my phone and the quality is vastly different (obviously). But I especially like how there’s significantly less background noise and hum compared to my phone which makes levelling out the audio much easier to do.

The audio from the mic is really smooth and clear and pleasant to listen to. Great quality mic that also looks flashy on my desk, and the pop filter is a great plus too. Also hot tip: check for a coupon in the item window to save more off this item if you want to.

I am very happy about this purchase. SamAsh fulfilled the order promptly and flawlessly. Their communication about the progress of the order was outstanding. The microphone sounds awesome in sound quality.

I would recommend this product and SamAsh to anyone without hesitation,.

see above This was the first large diaphragm condenser I purchased and it still works great seven years and a half dozen drops later! My gut instinct is that it’s possible to get a professional take with just about any large diaphragm condenser nowadays, so if you already own another make and are pondering whether you should first invest in some new mic preamps or perhaps a new recording interface, go with upgrading those first (as you’ll see more of an immediate improvement out of it).

Even so, I’d have to put this at the top of the list of mics I’d recommend as an eventual necessary purchase for any studio or home enthusiast. It’s a little clearer and fuller than your typical MXL or other mid-range variety, and the transients less brittle.

If you use low noize, clear pres (Mackie VLZ3’s are affordable and do the job), it will you give that familiar, smoky, saturated, condenser sound on vocals that makes mediocre singers sound like superstars.

You know; THAT studio sound. A word of caution: the right or wrong selection of pres, as well as eq curve, can make a huge difference with this mic. Rhode mics tend to have a noticeable presence boost.

The highs are little smoother and silkier than say, the NT1 (which is also pretty good) and the bottom a little fatter, but for many applications this mic will still seem just a little too bright and in need of some analog warming.

Generally, if I’m recording an acoustic guitar, I couple this mic with my Shiny Box ribbon or something else with more pronounced mid-lows to help fill out the sonic spectrum. If going in mono, its a good idea to send it through a tube pre or compensate for the brightness.

You wouldn’t be bad off to pick up a Presonus or an Art tube for extra if you don’t have one already. All in all, bang for the buck, there isn’t a better choice. If I had to live with only mic in my closet, it would be either this or the SM7B (another must-have, swiss army knife of a mic).

It doesn’t have the warmth of a ribbon, but then condensers seldom do. And after all, that’s why eqs were invented.

I use the RODE for in-home studio work (I’m a free lance voiceover announcer) and it replaced an old condenser mic that finally gave out. When shopping, I was impressed with RODE’s quality and the price wasn’t bad.

RODE has also become the go-to mic for YouTube-style video work so I knew it must be reliable. I was happily surprised that the quality exceeded my expectations and I’ll be purchasing more RODE products in the future.

I use a mike for voice overs and connect the mike via a Behringer Q502USB mixer and I was plugging in a cheap mike into the phono jack which didn’t give me a good sound. The Behringer has an XLR input so I wanted to try that.

Did a lot of research on mikes and settled on this one. It was a good choice. I purchased the Kopul Studio Elite 4000 XLR cable along with the mike to make sure I had a quality cable connected to the mike.

It’s a condenser mike so it needs phantom power which the Behringer mixer supplies. The mike’s cardiod pattern suppresses background noise not coming from the front of the mike. Note that you don’t talk into the top of the mike, but rather into the side.

Thus, the mike is optimized for sound coming directly in front of it. So far, I’m very happy with the mike.

This is one of the best USB microphones I have tested. I do have dual Sennheiser MK8 and dual NTRs, and I find performance from this very similar to more expensive XLR mics. I now use this mic on (almost) a daily basis, apart from my XLR mics, to record my grand piano.

Pros of this mic: *Very wide dynamic range and frequency, goes from 20Hz-20000Hz/20kHz. *Well balanced bass and treble voices for mono setup *Amazing build quality, solid full metal build *Internal LED light to indicate power to mic *Real-time zero latency monitoring off headphone jack *Sturdy included stand *Nice codec 16bit 44.

1/48kHz *Premium mic pouch Cons of this mic: *No pop filter or any other goodies apart from the short mic stand *USB mics, so no two way ORTF or any stereo type of recording. You can’t use two USB mics at the same time.

Workaround: Plug each individual mic into different computers, then transfer both audio files into a single computer and sync audio in post *Wished they included an XLR port. Some USB mics have XLR built in as well.

Overall, Audio-Technica does not dissapoint. Another amazing mic from the legendary Japanese audio company.

To be honest, I have yet to actually *hear* this mic in action, but my church service zoom attendees have, and noticed an improvement. Admittedly they are likely listening on little computer speakers and zoom is compressing the life out of audio.

I needed to upgrade the mic I was using to capture our big old pipe organ without spending a lot; this unit popped up in several articles about recording organs, so I figured why not, let’s give it a whirl.

It’s very sensitive, yet does not easily overload the mixing console channel when the organist gets enthusiastic. I liked the specs, the fact it’s omnidirectional, has a level pad and switchable high pass filter.

I need to record a service or two to find out what it’s really doing, and tinker with the audio controls in zoom a bit. I placed the mic about 25 feet away from the chest of pipes, etc, in the balcony.

I sat in various spots while the organ was being played, and this one spot sounded pretty good with ambience, so that’s where it went!.

The RE 320 arrived. It was a beautiful condition and as advertised. These are a versatile and solid microphone and offer you the option I have a couple of different patterns for pick up. This makes it great if you are in a room and not working the mic closely – or if there are a couple of other people with you and you were just using one mic.

For most uses, such as Broadcasting, singing, voice and podcasting, the narrow pattern is terrific and so clean and warm. There is a question above about whether or not this is a lightweight microphone.

This is a solid professional microphone and shouldnt be judged on the fact that it is some cheap lightweight product. Its solid strong reliable and professional.

I can’t help but think that the EV RE320 has the best sound of three very similar great dynamic microphones from ElectroVoice (RE20, RE27N / D and RE320) – the cleanest and brightest. In addition, it has a fairly strong output, so there is no need for a Cloudlifter or Fethead at all – a solid sound interface is enough.

I refuse to compare it with the so-called “legend” SM7B – I think this mass-loved microphone is blatantly overrated because Michael Jackson used it for his howls. SM7B is crooked, muddy and boring.

I managed to pick my device up when it was on sale for 1375. It sounded almost too good to be true, but I trusted in Stationery Packs and they didnt disappoint. I found the MacBook a little hot to use for the first week, but this issue has gone away.

MacBooks have to index for the first few days you use them which can make them hot, so I always expected a little warmth to start off with. I also downloaded a Turbo Boost Switch app which lets you turn off Intels mostly useless turbo boost functionality.

I havent noticed any difference in performance with the turbo boost switched off, but the difference it makes to the MacBooks temperature is substantial. Id recommend trying this app out before abruptly concluding the MacBook overheats.

Sure it would be nice if we didnt have to use an app to switch off the turbo boost, but its an easy, free fix so who cares. You get what you pay for with Apple. Premium product through and through. Beautiful screen, speakers and keyboard.

All with great performance. My only gripe might be that the battery life isnt as great as Id like. But this is far from a dealbreaker for me. Great device allround.

I ventured out into other dynamic mics, and for my voice in particular it suits me the best of anything I have ever found. It has a warmth and low end to it that takes the harshness out when I’m singing powerfully, but has enough mid and high end to still sound great and cut through the mix.

I tried other dynamic mics but they have to much mid and high leading it so sound a bit too harsh for my style of singing. In the end I think it depends on the singer to find the best fit, but you know you can never go wrong with an sm58.

It’s so versatile too, I’ve used it in a pinch for home demo’s recording acoustic guitar, put it in front of a guitar cab into a PA, and used it on a snare and bass drum live. While those aren’t it’s intended use, I’m always surprised by how this mic can be used for almost anything in a pinch.

It’s certainly very well rounded. It’s also extremely durable, I’ve seen punk bands try and break one and they still work afterwards. If your feeling anxious about making the right purchase, this is one mic that you’ll likely never have buyers remorse from.

I am the owner of 2 legacy Yamaha FM synthesizers, the TX7 and DX-200 but had never owned any of their sample based gear. For years I neglected to get any of their AWM2 synths and missed my chance at getting the advanced FM, FS1R.

After playing the MODX6 at the Sam Ash store in Cherry Hill, NJ for 10 minutes I knew that I would get it one day. Well that day has arrived and boy am I sorry that I waited. Although I would probably be be happy with the quality of the pianos alone, having all of the other type quality samples that Motif and Montage players have had for years is awesomely fantastic! The addition of the 8 operator FM-X engine at this price point made this purchase a no-brainer.

Add to that the sequencer, arpeggiator, the Super Knob and a host of other real-time controls and you have a formidable all-rounder synthesizer that can be seen on stages all over the world. Great synth, great price, and a sound designer’s dream.

One of the best purchases I have made in a long time.

The microphone is exceptional. It has a warm sound, loads of bass response, but also a little boosting in the “air” frequencies. Over-all, it’s a very neutral sound. I intend to use it for recording classical double bass and string chamber music.

It will do exceptionally well for this purpose. It is very similar to the vintage version of a well-known microphone (C414) that share some design and function elements. It also does very well as a live mic for improving sound quality of zoom teaching.

I use this using my Zoom H4n as an audio interface to very good effect. Eventually I will upgrade my interface, and I expect a big improvement. A small note, this did NOT come with a pop filter as advertised.

The pop filter was listed in the title of, but not included in the list of contents.

This is way more fun than I expected. I dont use a lot of smarthome features, but now that I’m getting used to Alexa, things are about to change. Really convenient way to listen to tunes while I’m working on the computer or playing on my phone.

I use it a lot for simple questions and information too. Im going to order some smart light bulbs soon so I can make her do even more for me. Haha My major complaint is that I can’t use it to call or text someone unless they sign up with the Alexa app too.

That’s a loss of a whole star there, because Google smart devices do that just fine with my Samsung Galaxy devices. This was free with the purchase of a TV, but I’ve mulled around the idea of getting one for a few years.

Ive got other speakers that are better sounding, but as far as convenience goes, this little Echo is great for me. It sits right beside my recliner on a table where I embarrassingly spend most of my time.

There has never been a problem of hearing it or not hearing me. The reminders arw handy too. Hve been dabbling with the shopping lists feature too. I espect to use this more and more but really wish I could call and text my peeps with her.

I have Echo/Alexa dots in four rooms. They’re all different, even the two identical ones I bought at the same time at the same place. This latest one, the one I’m reviewing here, is stupid. I am serious.

I have one in my living room and it is able to answer basic questions, play songs, etc. , with no problems. This one is in the next room (I do not have them synced) and it doesn’t seem to understand what any of us are saying without one of us having to repeat it, it sometimes pops on by itself (yes, really), and it doesn’t take direction well.

For example, with the one in the living room, when one of us says, “Alexa, stop,” it shuts down. This newer one doesn’t seem to understand we want it to be quiet until we shout at it to shut up. And yes, it’s in an open area with excellent wi-fi.

I don’t know why the Alexa/Echo/Whatever-you-want-to-call-them are so different, but each one has a different “personality” and very different information (which seems strange) and capabilities. For the price, however, all of them have been worth it.

I purchased these, fortunately when they were on a fantastic offer. I have Alexa downstairs but decided to get one for the upstairs and as my daughter, who doesn’t live with me, shares my Amazon account, I gave her the other one.

I subscribe to unlimited music and this is great piece of equipment and so versatile. It was easy to set up too. I can listen to music, or the radio of my choice now, from anywhere in the house. Hubby rolled his eyes when I got it, as he is not into tech, but he is impressed with it.

Such a small gadget but packs a great sound output. It’s fun too, as you can enjoy quizzes that challenge your general knowledge. Just an entertaining piece of equipment all round, if you know what to ask for and I’m still discovering and I love it.

Still good value at the present cost though.

Yes, to preface this review, this is my absolute first MIDI controller/keyboard – and YES, it’s worth every penny. I’m just starting out in music production, and getting this Minilab (in the striking Deep Black variant) has allowed me to explore so many new avenues, including playing chords on an actual keyboard, finger drumming, experimenting with pitch and modulation, using the endless encoders, and utilizing music production software outside of my DAW (I’m currently working with GarageBand).

Playing chords on my Minilab instead of using the musical typing feature in my DAW has made a massive improvement in my workflow because I don’t have to continually pull up and then close out of musical typing.

It’s also allowed me to learn chord formations, and opened me up to a practical application of music theory as I learn how to play scales. The drum pads are definitely less sensitive than I would prefer – they require a certain amount of force to pick up my hits – but they’re absolutely usable, even if I’ve had to learn how much force is necessary to trigger them.

They’re also RGB customizable and can be mapped using the Arturia MIDI Control Center software. The pitch and modulation strips are very cool to work with, and they seem to have fantastic reading/response times, as I use them while playing notes.

I can’t compare them to pitch and mod wheels, but I think they’re definitely easy to work with and add to my experience using this controller. The endless encoders are magnificent, since they immediately adjust to where your settings are currently mapped.

The included software is awesome to work with, too. I’ve just started exploring Ableton Live Lite 11, but it seems high quality and, from what I’ve seen, includes all of the most essential features from Ableton Live 11.

Analog Lab is VERY cool with the many synths, instruments, and presets included, and UVI Grand Piano is nice, as well. Altogether, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND the Minilab MKII!.

This is not a flimsy plastic microphone. It comes on a sturdy metal desk stand; alternately, you can remove it from the stand and screw it onto a professional mike stand. It has excellent voice quality.

I followed through with a recommendation to get a “pop filter” (a nylon screen that hooks over the front of the mike on a metal cable) to reduce the explosive sound of “P’s” and “B’s” when talking close to the mike.

The version I got screws onto the desk stand or can be attached on the shaft of a mike stand. Note that it has a “mute” switch on the front, and that it has an earphone jack so you can listen to the mike directly.

I recommend you buy a USB to Mini-USB cable (note: NOT Micro-USB or Type C USB) from eBay, since these are not commonly available except in electronic specialty stores. You have several choices for the mike’s pattern; I recommend the cardioid pattern, but you can try the stereo version for picking u p two different people talking.

great mic, solid build quality and very affordable for both a starter or professional mic. audio quality is superb in terms of the clarity and crisp sound. comparable to the macbook pro of laptops, the sony xm4 of headphones, or the nike kobe shoe of basketball shoes in terms of its performance, ease of use and functionality.

love the toggle between various modes and the ability to take in sound from all directions is super cool. definitely would recommend anyone and everyone who is interested in either podcasting, recording music, or anything related to needing good sound.

and i believe it comes in a few of colors (black, white, silver) to suit your desk/sound setup.

A great thing is that it really is plug and play. The computer os saw it right off and with the name yeti it does stand out in a growing list of usb microphones and cameras. It seamlessly worked with Audacity and ms voice recorder.

There is a learning curve with the different levels and monitor and response patterns but that has as much to do with my specific acoustic environment as anything. A good product has what seems to be contradictory characteristics.

It is easy to begin with yet there is much room for learning and growth and potential. I am happy with it.

I went through a few keyboards looking for something lightweight that had great acoustic piano sounds out of the box. Was disappointed with the MODX, which has good pianos supposedly, but you have to tweak them, and I had no luck there.

Also bought a Roland RD 88 based on YouTube reviews, but it never sounded good through my PA, my top grade stereo keyboard amp, good studio monitors. Both of these boards have other things going for them, but not what I needed.

Recently purchased the MX88 from my local GC. Haven’t stopped smiling since, great AP sounds through anything I put it through. I like the action, some complain about that, feels great to me, I learned on a P-115, so this feels like home, same keys.

The synth sounds are awesome too, just getting started with those, the pianos sound so good I rarely stray from those patches. It’s beautiful too, though a little wide after the RD 88, but not too heavy to gig with easily.

Love it.

I have been looking for a user friendly keyboard for gigging. The Yamaha MX88K doesn’t take going through various menus to let’s say raise or lower the keyboard 1/2 step (12 semitones are available) or an 8va or 2 up or down.

Split the keyboard, layer the sounds, set up preset performance patches, etc. can all be done prior to gig and then recalled on the gig with the push of a button. All parameters of the voices you choose for your voices can be saved and then immediately recalled.

My old 88 had too many menus to go through to make simple changes as described above. especially changing the key of the keyboard. The sounds are great, the unit weighs barely 31 pounds (30 lbs 10 oz), and the touch is very good graded hammer touch.

Now, for some fast passages, the touch is a little heavy so. I also bought the Yamaha MX61, which is the same engine as the 88 but with synth keyboard touch. I stack one on top of the other and by splitting the 88, I basically have 3 keyboards.

The sounds and parameters are the same in both so I just had to learn one. It caused me to dispose (sell) a module, an organ module, and my Leslie simulator. the Leslie simulators built in to these keyboards is excellent, I only wish there was some way to route the control through a footswitch but, I’m getting used to using the mod wheel for that.

I don’t know, maybe there is a way! All in all, I five both the MX88 & Mx61 an A++. Thank you Yamaha for finally giving me user friendly keys that I don’t have to adjust every time I play it/them!.

A very good choice for a once acoustic piano owner. It has a feel just like an acoustic piano. Set up was a breeze. Learning the basics of layered and split voices was fairly easy and is fun to explore options of all the different instruments it imitates.

There are more advanced voice option instructions I am still deciphering after 2 weeks however. The instructions are sometimes not the easiest to understand. I also have issues with setting volume for voices as it varies greatly between instruments.

But those things are minor compared to the positives of this keyboard. The stand and bench that came with it are terrific. No issues with those. I do wish it had a music stand attachment. And I will be purchasing a sustain peddle for it soon.

Overall it is a great purchase and I am so glad I did it while we are staying home. It is a great distraction for me!!.

Very, no extremely easy setup with Asus app on smart phone. Instant speed increase over my old 2. 4ghz wifi router. Wifi is now on par with ethernet connection (about 134 mbps down and 20 up). My ISP is Mediacom.

Only problem is that I think it may interfere with my phone – I had difficulty being understood this evening and had to move further away from the router – it’s in another room, but I had to get about 50ft.

away to be heard on a phone call. I’ve only had this problem this evening, so I cannot say for certain that it’s the router’s signal creating interference. As far as wired performance, isn’t any better or worse than my old router, but the gui is pretty good compared to the motorola software.

Set up and performance wise, it leaves little to be desired.

Setting this up was pretty easy. I downloaded the Netgear instructions for setting this modem up from their site. As I set it up the process clicked just like clockwork. This modem was apparently de-registered which made this easy when I registered with my ISP.

I connected this to my Netgear router and all works as it should. FOLLOWUP: Just a follow-up after several months of trying different things with my system, the modem is awesome quality and works well.

No quibble for the kibble I paid for it. Well worth it!.

This modem works flawlessly with RCN Cable. I connected it to my wireless router and called the cable company to activate it and has been working great since. There is no drop in internet connection at all.

Also I am saving money on monthly modem rental by owning my own modem. I can now stream to all my TVs and computers without any lag or problem.

The Roland FANTOM-8 combines the incredibly realistic V-Piano sounds with the functionality of the earlier Fantom workstations. The range and capabilities of the instrument will take me years to fully explore.

My major reason for upgrading to the new FANTOM-8 was to add the V-Piano sounds to my workstation projects. I am happy to have added this new workstation to my setup, but I am keeping my old Fantom G8, because I prefer the different modes of operation of that instrument, specifically Studio and Live modes.

The layout on the earlier Fantoms made sequencing effortless, and changing parameters was visually immediately apparent. Those changes are still obviously available in the new Fantom-8, but you have to dig into sub-menus to access them, and that’s not as convenient.

Additionally, the sequencing capabilities of the new Fantom-8 are skewed to patterns. While I believe that suits the needs and preferences of the majority of users, I do miss the open-ended real time sequencing of the earlier version.

It doesn’t seem like it would have been too difficult to retain that feature in the new Fantom-8, and it is definitely a disappointment for me in my workflow. Of course I can still use an external DAW to get that feature, but why should I have to, when they could have easily made unlimited real time sequencing available as a built-in feature.

That said, the instrument is breath-taking in all of it’s other amazing capabilities, and I really do appreciate the dedicated section to alter the waveform parameters of individual patches. The V-Piano sounds also have touch screen controls in terms of all of their parametric options, and they are more accessible than they’d been in earlier Roland keyboards.

I highly recommend the instrument, despite my minor disappointments.