Roland Fantom-Xa Specification sheet

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Importing and Using Loops
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Workshop
© 2005 Roland Corporation U.S.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in
any form without the written permission of Roland Corporation U.S.

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About the Fantom-Xa Workshop Series
Roland’s Fantom-Xa workstation keyboard provides lots of
creative power at an affordable price. It shares many of the
features of its more expensive siblings—the Fantom X6, X7,
and X8—including killer sounds, 128-note polyphony, a full-
featured 16-track sequencer, sampling capabilities, and so
much more.
The Fantom-Xa Workshop Series booklets discuss some of
the things you can do with your Fantom-Xa. Each booklet
focuses on one topic, and is intended as a companion to your
Fantom-Xa Owner’s Manual.
About This Booklet
While the Fantom-Xa’s built-in sampler allows you to make
your own samples, it also lets you to import .WAV- and AIFF-
format sampled beat loops—we’ll just call them “loops” for
short.
Once you’ve got a loop inside the Fantom-Xa, you can use it as
the basis for a new song, or time-stretch it to fit the tempo of
an idea you already have. You can change a loop’s tempo on-
the-fly, or alter it permanently.
This booklet explains how to import and use a loop, and how
to take advantage of the Fantom-Xa’s time-stretching power.
Understanding the Symbols in This Booklet
Throughout this booklet, you’ll come across information that
deserves special attention—that’s the reason it’s labeled with
one of the following symbols.
A note is something that adds information about the topic at hand.
A tip offers suggestions for using the feature being discussed.
A definition is provided for an important term that’s just been introduced.
Warnings contain important information that can help you avoid possible
damage to your equipment, your data, or yourself.
Expanding Sample Memory
If you plan to take advantage of the Fantom-Xa’s sampling or
sample-playback capabilities, we recommend you expand its
onboard sample RAM.
What Is Sample RAM?
Whether you capture, load, or
import a sample, it’s held in an
area within the Fantom-Xa called
“sample RAM.” This is an area of
fast, fluid, temporary memory
derived from SDRAM chips, the
same kind found in many computers. It’s called “sample RAM”
because it’s where you work with your samples.
The Fantom-Xa sample RAM is 4 MB (MegaBytes) in size as
shipped from the factory, enough to get you started with
sampling.

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In case you’re curious, “RAM” stands for “Random Access Memory,” and
“SDRAM” stands for “Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory.”
The Fantom-Xa performs CD-quality sampling—using a 44.1
kHz sample rate and a 16-bit word length. To give you an idea
of how quickly sample RAM gets used up, this means that:
• a 30-second-long mono sample—uses up 2.5 MB of your
sample RAM.
• a 15-second stereo sample—uses 2.5 MB of sample RAM.
The Fantom-Xa’s Skip Back Sampling also uses sample RAM, so a limited
amount of sample RAM also limits the size of Skip Back samples.
If your Fantom-Xa is set to load its demo preset samples at startup, you’ll
actually be starting out with just 2 MB of sample RAM in an unexpanded
Fantom-Xa. You can turn off the automatic loading of the preset samples
as described in the Fantom-Xa Owner’s Manual.
Therefore, install as much memory as you can afford if you
intend to get into sampling. You can expand the Fantom-Xa
sample RAM up to a spacious 512 MB as described on Page
216 in the Fantom-Xa Owner’s Manual.
How Does Stuff Get Into Sample RAM?
Whenever you can hear a sample, it’s in sample RAM. It gets
put there when:
• you import a new sample—from your personal computer.
We’ll discuss how to do this later.
• you capture a new sample—by sampling.
• you load a sample for playing and editing—stored in user or
card memory.
• the Fantom-Xa loads it—automatically at startup. The
Fantom-Xa can automatically load both demo preset and
user samples when you first turn it on.
A Nice Place to Visit, But...
Sample RAM is temporary memory, which means that it’s
cleared when you turn off the Fantom-Xa. It’s therefore critically
important that you remember to save anything you import or
sample to permanent user or card memory before you turn off
the Fantom-Xa. If you don’t, your work will be lost.
If you load an already-saved sample and edit it, make sure to save the
new version to user or card memory before powering off, since the edited
version exists only in sample RAM until you save it.
Importable Loops
If you’ll be importing samples that originally came from audio
CDs, you’ll have no problem—audio CDs use the same type
of audio files the Fantom-Xa uses. If you get your loops from
friends or the Internet, you can import sample loops that are:
• .WAV or AIFF-format audio files
• sampled at 44.1 kHz—the sampling rate of audio CDs.
• 16-bit files—the bit depth of audio CDs.
Your Fantom-Xa must also have sufficient user or card memory
and sample RAM to hold any sample you want to import.
An Assumption...
In this booklet, we’re assuming that any loop you want to
import has first been trimmed so that it starts precisely at its
first beat, and ends precisely at the end of its last beat.
The most common loop lengths are one measure, two
measures, or four measures.
While this booklet discusses the use of trimmed loops, you can also trim
loops on the Fantom-Xa itself—see the Owner’s Manual for more details.

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Importing a Loop
Here’s how to import and set up a loop for use in the
Fantom-Xa. We recommend you read—and perform—the
following steps in the order in which they’re presented.
Bringing a Sample Loop Into the Fantom-Xa
The simplest way to import a loop into the Fantom-Xa is by
connecting the Fantom-Xa to your computer via USB.
If your Fantom-Xa has a memory card and your computer has a card reader,
you have an additional option. You can insert your Fantom-Xa-formatted
card into the reader and move any loop you wish to import into the
card’s AUDIO_IMPORT folder. To learn about using memory cards, see the
Fantom-Xa Owner’s Manual.
Connecting and Activating USB Communication
This procedure is possible only with USB-supporting computers using the
following operating systems: Windows XP/2000/Me or higher, Mac OS 9.04
or higher, or Mac OS X.
When USB communication is turned on, do not unplug the USB cable
connecting the Fantom-Xa and the computer.
Before connecting the Fantom-Xa to your computer via USB
and activating communication:
1. On the Fantom-Xa, press LAYER/SPLIT, MENU, and then
select System if it isn’t already selected.
2. Press ENTER—the System Menu window appears.
3. Press F1 (GENERAL).
4. Press F4 (USB)—by default, the Fantom-Xa’s USB connection
is set to STORAGE, as the red arrow shows here.
The Fantom-Xa’s USB connection can also be used for sending and receiving
MIDI data.
5. If USB Mode is set to STORAGE, skip to Step 7. If USB Mode
is set to MIDI, turn the VALUE dial counterclockwise until
a warning message appears, and then press F6 (OK) to
proceed.
6. Press F6 (WRITE) to store the new setting.
7. Turn off the Fantom-Xa and start up your computer.
8. Using a USB A/B-type cable, connect the A-type USB plug
to a USB jack on your computer, and the other end to the
B-type USB jack on the rear panel of the Fantom-Xa.
USB A plug USB B plug
Plug this
end into the
Fantom-Xa.
Plug this
end into the
computer.
9. Turn on the Fantom-Xa.

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Copying the Loop to User or Card Memory
1. On the Fantom-Xa, press LAYER/SPLIT, and then MENU.
2. Turn VALUE to select USB Storage.
3. Press ENTER—the USB Select screen appears.
4. On this screen, you allow your computer access to the
Fantom-Xa’s user memory or card memory. To choose:
• user memory—press F2 (INTERNL).
• card memory—press F5 (PC CARD).
The Fantom-Xa can import loops from either memory area, so choose
whichever one you want to use.
The Fantom-Xa displays “Connected” once communication
is established. The Fantom-Xa’s user or card memory
appears on the computer in a new window or on the
desktop as a removable storage device. User memory
appears as “FANX USER.” Card memory appears as “FANX
CARD.”
5. Open FANX USER or FANX CARD on your computer.
6. Double-click the TMP folder, and then the AUDIO_IMPORT
folder.
7. Drag each loop you want to import into the AUDIO_
IMPORT folder. Your computer will copy the file into the
Fantom-Xa’s user or card memory.
You must have enough free memory space in user or card memory to hold
any loop you want to copy. The Fantom-Xa’s user memory area is 16 MB in
size when it’s empty; the free space on a card depends on the card’s size.
8. When you’re done, eject the Fantom-Xa’s memory area
from your computer as you would any removable device.
Ending USB Communication and Disconnecting
1. Once you’ve ejected the Fantom-Xa’s memory area from
your computer as described above, press EXIT on the
Fantom-Xa to leave the USB Select screen.
2. Power off the Fantom-Xa, and disconnect its USB cable.
Converting a Loop Into a Fantom-Xa Sample
1. After powering up the Fantom-Xa, press SAMPLE EDIT↔
LIST once or twice until the SAMPLE LIST screen appears.
2. Press MENU to display the Sample List Utilities menu.

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3. Highlight “Import Audio” in the menu, and then press
ENTER to display the IMPORT AUDIO screen.
If your computer runs Mac OS X, you may see extra files whose names start
with a period. These files are used by Mac OS X and aren’t meant for loading
into the Fantom-Xa—don’t worry about them.
4. Press F1 (USER) or F2 (CARD) to select the area of memory
into which you copied your loop on your computer.
5. Press 6 or 5 to highlight the loop. (In the screenshot
above, our loop is the audio file named “Skip Groove.”)
6. Press F6 (IMPORT). When the Fantom-Xa asks if you’re sure
you want to proceed, press F6 (EXEC).
The Fantom-Xa imports the audio file and temporarily sets
aside the next empty:
• user memory location—if you copied the loop into user
memory on your computer.
• card memory location—if you copied the loop into
card memory on your computer.
“N” signifies that a
sample has not yet
been stored in user or
card memory.
7. Audition the imported loop by pressing F6 (PREVIEW).
Preparing an Imported Loop
With beat loops, it’s a good idea to let the Fantom-Xa know
the loop’s tempo, expressed as BPM (for “Beats Per Minute”).
This is especially important if you’ll be taking advantage of the
Fantom-Xa’s tempo-changing tools.
1. Press SAMPLE EDIT↔LIST to display the SAMPLE EDIT
screen.
The four REALTIME CONTROL knobs are assigned to four of the SAMPLE
EDIT screen parameters, circled in red above. Turn the right-most REALTIME
CONTROL knob to zoom out far enough to see your entire loop if you like.
2. Press 6 repeatedly until the Tempo parameter is
highlighted.
3. If you know your loop’s tempo, turn the VALUE dial to set
the Tempo parameter accordingly.
If you don’t know your loop’s tempo, see “The Tempo Calculator” on
Page 7.
4. Press 6 twice to select the Time Stretch parameter. This
parameter chooses the algorithm the Fantom-Xa uses
when it manipulates a sample’s tempo on-the-fly with
Tempo Sync, described on Page 7. Select a Time Stretch
value for your loop—lower values are best for drum and
percussion loops, while higher values are best for loops
that contain pitched instruments.

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The Tempo Calculator
When you highlight the Tempo parameter (in Step 2 on the previous page),
“CALC” appears above F1.
If you don’t know your loop’s tempo, the Fantom-Xa can figure
it out for you.
1. Press F1 (CALC) to display the Tempo Calculator window.
2. Set Measure to the number of bars in your loop, and then
set Beat to the loop’s time signature.
3. Press F3 (EXEC)—the Fantom-Xa calculates the loop’s
tempo based on its length, and enters the result as the
value for the Tempo parameter.
Manipulating a Loop’s Tempo
Now that the Fantom-Xa knows your loop’s original tempo, it
can stretch or shrink the loop’s tempo to suit your needs, in
either of two ways:
• Tempo Sync—automatically changes the loop’s tempo
to match any sequence or rhythm with which you use it.
Tempo Sync’s extremely easy use: You simply turn it on
when you assign the loop to a pad or the keyboard, and
the Fantom-Xa does the rest. We’ll explain how to do this
in the steps starting on Page 8.
• Time Stretch—permanently changes a loop’s tempo to a
new setting, as described in the following section, “Time-
Stretching a Loop.”
Time-Stretching a Loop
When your loop’s tempo needs to be changed, and you want
to permanently lock in this new tempo, use the Fantom-Xa’s
Time Stretch sample-modification tool.
You can get to the sample-modification tools from the SAMPLE EDIT screen.
If you’ve been following along, that’s where you are now. Otherwise, to get
to the SAMPLE EDIT screen, press SAMPLE EDIT↔LIST once or twice to
display the sample list, select the desired loop sample, and then press
SAMPLE EDIT↔LIST again to display the SAMPLE EDIT screen.
1. On the SAMPLE EDIT screen, press F3 (MODIFY)—the
Sample Modify Menu appears.
2. Press F3 (TIME STRETCH) to display the TIME STRETCH
screen.
3. Choose the amount of time-stretching using any one of
the following three parameters, each of which measures
tempo in its own way:
• BPM—Dial in the desired beats-per-minute value for
the sample.
• Time—Dial in the desired duration for the sample.
• Rate—Dial in the desired amount of change by
percentage. (100% equals no change.)
When you set any one of these parameters, the others are automatically
updated to reflect your new setting.

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4. Set Type to choose the desired time-stretching method,
from Type01-Type10. The best setting depends on the
loop. Just as on the SAMPLE EDIT screen, lower values are
best for drum and percussion loops, while higher values
are best for loops that contain pitched instruments.
5. Quality Adjust sets the accuracy of the time-stretching
process in terms of audio fidelity. Try the default setting,
or experiment with different values if you like.
6. When you’ve set all of the parameters, press F6 (EXEC).
7. When the Fantom-Xa asks you if you’re sure you want to
proceed, press F6 (EXEC).
You can try out different Time Stretch Type and Quality Adjust values,
pressing UNDO and then F6 (EXEC) to start over after each listening test.
Saving Your Loop
The user or card location set aside for your loop gives it a
temporary address that allows a rhythm set—or patch—to
find and play it. Your imported loop exists so far only in
temporary sample RAM, so you need to save it to a permanent
user or card memory location before powering off.
1. Press WRITE•SAVE/LOAD to display the WRITE MENU
screen.
2. Press F3 (SAMPLE)—the SAMPLE NAME screen appears.
The loop’s original name is already spelled out for you, so
press F6 (WRITE) to move onto the SAMPLE WRITE screen.
You can re-name the sample if you like. See Page 28 in the Fantom-Xa
Owner’s Manual to learn about using the Fantom-Xa naming tools.
3. The loop’s pre-assigned memory location is already
selected, so unless you have some reason to change it,
press F6 (WRITE).
To select a new memory location, press F1 (USER) or F2 (CARD) as desired,
turn VALUE to select the desired location, and then press F6 (WRITE).
4. When the Fantom-Xa asks if you’re sure, press F6 (EXEC) to
finish saving your imported loop as a Fantom-Xa sample.
Assigning the Loop to a Pad
Though your loop is now imported, you have to assign it
to a pad or the keyboard to use it in a song. The pads work
especially well for triggering loops.
Technically, when you assign a loop to a pad, you’re adding it to the
currently selected rhythm set. When you send it to the keyboard, the
Fantom-Xa creates a new patch that plays the loop.
1. Press F4 (ASSIGN).
2. Press F5 (To Pad)—the ASSIGN TO PAD screen appears.
3. Press the pad to which you’d like to assign the loop—the
pad you strike turns dark onscreen.
4. If you’d like the loop to use Tempo Sync, press F1 (SYNC)
to checkmark its box. (Remember, we told you Tempo
Sync was simple to use!)

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If you change your mind later about using Tempo Sync, you can switch
Tempo Sync on or off on by editing the rhythm set that plays the loop. See
the Fantom-Xa Owner’s Manual to learn about editing rhythm sets.
5. Press F6 (EXEC)—when the Fantom-Xa asks if you’re sure
you want to proceed, press F6 (EXEC) again.
Since the current rhythm set now plays the loop, be sure to save the rhythm
set to user or card memory before powering off. See the Fantom-Xa Owner’s
Manual to learn how to save a rhythm set.
If you saved your loop to card memory, we recommend saving the rhythm
set there, too. This will ensure that whenever you load the rhythm set, the
loop will be available, since they’re stored on the same card.
Playing a Loop from Its Pad
To play a loop from its pad, select the rhythm set to which
the loop is assigned. Next, make sure the ARP/RHY RHYTHM
button is turned off, and press TRIGGER so it’s lit. Pads 1-9 light
to show that they’re set to play notes.
TRIGGER
button lit
Not
lit
Strike and hold down the desired pad to play its loop.
Step-Recording a Loop
The most accurate way to record a loop into a sequence is by
using “step recording,” in which the sequencer is stopped and
you enter the notes you want at the desired locations.
When you’re step-recording a loop, each time you strike the
loop’s pad, the sequencer records the pad’s note and moves
forward by a specified length of time, called a “step.” At that
point you can strike the loop’s pad again and again until the
loop plays everywhere you want it.
If your Fantom-Xa is set to load the demo song at startup, you’ll have to
clear it before recording one of your own—to do this, press SONG EDIT↔
LIST once or twice until “UTILITY” appears onscreen above F3. Then, press
F3 (UTILITY), F2 (SONG CLEAR), and finally, F6 (EXEC).
Before recording, press the TEMPO button and dial in the desired tempo
for the sequence. If your loop is set to use Tempo Sync, pick any tempo
you like. If it isn’t, set the sequence tempo so it matches the loop’s. When
you’ve set the tempo, press F6 (CLOSE).
You’ll use the SEQUENCER buttons to start and end step
recording, and to play back your work.
PlayStop RecordReset
1. Press the Record button twice to display the Step Rec
Standby screen.

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2. Set Rec Track to Track 10.
Since it’s common to use a loop as the basis for a song, we’re using Track
10—it’s typically the rhythm track. You can use any track you like.
3. If this is the first thing you’ll be recording on the selected
track, you can leave Rec Mode set to MIX. If you want your
loop to replace already-recorded data on the track, set Rec
Mode to REPLACE.
As you’re getting comfortable with step recording, it’s a good idea to set
Rec Mode to REPLACE so that if you need several attempts to get the loop
recorded properly, each new attempt will replace the one before it.
4. Set Start Point to the location in the song at which you
want the loop to start playing. If you’re using the loop as
the basis for your song, leave it set to 0001-01-000, the top
of the song.
Here, we’ll record the loop throughout the whole song. You can, however,
use the loop only in selected song sections if you like. To do this, step-record
each section separately, setting Start Point each time to the beginning of
the section in which you want the loop to play.
5. Press F6 (NOTE) to begin step recording—the STEP
REC screen appears with the Note Type parameter
highlighted.
Note Type Gate Time Input Velo
Current location
6. Set Note Type to the length of your loop as follows.
If your loop length is: Set Note Type to:
one measure
two measures
four measures
8. Set Gate Time to 100 so the loop plays for the full length of
the Note Type.
9. Set Input Velo (for “Input Velocity”) to 127 so that each
time the loop plays, it plays at the same volume: loud.
10. If your loop is:
• one or two measures long—strike the loop’s pad once.
Its note appears onscreen and the sequence moves
ahead by the Note Type length.
• four measures long—strike the loop’s pad once and
then press F2 (TIE) to double the Note Type’s length to
four bars.
11. Repeat Step 10 over and over until your loop plays
wherever you want it. The top line of the STEP REC screen
shows you where you are in the song.
12. When you’re done, press the Stop button, and then the
Reset button. Press Play to hear what you’ve recorded.
If you’re not satisfied with your recording, press UNDO and then F6 (EXEC)
to undo your work, or simply do it again, making sure that Rec Mode in the
Step Rec Standby window is set to REPLACE.

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The End
We hope you’ve enjoyed this little Fantom-Xa looping seminar.
Keep an eye out for other Fantom-Xa Workshop booklets, all
available for downloading at www.RolandUS.com.
For the latest Fantom-Xa updates and support tools, visit the Roland U.S.
Web site at www.RolandUS.com. If you need personal assistance, call our
amazing Product Support team at 323-890-3745.