The under-rated, often overlooked, Roland SonicCell sound module!
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- Опубліковано 28 лип 2024
- I borrowed a Roland SonicCell from a good friend and set it up for use in Logic with a custom multi-instrument in the Logic envoronment. The SonicCell is often over-looked despite it offering 896 preset patches built-in the famous Roland Fantom X synth engine. It’s an odd device because it is both a sound module, and audio interface and a file player. Unfortunately, some of the features are not ideally useful today. Perhaps its was a device just trying to do too many things at once. In this video, I’ll walk through the features and capabilities of the SonicCell as well as the details on how to use it - or any external synth - in Logic.
#logicx #SonicCell #externalsynth
Roland XP-30 • Roland XP 30 | Why do ...
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00:00 Over-looked and under-valued
00:54 SonicCell is 3 devices in one
02:25 Technical Specs - SonicCell compared to the JV 1080
03:46 Connecting the SonicCell
05:25 Midi Implementation for the SonicCell & Patch Names
07:40 Our target configuration in Logic X
09:43 Complete Midi Configuration Walkthrough in Logic - Midi Environment
14:50 More options to configure
15:58 After the Fantom X, the XP series took over in ROMplers
16:40 Sound Design on the SonicCell - consider Patch Base
17:34 It’s got great sounds!
18:20 Outro
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![Logic Pro X | Using External Synths - Environment Setup [My Best Tutorial]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/H6hxYi3pHgo/mqdefault.jpg)
very well explained ! thanks
Love the Sonic Cell, I carry mine along with the RD64 everywhere for live performances. You can't beat that duo.
Hi Jeffy !! this is just what the doctor ordered !! Fantastic job on the walkthrough. Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge of this in Logic. Great tool, but sometimes a bit overwhelming when it comes to things the vendor should be setting up for us for ease of use.
Maybe 11 months ago, but not now-all the software is available at Roland I installed in 5 minutes in my Windows 10 machine, editor, playlist and synth editor. Everything on first inspection works so far.
Very cool!
The Sound Cell/Fantom XR are not available in Roland Cloud, neither on their own nor as patches in the Zen Core instruments. Probably because the Fantom was a one-off departure from the JV/XV engine and Roland did not want to re-create it. You do find some of the well-known samples though.
Love the SonicCell. Mine is fitted with SRX-06 Complete Orchestra, and SRX07- Ultimate Keys. More sounds than I could possible audition, never mind use!
Nice review!
Hi Jeffy,
I've looked for this rare module high and low.
Unfortunately I"ll have to do with what I currently have in the studio.
Am glad that someone finally does an extensive review of the Sonic Cell.
Hope you have an amazing week, all the best,
Cheers, Mark
Definitely fewer SonicCells were sold, so only a limited supply of used.
These things are on ebey all day for 2 to 3 hundred i paid 250.00 for mine a couple of years ago.I still see them.Def.a slept on piece tho.
I don't see the sense in comparing SonicCell to JV1080. It makes good sense to compare it to Fantom XR (older) and Integra-7 (newer) -- it has much in common with both, and is directly in the middle in the evolution of the Fantom X series to the Integra-7 (Fantom G series didn't have a module / rackmount version, and Fantom G abandoned SRX expansion format -- Fantom X AND Integra-7 have SRX expansion abilities). Further, Jeffy G you aren't speaking from experience when you say the Roland SonicCell software doesn't work on modern Windows / modern PCs -- it DOES work on at least some newer versions of Windows and at least some newer computers (but I can't guarantee absolute compatibility).
Thanks for taking the time to create this video. I was curious about this device and you answered my questions. Do you know of anything more recent that performs similar functions? Thanks again.
Hi. I have one of these that I use in the studio as a synth sound module and live as a MIDI file player for backing tracks for my solo act. I'm guessing that the reason you couldn't get the USB player to work is the size of stick is limited to 4GB I think. Any stick larger than that doesn't work. It's not mentioned anywhere in the manual but I discovered it via trial and error.
It will also work with Windows 10 but the driver does need a relatively simple hack (just change a line in it to recognise windows 10). Don't know about working with MACs though.
Although it's not my primary interface I have used it a couple of times as such. It would be great for a guitarist as there's loads of input FX available.
All in all a great little unit and if I ever see a second hand one at the right price I'll be buying it so I don't have to keep moving this one from my studio to live rig.
Thanks! I’ll try a 4GB thumb drive!
How is the sound quality of the SonicCell playing the Fantom X sounds VS an actual Fantom X? I'm considering a SonicCell as a cheaper method to get access to the Fantom X sounds and I don't need the arpeggiator or all the other stuff that comes with a workstation other than the samples themselves playing a comparable quality out of the headphones and recording inputs.
I can’t say because I don’t own a Fantom X or XR to compare. Based on my research, others say the SonicCell is identical. Personally, I use VSTs mostly and the hardware synths I own are more for fun. I’m currently comparing DeXEd versus a real Yamaha DX7 and finding the real DX7 is way more distorted and noisy, but some people would argue that’s natural “saturation”. Lol.
Would you mind sharing the Excel spreadsheet you created? Freebe or paid, let me know. Thanks. I use Cu asis 3 on an Ipad and I could use the spreadsheet as a quick reference. Cubasis does not have any features like Logic. Thanks for the video, I dont have a Sonic Cell yet, just purchased one from Japan after watching your video.
@@myterrain no problem! I’ll but it on my website ‘Resources’ and send you a link in a few minutes.
@@JeffyG I found a sound bundle Excel file under "Resources" it was a blank spreadsheet. Opened in Office365.
Roland SonicCell Patch list can be downloaded jeffagoddard.com/resources
JeffyG, thanks a bunch for sharing your work. Im still waiting on the Sonic Cell I purchased on Ebay, but meanwhile this list will be invaluabe to set up a few templates in Cubasis for IOS. The patch change function in Cubasis is not useful. Again thanks.
I'm not able to get anything to play via MIDI. I've used my MIDI out device on all channels and no notes are being played (the MIDI message LED also isn't blinking) + also tried multiple cables...
I'm a MIDIdiot who's looking for a small sound module to use with the Kawai MP11se digital piano in my living room. I own 14 keyboards (synths, arrangers, organs, controllers) but don't want to crowd up the living room. I mostly want some good synth pads/strings and possibly some good EPs and organs to go alongwith the limited sound libraryin my MP11se. Is this unit simple enough to use or would I be better off with something like a Boss DS-330 or Roland SC88 Pro? Thank you so much for your help!
SonicCell is very good - if you can find one used in your area.
You can put 2 SRX cards inside. I wanted it, but ended up with used XV-5050 (250€) instead, because I couldn't find any used ones and 750€ for a new one was too much.
Has the 64 note polyphony of the XV-5050 ever been a problem? Just curious.
@@JeffyG No. I just use my Lady Integra 7, if I want more voices. ;)
When you finish setting all this up does it save for every time you open a new project?
You can save with the editor it still works. This guy is full of bs saying you can't use the interface or player
Yes
@@bradkeyboards do u use it alot?
Yes, alot, I bought it new in 2007 and it is my go to module for everything that I play. I do have a VK-8M that i use for organ. there is way to make the driver work on windows 10 if you follow instructions from the SonicCell user group. I also have an old windows 7 PC laptop that I usually take to gigs for quick program changes. The player has 3 sampling rates 44.5 48 & 96. It can play mp3's and wav files. Although Jeffery G knows quite alot he missed the mark on the player, probably having the wrong sample rate and not turning the unit off and on again after switching the sampling rate and he uses a different editor that seems like a difficult way to edit. Roland has the owners manuals and drivers and editors from Roland support. @@boimesa8190
Yes, all the time@@boimesa8190
And more misinformation from you Jeffy G -- Roland XP30 (and other XP and XV synths) are from 1999 thru early 2000's, and Fantom X is NEWER than all those (and in most ways better) than the XP / XV. The XP30 is NOT newer as you assert -- and the XP30 is meaningfully inferior to Fantom X series. Fantom X series was a significant step in the evolution of Roland sample-playback synths after the XP / XV series. The Fantom XR can have 1 GByte of samples available at one time (512 MBytes of ROM samples if 6x 64MB SRX cards are installed, plus 512 MBytes of RAM samples the user can load). Even the Integra-7 can't match this particular spec (and Integra-7 lacks the ability to load user samples). The SonicCell, in many ways, was the last of the Fantom-X family of synths, utilizing the Fantom X (and SRX) architecture but with some different samples in ROM compared to Fantom X. And of course, SonicCell can't load user samples like Fantom X6 / X7 / X8 / XR can.
You just don't know how to use the player. The sampling rate was probably on the wrong setting. The editor still works just not the drivers.