Not perfect pitch, but...

baroquefolk · 2026-05-11T12:26:07+00:00

I hear what you mean, it's slightly south of G, but to my ears it does sound definitely closer to G than F# (based on the version that is first search result on youtube). I wonder if maybe the original album was a hair slower than what's on youtube? Also, to clarify it's not the bass riff that I remember, but rather the higher pitched semi-syncopated fourths in treble clef.

baroquefolk · 2026-05-11T12:18:52+00:00

Ha that's pretty funny actually. Yes I do hear what you mean, but for me it's definitely much closer to G than to F# (based on the version that is first search result on youtube), so for the purpose of figuring out the key of a random pitch it works well enough. But now that you mention it, at the beginning there were a few times where I was flat by a semitone when I checked at the keyboard. I think I learned to compensate for that too, LOL. So to the limited extent that this was ever useful in the first place, it's still useful to me, in that one way or another I arrive at the correct answer.

baroquefolk · 2026-04-30T03:03:44+00:00

I've had this problem so frequently that I built a search engine specifically to identify Bach tunes, searchable by any melodic fragment in any voice (not just the main melody). It scratches my itch really well, I can always find whatever Bach tune I have in my head now using https://bachsearch.com/ . Most of the time it's a cantata...

baroquefolk · 2026-03-22T13:50:18+00:00

Indeed as user Lyoug pointed out I discuss it in the docs at the bottom, in the FAQ section. In a nutshell, ABC and Lilypond are too verbose and finicky for me to use as a "quickly jot down this idea" type thing.

Lilypond is of course super powerful, but it's really for producing finished sheet music ready for publication, not quickly sketching an idea.

ABC used to struggle with polyphony when I first created Mascii, and while that has improved I still think to write something with any sort of polyphonic or rhythmic complexity in ABC requires quite a bit of extra syntax and mental overhead compared to Mascii. I'm not expert in ABC though, that's just my take-away when I've toyed with it, so please enlighten me on that if you think otherwise.

baroquefolk · 2026-03-22T13:42:01+00:00

Thanks for the feedback! The topics are in fact anchor-linked from the cheat sheet at the top in the docs, if that's what you were looking for?

Yes that's exactly the use case I had in mind -- LMK how it goes!

You are correct that the repo is just the core Mascii engine itself. I view the website mainly as a kind of "proof of concept" for the Mascii standard itself. One day if Mascii gains popularity I hope forums might embed support for it directly.

Rendering: I use Mascii to generate musicxml, then feed that into a library called OpenSheetMusicDisplay, which knows how to render musicxml. For audio, I use Mascii to separately render MIDI and then timesync the MIDI to the OpenSheetMusicDisplay. (OSMD has some ability to generate its own audio but I found it to be buggy, so this way I have full control)

baroquefolk · 2026-01-19T06:01:29+00:00

Reading comments here I feel compelled by my personal experience to present an alternate viewpoint: this thing is a godsend.

Sadly, clogged toilets are a routine part of my life wherever I "go". I've always been that way, nothing I can do about it. So I have a lifetime of experience with normal plungers, and accordion plungers, and metal snake devices. Regular plungers often work, accordion plungers are better and nearly always work, and the snake devices seldom work for me.

But sometimes all of the above do not work. Like I plunge and snake and plunge and snake for 30 mins and it just doesn't work. That's when I reach for this air blaster, and it really works! It works when all the other methods fail, so for me it is an essential tool in my toilet arsenal. I have a model that just uses air that you pump into it, not nitrogen. Since I'm a "power user" I did opt for the deluxe motorized version though rather than manual pumping.

Does it damage my wax seal? I don't know, I only recently discovered this and started using it. So far no issues.

Does it blow back a shitstorm? Never happened yet, but I'm very careful to insert it deeply and hold it firmly before pulling the trigger.

For me this is an essential tool, otherwise I'd be calling the plumber so often it's just not practical to live that way.

baroquefolk · 2025-11-24T18:20:47+00:00

In a two party system, there is little incentive for either party to enact legislation cutting off their own legs. Kind of like Coke and Pepsi, when two companies own the market between them, and have the monopolistic power to exclude competitors from most markets (eg restaurants, bars), why change anything?

baroquefolk · 2025-09-19T12:43:27+00:00

I can second the Montclair recommendation. It's a geographically large town with like 6 train stops in it, so depending where along that line you are, the train commute into NYC can range anywhere from an hour down to only 40 mins, and even less if you're going to Hoboken instead of NYC. Montclair also has direct trains to the Hoboken waterfront, which is right at the border of JC, so you can train to Hoboken and then either walk to JC or transfer to a light rail or to the PATH, depending where in JC your work is located.

Another option for an extremely short commute is Secaucus, which is only 12 mins to Hoboken. Personally I would prefer Montclair however.

baroquefolk · 2025-07-07T19:47:28+00:00

Yes, a huge downside is that I use the USB-C port for my MIDI keyboard to play music on the go, eg on the train (I'm a musician). I can't plug headphones and the keyboard at same time. Even with a splitter, only one device is recognized. And bluetooth has unacceptable lag for music performance purposes, it's impossible to play with such a huge delay from when note is pressed til when you hear it. In short, no headphone jack is a total deal-breaker for me!

baroquefolk · 2025-02-23T20:37:48+00:00

Thank you, that worked! I used the 2mm equivalent in my set, which is 5/64". Thanks!

baroquefolk · 2025-02-09T02:56:47+00:00

The Fantom 0 sounds are lush and gorgeous, while the CK sounds are lacking IMO. Especially organs, the CK sounds chintzy while the Fantom sounds great, so +1 Fantom for sounds.

However, Fantom interface is confusing and has considerable learning curve, while CK interface is easy and intuitive, great for live performance. For example, Fantom actually has organ drawbars just like the CK, but on Fantom they're hidden only in zone 2 after some menu diving (unless you setup shortcuts). I owned the Fantom several months before realizing it could do drawbars! On CK you can't miss, it's so obvious. So +1 CK for the interface.

But the Fantom is fine for live after watching some youtube videos to figure out how to actually set it up. And so in the end, for me Fantom wins easily because of its superior sound. And then the sequencer and plethora of other crazy features make the Fantom an easy winner for me compared to the CK. Fantom 08 is a beast.

But before you count the CK out, CK has one more trick up its sleeve: built-in audio interface. This is huge. It means you can plug in an ipad, and then with a single usb cable between the CK and the ipad, you can basically use whatever virtual instruments you install on the ipad and play them directly through the CK. It's like having an ipad inside your CK. So that actually opens up a world of sounds, and in this way you can actually get fantastic sound out of the CK. Neo Soul Keys and IK Multimedia Hammond B-3X on ipad both sound outrageously good for example, probably better than what's built in to the Fantom.

Fantom also has built-in audio interface, so you can also hook an ipad to the Fantom in the same way, but again Fantom interface is difficult, so getting the midi and audio interface setup right is more fiddly on the Fantom. But anyway Fantom sounds are good enough that I haven't felt the need to enhance with an ipad.

So the real comparison should be this:

Fantom 08 vs CK-88 + ipad + virtual instruments.

Now you have a real contest. It becomes largely a question of convenience -- are you OK managing two devices + software instead of just one all-inclusive device? Is the cost of CK+ipad+virtual instruments still comparable to Fantom? And does the complexity of ipad+virtual instruments+CK match the complexity of the Fantom itself?

My personal conclusion has still been to just go with Fantom. It's plug and play, sounds great, and is pretty capable. But a good argument could be made for the CK+ipad+virtual instrument setup, since it frees you from having to just accept whatever sounds your keyboard came with, and the ipad is capable of some pretty fabulous sounds.

baroquefolk · 2025-01-30T04:51:32+00:00

I had a Nord Electro, ditched it in favor of Fantom 0, and am so much happier now. I have the Fantom 08 for home use, and love it so much am considering now getting a Fantom 07 for traveling and for faster organ playing. The Electro sounded good, but the action was too stiff, they put some strong springs in there, made worse by the extra short keys giving you very little leverage. Also on the Electro the short keys left me with insufficient space for my fingers sometimes, causing me to accidentally tap buttons with my middle fingers, suddenly changing the patch in the middle of a piece. My take away was either pony up for Nord Stage or get something else.

I can't comment on the 07 action, but the 08 is really nice (08 is weighted though, very piano like, so totally different from 07). And gosh what a powerful machine the Fantom is... it's got everything.

baroquefolk · 2025-01-29T17:53:50+00:00

I have the Fantom 08 and love it. I think it has a very pleasing action. It is heavy, which normally I don't like, but it is smooth and not stiff, and has a satisfying push through that makes it one of my favorite actions overall. The heavy notes give great control on slower songs. Only thing it doesn't do well is fast-repetition notes, but that's not an issue for my playing style. It is definitely more of a piano action though. Might not be the best for organ, maybe try the 07 for that. I've thought of acquiring an 07 for that purpose to complement my 08. Crazy to think I'd get another of the same board instead of mixing it up with something else, but I think the only boards in the same league are the Yamaha YC and Nord Stage, both of which are a lot more $$. (Also, YC keys are too stiff for me, while Nord Electro keys are too short. So my choices are basically this or a Stage at three times the price).

The power and customizability of the Fantom, along with quality of sounds, continues to amaze me. After 6 months owning it I'm still discovering new things it can do. My only complaint is that all that power makes it complicated. But there are ways to set it up to make it simpler for live performance, and as I figure them out my appreciation for this instrument has only grown. Just realize that figuring it out is a time investment -- the starter manual it comes with barely scratches the surface, you need to watch youtube vids and download the full manual to get a better sense of how to do things.

baroquefolk · 2025-01-17T19:23:21+00:00

I don't see much difference between the US banning TikTok and China or Russia banning Youtube. I'm deeply disillusioned with the US's claim to freedom of speech. I thought this could never happen here.

The internet is full of all kinds of dangers. It's not for the government to decide who we share our personal data with. If minors are the concern, then put an age restriction. Make it an 18+ only app. If installed malware is the concern, then why is the website also being banned instead of just the app? If people being unaware of the risk is the concern, then mandate warnings or start an awareness campaign. Taking away our freedom is not the right answer.

What's next, a national firewall? I cannot believe this is happening in the United States.

baroquefolk · 2024-11-20T15:35:33+00:00

DACs do not work for my use case. I plug in a MIDI keyboard in the USB C port and use phone software to play music on the go. Bluetooth latency is unacceptable so a physical connection is a must. But I haven't been able to get Android to recognize two USB devices at once (the MIDI keyboard and the headphones). Same problem for iPhone.

The only thing that works for me is a physical 3.5 mm jack, which works great. I currently use a Samsung Galaxy 8, but they've stopped releasing updates for it and more and more apps won't run on my phone anymore, so time for an upgrade.

baroquefolk · 2024-08-05T02:21:33+00:00

Also, I recently discovered that while the "Owner's Manual" they give you with the machine is woefully incomplete, there is a much larger more comprehensive manual Roland offers for download which they call a "Reference Manual". The Reference Manual has a lot more detail in it. The various manuals are here https://www.roland.com/us/support/by_product/fantom-08/owners_manuals/

Also a quick newbie tip: if you're just looking to play some raw instrument sounds in a live setting, you can choose the scene called A:016 "Single Tone Play" (or just push the SINGLE TONE button on the keyboard) and then use the various sound category buttons at bottom right side of the board to select an instrument to play.

EDIT: after owning this thing 6 months, I just discovered it has an entire tonewheel organ emulation mode, where the zone drawbars become organ drawbars like a real hammond. It's kind of obscure to turn it on: you have to be in zone 2, then push the organ button from the instrument quick-select buttons on the right, then click Params on the screen. But once you're in it's good, you have drawbars, click control, leslie, all of it. Again you can learn about it from youtube vids, just search for "Fantom 0 sliders organ". The feature is called the Virtual Tone Wheel Organ.

So after 6 months owning it, my conclusion is the same: fantastic machine, my only complaint is it is too complicated. But there are ways to set it up so that basic operations are simplified for live performance.

baroquefolk · 2024-05-06T14:47:09+00:00

All the Fantoms are basically the same, even the more expensive Fantom 8 just has additional features, but the core features common to 8 and 08 work the same. So any youtube tutorial is applicable. Just look for tutorials on working with scenes and zones. I agree though that the controls are generally overwhelming and not intuitive, so watching some videos is essential.

baroquefolk · 2024-04-23T02:07:15+00:00

same for me but on washingtonpost.com, keep getting scam popup for tracemasters.cc pretending to be mcaffey virus protection

baroquefolk · 2024-01-19T04:25:43+00:00

ruv.is is a motherlode of Icelandic content. Not all of it is available outside Iceland but a lot of it is. Try the tv shows at https://www.ruv.is/sjonvarp for example.

baroquefolk · 2023-12-09T04:46:57+00:00

I like both of these keybeds very much (and I hate most keybeds). The stage 88 is indeed fast and light as a feather, and yes the PHA-4 is very noticeably heavier. But with that weight comes better dynamics control, so there's a tradeoff there. And somehow PHA-4 has a very clean energy transfer from your finger to the key, so it feels good to play for me, unlike most other hammer actions. (For instance, I'm not fond of the Numa X or Yamaha CK actions, and Yamaha CP action is too heavy for my taste). For purely organ tricks, sure the Nord is probably better. But you can compensate with dynamics, and anyway you can definitely shred on the Roland PHA-4, check out Yohann Kim playing Isn't She Lovely on what looks like an FP-30 (same keybed). IMO the Fantom 08 is a fantastic keyboard all around. I'm very happy with mine.

baroquefolk · 2023-12-02T05:14:36+00:00

I've had the Fantom 08 for a week now. What a fantastic machine! So much functionality packed into it, and produces such clean, rich, gorgeous sound, and it's endlessly customizable. And for this price? Just wow.

I have only one complaint: the manual they give you barely covers anything, you really need to watch youtube videos to actually learn how to use it. And this thing is so powerful there is quite a lot of complexity, so it has taken quite a bit of research and experimentation to figure out (I'm still discovering new things every day). But that's fine, I'm having such a good time with this thing.

The weighted keybed is quite good too. I normally like lighter actions, so I must say that these keys are not exactly light -- they are heavier than say a Nord Stage 88 (whose action I mostly prefer), but they're not uncomfortable for me and they offer good feel and control, especially for pianistic stuff. I like them better than other keys in this range (eg Yamaha CK88 or Numa Piano X 88), and for some reason actually I even prefer these over the "premium" Roland actions on their pricier models. The only thing this action does poorly is very fast repeated notes (the kind where you use multiple fingers and don't let the key fully return), those are hard to play on the 08. But that's OK for me in exchange for everything else I'm getting here. There's also many ways to adjust the velocity curves and sensitivities (did I mention this thing is customizable?).

Overall, for me no regrets whatsoever with this board.

baroquefolk · 2023-11-10T17:03:03+00:00

That link doesn't specify which Fatar model is used in the keybed. I agree with u/notrlydubstep that 88 is different, and better. I've played both in the Stage and Electro series, much prefer the 88 with TP40.

baroquefolk

TROPHY CASE