Roland FA-08 88-key Keyboard Workstation (Discontinued)

91
GEARANK

91 out of 100. Incorporating 250+ ratings and reviews.

Street Price: 

$1,980
Roland FA-08 88-key Keyboard Workstation

Gearank Recommendation

The FA-08 appeared on our recommended list for Keyboard Workstations Between $1000 and $2000 from March 2018 until February 2022 when it had been out-ranked by other workstations.

Although this was previously on our recommended list, there are now more highly rated options available which you can see in our guide to The Best Keyboard Workstations.

Rating Source Highlights

Website Source *Rating Value
Sound On Sound Gordon Reid 90/100
Bonedo nis.koetting 80/100
Music Radar Dan 'JD73' Goldman 90/100
*Displayed values are prior to the Gearank Algorithm's adjustments it makes when evaluating the source.

Overview

The FA-08 from Roland features over 2000 patches taken from the INTEGRA-7 sound module.

Its sequencer lets you export your recordings to a memory card as multi-track audio or MIDI to use with your DAW on your computer.

Additionally, it has a built-in sampler based on SP-404SX with 16 backlit pads for direct recording and playback.

Many users find this workstation to be very versatile, especially for stage use and it helps that the menu system and controls are laid out intuitively.

At a fair price, this workstation is worth the money.

Tech Specs

  • Keys: 88 Ivory Feel G keys
  • Polyphony: 128
  • Sound Engine(s): SuperNATURAL Acoustic, SuperNATURAL Synth, SuperNATURAL Drum Kit, PCM Synth, PCM Drum Kit
  • Controllers: D-BEAM Controller, Pitch Bend/Modulation Lever, 2x Assignable Switch (S1/S2), 6 x Control Knob, Sample Pad, Tempo Knob
  • Effects: 16 x Multi-Effects systems with 68 types (Vocoder can be used only on part 1, 16 x Part EQ systems, 6 x Drum Part COMP+EQ systems, 3 x Chorus, 6 x Reverb, 1 x Master Compressor (This can be changed to Insert 78 types of FX), 1 x Master EQ, 29 x Total Effects, 8 x Mic Input Reverb
  • Audio Recording: Yes
  • Audio Playback: Yes
  • Sequencer: 16 MIDI Tracks
  • Audio Inputs: 1/4" x Stereo phone type, 1 x 1/4" Line-in (Guitar)
  • Audio Outputs: 1/4" x Line-out (L/MONO, R), 1 x 1/4" Stereo-out phone type
  • MIDI: In/Out
  • Other Connections: Foot Pedal Jacks: 1 x CTRL 1, 1 x CTRL 2, 1 x HOLD
  • USB: USB 2.0
  • Power Supply: AC Adaptor
  • Dimensions: 55.75" x 5.62" x 14.44"
  • Weight: 36 lbs.

Demo

About the Author

Denise AzucenaDenise Azucena

Denise graduated from university with a Bachelor's Degree in Music Production. Her internship prior to joining Gearank was with a production company where she assisted in scoring and arranging music for TV shows. She plays piano and acoustic guitar.