Yes, to give some context on some of my testing: trying both the included Power Cable + USB-C, and then just the USB-C by itself… The track-jumping happened in both configurations.
When I got this new replacement unit a few weeks ago, I started out using both cables and the issue was happening very often. I removed the power cable, and the unit calmed down for about two days. (Pls note: the issue was always intermittent … even on my first unit, sometimes 1-3 days would go by without me noticing a phantom track select)… I was starting to feel optimistic, but then it came right back and has happened every single day since.
Here is the absolute kicker: Melbourne Support is actually using those two quiet days against me. They literally told me that because the unit temporarily stopped acting up for 48 hours, that proves it is a ‘fully functioning unit.’
The biggest difference this time around is that I used MIDI Monitor. So instead of just observing the glitch and unplugging all the rest of my hardware one by one trying to guess what was causing it, I now have the raw data proving these phantom inputs are originating directly from the Roto-Control, regardless of how it is powered.
I was really taken aback by Melbourne Support’s most recent response… it’s kind of clear to me they’re trying to just wash their hands of it at this point.
I will definitely try and catch a video of it happening and send it all over to Kraft, but given that I can see Melbourne is already trying to not take responsibility for the unit I am sure that’ll be another month of back and forth over email, it may end up being a waste of time.
All of that to say, I really really wanted to love the RC and keep this unit - but I absolutely cannot recommend the Roto-Control or any other Melbourne Instruments products. The Roto-Control is the first studio device I’ve ever had to request a warranty replacement device in over 20 years of having this hobby. Melbourne Support’s recent responses just finished putting me off of this company entirely.
Ian here from Melbourne Instruments.
We are sorry you are having these problems. As you say they are occurring very occasionally and this makes it difficult for us to figure out what is going wrong. When we say “there is nothing wrong with the unit” all we mean it is not a physical fault that will be resolved by swapping the unit out again. Sometimes replies on support are hard to write without a double meaning that conveys something unintended.
We suspect maybe RF interference, given it takes hours before you see a problem and then you get a bunch around the same time.
There are thousands of Rotos out there with no touch issues and our RF rejection is a very mature algorithm now so yours is a unique case.
We have had reports of a small number of touch sense issues but they were units with a clear manufacturing fault and it was fixed with a swap-out. Yours doesn’t fit in this category.
All the engineers here are aware of your issues and have been actively discussing it. Like a said, you are the one-in-several-thousand that is leaving us perplexed.
You expressed in the reply that you were putting up with the problem so we are proceeding on that basis, but not washing our hands of it, and your support ticket is still open.
If you please continue to discuss the issue with our support, feed through the information you have posted, we will continue to help you.
Thanks for jumping in here. I genuinely appreciate you and the engineering team taking the time to look into this and actively discuss my case.
I understand how this might look like a 1-in-a-thousand RF anomaly on paper. However, as I recently noted in my latest email to Richard on the support ticket, there is a physical fault with this replacement unit. The 4th knob is physically loose; it depresses down a couple of millimeters and wiggles/rattles when touched, whereas all the other knobs are completely solid and silent.
Because this physical defect exists right alongside the phantom MIDI data, it’s hard to accept that this is purely an environmental RF interference issue. To me, it points directly to a broader quality control issue with this specific hardware. You mentioned that the few other touch sense issues you’ve seen were tied to clear manufacturing faults and fixed with a swap-out—given the physically loose knob on my unit, it seems like mine might actually fit right into that category.
If my tone in previous messages came across as deeply frustrated, I hope you can understand why. Between the initial two-month ordeal just to get my first defective unit replaced, having my raw MIDI logs initially brushed off by support as a “quirk of capacitive knobs,” and now finding physical hardware looseness on the replacement, it’s been a very exhausting slog.
I do appreciate that you guys aren’t washing your hands of it, and I will continue to feed this information through the open support ticket with Richard. Thanks again for reaching out directly.
Ian’s reply here is actually the very first time I’ve ever heard RF interference mentioned. It wasn’t brought up by support over the last month of troubleshooting this replacement unit, nor was it ever mentioned when I was trying to diagnose my previous unit. I’m definitely willing to try moving my laptop and the Roto over to the kitchen, even though it may sometimes be 24 hours or more between occurrences and would require breaking down my studio setup. If Support recommends that in the ticket I would give that a shot.
I think the biggest piece of the puzzle that maybe hasn’t made its way from my support ticket to Ian yet is that the 4th knob on this unit is actually physically loose. It depresses down a couple of millimeters and rattles when touched, whereas all the other knobs are completely solid.
Doesn’t a loose, rattling knob right out of the box fall under a standard warranty replacement anyway? Furthermore, couldn’t a physical defect like that also point to some sort of internal grounding or shielding issue? If a capacitive sensor isn’t seated properly, it seems like it would be highly vulnerable to picking up normal ambient interference that a solid knob would naturally reject.
I do appreciate everyone taking the time to help brainstorm, I’m just hoping to get a physically solid unit sorted out through the open support ticket!
Hi, we’ll need to continue helping you through our official support channel and not on the forum. Doing that allows to review the full history of the case, avoid misunderstandings, and give you specific guidance based on your unit and the troubleshooting already completed.
The team will do everything they can to help from there.
@miles-dc
I’ve dumped basically all my hardware, and I’m going back in the box.
I’ve always been on the edge of buying a roto cause of mixed reports of “so awesome” to “returned it”
The roto is cheap as chips, so it’s not a cost thing.
Help me over the hump or tell me where I can be a part of the beta team. NDAs aren’t foreign to me………
Please, people should contact MI staff directly through their official channels instead of pinging them or calling them out here. They have been nice enough to show up here and share information several times, but they are likely to retreat in silence (as most staff of most companies would) if this becomes an open support channel.
Pretty much what I did. Got a unit at launch last year and it’s one of the best and most useful bits of gear I own. It replaced my dependence on a push 3 controller with ableton easily. Initial device plugin mapping is a little effort, but well worth having mappings for stuff that make sense to me rather than what someone else assumes I want control of.
"ROTO-SETUP v3.2.0 - Values and Meters Display
Features:
Roto Control screens now show values
• Proper value, with units eg: ‘6.0 dB’ displays whenever the value changes.
• Tap the knob to quickly check the current value (without changing it).
In MIX mode this will show the value at the knob (Volume, Pan, Send).
In PLUGIN mode show the current value at the knob and the button under it.
The display will return to the label after a short time.
• Note that previously for ‘stepped’ controls, Roto Control would always show the value and not show the control’s label.
Roto Control now will show the label on all knobs and buttons. Tap the knob to view the value.
Roto Setup App can be used to overwrite the default lables for stepped controls as previously – no change.
Audio Meters:
• VU level meters will show in MIX mode for each channel.
• The meters match the dynamics and levels of the VU meters on the DAW.
• Press FUNC to go to focus view: The first display will show the output level meters for the currently selected track.
• Meters grey when using Mute and Solo
• Peak hold indicator on Roto Control: Audio meters show VU level and VU peak
VU peak hold: a VU peak hold indicator is shown which is useful for assessing the level of the track in the mix.
Note: this is different to a peak hold which the DAW shows, which is used for assessing clipping but is far less
useful for mixing.
Bug Fixes
• Ableton Live + Bitwig Studio: Fixed a bug where button LEDs would sometimes stay on in Plugin mode.
• Ableton Live: Fixed an issue where Roto Control didn’t follow the Exclusive Arm and Exclusive Solo settings in Ableton Live
• Ableton Live: Playhead navigation — The arrow keys in the transport page now move the playhead by one bar at a time,
based on the current time signature setting in Ableton Live.
• Logic Pro: Fixed a bug where sometimes button presses did not register for instruments such as RetroSynth.
• Fixed issue that would cause motors to flick when starting up Ableton Live with PAN or SEND selected. "
Nope but for me no Labels/Values show? Anyone else having this issue?
Edit: Nah I just had Ableton running during install, which probably prevented the remote script update
Installed latest fw, but meters don’t react(i can see them on Roto display) , and not seeing value changes displayed when twisting the knob, what am i missing?
Also hitting 64 plugin limit, and chance this limitation will be changed in future update @pianoman444? Thank you
Absolutely - whenever I’ve needed help Melbourne has been quick to reply and very helpful/informative through their official support. Third-party web forums aren’t where anybody should go to look for support.
I don’t see a reason why wouldn’t users of said forum or authors of said machine or app come, share and talk about issues.
They can skip responding all together if they find it inconvenient.
Also for visibility if other users have same issue.
The difference is welcoming them as folks that pop in with the same interests vs expecting them to be available here for your isolated support issues. That’s just not realistic or fair.