Hi. I have owned a Roland Fantom-X7 for 3 years and just last week i started having problems with the 4 realtime control knobs. it seems like whenever i go to use them to change ANY parameter, they will not function then all of a sudden when i let it go after a few seconds they all change and constantly go out of wack without my consent. my fantom x7 resides in my studio, it has only seen approx. 20 shows, and all the shows except for one were indoors, ive babyed the unit ever since i bought it, and everything on it works like a charm except the 4 control knobs. does it seem to you that the control knobs themselves are worn out? do i need to perform a factory reset? or is there something wrong with one of the circuit boards in the unit itself?
thanks
realtime control knob issues
Re: realtime control knob issues
Never hurts to do factory reset but back up all your user data as it will be erased.
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rockhouse90
- Posts: 3
- Joined: 04:34, 27 December 2010
Re: realtime control knob issues
im going to try that if that doesnt work then im gonna send it for repairs. thanks!
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pianoman41
- Posts: 294
- Joined: 15:41, 2 January 2005
- Location: Western MA
Re: realtime control knob issues
I had the same thing happen to mine. The pots' (knobs) values would randomly change on their own. It is not that uncommon and the problem is bad solder joints on the board that holds them in place. My repair place fixed it quickly and it wasn't too expensive.
However, just a word of note--one of the main *causes* of this issue is a case that puts downward pressure on the knobs when the lid is closed. The most obvious offender is the SKB 5014W (what I have). One of the foam egg-crate strips that is affixed to the underside of the lid lines up perfectly with where the knobs are on the board. The foam is designed to "pinch" (put pressure on) the board to keep it from moving around in the case. While this is normally a good idea, the knobs are not designed to take the pressure of the lid pressing down on them, and it causes the solder joints to fail prematurely. The solution is to just pluck out the foam with your fingers to make a cavity in which the knobs will set when the lid is closed. It takes a little trial and error to get it right, but it's an easy fix and I've had no troubles since.
However, just a word of note--one of the main *causes* of this issue is a case that puts downward pressure on the knobs when the lid is closed. The most obvious offender is the SKB 5014W (what I have). One of the foam egg-crate strips that is affixed to the underside of the lid lines up perfectly with where the knobs are on the board. The foam is designed to "pinch" (put pressure on) the board to keep it from moving around in the case. While this is normally a good idea, the knobs are not designed to take the pressure of the lid pressing down on them, and it causes the solder joints to fail prematurely. The solution is to just pluck out the foam with your fingers to make a cavity in which the knobs will set when the lid is closed. It takes a little trial and error to get it right, but it's an easy fix and I've had no troubles since.
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rockhouse90
- Posts: 3
- Joined: 04:34, 27 December 2010
Re: realtime control knob issues
i hope thats the issue im having is that the solder joints are bad. the last thing i wanna do is have my board sent to roland corporate. i would literally lost my mind if i didnt have my fantom x7 for longer then like 2 weeks. im gonna have my neighbor look at it tomorrow actually and ill get back to you and let you know if that was the issue. and oh by the way you mentioned about undue stress from a case? i had a gator softshell case and it had these padded straps on it. when i was in a band before i decided i wanted to fly solo, i did 20 shows with them and my fantom x7 was by my side as always. and one of the things i noticed is that one of the straps to hold the keyboard in place went right over the knobs. as a matter of fact i can almost guarantee im having the same problem you had......did or do you have an X6 X7 X8? im just curious. (im a super gear geek)
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pianoman41
- Posts: 294
- Joined: 15:41, 2 January 2005
- Location: Western MA
Re: realtime control knob issues
I have an X7 too. I had the repair done a couple years ago and I haven't had a single problem since, and I travel with my board constantly (70+ shows a year). Like I mentioned before, I modded the case immediately after the repair and I also now use a different case for gigs most of the time (carry two keyboards in one case) and the knobs are safe from pressure in that case as well. Hopefully that will be your problem, as it's an easy and inexpensive fix (especially if you know someone good at fine soldering).
Re: realtime control knob issues
I have the exact same issue with both my current X6 and the Fantom-S I used to own. A solder touch, and no more problem. And yes, be careful of how any case 'grabs hold' of the top of the keyboard - I had to rearrange the foam in my SKB case too!
Re: realtime control knob issues
I had exactly the same problem with my Fantom S..two of the realtime knobs would suddenly decide to change values themselves, so had to get two new ones, the repair guy reckoned it was pressure from the case lid that caused it. In my case my case (no pun intended) wasn't snug enough..when the case was upside down with the Fantom in it, or knocked about from side to side, the knobs would hit the inside of the lid (or lie upside down pressed against the lid with the full weight of the keyboard behind them). I glued a few bits of extra foam to the underside of the lid to press on the top of the keyboard (at the sides) to press into the bottom of the case and hold it there at all times. It's now impossible for the knobs (including the pitch bend) to come into contact with the inside of the case. Not had a problem since. (And I've done this for every subsequent board I've owned).