FA-06 Knobs Not Settling

6 Dec 2020, 14:53

I've owned the FA-06 for about 6 years and love it but the past months the knobs are not 'settling'. I can turn the cutoff to 80 for example and it'll just bounce around 70-90 for a while, occasionally coming back because it can't sit still.

At first I thought this was just a case of the pots going, but this occurs with every knob, from cutoff to level and even the tempo.

I've updated the firmware to the latest version. There is another thread on here with someone saying

go into the settings menu and turn off the, midi control change it should fix your problem.

but that's rather vague, I don't exactly know which setting they're referring to and whether they had the same issue I did.

I've contacted Roland via email but received no response.

Any help would be appreciated.

Re: FA-06 Knobs Not Settling

3 Jan 2021, 10:25

My FA-06 displays exactly the same symptoms, it's a known, common issue. Roland has used crappy potentiometers. On FB group for FA-06/FA-08 users there was another thread on this issue just few days ago.

There is also a video on YT where one guy solders new potentiometers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmUJ4kHSsW4

The model of the potentiometers that the author has used for the replacement can be found in the description of the video:

Notice, the potentiomenter I used is the PTV09A-4225F-B103, if you don't like the "detent in the center", then you mignt need to look for the PTV09A-4025F-B103 which has no stop in the middle point.

I'm going to solder new 6 knobs (cutoff etc.) + tempo knobs myself.

Re: FA-06 Knobs Not Settling

13 Jan 2021, 04:38

Thanks I thought that would be solution but I just wanted to check it wasn't a software issue. It's odd they all seemed to go at roughly the same time, I would definitely have expected Roland to use better quality components (and actually respond to my email).

Re: FA-06 Knobs Not Settling

24 Feb 2021, 13:51

same here..
if ROLAND are listening, how about a firmware update the TURN OFF the pop up on the screen for these twitchy encoders?
if they keep flicker in on.off i can't use the screen/menus below that pop up.. maddening!

Re: FA-06 Knobs Not Settling

16 Mar 2022, 09:05

to get around this issue

turn all the pots to zero then swap them to assign and that stops the pop overs twitching up

i edit the filter etc via the edit synth screen and the big edit dial that is unaffected via this