In the latest Sonic Lab video, host Nick Batt takes a hands-on look at the new Melbourne Instruments Roto-Control MIDI controller.
The Roto-Control features fully-assignable motorized touch-sensitive knobs, user definable haptics for detailed control, high-res screens that provide easy-to-read labels for every control, and internal memory with storage for over 8000 assignments.
Topics covered:
00:00:00 Introduction
00:00:28 Features Overview
00:02:08 MIDI Mode Demo
00:06:40 Mix Mode and Plugin Mode
00:13:14 Third-party Plugin Mapping
00:18:34 Final Thoughts
Check out the video and share your thoughts on the Roto-Control in the comments!
I’m too poor for anything new so I find it challenging and too expensive
I’m too old to accept anything new, they already did it
I don’t understand the issue so nobody else needs this
I didn’t watch the video led rings blah blah blah
huh, i thought you were going to rhyme it. missed golden opportunity i guess.
it’s the best MIDI controller to date. And there is hope that other companies will follow this trend.
The knobs don’t have to be motorised, an LED ring does the job as well. Scribble strips that receive the parameter name is very time saving while mapping. But this only works if the host/DAW can send these CC’s and texts. So far only Ableton Live is compatible, and I expect that it will take some time until other hosts will implement this feature. However, since one has to do this only once, text can also be typed manually for other hosts or hardware quite quickly. Finally, to include individual colours for each knob and button is a great feature.
Motors is something we only knew from faders. The knobs’ tactile indents and steps (the display can show different text for each step) are genius. The disadvantage is of course that such controllers get more expensive. But as an old user of the BCR2000 I can say that 8 clearly labelled knobs are much more intuitive and versatile than to work with 32 knobs you have to remember which one does what.
The larger controllers are better for hardware and software synths. The Roto-Control is perfect for effect plugins with few parameters.
The well-known “Pass Thru” mode is not so complicated that it literally cries out for moving pots. But is it still a step in the right direction? We’ll see…
In any case, I wish the developers the best of luck. They don’t seem to be lacking in quality
There are so many things right about this product. Def. on my wishlist. Touring friendly, incredible clever and well implemented technology. Price for this wonder is great. Can’t imagine you can make it any cheaper with these luxury mechanics. Thank you! Looking forward to ordering one soon.
Clever move to have 2 ports (as I imagine the motors need quite a bit of juice).