I bought a Ronin some weeks back, but only got around to trying it out the other day. I followed all the advice, balanced it impecably, used the App to calibrate it, centre it, tuned it. I then consulted various vids and tweaked the settings according to expert advice. HOWEVER, I am left with a problem: it is noisy! Even when at idle on its stand, with ZERO power comsumption showing on all three axes, and the graph viewer showing as almost flat, I can still hear it from across the room. It's like a light grinding coming from the motors. I am sure this would be picked up on mic on a sound set.
I feel no vibrations.

When I kill the motors with the App, the noise is still almost as bad. Putting my ear to the motors, there's an awful lot of whirring going on for "killed" motors.

The tilt motor seems to be the worst offender.

It doesn't seem to make that much more noisy when doing work.

I'm using a Canon 5d MKIII with a Samyang 35mm F1.4 lens, which, combined are a decent weight.


I used anther 3-axis gimbal rig recently and it was silent. So is my Ronin faulty? I wouldn't have bought it it I'd known they produced so much idling noise...

Try 20% on all motors and see if it is still noisy.

1. Balance Ronin in all 3 axis.
2. Tighten all knobs in Ronin.
3. Tighten camera securing screw and lens support.
4. Decrease the stiffness of each axis.
Besides, a video clip (from the beginning to the end) is much appreciated.

Er, I think I have already explained that my system is perfectly balanced.  And the knobs are, of course, tightened. And the lens support is on (even though my lens does not shift at all).  And I tried all types of stiffness settings before resorting to posting here.  And, as I explained, the "idling" noise persists even when the motors have been killed. The noise is like a hard drive getting busy mixed with slight tinny whirring and tinny chirruping.

Not easy for me to make a video as the only camera I have around at the moment is on the Ronin. Besides,  you all know what a perfectly balanced Ronin looks like: the camera stays where it's put.

What I need to know is, do other people's perfectly balanced Ronin's make a noise even when the motors are killed?  A noise that can be heard, by ear, from several feet away in a quiet room?

I've just realised that if I kill the motors using the App, then turn the Ronin off, then restart, it starts with killed motor and is silent. The noise doesn't appear unless I manually move the gimbal. As soon as I turn one of the axes with my hand, the noise appears (even though the motors are still killed and the gimbal offers no resistance).

Are there flywheels inside the motor housing? I can imagine the sound being produced by dodgy bearings on a flywheel or something.

So that's it? After spending £2000+ no one is even going to tell me if the Ronin generally makes the noises I have painstakingly described, or if it is just my particular unit?

Come on, provide some proper after-sales service instead of just telling me to do the things I'd already done before making my forum post.

I'll ask once again: "What I need to know is, do other people's perfectly balanced Ronin's make a noise even when the motors are killed?  A noise that can be heard, by ear, from several feet away in a quiet room?"

alwyne Posted at 2014-11-20 19:23
So that's it? After spending £2000+ no one is even going to tell me if the Ronin generally makes th ...

Give up your dream of getting support from DJI. I'm on my second Ronin and I have yet to get one off the stand. My first one was defective and would drift until making a horrible noise even though it was PERFECTLY balanced. This second I have is even worse. As soon as I turn it on it shakes and vibrates so hard I'm worried about it damaging my camera.

DJI will never help you with your product. They have some serious service and quality issues to work out if they expect professionals to buy their products.

Thanks, Kent. Yes, DJI do seem to abandon their customers, beyond telling people reporting issues to balance their gimbal (even when those people first painstakingly explain that their gimbal IS balanced).

As DJI won't answer me, could you, Kent, tell me if your Ronin produces noise, even after the motors have been killed with the App?

alwyne Posted at 2014-11-24 21:44
Thanks, Kent. Yes, DJI do seem to abandon their customers, beyond telling people reporting issues to ...

Our Ronin makes a little bit of a humming noise when sitting idle and makes some noise when moving but we have never had any issues other then that. If you want you can send me an email and I can send you a screen shot of all of our setting just to make sure they line up.

Shawn@remedyfilms.com

alwyne Posted at 2014-11-24 21:44
Thanks, Kent. Yes, DJI do seem to abandon their customers, beyond telling people reporting issues to ...

Hi Sir, Since your issue is so unique.Could you contact us via email, Please send me your email address and i would contact you.

There must be something wrong or strange happened. Because when we use Motor Kill , All the motor actually lose power and should not have any noise at all

DJI-Julain... thanks for your reply. I can't send you my email until you tell me where to send it to. That is, I need you to tell me your email address so I can send you mine.

BTW like I explained, when I use motor kill, the motors do loose power... but I still get noise.  Oddly, the noise seems to be loudest inside the vertical shaft, where the DJI logo is printed, although it might just be a cavity allowing transferred motor noise to resonate. Mind you, there shouldn't be any motor noise when the motors have been killed.

alwyne Posted at 2014-11-26 03:38
DJI-Julain... thanks for your reply. I can't send you my email until you tell me where to send it to ...

Sorry for all that bother you.
Could any video or radio show this issue. We need some such message
My email is: xinghao.zhu@dji.com

If other people face Ronin issue,Pleas also feel free to contact(Title should be like "RONIN issue XXXXX")

Hi Julian,

I made a video today. Please excuse the frequent sound of cars passing my house. The Ronin noise is the tinny, whirring noise that can be heard when I bring the mic in close at 3.08. It is loudest around the vertical shaft.

Here's the video - http://youtu.be/pDdqmTtfZE8

I have the exact same issue.

Did you ever get your problem resolved?

I just received my Ronin yesterday.  Tried all night to get it to work properly.  Balanced it over and over.

Autotune gives it a hissy fit!  Then everyone said it auto tune doesn't work on lighter cameras.  (WHAT?!?!?!?)

Just tried your technique of powering Ronin down after checking the motor kill switch.   Sounds quiet now, but noise will be back once I try using it!

I'm experiencing the same problem, I guess I will return it to B&H

chuckmanfilms@y Posted at 2014-12-5 03:02
I have the exact same issue.

Did you ever get your problem resolved?

Too light camera is not easy to use~
Like GH4

I just received my Ronin today and it produces the same noise.  It operates as expected besides the noise that appears to be coming from the back column.

In case any of you missed the original posters video http://youtu.be/pDdqmTtfZE8

Mine sound just like this and you can hear it from across the room.   My Camera is a Canon 7D with a Sigma 20mm.

alwyne Posted at 2014-11-28 03:08
Hi Julian,

I made a video today. Please excuse the frequent sound of cars passing my house. The Ron ...

I'm having the same EXACT issue, INCLUDING drift. Pretty disappointed. Just got mine in this week.

I'm having the same exact issue also...  these batteries are loud..

I also had noise issues testing my NEW Ronin with a canon 70D and canon 18-135mm stm lens,
What seemed to work for me was getting perfect balance on all axis prior to turning the Ronin on,
Then using the app under "Motor" I have stiffness set to 6 on all axis, under "Smooth Track Mode"
I have speed set to 45 on all axis and zero for the Deadband and Accel,
Then I went to more "More" and hit "Calibrate System" and I have no noise anymore,
My speed settings are just a preference at the moment and should have no baring on eliminating noise.

Now the only issue I'm having is making sure all "Tool-less" knobs (that require a tool) are tight and not slipping,
I find this time consuming since if you over tighten by a tiny increment it's hard to lock them, then if they are not tightened enough they still slip.

In my situation the noise is gone, so please keep these few simple steps in mind and keep trying, because I'm fairly certain your gimbals are not defective since my noise is no more.
  
UPDATE:
I just wanted to add the fact that I used (Tested) the gimble (on & off 10 min at a time) for 2 hours while it was noisy,
This may, or may not have made the difference of my noise going away,
i.e Get out and use it even if there is noise you wont hurt the motors since they will automatically shut off if over stressed.
It may be simply that the motors need to run for awhile during first use for the noise to dissipate.

And please make sure you have the latest firmware, software and drivers, found here http://www.dji.com/product/ronin/download

I am having the same problem.  I tried the steps Darryl listed with updated firmware and the problem is still not resolved.  The system is unusable with this noise.  It is not very loud but audio recorders will definitely pick it up.  I need some real customer support or I will be returning my unit.

I built and balanced a different Ronin system 2 days ago with no problems.  The balance is not the issue, something is wrong with the unit.

Bump, need some help please.

bump......

@fatesepics  can you please tell us your setup?
Camera, Lenses etc..

Also have you tried other cameras and settings?
The reason I ask is that most complaints or from people using very light cameras,
Not that this is a problem but some add extra weight and find the noise has gone away.


I will try to help as much as I can, But I need more information from the end users.

Thank you.

Same problem with my ronin and bmcc + Tokina 11-16. Noise makes the gimbal useless with audio recorders.

I'm using a Sony a77 with sigma lens. I have tried it with and without a 5 lb weight plate and the noise stays the same.

Well, here's what happened (so far). DJI viewed my video, and emailed me, declaring the unit in need of servicing. I'm in England, and my nearest service place is in Germany, I learned. They said they had passed my details on to Germany, and that Germany would contact me soon. Germany did not contact me. So I contacted the place where I bought it from in the UK, and they said they could send it to Germany on my behalf if I sent it to them first. I did send it to them, but when I learned from them that Germany's turnaround was around six weeks, I decided to open a PayPal dispute instead to reclaim my money (I paid by PayPal). The UK sales agent then contacted me and said they could arrange for a replacement unit to be sent to me. Later, they contacted me and said that the replacement sounded just the same as the one I'd sent back, and hinted that I was too critical.  I said I would not accept a replacement that was as bad as the original. They then said they would investigate more. Some days passed without me hearing anything so I contacted them again. They then said they had a third unit that they could give me, and they assured me it was much quieter than my original one or the first replacement they had offered. I said I would risk it, and they sent it to me. It arrived today. It is just as noisy as the one I sent back - that tinny, hissy noise, even with the motors killed. Like before, it takes a little while for it to build up to full noise, so, being generous, I'll assume that they tested it only for a brief period. But I'm also wondering if they didn't just send me my original one back, as there is no difference in the noise level at all.

Guess I'm going to escalate my Paypal dispute to a claim. I'll still be £40 down on two carriage costs, though.

And here is a video of the supposedly much quieter replacement Ronin the vendor sent me. It's just as noisy as the first one, in exactly the same way, and I suspect it may well indeed be the same one sent back to me. But if they are ALL like this, then DJI should tell buyers beforehand that they can't expect to use them close up on sound sets as mics WILL pick up the noise from several feet away.

But I remind you that DJI said my first unit needed servicing, so maybe the vendor did just send me the same one back, and only pretended it was a different one.

http://youtu.be/3PR2V6dBE8U

I also have the same issue with the noise who come from the vertical central bar, just next to the battery. The balancing etc... are good. Do anyone have any solution?

Please kindly send your email to support@dji.com
we will help you, thanks a lot!

Absolutely same problem...

I have the same problem; after probed the gimbal few minutes three days ago, the noise appears today and is very loud, I balanced the ronin with a GH4 and after with a Black Magic Production 4K and both with the 18-35 Sigma. As all the people here I need a solution but my big problem is that I live in Colombia.  I made this video today:  http://we.tl/Pm5Djk6Rvt

I need support.

Dragon Posted at 2015-2-12 07:22
I have the same problem; after probed the gimbal few minutes three days ago, th ...

Hi, Dragon
From the video can hardly see the balance condition. Please check the balance as below video:
http://www.dji.com/product/ronin/video
First of all, please ensure all the screws and quick releases are well-tighten.
After that, decrease motor stiffness

DJI-Dboy Posted at 2015-2-12 10:10
Hi, Dragon
From the video can hardly see the balance condition. Please check the balance as below  ...

Hi DJI-Dboy,  we follow your advice and we found out that the noise was also produced when the battery screws were too tightened, finally there is no sound. However, we have two problems, as you can see in the following video (http://we.tl/TB8TqTdBdq), when balancing the Gimbal. First one, the camera goes both sides when I try to balance the roll axis, if I lift the right side the camera goes to the left side and when I lift the left side the camera goes to the right side. So I don't know to which side I should move the camera. The same happens  with the front to back tilt axis, when I lift the camera to the back it doesn't move but when I turned it to lift it to the front it spins. So I don't know what should I do. And the second problem is that when I turn on the gimbal it seems very loose. It does not stabilize, it doesn't matter how I move it, it won't keep any kind of balance. I don't feel the motors working as the past times I used it. I did the firmware update and it still works as the video shows. I'm looking forward to your response, thank you very much.

Dragon Posted at 2015-2-13 06:52
Hi DJI-Dboy,  we follow your advice and we found out that the noise was also produced when the bat ...

Hi, Dragon,
1. The balance steps for the camera (video before 0'48'') is OK. However, when you mention 'I lift the camera to the back it doesn't move but when I turned it to lift it to the front it spins.' (as btw 0'49''~1'06''), the Pan Axis is not well-balanced. Try to move the arm backwards and ensure no matter you lift it from which direction it will not rotate.
After balance, calibrate system
2. And your motor stiffness is?

DJI-Dboy Posted at 2015-2-13 14:37
Hi, Dragon,
1. The balance steps for the camera (video before 0'48'') is OK. However, when you men ...

Hi, thank you very much I'll try it again and balance it as you say. The motor stiffness is 55 for the three motors.  I'll tell you how it goes next time, thank you.

Hi there!

I received my Ronin a couple of days ago and I have the exact same problem like in this video http://youtu.be/3PR2V6dBE8U
an like many of the above people. Even with power cut the system produces significant noise exactly as in the mentioned video.
Before you ask... yes, everything is perfectly balanced. I have been using 2 other brushless gimbals for nearly two years now and I'm quite familiar with setting things up and balancing, etc. From my other gimbals I'm also familiar with high pitched  noise resulting from too much power to the motors.
However that's not the problem with the strange noise the Ronin does produce even in idle state and with power cut...

I  am very pleased with the build quality of the ronin and it's design - but the noise it produces is simply not acceptable.

Thanks for any help!


p.s.: after investigating a bit further, it seems as if the noise would come from the battery compartment... (I'm not absolutely sure though...)
Could there be something wrong with the power supply or the batteries? This would also explain why there is still the same noise even with power cut to the motors.

DJI-Dboy Posted at 2015-2-13 14:37
Hi, Dragon,
1. The balance steps for the camera (video before 0'48'') is OK. However, when you men ...

Hello DJI-Dboy, I kept working with mi Ronin trying to make it work well, however, I still have a problem when I turn it on. It is not stabilized and seems very loose, as I told you before, I don't feel the motors working or making any force to keep the Ronin balanced and stabilized. That's why I searched for technical support in my country, Colombia, and I found a DJI certified distributor that offers technical support. The company is called HeliBoss (http://heliboss.co), do you know it? At this point I've done everything I can, I've followed every instruction, manual, tutorial... and I don't know what else to do. I talked to a person un HeliBoss and I'm going next week to check my Ronin and get to know what's wrong with it or what am I doing wrong. If you can help me in any other way I would appreciate it. Thank you very much.

Dragon Posted at 2015-2-19 03:32
Hello DJI-Dboy, I kept working with mi Ronin trying to make it work well, however, I still have a  ...

Hi, Please check the assistant about:
1. 'battery' information normal or not;
2. 'upgrade' page has the IMU information or not?
3. There's power output in 'Live data'

Hi alwyne,

Did you ever get this noise problem solved? I have the exact same problem which European Support say is generated by the electronics in the battery stem. They suggest that the issue is related to newer builds and that HQ in China has been made aware. I've tried to get an answer as to whether this is a problem and if it will or can be be fixed. The last message I got from European Support:-

"They are currently working on the issue and it will be resolved any time soon.
Thank you for your kind understanding.
Best regards
Technical support
DJI GmbH "

... trying to follow this up with Support at HQ in China but curious to see if you now have a silent Ronin?