Melbourne Instruments Teases New MIDI Controller With Motorized Knobs Debuts At 2025 NAMM Show
Ahead of the 2025 NAMM Show, being held January 21–25 in Anaheim, California, Melbourne Instruments teases a controller that features the specially developed, self-rotating knobs from its Nina and Delia synths.
Australian manufacturer Melbourne Instruments had the synth world in a spin back in 2022 when it announced the release of Nina, a 12-voice analogue poly equipped with specially-developed motorized knobs that respond to parameter changes in real time.
Three years on, and it appears that Melbourne Instruments has placed those motorized knobs in a MIDI controller. While no official announcement has yet been made, images and video have appeared on Synth Anatomy, MatrixSynth and the Elektronauts forum that show a modestly-sized rectangular controller equipped with eight of Melbourne’s self-rotating knobs.
The video – which unfortunately has no audio – appears to show the controller hooked up to Ableton Live, its eight knobs mapped to specific parameters in the DAW.
A row of LED-equipped, keyboard-style buttons sit below the screens, mapped to the Mute controls for eight tracks in Ableton’s mixer; the track names are visible on small displays above each button. On the controller’s right hand side is a keypad with several more buttons, and it seems to be equipped with both a USB-C and MIDI DIN port.
To our ears, applying the motorized knob concept from the Nina and Delia synths to a MIDI controller sounds like a stroke of genius, giving the user real-time feedback on parameter values without having to refer to a screen, and making it far more convenient to use the same knobs for multiple parameters.
It seems likely that Melbourne Instruments will be officially unveiling the mysterious controller next week. The company says “Melbourne Instruments will be in California for NAMM 2025 and the Buchla & Friends events. We’ll have new products on show!”
Upcoming Events:
- NAMM 2025 – January 23-25, Booth 10608, Anaheim Exibition Center, Anaheim CA, USA
- Buchla & Friends – January 25-26, 1759 Glendale Boulevard, Los Angeles CA, USA