NAMM 2025: Melbourne Instruments has introduced Roto-Control, a touch-sensitive, motorized MIDI controller for hardware and software.
The leak that popped up a week ago is true. Melbourne Instruments, the developers of the NINA and Delia motorized synthesizers, has released a motorized MIDI controller for NAMM 2025.
It’s called Roto-Control and is already available at selected retailers.
Melbourne Instruments Roto-Control
Roto-Control looks like a regular, sleek, compact MIDI controller for hardware and software setups. But the magic happens inside. Compared to a classic MIDI controller, it contains a lot of exciting technology.
Melbourne Instruments Roto-Control features eight touch-sensitive knobs, nine high-res IPS LED displays, and 16 backlit clicky RGB LED buttons.
The touch knobs are not unusual. Underneath each knob, it hosts a motor that drives them, similar to the NINA and Delia synthesizers. This combo of touch sensitivity and motorization gives you haptic feedback and instant parameter recall.
Mix, Plugin & MIDI
Roto-Control offers three distinct operation modes: mix, plugin, and MIDI. The mix mode is dedicated to the Ableton Live mix environment and automatically syncs your live sets with all track names and colors. The controller also gives you instant feedback on the display.
Powerful is that you don’t need to save or edit labels. Roto-Control takes all data in real-time from an active Ableton Live set. And the motorized knobs will also instant set to the parameter values of the Live set’s values.
Plugin mode is another mode for Ableton Live. It takes the plugin parameters and labels from your session with one-touch and one-time. Melbourne Instruments promises that you only need to map the parameters once, as Roto-Control remembers the learned parameters forever.
It stores the parameters locally on the hardware, up to 64 plugins per single track and with up to 128 controls or 64 knobs and 64 buttons per plugin. Mix and plugin modes also support Ableton Live’s transport controls.
MIDI is a standalone mode that brings the motorized recall ability to any MIDI-compatible hardware and software. The internal memory has space for up to 64 MIDI setups, where each setup can host 64 knobs and 64 buttons. Clever, you can also share setups with others.
Motion Recording
One more thing! It’s called motion recording and is a function that brings NINA’s and Delia’s innovative motorized knob technology to any external gear. It allows you to automate and loop up to eight MIDI parameters per setup. Up to eight MIDI setups with motion recordings can be saved in the hardware.
The motion recordings have up to 64 steps, offer different playback modes (forward, backward…), and can be internally or externally MIDI clocked. That sounds like a lot of fun.
On the backside, you can find two USB-C ports (MIDI data + power) and a full 5-pin MIDI interface (MIDI in/out/thru).
First Impression
OK, that sounds super cool. If everything works as advertised by Melbourne Instruments, this could be one of the highlights of NAMM 2025. A unique MIDI controller that makes things possible that were not previously available in such a format.
I can imagine that this would be amazing to use. You open your favorite synthesizer, and the parameters are set to the precise values in the plug-in without annoying mappings, unwanted jumps, etc. Also, the motion recording mode sounds like a lot of fun. I’m just wondering how long the lifespan of the knobs’ motors is.
Melbourne Instruments Roto-Control is available now for £389 at retailers worldwide.
More information here: Melbourne Instruments
Article From January 17, 2025
The recent synthesizers Nina and Delia from the Australian company Melbourne Instruments have left the synth world in awe, not because of innovative analog or digital synthesis, but because of the user interface. Melbourne has installed specially developed motorized knobs in both synthesizers that interact deeply with the engine.
If you select a new preset, the knobs turn to the respective value. The modulation matrix is also closely integrated with them. At NAMM 2025, Melbourne Instruments will present a compact MIDI controller based on this technology.
Melbourne Instruments NAMM 2025
The news is not official yet, but videos and photos are circulating online. In them, you can see a compact controller with eight motorized knobs, mini screens, and buttons. Additional buttons are also on the left side of the upcoming Melbourne Instruments MIDI controller for NAMM 2025.
You’ll be excited by our forthcoming new product that will solve a lot of your deskspace issues! Announcement in late January.“
This is most likely based on the same technology as the motorized knobs in the Nina and Delia synthesizers. Here, only in connection with the DAW or external gear. Once a track is selected in the DAW, the knobs follow it. It would be awesome if that works as smoothly as in the synths.
The video below popped up on the internet and shows the controller in action.
This already looks very promising. I’m excited to see all the specs and hands-on demos. Stay tuned for the full news.
More information will follow here: Melbourne Instruments
I don’t see the point of this, endless encoders are a much better and more reliable solution, no point in making rotary controllers automated unless they’re faders
I agree – I do like the idea of the screens per knob, but guessing this will be a premium for something not really necessary.
Welll, if they are anything like their previous ones, the knobs are more than motorized – they are haptic. So imagine you having the feel of a center detent, or 32 steps of control, or a continuous controller but that builds resistance as you turn, all software controlled. I have used these knobs in person and they aren’t just gimmicky they are really great for expression and control!
They’re mechanical parts, how long before they wear out? How will they be replaced after the boutique manufacturer hangs up their soldering iron?