Melbourne Instruments have just revealed that the innovative motorised pot system used in their synths and MIDI controller is now covered by an extended 10-year warranty. The Nina, Delia and Roto-Control are all included in the new cover, which will run alongside the units’ standard warranty, and can be activated via registration on the company’s website.
Unlike conventional pots that rely on a wiper traveling along a a resistive track, Melbourne’s system passes torque from a motor system via a magnetic field, meaning that there’s no physical contact, with the position of the control read via an optical sensor. This avoids the common pitfalls that affect traditional pots, such as dust collection and component wear and tear. There are benefits beyond durability, too, with the magnetic system allowing any pot to function as an endless encoder, a stepped control or a switch, depending on its assigned role.
Melbourne Instruments say that they have subjected the motors to 50 million cycles without issue — a far greater number than they’re likely to see in real-life use cases. Indeed, when we first discovered the Nina at Superbooth 2023, it was accompanied by a test motor that was frantically spinning away at full speed for the entire show!
The warranty launches with a campaign called A Decade Of Play, which will be running across Melbourne Instruments' online channels and dealer partners from 17 August 2026. Those who bought their instrument before 17 August 2026 have until 17 February 2027 to register their purchase and activate their full 10-year warranty, which will run from the original date of purchase — the terms and scope are the same as they are for a new purchase.
Claims in the first two years of ownership can be processed via the customer's place of purchase, with claims from years three to 10 being taken care of directly by Melbourne Instruments, who have official service points in Europe, the USA and Australia. Cover applies to the motorised rotary control components only and requires registration.
More information can be found on the Melbourne Instruments website.
