Superbooth 24: Melbourne Instruments Delia will be the keyboard version of the Nina motorized hybrid Synthesizer.
Good news from Melbourne Instruments. Delia, their second hybrid Synthesizer based on the Nina platform, is now available worldwide for $2399/2640€.
It’s a 6-voice polyphonic hybrid Synthesizer with four digital oscillators per voice, dual filter, dual effects processor, three LFOs, three envelopes, and of course, the fascinating motorized knobs. Unlike in the Nina, in a new generation.
Available at my partners
Thomann
Update From May 26, 2024
The Delia, the second Synthesizer from the young company Melbourne Instruments, was unveiled at Superbooth 24. Some information and photos had already been circulating on the internet a few days before. Also, the question is whether it is a Nina with keys or not.
Now, I can safely say no. there are significant differences.
Delia
The new format is a significant difference from Nina. Instead of a desktop, Delia is a keyboard synth with 49 velocity and aftertouch keys. The voice structure is also very different, starting with the voices.
Unlike Nina, it’s a bi-timbral hybrid synth with six analog voice circuits with 12-note mode—so six instead of 12. Also, the oscillators are different. While Nina has analog and wavetable oscillators, Delia has four digital oscillators, including analog-modeled and wavetable ones. There is also cross-modulation, not possible on Nina.
Then, it comes with a newly developed analog lowpass filter with a built-in 3-stage overdrive. It is complemented with a digital high-pass ladder filter that can be linked for bandpass and notch operation. You get 12 and 24dB slopes and separate high/low pass resonance control for more flexibility.
Yes, the motorized knobs are also available in the Delia synth. However, Melbourne Instruments has developed them further so that they take up less space in the housing.
Other differences are the inclusion of a new sequencer phrase looper with overdub functionality, the ability to assign your favorite effects parameter to the effects macro control, more modulation options, and more.
Feature Summary
- True Analog Filters and stereo VCAs
- 4 Oscillators per voice: VA Modelled VCOs, Wavetable, Noise/XOR/Aux
- 6 Analog voice circuits with 12-note mode that retains 4 oscillators/voice.
- analog and digital filters forming a multi-mode filter
- Unlimited Modulation Matrix – 20 sources x 40 destinations
- 3 x LFOs with variable shapes:
- 3 x envelopes: VCA, VCF, AUX
- 2 x stereo effects Processors with parallel or series configuration: delay, chorus, reverb with classic preset algorithms
Melbourne Instruments Delia will be available in Summer for +/- 2300€ + VAT.
Update From May 10, 2024
Yesterday, the Melbourne Instruments Delia leaked in an Instagram story. In a new post, also on Instagram, it has now been announced that it will be just a Nina with keys.
According to ToneLab, it will feature a new engine with a 6-voice polyphony and a 12-voice option via analog filter circuits. Like the Nina, it will have true analog filters and stereo VCA configuration.
Each voice will have four oscillators, one more than the Nina, which has two analog and a wavetable oscillator. Plus, you get three LFOs and three envelopes. There is also a morphing function, found on the NINA synth.
According to ToneLab, it will feature a 49-key FATAR keybed. With Polyphonic Aftertouch? No info yet. And they write it will have optical rotary knobs with recall. So, with motors built in.
So stay tuned for more information.
Article From May 9th, 2024
The Nina Synthesizer from the young Australian company Melbourne Instruments has caused a stir. It is a hybrid synth with an innovative touch, mainly because of its motorized potentiometers. They align automatically to the correct amounts when the preset changes.
This feature also has an impressive impact on the modulation workflow, making it a real-time experience. Their journey will continue at Superbooth 24. Melbourne Instruments is teasing Delia on its Instagram story. It’s the keyboard version of the Nina hybrid synth.
Melbourne Instruments Delia
The news isn’t official yet, but the teaser shows Nina with a four-octave keyboard. I assume the features will be the same as the Nina.
Nina desktop is a multi-timbral 12-voice hybrid synth with two analog VCOs and a digital wavetable with morphing, hard sync, sub-octave mode, and more.
Then, it has a classic 4-pole transistor ladder VCF with various modes, including an extremely overdriven one. A highlight is the motorized modulation matrix with 16 sources and 28 destinations, including morphing modulation.
Nina also features stereo quadrant VCAs with infinite panning effects, onboard digital effects, and a 16-step sequencer.
Another intriguing feature of the Nina is its hackable open-source source built on a Raspberry Pi 4 running Elk Audio OS.
I’m looking forward to all the information about the Melbourne Instruments Delia. I hope the synth will have a polyphonic aftertouch keybed which would go very well with the synth engine. The synth has polyAT and MPE support, so it would work. And maybe the keyboard version has other goodies.
Melbourne Instruments Delia and Nina will be showcased at Superbooth 24 at booth W360. Stay tuned for the full details.
More information will follow here: Melbourne Instruments
This sb going to be exciting!!
I have a sneaking suspicion this is well out of my price point, but I like what they’re doing and would love to own a NINA someday.
This synth looks great! I like the idea of motorized knobs. The Nina looks like it has a fun to use interface.
Could you tell a bit more about the open source nature of the Nina ? I can’t find a lot of information on this. Did they open source the firmware ?
The open source part is at the OS and audio engine level: they run ElkAudio OS which is a linux distribution optimized for extreme real-time low latency and (iirc) ElkAudio’s Sushi which is a headless DAW and VST host.
FYI the very same OS/engine stack is also the basis of much bigger systems running many channels at very high sample rates and runs on many different platforms, although RPI4 is the most popular one amongst DYIers.
Full disclosure: I am a dev with ElkAudio 😉
Thanks for the information! I’m off to read more about ElkAudio now 🙂
is that a multimode filter?
There is a highpass and a lowpass filter. The filters can be linked, so no multimode but dual filter that can archieve very similar things.
Well, If you can choose between “mods” LP/BP/HP/Notch it is multimode.
You can’t sweep it like an Oberheim but there are more options like HP+LP with separated resonance controls (Like an MS20) and the LP has two curves 12/24dB. Since it’s partly digital we can call it an “hybrid multimode filter”
I’ll take a guess at $4K ish
Yup let’s make hardware that only the rich or dumb poor can afford…🥳
“let’s make the most amazing and inspirational tech in one instrument that sounds and look astounding based on cutting edge tech of haptic feedback encoders that provide a game changer workflow, complex synthesis with a 800 slots matrix that you can modulate anything with everything, open source os, 4 oscs + two flexible filters per voice, stereo VCA’s, 12 voice paraphonic mode, high quality build made in Australia, at a price of a little bit more than a made in china mass produced product so untitled people with dissatisfaction of their finance situation can continue to blame others and complain”
🙂
2400$, almost half of what you guessed 🙂