SUPERBOOTH 2024: With its motorised knobs, Melbourne Instruments’ Nina was one of the standout synths of NAMM 2022. Now we have a sister product, a bi-timbral polysynth called Delia, which is inspired by Nina but adds a 49-note velocity- and aftertouch-sensitive keyboard.
This isn’t just a keyboard version of Nina, though: there are also new multimode analogue filters, high-pass and low-pass resonance control, 3-stage overdrive and more modulation possibilities. The 4-oscillator voice architecture, though, is definitely similar.
Delia is described as having an “analogue soul with a computerised brain”. This refers to the fact that, as well as having “massively overdriveable” analogue ladder filters, it also features a digital front-end that runs its modelled VCOs, wavetables, high-pass filters and more.
Among the features that Delia has inherited from Nina are 4-quadrant analogue VCAs, morphing (which enables you to sweep through two patches), digital effects and a digital wavetable oscillator. Further additions, meanwhile, include sequencer phrase looping and overdubbing, and the ability to assign a favourite effects parameter to the Effects Macro control.
As well as enabling patch recall and morphing, the motorised knobs are also supported in the modulation matrix. Move between the 20 modulation sources (there are 40 destinations) and every knob changes position to show the modulation amount. Melbourne Instruments says that this helps to give you “the flexibility of a soft synth with the tactile experience of a classic hardware synth”.
Delia is said to be coming soon at a currently undisclosed price. Find out more on the Melbourne Instruments website.
