SUPERBOOTH 2024: Melbourne Instruments - Delia Synthesizer

At Superbooth 2024 we met up with Ian at Melbourne Instruments who introduced us to Delia*, their new polysynth. Delia shares *Nina*'s motorized control surface, but Ian told us that it's a substantial re-invention of what *Nina can do.
With a 49 note keyboard, the six voice synth is mainly digital, but with a final analogue ladder filter and VCA designed to have a tighter, more controlled sound. The filter is multi mode, with the ability to set high pass and low pass stages with independent resonance amounts. The entire digital stage of the synth can be doubled, so in bi-timbral mode you get 12 complete voices into 6 filters and VCAs.
Delia has a 3-stage overdrive, a wealth of modulation possibilities, and a chorus, reverb and delay which can run in series or in parallel.
Delia Available June 2024 Price: 2,300 Euros 2,200 GBP 2,399 USD
www.melbournei...
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[@enricopallazzoofficial]

It deserve a "sounds only" video before the end of the show. It has potential but, unfortunatelly, it wasn't shown here

[@Zaccyonline]

Absolutely love the choices they made with this. Very compelling and definitely a brand to keep an eye on; their ambition and passion is evident.

[@Farold_Haltermeyer]

Wow, it's far more polite than I expected! Looking forward to hearing more...

[@WrvrUgoThrUR]

Gotta love those buttons and pots! makes me want to play it.

[@Justsobusy]

You guys need to go to the redshift 6 booth

[@hakonsoreide]

I agree. I hope @sonicstate checks it out. The Supercritical Redshift 6 is a very interesting synth both sonically and visually. And it looks like it might just have a hyper-modern user interface that actually works well, though it will be nice to see more people express their thoughts on it and get more audio examples.

[@chrisstaubyn774]

It's a great synth, but not so great demo. He could've talked much more about the modulation updates and routing structure.

[@hakonsoreide]

£2,200? I know it's 6 voices and not Nina's 12, but still, that is a very decent price for what otherwise basically is an improved Nina with the addition of a keyboard. I think this will sell rather well.

[@thehandoflenin]

Not sure it's improved - as the front end is all digital, less voices and I'd say the motorised knobs in the Nina are more robust as they have higher quality components. It's however a good move as it's overall cheaper.

[@untml]

@@thehandoflenin way better filter. why do you think the motos are lower quality? since they imporved the cost?

[@thehandoflenin]

​@jamaharon the motos in the nina are hand put togther, the new keyboard version they are machined - as said makes it cheaper to build.

[@untml]

@@thehandoflenin Sounds like improved manufacturing and cost, it doesn't mean its lower quality or less reliable, It may be even improved in some areas.

[@MadelnMachines]

Can we have any colour buttons but red? I wish the effects had more dedicated controls. Poly AT would have been great. Love the cheaper price, more flexible filter options. Tempting.

[@melbourneinstruments]

Yes! Colour options will be available. Black, Grey, Ivory and more will be availalble as kits. More info coming soon.

[@untml]

@@melbourneinstruments wowwww! how awsome can you be?? :)

[@MadelnMachines]

@@melbourneinstruments Awesome. Will there be a desktop version?

[@klstay]

Does it support incoming MPE like Nina? If so I would much rather have seen it as a desktop (control surface looks to be just a bit wider than Nina and that could have been tweaked to fit the same enclosure with different faceplate obviously) for south of $1800.

[@untml]

600 less for keyboardless?

[@klstay]

@@untml with minor layout changes they possibly could have used the same enclosure and other BOM commonalities with Nina to also help get there. For good or bad MPE/polyAT is now on a lot of check lists when looking for a synth. This responds to the latter so most wanting it will prefer a desktop unit as they will be using another keyboard having the ability. It is all academic now, but IF they could have pulled it off I would much prefer this as a desktop plus a Korg Keystage at the same cost.

[@untml]

@@klstay Since i don't use keyboards I will always prefer desktops, but i think that in the best case it will be atleast 2100$ maybe 2000$.

[@klstay]

@@untml if they had more interface commonality with Nina they maybe could have saved a bit there too? As is you are probably right. They did not go that way which I do not understand on something which responds to polyAT.

[@Beatdrop]

Having the Morph section on the extreme far right of the interface seems like a mistake.

[@mallblimps]

map it to the mod wheel :)

[@untml]

why

[@jasonbeatty831]

My only concern about these instruments is the motors burning out and needing replacement. Otherwise, they sound great.

[@chrisstaubyn774]

The motors will last decades. Probably longer than the synth itself.

[@jasonbeatty831]

@@chrisstaubyn774 good to know! Watching videos of them moving the way they did, it gave me pause for concern.

[@oldman1944]

@@jasonbeatty831 They use brushless motors so they will last ages.

[@bengsynthmusic]

Wish the buttons were spaced out. The free space on each side is jarring.

[@untml]

its actully very practical

[@life-is-inspiring3953]

Nina is way better IMO

[@untml]

multimode filter, hp+lp with seperate res and 12/24dbB curves

[@validcore]

So cool, but beginning to end the same sound

[@fortheloveofnoise]

Supertooth 2024

[@Waldemar_la_Tendresse]

The "Nina-features (motorpots) could get me.", the design does not get me (way to much room for coffee cups) and worst of all, the sound does not get me, in case it is not just the demo's fault.

[@untml]

too bad this the only synth you can buy, no choices...

[@Waldemar_la_Tendresse]

@@untml On the contrary, there is a huge choice, perhaps even too much choice, because the motorized pots will not affect the quality of your music one bit, so they are at most a convenient add-on and gimmick.

[@untml]

​@@Waldemar_la_TendresseIt already changed the quality of my music, I was waiting for something like this since my day one with synths. Yes its change my workflow and the results/quality, It's not about just avoiding parameter jump after changing presets, it's a huge part of the visuallity of the modulation matrix, each of the 20 source can be sent to 40 destinations at once (its equal to 800 slots!) but it's so simple to understand what goes to what with a press of a button thanks to this tech, there is nothing like it that i know of, led rings are not precise and can't do all the tactile experience of the encoders when changing different types of parameters (smooth or stepped), the encoders can act like normal pots with ends/stop points, the visuality of the morph function and so on. I think whoever thinks it's a gimmick didn't use it, don't really understand the depth of it or doesn't see the need for this in his workflow. To me after the nina every other digitally controlled synth ui feels dated and detached. Of course there is a huge variety right now, I was sarcastic and making fun about you complaining about something you don't interested in it, like you have to buy it and don't have a choice. I would also prefer a desktop, i have no interest in a piano like controllers.

[@Waldemar_la_Tendresse]

@@untml You may see it as a complaint, I see it as a hint to potential buyers.

[@untml]

@@Waldemar_la_Tendresse Sure, thank you for your service :)

[@bleepfakes]

These types of videos are mega boring, talking about the synths features relentlessly and never actually hearing it. Instant click away for me

[@untml]

But not before you wrote about it :)

[@boogway]

lots of wasted space on that panel

[@billybartcody3591]

Well, they'd need more motors ;) pricey already.

[@boogway]

​@@billybartcody3591 haha yeah how about some expression controls maybe. a macro xyz pad or light sensor even. or a screen with a UI and sequencer. i feel like creativity is dying in this space and manufacturers are less willing to take risks nowadays

[@GizzyDillespee]

At least the wasted space is focused into 2 large areas in the correct places (not blocking any controls), on which you could fit an iPad, a small mixer, fx pedals, a small module synth or fx, a drum machine, a sequencer, a cactus and lava lamp, or whatever, depending on your needs. The UDO Super 8, OTOH, has most of its wasted space directly between the keyboard and the controls, along the entire length of the keys. If you put anything with any height there, it would block the synth's control panel. You could put a ribbon there, but then its wire would have to drape somewhere, and it's kinda a wide space for just a ribbon. And then, the Super 8 has anither patch of wasted space on the upper left of the panel... a good spot to have some wasted space, but barely enough to fit a pedal, like a Boss sized pedal would be okay, but not much more. The Melbourne synth looks like it has a tiny bit more total wasted space, but it's really much more usable, since they didn't try to spread it out, so it's less likely to be wasted, in practice. That's just about wasted space as part of the UI, not a comment on how either one sounds, or which one I'd rather have, or whatever. They both have plusses.

[@jasonbeatty831]

Yet Clavia sold Nord leads by the truckload.

[@boogway]

@@jasonbeatty831 true but hardly comparable outside of that. not like this is going to sell like Nords anyway. motorized knob gimmick is fun but these things are hardly interesting otherwise