Melbourne Instruments brings Braids engine to desktop NINA analogue polysynth

NINA Macro Oscillator Mode - BRAIDS Update! Demo and deep dive with THE UNPERSON video upload by Melbourne Instruments

"The powerful new Macro Oscillator Mode firmware update for Melbourne Instruments' motorised polysynth, NINA, has arrived. This new update adds 45 synthesis waveform models using open-source code from Émilie Gillet’s Mutable Instruments Braids, one of the most celebrated Eurorack synth modules.

This new mode massively expands Nina's sonic capabilities, unlocking a new world of synthesis, from classic analog textures to cutting-edge digital experimentation. Powered by Nina’s innovative architecture, the new Macro Oscillator Mode delivers an incredibly versatile hands-on sound design experience unlike any other.

In this video Melbourne Instruments collaborator THE UNPERSON takes a deep dive into Macro Mode, exploring some of the Macro Oscillator models, and demonstrates just some of the 60 new presets created for this update, exploring the sonic possibilities of the new Macro Oscillator.

0:00:11 Intro - about this update
0:02:31 Oscillator Models
0:06:02 Preset previews - Untitled Unperson Patch
0:07:13 Spectral Whips
0:07:37 Trance Lead
0:08:10 Bulk Carrier
0:08:50 VHS Error
0:09:09 Chords
0:09:53 Talkback
0:10:11 Sweeping Horizon
0:10:55 Arp DRM
0:11:23 Toy Crush

To support this update there is a new bank of 60 Macro Presets, designed by Protovolt, Tom Hall and James Terris. Available to download now: https://www.melbourneinstruments.com/..."

2nd video followed by the press release:

NINA Macro Oscillator Mode — 12 polyphonic voices of BRAIDS! Macro Presets audio demo with PROTOVOLT

video upload by Melbourne Instruments

"In this video, Sound Designer PROTOVOLT demonstrates a selection of the 20 new presets he created for this update, exploring the sonic possibilities of the new Macro Oscillator.

0:00:20 Xenomorph
0:01:02 String Theory
0:01:40 Zero Space
0:02:28 Harpsichon
0:02:58 Dark Matter
0:03:41 Supernova
0:03:58 Nucleus
0:04:38 Flux
0:05:09 Datablade
0:05:38 Retsu
0:06:04 Event Horizon


To support this update there is a new bank of 60 Macro Presets, designed by Protovolt, Tom Hall and James Terris. Available to download now: https://www.melbourneinstruments.com/..."

Press release follows:


Melbourne Instruments brings Braids engine to desktop NINA analogue polysynth

“NINA has always been an absolute powerhouse of a synth, but this update is insane; OSC 3 gives you 45 Braids macros across 12 voices, plus its massive mod matrix — the range of sounds and textures you can create now knows no bounds.”

- Musician/sound designer PROTOVOLT, 2026

MELBOURNE, VIC, AUSTRALIA: Melbourne Instruments is proud to bring Mutable Instruments’ Braids engine — Emilie Gillet’s celebrated open-source macro oscillator — to its desktop NINA analogue polysynth, as of April 30…

Available as a free firmware update, all 45 Braids synthesis models run across NINA’s 12 true polyphonic voices, each shaped by a dedicated overdrive-able analogue filter. Ultimately, users can now layer Braids and analogue VCOs (Voltage Controlled Oscillators) across four multitimbral parts, morph between presets, and sequence everything.

Duly described by Mutable Instruments as a macro oscillator, Braids was a mono Eurorack module: one voice, no internal filter, and no modulation routing. It is now something else entirely on NINA, itself described as the world’s first motorised polysynth. Put it this way: when switching layers, the motorised knobs snap to new positions; morph between patches and they sweep in real time. Meanwhile, modulation routings are all visible on the panel from the moment they are selected. Surely Braids has never been this hands-on.

Digging deeper, each waveform model is shaped by two expressive parameters — Timbre and Color — adapted from the original Braids module. More meaningfully, these controls affect multiple tonal dimensions simultaneously, producing complex, evolving, and musically responsive sounds. Spanning analogue VCO emulation, vowel and formant synthesis, 2-operator FM, physical modelling of strings and wind instruments, wavetable synthesis with smooth interpolation, granular synthesis, and electronic drum simulation, the 45 models evidently elevate NINA to a new level, further cementing itself as a premium analogue polysynth powerhouse for experimental, generative, analogue, and digital synthesis.

Says musician/sound designer James Terris, ending on a high note: “I’ve always described NINA as a beautiful beast — analogue oscillators paired with its super-fat and driven analogue filter make it beastly! But while the existing wavetable oscillator adds a crystal sheen that provides a beauty, the new macro oscillator models expand this tremendously. Indeed, it can go from delicate FM, Karplus-Strong, and even vocal formant textures straight into swarming, stacked super-waves. With this update, it feels like an instant NINA ‘MK-2’!”

Excluding taxes applicable to the territory concerned, NINA is presently priced at $3,299.00 USD in North America; €3,165.00 EUR in the EU; £2,835.00 GBP in the UK; and $3,499.00 USD in Japan, while it is presently priced in Australia at $4,995.00 AU, including GST (Goods and Services Tax) — all via Melbourne Instruments’ growing global network of dealers.

For more in-depth information, please visit the dedicated NINA webpage here: https://www.melbourneinstruments.com/nina

The new NINA MACRO OSC UPDATE firmware is downloadable for free from here: https://www.melbourneinstruments.com/support#nina

Coinciding with the new NINA MACRO OSC UPDATE firmware release, owners of the world’s first motorised polysynth can also download 60 new presets for free from here: https://www.melbourneinstruments.com/presets#nina

Machina Bristronica 2024

video uploads by sonicstate

Playlist:

1. Bristronica 24: MyVolts The Silent Alchemist Nears Shipping

We caught up with Caroline who gave us the latest update to the *Silent Alchemist*, a versatile power hub designed for musicians. Featuring five isolated USB-C outputs and a high-wattage sixth output capable of delivering 100 watts, the device can power a Mac with the remaining outputs providing 20 watts each. Its independent circuits ensure noise-free operation, catering to a variety of devices including the Dreadbox module and Sysmo slope generator.

The Silent Alchemist uses innovative step-up power tips to convert USB-C input to the correct voltage for various devices. There's also new feature: an uninterruptible power supply allowing seamless transition between wall and power bank sources. Also introduced were updated cables, such as silver candy cords and floating ring TRS to TS cables, expanding connection flexibility. The Silent Alchemist is expected to be available in December with a competitive pricing strategy.

More Info:
https://myvolts.com/

2. Bristronica 24: Circuit Happy ML2M Clock Sync module updates

At Bristronica 2024, we caught up with the creator of the *ML2M*, who introduced us to the latest version. The ML2M is a compact Eurorack module with Wi-Fi capabilities, allowing seamless synchronization with Ableton Live, Bitwig Studio, and iOS music apps using Ableton Link without the need for cables. It either connects to an existing network or creates its own, ensuring robust sync even in environments with unreliable Wi-Fi. The module, which retains its 2HP size, now features MIDI integration through TRS jacks. Users can access a web interface to configure each output for different clock divisions and reset triggers, making setup straightforward and flexible.

Alongside the ML2M, there's also the Missing Link Junior. This desktop version offers the same functionality but in a box format, complete with MIDI and CV clock outputs. Both products are now accessible, with a starting price of $250.

3. Bristronica 24: Archaea Exchange Patching Module

At Machina Bristronica 2024, we caught up with Arran from ‪@archaea_modular_synthesis‬ who presented the *Exchange Module*. This programmable patcher, a year in the making, evolved from its early prototype stage to a fully functional module. Arran explained how the Exchange can route synth voices via a beam controller and three exchange modules installed within the skiff, allowing for versatile patching. Operating like a matrix patchbay, it enables users to select inputs and outputs with the push of a button, create presets, and chain multiple modules for synchronized patching.

Communication between the modules occurs over the Eurorack power bus as well as over MIDI via the USB-C connection. The Exchange maintains analog integrity, ensuring there’s no conversion latency. The forthcoming release expected in late November 2024, includes a USB-driven editor for enhanced control capabilities.

CLICK FOR MORE »

NETWORK-ERROR - LIVE - AV #040 - Suzuki OMNICHORD OM-36 Folktek circuit bent synth improvisation

video upload by NETWORK-ERROR

"Playing with a Susuki omnichord OM-36 circuit bent synth
modified by Folktek, Ben Houston."

First SSP Software Update 08072018

via the Percussa Kickstarter:

"Hi everyone,

It’s time for the first update to the SSP software! We have been working crazy hard the past week on the software :-) Below is an overview of all the stuff we implemented:

Features

New and better Preset Format (with backwards compatibility)

We developed and implemented a brand new preset format, which allows us to add new modules, parameters and modulation inputs/outputs more easily. The file format also drastically reduces preset file size, and thus the load / switching time of presets. We built-in backward compatibility, so you can still load your current presets. Once you save them, they will be saved in the new format. As long as you don’t save them, they will stay in the old format. Doing this was a major project, because we had to make sure we could load both the old and new formats.

Improvements to the Sampler Module

The sampler module has now 8 gate inputs and 8 sample playback outputs, which means you can trigger each of the individual slots in the sampler using a gate input. The input is a trigger input, meaning that it only cares about the signal rising about a certain threshold, and doesn’t care of the signal falls after that. The layer feature was removed because it is no longer necessary (you can send multiple sampler outputs into one output in the grid, which is the same thing). The slot selection feature was also removed since selecting an output using a modulation signal is a job for a different module (e.g. a signal switching module). Finally we changed the Coarse/Fine settings in the sampler to TuneC/TuneF, which is tune coarse and tune fine. Those two parameters can be used to set the original pitch the sound was recorded at. The Sampler now also compensates for sample rate differences (system sample rate vs sample rate from the sample) and I also worked on the pitch/frequency modulation inputs so it now tracks correctly (hopefully :). One other change I made is that now you can trigger the sampler, even though it might be in looping mode. So the looping mode does NOT ignore the trigger input now.

CLICK FOR MORE »

HexaChrom Adds Support for The Missing Link and OSC

HexaChrom - Somascape

"HexaChrom turns your iPad into a musical performance controller, enabling you to play your OSC or MIDI (#) electronic musical instruments — virtual instruments running on a laptop/desktop computer, or hardware MIDI instruments.

HexaChrom takes an alternative approach to the majority of MIDI keyboard controllers in that it uses an isometric note layout, where the notes are presented as a hexagonal matrix of keys. There are many such isometric layouts, though HexaChrom uses the Harmonic Table layout, which is a modern variation of the Tonnetz (tone network), devised by the famous mathematician Euler.

This note layout has particularly useful musical intervals between adjacent keys, ie along the 3 major axes : minor thirds, major thirds and perfect fifths. In the Western musical tradition, the intervals of the major and minor thirds dominate chordal structures. Consequently, this layout offers a number of advantages over the more conventional clavier-style keyboards : consistent chord shapes irrespective of key, the ability to span several octaves with one hand, and to play basic major or minor triads with a single finger. Together resulting in an easier learning curve.

It also encourages the user to approach music differently, just as the different note layouts of pianos and guitars engender different playing styles.

(#) HexaChrom can send MIDI data either via the OSC protocol (wirelessly), or via CoreMIDI (wired or wirelessly). When using OSC to control MIDI devices (whether hardware or software based) you will need to translate the OSC messages to MIDI, using either additional software (eg OSCulator on a Mac) or hardware (Jabrudian's Missing Link).

FEATURES :
- Isometric 'harmonic table' note layout keyboard, based on a 52-note matrix (just over 4 octaves).
- Play simple chords with a single finger.
- Consistent chord shapes irrespective of root key.
- Octave transposition provides a total span of just over 7 octaves.
- Dual view : Portrait mode offers a single 52-note matrix (easy play); Landscape mode has a 104-note dual matrix, with optional split channel operation.
- Assignable controllers (sliders and buttons).
- Control any software or hardware MIDI synthesizer, sampler, drum machine, etc. using OSC or MIDI protocols (additional software and/or hardware is required - see Requirements).
- OSC (wireless) support for both the 'M' data type (as used by OSCulator), and the Missing Link's proprietary message format. With automatic connection using Bonjour, or manual connection when Bonjour is not an option.
- CoreMIDI support (wireless or wired).
- Multitouch interface.
- iOS 4 multitasking compliant.

REQUIREMENTS :
- iPad running iOS 3.2 or later (4.2 is required for wired MIDI, whilst 4.3 is required for wireless MIDI).
- To use wired MIDI : A CoreMIDI compliant MIDI interface (eg Yamaha's i-MX1), or Apple's Camera Connection Kit along with a class compliant USB-MIDI interface.
- To use wireless MIDI : a wireless network with access to a MIDI Server.
- To use OSC : a wireless network with access to an OSC Server, eg OSCulator or a Missing Link device.
- A Mac running OS X 10.4 or later (if using OSCulator or wireless MIDI).

NOTES :
- HexaChrom is a dedicated iPad app and cannot be used with iPhone or iPod Touch.
- HexaChrom is a controller. It does not of itself produce any sound.
- OSCulator, Missing Link and Camera Connection Kit are 3rd party commercial products."

Note the bottom image if from Hans of The Missing Link who gave it a try. He had the following tip for others that might want to give it a spin: "When I tried it out, the "Connect to Missing Link" slide switch put the right numbers in the boxes but it gave me an error as if they weren't there so I had to slide the switch back to 'OFF' and enter them manually. Not a big chore, but it's not necessarily an obvious workaround."

HexaChrom - Somascape
iPads on eBay

Folktek Insectarium

TWBLS 013 - The WunderBar Loop Session
by NETWORK-ERROR

via the Folktek Arts blog via The Wonderloop Session where you will find more images and words.
Folktek on Ebay

CLARICON Four Transistor

CLARICON Four Transistor
Uploaded by NETWORK-ERROR

via Pascal
"Hello Bonjour from Paris
Here is the link to a small video, I made this night.

http://log.network-error.com/post/2008/07/25/CLARICON-Four-Transistor

the sound of a 'Weird sound Generator' recorded on a old CLARICON reel to reel recorder. Weird, isn't it?

MFOS Weird Sound Generator

Best Regards,
Pascal"