A new firmware update for the Melbourne Instruments NINA brings the full Mutable Instruments Braids macro oscillator engine into its analog architecture — unlocking 45 synthesis models across 12 polyphonic voices with hands-on motorised control.
Key Features
- Full integration of Braids’ 45 synthesis models into NINA’s engine
- 12-voice polyphony with dedicated overdrivable analog filters per voice
- 4-part multitimbral layering combining Braids and analog VCOs
- Motorised knobs provide real-time visual feedback and morphing control
- Free firmware update available now for all NINA users
Hook
There’s something strangely addictive about watching a synth move on its own — knobs snapping into place, parameters shifting like the machine’s thinking ahead of you. With this latest update, NINA leans even further into that tactile, almost alive feeling… but now it’s speaking fluent Braids.
A Eurorack Classic, Reimagined for Polyphonic Performance
The inclusion of the full Braids engine is a pretty significant move. Originally designed by Émilie Gillet as a single-voice Eurorack module, Braids became a staple for experimental synthesis thanks to its “macro oscillator” approach — packing a huge range of synthesis models into one compact interface.
On NINA, though, it’s been completely recontextualised.
Instead of a single monophonic voice, you’re now dealing with 12 true polyphonic voices, each routed through its own analog filter stage. That alone changes the equation. Pads, chords, evolving textures — all the things that felt out of reach in the original module — are now front and centre.
And because NINA is already built around a hybrid architecture, layering Braids alongside its analog VCOs across four multitimbral parts opens up some pretty deep territory. You could easily imagine building a patch where one layer handles organic analog warmth, while another introduces digital grit, formants, or granular textures underneath.
Hands-On Control That Actually Feels Alive
One of the more interesting parts of this update isn’t just the sound engine — it’s how it integrates with NINA’s motorised control system.
Switch between layers or presets, and the knobs physically move to reflect the new state. Morph between patches, and you’ll see those parameters glide in real time. It’s one of those features that sounds like a gimmick until you actually use it — then it becomes hard to go back.
It also solves a long-standing issue with deeper synth engines: visibility. Instead of diving through menus or guessing parameter states, everything is right there in front of you. Select a modulation route, and it’s immediately reflected on the panel.
For something like Braids — which can get pretty abstract depending on the model — that physical feedback makes a big difference in keeping things playable.
A Huge Palette of Synthesis Models
The Braids engine brings with it a wide range of synthesis approaches, all accessible through the macro oscillator concept. That includes:
- Analog-style oscillator emulations
- Additive and digital synthesis
- FM and formant-based vocal textures
- Physical modelling for strings and wind instruments
- Wavetable synthesis with XY-style morphing
- Noise-based and percussive sound generation
- Granular-style textures and experimental tones
Each model is shaped using Timbre and Color parameters — two deceptively simple controls that shift multiple dimensions of the sound at once. It’s less about surgical tweaking and more about exploring tonal movement.
In practice, that means you can move quickly. Instead of getting stuck fine-tuning a patch, you’re nudging it into new territory with broad, expressive gestures — something that suits live performance just as much as studio work.
Blending Digital Complexity with Analog Weight
What makes this update particularly compelling is how it bridges two worlds.
Braids, at its core, is a digital synthesis engine, flexible, wide-ranging, sometimes unpredictable. NINA, on the other hand, grounds everything with overdrivable analog filters and a performance-first interface.
That combination gives you a bit of both:
“Now OSC 3 gives you 45 Braids macros across 12 voices… the range of sounds and textures you can create have no bounds.”
There’s a sense here that NINA is evolving beyond its original identity. What started as a motorised analog polysynth is gradually becoming a much broader sound design platform — one that doesn’t force you to choose between analog character and digital versatility.
An Update That Feels More Like a New Instrument
Firmware updates can sometimes feel incremental a few bug fixes, maybe a feature or two. This one lands differently.
By folding in a complete synthesis engine like Braids, NINA effectively gains a whole new personality. It’s not replacing what was already there, but expanding it in a way that shifts how you might approach the instrument entirely.
You’re not just getting more sounds you’re getting new workflows, new textures, and new ways to interact with the hardware.
Final Thoughts
If you’re already using NINA, this is the kind of update that’s worth setting aside time for and not just installing and moving on, but actually exploring.
There’s a lot here to unpack. Between the layering, the macro oscillator models, and the motorised performance controls, it feels less like an upgrade and more like being handed a different instrument altogether.
And if nothing else, it’s a reminder of how far firmware can push modern hardware, especially when it’s done with this level of intent.
