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The Midium

Melbourne Instruments DELIA #0192 –– SIGNATURE EDITION (benefiting LA WILDFIRE RELIEF)

$2,399.00

Melbourne Instruments' description of the Melbourne Instruments DELIA 6-voice motorized morphing polyphonic synthesizer

 

THE MIDIUM® CURATOR'S NOTE: The Midium® exclusive #0192 SIGNATURE EDITION benefiting survivors of the January 2025 Los Angeles fires.

Cam: Recognizing the people behind a musical instrument's creation is as vital as recognizing the artist who plays it, along with the audience who appreciates it. In that spirit, The Midium® asked our friends at Melbourne Instruments to please provide us with a unit we could showcase as part of our Signature Edition Collection.  As an apt representation of the work, time, and energy their team put into its development, Melbourne Instruments sent us unit #0192, which is signed by Founder and CEO Ian Overliese, Software Engineer Connor Hansen, and Electrical Engineer David Klopsteins.  In addition, Director of Sales and Marketing Rex Foster has signed an official Certificate of Authenticity that is also included with the unit.  A bonus set of black keys caps have been included, as well.  

It is our goal at The Midium® to ensure that the Artist who purchases this unit feels a closer connection with their Melbourne Instruments DELIA knowing that the three founding members of the Melbourne Instruments team signed it, thus memorializing DELIA's development and creating a relic of Melbourne Instruments' history.  We keep the price of our limited Signature Edition Collection instruments the same as unsigned units––although the Signature Edition Collection does not partake in promotional pricing––since it is a firmly held belief at The Midium® that our unique instruments should be available to as many Artists as possible.  The Midium® and Melbourne Instruments hope that the Artist who purchases this historic instrument enjoys it for many years to come, and that it inspires them throughout their lifelong artistic journey.

Lastly, due to the catastrophic fires in Los Angeles this January (2025), Erin, Melody Nightingale Wednesday, and I have decided to donate $200 from the sale of this unit to the GoFundMe Wildfire Relief Fund 2025 hosted by GoFundMe.org, benefiting survivors here in the Los Angeles area.  We would like to thank Melbourne Instruments and the Artist who ends up purchasing this collectible and rare DELIA for helping to make this possible.  Music can make the world a better place, and this exclusive Melbourne Instruments DELIA Signature Edition will be another way that music can help bring peace and hope to a world in great need of both.

 

MOTORIZED. MORPHING. POLYPHONIC.

DELIA is a bi-timbral polysynth inspired by the motorized control panel and voice architecture of the original Melbourne Instruments’ Nina. Delia introduces a 49-key velocity and aftertouch sensitive keyboard, new multi-mode analog filters, high pass and low pass resonance control, 3-stage overdrive, and even more modulation possibilities. 

The powerful combination of analog plus digital is harnessed by Delia’s unique 12 note mode, using 12 complete oscillator banks into the 6 filters, limiting note stealing without compromising the sound, and fully unleashing Delia’s bi-timbral operation.

 

DISCRETE MULTI-MODE FILTERS.

DELIA’s true analog low pass filter is the heart and soul of the sound engine — warm, full and sweet or fearfully aggressive. It is complemented with a high-pass modelled ladder filter, which can be linked for bandpass and notch operation.

 

KNOW YOUR FILTERS! ANALOG + DIGITAL.

DELIA’s filters have an analog and a digital section per voice. The analog filter is the classic discrete transistor ladder filter offering a choice of 24dB or 12dB per octave operation. Prior to this filter is an analog variable overdrive circuit that can push the filter from normal operation to complete distorted collapse of the transistor ladder, adding richness, aggression and body to your sound. 

The HP filter is a digital transistor-level mathematical model of a 24dB ladder filter, based on the gold-standard Ebers-Moll transistor equations. This gives an almost perfect match to the response of the analog circuit, including the overdrive response, resonance and natural filter frequency variations.

The High Pass filter is less important sonically, so the choice of digital instead of analog reduces cost without compromise. Having the Low Pass filter second gives true analog character where it counts.

The filter is Multi-mode with 3 ways to configure. The High Pass and Low Pass cut-off frequencies are separately controlled with 2 knobs, so the overall operation can be High Pass, Low Pass or Bandpass. The separate HP and LP resonance controls offer flexibility to shape the sound including vocal-style formants. Delia’s LINK function locks the distance between the Low Pass and High pass knobs, setting a constant width Bandpass for both manual control and sweeps using the VCF envelope or other Modulation Matrix controls.

 


MORPH EVERY PARAMETER, THEN MOD IT!

DELIA’s A/B Morph function lets you explore and sweep through timbres like no other. The A/B Morph sound is an actively calculated change in parameters between the A and B patches including the entire modulation matrix. This provides the ability to instantly create a new preset based on the Morph position that is neither the A or B patch, but instead a totally new sound. Morph is also a ‘MOD destination’, giving you even more creative control via Aftertouch, Mod Wheel and Expression.

 

BUILDING ON INNOVATION.

DELIA inherits many of the acclaimed features of Nina, including 4-Quadrant Analog VCAs, Morphing, Digital Effects and Digital Wavetable Oscillator. Adding to these features are the inclusion of Sequencer Phrase Looping and Overdubbing, and the ability to assign your favorite effects parameter to the Effects Macro control.

Delia’s 20 modulation sources and 40+ mod destinations with unlimited slots gives sound designers an almost endless spectrum of sounds. Two digital effects processors paired with classic effects presets and the option to run in series or parallel. And with the ability to save more than 16,000 presets inspiration and artistry will never be limited.

 

SPECS.

VOICE ARCHITECTURE

  • 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.
  • Unlimited Modulation Matrix - 20 sources x 40 destinations
  • 3 x LFOs with variable shapes:
    Sine, Triangle, Square, Ramp up, Ramp down, Random)
  • 3 x Envelopes: VCA, VCF, AUX

 

INTERACTIVE MULTI-MODE FILTERS

  • Analog Low Pass Ladder Filter
  • 3-stage Analog Overdrive
  • Virtual Analog High Pass Ladder Filter
  • Separate High Pass and Low Pass Resonance control
  • HP/LP filter ‘LINK’ mode for Band Pass/Notch control
  • Selectable 12dB and 24dB slope for LP Filter

EFFECTS

  • 2 x Effects Processors with parallel or series configuration
  • Stereo Digital Effects: Delay, Chorus, Reverb with classic Preset Algorithms

 

MODULATION

  • Extensive modulation matrix. 20 sources to 40 destinations. No bus count limitation.
  • Morphable modulation settings.
  • Quick to edit MOD mode. Select a source and dial in amounts instantly on control panel.
  • All MOD amounts are through zero (bipolar)
  • MORPH is a available as a Modulation destination

 

PATCH MORPHING

  • Morph between A and B patches to create new timbres.
  • Morph the entire patch including Modulation Matrix.

BI-TIMBRAL LAYERS

  • 2 layers for 4 Timbres when combined with A/B Morph
  • Controllable via MIDI channel and note ranges
  • User selectable number of assigned voices per layer
  • Optional linked note ranges across layers for quick keyboard splits & layering

 

STEP SEQUENCER AND PHASE LOOPER

  • 16-step Programmable Polyphonic Sequencer
  • Phrase Looper with overdub/layering
  • Sequences and loops are saved with presets and recallable

 

CONNECTIVITY

Audio Out

  • 2 assignable line level outputs.

  • Stereo main outputs with effects.

  • Headphone output.

Audio In

  • 2 TRS Balanced Line or CV Inputs.

  • CV +/-10V max. Analog gain and offset trim.

Device connection

  • 2 x USB-A host ports

  • 1 x USB-C device for DAW connection

MIDI

  • In / Out / Through

COMPUTER

  • Hackable Open Source software built on a powerful Raspberry Pi 4 running Elk Audio OS

PHYSICAL

  • Weight: 8.7kg (19.1lb)
  • Dimensions (length x width x depth): 810mm x 320mm x 140mm.
  • Metal construction