Melbourne Instruments NINA: Braids Firmware Update
NINA 3.0.0 firmware adds 45 Braids models across all 12 analogue voices.
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NINA 3.0.0 Firmware Adds 45 Braids Models Across 12 Analogue Voices
Melbourne Instruments has released NINA 3.0.0 firmware on 30 April 2026, a free update for its motorised analogue polysynth NINA. The update introduces a new Macro Oscillator Mode that brings the complete Mutable Instruments Braids engine to NINA's 12-voice architecture. All 45 Braids synthesis models become available as the third oscillator on every voice, each shaped by NINA's overdrive-able analogue ladder filter.
45 Braids Models on 12 Polyphonic Voices
Braids is Émilie Gillet's celebrated open-source macro-oscillator (a synthesis module originally released as a single-voice Eurorack module with no internal filter or modulation routing). On NINA it is something considerably more capable: all 45 models run polyphonically across the instrument's 12 true voices, each paired with NINA's overdrive-able analogue ladder filter. The two expressive parameters carried over from the original module, Timbre and Color, affect multiple tonal dimensions simultaneously, producing complex, evolving sounds.
The 45 models span a wide synthesis territory: analogue VCO (voltage-controlled oscillator) 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.
Layering Braids With Analogue Oscillators
Users can now layer Braids models alongside NINA's existing analogue VCOs across four multitimbral parts. Presets can be morphed in real time, with NINA's motorised knobs sweeping between parameter states as they change. Modulation routings remain visible on the panel from the moment a part is selected. The update is accompanied by four new MACRO Mode preset banks designed by Protovolt, Tom Hall, and James Terris, available from the Melbourne Instruments presets page.
The Motorised Knob Advantage
NINA is described by Melbourne Instruments as the world's first motorised polysynth. When switching layers, the physical knobs snap to new positions; when morphing between patches, they sweep in real time. This makes the Braids integration considerably more tactile than it would be on a conventional hardware polysynth. NINA 3.0.0 firmware is a free download from the Melbourne Instruments support page, alongside the 3.0.0 release notes.
Our View
The Braids engine has serious credibility among modular builders and sound designers. Émilie Gillet's open-source module became a touchstone of the Eurorack era because two knobs (Timbre, Color) cover more synthesis ground than most full-size synths offer with twenty. Putting all 45 models behind NINA's analogue ladder filter, with 12 voices of polyphony and motorised parameter recall, is the most ambitious thing anyone has done with Braids since the original module shipped.
Whether the update justifies the synth itself depends on who you are. NINA sits at $3,299 to $3,699, the same bracket as Sequential's Trigon-6 (around $2,755) and Oberheim's OB-X8 Desktop (around $3,390). Both are stronger picks if you want a recognisable analogue voicing and a more conventional patch workflow. NINA earns its place when the motorised knob system and four-part multitimbral architecture matter to you specifically; outside that brief, the Trigon-6 wins on raw analogue character at a meaningfully lower price. For existing NINA owners the answer is simpler: 3.0.0 is a free download that effectively turns the synth into a different instrument. Update tonight.
We have not had hands-on time with 3.0.0 yet, so the audio quality of the Braids implementation on NINA is the part we cannot verify. The architecture is sound; the open question is whether 12 polyphonic voices through analogue filters preserve what made Braids feel alive in the original Eurorack module.
Pricing
Pricing
NINA is available direct from the Melbourne Instruments online store and via their global dealer network.
- NINA (motorised analogue polysynth, 12 voices): $3,699 direct, $3,599 at Thomann*, or $3,299 at Perfect Circuit*
Education Pricing
No education pricing listed on the Melbourne Instruments site.
Free Trial
Not applicable (hardware instrument). The NINA 3.0.0 firmware update and the four new MACRO Mode preset banks are free for all existing NINA owners.
Updates and Upgrades
NINA 3.0.0 firmware is a free download from the Melbourne Instruments support page. The four new MACRO Mode preset banks (Protovolt, Tom Hall, James Terris, plus a combined bank) are available from the Melbourne Instruments presets page.
Demos
Videos
NINA Macro Oscillator Mode: BRAIDS Update Demo and Deep Dive (official Melbourne Instruments walkthrough).
