How to resolve AdBlock issue? Mayer EMI MD850 Aurora
Austrian synthesizer maker Mayer EMI today unveiled "Aurora," a transformative free firmware update for the MD850 Vibes synthesizer, premiered at Superbooth 2026. Aurora is the first in a sequence of named firmware milestones for the MD850 Vibes platform. It is a commitment to extending the instrument's life through software rather than hardware revisions. The update redesigns the user interface, refines engine voicing across all synthesis modes, introduces a new studio-grade reverb, expands Vintage Mode, and brings SFZ multisample support to the noise oscillator. It ships with 130 new factory presets covering the synthesizer's full 4-part multitimbral range.
Aurora will be free for every existing MD850 Vibes owner. There is no paid upgrade path. The firmware ships in [Q2 2026, please confirm] , with an exact date to follow in the coming weeks. Alongside the firmware preview, Mayer EMI is announcing a revised price for the MD850 Vibes: €1,899. The synthesizer will also be sold directly through a new online shop at mayer-emi.at, replacing the previous distributor model. "Aurora is what happens when you decide your customers' instruments deserve to keep getting better instead of being replaced. The MD850 hardware was designed for this kind of evolution, and we're naming firmware milestones because each one is going to matter", said Horst Mayer, founder, Mayer EMI.
The MD850 Vibes is a 4-part multitimbral hybrid desktop synthesizer with an Ableton-style clip launcher and the VibesConnect browser companion. At €1,899, it is among the very few desktop synthesizers in its price class shipping true 4-part multitimbral architecture.
What's New in Aurora
- Completely redesigned graphical user interface
- Refined engine voicing across all synthesis modes
- New studio-grade reverb with extended algorithmic depth
- Expanded Vintage Mode with additional character options
- SFZ multisample support on the noise oscillator
- VibesConnect refinements and drag-and-drop SFZ import for the noise oscillator
- 130 new factory presets covering the MD850's full 4-part multitimbral range