Description
Mela is a modular music-making tool that scales with your needs. With its intuitive interface, you can seamlessly build fully custom polyphonic synthesisers, unique audio effects, and complex MIDI processors. Mela can run as a standalone app on iOS and macOS or as an AUv3 plug-in inside your favourite DAW such as AUM, Drambo, Logic Pro and many more.
In Mela, presets are constructed from modules arranged on lanes, each processing audio and MIDI signals. Lanes can receive and send signals to and from the host and other lanes. Modulator modules can modulate any parameter of any module on any lane. Lanes and modules can be easily added, removed, or rearranged, making the preset as complex or simple as desired. Mela comes with 58 modules, with new ones added with every update. The following are some examples from different categories.
– MIDI processors: arpeggiator, chord, note echo, scale, strummer
– Synth building blocks: virtual-analog oscillator, FM operator, phaseshaping, noise, VA filter, amp envelope
– Modulators: envelope follower, envelope generator, LFO, macro control, MIDI source, random
– Audio effects: chorus, delay, distortion, flanger, phaser, compressor, comb filter, EQ, stereo panner
– Utility: level metering, audio oscilloscope, MIDI capture, MIDI logger
Mela can be loaded inside a host as one of the following plug-in types: Instrument, Audio Effect or MIDI Processor. The only difference between them is the number of audio and MIDI inputs and outputs. Otherwise, the features are identical and a preset created in one type can be opened by another.
Modules are organised into collections. Collection 0 is free, providing you with the opportunity to test out Mela’s features. Other collections can be purchased via in-app purchases. New modules will be added to Collection 3 throughout 2024. That means you can purchase it now and have new modules appear unlocked as they become available. The following is a list of all modules:
Collection 0:
Amp Envelope, Arpeggiator, LFO, Meter, Relative Pitch, Stereo Delay, Transposer, VA Filter, VA Oscillator, Volume.
Collection 1:
Balance, Chord, Chorus, Control Change, Compressor, Distortion, DS Oscillator, Envelope Generator, Envelope Follower, Flanger, Glide, Level, MIDI Logger, MIDI Source, Mono, Noise Oscillator, Note Echo, Note Length, Note Range, Panic, Phaser, Pitch Bend, Random, Scale, Strummer, Velocity.
Collection 2:
Clipper, Comb Filter, DC Blocker, Degrader, EQ Band, Fixed Pitch, FM Operator, Macro, MIDI Capture, MIDI Channel, Oscilloscope, Pitch Ratio, Rectifier, Vibrato, Voice Activity, VPS Oscillator.
Collection 3:
Digital Delay, Dual Pan, Mid-Side, Phase Inverter, Simple LFO, Stereo Pan.
Mela’s capabilities continuously improve, evolve and expand driven by its long-term vision and user feedback. Feel free to get in touch for anything Mela-related.
Say Hello: nikolozi.com/contact
Changelog: nikolozi.com/mela/changelog
FAQ: nikolozi.com/mela/faq
Mela 3 vs Mela 5: nikolozi.com/mela/getting-started/#mela-3-vs-mela-5
What’s New
As part of the 5.0 update Mela’s business model is changing. Major versions will no longer be released as separate apps but instead, Mela 5 will simply replace Mela 4. This will allow Mela to retain its App Store ranking as well as user reviews. You’ll just receive updates without needing to look for the next major version on the App Store.
New New Business Model:
– Mela will become a free downloadable app on the App Store.
– Modules are now organised into collections.
– Collection 0 is free, providing new users with the opportunity to test out Mela’s features.
– Collections 1 to 3 can be purchased via in-app purchases.
– Collections 1 and 2 contain all modules that shipped with Mela 4.x updates and therefore they will be unlocked for free to the Mela 4 users.
– Collection 3 contains new modules and more will be added as part of Mela 5.x updates.
– That means you can purchase it now and have new modules appear unlocked as they become available.
– All other feature updates will be free, including updates to the modules you already own.
– If you are a Mela 4 user and for some reason don’t see Collections 1 and 2 unlocked tap on “Restore Purchases”.
– If you experience any issues please get in touch and I’ll try to sort it out promptly.
Digital Delay Module:
– A delay effect with straight repeats and ping-pong options.
– You can let the delayed signal accumulate by setting the Feedback parameter above 100%.
– To keep it under control the feedback signal is hard-clipped above +6dBFS.
– The Clip indicator will light up when this happens.
– This feature can be used creatively to achieve interesting results.
– The delay time is tempo-syncable with the usual parameter controls.
– The feedback signal goes through low-pass and high-pass filters before it’s sent to the output.
Simple LFO Module:
– Simple LFO is a simplified version of the LFO and Random modules.
– The waveform options include all classic shapes as well as Random Glide and Random Hold.
– The modulation signal only retriggers on note-on events if the module is inserted on an instrument lane. On MIDI and audio lanes, it’s free running.
– Depending on the selected waveform, the signal is either unipolar or bipolar.
Dual Pan Module:
– The module lets you pan left and right channel signals independently.
– It can be used to create interesting stereo effects.
– The module is also useful for swapping stereo channels or converting a stereo signal to mono.
Mid-Side Module:
– The module lets you control the mid-side balance of a stereo signal.
– It can be used to process mid and side signals separately before recombining them.
– At 0%, the signal is passed through unaltered.
– At -100%, the side signal is removed, and only the mid signal is output.
– At +100%, the mid signal is removed, and only the side signal is output.
– Note that converting the side signal to mono will result in silence.
Stereo Pan Module:
– The module lets you position left and right channel signals in the stereo field.
– Its Pan parameter sets the centre position of the stereo spread, whereas the Spread parameter sets the maximum stereo spread amount.
– The panner graph displays where the left and right channels are placed in the stereo field.
– Drag it horizontally or vertically to adjust the Pan or Spread parameter correspondingly. Double-tap the graph to reset the parameters to their default values.
Phase Inverter Module:
– The module lets you invert the phase of the left and right channels independently.
Balance Module:
– Renamed the Panner module to Balance.
– While the module acts like a panner for mono signals, for stereo it simply adjusts levels of left and right signals.
– You can use the new Stereo Pan or Dual Pan module for true stereo panning.
Other Changes:
– The module help view’s footer now displays its release date as well as the collection the module is part of.
– Many other internal and user-facing fixes and improvements.