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, Cubasis, Drambo, Logic Pro and many more.
In Mela, presets are constructed using modules arranged on lanes, where signals flowing through the lanes are processed by the modules. Audio and MIDI signals can be sent and received to and from the host or routed between lanes using internal buses. Modulator modules can target any module parameter on any lane. Lanes and modules are easily added, removed, or rearranged, allowing you to design presets as simple or complex as needed. Mela comes with 88 modules, with new ones added with every update. The following are some examples from different categories.
- MIDI processors: arpeggiator, chord, Euclidean sequencer, note echo, note modifiers, 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, dynamics processors, comb filter, EQ, stereo panner.
- Utilities: level and correlation metering, audio oscilloscope, MIDI capture, MIDI logger, notepad.
Mela can be loaded inside a host as one of the following plug-in types: Instrument, Audio Effect or MIDI Processor. The only difference 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, allowing you to test out Mela's features. Other collections can be purchased via in-app purchases. Every Mela 6.x update will add new modules to Collection 4. You only need to purchase it once. The following is a list of all modules.
Collection 0:
Amp Envelope, Arpeggiator, Audio In, Audio Out, Group, LFO, Meter, MIDI In, MIDI Out, MIDI-to-Poly, Notepad, Overlap Remover, Poly-to-Audio, 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, 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:
All Pass, Audio-to-Mod, Correlation, Digital Delay, Dual Pan, Euclid, Macro Button, Mid-Side, Multiply-Add, Noise Gate, Note Chance, Note Event, Phase Inverter, Pitch Follower, Reverb, Ring Mod, Simple LFO, Stereo Pan.
Collection 4:
Delay, Effect, Feedback, Groove, Layer, MIDI Delay, Note-to-Pitch, Note Pulse, Quantiser, Vel-to-Amp.
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
Tutorials: nikolozi.com/mela/tutorials
Changelog: nikolozi.com/mela/changelog
FAQ: nikolozi.com/mela/faq
Mela Classic vs Mela: nikolozi.com/mela/getting-started/#5-mela-classic-vs-mela
Group Module
- The module graduated from Mela Lab.
- It has also moved to Collection 0 from Collection 4, meaning it's now unlocked for all users.
- Added "Group" and "Ungroup" menu items to the module's actions menu.
- Group Action: Moves the module into a new Group module instance.
- Ungroup Action: Replaces the Group module with the modules arranged in its sublane.
Quantiser Module
- The module moves MIDI notes forward to the next grid division for tighter timing.
- Sync Parameter: Defines the quantisation grid.
- Slack Parameter: Set how far a note can stray from the nearest grid division before quantisation occurs, with no notes moved at 100%.
- Pull Parameter: Sets how strongly quantised notes are pulled toward the next grid division, fully snapping them to the grid at 100%.
- Note Shift Parameter: When enabled, quantised notes keep their original duration by delaying note-off events. When disabled, note-off events remain unchanged, and notes ending before their quantised start time are removed.
- Quantiser is part of Collection 4.
Groove Module
- The module transforms a straight beat into a dynamic rhythm with accents and a shuffle feel.
- Sync Parameter: Sets the timing grid for accents and shuffle.
- Accent Parameter: Sets the amount of accent applied to notes at odd grid positions.
- Shuffle Parameter: Sets the delay amount for notes at even grid positions, creating a swing or shuffle feel.
- Groove is a Mela Lab module and part of Collection 4.
Overlap Remover Module
- The module shortens an active note when a new note with the same MIDI channel and pitch begins, ensuring the earlier note ends first.
- It's useful for preventing an earlier note's note-off event from disrupting a synth's playback of the latest note-on event.
- Log: The view displays the last 8 shortened notes.
- Overlap Remover is part of Collection 0.
Improvements
- Feedback Module: Changed Level parameter's range from [0%, 100%] to [-100%, 100%] to allow negative feedback amounts.
- Feedback Module: Added the Level parameter, which sets the amount of the feedback Audio signal merged with the signal passing through.
- Lanes: Added option to insert a new lane pre-configured with Signal Router modules.
- Lane Configurations: Empty, Audio In/Out, MIDI In/Out, Instrument, Mono Instrument, Audio In, Audio Out, MIDI In, MIDI Out.
Fixes
- Fixed a memory leak caused by the popover menu triggered by the plus button at the end of each lane.
- Fixed a rare crash when moving a module from one lane to a sublane of a module in another lane.
