Nikolozi has updated Mela, available as a FREE download with optional in-app purchases.
What’s new in version 7.9:
This update focuses on simplifying patch management and reinforcing Mela’s “everything is a module” philosophy. As Mela has evolved, Presets, Preset Groups, and the Preset Browser have become better described as Patches, Folders, and the Library. The toolbar, preset selector, and root Stack module have also been unified into a single design, making it clearer that a patch is simply the root module and everything contained within it.
- Root Module
- The root module sidebar is now presenteo as a header.
- The header combines the functionality previously spread across the toolbar, preset selector. and Global view.
- Root module remotes now collapse into the header when the patch is scrolled
- Tapping the patch name. which is also the root module name now turns it into an editable text field for renaming,
- The patch name can now be dragged and dropped to another instance, the Librarv, or Files/Finder to export the active patch
- The root module, or active patch, now offers Init, Copv, Paste, Revert, and Delete actions.
- Init removes all lanes and initialises the patch name to “Untitled”
- Copy copies the root module as a patch to the clipboard
- Paste replaces the root module with a patch from the clipboard
- Revert discards changes made to the active patch by restoring its original state
- Delete removes the patch from the Library – The Save Patch button now provides single- action save behaviour.
- Long pressing the Save Patch button presents additional actions such as “Save to” and “Export”
- The filled save icon indicates that there are no unsaved chanqes.
- The folder containing the active patch is now displaved below the patch name
- If the active patch is not linked to a file or the Library, “Detached”‘ is displayed below the patch name,
- Renaming the active patch unlinks it from the Library, allowing it to be saved under a new name.
- Mela now automatically relinks restored host states to their corresponding Library patches and indicates whether unsaved changes exist
- Toolbar buttons move into an overflow menu when there is insufficient width.
- The file menu has been updated to match the root module actions.
- Replaced the preset selector help text with a new “Patches” section in the Getting Started quide.
- Library and Patches
- The Library UI has been refreshed to complement the new root module design
- Its toolbar includes buttons for selecting the previous and next patch.
- Mela plug-in no longer loads the Default patch when instantiated
- New instances now start with a blank patch, and the Library scrolled to the relevant folder.
- The previous Default patch can be found in the Keys, Audio FX, and MIDI FX folders.
- Deleting an empty folder no longer requires confirmation.
- Renamed the Parts folder to Subpatches.
- Other Changes – Library and toolbar buttons once a jain scale with the zoom setting. – Improved the layout of actions in module menus. – Patch and module names can no longer contain filename-unsafe characters.
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 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 76 modules, with new ones added with every update. The following are some examples from different categories.
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. 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, Band Pass, Correlation, Digital Delay, Dual Pan, Euclid, Macro Button, Mid-Side, Multiply-Add, Noise Gate, Note Chance, Note Event, Pitch Follower, Reverb, Ring Mod, Simple LFO, Stereo Pan, Stereo Tool.
- Collection 4: Crossover, Delay, Effect, Feedback, Groove, MIDI Delay, Note-to-Pitch, Note Hold, Note Pulse, Quantiser, Stack, Vel-to-Amp.
- Collection 5: CC Modulator, Frequency Shifter, Limiter, Mod Oscilloscope, Mod Steps, Slew, Unison, MIDI Echo, XY.
Mela is available to iOS and MacOS users (AUv3).
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