The Mela 4.2 update ships with 2 new main features, the Comb Filter Module and Hard Sync synthesis. The new module combines the feedback and feedfoward comb filters into one design that offers a lot of flexibility. It can be used to create audio effects like resonators, flangers and choruses. The VA Oscillator module is even more versatile, the classic waveforms gain the new Sync parameter. It allows you to set the hard sync amount to up to 16x, spanning 4 octaves.

Check out the latest video and changelog for the full details about this update.

Why should I get Mela? What’s so special about it?

I saw a few people around the web ask this question. I thought I’d address it here. Simply put, Mela is a modular music-making tool that scales with your needs. Expanding this, its 3 core strengths are:

1. Mela is Visual and Modular. With its intuitive interface, you can seamlessly build fully custom monophonic synthesisers, unique audio effects, and complex MIDI processors. 

2. Mela Scales. It can be a core part of your system or be used as a small utility to let you perform niche tasks. Mela can run as a standalone app or as multiple plug-in instances in a host, on macOS and iOS.

3. Mela has Great Support. Its capabilities continuously improve, evolve and expand. A new version of Mela comes out every few weeks with new features and modules designed around user feedback.

Mela 4.2 Changelog

Comb Filter Module: The new module combines the feedback and feedfoward comb filters into one design that offers a lot of flexibility, aka a universal comb filter. Depending on the Blend, Feedback and Feedforward parameter values, and the type of modulation applied to the Frequency parameter the module can be used to create many types of audio effects, such as feedback and feedforward comb filters, delay, all pass filter, resonator, doubler, chorus, flanger, slapback, vibrato and phaser.

The comb filter cutoff frequency can be thought of as the inverse of the time interval by which the signal is delayed. The parameter is in the [19.5, 19968] range, which spans exactly 10 octaves. The default value is the frequency of the middle C note. This means the module can be used as a resonator if you modulate it using the MIDI Source that has its input set to Key Track and the target modulation amount to 100%. Simply set the input to receive a short burst of noise when you play a MIDI note and have fun.

VA Oscillator Sync:

• The VA Oscillator module now supports hard sync for the classic waveform types (Saw, Sine, Square, Triangle).
• The Sync parameter has the [1x, 16x] range, spanning 4 octaves.

UI Improvements:

• The Preset Browser no longer scrolls vertically with the modules. It stays pinned at the top.
• Modules in lanes are now always left-aligned, even when the number of modules isn’t enough to fill up the horizontal width of the plug-in window.
• Replaced the thin space Unicode character with the hair space one in between the parameter value and unit.
• In Logic Pro for iPad, fixed the animation issues occurring when the plug-in window was being resized.

Other Changes:

• Fixed an issue where Mela would assign an invalid value to the list type parameter (e.g. LFO’s Sync) which was MIDI-controlled by AUM.
• Fixed the Note Echo module ignoring the input note MIDI channel information and outputting notes with MIDI channels all set to 1.
• Due to a bug in the Core Audio API, added a workaround for hosts seeing the old parameter tree after loading the plug-in state.
• Fixed the Control Change module generating MIDI messages with the channel value set to 15 when the module’s Channel parameter was set to 16.
• Added new presets showcasing new features.

To learn more about Mela, check out the Getting Started document, Changelog, FAQ or What’s New in Mela? YouTube playlist. To report bugs or make feature requests visit the Mela Feedback site. For other support queries directly get in touch.

Grab Mela 4 from the App Store.