Nikolozi

The Mela 6.2 is a significant update, making the app fully native on macOS by moving away from MacCatalyst. It offers improved stability on macOS, particularly when used as an AUv3 plug-in within a host. It also introduces three new modules—Layer, Effect, and Group—replacing the Sublane module. The simplest of the three, the Group module lets you group a sequence of modules using its sublane. The Effect module enables you to create self-contained custom audio effects by providing a Wet Path sublane along Dry and Wet level controls. Finally, the Layer module lets you easily create synth layers, where each layer can have independent processors such as filters, amp envelopes, panners, and pitch transposition.

Tutorials

In the following video, I explain how Mela’s Group and Effect modules work.

In the following video, I demonstrate how you can use Mela’s Layer module to easily create synth layers.

Mela 6.2 Changelog

The Mela 6.2 is a significant update, making the app fully native on macOS by moving away from MacCatalyst. It offers improved stability on macOS, particularly when used as an AUv3 plug-in within a host. It also introduces three new modules—Layer, Effect, and Group—replacing the Sublane module.

Layer Module

• Layer module lets you create an audio layer easily using its sublane.
• The sublane takes non-Audio signals, MIDI and Pitch or Poly (non-Audio components), as input.
• The output Audio signal (or the Audio components of the Poly signal) is the sum of the module’s input and the sublane’s output.
• All other signal types pass through unchanged.
• While the sublane can transform a copy of the MIDI and Pitch input signals, those aren’t merged at the output, unlike the Audio signals.
• The module allows you to create synth layers, where each layer can have independent processors such as filters, amp envelopes, panners, and pitch transposition.
• The Volume parameter controls the volume applied to the sublane’s output before the Audio signal summing.
• Layer is a Mela Lab module and part of Collection 4.

Effect Module

• Effect module lets you create self-contained custom audio effects.
• Its sublane, called Wet Path, receives a copy of the module’s input signals.
• The output Audio signal (or the Audio components of the Poly signal) is the mix of the module’s input and the sublane’s output.
• While the sublane can transform a copy of the MIDI and Pitch input signals, those aren’t merged at the output, unlike the Audio signals.
• The Dry parameter controls the level applied to the module’s input before the Audio signal summing.
• The Wet parameter controls the level applied to the sublane’s output before the Audio signal summing.
• Effect is a Mela Lab module and part of Collection 4.

Group Module

• Group module lets you group a sequence of modules using its sublane.
• It allows you to move the submodules together or bypass them at once.
• The module’s input signals are passed to the sublane.
• The sublane’s output signals are passed to the module’s output.
• Group modules can be nested.
• Group is a Mela Lab module and part of Collection 4.

Improvements

• Glide: The module now handles non-Poly signals, i.e. it functions properly when following a Note-to-Pitch module.
• Oscillators: The VA and DS Oscillator modules, along with the VPS Oscillator, will no longer animate changes to the Level parameter, except when its sign changes (positive to negative or vice versa). This adjustment improves visibility, as it’s harder to observe how other parameters influence the waveform shape when the Level is near zero.
• DS Oscillator: The module now has the same layout as the VPS Oscillator.
• DS Oscillator: The module now handles zero pitch signal gracefully.
• Preset Browser: On macOS and iPad, you can now secondary-click on a preset to show the context menu instead of the long-press gesture.
• Presets: When the plug-in state is saved or loaded, the “name” field now sets or retrieves the preset name. This ensures that in hosts like Logic Pro, which store presets outside Mela’s file container, the name shown in Mela matches the name of the preset loaded from the host.
• Factory Presets: Updated the “All Pass Phaser” preset, adding feedback.
• Factory Presets: The “Glide Riser” preset demonstrates the use of a Glide module to create a pitch riser effect.
• UI: Removed the close buttons from the popovers, as they were redundant. Tap/Click outside to dismiss them.
• UI: The About view is now a popover and follows the zoom setting.

Fixes

• MIDI Delay: Fixed a bug where MIDI messages were delayed by twice the amount of the set tempo-sync value.
• Preset Browser: Fixed a bug where long-pressing a preset shown in search results would sometimes display a wrong context menu.
• Polyphony: Fixed an issue where the Reuse and Release settings were not set in the audio engine.
• Polyphony: Fixed MIDI-to-Poly’s voice alignment not working for the same MIDI input in some cases.
• Modulation: Fixed modulation not working correctly for the modules inserted after a module causing a Poly-to-Audio signal collapse.
• Fixed Note Chance appearing twice in the module insert menu.

I release updates regularly, guided by user feedback and Mela’s long-term vision. Along with the Getting Started guide, you might find the Tutorials, Changelog, and FAQ helpful. For bug reports or feature requests, visit Mela Feedback. Feel free to get in touch anytime.

Grab Mela from the App Store.