Nikolozi

Mela 6.6 introduces several powerful new features. Starting with the Group module: it lets you group a sequence of modules using its sublane. Now, the module offers 4 modes. The signal flow between the containing lane and the sublane depends on the selected mode: Insert, Isolate, Split, or Merge. Each mode has its use case. Check out the module help for more details. Speaking of signal flow, Mela’s Audio Buses now support Poly Audio. The Feedback module is also more capable, with its settable hard clipper threshold and clip indicator.

The new Note Hold module lets you toggle notes on and off using only note-on events. It blocks note-off MIDI events and converts every second note-on event of a given note into a note-off event. Its Hold parameter can be automated or modulated creatively.

There are many other enhancements and improvements in this update, including MIDI Source’s new Flip-Flop on Note-On mode, which makes the modulation signal toggle between 0 % and 100 % on each note-on event.

There’s a lot more to this update. For the full details, check out the Changelog.

Latest Tutorials

The following video gives a quick overview of the new features in Mela 6.6, including the Note Hold module, enhancements to the Feedback module, new Group modes, various UI improvements, Poly Audio buses, and the Flip-Flop modulation signal.

The following video shows how and when to use the Group module’s Insert and Isolate modes, introduced in Mela 6.6.

The following video shows how and when to use the Group module’s Split and Merge, introduced in Mela 6.6.

The following video explores the Feedback module enhancements in Mela 6.6, covering the new settable hard clipper threshold, clip indicator, and tips for using them effectively.

Mela 6.6 Changelog

Group Module

• The Group module is now even more versatile.
• The module lets you group a sequence of modules using its sublane.
• The signal flow between the containing lane and the sublane depends on the selected mode: Insert, Isolate, Split, or Merge.
• The module actions menu icon displays the current mode instead of the ellipsis used by other modules.
• Tapping it opens a menu to change the mode and access standard module actions.

Insert Mode

• The Group module passes its input signals to the sublane and forwards the sublane’s output to its output.
• Ideal for organising modules.

Isolate Mode

• The Group module doesn’t provide input to the sublane and ignores its output.
• The module input and output remain identical.
• Ideal for creating an independent sublane that appears inline with the containing lane.
• For example, it can be used for generating an envelope follower signal from a side-chain input.

Split Mode

• The Group module forwards a copy of the input signals to its sublane and ignores its output.
• The module input and output remain identical.
• Ideal for pre-processing signals before sending them to Audio Out, MIDI Out, or Envelope Follower modules.

Merge Mode

• The Group module doesn’t provide any input to the sublane, but merges the sublane’s output signals with the module’s input.
• The module’s MIDI output is a merge of its input and the sublane’s output MIDI signals.
• The Audio output is the sum of the module’s input and the sublane’s output signals.
• The output signal is Poly only if both the module’s input and the sublane’s output are Poly.
• Ideal for pre-processing signals coming from Audio In, Feedback, or MIDI In modules before merging.

Poly Buses

• Audio buses in Mela now support Poly signals.
• This means the Audio In, Audio Out, and Feedback modules can send and receive Poly Audio signals.
• If a bus sender or receiver module isn’t receiving a Poly signal as input, the bus signal collapses to Stereo Audio at the receiver before merging with the lane Audio signal.

Note Hold Module

• The Note Hold module blocks note-off MIDI events and converts every second note-on event of a given note into a note-off event.
• Hold Parameter: When turned off, all held notes are released, and new events pass through the module. You can automate or modulate this parameter as needed.
• Notes View: The view displays up to 9 held notes. If there are more, an ellipsis symbol appears.
• Note Hold is part of Collection 4.

Feedback Module

• The built-in hard clipper threshold can now be set to +6, +12, or +24 dBFS.
• In most cases, +6 dBFS is recommended, but higher thresholds can be useful. For example, when creating a phaser effect with feedback.
• The new clip indicator shows when the clipper is triggered. If you’re not using clipping creatively, adjust parameters to avoid activation.
• The Level parameter range has been changed to [–100, +100] %.
• Like the Digital Delay module, it now flushes noise below -160 dBFS to prevent buildup from the digital noise floor.
• To prevent a circular dependency, the Feedback module does not collapse the incoming Poly Audio signal even if the signal received from the bus is non-Poly. This differs from the behaviour of the Audio In module.
• The module has graduated from Mela Lab and is now under the Signal Router category.

Other Changes

• Group & Stack: The Mode parameters are now treated as internal, meaning they can’t be modulated within Mela or automated from the host.
• Stack Module: Passthru mode renamed to Isolate to better reflect its behaviour.
• Lanes: Group modules used as lanes are always in Isolate mode. Turning a Group module into a lane automatically sets its Mode parameter to Isolate.
• MIDI Source: In the new “Flip-Flop on Note-On” mode, the modulation signal toggles between 0% and 100% on each note-on event.
• Overlap Remover: Now has a more consistent look with Note Hold.
• Overlap Remover: Improved the Log view to make it clearer when new notes are removed, even if they match a previous pattern.
• Overlap Remover: Now clears its history when it receives a MIDI panic message.
• Modules: Since modules can be freely renamed, the module type may not always be clear. To address this, the action menu now displays the module’s type.
• Modules: The add module menu now displays the name of the parent module.
• Pop-up Lists: On macOS, the selected item title is now properly aligned with unselected items.
• Logic Pro for Mac: Enabled parameter smoothing even when Logic’s Sample Accurate Automation is on, as its callback rate is much lower than the sample rate, causing zipper noise.
• Factory Presets: Updated the “All Pass Phaser” preset and added a new preset called “Subtle Phaser”.

I release updates regularly, guided by user feedback and Mela’s long-term vision. Along with the User 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.