Changelog

Follow up on the latest improvements and updates.

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5.1

This update primarily focuses on internal changes to transition away from Mac Catalyst and towards becoming a fully native macOS app. The goal is to enhance Mela's performance on macOS and address bugs specific to Mac Catalyst. Due to the scope of this change, the transition will occur over several updates.
Mela 5.1
Node Pad Module:
  • Introducing a new module for simple note-taking purposes.
  • It serves as a tool for describing presets or jotting down session notes.
  • The module supports limited Markdown features for text formatting: regular, bold, italic, strikethrough, monospaced, and links.
  • Artists, creating and distributing Mela presets, can utilise it to provide detailed information about how to best use a given preset, along with links to their websites and social media.
  • A new preset called Session Notes in the Audio FX group features the Note Pad module.
  • The Note Pad module is part of Collection 3.
UI Zoom:
  • Mela's UI can now be scaled.
  • Supported zoom levels: 75%, 100%, 125%, and 150%.
  • The zoom setting can be found in Settings under the Look & Feel section.
Other Changes:
  • Mela on macOS now utilises "Optimize for Mac" Catalyst mode instead of "Scaled to Match iPad".
  • Improved transition animation between the Restore Purchases button's glyph and spinner.
  • The Restore Purchases button now displays a spinner when processing the request.
  • The Restore Purchases button is no longer displayed if the user owns all module collections.

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5.0

As part of the 5.0 update Mela's business model is changing. Major versions will no longer be released as separate apps but instead, Mela 5 will simply replace Mela 4. This will allow Mela to retain its App Store ranking as well as user reviews. You'll just receive updates without needing to look for the next major version on the App Store.
New Business Model:
  • Mela will become a free downloadable app on the App Store.
  • Modules are now organised into collections.
  • Collection 0 is free, providing new users with the opportunity to test out Mela's features.
  • Collections 1 to 3 can be purchased via in-app purchases.
  • Collections 1 and 2 contain all modules that shipped with Mela 4.x updates and therefore they will be unlocked for free to the Mela 4 users.
  • Collection 3 contains new modules and more will be added as part of Mela 5.x updates.
  • That means you can purchase it now and have new modules appear unlocked as they become available.
  • All other feature updates will be free, including updates to the modules you already own.
  • If you are a Mela 4 user and for some reason don't see Collections 1 and 2 unlocked tap on "Restore Purchases".
  • If you experience any issues please get in touch and I'll try to sort it out promptly.
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Digital Delay Module:
  • A delay effect with straight repeats and ping-pong options.
  • You can let the delayed signal accumulate by setting the Feedback parameter above 100%.
  • To keep it under control the feedback signal is hard-clipped above +6dBFS.
  • The Clip indicator will light up when this happens.
  • This feature can be used creatively to achieve interesting results.
  • The delay time is tempo-syncable with the usual parameter controls.
  • The feedback signal goes through low-pass and high-pass filters before it's sent to the output.
Simple LFO Module:
  • Simple LFO is a simplified version of the LFO and Random modules.
  • The waveform options include all classic shapes as well as Random Glide and Random Hold.
  • The modulation signal only retriggers on note-on events if the module is inserted on an instrument lane. On MIDI and audio lanes, it's free running.
  • Depending on the selected waveform, the signal is either unipolar or bipolar.
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Dual Pan Module:
  • The module lets you pan left and right channel signals independently.
  • It can be used to create interesting stereo effects.
  • The module is also useful for swapping stereo channels or converting a stereo signal to mono.
Mid-Side Module:
  • The module lets you control the mid-side balance of a stereo signal.
  • It can be used to process mid and side signals separately before recombining them.
  • At 0%, the signal is passed through unaltered.
  • At -100%, the side signal is removed, and only the mid signal is output.
  • At +100%, the mid signal is removed, and only the side signal is output.
  • Note that converting the side signal to mono will result in silence.
Stereo Pan Module:
  • The module lets you position left and right channel signals in the stereo field.
  • Its Pan parameter sets the centre position of the stereo spread, whereas the Spread parameter sets the maximum stereo spread amount.
  • The panner graph displays where the left and right channels are placed in the stereo field.
  • Drag it horizontally or vertically to adjust the Pan or Spread parameter correspondingly. Double-tap the graph to reset the parameters to their default values.
Phase Inverter Module:
  • The module lets you invert the phase of the left and right channels independently.
Balance Module:
  • Renamed the Panner module to Balance.
  • While the module acts like a panner for mono signals, for stereo it simply adjusts levels of left and right signals.
  • You can use the new Stereo Pan or Dual Pan module for true stereo panning.
Other Changes:
  • The "Get in touch" and "Email Nikolozi" buttons now offer 3 options to contact me: Open Mail App, Copy Email Address and Use Online Form.
  • The Open Mail App option will launch your system's default mail client.
  • The module help view's footer now displays its release date as well as the collection the module is part of.
  • Added some presets to the Audio FX group.
  • Improved the look of graphs of various modules.
  • Adjusted the thickness of the parameter title and value fonts.
  • Adjusted the help view's font styles.
  • Updated the Getting Started document.
  • Renamed the Filter module to VA Filter. The new name is more descriptive.
  • Fixed an issue where drag-and-drop modulation didn't work with the modules that were on a duplicated lane.
  • Mela plug-ins were renamed to Mela 5. If Logic Pro for Mac is still showing Mela 4 run Full Audio Unit Reset via Logic Pro's Plug-in Manager.
  • Removed the workaround for error alerts for macOS / MacCatalyst, as it's no longer required.
  • Fixed modules' content being slightly off-centre.

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4.8

The Mela 4.8 update mostly focused on improving the internals of the app as well as added workarounds for some UI performance issues caused by hosts such as Logic Pro for Mac/iPad. Many changes have been made to the program code to future-proof Mela and make it easier to build new features on top. Of course, future versions will continue to improve the internals and there will be more optimisation work alongside new features. Note that this version dropped support for iOS 16 and macOS 13 to maximally optimise Mela for iOS 17 and macOS 14.
Drag-and-Drop Support and Other Modulation Enhancements:
  • It's now possible to view and edit a parameter's modulator sources and their modulation intensities from a single view. Simply tap its title/value area and select Edit Modulation from the pop-up menu.
  • The modulator modules now have a draggle target icon. Simply hold it for a split second and then drag and drop it onto a parameter's title/value area. The Edit Modulation popover will appear with the modulator added as one of the sources.
  • The modulator modules now sort module names alphabetically in the modulation target pop-up lists.
Other Changes:
  • Added the Replace item to the module's action menu. Now you can replace a module using one action instead of needing to remove an existing module followed by inserting another.
  • Added support for the Poly Aftertouch to the MIDI Source module. When the MIDI Source module is on an instrument lane it generates a polyphonic modulation signal.
  • The name of a lane is now generated based on the lane type as well as the index of that type. e.g. "Instrument 2" instead of "Lane 3".
  • Made animation durations shorter for various control interactions to make things feel snappier.
  • Renamed the Perform menu item to Edit Perform to match the Edit Modulation’s naming style.
  • Many other small interface tweaks and improvements.
  • Fixed an issue where the max values of Sync parameters weren’t set correctly internally.
  • Fixed the tempo text field not working correctly in standalone mode.
  • Added new presets.

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4.7

This update adds full Polyphony support to Mela 4, allowing you to build custom polyphonic synthesisers easily.
A Quick Guide to Polyphony:
  • An Instrument lane takes a MIDI signal as input and converts it to a polyphonic signal which is simply a set of independent voices.
  • A voice consists of note-on/off information as well as Pitch and Audio signals.
  • At the end of an Instrument lane, the audio signals from the voices are summed and sent to the output.
  • Modulators on either Audio or MIDI lanes act like monophonic sources whereas modulators on Instrument lanes generate polyphonic modulation signals.
  • Depending on what type of lane the target modules are on we get 3 possible configurations: poly-to-poly (this includes mono-to-mono), mono-to-poly and poly-to-mono.
  • With the mono-to-poly configuration, the same modulation signal will be applied to all voices that the target module is processing.
  • With the poly-to-poly configuration, there will be 1-to-1 mapping with the modulation source and target voice.
  • With the poly-to-mono configuration, the last triggered voice's modulation signal will be used as the source.
  • For the full details check out Mela’s Getting Started guide.
Polyphony Settings:
  • These settings define voice allocation rules and are stored as part of the preset.
  • You can set the maximum number of active voices.
  • You can also set whether to reuse a voice if its associated note is the same as the newest note or always follow the Voice Priority setting. The latter makes it possible to have multiple voices playing the same note.
  • The Voice Priority setting prioritises voice allocation based on whether the note is newest, oldest, lowest or highest.
Voice Activity Module:
  • The new Voice Activity module lets you monitor voice allocation in real-time.
  • The module displays MIDI information as well as audio levels of each voice.
  • The MIDI information includes note name, velocity and release velocity.
Module & Lane Actions:
  • Added the "Duplicate" menu item to the module's actions menu.
  • Duplicating modulator modules also duplicates the modulation targets.
  • Added the "Duplicate" menu item to the lane's actions menu.
  • After duplicating a lane, a duplicate of a modulator module will have the same modulation targets, except for those targets whose modules were on the same lane as the original modulator. Those will be replaced with the corresponding targets from the duplicated lane.
  • Added "Convert to > Audio/Instrument/MIDI" menu items to the lane's actions menu.
  • This makes it easier to modify presets, especially when trying to make existing presets polyphonic.
  • Note this action removes incompatible modules and sets input and/or output fields to off.
Backwards Compatibility:
  • The following modules will no longer be supported on Instrument lanes: Chorus, Compressor, Envelope Follower, Flanger, Phaser, Stereo Delay and Oscilloscope.
  • These modules will only be insertable on Audio lanes.
  • The presets created pre-polyphony will continue to work in a compatibility mode.
  • Note that this limitation is introduced as users generally wouldn't want an instance of such audio effects on each voice.
Presets:
  • Split "Synth" preset group in "Leads", "Pads", "Bass", "Keys" and "Synth FX".
  • Migrated existing factory presets for v4.7. Those that made sense to be polyphonic were converted.
  • Added new factory presets.
  • Added "Open Recent", "Save Preset" and "Save & Export" items under the File menu for the standalone mode.
  • You can use the keyboard shortcuts Command-S to save and Command-E to export the current preset on iPadOS and macOS.
  • The Instrument plug-in's Default preset is now polyphonic.
Other Changes:
  • Envelope Generator now highlights the active segment.
  • Fixed the Meter module displaying an inaccurate value for max peak.
  • Fixed a bug where renaming a module would cause its animation to freeze or refresh at a lower frame rate, such as an LFO graph.
  • Made MIDI Source’s Smoothing parameter to default to 0ms. For most cases, Velocity and Key Track ramping doesn't make sense.
  • Some minor performance tweaks.
  • Updated the Getting Started guide.

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4.6

This update introduces 3 new digital distortion modules to help you add some dirt and filth to your sound.
Clipper Module:
  • The Clipper module offers the following selection of clip distortion algorithms: Soft, Hard, Fold and Wrap.
  • Its Drive parameter sets the amount of gain applied to the input signal. The Volume module can be inserted pre and post Clipper to control the signal gain further.
Degrader Module:
  • The Degrader module distorts the signal by reducing its sample rate and bit depth.
  • Its Clock and Bits parameters control the sample rate and bit depth of the output signal.
  • The Mix parameter sets the effect dry/wet mix amount.
Rectifier Module:
  • The Rectifier module introduces asymmetric digital distortion to the signal.
  • The Rectify parameter sets the amount of asymmetry introduced to the negative portion of the signal.
  • At 50%, the effect is equivalent to half-wave and at 100%, full-wave rectification.
  • The DC Offset parameter sets the amount of DC offset added to the signal. This can be especially useful when a Rectifier module is followed by another non-linear processor.
Sinusoid Graphs:
  • All 3 modules have a graph that displays how a sinusoid with a unity amplitude would be transformed by its module given the parameters. Drag it horizontally or vertically to adjust the module parameters. Double-tap the graph to reset the parameters to their default values.
Other Changes:
  • Fixed the DC Blocker module's graph view incorrectly showing twice the actual DC offset value.
  • Added presets showcasing new features.

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4.5

EQ Band Module:
The new EQ Band module offers a selection of 2nd order filter types: Bell, Low Shelf, Low Cut, High Shelf, High Cut, Notch and Band Pass. It comes with standard parameters: Frequency, Gain and Q.
Comb Filter Module:
The module has the new Mode parameter which allows you to set the signal delay amount of the delay line in terms of frequency, time or the input Pitch signal. Depending on the type of effect you are trying to create one mode might be preferable over others.
When set to Time mode the Frequency parameter is replaced by the Time L and Time R parameters. These parameters set the time interval by which the left and right channels of the audio signal are delayed. And unlike the Frequency parameter, their value range is linear. Making them suitable for audio effects like Chorus, Doubler and Flanger.
When set to Pitch mode, the delay amount is controlled by the incoming Pitch signal. This mode is ideal when using the comb filter as an oscillator. Simply send short noise pulses on note-on events into the module.
Other Changes:
  • Added the Hold parameter to the Envelope Follower module.
  • Made internal improvements to the Envelope Follower module.
  • Added the Min and Max parameters to the Velocity module. The module will clamp the velocity of the note-on events to the range defined by these parameters.
  • The modulator intensity dials now show modulation rings when they are being modulated.
  • Added new presets.

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4.4

VPS Module:
The new oscillator module uses the Vector Phaseshaping synthesis algorithm, which is a generalisation of the classic Phase Distortion (PD) method. With its Skew and Formants parameters, you can create a lot of interesting waveforms.
When the Formants parameter is set to 50% the module behaves like a classic PD oscillator. Setting Skew closer to 0% or 100% turns the sinusoid into a saw-like shape. When the parameter value is very close to these extremes you may hear some aliasing. The aliasing could be considered part of the appeal of the classic PD sound, so experiment with it to taste. You can also use the Key Track as a modulation source to deal with aliasing for higher-pitched notes.
When the Formants parameter is set to a value closer to either 0% or 100% the waveform shape becomes pulse-like. Modulate the Skew parameter to achieve the PWM-style effect. When the Formants parameter value is above 100% you will start hearing formants as the module starts squeezing more sinusoid cycles in a single oscillator cycle. Modulate the parameter for interesting effects.
The module's graph displays the waveform the oscillator is generating. It responds to the horizontal and vertical drag gestures to control the Skew and Formants parameters. The dashed line behind the waveform shows how the phase of the sinusoid is distorted. The line starts at the 0% phase and ends at 100%. When both the Skew and Formants parameters are set to 50%, the line is straight, indicating that the sinusoid is not distorted. Adjusting either of these parameters creates a breakpoint, introducing phase distortion. The Skew and Formants parameters set the (x,y) coordinates of the breakpoint.
MIDI Capture Module:
The new MIDI Capture module records all incoming MIDI messages into a MIDI file that you can drag and drop into the host or the Files app. The module is especially useful when you have a complex MIDI processor chain in your host or Mela that you want to render into a plain MIDI file for further editing.
Other Changes:
  • Improved the waveform generation algorithm for the VA Oscillator module.
  • Oscillators now only reset their phases on non-legato note-on events.
  • Intensity dials' drag gesture behaviour reverted to be consistent with the other dials. i.e. to change the value of the parameter you need to perform a vertical drag gesture.
  • Renamed the Logger module to MIDI Logger.
  • Updated the Getting Started with Mela document.
  • Added new presets.

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4.3

Lanes:
  • Module lanes are now grouped visually.
  • You can now drag and drop lanes to rearrange them, just as you do with the modules.
  • The Move Up/Down lane actions have been removed in favour of the drag-and-drop functionality.
  • The lane I/O section, aka lane header, that used to be located at the leading edge of the lane is now moved to the top.
  • Lanes can be collapsed or expanded by tapping the chevron symbol on the left or the title button.
  • Long pressing on the chevron icon gives you the option to Expand or Collapse all lanes.
  • Now it's visually clearer when a module can not be dropped to an incompatible lane.
Perform View:
  • Removed the border around the Perform View to fit better with the rest of the UI changes.
  • Perform View dials are now always laid out on a single row. The view becomes horizontally scrollable if the plug-in window is not wide enough
  • The Perform View now animates changes whenever it's updated.
DC Blocker Module:
  • The DC Blocker module removes DC offset from the input audio signal.
  • Processes like ring modulation or asymmetric distortion can introduce a DC component to the audio signal. Use the module to filter it out.
  • The module has a graph, which visually indicates the magnitude of the DC component present in the input audio signal.
  • Note that, if a module introduces some DC offset you may not always want to remove it straight away and might make sense to insert the DC Blocker module further down the processing chain. For example, distorting a signal with a DC component will produce a different sound compared to the balanced signal.
MIDI Channel Module:
  • The new MIDI processor module lets you control the channels of the incoming MIDI messages.
  • In Filter mode, the module blocks messages whose channel values don't match the specified value.
  • In Modify mode, all messages pass through with their channels converted to the specified value.
Other Changes:
  • Added Module renaming. The new name is reflected in all modulator targets as well as in the parameter tree that hosts observe for automation purposes.
  • The Intensity dials (the capsule-shaped ones) will now only respond to horizontal drag gestures. All other dials will only respond to vertical drag gestures.
  • You will now be able to adjust dials and sliders more precisely. The further you move your finger from the UI element, in the orthogonal direction of the controlling gesture, the finer the control will become.
  • Added padding to the virtual musical keyboard on macOS to improve the look and feel.
  • Added new presets.
  • Fixed the Chord module blocking the drop functionality when another module was dragged on top.
  • Fixed a bug where modulator graphs would freeze or update very slowly due to a memory leak.

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4.2

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.

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4.1

DS Oscillator Module:
  • This module is based on a distortion synthesis technique.
  • You can morph the waveform between a square and a sawtooth using the Shape parameter.
  • You can adjust the harmonic richness of the waveform using the Harmonics parameter.
  • The module graph displays the waveform the oscillator is generating.
  • Drag the graph horizontally to adjust the Shape parameter or vertically to adjust the Harmonics parameter.
  • Double-tap the graph to reset the waveform to the default shape.
  • In Mela 2-3, this oscillator was known as "Pitch Dist", but the new module name describes the algorithm more accurately.
Vibrato Module:
  • The Pitch Processor module applies vibrato to the input Pitch signal.
  • It's driven by a sinusoid LFO which retriggers on every note-on event only if no other notes are held.
  • The LFO's rate can be tempo synced or set in hertz.
  • The module can be inserted either on the Audio or Instrument lane.
Pitch Ratio Module:
  • The Pitch Processor module modifies the input Pitch signal by multiplying it by a ratio of 2 integers. This is especially useful for ring and frequency modulation synthesis.
  • The Ratio control displays the resulting ratio multiplier that's applied to the input Pitch signal.
  • The ratio is simplified by reducing the numerator and denominator to coprime numbers.
  • Tapping on the control gives you the option to quickly set the ratio to one of the common musical intervals.
Pitch Bend Module:
  • The Pitch Processor module transposes the input Pitch signal according to the Pitch Bend MIDI messages it receives.
  • Its parameters allow you to set positive and negative transpositions to have different values.
  • The module displays the current Pitch Bend value in semitones as well as provides visual indicators for the Pitch Wheel position.
MIDI Source Module:
  • All MIDI CC messages are now supported by MIDI Source.
  • The module now also supports Release Velocity.
  • The Input parameter's "Random" value was renamed to "Random on Note-on" to improve clarity.
  • Added the Smoothing parameter, which is useful for smoothing out the discontinuities in the modulation signal generated from the incoming MIDI messages.
User Interface:
  • Mela's UI has been simplified by merging the sidebar functionality into the toolbar.
  • Removed redundant buttons.
  • Tapping on the Preset Selector will toggle the Preset Browser visibility.
  • On the iPhone, the lanes now extend to the edges of the device, utilising the screen fully.
Theme Designer:
  • Added the Theme Designer in the Settings.
  • It allows you to customise Mela's appearance.
  • When the Theme field is set to "Custom" the Theme Designer becomes accessible.
  • Use the Copy and Paste buttons to save and load custom themes.
  • It's a list of 5 colours in hex format in plain text and can be easily shared with other Mela users.
  • You can view themes created by other artists by tapping on "Artist Themes".
  • Added "White" as one of the selectable themes.
Other Changes:
  • Mela now allows the host to query for a small number of the plug-in's most important parameters. Mela defines these based on what the user has assigned to the Perform View. For example, Logic Pro for iPad will display the first 3 parameters of the Perform View.
  • Changed FM Operator's Intensity maximum value from 800% to 400%.
  • Fixed a preset title text to be correctly truncated when it's too long to fit properly.
  • Fixed the Settings toolbar being truncated in Logic Pro for iPad.
  • Updated the Getting Started document.
  • Added presets that showcase new features.
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