Getting Started with Mela
1. Welcome
Hi, I’m Nikolozi, the creator of Mela. I developed it as my primary tool for music-making and live performance, and I hope it becomes an integral part of your creative process. If you create something with Mela, tag me on social media—I’d love to see your work!
I recommend reading the Core Concepts section to get started quickly. It’s concise and covers all the essentials. You can learn the rest by exploring the built-in help for each module.
I release updates regularly, guided by user feedback and Mela’s long-term vision. Along with this 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.
Thank you for using Mela.
2. Overview
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.
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.
3. Core Concepts
Modules & Lanes
Modules are the core building blocks of a Mela preset. They process signals and are arranged on lanes, with signals flowing left-to-right within a lane and top-to-bottom between lanes. Modules and lanes can be reordered as needed. Each module includes a built-in help view detailing its parameters and usage.
Signals
A module can process three primary signal types: Audio, MIDI, and Pitch, along with a composite signal type, Poly.
- Audio: Stereo audio signal.
- MIDI: Carries MIDI messages.
- Pitch: Represents frequency and allows receiving oscillator modules to lock their pitch to it.
- Poly: Comprises independent voices, each containing note-on/off data, as well as Pitch and Audio signals.
Typically, a module modifies one signal type and passes the others through unchanged.
Polyphony
Audio, MIDI, and Pitch signals flow in parallel within a lane. To create a polyphonic synthesiser, use the MIDI-to-Poly module to convert MIDI note events into a Poly signal, which replaces the Audio and Pitch signals while leaving MIDI unaffected.
To collapse a Poly signal back into an Audio signal, use the Poly-to-Audio module, which sums the voices. Modules like oscillators and filters process Poly signals directly, while others, like Stereo Delay, automatically collapse a Poly signal into an Audio signal.
The number of arrows coming out of a module indicates the type of signal it is processing. A single arrow represents an Audio signal, while two arrows indicate a Poly signal.
Routers & Buses
Lanes can send and receive Audio and MIDI signals to and from the host, as well as route them to other lanes, using router modules like Audio In, Audio Out, MIDI In, and MIDI Out. Note that host support for I/O may vary. Signals between lanes are routed using internal Audio and MIDI buses and always flow in a top-to-bottom direction.
Modulation
Modulator modules can modulate any module parameter on any lane, regardless of placement. If a modulator is processing a Poly signal, it generates polyphonic modulation signals. Otherwise, the source will be monophonic.
There are three configurations based on the target module’s placement:
- Poly-to-Poly: A 1-to-1 mapping between source and target voices.
- Mono-to-Poly: The same modulation signal is applied to all target voices.
- Poly-to-Mono: The modulation signal from the last triggered voice is used.
4. Perform View
The Perform View lets you access and adjust your most-used parameters in one place, ideal for keeping Mela’s plug-in window compact. You can assign up to 8 parameters. The view remains hidden when none are assigned.
To manage parameters, tap a dial or slider’s title/value area to open the context menu. From there, you can assign, reassign, or unassign parameters.
Assigned parameters are automatically shortened, but you can rename them by selecting Rename in the context menu or remove them with Unassign.
5. Mela vs Mela Classic
Mela underwent a dramatic transformation starting with version 4, unifying all three plug-in types into a modular design with expanded synthesis capabilities, deeper modulation options, and flexible routing. While retaining the familiar interface, the modern Mela represents a significant leap forward in functionality and creative potential.
To reflect this evolution, Mela 3 has been rebranded as Mela Classic. Although Mela Classic remains available on the App Store for accessing legacy projects, the modern Mela is recommended for new work, as it includes all the features of Classic and much more.