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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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Introducing Mela 4, the next major update:
Inspired by the Mela MIDI plug-in, the latest version takes those ideas further and unifies all 3 plug-in types into one modular design. Going from Mela 3 to Mela 4 is a big jump. It feels like a whole new environment, yet if you are a Mela user, you will feel at home with the familiar interface. You have new dimensions of possibilities for creating music and sculpting sounds. Mela 4 addresses a lot of common user requests. But the work is not done yet, Mela's capabilities will continue to expand with regular updates just as it did over the past 3 years.
Signals:
- There are 3 types of signals that a module can process: Audio, MIDI and Pitch.
- Usually, a module processes one of the signal types and passes the others through without altering them.
- A Pitch signal is a frequency and the receiving oscillator module will lock its pitch to it.
Lanes:
- There are 3 types of lanes: Audio, Instrument and MIDI.
- A MIDI lane takes a MIDI signal as input and produces MIDI output. Modules on this type of lane can only process a MIDI signal.
- An Audio lane takes an Audio signal as input and produces Audio output. Modules on this type of lane can process Audio and Pitch signal types.
- An Instrument lane takes a MIDI signal as input and produces Audio output. Modules on this type of lane can process Audio, MIDI and Pitch signal types.
- An Instrument lane automatically generates the Pitch input signal by converting incoming MIDI note-on events.
Modules & Modulation:
- Modules are the fundamental building blocks. Not all modules work with all lanes, so you can only insert or drag-and-drop compatible modules.
- A modulator module, regardless of which lane it's inserted in, can modulate any parameter of any module on any lane.
- Every module comes with a built-in help view describing its parameters and usage.
Routing & Buses:
- Signals flow from top to bottom, from left to right.
- Lanes can receive and send Audio and MIDI signals to and from the host.
- Note that not all hosts support multiple I/O cables.
- Signals can be routed between lanes using the internal Audio and MIDI buses.
Presets:
- Mela 4 has a new unified preset format and is more text editor friendly.
- Since the features are identical in all 3 plug-in types, a preset created in one type can be opened by another.
- It's now possible to open a preset file from Finder or Files directly. It will launch the Mela app, import the preset and load it.
- Mela 4 audio engine is quite different from the previous versions of Mela and hence Mela 1-3 presets aren't compatible with Mela 4.
- The new preset file extension is "mela".
- Recreated the best Mela MIDI presets in Mela 4 and improved them using the new features. They can be found under the MIDI FX factory group.
- Inspired by the Mela FX plug-in presets, created effect presets for Mela 4 which can be found in the Audio FX factory group.
- Created monosynth presets for Mela 4 which can be found in the Synth factory group.
- As with the previous Mela versions many more presets will be added with each update.
Help:
- The User Guide has been renamed to Getting Started with Mela.
- It's now a much shorter document, designed to help a new Mela user quickly get started and not be overwhelmed by the size of the text.
- This has been made possible by each module having a built-in help view.
Colour Themes:
- As with all previous major version releases of Mela, Mela 4 ships with a new default colour theme with a matching icon.
- The existing colour themes have been refined.
Amp Envelope Module:
- Added a 4-slider amplitude envelope that supports AR, ADR and ADSR types.
- It processes incoming audio as well as works as a modulator.
- In the Legato mode, the envelope generator restarts only after all notes are released.
Distortion Module:
- Renamed the Bias parameter to Asymmetry and tweaked its behaviour.
- The LP Filter was removed, which was controlled by the Tone parameter to simplify the module.
- The XY pad has been replaced with the distortion transfer graph. It animates on parameter modulation.
- Dragging the graph horizontally adjusts Drive and vertically adjusts Asymmetry.
Envelope Follower Module:
- Simplified the module by removing features that could easily be added by simply inserting modules in front of it. e.g. Gain or Filter.
- Added an oscilloscope to visualise the modulator signal.
FM Operator Module:
- Added a simple FM operator module.
- The module generates a sine carrier and uses the audio input as a modulator.
- It also supports self-modulation.
Pitch Processor Modules:
- Mela 4 comes with 3 Pitch Processor modules: Relative Pitch, Fixed Pitch and Glide.
- Relative Pitch adjusts the incoming Pitch signal by a given semitones and cents.
- Fixed Pitch ignores the incoming signal and instead generates a new signal based on its parameters. Can be set by selecting the MIDI note or frequency in Hertz.
- The Glide module glides the Pitch signal to the new value on a note-on event. It has settable time and trigger modes.
Macro Module:
- Added the Macro module which has a slider that can control up to 8 parameters at the same time.
- It's a great tool to be able to morph the sound of a preset by adjusting a single parameter.
- As with all the other parameters the slider can be assigned to one of the slots in Perform View.
MIDI Source Module:
- The module generates a modulation signal that follows incoming MIDI events. It can modulate any parameter in Mela.
- The transfer function graph displays how the source event values are mapped to the generated modulation signal.
- The transfer function is highly flexible and follows the Gain and Bias parameters.
Mono Module:
- Add a MIDI module that produces one held note at a time.
- This module is generally useful to control how MIDI note events are delivered to a synth to play monophonically.
- In the Stack mode, note events are output from the module in the First-In-Last-Out order.
- In the Queue mode, note events are output in the First-In-First-Out order.
VA Oscillator Module:
- VA Oscillator is a virtual analog oscillator module.
- It comes with a wide variety of waveforms, some of which can be further tweaked with the Shape parameter.
- The oscillator can ring modulate the input signal.
- The selected waveform is displayed and updated when the oscillator parameters change.
Stereo Delay Module:
- The delay effect module is now more sophisticated with flexible feedback options.
- Added the Sync parameter with similar behaviour to other modules. When it's set to Free, the delay times are set in seconds. Otherwise, the delay times are defined as the product of the Offset and Sync parameters.
- The Feedback Modes parameter has been replaced with dials, enabling a fully custom mix of straight, inverted and cross-feedback signals.
- Added independent low and high cut filters to the left and right channel delayed signals.
- Added independent mix parameters for the left and right channels.
Other Modules:
- The Rate parameter of the LFO and Random modules now span exactly 16 octaves, 0.01Hz to 655.36Hz. Since modulations in Mela happen at audio rates these modules can be used to create interesting effects.
- The other frequency and rate parameter ranges have been changed to fit exactly 10 octaves. This means, if you modulate these parameters by 10% their values will change by an octave.
- The Filter module types can now be set to low-pass, high-pass, band-pass or band-stop (new), replacing the Morph parameter. This approach seems more useful. The morph mode will be added later if there's demand for it.
- The LFO and Random modules now have a legato mode. In this mode, they won't retrigger during a legato.
- The Chorus, Flanger and Phaser module interfaces have been simplified.
- Tapping on the Compressor module's displayed gain reduction value resets it.
- The Envelope Generator module now has a Legato mode.
- Added the Panner module.
- Added the Level module with a 0% to 100% range slider. The module is useful for modulating audio levels linearly.
- Added the Volume module for adjusting audio levels in decibels.
- Added the Meter module that displays level metering. Tapping on the displayed max peak value resets it.
- Added the Noise Oscillator module with noise types: White, Warm (same as Mela 3) and Pink.
- Added the Oscilloscope module which lets you visualise the audio waveform passing through it.
- Renamed the MIDI Processor modules, Pitch to Transposer and Pitch Range to Note Range, to prevent any confusion with the Pitch Processor modules.
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Arpeggiator Module:
- Added the Retrig parameter, when enabled the arpeggiator pattern restarts on the first note-on.
- The new Sync and Offset parameters replaced Arpeggiator's Rate parameter. This aligns with how the other modules work.
- The Sync parameter allows you to set the Arpeggiator's timing in powers of 2.
- The Offset parameter allows you to make the Arpeggiator rate triplet or dotted, or anything in the 50-200% range.
- Modulate these parameters to achieve interesting results.
- Renamed the Length parameter to Gate to reduce confusion about its functionality.
LFO Module:
- Added the Tilt parameter to the LFO module for the Triangle and Square waveforms.
- When Tilt is at -100% or +100% the Triangle morphs into the Ramp Down or Ramp Up waveform.
- For the Square, the Tilt parameter sets the pulse-width amount.
- Creatively modulate it to generate even more interesting and weird LFO shapes.
Other MIDI Module Improvements:
- Now it's easier to set the sync’s Offset parameter to triplet and dotted values. In the following modules, Arpeggiator, LFO, Note Echo, Note Length, Random and Strummer, you can tap on the Offset parameter's label and select either the Triplet or Dotted item from the pop-up menu.
- Improved the design of MIDI modules' on/off toggle.
- Fixed Note Length module causing stuck notes when a note-off event would fall beyond the host's loop end beat position, while the looping was enabled.
- Fixed Note Echo module sometimes erroneously accumulating notes to repeat when the host has looping enabled.
- Set a maximum number (32) of notes Note Echo will track for repeating.
MIDI Buses:
- Added MIDI Buses to the Mela MIDI plug-in.
- In addition to having external MIDI I/O now you can route MIDI messages between lanes.
Other Changes:
- Fixed checkmarks not showing for selected items in the PopUpList on macOS.
- In Settings, the Audio Engine section now also displays which type of Mela plug-in is loaded by the host: Instrument, Audio Effect or MIDI Effect. Double tapping it will show aumu, aufx or aumi respectively.
- Improved plug-in's beat position synchronisation with the host.
- Added new presets.
- Updated the User Guide.
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Mela MIDI Modules:
- Repositioned the module toolbar as a vertical bar on the left side of the module, freeing up vertical space for improved parameter control layouts.
- Tapping on the sidebar of a module collapses or expands it.
- The LFO and Random modules now feature a segmented control that clearly indicates which page, Modulator or Targets, is being displayed.
- Added the ability to insert a new module in front of another using the actions menu of the latter.
- The modules are now grouped into categories to make it easier to find the desired one for insertion. The categories are Processor, Modulator and Utility.
Strummer Module:
- Added the Strummer module to Mela MIDI.
- The timing of strums can be synced to the host's tempo or be specified in milliseconds.
- The module allows you to customise the strumming pattern.
LFO & Random Modules:
- Added the Waveform parameter to the LFO module, offering the options of Sine, Triangle and Square.
- Added the Retrig parameter to both the LFO and Random modules. When enabled, the modulator signal resets to its start value on a note-on event.
- Added the Phase parameter to both the LFO and Random modules.
- Updated the Depth parameter in both the LFO and Random modules to default to 50%. This allows you to quickly make the signal unipolar by setting Bias to 100%.
- Updated the algorithm in the LFO and Random modules so that the Bias amount is applied before Depth, allowing the Depth parameter to control the amplitude of the modulator signal when it is unipolar (Bias = 100%).
- Added the ability for a double tap on the oscilloscopes of the LFO and Random modules to reset the Rate/Offset and Depth parameters to their default values.
- Updated the interaction with the LFO and Random modules to allow you to adjust the Depth (rather than Bias) parameter by dragging the oscilloscope vertically.
Settings:
- Renamed the "Standalone Mode" section in Settings to "Audio Engine".
- The section now also displays the sample rate used by Mela.
- The tempo field is now also visible in Mela plug-ins but is in read-only mode as the tempo is provided by the host.
- Both the sample rate and tempo information can be useful for troubleshooting potential mismatches between the plug-in and host.
Other Changes:
- Optimised and improved the internal engine of the Mela MIDI plug-in.
- Added presets showcasing new features.
- Updated the User Guide.
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LFO Module:
- Added the LFO module to Mela MIDI.
- Like the Random module, it can modulate any parameter and has an Oscilloscope graph.
- Currently, only the Sine waveform is supported. More will come later.
- The LFO rate can be tempo synced.
- The Sync parameter defines the tempo sync value, while the Offset parameter is a percentage value in the 50-200% range. Their product defines the resulting rate.
- When Sync's value is set to "Free", the Offset parameter is replaced by Rate, allowing you to set the oscillation rate in Hertz.
Random Module:
- Like LFO, the Random module now supports the tempo synced rates.
- Improved the rendering of the Oscilloscope graph.
Note Echo Module:
- Added the ability to set the delay amount in seconds to the Note Echo module.
- As with the other modules, simply set the Sync parameter to "Free".
Note Length Module:
- Added the ability to set note length in seconds to the Note Length module.
- As with the other modules, simply set the Sync parameter to "Free".
- Improved how the note length is computed by the Arpeggiator and Note Length modules.
Panic Module:
- Added the Panic module, which sends the "All Notes Off" MIDI message downstream on all channels on the lane it's on.
Logger Module:
- The Logger Module's new Copy button lets you copy the MIDI log into the system's pasteboard in CSV format.
- You can paste the text into a spreadsheet app for further analysis.
- Fixed the tappable area of the Logger module's "Clear" button being too small.
Other Changes:
- When adding, removing, or moving a module that doesn't create or modify note-on events, the auto-release of held notes will no longer be triggered. These modules are Control Change, LFO, Logger, Panic, Random, and Velocity.
- The app now retains the Background Audio toggle setting even after the application is killed.
- Added presets showcasing new features.
- Updated the User Guide.
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MIDI I/O:
- Added 4 MIDI inputs and 4 MIDI outputs to Mela MIDI.
- These are virtual MIDI cables that a host can use to send and receive MIDI from the Mela MIDI plug-in.
- Note that not all hosts support multiple I/O cables.
- Use AUM on iOS to fully take advantage of this feature.
Multi-lane Support:
- Mela MIDI can now have up to 4 lanes of modules. Tap on the Add Lane button to add more lanes.
- Modules can be dragged and dropped from one lane to another.
- A lane will delete itself once all of its modules are removed.
- You can configure MIDI Input and output cables for each lane independently.
- In hosts that don't support multiple I/O MIDI cables simply set all lanes to Input 1 and Output 1.
Note Length Module:
- Added the Note Length module to Mela MIDI.
- The module controls the length of incoming notes. It can also be used to trigger notes from note-off events.
- The note length can be set using the Sync and Offset parameters.
Other Changes:
- Simplified UI by removing the last module delete button. A module's delete functionality can be accessed via its actions menu (ellipsis icon).
- Changed the icon of the add module button to a simpler plus symbol.
- Renamed Random's Offset parameter to Bias. This is to prevent possible confusion with the other parameters with similar names.
- Added new presets showcasing new features.
- Updated the User Guide.
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Random Module:
- Added the Random module, which generates a random bipolar modulator signal that can modulate any parameter in Mela MIDI.
- It can be inserted anywhere in the processing chain and it will simply let the MIDI signal passthrough without altering it.
- It has 2 views: the main and modulation targets view. Tap on the view switcher button to change the current view.
- The main view displays the Rate, Depth and Offset parameter controls and the oscilloscope.
- Drag the oscilloscope horizontally to adjust the Rate and vertically to adjust the Offset parameter.
- The modulation targets view allows you to set the target parameters and modulation intensities.
- Each instance of the Random module can modulate up to 8 parameters.
- Added new presets showcasing the module.
Other Changes:
- Added modulation value indicators to sliders and dials in Mela MIDI.
- Logic Pro can now capture the MIDI output from the Mela plug-in's built-in virtual musical keyboard.
- Improved the touchable area of the Mod Matrix Intensity dials.
- Fixed an issue where accessing Mela's settings on macOS Ventura would crash the plug-in.
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Logger Module:
- The Logger module logs incoming MIDI events, displaying the DAW position, channel number, message type and value.
- It can be used to monitor all incoming MIDI data as well as observe how your MIDI module chain transforms incoming MIDI messages.
Control Change Module:
- The Control Change module lets you use a slider to generate MIDI CC messages.
- Chain multiple instances of the module to create a virtual MIDI controller. Check out the "CC Perform" preset in Mela MIDI to see how this is done.
Other Changes:
- The MIDI Module chain will now be centred if the plug-in window is wider than the chain.
- Improved MIDI module drag and drop behaviour as well as fixed the memory leak bugs related to it.
- Displayed parameter values now use the minus and plus characters that have the same width. This prevents the text wobble when a parameter is being adjusted.
- The Intensity dials of the Mod Matrix now also support the triple tap gesture and triple click mouse event. This allows you to enter the values of the parameters using a typing keyboard or the Apple Pencil.
- Added new presets.
- Updated the User Guide.
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Chord Module:
- The Chord module converts each input note into a chord consisting of up to 6 notes.
- Each row of parameter controls defines how the input note is transformed into one of the chord notes.
- The chord note parameters control transposition and velocity.
Scale Module:
- The Scale module ensures that its output notes are in a given scale.
- The scale is defined by enabled pitches using the corresponding toggle buttons.
- In Filter mode, disabled notes are filtered out. In Nearest modes, disabled notes are transposed up or down to the nearest enabled notes.
Settings:
- The Settings view has been slightly tweaked.
- The Forum button has been replaced with the Submit Feedback one. Tapping on it opens the new feedback site. Use it to submit bug reports, make feature requests or vote on issues.
- You can still email me directly, just tap on the Email Nikolozi button.
- Release Notes has been renamed to Changelog and is linked to the new page.
User Interface:
- Dials and sliders that control list parameters will now only trigger a value change on release. For example, while adjusting the Arpeggiator's Mode parameter, the sound will not be affected until the control is released.
- You can now triple tap or triple click on dials and sliders to enter values of the parameters using a typing keyboard or the Apple Pencil.
- Fixed an issue where the Perform View dials would stop controlling the assigned parameters after the MIDI module chain was changed.
Other Changes:
- The toggle buttons now correctly send the touch automation events to the host on touch or mouse down.
- Reduced voice shutdown time from 20ms to 2ms. This means that note-on events will feel more responsive when the note has to steal the synth's voice from another.
- Added new presets to the Mela MIDI plug-in showcasing the new modules.
- Updated the User Guide.
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