
Mela – AUv3: Synth, FX, MIDI 4+
Modular Music-Making
Nikolozi Meladze
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- Free
- Offers In-App Purchases
Screenshots
Description
Mela 6.4 unifies lanes and modules, and adds the powerful new Stack module.
Easter Sale: Get 30% off any Collection until April 21.
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, Cubasis, Drambo, Logic Pro and many more.
In Mela, presets are constructed using modules arranged on lanes, where signals flowing through the lanes are processed by the modules. Audio and MIDI signals can be sent and received to and from the host or routed between lanes using internal buses. Modulator modules can target any module parameter on any lane. Lanes and modules are easily added, removed, or rearranged, allowing you to design presets as simple or complex as needed. Mela comes with 90 modules, with new ones added with every update. The following are some examples from different categories.
- MIDI processors: arpeggiator, chord, Euclidean sequencer, note echo, note modifiers, scale, strummer.
- Synth building blocks: virtual-analog oscillator, FM operator, phaseshaping, noise, VA filter, amp envelope.
- Modulators: envelope follower, envelope generator, LFO, macro control, MIDI source, random.
- Audio effects: chorus, delay, distortion, flanger, phaser, dynamics processors, comb filter, EQ, stereo panner.
- Utilities: level and correlation metering, audio oscilloscope, MIDI capture, MIDI logger, notepad.
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.
Modules are organised into collections. Collection 0 is free, allowing you to test out Mela's features. Other collections can be purchased via in-app purchases. Every Mela 6.x update will add new modules to Collection 4. You only need to purchase it once. The following is a list of all modules.
Collection 0:
Amp Envelope, Arpeggiator, Audio In, Audio Out, Group, LFO, Meter, MIDI In, MIDI Out, MIDI-to-Poly, Notepad, Overlap Remover, Poly-to-Audio, Relative Pitch, Stereo Delay, Transposer, VA Filter, VA Oscillator, Volume.
Collection 1:
Balance, Chord, Chorus, Control Change, Compressor, Distortion, DS Oscillator, Envelope Generator, Envelope Follower, Flanger, Glide, Level, MIDI Logger, MIDI Source, Mono, Noise Oscillator, Note Echo, Note Length, Note Range, Phaser, Pitch Bend, Random, Scale, Strummer, Velocity.
Collection 2:
Clipper, Comb Filter, DC Blocker, Degrader, EQ Band, Fixed Pitch, FM Operator, Macro, MIDI Capture, MIDI Channel, Oscilloscope, Pitch Ratio, Rectifier, Vibrato, Voice Activity, VPS Oscillator.
Collection 3:
All Pass, Audio-to-Mod, Correlation, Digital Delay, Dual Pan, Euclid, Macro Button, Mid-Side, Multiply-Add, Noise Gate, Note Chance, Note Event, Phase Inverter, Pitch Follower, Reverb, Ring Mod, Simple LFO, Stereo Pan.
Collection 4:
Crossover, Delay, Effect, Feedback, Groove, Layer, MIDI Delay, Note-to-Pitch, Note Pulse, Quantiser, Stack, Vel-to-Amp.
Mela's capabilities continuously improve, evolve and expand, driven by its long-term vision and user feedback. Feel free to get in touch for anything Mela-related.
Say Hello: nikolozi.com/contact
Tutorials: nikolozi.com/mela/tutorials
Changelog: nikolozi.com/mela/changelog
FAQ: nikolozi.com/mela/faq
Mela Classic vs Mela: nikolozi.com/mela/getting-started/#5-mela-classic-vs-mela
What’s New
Version 6.4
Everything is a Module
This update unifies several core concepts. A Mela preset is now powered by a root-level Stack module, containing Group modules as its submodules. In other words, the root-level lanes in a preset are Group modules arranged within this Stack.
Lane Improvements
- A lane can now be thought of as an instance of a Group module because that's exactly what it is.
- Lanes can now be toggled off or renamed just like other modules.
- Lanes were redesigned to be more compact.
- Lane headers now appear on the left, with titles aligned to module titles and an actions button.
- Tapping the title collapses the lane vertically, similar to modules.
- Up to 3 collapsed lanes can precede an expanded lane.
- If more than 3 collapsed lanes are consecutive, the next expanded lane appears below them.
Drag-and-Drop
- You now need to grab a module or lane by its header and hover it over a lane header or a module to insert it in front of it.
- The dimming effect was replaced with a dashed outline between modules/lanes to indicate the module/lane insertion location.
- Since lanes are modules of Group type, they can be dragged over any module to be inserted in front of it.
- A Group module can now become a lane by dragging and dropping on a lane header, a new lane will be inserted before it.
- If a non-Group module is dragged and dropped in front of a lane, a new lane is created before it with the module inserted.
Stack Module
- Introducing Stack, the first module that processes its submodules in parallel rather than in series, like sublanes.
- The Stack module feeds a copy of its input signals to all its submodules.
- The module's output signals depend on the Mode parameter, which has three states: Sum Audio, Merge MIDI, and Passthru.
- Sum Audio: Stack's output Audio, or the Audio components of the Poly signal, is the sum of the submodule output Audio and/or the Audio components of Poly signals.
- Sum Audio: If Stack's input and all submodule outputs are Poly signals, the module's output will also be Poly. Otherwise, it will be Audio.
- Sum Audio: The MIDI signal and non-Audio Poly signal components (unless collapsed) remain the same as Stack's input.
- Merge MIDI: Stack's output MIDI signal is a merge of the submodule output MIDI signals.
- Merge MIDI: The Audio and Pitch signals, or the Poly signal, remain the same as Stack's input.
- Passthru: The submodule outputs are ignored, and Stack's output signals are identical to its inputs.
- You may want to process multiple sublanes in parallel for more complex setups. To do this, simply stack Group modules.
- With the Stack module, you can create simple MIDI effects, such as converting notes into chords by stacking Transposer modules, or build complex sequencers by combining Group, Euclid, and others.
- You can also easily create layered synths or effects.
- Stack lets you view submodules individually or as an expanded horizontal stack.
- When viewed as a horizontal stack, unlike sublanes, vertical lines replace signal indicator arrows, indicating that the submodules are processed in parallel.
- Stack is part of Collection 4 and can be found under the Signal Router category.
Crossover Module
- The Crossover module splits the Audio signal into frequency bands using second-order crossover low- and high-pass filters.
- This makes it ideal for building custom multi-band processors, such as multi-band compressors or distortion effects.
- The module's crossover filters are designed to ensure a flat frequency response.
- To create a 2-band processor, route the same audio into two parallel instances, set one instance's Band parameter to Low and the other to High, and ensure both have the same cutoff frequency by entering identical numeric values.
- To create a 3-band processor, take the output of one of the instances and apply another crossover split, following the same approach.
- Crossover is a Mela Lab module and part of Collection 4.
Ratings and Reviews
Rich sound palette, elegant UI in form and function
Nikolozi is an awesome dev, highly engaged with the user community, and he has crafted Mela into a beautiful work of art, both sonic and visual. I’ve only begun to scratch the surface of what Mela can do. With so many types of oscillators, filters, and effects to mix and match, it offers nearly infinite possibilities for sound design. Workflow is smooth and intuitive, and it encourages exploration.
As a windsynth player, I especially appreciate the range of expressive control that is possible with Mela. The MIDI Source module allows me to meticulously sculpt the response curve of breath and other continuous controller inputs, so that the most subtle nuances of performance can be captured, processed, and routed for modulation in musically useful ways. The sub-millisecond smoothing adjustment eliminates filter “zippering” and other unwanted steppy artifacts that can plague other synths when controlled by breath, while still keeping latency to a minimum, which is critical for responsive live performance.
Mela continues to grow and evolve, with new modules being added all the time, as well as enhancements and refinements to existing functionality. Well worth the price, and well worth investing time and effort to discover, experiment, and enjoy.
One of a kind.
I never written a review before, but this app and developer deserve it. As someone who’s been making noise for 10+ years I’m familiar with what’s out there….Kilohearts, FabFilter, Baby Audio, Xfer, CableGuys, etc… this dude is up there with the best.
Mela is an incredible platform that I hope never dies. It’s a lean yet infinitely deep instrument…yet it’s an audio effect and did I mention it can do MIDI as well?! Basically any situation you’re in in the studio Mela can be your friend. Niko is an incredible dev who not only cares about the capabilities, quality and aesthetic of Mela but also the FEEL while using.
I don’t know how to properly praise such an incredible experience from using the app, to giving my feedback, to getting support, getting regular updates…this isn’t an app…this is a partner in the studio. If you’re into making music, noise, bleeps, bloops, or anything in between this is a must.
Developer Response ,
Thank you Tristan, for such a lengthy praise. I appreciate it. Words like that keep me going 🧡🙏
An Synth as effect in Aum-Unbelievable!
I kept seeing “runs as an effect and as a synth”in the write-up for many synths. However, what I got a was a synth’s actual effects in the effects slot and for the Special synths that explicitly stated runs as an effect in the effects slot—There were none that even worked. I was wary when I saw this one, lo and behold it runs as an effect in the fx slot. Imagine, a synth with more parameters(Egs,Lfo’s…and I mean……)than any of the others I own in Ios,as an effect right alongside my Blackhole,Shimmer Delay and UA Needlepoint! How would you know if you created a sound from an alternte Universe, anyways.
App Privacy
The developer, Nikolozi Meladze, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy.
Data Not Collected
The developer does not collect any data from this app.
Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More
Information
- Seller
- Nikolozi Meladze
- Size
- 12 MB
- Category
- Music
- Compatibility
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- iPhone
- Requires iOS 18.0 or later.
- iPad
- Requires iPadOS 18.0 or later.
- Mac
- Requires macOS 15.0 or later.
- Apple Vision
- Requires visionOS 2.0 or later.
- Languages
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English
- Age Rating
- 4+
- Copyright
- © 2017-2025 Nikolozi Meladze. All rights reserved.
- Price
- Free
- In-App Purchases
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- Collection 4 $13.99
- Collection 1 $13.99
- Collection 3 $13.99
- Collection 2 $13.99