Loopy Pro: Create music, your way.

What is Loopy Pro?Loopy Pro is a powerful, flexible, and intuitive live looper, sampler, clip launcher and DAW for iPhone and iPad. At its core, it allows you to record and layer sounds in real-time to create complex musical arrangements. But it doesn’t stop there—Loopy Pro offers advanced tools to customize your workflow, build dynamic performance setups, and create a seamless connection between instruments, effects, and external gear.

Use it for live looping, sequencing, arranging, mixing, and much more. Whether you're a live performer, a producer, or just experimenting with sound, Loopy Pro helps you take control of your creative process.

Download on the App Store

Loopy Pro is your all-in-one musical toolkit. Try it for free today.

Mela 2 – Synth & FX by Nikolozi Pty Ltd - Released

1235

Comments

  • @Faceless2103 said:

    @Nikolozi said:

    I could post it on the NS2 forums but I’m afraid it’s going to take quite a while before it gets addressed/some options are provided.

    Cool, I'll experiment on my end, to see if I can improve the situation without sacrificing usability.

    Ok, I’ve now reported the issue on the NS2 forum. But seeing as they’ve still to implement audio tracks, for example, I doubt this issue will be looked into any time soon...

    Awesome. Cheers

    One other thing: it’d be cool if an asterisk (*) appeared next to the preset name whenever you’ve made changes to the preset that haven’t been saved yet. On my iPhone, I’ve accidentally tapped on the ’next’ arrow a few times when I meant to just open up the preset menu by tapping on the preset name. If a dialogue window appeared, warning the user of losing all unsaved changes, this issue could be avoided.

    I'm planning to have an indicator that preset has changed. But I don't want to prevent users quickly tweaking a preset not liking and pressing next. Constantly, dealing with a confirmation dialogs could drive people mental, haha. But, I think, an Undo button for those cases could be very useful. Thoughts?

  • Undo buttons are a must for folks cursed with analog fingers like me. So yes please!

    But I've just been running mela 2 as an AUV in AUM - just by itself - hooked up to the AUM screen keyboard ... and it alone - doing nothing - is gobbling up 20-30% of my DSP - says AUM anyway... just sitting there. Just changing one particular preset saw a spike to 55%.

    NOw this is a lovely complex synth and there's obviously a lot going on under the hood but I do hope your plans include getting that DSP load down to a manageable level .. those spikes are a real limit on its application.

    Whatever's going on in there Mela really does have an excellent sound to it - seems to produce very delicate and musical noises to my ears. I'm hoping there's a lighter way to do it. Still very glad I've got it ... both of them.

  • @Nikolozi said:
    I'm planning to have an indicator that preset has changed. But I don't want to prevent users quickly tweaking a preset not liking and pressing next. Constantly, dealing with a confirmation dialogs could drive people mental, haha. But, I think, an Undo button for those cases could be very useful. Thoughts?

    You’re right. An undo button would do away with the issue I described (if changing the preset is included in it) while not getting too naggy at the user. Perfect! I’d still like to see that asterisk (or something similar) denoting changed presets.

  • @Nikolozi
    I have a couple of observations and a suggestion.

    First, the idea of including all modulations in the mod matrix is brilliant. It allows things like Note and Velocity to be directed anywhere, not just their conventional targets. Good to see Aftertouch included as well, though I am aftertouch-deprived. This should be emphasized in the AppStore description.

    Second, applying the Amp env to the oscillator outputs (before the filters) is an interesting departure from the conventional VCA on the output. It means the filter sees a transient, rather than a steady waveform. Not sure what that means musically, or audibly, though.

    Finally, I see a very nice implementation of AUv3 parameters for host control, organized by module. I wish some other devs would make the effort on this. But, I think it would be useful to include the 8 Performance controls in this list. Many controllers have 8 knobs or faders, and this would allow mapping them to the Performance controls in a set-and-forget fashion. Then we could configure the Performance controls differently for each Mela 2 preset and operate them using the same knobs. Or course, we can do this by creating a separate host preset for each configuration, but I think this would be a useful extension to the Performance concept.

  • Really would love to see random (random value, not s&h) as a modulation source :smiley:

  • @Soundscaper said:
    Undo buttons are a must for folks cursed with analog fingers like me. So yes please!

    But I've just been running mela 2 as an AUV in AUM - just by itself - hooked up to the AUM screen keyboard ... and it alone - doing nothing - is gobbling up 20-30% of my DSP - says AUM anyway... just sitting there. Just changing one particular preset saw a spike to 55%.

    NOw this is a lovely complex synth and there's obviously a lot going on under the hood but I do hope your plans include getting that DSP load down to a manageable level .. those spikes are a real limit on its application.

    Whatever's going on in there Mela really does have an excellent sound to it - seems to produce very delicate and musical noises to my ears. I'm hoping there's a lighter way to do it. Still very glad I've got it ... both of them.

    What device are you using?

    There are a few things about Mela that makes it CPU hungry, every voice has its own instances of the FX units. e.g. If you have polyphony set to 8 and the distortion FX is not bypassed, there will be 8 instances of distortion unit running. Also, modulation matrix does sample accurate modulation. So, more modulation entries in the mod matrix will increase the CPU usage. So you'll find some presets use much more CPU than the others. Decreasing polyphony and bypassing fx you don't need is one way of dealing with it. But I do plan to do some DSP optimisation work. There are places where I can improve it. Just need to make time for it.

  • @Faceless2103 said:

    @Nikolozi said:
    I'm planning to have an indicator that preset has changed. But I don't want to prevent users quickly tweaking a preset not liking and pressing next. Constantly, dealing with a confirmation dialogs could drive people mental, haha. But, I think, an Undo button for those cases could be very useful. Thoughts?

    You’re right. An undo button would do away with the issue I described (if changing the preset is included in it) while not getting too naggy at the user. Perfect! I’d still like to see that asterisk (or something similar) denoting changed presets.

    Oh yes, asterisk will be there (or at least some other indicator for the change) :)

  • @Faceless2103 said:
    Really would love to see random (random value, not s&h) as a modulation source :smiley:

    You mean you want a noise oscillator as a modulation source?

  • @uncledave said:
    @Nikolozi
    I have a couple of observations and a suggestion.

    First, the idea of including all modulations in the mod matrix is brilliant. It allows things like Note and Velocity to be directed anywhere, not just their conventional targets. Good to see Aftertouch included as well, though I am aftertouch-deprived. This should be emphasized in the AppStore description.

    haha, should it?

    Second, applying the Amp env to the oscillator outputs (before the filters) is an interesting departure from the conventional VCA on the output. It means the filter sees a transient, rather than a steady waveform. Not sure what that means musically, or audibly, though.

    That's a good point. At the moment Amp envelope is hardwired to control all oscillator levels (before going into filters (or FX)). But hoping to make it more flexible in the future.

    Finally, I see a very nice implementation of AUv3 parameters for host control, organized by module. I wish some other devs would make the effort on this.

    Thanks for appreciating this. It took me a while to implement this (started doing it since NFM).

    But, I think it would be useful to include the 8 Performance controls in this list. Many controllers have 8 knobs or faders, and this would allow mapping them to the Performance controls in a set-and-forget fashion. Then we could configure the Performance controls differently for each Mela 2 preset and operate them using the same knobs. Or course, we can do this by creating a separate host preset for each configuration, but I think this would be a useful extension to the Performance concept.

    Thing about Mela's performance controls is that, they aren't dynamically created as new parameters. For example, if you assign Oscillator 1 Level parameter to the first dial in the perform view. The newly created dial is linked to very same Osc 1 Level parameter. In other words, it's not a macro parameter. (Although, macros might be added in the future as a separate feature). That means, I don't think perform parameters can be grouped in a module for the host. But I'll have to double check if there are ways around this.

  • @Nikolozi said:
    k

    What device are you using?

    There are a few things about Mela that makes it CPU hungry, every voice has its own instances of the FX units. e.g. If you have polyphony set to 8 and the distortion FX is not bypassed, there will be 8 instances of distortion unit running. Also, modulation matrix does sample accurate modulation. So, more modulation entries in the mod matrix will increase the CPU usage. So you'll find some presets use much more CPU than the others. Decreasing polyphony and bypassing fx you don't need is one way of dealing with it. But I do plan to do some DSP optimisation work. There are places where I can improve it. Just need to make time for it.

    No question there's a lot going on in there but it's an ipad - a big phone. Mine's a few years old - 2016/9.7 ... but it can still run half a dozen au synth apps without cracking up. If I'm careful.

    Bit like putting a jet engine in a Volkswagen and complaining when it rattles I guess ... we ask a lot of these gadgets.

    But with recent updates I'm finding a lot of spikes in the CPU all over the place - particularly related to graphics processing.

    Highlights t he value and need of getting these apps onto M1 Macs ASAP ... so we can hear what they can do without the limits of a feeble processor ... I want to hear four of these together and that can't happen on any sort of ipad.

    Too good - too much imagination - to be nobbled by a limited platform. Not necessary either. Make M1 access an IAP - money for jam.

    Might work better on the new ipad chip - but I'm yet to see or hear sufficient evidence to show me that it's worth the gamble... just catching up. Apple's main product is hype I fear. But I suspect these powerful synths will only really shine on a desktop with some grunt.

    If you've got the time, please show us how many of these units we can stack up in Aum on a new ipad before we get snap, crackle and pop turning up. Be a good stress test for them.

  • Hello, how do I buy the sound of izrael?

  • See the details about how to buy in the pinned comment on my vid, top of the comment section

  • @Nikolozi said:

    @Faceless2103 said:
    Really would love to see random (random value, not s&h) as a modulation source :smiley:

    You mean you want a noise oscillator as a modulation source?

    More like, a new random value generated at each key stroke. Often times I apply something like that to panning, so each voice gets a different (but static) value for the panorama position.

  • @Gavinski said:
    See the details about how to buy in the pinned comment on my vid, top of the comment section

    Thanks :) I bought it and it’s very nice :)

  • I do like this synth despite me being hard on the developer for the v. 2. It has a very nice sweet spot for pads and key sounds, though I can’t see ever using it for lead or bass that much. The filter reminds me a bit of one of those cool Korg ones (MS-20 maybe? I’m an amateur) with the gently shifting, almost sample and hold like harmonics. Gives a really lively touch. Overall, it’s excellent for soft pads and comping keys.

  • @Soundscaper said:

    @Nikolozi said:
    k

    What device are you using?

    There are a few things about Mela that makes it CPU hungry, every voice has its own instances of the FX units. e.g. If you have polyphony set to 8 and the distortion FX is not bypassed, there will be 8 instances of distortion unit running. Also, modulation matrix does sample accurate modulation. So, more modulation entries in the mod matrix will increase the CPU usage. So you'll find some presets use much more CPU than the others. Decreasing polyphony and bypassing fx you don't need is one way of dealing with it. But I do plan to do some DSP optimisation work. There are places where I can improve it. Just need to make time for it.

    No question there's a lot going on in there but it's an ipad - a big phone. Mine's a few years old - 2016/9.7 ... but it can still run half a dozen au synth apps without cracking up. If I'm careful.

    Bit like putting a jet engine in a Volkswagen and complaining when it rattles I guess ... we ask a lot of these gadgets.

    But with recent updates I'm finding a lot of spikes in the CPU all over the place - particularly related to graphics processing.

    Highlights t he value and need of getting these apps onto M1 Macs ASAP ... so we can hear what they can do without the limits of a feeble processor ... I want to hear four of these together and that can't happen on any sort of ipad.

    Too good - too much imagination - to be nobbled by a limited platform. Not necessary either. Make M1 access an IAP - money for jam.

    Might work better on the new ipad chip - but I'm yet to see or hear sufficient evidence to show me that it's worth the gamble... just catching up. Apple's main product is hype I fear. But I suspect these powerful synths will only really shine on a desktop with some grunt.

    If you've got the time, please show us how many of these units we can stack up in Aum on a new ipad before we get snap, crackle and pop turning up. Be a good stress test for them.

    Interestingly enough, I've been able to run several instances in NS2, on an iPhone (Xs Max). Obviously, the cpu load is heavier than that of the built-in synths but so far it's still stayed within the manageable range.

  • @Faceless2103 said:

    @Nikolozi said:

    @Faceless2103 said:
    Really would love to see random (random value, not s&h) as a modulation source :smiley:

    You mean you want a noise oscillator as a modulation source?

    More like, a new random value generated at each key stroke. Often times I apply something like that to panning, so each voice gets a different (but static) value for the panorama position.

    oh right, I see what you mean. That's a good idea. I'll look into it. In the meantime, you can achieve the same thing with the LFOs – set the waveform to Random and set rate to 0.02Hz. Since Mela LFOs retrigger, on every note on event the LFO will have a new random value and will hold on to it for 50 seconds (which is much longer than most notes in most music pieces).

  • @Nikolozi said:

    @Faceless2103 said:

    @Nikolozi said:

    @Faceless2103 said:
    Really would love to see random (random value, not s&h) as a modulation source :smiley:

    You mean you want a noise oscillator as a modulation source?

    More like, a new random value generated at each key stroke. Often times I apply something like that to panning, so each voice gets a different (but static) value for the panorama position.

    oh right, I see what you mean. That's a good idea. I'll look into it. In the meantime, you can achieve the same thing with the LFOs – set the waveform to Random and set rate to 0.02Hz. Since Mela LFOs retrigger, on every note on event the LFO will have a new random value and will hold on to it for 50 seconds (which is much longer than most notes in most music pieces).

    Ah, right. That's a perfect workaround for the time being.

  • Anyone using this a lot in BM3? Automation holding up?

  • Version 2.2 is out:

    Compressor / Limiter:

    • Added a new high quality low-distortion compressor.
    • When ratio is set to infinity it acts like a limiter.
    • In Mela, it's applied after all voices are summed.
    • In Mela FX, it's applied to the wet signal after filters and FX.
    • Visualize compression using its transfer function graph and gain reduction meter.
    • The mix parameter let's you do parallel compression.
    • Adjustable knee width let's you control compressor aggression.
    • Drag the transfer function pad horizontally to adjust the threshold and vertically to adjust the ratio.
    • The gain reduction value shows the maximum reduction level. It resets when gain reduction becomes 0 for more than 500ms.

    Metering:

    • Added peak metering. Max peak holds are set to 1s.
    • In Mela, metering is added for the output signal.
    • In Mela FX, metering is added for the dry and wet signals.
    • The max peak value is displayed as text until levels drop to -inf.
    • When the signal is clipping the metering components turn red.

    Other Changes:

    • The top bar layout changed in both Mela and Mela FX to better accomodate new features.
    • The Preset Selector's context menu and the Preset Browser's more button (ellipsis icon) have been merged into a single menu. It is accessible via the new button next to the Preset Selector.
    • Parameter controls now send automation states to hosts, such as control touch and release. Note that, this functionality may not be supported by all DAWs.
    • Module tab buttons now highlight when touched.
    • The app now displays the system status bar. This makes it easier to interact with the iPadOS 15 multi-tasking features.
    • Improved error handling throughout.
    • Added a link to the Mela Forum site in the app's settings. If you experience any issues or for any feedback please post there.
    • Many internal changes to prepare Mela for future features.
    • Fixed the User Guide view toolbar not displaying correctly on iPadOS 15.
    • Added standard keyboard shortcuts for Settings and User Guide views.
    • Updated user guide.
    • Added new presets.
  • Great update!! But, why in the world only iOS 15 or later?

  • hey @sharifkerbage,

    Cheers! I have a general response to that in my FAQ. Hope it makes sense.

    "Will Mela 2 support iOS 14 or earlier?

    Unfortunately, Mela 2 won’t support iOS 14. This is always a tough decision to make. I know it’s very upsetting to the users on older devices that can't upgrade to the latest iOS. But as mentioned above, I have very limited resources. Supporting and testing Mela on older iOS versions on multiple devices is hard to justify. Additionally, the app uses iOS 15 only features. So, writing code to incorporate the same functionality on older devices requires significantly more resources. I’d rather focus my efforts on adding new features to Mela." — from the Mela FAQ: https://nikolozi.com/mela/faq

  • edited October 2021

    @Nikolozi said:
    hey @sharifkerbage,

    Cheers! I have a general response to that in my FAQ. Hope it makes sense.

    "Will Mela 2 support iOS 14 or earlier?

    Unfortunately, Mela 2 won’t support iOS 14. This is always a tough decision to make. I know it’s very upsetting to the users on older devices that can't upgrade to the latest iOS. But as mentioned above, I have very limited resources. Supporting and testing Mela on older iOS versions on multiple devices is hard to justify. Additionally, the app uses iOS 15 only features. So, writing code to incorporate the same functionality on older devices requires significantly more resources. I’d rather focus my efforts on adding new features to Mela." — from the Mela FAQ: https://nikolozi.com/mela/faq

    Ohh, thanks, make sense! I'm holding up before upgrading to iPadOS 15.. but now I have a good temptation to just do it 😂

  • @Nikolozi by chance could we get a full view of all parameters in portrait mode on iPhone, it’s kinda a pain to have to turn my phone sideways just to access everything.

  • @sharifkerbage said:
    Ohh, thanks, make sense! I'm holding up before upgrading to iPadOS 15.. but now I have a good temptation to just do it 😂

    Cool, I know many audio/music peeps don't update their iPads until at least .1 or .2 OS release. Which is sensible, of course. And when they finally do update to the latest iOS, the Mela 2 update will be waiting for them :)

  • I’m sorry, but the UI is very cluttered looking. The rounded squares behind every touch area in the layout make the controls a total mess. This needs a major redesign at this point. It’s distracting and makes using this synth worse, not better.

  • @shodd71 said:
    @Nikolozi by chance could we get a full view of all parameters in portrait mode on iPhone, it’s kinda a pain to have to turn my phone sideways just to access everything.

    I do plan to make the UI even more dynamic down the line. But so I can understand your use case better. Do you use it inside a host or in standalone mode? And would you be OK scrolling horizontally if modules aren't fully visible? (e.g. the oscillator module would only be half visible). Or do you imagine the oscillator module would relayout controls specifically for portrait mode?

  • @NeuM said:
    I’m sorry, but the UI is very cluttered looking. The rounded squares behind every touch area in the layout make the controls a total mess. This needs a major redesign at this point. It’s distracting and makes using this synth worse, not better.

    How did you make it look like that? Is that some accessibility mode that enables that?

  • Should I just go 15.> @sharifkerbage said:

    @Nikolozi said:
    hey @sharifkerbage,

    Cheers! I have a general response to that in my FAQ. Hope it makes sense.

    "Will Mela 2 support iOS 14 or earlier?

    Unfortunately, Mela 2 won’t support iOS 14. This is always a tough decision to make. I know it’s very upsetting to the users on older devices that can't upgrade to the latest iOS. But as mentioned above, I have very limited resources. Supporting and testing Mela on older iOS versions on multiple devices is hard to justify. Additionally, the app uses iOS 15 only features. So, writing code to incorporate the same functionality on older devices requires significantly more resources. I’d rather focus my efforts on adding new features to Mela." — from the Mela FAQ: https://nikolozi.com/mela/faq

    Ohh, thanks, make sense! I'm holding up before upgrading to iPadOS 15.. but now I have a good temptation to just do it 😂

    Same here…

  • I recommend waiting for at least iPadOS 15.1 release (only a week away). There was a weird MIDI / AUv3 bug in 15.0, looks like it was fixed in 15.1.

Sign In or Register to comment.