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Mela 5.3 Update — 3 New Experimental Modules
As some have suggested they prefer separate posts about Mela updates, so here it is. As always, feel free to ask follow-up questions. Additionally, all Module Collections are 30% off until May 5.
The Mela 5.3 update introduces the Mela Lab module category. From time to time new modules will be added to this category without any future promises, meaning their feature set is subject to change. This freedom allows for the experimentation and exploration of new ideas. With every update, the modules will be refined. Once a module proves useful enough, it will become part of Mela. Some experiments will not produce desirable results, and those modules will be removed. You can contribute to the process by submitting feedback to help with the evolution of these modules. And always remember to bounce down audio and MIDI parts of your projects that utilise Mela Lab modules, as their behaviour may change from version to version, potentially altering the sound of your tracks.
To get things started, the 5.3 update ships with 3 Mela Lab modules: Macro Button, Multiply-Add and Audio-to-Mod. They are all modulators. Macro Button lets you toggle the modulation signal between 0% and 100% values, with the Smoothing parameter letting you smooth the transition if needed. Multiply-Add takes 3 signals, A, B and C, as inputs and generates a modulation signal equal to A×B+C. Lastly, Audio-to-Mod takes input audio and turns it into a modulation signal. The example uses include, modulating a level of another oscillator which will result in Amplitude Modulation (AM) synthesis or modulating the cutoff frequency of a filter which will result in FM synthesis.
There's a lot more to this update, for the full details check out the Changelog.
Mela 5.3 Changelog
Mela Lab:
- Introducing the Mela Lab module category.
- From time to time new modules will be added to the Mela Lab category without any future promises, meaning their feature set is subject to change.
- This freedom allows for the experimentation and exploration of new ideas.
- With every update, the modules will be refined.
- Once a module proves useful enough, it will become part of Mela.
- Some experiments will not produce desirable results, and those modules will be removed.
- Contribute to the process by submitting feedback to help with the evolution of these modules.
- Always remember to bounce down audio and MIDI parts of your projects that utilise Mela Lab modules, as their behaviour may change from version to version, potentially altering the sound of your tracks.
- When a preset uses at least one Mela Lab module a flask icon appears in the toolbar.
- Tapping it will present the Mela Lab Help view.
- Mela Lab modules display a small flask icon at the bottom right corner.
Macro Button Module:
- It's a modulator module similar to the Macro module but uses a toggle button instead of a slider.
- The toggle button is linked to the Macro parameter.
- When the toggle is off, the modulator signal is at 0%, and when it's on, it jumps to 100%.
- Transition between these binary states can be smoothed by adjusting the Smoothing parameter.
- Macro Button module's Macro button (and now also the Note Event module's Event button) triggers on touch rather than release.
- Toggling between the previous and new states can be done by sliding the finger in and out of the button area, allowing performance-oriented usage.
- Macro Button is a Mela Lab module and part of Collection 3.
Multiply-Add Module:
- It's a modulator module whose modulation signal is equal to A×B+C where A, B and C are the values of the module parameters.
- Modulate some or all three parameters to create complex signals.
- The module supports polyphonic modulation.
- Multiply-Add is a Mela Lab module and part of Collection 3.
Audio-to-Mod Module:
- It's a modulator module whose modulation signal is the average of the left and right channels of the input audio.
- As all modulations happen at sample rates in Mela, feel free to modulate any parameter to create interesting sounds.
- For example, modulating a level of another oscillator will result in Amplitude Modulation (AM) synthesis.
- Modulating the cutoff frequency of a filter will result in FM synthesis.
- The module supports polyphonic modulation.
- Audio-to-Mod is a Mela Lab module and part of Collection 3.
Text Input:
- The module renaming action no longer presents a separate text field for entering a new name. Instead, the label turns into a text field in place.
- The preset and preset group renaming actions no longer present a separate text field for entering a new name. Instead, the label turns into a text field in place.
- The "Set to" menu items now correctly format parameter values with units.
- Some of the parameters of Comb Filter, LFO, Pitch Bend, Random, Relative Pitch, Transpose and Volume modules now offer useful "Set to" menu items.
- Musical Keyboard now hides when iOS's typing keyboard appears in order not to get in the way.
Other Changes:
- Added the Cycles parameter to the LFO module. Set its value to 1 for one-shot behaviour.
- Moved the Create Group menu item from the Preset Selector to the User and custom groups' actions menu.
- The preset management help information is now accessible via the Preset Selector's actions menu.
- It's much more concise and has been removed from the Getting Started with Mela document for simplicity.
- Added new presets.
- Fixed a preset loading bug causing some parameters to initialise incorrectly.
https://youtube.com/shorts/I-sKcAoxNPI?si=XEOrDYURrU7xYOEM
Grab Mela from the App Store.
Comments
Where is Mela 4? In the AppStore there are only 3 and 5
Mela 4 became 5, it's the same app. The business model changed and new versions will no longer be created as separate apps. The full details can be found here https://nikolozi.com/blog/mela-50-update/
Cool. That makes a lot more sense! It was a bit of a bummer when I wanted to redownload Mela 2 to a new ipad but it was no longer available in the AppStore
I DMed Mela 3 promocode as Mela 2 is no longer downloadable.
Thank you!
Mela 5 is definitely quenching my gas for Phaseplant the way it’s growing in modules and obviously the price and it’s available on iOS and desktop.
Awesome stuff! 🎉
Yes! It's like phase plant for iOS. Just need a wavetable oscillator with importable Serum tables. 😉
Interesting. If possible, it would be nice to post a video on Youtube with more detailed instructions. Shorts doesn't demonstrate much.
I'm happy to be corrected, but I was under the impression that in a basic sense, FM synthesis involved modulating a carrier signal rather than a filter cutoff frequency.
Filter FM is ‘FM’ too as you modulate the cutoff frequency and when the filter is self-oscillating it’s practically a sine-wave. FM is just Frequency Modulation of an any frequency.
I usually try to make more detailed videos, but this time I ran out of time. I wanted to wrap up v5.3 before a one-week holiday I had planned. Don't forget each module comes with detailed but concise help, explaining how it works. But I also understand that videos are a great way to learn. Any specific topics you want me to cover for future reference?
Very nicely explained.
Just examples of how new modules can be used.
The lab category is a great idea, it’s like endless open beta testing.
I like the new “lab” modules, but I don’t like the absence of the end-of-testing date. You know, the actual release date. 🫣
Cycles parameter in the LFO is the best feature of this update by far. 🤩 Thank you!
I just released v5.3.1 with some minor bug fixes. It also includes a new preset group called Mela Lab. Where I will place presets that demonstrate the usages of the lab modules. It now contains Demo 5.3 which showcases all 3 news modules and comes with a short note explaining what's going on. It's not a video demo replacement but could be a good place to start experimenting and exploring.
You can assume the release date is ASAP 😊. I think Macro Button can graduate by the next update, I'm pretty happy with it. But I feel Multiply-Add and Audio-to-Mod need longer cooking time. I wanted to do those types of modules for a long time but I didn't want to release something half-baked. Mela Lab allows me to release modules and get feedback from a wider user base, and also I get to use it in my music and see if they work great.
@Samu has been pushing hard for this for a long time. The credit goes to him. The Random module will probably get a similar treatment.
woo really ? can you import samples like phaseplant? i would love to have a phaseplant type synth on ios?
Not yet, but hopefully at some point https://mela-feedback.nikolozi.com/feature-requests/p/use-of-your-sounds-samples
A great idea with a text algorithm for describing functions. Thank you.
Please please please.
Would you consider leaving the experimental Mela Lab features instead of deleting them? One issue which might arise is users might like a feature which then might later be eliminated after people have already used it in their music production files.
A developer has to be careful not to turn the app into a bloatware. It happens all the time. The problem with bloatware is that features start to get in the way and the app becomes harder to use. Also, it means code is much more complex and making forward progress with new features becomes harder.
One of the reasons I introduced Mela Lab is to prevent bloating up software, i.e. it's better to test out ideas properly before committing to them. The hope is users will tell me what they like and what they don't like about modules, so I can tweak them and refine them. If I ship them before they are refined and later on decide to change it could mean some users' projects all of a sudden sound different.
Users can use Mela Lab modules in production, but they have to render the sounds to audio (or MIDI) before the end of each session. That's why Mela displays warnings about it. If the user likes the module and wants to make sure it stays around it's best to let me know (either directly or post on Mela Feedback site or post here) what they like about it, so I can consider their feedback.
I'm going as fast as I can with a huge feature backlog 😊
Just tried the Demo 5.3 preset - So much fun experimenting with different modules, targets & levels - Great job!! 😻🎹🎛🔊🐉
Great to hear 🙏🧡
Here’s a tip: you’ll find many many uses online for the Befaco A*B+C as a modulator for ideas 👍
Got Mela a week or two ago and I’m really enjoying it. Just took advantage of the sale to grab Collection 3. This Mela Labs idea is a really good one!
@Nikolozi I like to work with a pen and for some reason it stops working if I hold a key (note) down. I can move knobs and sliders with another finger but not with the pen.
If I switch and hold a key with the pen instead - I can't control anything with the fingers (I wouldn't work like that, I was just testing)
I can confirm this. Even setting “Settings->Apple Pencil->Only Draw with Apple Pencil” to off doesn’t do anything.