Mela – AUv3: Synth, FX, MIDI appears to be a legitimate app. The AppsHunter Legitimacy Score for Mela is 90 out of 100 points across 7 verification signals from App Store and developer data.

Mela User Reviews

Name: Mela – AUv3: Synth, FX, MIDI
Rating: 4.8 (79 reviews)

Mela – AUv3: Synth, FX, MIDI

Nikolozi Meladze

📚 Education

🎵 Music

Customer Experience

Positive experience84.4% of reviews

Neutral6.7% of reviews

Negative experience8.9% of reviews

~ Based on 45 written reviews from the US App Store.

Is Mela Safe?

Mela – AUv3: Synth, FX, MIDI appears safe based on user ratings. AppsHunter Safety Score for Mela is 91/100.

This assessment is based on 79 user ratings, with an App Store average of 4.8/5.

Safety Analysis

96.2% of ratings point to a safe experience

2.5% of ratings suggest some concerns

1.3% of ratings point to a risky experience

~ Based on 79 App Store ratings for Mela.

Is Mela Legit?

Mela – AUv3: Synth, FX, MIDI appears to be a legitimate app. AppsHunter Legitimacy Score for Mela is 90/100.

Based on 90 of 100 points across 7 verification signals from App Store and developer data.

Top reviews

Most Recent Highest Rated Lowest Rated

Best synth on iOS?

This thing is deceptively powerful. I use it as an effect chain a midi processor and a synth. It’s completely modular so ur imagination is the only limit and unlike so much of the music apps on here, the dev is actively adding to it. With so much abandonware on iOS it’s nice to have something that gets regular updates beyond just bug fixes. Dude is responsive with the community and seems eager to help when u have an issue.

Oh yea and it runs great, I have made some monster patches on this thing and my iPad doesn’t break a sweat. Buy it!

Peteg12

23 days ago

Response from developer

Thank you 🧡

Update!!

Exellent Auv3 midi in Daw.
Plz! Presets Arp for Atlanta trap, glitch flow. Plz! Midi cool!!!!

InRate

a month ago

So good!

I was search in the store for a free synth to start learning and it sounds amazing. Looks great too

Cat mouse 3432

a month ago

Great synth and layout

So it’s amazing….but after all the paid updates to come and see 25$ new module fi it just seemed like at this point if we bought all the paid packs they should be free by now. Not to sound rude but how many more paid updates u feel me. Not to sound harshness intended as I think it’s an innovative iOS synth. If I’m off base sorry I guess I got a lil sticker shock as it was more than the app even was. Ok banter is over , hails and maybe consider something for us ‘oh’ supporters. Peace

Oceans in space

3 months ago

Response from developer

Hi there, thanks for your feedback. Unlocking module UIs via IAPs is all optional. When a new collection is created, nothing is taken away from existing features. And in fact, with new updates, often existing collections expand, and their modules improve. For more details, please watch my YouTube video titled "How to use Mela for free". You can think of it this way: all updates are free to all users. Purchasing Module Collection IAPs simply allows you to access the module UIs that are in that Collection. Existing users are always rewarded by having everything they have access to improve, and sometimes even have new modules added to the collections they already purchased. While Mela might appear a bit more expensive than the average AUv3 on the App Store, you will find it delivers much more flexibility, features and regular updates. I'm happy to discuss things further or try to address things you aren’t happy about. Don't hesitate to directly get in touch. The way to contact me can be found in the app settings or on my site. Cheers Nikolozi

Good Sounding Synth

Lots of features, no data collected, optional paid stuff. Love it.

Algorithm Chemist

3 months ago

Why I like it, Why I don’t

So I’ve been using it for quite some time. Sonically it’s fantastic. No Notes.
However I can see it getting very VERY expensive once you start buying all the individual modules.
I don’t mind paying for a well thought out synth, but this would get expensive to the point of madness…lol.
There should be one price. If you want to charge for major updates down the line, then buy all means do so.

foolish1

3 months ago

Add note sliding

When I drag my finger on the keyboard, I want to hear keys that are touched.

RDN7❤️iOS

4 months ago

Response from developer

Thanks for bringing this up. This has been on my to-do list for a while. I do plan to give the virtual keyboard a big feature enhancement but before that, I should be able to bring back the finger slide feature. Tracking it here nikolozi.com/mela/feedback/virtual-musical-keyboard-no-longer-trigger-keys-under-finger-when-performing -a-horizontal-pan-gesture

Great on BOTH iPad and laptop

I’m a newbie and Mela has become a core instrument in my setup across both iPad and laptop (I want the same set up on both). I didn’t want to learn the well-known laptop synths (Vital, Pigments etc) because I want something good that works as a standalone and inside hosts on both iPad and laptop. Mela does: it’s quick to navigate, sonically deep, and scales from simple, musical presets to quite complex designs without ever feeling cluttered.

I use it for ambient pads, evolving textures, and more rhythmic, sequenced material, and it responds beautifully to being driven by external MIDI tools and chord engines. CPU usage has been very reasonable on all my devices. If you’re building a cross‑device synth ecosystem and want something that rewards both thoughtful programming and playful experimentation, Mela is absolutely worth buying.

Ge Kai

5 months ago

Response from developer

Thank you 🙏

Modular Comes to Mac and iOS

The best eurorack environment on iOS. It’s cool that you can run it on your Mac for designing patches and then port them seamlessly to your iPad.

I really appreciate that Nikolozi is always adding new features, including the just released sequencer.

I’m already using Mela in 1 composition that I’ve performed a number of times. It just keeps getting better. :-)

NedRob519

5 months ago

Response from developer

Thank you Ned 🧡

I have no idea what I'm doing...

...but I'm having so much fun.

Mister Sophistication

6 months ago

Response from developer

That’s the best way to explore :) Drop me an email anytime with follow-up questions.

Mela Forever

This is my third ever app review. My first was for the iOS version of this very app, Mela – AUv3. I’m particular with my software selection to a sometimes uncomfortable degree, so any time an app displays native iPhone, iPad, and Mac compatibility, my heart flutters. My interest in music technology and its surrounding topics is strong, but my time and attention are limited, so I’m unable to dive in as deeply as I’d like. Mela is a paradigm-shifting creative application that fits into your workflow—and your heart—with such ease that it’s mind-melting when you really think about it.

There are plugins like Phase Plant and Reaktor, creative environments like Max/MSP and Pure Data, DAWs like Live and Bitwig. They all contribute something powerful to this scene. However, some are instruments only, or available solely on desktop platforms, and some come with higher technical or financial barriers to entry. Mela gracefully dances around all of this. It’s an AUv3, so it runs on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. Universal purchase. It’s an instrument and an audio/MIDI processor. It can be a notepad, an oscilloscope, a MIDI quantizer, EQ, clipper—and a polyphonic synthesizer.

No programming knowledge required, and everything inside the app is well documented. You can patch on your Mac, save it, then open that very patch on your iPhone while you’re out. There’s even a public, community-driven roadmap. Are you kidding me?? Everyone else is playing tic-tac-toe and Nikolozi is playing Elder Scrolls.

_tristan

10 months ago

Response from developer

Wow, thanks for the amazing review Tristan 🧡

What synth would I buy? THIS ONE

For a synth sound designer or a midi manipulator you CANNOT beat this app. It’s basically 3 modules in one. Sound, FX, and midi all of which are modular routable and modulatable.

TooMuchTo

a year ago

Response from developer

Thank you 🧡

Outstanding, powerful, unique synthesiser.

This synthesiser is really quite special.
Mela can do stuff that other synths can’t.
It has amazing scope as both an instrument and an audio effect app.
Not a beginners synth, but its unique modular design and flow are sensible and fun if you spend a little time with it.
Mac/iPad/iPhone in one purchase makes all the expansions great value for me.

Riverbend Sim

a year ago

Error city

Dunno why but it has that thing where notes constantly play forever when they were not told to… and I wish there wasn’t an annoying noise every time you add an oscillator… can’t it just default to having no vol unless a linked amp env is there to control it?

Also, the fm operators could do with waveform options, and there ought to be mseg envelopes too… if the bugs were sorted and the shortcomings solved this would be a really good all purpose synth… but that note bug happens way, way too often. Needs fixing.

Update… been contacted by the developer. Apparently, msegs and more fm controls are things that he is working on. It’s looking like some more updates may be on the way… they are needed. When the bugs are plugged this synth could prove to be the all purpose low mem synth it was probably meant to.

Randommmy

a year ago

Good stuff

Love the unique style and sounds. Very compelling app I love it.

Aphex0

a year ago

valid

🤝its like serum for ios

iTakeDihDarius

a year ago

Insane pricing tier

Seems like a cool synth but the pricing is crazy! I understand we are in a weird time for synth prices and subscriptions etc. I tried the demo and its seems interesting I like the module-style synth building and it sounded good from what I could try so I figured I’d unlock the whole version…until I saw the pricing tier! Something like $15 per group of modules and there are 3 or 4 “groups” so essentially if you want the entire synth it’s going to be what like $40-$50 plus…that’s crazy when synths/daws like Drambo are much less. I’m a sound designer, I make presets and samples for a living so I’m not unfamiliar with the ecosystem of synth pricing on iOS but this tier pricing tactic is mental, there are several very capable synths in the iOS realm that are half the price and that don’t sell it in chunks like this…it’s a bad strategy and it makes me delete the app entirely instead of purchasing it.

Matthew savant

a year ago

Now Even Better (again)

Wow every time it updates, I’m always impressed, but lately my mind has been blown with each update. All the DLC is absolutely worth it. The new Sub Lane addition takes the new routing scheme up a notch and lets you organize and simplify your projects even further in a way that’s very welcome. The way the interface kind of streamlines the modular experience is what set Mela apart for me, but the way it has grown and improved since I picked it up is what really made me a fan. It was already quite mature when I picked it up (v3 or 4) and it has really delivered on the commitment to becoming all that it can be, this developer is in it for the long haul it seems and in my experience is very responsive. Its capabilities are really amazing, it can do pretty much anything as far as regular synthesis is concerned (as in without using wavetables or samples, it can do so many synthesis methods, even phase distortion), you can do an absolutely mind-boggling amount of stuff with it. I don’t even know how much can be done, I want to do physical modeling with it now.. the sky is really the limit with the ways you can mix it up and you can integrate FX at any point and modulate that thus making it more of a synthesis block rather than an effect if you want, and do it in a really complex way bussing signals to different lanes and all. It’s a seriously professional piece of kit, and I see it more as a sound design environment with a streamlined workflow more than a plugin, calling it that doesn’t really do it justice

If you happen to use Groove Rider 2, Mela is the perfect companion. You can have the workflow, but still do really elegant and detailed stuff when you need to, I highly recommend it, and I set up the colors to compliment GR 2 and it fits very nicely, feels great.

theorize999

2 years ago

Response from developer

🙏🧡

Requiring iOS 18 loses customers.

Goodbye.

Eriptron

2 years ago

Response from developer

Hi Eriptron, I know you are a long-time Mela user and it's a bit disappointing to see you leave a 1-star review. But I understand the frustration, especially if you can't update to the latest iOS because it may break some music apps you are currently using. However, you can continue to use Mela 5.8.3 until you are ready to update and when you do, the Mela 6.x version will be waiting for you with the latest features. I've always been upfront about Mela's approach to the OS updates. It's been in the FAQ since Mela's early days. This is what it says: "Unfortunately, Mela will not support earlier versions of iOS and macOS. I know it’s very upsetting to the users on older devices that can’t upgrade to the latest OS. But I have very limited resources. I currently have to test and support all 3 types of Mela plug-ins (Instrument, Audio Effect and MIDI Processor) inside multiple AUv3 hosts (GarageBand, Logic Pro, AUM, Cubasis, Live etc) on multiple devices with different form factors (iPhones, iPads and Macs). That’s a lot of work as it is, and supporting older OS versions would significantly increase the debugging and testing required. Furthermore, Mela usually utilises the latest OS features. Writing code to incorporate the same functionality on older devices is non-trivial work. Finally, I have a long list of user feature requests, and I would rather focus my efforts on that." I hope you change your mind and update the rating :)

Wow

I don’t know what to say. V5 was amazing and I might be somewhat of a fanboy…. but I’ll have to do more testing and update this.. because I think it might be exactly what I wanted routing-wise. I think it makes it even more flexible as in crazy situations you can dream up, like in a really big way. And I think it made a lot more tasks streamlined as well.

wesside sound design