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
Show more
Good Sounding Synth
Lots of features, no data collected, optional paid stuff. Love it.
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.
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.
Show more
Add note sliding
When I drag my finger on the keyboard, I want to hear keys that are touched.
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.
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.
Show more
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. :-)
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. :-)
Show more
I have no idea what I'm doing...
...but I'm having so much fun.
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.
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.
Show more
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.
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.
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.
Show more
Good stuff
Love the unique style and sounds. Very compelling app I love it.
valid
🤝its like serum for ios
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.
Show more
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.
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.
Show more
Response from developer
🙏🧡
Requiring iOS 18 loses customers.
Goodbye.
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.
Show more
Response from developer
🙏🧡
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.
Show more
To be honest, I just played around with it, so far.
But I think this development needs to be supported. Very deep Modular. Great APP!
Is it really necessary to have iOS 18.x as minimum requirement?
Sadly I won’t use this. I won’t upgrade to 18 soon, because there are still problematic areas and I don’t want to risk trouble with older apps.
I always appreciate when developers have an “as low as possible” system requirement approach. It will not just open a bigger Market but reduce electronic waste as well.
I always appreciate when developers have an “as low as possible” system requirement approach. It will not just open a bigger Market but reduce electronic waste as well.
Show more
Amazing!!!
This is probably the best synth/effect out there, because of the sheer amount of things that can be done with it. I haven’t even tapped i to 10% of it yet. I’m still stuck on using the phase distortion oscillator with FM. I enjoy it so much I usually end up doing some variation of that, maybe combined with noise or something else, but that combo usually forms the body of the sound. I’d love to see more options for the phase distortion, I think it’s so under appreciated as a synthesis method, it has a really nice sound for me, any ways of adding way to manipulate the wave with that are welcome. It’s already way more comfortable to work with than bitwig’s way of doing it, and as far as i can tell they do it pretty much the same way. It’s just more fun and definitely better to experiment with over in Mela. And one thing I absolutely love that doesn’t have anything to do with the sound…. you can make a color theme in a minute or two, so you really can have the interface suit your mood. It would be cool if you could build it into a patch. I’d do it. It’s just so dang friendly, wiring stuff up in this program, if you’re used to a mod matrix then you should feel right at home. The way it’s done, it feel’s very clear and readable, so going back to old work or even looking at other people’s work is fairly painless as far as these things go. That in itself is a pretty big achievement, if you’ve ever used other modular software you know how messy it can get. I have a pretty good module collection in Voltage modular, but I’d rather use this, I’ll just get more done and with less headache. Like no headache. Score!
Show more
Response from developer
🙏🧡
