So...melda?

[Underoath77]

Was recently looking at getting Waves or UAD for production. But then found melda. Can create any compressor? Eq? And all the dynamics and fx?

Who's using the Total bundle and what do you think???

[pekbro]

A lot of people like the melda stuff, a lot don't care for it. Try it for yourself, its certainly
worth your time and effort to give it a go.

Personally, I would go for the UAD if that's an option for you. But that's just me.

[MeldaProduction]

Hehe trying for yourself is the only option really. The difference between Melda and, well, pretty much everything else , is that we are into lots of features and rather innovative techs. Which means, you can do way more with our plugins, and lots of the technologies we have here is just unparalleled, hardly even possible with UAD even if they would try , but it may also be complex for someone. So try it and you'll see how it works for you. Start with these:

https://www.meldaproduction.com/product/unique

[Oliver.Lucas]

This is also a lot about philosophy.
If you like the virtual snakeoil approach then go for Waves/UAD or even Slate.
If you like to tweak the parameters of the algorithms and see what is happening you might prefer Melda.
You might also want to consider that Melda is pretty much Vojtech while the teams behind Waves etc. are bigger.

[MeldaProduction]

Actually hard to say about that. If you look what they develop, it is sort of hard to believe there would be more than one guy .

[vectorwarrior]

I'll never go back to one of the other big developers. Their approach just don't match what I want out of audio tools.

Melda prioritizes power and features in a never ending search for more control and opportunities. The downside is that this can make them overwhelming, especially for people that aren't power users. There is the easy mode, but if you stick with that you're missing out on the whole point in my opinion.

Most other major developers prioritize simplicity, accessibility and an obsession with legacy equipment. I'd rather look forward not backwards.

There are a few exceptions, like isotope, but nobody with the wealth of plugins that melda offer.

[goldglob]

Since buying the total bundle some time ago I've noticed that my plug-in acquisition anxiety has significantly reduced.

[DarkStar]

... but how about your pacing up and down waiting for the next new plug-in that you'll get FREE?

[goldglob]

..I know, shuffling back and forth, scratching my head, I might have to start billing Vojtech for carpet wear and hair loss!

[mibby]

...Melda prioritizes power and features in a never ending search for more control and opportunities. The downside is that this can make them overwhelming, especially for people that aren't power users. There is the easy mode, but if you stick with that you're missing out on the whole point in my opinion.

Most other major developers prioritize simplicity, accessibility and an obsession with legacy equipment. I'd rather look forward not backwards.

There are a few exceptions, like isotope, but nobody with the wealth of plugins that melda offer.

+1

Guilty. I am newer to digital mixing and one of those who gravitates towards "simplicity, accessibility and vintage UIs". I also find the Melda UI difficult to get my head around, but am getting used to it. I usually start with Presets and tweak from there. It seems there is no end to all of the "hidden" features in the Melda plugins - even in the FREE ones. If I want to "go to school", I start reading up on the Melda website and the wealth of information there.

I would like to add one thing to vectorwarrior's comments which are spot on.

The Plugin Kernal: If you're on a PC with limited resources, Vojtech's "Plugin Kernal" is an absolutely brilliant and logical idea. I have NEVER seen it mentioned other than buried in the Melda website and this feature, sadly, goes HUGELY unsaid and unnoticed. I am forever trying to economize my CPU usage with the Waves and other plugins.

http://www.meldaproduction.com/technology/plugin-kernel

[MeldaProduction]

Thank you folks!

[wildcafe]

I'm a "MTotailzed" user, owner of MDrummer Large and MPowersynth.

Here are my impressions of the Melda plugins:
- The plugins are some kind of "cold". It means they're very technical. When working with them, there's nothing about having fun. Instead they're pure workhorses. But workhorses with a lot (and I mean A VERY LOT) of power and know-how under the hood.

- Most of the Melda plugins don't want to emulate any analogue gear. They just do maths on audio signals. If you use MCompressor, you'll get a technically correct compression with no coloration (means e.g. overtones etc.) of the signal. But you have the choice to move further by using saturation or plugins like MTurboComp which gives you a more characteristic sound (but still with a very technical gui).

- If you're looking at the plugins superfically, they're looking not very special (or even boring and overloaded) compared to the market. They offer so many knobs and functions that you have to really dig into using them. If you start working with them, and the more you get in depth, you will explore great and innovative features every day.
All the automations and modulator stuff, the meterings, the saturation, preset comparison, random buttons, modularity, possibilities, settings etc. - HEAVEN for geeks and nerds!

- Plugins like MCompare, MAutoAlign, MAutoDynamicEQ or MTotalReverb etc. - some of these plugins are so innovative and big players tried to copy them (or there's still no comparable plugin on the market). But these plugins are so great helpers and tools, I'm overwhelmed everytime when Melda launches a new plugin, thinking "Damn, they've again found such a smart solution to a problem nobody else thought about before".

- Melda plugins are technically outstanding: they're very optimized in cpu usage, they use the gpu of the computer for their calculations, nearly every plugin offers extensive internal metering options, oversampling, stauration etc. and so many more "in-depth" functions that help you getting the best out of your productions.

I could go on and on.

I'm a Melda user since Vojtech published his (free) plugins. In the beginning they were just some toys and I've never used them because the built in plugins of my daw sounded better or gave me better results in less time.
But this has changed since V6 or V7 (I don't remember exactly). Since then they've made a huge jump in quality and today I'm using them nearly in every channel of my projects.
I started buying plugin by plugin through the "Eternal Madness Discount". Each week I was surfing the plugins offered and every week I found a new tool that I got hooked on, until I had bought so many plugins that the upgrade to the MTotal bundle cost me just 22€...

The big advantage of buying with "Eternal Madness": you buy the plugin, load it and test it. Then you play around with it's functions and really get into it. So you learn each plugin from the ground up and in-depth.

I think I can say that Melda plugins are in the meanwhile my number one choice when it's about mixing, dynamics, metering, eq-ing or doing special stuff (hello MXXX ).

They're my basic toolset nowadays, not to say I fell in love with the whole concept, the workflow, the clever ideas behind them, their feature richness and the community around them.

Another bonus: just by flying around and chatting here in the forum I've learned a lot more of the technical aspects in audio production and in how plugins work technically.
I got even deeper technical skills by learning from Vojtech's explanations ("the Melda guy") when he explained why and how this and that plugin does it's job from an audiotechnical point of view. I'd say just getting this know-how was worth buying every single plugin (and honoring the hours, days and weeks he spends on developing and "being there" for his customers).

Using Melda's plugins and flying around here in the forum helped me getting my productions from an even high state-of-the-art level to the next higher level.

To sum it up: I can recommend Meldaproduction plugins from my deepest heart, their value for money is mega huge. So go for them!
My advice: start buying with Eternal Madness Discount...

cheers
Bernie

P.S.: I'm not related in any way to Meldaproductions beside being a very satisfied client so far (which doesn't change hopefully).

[Squidsneeze]

- Plugins like MCompare, MAutoAlign, ... - some of these plugins are so innovative and big players tried to copy them (or there's still no comparable plugin on the market)

Sorry to say, but it is the other way around with these. And at least with MDrumLeveler it is the same, too. Funny you especially picked the copied ones Just google for SoundRadix, HOFA, SampleMagic, ...

Can't say anything about the rest. I've been not using them.

[pekbro]

For me its about utility. The melda workflow and modular system are some of the best in the industry.

But whenever I want a particular or unique character, sound, etc. I invariably reach for something else.

Melda is all about the system imho.
No doubt, not a popular stance here, but I don't see even a single best of class product besides MXXX. And the uniques of course.

Cheers.

[wildcafe]

Sorry to say, but it is the other way around with these. And at least with MDrumLeveler it is the same, too. Funny you especially picked the copied ones Just google for SoundRadix, HOFA, SampleMagic, ...

I didn't know Magic AB for example, you're right, it seems pretty similar. Same with AutoAlign.

Then let's talk about MXXX, MSpectralCompressor, MChannelMatrix, MCharacter, MStereoSpread, MPhatik, MDrumEnhancer, all the Multiband plugins etc.
They maybe have some functions that have been around there (e.g. Pro Tools Drum Replacer vs. MDrumEnhancer), but they take it to the next level (enhancing the signal not only by samples, but an adapted synthesized signal with MDrumEnhancer for example).

But 90% of the "originals" I've compared so far to MPlugins: at Melda you get more value for your bucks, if you're used to the workflow and gui.