Checked out Melda again

[pekbro]

I own most of the Melda line, don't even have them installed or use them at all. Just over them I guess.

*I was going to use the looper, but it installed so much junk on my system to support the one
plugin that I immediately uninstalled it. True story...

You can totally pick and choose which plugins it installs. It’s super easy. No need to have anything you don’t want. MSuperLooper is awesome.

I did that, it still installed all the support files/ presets etc for everything. 600+ mb on the root
drive of my limited Dell AIO...

I didnt look for an individual installer tho. In any event, a lot of that stuff will still be installed
since that's how the modular system works. There are some core dll's that everything is built
from. Unless they changed things greatly from the last time I used them.

I'm actually playing with the JST repeater and I like it, even if it falls short of the melda looper
in various ways.

I've not tried it yet, but word on the street is that there's a free 64 bit version of Mobius that's out now. That was my first software audio looper, and it replaced a LP-1 Looperlative. It's core functionality was patterned after the Oberheim (and later Gibson) Echoplex Digital Pro, but it's highly configurable and has a whole scripting function for people who are looking to do advanced stuff. I've never explored that, but I basically used it like a set of 16 EDPs run as 8 stereo loopers.

Cool, ill look for it. I remember you mentioning it in the past.

The JST one sounds good and is worth a try,
but its lacking as a serious looper. Prolly
not sufficient for you. Its a good glitch effect
though...

The JST pitch shifting and distortion sounds pretty good imo. I might buy it with the
current discounts on it.

[_al_]

Never liked the awful UI/UX. Tried the reverb just now to see if things had improved but it's still as clunky and unintuitive as ever. The manual at over 54,000 words is longer than Slaughterhouse-Five or The Great Gatsby. For an extremely complex synth I could understand, but for a reverb?? Ain't got time for that.

You can click on the "?" inside the plugin and open an explanation of every parameter of the plugin.

Or even easier, hover your mouse over the control and push F1.
Little popup box with description of that particular control.
Can't ask for more, really.

That said, reading his post, I'm pretty sure he's never gonna gel with the Melda framework

[mjolnir]

I like a few of the plugins but when it came time for me to reduce my oversized VST collection, Melda started looking more like a target for removal.
So I got ride of em. And I don't really miss them because I already had too many plugins. But the sound quality of Melda plugins seems good so that's the main thing for people who don't collect too many. I really only wanted the Melda Flange or Phaser but ended up installing too much. I think the new installer might make it possible to pick just certain VSTs now, so you don't have to be like me with the all or nothing.

[Steve Bolivar]

Last Xmas I used their 50% off sale to get MXXX. I had a few other Melda effects plugins I got from VST Buzz sales or other no brainier deals so I got a little better deal. I never really clicked with them but I never really tried either. I got tired of spending time and money updating my VST collection and decided to just do it. For me MXXX is the cure for gas. When I see a new really cool plug-in like the Freakshow Industries delay, instead of buying it, I try to recreate it and maybe learn something new in the process. I actually like the GUIs for the MSoundFactory devices.

[BrokenTrance]

Absynth is a horrorshow of a gui

You must be easily frightened.

It is more a Halloween type of a funny costume type of horrorshow. One is laughing at it.

[zerocrossing]

I own most of the Melda line, don't even have them installed or use them at all. Just over them I guess.

*I was going to use the looper, but it installed so much junk on my system to support the one
plugin that I immediately uninstalled it. True story...

You can totally pick and choose which plugins it installs. It’s super easy. No need to have anything you don’t want. MSuperLooper is awesome.

I did that, it still installed all the support files/ presets etc for everything. 600+ mb on the root
drive of my limited Dell AIO...

I didnt look for an individual installer tho. In any event, a lot of that stuff will still be installed
since that's how the modular system works. There are some core dll's that everything is built
from. Unless they changed things greatly from the last time I used them.

I'm actually playing with the JST repeater and I like it, even if it falls short of the melda looper
in various ways.

I've not tried it yet, but word on the street is that there's a free 64 bit version of Mobius that's out now. That was my first software audio looper, and it replaced a LP-1 Looperlative. It's core functionality was patterned after the Oberheim (and later Gibson) Echoplex Digital Pro, but it's highly configurable and has a whole scripting function for people who are looking to do advanced stuff. I've never explored that, but I basically used it like a set of 16 EDPs run as 8 stereo loopers.

Cool, ill look for it. I remember you mentioning it in the past.

The JST one sounds good and is worth a try,
but its lacking as a serious looper. Prolly
not sufficient for you. Its a good glitch effect
though...

The JST pitch shifting and distortion sounds pretty good imo. I might buy it with the
current discounts on it.

I just checked it out, definitely not for me. I'd just as soon use Tantra for glitchy stuff.

[funky lime]

Even if Melda's only plugin was MSuperLooper, they'd still be my most-often-used, best-value-for-money plugin developer in 2023/2024.

[pekbro]

tbh, i didnt like the super looper ui at all. heh
still, i prefer much over melda, since i have a
ridiculous number of alternatives, for me its
not a prob at all.

I got most of the melda plugins free anyway...

[jancivil]

I became interested in one Melda plugin recently, does something I imagined a use for, may be unique. "Ratio Multiband."
My recollection of them from quite some years ago had become a little fuzzy, but not to the extent I forgot they do that IKM trip of placing every plugin they make on the drive. What was new to my awareness was this folder in Application Support I acquired in this download. The IKM trip plopped presets on here to the tune of MB. Melda's folder size - it's pretty much a presets folder but has "libMeldaProductionAudioPluginKernelV11.dylibwas" in "LIB" in there - was in GB.

I'm not "railroaded" easily, I tell you what. This practice ensures I'm never going to support this developer. I decided to recover the remaining 100 or so MB from this "kernel" thing and just not bother.
The other thing I remember is his disdain for Mac and its normal practices. Well, this revealed in spades.

[Teksonik]

Melda's installer allows us to pick what plugins we want to install but....it goes ahead and installs every preset and support file for every plugin he makes even if you only install one plugin. At least it has in the past. Perhaps the latest installer doesn't but I have my doubts.

When I called him out on this many years ago his response was because "it's easier for him". It's a text book definition of what I mean when I talk about some developers taking any liberties with our systems they wish.

The following numbers are from several years of Melda Installs. I only own three of his plugins and upgraded the FreeFX pack to full so that's several more.

4,503 files, 462 Folders, and 1.454 Gig of hard drive space in two different locations and that's not counting a few more files strewn about the drive:

Melda.png

Melda 2.png

[kidslow]

Perhaps the latest installer doesn't but I have my doubts.

They did improve it. After I rubbed their face in it a little.

Arturia does the same thing with installing all presets.

[Teksonik]

Perhaps the latest installer doesn't but I have my doubts.

They did improve it. After I rubbed their face in it a little.
Arturia does the same thing with installing all presets.

Looks like it's been "improved" a little bit in the new installer:

V16 installs more than 10,000 files and 1,500 folders, while the new v17 installer installs "only" 6,000 files and about 670 folders. This is significantly less.
However, if you install just a few basic plugins, the occupied space is lower by few hundreds of MB with the new installer.

Unfortunately if you've had Melda plugins installed in the past it doesn't clean up any old files. I guess a complete uninstall/reinstall would be in order.

I've been on him about this issue for years so it's good to see you've been at him as well and that there has finally been some acknowledgement of the issue.

I know Melda has a lot of plugins in its portfolio but even now "6,000 files and about 670 folders" seems like an extreme amount forcing one to consider using the term "bloatware".

The fact that Arturia does the same thing doesn't absolve either company of taking liberties with our systems and I realize that in this day and age of multi-terabyte hard drives that space is not as big an issue but imagine if every developer spewed all its files over your drives in the same way. Keeping our studio systems lean and clean should be a goal for everyone.

At least he doesn't drop a custom file in our Windows folder any longer after being called out on that as well.

I like the Melda plugins I own enough that putting up with the insane bloat is just an necessary evil but I still don't like the attitude that a developer thinks they can bloat our systems in any way they wish.

[Frankie.T]

Are you guys serious?

At the end of 2024 with m.2 ssd that costs nothing and are fast AF, are your really talking about files when lots of other companies decide IF you can install what you bought because of customers unfriendly drm?

I don't care about the number of files and 1gb of space when you can buy 2tb for less than 100 bucks, i care to have reliable software i can install and use whenever i like, and that's something Melda provide.

What piss me off, is when i buy something i cannot use anymore, i started in 1999 and i spent money on software that got discontinued by companies that are still around and big, and as customer i feel rubbed because of that.

If you really want to care about somethig that is not the plugin itself, start to think about DRM, because that's where you risk to trash your money, and the right to use what you bought.

[kidslow]

Are you guys serious?

At the end of 2024 with m.2 ssd that costs nothing and are fast AF, are your really talking about files when lots of other companies decide IF you can install what you bought because of customers unfriendly drm?

Yes I'm serious Frankie. Here's my cringe shock face reaction.

My drive! My drive space! Developers don't get to run roughshod over that. And if you haven't noticed the trend, even in your short lifetime my friend, used to be you could upgrade the drive inside of a computer. Not so much anymore.

[kidslow]

Unfortunately if you've had Melda plugins installed in the past it doesn't clean up any old files. I guess a complete uninstall/reinstall would be in order.

That's what I did, and it recovered a good amount of that space. Still bloated, but less so.

I believe some presets and configuration files live inside that mess, so I started by cloning it all off to the side. Their file layout on the drive rivals Acustica's in its spaghetti mess of organization. As always, a likely window into the disorganized mess of their code itself.