Pro Tools Expert just announced the release of Melodyne 4, coming soon!
As a user of Melodyne Editor version 2, I’m excited. No information has come out indicating what features will be included, and I’m certain that Russ from Pro Tools Expert can’t elaborate further than to just say “it’s coming, we’re stoked!”.
So instead, I’ll give my own wishlist for features I hope will be included in Melodyne 4.
1. No More Tiers
Tiers are lame. I understand that not everyone needs the full Melodyne Studio or its capabilities, but if I buy the software I want the full thing. Tiers have led people to confusion about what their version can and cannot do, and I feel it would be far simpler for everyone to be on the same playing field.
Sure, Melodyne Studio may be a bit advanced for basic tuning tasks, but there are plugins that operate in basic mode as well as advanced mode. Why wouldn’t it be reasonable to allow me to choose how deep I want to go?
2. And Midi For All…
Waves Tune has the ability to correct pitch using a midi controller, allowing you to play the pitches you want your performance to match. Melodyne Studio allows this as well, but it’s not available for users of Melodyne Editor or below. As computers have become more and more powerful, and midi controllers have come down in price, this should be an obvious feature to include for all users of Melodyne at no extra charge. It’s about workflow, dammit!
3. Linked Multi-Track Mode.
Again, a feature available to users of Melodyne Studio, but not available to any other owners of the product. We have plugins that can be used in groups, where tweaking one parameter will impact the same parameter on all instances of the plugin that are in that group. Imagine being able to time align drums while keeping them in phase, adjusting the transient intensity of a single drum in the performance, negating bleed, and generating velocity accurate midi for your entire drum performance, all from one open window?
4. Yes, I’d like to buy a subscription!
Subscription models are the way of the future. Slate Digital gets money from me every month, and probably will for some time to come. This levels the playing field for engineers by making top grade tools available to everyone. That gives us all a level of common features we can use, which helps with collaboration and with education.
So why not offer the same feature for Melodyne? Let me pay you $10-month for access to all of the features, and I’ll do it happily! Having the most powerful audio editor available to all for pennies a day would really increase their marketshare, while allowing more and more people the opportunity to access these awesome tools.
It looks like it comes out tomorrow, so we’ll see what features I guessed right.