Steinberg Spectralayers

[clevername37]

4. Are there good news for owners of sl4 in terms of upgrade/crossgrade pricing?
I definitely passed SL5 (Sound Forge 12&13 too) because MAGIX' awful care for customer relation and those disturbing upgrade policies.

The upgrade pricing is different between the current version (five) and earlier ones. (But don't upgrade to five at this point.) But it's a great value. Upgrading from version 4 will be like getting a new programme, not just an upgrade. If you don't feel it's a good deal when you see it, pls email me.

[clevername37]

Thanks for the response, Bill!

I'm really happy to hear that Steinberg is providing a supportive environment for Spectralayers development. Spectralayers has a special place in my heart and I've wondered about its future from time to time.

One other question, though I'm not sure if you'll be allowed to answer it: will Spectralayers 6 have VST support? This would make sense given that it's a Steinberg product now. That is, in my opinion, the one major missing feature of the software. Once that is added...

Thanks again,

Nathan

Interesting question about VST support—the answer is suprising. Let me talk to Robin about what we'd like to say at this point.

[perfumer]

What about Magix?

Hi, I'm not sure what you mean?

This used to be Magix Spectralayers. Not any more. What happened? Are you going to work with them in the future?

Just announcing "hi there, this is Steinberg Spectralayers, we have a new version coming out" leaves some questions unanswered, don't you think?

[perfumer]

Interesting question about VST support—the answer is suprising. Let me talk to Robin about what we'd like to say at this point.

A simple "yes" or "no" would do. "Interesting questions" are the domain of diplomacy, or when a university student doesn't know how to answer the question his professor is asking.

[clevername37]

Interesting question about VST support—the answer is suprising. Let me talk to Robin about what we'd like to say at this point.

A simple "yes" or "no" would do. "Interesting questions" are the domain of diplomacy, or when a university student doesn't know how to answer the question his professor is asking.

I simply thought it was an interesting question because Robin and I were just talking about, and I think what we're been working on is surprising.

Regardless, there's of course going to be some diplomacy in all this, as the rules have to bend from both sides when discussing upcoming features in unannounced software. I do hear you—wondering about what's happening in software you've invested in, and that you rely on professionally. That's why I'm here, and I'll do my best to help. I'm also really interested in what you all have to say. All that being said, I did just touch base with Robin.

VST support was an early feature of SL6, and was almost finished—but we were doing it just like everyone else: rendering VST plugins to selections. WaveLab already has that ability, and it's a great program. We'd rather do something new (especially within the realm of SL's focus) than duplicate someone else's functionality.

So, we went back and starting questions like, "What does it mean to add effects in an audio programme?" And we came up with new approaches that have never been done. You'll see the foundation for them in SL6, along with actual features you can use right away. As for VST…we do have something specifically planned. It won't be SL6, but it will blow your mind.

Bill

[clevername37]

What about Magix?

Hi, I'm not sure what you mean?

This used to be Magix Spectralayers. Not any more. What happened? Are you going to work with them in the future?

Just announcing "hi there, this is Steinberg Spectralayers, we have a new version coming out" leaves some questions unanswered, don't you think?

Beginning with SpectraLayers 6, SpectraLayers will be published by Steinberg. SpectraLayers 5 is published by MAGIX. We're on good terms with MAGIX, and they make some very creative stuff.

Bill

[Nspace]

Interesting question about VST support—the answer is suprising. Let me talk to Robin about what we'd like to say at this point.

A simple "yes" or "no" would do. "Interesting questions" are the domain of diplomacy, or when a university student doesn't know how to answer the question his professor is asking.

I simply thought it was interesting question because Robin and I were just talking about, and I think what we're been working on is surprising.

Regardless, there's of course going to be some diplomacy in all this, as the rules have to bend from both sides when discussing upcoming features in unannounced software. I do hear you—wondering about what's happening in software you've invested in, and that you rely on professionally. That's why I'm here, and I'll do my best to help. I'm also really interested in what you all have to say. All that being said, I did just touch base with Robin.

VST support was an early feature of SL6, and was almost finished—but we were doing it just like everyone else: rendering VST plugins to selections. WaveLab already has that ability, and it's a great program. We'd rather do something new (especially within the realm of SL's focus) than duplicate someone else's functionality.

So, we went back and starting questions like, "What does it mean to add effects in an audio programme?" And we came up with new approaches that have never been done. You'll see the foundation for them in SL6, along with actual features you can use right away. As for VST…we do have something specifically planned. It won't be SL6, but it will blow your mind.

Bill

Bill, Thank you for your presence, what you are sharing, and the way you are communicating.

It is very seldom one sees such articulated and receptive discourse, something that helps while dealing with such complex matters as those put forward here. Your ability to bring the meta-view of validating diplomacy (while keeping openness) in this context, should align most of us here; those wanting answers and others interested in providing user feedback to developers or asking for SL's loyalty to its invested user base.

That said, I agree, it sounds very interesting that you are questioning the usual approach to incorporate plugins into a DAW or sound editor.
So far one selects a portion or all of the track and then applies to it a preprogrammed effect, in your words "rendering VST plugins to selections". Of course that applied effect might be complex, like side-chaining to an external track or algorithm, or recently linking to a versatil modulator (in the MELDA sense).
However, so far, those are preprogrammed processes. AFAIK a way to "open" them, is to use automation and thus depending on the implementation, allowing to correct/undo+reapply portions of the process ... though this happens on later steps.

The ability to change values of plugin parameters in real time while applying the effect... would be similar to applying an effect "while recording" on analog gear, which benefits virtual time mixing, mastering or nowadays popular inbox composition. Obviously monitoring such would need powerful low latency PCs, if attainable at all yet, therefore such novel plugin/vst/aax processing would be done with partial if some monitoring capacity...

Unless, something completely new is created, such are the wonders of the spectral domain tools.
I am waiting to be mindblown in this field and am prepared to keep waiting, give feedback and ideas while at it, if what is expressed here is indicative of things to come.

//Welcome indeed to you and best energies to your association with Robin, who has developed Divideframe as amazingly far as has been till today.

*edit, correcting mostly typos for clarity

[nathanj]

Thanks Bill

This all sounds really promising. Can’t wait to see all this in action.

I’m really intrigued with the VST discussion. I’m trying to think of how VSTs could integrate beyond what’s already available in other hosts. Just have to wait, I guess.

I hope you don’t mind me asking, but If you already had basic VST integration working why was it removed? Being able to extract elements of sound files to new layers, processing them with unique effects and then placing them back into the original final is already a pretty amazing process.

That aside, super excited about the future of Spectralayers! Thanks for your updates here, it’s really appreciated.

Nathan

[goldenanalog]

Hi, Bill! Thanks a lot for coming here to KVR!

[thebutler]

Hello Bill - thanks for joining in; enjoying reading your posts.! Excited to see how this goes...

Is it going to work like, I'm guessing, Melodyne will (via ARA) in Cubase - i.e. launch inside the Sample Editor window perhaps..? Or, as a 'plugin' type tool, inserted as FX on a whole track.?

Guess we'll find out soon..

[nathanj]

@thebutler

I’m pretty sure it will work like melodyne where clicking on the audio file in your host will allow you to access it through the Spectralayers editor.

How the enhanced integration works though is something we’ll have to wait a little more to see.

[thebutler]

@thebutler

I’m pretty sure it will work like melodyne where clicking on the audio file in your host will allow you to access it through the Spectralayers editor.

How the enhanced integration works though is something we’ll have to wait a little more to see.

Ah yes.! I see... thanks @nathanj - of course, it will be like I've seen in StudioOne (and Melodyne). It will launch its own editor... Which should be great all the same; am overthinking it.. just a teeny bit excited here...

[clevername37]

Nothing to see here.

[clevername37]

Thanks Bill

This all sounds really promising. Can’t wait to see all this in action.

I’m really intrigued with the VST discussion. I’m trying to think of how VSTs could integrate beyond what’s already available in other hosts. Just have to wait, I guess.

I hope you don’t mind me asking, but If you already had basic VST integration working why was it removed? Being able to extract elements of sound files to new layers, processing them with unique effects and then placing them back into the original final is already a pretty amazing process.

That aside, super excited about the future of Spectralayers! Thanks for your updates here, it’s really appreciated.

Nathan

Hi Nathan, it wasn't quite there yet—and given that we came up with something much more interesting for our users, it didn't make sense to finish implementing a feature we new would be replaced. That being said, I can say there is a way to use VST plugins in V6, though not how you'd expect—but I'm afraid I can't say more about that until Steinberg announces the features. Strictly speaking, it's not a feature of V6, and I'll leave it at that for now.

Bill

[nathanj]

That’s more than cool. Thanks again for dropping by!