looks like a Melodyne-type app... interesting but not sure i need it.

Trial for PC is 32-bit only, Mac is 64-bit. Wonder what's up with that.
Also wonder if it plugs into Vegas or only works standalone. If the latter, will they have a way to go get an audio clip, fix it and replace the original?

It works as standalone application right in the way Sound Forge does. So you can set SpectraLayer as your prefered audio editor: Right-click the audio event in Vegas Pro, edit in SpectraLayer and send it back to Vegas Pro.

At first glance this seems to have aspects of Alogrithmix ReNOVator, IzotopeRX and Melodyne Editor (without all the clever music notation and pitch Macros) and for sure deserves some further investigation & evaluation .....

However the trial gives me no sound, despite having tried every Sound Device option combination possible.

Furthermore the program insists on re-sampling perfectly good 48kHz or 44.1kHz / 16 or 24bit / mono or stereo WAV file when I select a file for 'Import Layer"; = message "The sample rate or number of channels is unsupported"; must answer OK, and incoming file is resampled to 24kHz, Mono....- also seems there is a problem as internal "resample" option only has a maximum of 24kHz, single channel.

As far as I can see my system satisfies all the requirements. = Win7_64 SP1, Intel 8-core i7 930, 6GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce GTX-260/Drivers 301.42

Main Soundcard is SSL/Soundscape MX4 = ASIO
Have also tried onboard soundcard = Realtek with MME drivers.

I am not a novice user - have some 20 years experience in setting up and using sound applications in PCs. This particular PC and soundcard works fine with every other sound application I throw at it.

To state the bleeding obvious, I am unlikely to purchase this product unless I can get the trial working.

Already submitted a Support Request.... won't be holding my breath though, as I still have no response for 2 months regarding a demonstrably repeatable Audio bug in VP11 ..... the SpectraLayers Pro Trial only lasts 14 days!

Installed the demo and found exactly the same problems you list regarding the resampling (and 14 day demo). Is it a demo limitation - the 24KHz thing?

My sound does however work. Using the onboard sound and did not make any changes to the device options. It just worked after installation.

Would be interested in any reply you get - if they respond same as for VP11 the demo will have expired before we hear anything.

Willem.

Yes, I think the demo limits inputs to get converted to 1 channel and resampled to 24 kHz. Also saving projects and rendering (export) only works in full version.

Someone at SCS has a serious drug problem if they think that a 24kHz limitation is a proper way for professional evaluation.... no serious soundcard supports that samplerate anymore .... I did see 'Pro" in the name didn't I?

Remarkably, I received a support response!
In part it says "Unfortunately with the trial version it is only able to work in mono format which is why you're being prompted with the resampling. It is a limit placed on the trial."
Which is informative regarding Mono (I was actually opening Mono files anyway) but does not explain the resampling to 24kHz adequately.... a mono or stereo file does not need need to be resampled to create a mono result; "resampling" only pertains to changing the samplerate.

Hmmm.....

Sticking with iZotope RXII for the present.

Grazie

+1 Grazie.
Speaking of iZotope, there was an update on July 2.
http://www.izotope.com/products/audio/rx/index.asp?t=support

Mike

Interesting to see a SCS program with its own Mac version.

Thanks Mike! I wasn't paying attention . . . .

However, reading the improves, not much there I could use. What I have been after is better transport and scrubbing functionality. I'd reeeeeally would like to use my CSP within iZoRXII. Also the sequencing of using the tools could be jacked-up more. Also the in<>out from Vegas, even after a save gets me a - "Would you like to Save this file" - when returning to a new session with RX, even after saving the file. Weird.

I just removed some screaming kids from the BG of a talking head to camera sequence . . . RXII is pure voodoo. I used the Magic Wand and got the harmonics to be singled-out too. Stunning result.

G

It's about the same price as iZope, but izope has had a longer time to mature.

I have a question - can I use it to isolate and keep a specific sound? I often tape dance recitals where some of the performances are tap dancing. To get the taps, I put a couple of boundary mics on the stage and in post add a 5KHz high-pass filter. iZope Spectral Repair and Sony's Spectral Pro both have removal tools, but I want the inverse. Is this possible with either product?

Steve - The video demo for SpectraLayers seemed to indicate it can do what you want.... by isolating the sound and Solo.

Yes, besides editing on the base of spectral frequencies isolating parts of a sound and using the isolated sounds in separate layers is one of the main features of SpectraLayer.
What you'll be able to mark can be isolated, used in a separate layer, edited separate and finally (if you want this) put together again or used isolated. You can also export separated layers.

Even noise removal works this way. You separate the noise part of a sound which will end in having (at least) two layers - the layer of the untouched original sound and the layer of the isolated noise sound. Now you invert the phase of the noise sound which will cancel the noise in the composition of the two layers.

If a mixture of sound is clear enough you can even remix that sound to a certain level. If you listen to this sample you'll here the original sound for three second followed by a remix done with the help of SpectraLayer, where I separated voice, birds and sirene, exported the separated sounds into Vegas and remixed it by lowering, pitch-shifting and reverbing the sirene, making the bird sound bit clearer and lowering level and compressing the voice a little bit (not a good example for a good mixing but hopefully one which demonstates another way to use SpectraLayer).

@Steve Mann
I experimented a little with Spectral Layers - cannot say anything about iZotope.

You import your sound recording into a layer. Next you add a new, empty, layer and then extract selected sounds - your tap dancing (with their harmonics etc) - into the newly added layer. Any of the layers may be muted, phase reversed etc and then the "timeline" played back.

Only playing back the extracted sound - the tap dancing in your case - will play it back in isolation. You can apply VST effects to any layer as well - again in your case maybe the extracted tap dancing.

I suggest you download the demo and try and see if it does what you want. The demo is a bit crippled and only runs for 14 days but it does give an idea of how it functions.

Hope that answers some of you question.

Edit: Wow, two replies in the time I typed - I must learn to speed things up a bit.

Willem.

I am very happy with what I have been able to do with Izotope RX, yet I get the feeling that being able to visualize sound in 3 dimensions is more analogous to how I actually experience it, so I do like the look of this - I'll have to choose which 14 days to use for trials ....

Marco, you seem to know quite a lot about SpectraLayers....
perhaps you know how I can get the trial working?

see http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?MessageID=819748
and support Ticket 120716-000070

I agree that 24 kHz limitation is a not a good choice making the demo useless e.g. to evaluate the quality range it provides (and in the end that's what makes many customers decide whether to buy it or not). All I can say is it seems that's what they chose to be the way to make this demo a demo.

I have no problem with Trial/Demo versions crippling some aspects of the full product e.g. short expiry time / mono files only / no save / limited file length / added beeps on output, etc. etc., but to pick a crazy non-standard samplerate from the early 80's which is not supported by professional soundcards when trying to sell a professional product is, at best, suicide .... or just plain arrogance.

Truthfully this product looks to me to be very good, and I am already convinced from the video demo that it should become another tool in my arsenal, but there is no guarantee that it will work unless I see it working properly in my setup, therefore a purchase is impossible until that occurs. I'd prefer to spend the money at a Casino.

I'm getting the picture that his app can do stuff that Forge cannot?
JJK

Just an interesting review and demo of this app.

http://bcove.me/wxucva2y