For experienced users, the manual will be more helpful. It does a terrible job explaining the basics of the software. If you are a beginner, avoid reading the manual.The more time you spend correcting a clip, the better your results will be. Use your existing audio software to edit and mix multiple audio clips. The principle reason to buy the software is to repair, modify, or analyze single audio clips.

SpectraLayers Pro works on one audio file at a time.

SpectraLayers Pro is to audio files, what Photoshop is to bitmapped images.

The bad news is that Sony makes it difficult to learn what the software does.Īfter reading the manual from cover to cover, and watching the entire SpectraLayers Pro Seminar Series videos, I’ve compiled a list of “What You Need To Know To Use The Software.”

The good news is that what it does, it does really, really well. Further, by allowing us to select specific frequencies, and their related harmonics, it allows us to isolate specific sounds either to make them louder, softer, or remove them altogether. Unlike most audio software, SpectraLayers Pro displays audio as a range of frequencies, rather than waveforms, which display volume. I installed and reviewed this on a late-model iMac, running OS X 10.8.5.

However, SpectraLayers Pro is a stand-alone application that can be used with any audio software. Running on both Mac and Windows, the latest version of SpectraLayers Pro is tightly integrated with Sound Forge Pro 11, also from Sony Creative Software. It is best used as an adjunct to your existing audio editing software. It is an ideal tool for repairing individual audio clips, or creating intriguing sound design elements. Sony’s training, while good, needs to focus on how to make users succeed with the software more quickly. Its manual is written for experienced users rather than beginners, the software takes time to learn, and results get better with practice. SpectraLayers Pro does magic, but it isn’t automatic. For example, it allows you to remove a siren from the background of dialog, or a saxophone from a live recording of a trio, or the sound of a jet flying overhead. In brief, what the software allows you to do is to remove individual sounds from an audio file without affecting the rest of the audio in the file. So, when they asked me to review their software, I jumped at the chance. I’ve heard of SpectraLayers Pro 2, from Sony Creative Software, for a long time.

Spectralayers pro 2 tutorial