Most spectral utilities have rudimentary selection tools and unsophisticated crossfading of processed with source audio. You can also launch other programs from within SpectraLayers, including iZotope RX, Melodyne, or WaveLab. With ARA, I experienced a seamless handoff between Magix Sequoia 15 and SpectraLayers 6. Pro Tools users can relate stories of trying to pitch edit audio with an external application only to have the processed material return to the wrong spot on the timeline.

Version 6 adds ARA (Audio Random Access) 2 integration, which is respected as the best spotting protocol available. The editor can run as a standalone application or instantiate from within your DAW.

This means the application runs on Windows 7 and up (64-bit) or macOS Sierra and up, is optimized for high DPI displays, and is backed by Steinberg's customer support. Initially published by Sony, the title moved to Magix Software and now lives with Steinberg. This is critical, as generic spectrograms do not always provide a clear picture of problem areas, making selection difficult or impossible. From color mapping to amplitude to FFT size to resolution and even a 3D render, it is possible to isolate audio like never before. The spectral display (where all of the action is) is very customizable. Not only does SpectraLayers Pro offer more tools, but as the name suggests, users can divide audio among layers, expanding the possible uses significantly.

Ultimately, they're all the same right? Wrong. I mistakenly ignored this product, classifying it as just another spectral editor. SpectraLayers Pro is an exceedingly powerful program for restoring, editing, and manipulating audio.

Spectralayers 7