I forgot to say that I'm not a recording or mastering engineer, merely an audiophile. I discovered Samplitude long ago when I was searching for a Windows audio player with a transparent pitch and time (especially pitch). As it happens, lots of my favorite mono and stereo tracks sound better to my ears when they are pitch reduced to between ~ 5 and 7%. Happily, someone had gifted me what's probably the oldest version of Samplitude Pro X, and I've been enjoying the sound quality of its pitch control ever since. https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/magix-samplitude-pro-x

Might Spectral Layers be available as a plug-in to add to my old version of Samplitude Pro X?

In any case, assuming I could get over its learning curve, what could be causing the congested sound in this recording? And how could tweezing out musical instruments via this app identify and remove the cause?

For example, if Unmix is the best tool to use for this problem, how hard is to use for a total newbie?

But would you know if Izotope Rx has tool like Spectral Layers Pro?

https://www.izotope.com/en/products/rx/features.html

Is there a trial version of Sound Forge Pro that has the functionality I need to attempt to identify and repair this problem?

@gregory-battaglia For unmixing you can use completely free tools like Ultimate Vocal Remover 5. You don't need to get SpectraLayers or RX for this.

UVR offers the same unmixing algorithms (Demucs) and additional algorithms (MDX, VR, Ensembles etc.) that may work better in certain situations. For example, I personally think that the UVR-MDX-NET-Voc_FT model creates better vocal stems and instrumental stems than Demucs model. But Demucs can create 4 stems or 6 stems, depending on the model you select, which Voc_FT cannot.

And UVR is simply to use. Just download UVR and run it, download the model you need in the program settings > Download Center and then convert audio files into stems (ideally use high quality FLAC or WAV files). Then load them into Samplitude and remix them like you want.

Actually, I have RX Advanced, though it's version 5. Would it pay to upgrade it IF it can actually make unmixing easier than using UVR and/or creating better quality stems with less artifacts?

@gregory-battaglia RX creates worse quality stems than UVR.

@gregory-battaglia

RX creates worse quality stems than UVR.

I have to say I agree!

I have been an owner/user of iZotope RX for a number of years, currently own RX10 Advanced but would not consider it as competing at all with the (free) UVR.

For what you are wanting to do paying to upgrade to RX10 is honestly not worth it, unless you also need the other excellent Restoration tools which RX includes.

Jeff
Forum Moderator

Might Spectral Layers be available as a plug-in to add to my old version of Samplitude Pro X?

If Samplitude Pro X supports the ARA plug-in format, SLP can be opened as a plug-in.

btw, SLP's 'Unmix' tools are automatic, so there is very little learning involved.

I have not tried 'UVR'. I was unimpressed with unmix in the earlier versions RX Adv, (not taking the high price into consideration). Otherwise RX Adv. is great and has more 'auto' functions than SLP.

@gregory-battaglia

RX creates worse quality stems than UVR.

I have to say I agree!

I have been an owner/user of iZotope RX for a number of years, currently own RX10 Advanced but would not consider it as competing at all with the (free) UVR.

For what you are wanting to do paying to upgrade to RX10 is honestly not worth it, unless you also need the other excellent Restoration tools which RX includes.

Jeff
Forum Moderator

Thanks for this! Fortunately, not as many of my most treasured mono and stereo tracks as I thought have much in the way of audible distortion, which was primarily why I bought RX Advanced 5. Presumably, RX10's DeClip doesn't work any better than RX 5's. And given the pace that AI seems to be increasing power of all manner of software-and which Intel Arrow Lake processors may facilitate further-I was hoping that by now RX would at least be on the brink of achieving what has long been dreamed of by vintage music lovers: Restoring dynamics lost to analog tape saturation and/or added compression during mastering. So many of my favorite tracks from the 60s and 70s, while often otherwise respectably recorded, suffer from this over compressed sound-so says by friend Pierre, whose speakers I will have in most respects cloned in the coming weeks; see posts 15,266, 15,276. https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/beyond-the-ariel.100392/page-764

Such compression effects in recordings are especially apparent when heard over speakers with > 95db/w/m sensitivity and beryllium or other ultra lightweight diaphragms. While designing software which can essentially restore an over compressed audio recording-and do so with very little or any audible consequences-may be still a tall order. And since Izotope merged with Native Instruments I didn’t get the impression of them being as receptive to user feedback as they once were.  

Might Spectral Layers be available as a plug-in to add to my old version of Samplitude Pro X?

If Samplitude Pro X supports the ARA plug-in format, SLP can be opened as a plug-in.

btw, SLP's 'Unmix' tools are automatic, so there is very little learning involved.

I have not tried 'UVR'. I was unimpressed with unmix in the earlier versions RX Adv, (not taking the high price into consideration). Otherwise RX Adv. is great and has more 'auto' functions than SLP.

Originally, I was running Samplitude Pro X Suite on an ancient Dell desktop under Windows XP. But since these guys built my Windows 10 Intel Xeon Rocket Lake HTPC https://www.steigerdynamics.com/ , I’ve yet to reinstall Pro X Suite. Someone had kindly gifted it to me and I remember that I was able to opt out of installing all of those extras which I still have no need for. I was hoping to repeat the same selective install but it looks like I will be stuck downloading the whole 7GB.

https://www.magix.info/us/forum/samplitude-pro-x-suites-reinstallations-issues--1334341/#ca1922542

Any way to avoid this short of buying a new version of Samplitude?

Otherwise, how else can I find out if my old Pro X supports ARA plug-in format to thereby use SLP?  

Any way to avoid this short of buying a new version of Samplitude?

Hi @gregory-battaglia, Query this and other specific issues on the Samplitude users group.
There is also a SpectraLayers Pro users group on Steinberg's website moderated by SpectraLayers developer, Robin Lobel.
FYI, SpectraLayers was formally published by SCS (Sony) along with Sound Forge, Vegas and Acid.

@gregory-battaglia ARA support was added in Samplitude Pro X3.

Sad news but thanks.