I was recently in a studio where we needed to break out a recent final mix for a label and they asked me to do it as I always would with SP. it had the typical artifacts but we always work around it. When the actual producer showed up he dropped it into his MPC and using their new software did the same thing😳 I felt inadequate to say the least. This is one of the things I am known for and I just got owned.
Are we looking at some type of sorcery that only AKAI knows how to perform or are we looking at an update on the horizon? I thought this might just be a 1 of but we tried it on a few other track but the MPC always produced the best final product?
I don’t mind purchasing one since they do look cool and have flashy things and knobs but my mastering desk is small and rarely do I have to do drum thingies.
Thanks for any help. If this does involve magic I’m not dancing naked in my yard again. That’s was a hard lesson learned.
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Assuming you’re not an Akai representative in disguise then
Under specific circumstances (with difficult examples) ALL FALL SHORT.
I’ve never tested the algorithm of Akai but I am highly confident that if I were to test it with certain examples, it would fall completely flat on it’s face. There is one algorithm out there that is ALMOST perfect but because it’s RECONSTRUCTION OF AUDIO/RE-INTERPOLATION(meaning when you check the phase and do a phase test) it’s not worthy of being mentioned here.
It’s not sorcery.
@bobsandifer as @Unmixing said there’s no magic bullet in AI, there’s always an angle where it won’t work as good as other examples. And that’s where SpectraLayers has an advantage over any other solution : it allows you to fix and rebalance the results from AI, which a fully automated black box like an Akai MPC won’t be able to do.
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No…never worked for Akai and I sold my MPC60 back in 1993. I have been using SL since it was released and I feel I have a pretty good understanding of how it functions considering I use it on a daily basis. As a matter of fact my SL work can be heard on Billboard on occasion.
I guess my post is based on a quick click feature. This is where there is no need to do any special SL tweaking or bobbing around. Just separate the parts. Nothing else. I heard numerous tracks being put through the Akai that varied from 60’s to modern day RAP and it was without any artifacts. Of course I could spend some time and pretend to eliminate all of the extra noise and such but the MPC just simply did the job. Maybe this is just a add-on feature to SL and not a major concern of the developers.
Im not insulting the abilities of SL in anyway. There are other programs that do this particular work as good if not slightly better but I use SL because I need the other features it offers. I get paid a good amount for doing this type of work and I would like to stay at the top of the 1 push game when it comes to something made so simple by another product.
So…im not insulting SL so let’s get that out of the way. Im simply asking if that particular feature could be improved upon. Is that a better way to put it?
Just to clarify, are you on SL Pro 10 ? As the unmixing AIs have been significantly improved since SL Pro 9.
Yes. I have found that, unlike other companies in this industry, it is safe to upgrade upon release of a new Steinberg product.
I haven’t been paying attention to current versions of mpc. What’s Akai using…a tweak of Spleeter?
I’m not really sure but I have a ONE + on the way. However, I feel if I take the time I can build a workflow that will achieve the results I need. I n ed to make it appear seamless and a relatively quick process. I suppose it’s hard to describe the environments I work in during a live session with a producer (not a beat maker). I do offer a few other services that are needed. I just like the idea of moving on past this one.
I’ll see what’s going on when the contraption shows up. Again, I realize this is not the sole purpose of SL but it is a feature I use. My primary use is to fix a boo boo on a track that couldn’t be fixed and it’s going to be released tomorrow. SL can fix a problem only dogs and record execs can hear. That’s a damn good quote. I’m gonna use that on my show.
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Most likely Demucs, since it spits out drums, bass, vocal and other stems
Spectralyers all day over everything. Some of the magic like this
Great video. This is exactly how I normally use SL for mastering. For unmixing I use the standalone version which is fast and right to the point. Wonderful product but I did get it sorted out so thanks for all of the assistance 
btw. I did unmix the song in the video as well. Of course it was a YouTube rip so I couldn’t expect the same results using SL that he got.
