SpectraLayers One opening instead of SpectraLayers 7

Hello, everyone!

I’ve downloaded and installed SpectraLayers 7 from the Steinberg Download Assistant. But when I try to open either the standalone plugin or in Nuendo using ARA it only opens SpectraLayers One. It has no option letting me choose which version to use or anything like that. I have no idea how can I get to make it work.

Did anyone happen to go through this?

Hi, to clarify: SL Pro > SL Elements > SL One (in term of features and pricing): SpectraLayers Editions Comparison
In order to use SL Pro or Elements you need to get a SL Pro trial license, or buy either a SL Pro or a SL Elements license.

I think that was not his question.
I assume he has more than one version of SpectraLayers installed on his machine and wants to knwo how to choose the version that is opening in Cubase when opening a clip with it.

At least that is my interpretation, as I have this problem: I have SL Pro 6 installed on my machine and installed the SL One 7 that came with Cubase 11.
Opening a clip in SpectraLayers will open SL One 7 and not SL Pro 6. Is there a way to choose the version that is used by Cubase?
I guess the easist way would be to remove SL One 7 from the machine again, so that it doesn’t show up at all, but then I can’t use any of its features (that 6 doesn’t have).

I will echo the op’s issue. I have a license for Cubase Pro 11 and SpectraLayers 7. When I try to open SL7 standalone using it’s dedicated program .exe or the shortcut in Windows 10 startup, it opens up SpetraLayers One. I can’t figure out how to open SL7.

The initial question was about SpectraLayers 7 only, not different versions (5,6,7). Just to be clear, “One” is a new SpectraLayers 7 edition that comes with Cubase 11.

Regarding your other question (different SpectraLayers versions being installed on the same computer), unfortunately there’s no easy switch: ARA plugins are so far designed to replace the previous versions (like Melodyne).
If you still want to be able to switch though (although that’ll require a Cubase restart), there’s a registry key on Windows you can change: in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Steinberg\SpectraLayers modify EnginePath
There’s an equivalent key on macOS: in /Library/Preferences/com.Steinberg.SpectraLayers modify EnginePath

If you don’t want to change the registry keys, you can simply reinstall SL6 (or SL7 if you prefer SL7 to take control) : whatever version is installed last takes control of the ARA plugin.

vintiquesound : So you have an eLicenser key with a SpectraLayers Pro 7 license ? Then it should take control and Pro 7 should always open.
If it’s not the case, please send me a PM with a screenshot of your eLicenser Control Center. Thanks !

Thanks for the reply.
So, if I understand it correctly, whatever version of SL (or even any other software having ARA compatibility) is installed last on a machine is goint to be connected to the ARA interface (for that specific software)?
Is the ARA specification not allowing to distinguish between different versions/tiers of the same software (say, SL 6 Pro vs SL 7, Pro or SL7 One vs SL 7 Pro) or is that a problem on Cubase’s and/or SL’s end?
It would be nie to have different entries for SL 6 and SL 7 (and any other version one may have) to select from in Cubase.

Correct for the first question (at least regarding SL and Melodyne).
To answer your second question, it’s more a design choice to keep it simple and straightforward more than a native ARA limitation : this way your ARA project is not tied to a specific SL/Melodyne version, but can work on any version. How to handle ARA versions is still a subject of discussion with Celemony right now, so there might be improvement on this in the future.

For information: The above is not my experience. Despite installing Spectralayers One after installing Cubase 11 Pro, when I open the SpectraLayers extension in Cubase 11 Pro, SpectralLayers Pro 7 opens.

CAH000, when installing Cubase 11 Pro (I am assuming it was the update), did you choose to install also SpectraLayers One with the update?
For my part, I already have SpectraLayers Pro 7 Element and when I will update to Cubase Pro 11, I would tend NOT to install SpectraLayers One in order to prevent any opening of the later.

FYI, there’s only one SpectraLayers installer, which works for all editions (Pro/Elements/One). So if you already have SL7 Pro or Elements, no needs to install One. What edition will launch then will be automatically detected depending on what license you have on your computer: if you have a SL Pro license, SL Pro will always launch. If you don’t have a SL Pro license, SL will look for a SL Element license. If you don’t have a SL Element license, SL will check if you have a Cubase 11 license, and if so it’ll launch SL One.

Whoops, ok the names are confusing. I meant to say that I have a license for Cubase Pro 11 and SpectraLayers Pro 7.

Now I think I see what the problem is though, the installer for SpectraLayers Pro 7 and SpecraLayers One is the exact same file. I’ve downloaded them via the Download Assistant and the www.steinberg.net/downloads website and get the same result.

When I choose to download SpectraLayers Pro 7, the file that results is SpectraLayers_7.0.20_Installer_win.exe. When I install it, it lists the program as SpectraLayers 7, and the launcher I was using also says SpectraLayers 7 and no sign of it being the Pro version. I get the same file and install results when I choose to download SpectraLayers One.

Oh sorry Robin Lobel, I didn’t see your reply, you preemptively answered my last comment (are you psychic? lol). So ok I guess my situation is more complicated, can I message you directly?

Sure !

In case it helps,

last week I installed C11 and the accompanying free ‘Spectralayers One 7.0.20’ via the Download Manager. Spectralayers was installed to "c:\program files\steinberg\Spectralayers 7", the exe is version 7.0.21.250

Later I decided to try the 1 month trial of Spectralayers Pro. Initially I was a bit puzzled, after downloading it still launched as ‘Spectralayers One’. Then after reading through the above comments I realised it’s basically the same release, but to make it run Pro you need to apply the activation code. I opened the e-licenser app, added the code, it added ‘Spectralayers Pro 7 Trial’ to the e-lic, underneath where it says ‘Cubase Pro 11’. Prior to this the elic made no mention of SL 7 or SL One.

Now when I launch the desktop app ‘Spectralayers 7’ it starts the Pro7 version. So far so good.

In a month, should I decide not to buy Pro, we’ll see if the original Spectralayers One re-appears without requiring my intervention.