Stereo to Surround - how do I do this please?

SpectraLayers
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This may be simply a case of my slipping into my dotage, but I am sure as I can be that I recall seeing a way to expand a stereo mix into 5.1 with SpectraLayers Pro - either via the ARA extension in Nuendo or else with the full application itself, but search as I may I cannot seem to find the required module, so either it’s called something different or else it was never really there in the first place.
Can someone please, I beg, put me out of my misery here & let me know if I recall correctly or am just losing the plot?
Much appreciated in advance

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In the standalone application you can go to Project > Reformat and change it to a 5.1 project.

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I did not know this…looking forward to seeing how that shakes out

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Thanks Robin - I will go test this right away.
I knew it could be done as I had managed it by accident somehow a few months back, but for the life of me I just could not recall how.

So to clarify:

  1. Set up a regular Stereo project, and import my audio.
  2. Do as you advide, Project/Reformat - job jobbed?
    What’s the best way to get the files out?
    So much appreciated
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You don’t even need to set up a project, just click File > Open and open your stereo file.
Then Project > Reformat and set it to whatever format you need.
That being said that’s just standard remixing from one format to another. If you want some special remixing you’ll have to use unmix modules and/or selection tools, and rebalance content as you like your upmixing to be.
Then File > Export.

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Sorry - I must be missing something here, as I don’t see the difference (after trying this) between starting a new 5.1 project & simply importing split stereo as 2 mono files into L/R.
I was absolutely certain that there was a way to use Spectral Layers in Nuendo to actually upmix a stereo into 5.1, but cannot recall how to do this.
The advice is still appreciated though - it really is

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It isn’t clear to me what you’re trying to achieve : just convert stereo audio to 5.1 “as is”, or have some special upmixing effect, such as some sound effects or instruments going to rear channels but not others ? In the latter case, it requires more than format conversion, you also have to do some form of unmixing and artistic choices.

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OK, thanks for this conversation =-D

That’s what I figured…5.1 mix requires mixing 6 channels as I anticipated

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Hi Robin.

It’s just an experiment to see what can be done - especially for tracks where the original multitracks no longer exist at the record label.
It would seem that my best approach would be to generate stems (using the ‘extreme’ setting) from the original stereo mix, and see what comes of that in the first instance.
I was sure I could remember a simpler approach to turn a stereo into a 5.1 in much the same way that the Penteo system does but I must be mistaken.