Get with the programmers
Steinberg’s SpectraLayers gets reviewed on p70. Time to talk to its main developer, Robin Lobel…
How did you get into music software? RL “I’ve been composing music and programming since I was 10. I had a passion for both, the common denominator being the design of structures. I made music for a couple of movies and video games but the software side took over with SpectraLayers.”
What is your philosophy?
RL “Take the time to find the right frameworks and technologies, and then everything that can be factorised or automated. That’s what allows me to develop multiplatform software despite being a single developer. Also, don’t be afraid to throw away and redesign half of your software, or all of it. If something’s not going to work in the long term, or is going to be difficult to maintain or won’t meet expectations, go back to the drawing board. The sooner you do it, the better the chances of your software [succeeding] in the long term. Once it’s out, you can’t change the first impression people will have.”
Tell us about SpectraLayers?
RL “It’s basically Photoshop for sound. You edit your audio files directly as 2D/3D spectrograms, with the help of multiple, customisable tools and a layers system. The combination of those concepts allows surgical editing and fixing of recordings, or creative sound design. Everything is performed and visualised in real time. The latest versions now include AI processing as well, allowing audio unmixing and restoration. For a long time, audio editing has been mainly waveform-based, relying on blackbox processing. SpectraLayers allows you to directly edit or fix your audio exactly where needed within the full spectrum range. And its tight integration with ARA-capable DAWs makes the workflow quite efficient.”
“See what other software’s using. A user should be able to use it”
What would you like to see developed in software?
RL “I’d like to see ARA (the plugin protocol developed by Celemony) supported more. It is a game changer in the plugin world, and I hope its adoption will continue to grow. Just a few plugins use it now (including Melodyne and SpectraLayers), and more DAWs could support it. AVID and Ableton, if you are reading this…”
Any advice from working in the software industry?
RL “UI design is of critical importance for software. Don’t reinvent the wheel but identify common practices; see what other software is doing and try to find common denominators. A new user should be able to use it from its past experience with other software.”
What have you got coming up?
RL “I’m working on an TorchStudio AI (torchstudio.ai). It was a tool created for my own needs with SpectraLayers, but I redesigned it to make it suitable for almost any kind of AI creation and training. A private beta will be available later this year, so feel free to subscribe on the website!” What’s the future of music production?
RL “AI will be a time saver but doesn’t have to decide everything. It shouldn’t get in the way of creativity but be a catalyst. Like how computers didn’t replace musicians and audio engineers.”