In the intriguing journey of sound processing and audio manipulation, there's always room for out-of-the-box strategies and high-tech innovations. One such tool turning heads in the music production sector is Split Wizard Plus 1.0, a remarkable Max4Live device by OSTINSOLO. This advanced audio separation tool exclusively designed for Ableton Live Suite enchants users with its multitude of unique features, efficient processing capabilities, and intuitive interface.
Fueled by the cutting-edge Demucs v4 technology, Split Wizard Plus 1.0 accomplishes the herculean task of dissecting audio clips with ease and precision. The device breaks down audio stems into up to six distinct elements, offering seven specialized models for varied audio separation tasks. From drums and bass to vocals and guitar, Split Wizard offers designated models to handle each element. The crowning glory of its spec list, however, is the Hybrid Transformer Demucs technology which ensures unmatched quality in separation.
For those worried about overwhelming their system's GPU with intense processing, the Split Wizard has breathed life into one of its most practical features: adjustable segment length. Segmenting is a clever workaround for those grappling with memory constraints on GPUs. It neatly divides the audio into smaller, manageable chunks for independent processing. Keeping the user in mind, the device also sets up an easy choice between rescale and clamp modes for audio clipping.
Upgrading sound quality and reducing processing times is the innate ability of this well-thought-out device. With its feature of multiple shifts, users can choose to raise the number of shifts, enhancing quality at a slightly slower pace.
Split Wizard Plus 1.0, much like its name, splits more than just your typical audio elements. It has a unique offer under its sleeve: a dedicated button for drums. This feature allows the user to process drum sounds directly and convert them into dynamic stems.
The device encapsulates a range of models including htdemucs, the first version of Hybrid Transformer Demucs, and htdemucs_ft, a fine-tuned version offering enhanced quality for more processing time. Moreover, it consists of models like htdemucs_6s, hdemucs_mmi, and mdx, each designed for specialized application, and all contributing to the tool's versatility.
From installation to operation, the Split Wizard keeps things clean and effortless. The initial setup includes the creation of a folder called spawl in your Max 8 folder. The following steps are simple enough for any user to get the hang of it. Pick a model from the list, select your audio clip, start the separation and then import stems through drag and drop onto Ableton Live.
One downside to note, though, is the limitation on compatibility. The device currently supports only OSX systems/ macOS 10.13 up and Windows 10/11.
Despite this, Split Wizard Plus 1.0 still stakes its claim as a noteworthy player in the audio separation scene with its blend of advanced capabilities, practical features, and easy usability. Its leap into the innovative age of high-quality sound separation is a boon for music producers and audio engineers. With a commercial license, this Max4Live device might just be the game-changer you were waiting for.
For all details, refer to the specific page at the device library, which is [here](https://maxforlive.com/library/device/10582/split-wizard-plus).
Example Usage
Imagine you’ve just finished a killer track, but you want the vocal to stand out more. With Split Wizard Plus 1.0 by OSTINSOLO, enhancing that vocal becomes a breeze, even if you’re new to music production.
First, make sure you’ve followed the installation instructions correctly. Once you’ve set up Split Wizard Plus in Ableton Live, it’s time to work its magic. Here’s how:
- Locate your track within Ableton Live's session or arrangement view. Let’s say your piece is a 3-minute pop song with a prominent vocal line that you want to isolate.
- Drag your track into an audio channel and select the portion of the song where the vocal shines the most. This might be the chorus, which often showcases the hook of the song.
- Now, on your selected track, open Split Wizard Plus from your Max for Live devices list.
- Within Split Wizard Plus, click the 'Setup' button. This will create the necessary folders for the software to work properly. You'll need to input your admin password, and then wait a few moments for the setup to complete.
- Go to the model selection panel and choose, for example, the 'htdemucs_ft', as it is a fine-tuned model designed for high-quality vocal separation.
- Back in the main interface of Split Wizard Plus, press the 'Start' button to begin processing. This will take your audio clip through the separation algorithm.
- Once completed, you will see icon indicators that represent the isolated stems. Look for the icon labeled as vocals.
- Click and drag the vocal stem onto a new audio track in Ableton Live. You might want to mute the original track to hear the isolated vocals by themselves.
There you have it! You've successfully isolated the vocal from your track using Split Wizard Plus 1.0. Now you can apply additional processing, mix it to stand out, or even use it for remixing purposes. With this newfound flexibility, your production workflow will be faster, and your creativity will have fewer bounds.
In today’s session, we’re going to harness the power of Split Wizard Plus 1.0 to creatively remix a classic rock track, focusing on extracting and manipulating the drum elements to fit into a modern electronic genre.
First, import your rock track into Ableton Live's arrangement view. Ensure the track is warped correctly to match your project’s BPM for seamless integration with other elements you may add later.
Next, load Split Wizard Plus 1.0 onto the track. Considering we want to extract the drums and create electronic beats, we’ll use the 'inaki' model designed for drum-kit separation. Click the 'Setup' button to initiate the device’s configuration, input your admin password, and let the device prep its environment. This is a one-time process and can take a couple of minutes.
Once ready, choose the 'inaki' model from the model list. This model will help us separate the drum elements into individual stems like kick, snare, hi-hats, and cymbals.
Before starting the separation process, adjust the segment length to match the longest continuous part of your track. Since we’re working with a 3-minute song, setting it to 30-second segments should work well, balancing performance and quality without overloading your GPU.
Set the clipping mode to 'rescale' to maintain the dynamic range of the drums without any harsh clipping artifacts. Leave the shift at 1 since we aim for a good balance between quality and processing time.
With our settings dialed in, select the entire audio clip and hit 'Start'. The device will process the track and separate the drums into individual components, which will appear as icons ready for dragging and dropping into Live’s session or arrangement view.
After the separation is complete, drag the newly created drum stems into new audio tracks in Ableton Live. At this point, you can treat each drum element individually, applying EQ to the kick to accentuate the low end, adding reverb to the snare for depth, or even slicing the hi-hats to a MIDI track to create new patterns.
To bring your creative remix full circle, find a punchy electronic kick sample and layer it with the extracted acoustic kick for added weight. Complement this with a deep, side-chained bassline to give it that modern vibe. Finally, experiment with the extracted cymbals, maybe reversing some sections and processing them with delay and granular effects for atmospheric sweeps.
By utilizing Split Wizard Plus 1.0 in this way, you transform the rhythmic backbone of a classic genre into a fresh electronic beat, opening a world of exploration and inventiveness in your music production process. As always, experimentation is key, and Split Wizard Plus 1.0 gives you the flexibility to push the boundaries of what’s possible within Ableton Live.
Further Thoughts
Imagine a scenario where you have a vintage funk track brimming with dense layers: a groovy bass line, punchy drums, an infectious guitar riff, and a vocal that's begging for a remix treatment. However, capturing isolated stems was a challenge in the era the track was produced, and the idea of remixing it seems like a far-off dream. Enter Split Wizard Plus 1.0 by OSTINSOLO, a Max4Live device that promises to bring this dream to fruition.
First, you nab a high-quality recording of the track and drop it into an audio channel within Ableton Live. Acquainted with the requisite setup procedures, you've already installed the 'spawl' folder in your Max 8 directory. Now, ready to get to the meat of the task, you look to the device for its specialty models, eyeing 'htdemucs_6s' for its six-stem separation capabilities with the inclusion of piano and guitar—which you know your particular track demands.
To ensure optimal audio quality given you have ample GPU memory, you leave segmenting off, knowing this might take a slightly longer time but trusting the resultant stems will be pristine. With a click of 'Start', the real magic begins. The device churns through the funk track, deploying its 'htdemucs_6s' algorithm, trained to discern and separate the intricate textures of your vintage gem.
As the processing concludes, you are presented with the separate stems, neatly packaged and awaiting your creative touch. The drums have been dissected into their individual components, the bass line thrums on its own track, and the guitar's twangs are ripe for manipulation—all thanks to the 'Drums' option's nuanced separation.
With the stems in separate channels in Ableton Live, you start to warp the guitar riff, pitch-shift the vocals up an octave for a modern twist, and tweak the isolated drum elements with your favorite drum rack. You find yourself layering a synth line over the separated bass track, all while maintaining the original groove's integrity—Split Wizard Plus 1.0 has enabled this level of precision.
Throughout this process, you realize that without such a sophisticated tool, the remix would have lacked the clarity and separation needed for a professional finish. But now, every stem shines on its own, and the remix takes on a life that respects the original's soul while propelling it into contemporary territory.
The power of Split Wizard Plus 1.0 within Ableton Live can transform not only your workflow but the very boundaries of audio manipulation and creative production. As the track progresses, it becomes clear that Remixing once-impenetrable classics is no longer just a dream but an exciting reality. With your latest piece, you manifest a blend of past and future, a testament to the capabilities of modern audio separation technologies.