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RX 11 Manual

Music Rebalance

Module & Plug-in

Overview

Music Rebalance leverages a machine learning algorithm trained to identify and separate the following elements in a mix: Vocal, Bass, and Drums. Any content that is not otherwise identified as Vocal, Bass, or Drums will be categorized as Other. This typically includes all the melodic instruments. The level of each mix element can be independently adjusted after separation.

Music Rebalance can be useful for adjusting the level of a particular mix element when the original tracks or stems are not available as an alternative solution. In some cases, it can also be used to isolate a single mix element (e.g. the lead vocal) by reducing the level of the other three mix elements. It is available as a module in the RX 11 Audio Editor, a VST-3 and AU ARA plug-in, and as an Audiosuite and AAX real time plug-in in Pro Tools.

Controls

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  • VOCAL: Adjusts the level (in dB) of vocal signals.

  • BASS: Adjusts the level (in dB) of bass signals.

  • DRUMS: Adjusts the level (in dB) of drums and percussion signals.

  • OTHER: Adjusts the level (in dB) of melodic instruments.

  • MUTE BUTTON: Beside each of the separation sliders is a mute button for removing the separated stem from what is being auditioned.

  • SOLO BUTTON: Beside each of the separation sliders is a solo button for auditioning only that stem.

  • QUALITY: There are three separation algorithms to choose from in Music Rebalance: Good, Better, and Best. Good provides separation results the fastest. Better improves separation quality with only a minor decrease in processing speed. Best outputs the highest separation quality, including anti-phasing processing, with the slowest speed.

  • SENSITIVITY: Individually adjusts the attention of the stem splitting algorithm toward a particular stem. When Sensitivity is higher, more of the subtle signals will get classified as this stem. For example, increasing the Sensitivity of vocals will preserve more of the breath sounds in the vocal stem. However higher sensitivity may also cause some leakage of other instruments into this stem. Note: raising the Sensitivity of all stems to 100% simultaneously does not change the results of stem separation (as the algorithm cannot be more attentive to everything) - Sensitivity only operates on relative values.

Note

The RX 11 Music Rebalance Audiosuite plug-in does not include the ability to preview processing before rendering.

Stem Split

Stem Split automatically splits your selected audio into four distinct stems (Vocal, Bass, Percussion, Other), delivering each stem to its own tab. This process ignores the Gain settings for individual stems and always assumes 0 dB of gain. Once the stems are separated, you can process and export each stem as an independent audio file.

Getting started with Music Rebalance in Logic

Music Rebalance can be used in Logic as an ARA 2.0 plug-in (Rosetta only). In order to initialize the ARA version of Music Rebalance, please follow the following steps:

  1. Update to the latest version of Logic Pro for full compatibility with the ARA plug-in format. There are known issues in versions prior to Logic Pro 10.7

  2. Add the RX 11 Music Rebalance plug-in to a track.

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  3. Close and reopen Logic.

  4. Add RX 11 Music Rebalance (ARA) as the first insert.

Tip

Still not seeing RX 11 Music Rebalance (ARA) appear after restarting? Make sure you are adding it as the first insert on your track. Then try closing Logic and deleting your AudioUnits cache here: ~/Library/Caches/AudioUnitCache, and repeat the steps above.

Using Music Rebalance (ARA) in Logic

Now that you have Music Rebalance (ARA) on your track, you’re ready to go.

  1. Start playback to have Music Rebalance analyze your audio.

  2. Once playback is started, you can pause playback and analysis will continue.

    Note

    ARA plug-ins are updated when playback is started. If you make a change to your audio, it will not be reflected until you’ve stopped and started playback again.

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  3. Once you have analyzed you’re audio, you’ll have access to the controls:

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  4. Move the sliders to rebalance your music in real time.The ARA plug-in uses the Good quality mode. If you need even higher quality, use Music Rebalance in the RX 11 standalone editor.

Using Multiple Instances

When using multiple instances of the plug-in, the Music Rebalance window will follow the selected track. The track name is shown at the bottom of the window.

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If you select a track that doesn’t contain Music Rebalance ARA, the plug-in will remember the last selected track that contains an instance of Music Rebalance ARA.

If you have multiple Music Rebalance ARA plug-in windows open, they will all show the controls and settings for the last selected track with Music Rebalance ARA.

Music Rebalance (ARA) Requirements & Limitations

  • Music Rebalance (ARA) is supported in Rosetta mode only, as a limitation of Logic Pro

  • Music Rebalance (ARA) must be the first plug-in on a track.

  • Music Rebalance (ARA) cannot be added to a software instrument track or bus.

  • Music Rebalance (ARA) is not supported by Selection Based Processing.

  • Host presets are not supported by Music Rebalance (ARA).

  • Automation is not supported by Music Rebalance (ARA).

  • Playback must be started to gather audio data.

    • After editing, playback must be stopped and started again to update data.

  • Music Rebalance (ARA) cannot process Apple Loops, compressed audio, flex audio, or reversed regions.

    • These regions can be bounced in place in order to be processed by Music Rebalance (ARA).