At any rate, you could easily finish Postal 2's entire single-player portion in a weekend or even in a day, though some cheat codes and multiple difficulty settings are available to implore you to give it another whirl. On the other hand, when he's out looking for the perfect Christmas tree or trying to get Paradise citizens to sign a political petition or a few other such occasions, you might get a laugh. The Postal Dude himself, for instance, has the voice of a radio disc jockey, and he sounds out of place as he forces cusswords out at every opportunity. Postal 2 is mostly just an excuse to set up a lot of goofy, purposely offensive gags, and some of these can be funny, while many of them fall flat. Some rag-doll physics and even a Max Payne 2-style slow-motion power-up (an effect that Postal 2 did first, for what it's worth) can make the gory action entertainingly over-the-top for a while, but it's probably too simple to hold anyone's interest for long. But the citizens of Paradise never pose much of a challenge and are usually content to just stand there and get their heads blown off. Some of the later weapons are more interesting, such as the napalm launcher and, everyone's favorite, the diseased cow head. There's a pretty conventional array of weapons to collect, and you don't even have to worry about reloading these, though you'll instead need to be careful about brandishing them in public (unless you intend to use them). Mechanically, Postal 2 plays like a straightforward first-person shooter. Again, these are shorter and definitely more tolerable than before, which makes the game less frustrating to play, but you'll still find yourself plotting routes through town that require you to go through as few of these transitions as possible. Also, the freedom to explore the town of Paradise is undermined somewhat by the loading times that crop up in between relatively small sections of town. As the week goes on, certain factions will automatically get on Dude's bad side, so going through the game without killing anybody becomes practically impossible after a while. You may attempt to complete these errands conventionally-for example, on Monday all you need to do is collect your paycheck, cash it, and then buy a carton of milk-but you'll probably end up resorting to violence, and not just because you can. As The Postal Dude (that's actually his name), you're tasked with completing a series of mundane errands over the course of a work week. The cars lining the streets are apparently just there to mock you. Rather than adopt the conventionally linear structure of most first-person shooters, Postal 2 has a more open-ended structure reminiscent of the recent Grand Theft Auto games, only you're stuck running around on foot. The single-player portion of Postal 2: Share the Pain is largely the same as before. ECSI Instructor Application Torres del Paine Travel Guide: Most Important Information | Say Hueque Most Affordable Online Bachelor's Degrees See Also How Does Massage Therapy Help To Find And Eliminate Knots? | Dynamic Physiotherapy & Sports Injury Clinic Inc. The result isn't going to convince anyone who took Postal 2 the wrong way to give it a second chance, but it's a better game now than before, and those looking for some seriously lowbrow humor in first-person shooter form would likely get a kick out of it. More than half a year later, a rerelease titled Postal 2: Share the Pain addresses the most glaring technical issue of the original-the painfully long loading times between gameplay areas-and adds some goofy multiplayer modes (those who already own Postal 2 can get the multiplayer upgrade at a discount, though it was initially promised as a free download). Yet while the game flaunted its naughtiness, it unfortunately didn't offer enough in the way of entertaining gameplay or longevity to justify all the irreverence. Truthfully, Postal 2's content wasn't far in excess of what you could find on a typical episode of South Park. The sequel to the controversial 1997 shooter promised to be even more offensive than its predecessor, and it did in fact deliver tons of gross-out humor, racist jokes, and gory violence, all while being perfectly flippant about it. Last April's Postal 2 seemed to purposely divide gamers into a "love it" or "hate it" camp, the latter of which was considerably larger.
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The guidelines above also can apply to applets programmed in Java or Flash. To add captioning to a video or audio file, you can use Movie Captioner, which can be downloaded here. Include captioning, either open or closed (for more information on captioning, see this page).Include a synchronized audio track in the video file itself.Provide a summary (either aurally in a separate audio file, or textually within the page or in a separate document).Include closed captioning with the audio.Include a link to a separate page which contains a summary or transcript of the file.Provide a description of the audio, which might be used either in addition to a transcript to provide commentary, or by itself as summary of the audio file's contents.Provide a transcript of the audio, which provides what is spoken in the audio in readable text format.Unfortunately, there currently exist no native tools with which you can make audio and video content more accessible, but following at least one of the following guidelines can achieve the purpose of compliance with the ADA. In addition to images, multimedia content ought also be made accessible. 17-1), in the box to the right of Alternate text. Simply enter it when you're inserting the image ( Fig. Inserting alt text is fairly straightforward. Care should be taken, however, to ensure that the description of the graphic is as succinct as possible while at the same time conveying the same information provided by the graphic itself. In simple images, such as a picture of Rembrandt, for example, the alt text could read something like "A picture of Rembrandt admiring a statue of Aristotle." For more complex graphics, such as charts, graphs, or maps, you may have to include a bit more detail. In addition to the surrounding text on the page, the alt text will be read by special assistive software, such as a screen reader or braille display.Īccording to the guidelines established by the ADA, the information in the alt text should convey as much meaning as the image itself. Whenever inserting an image into your page, you ought also to provide "alt" text in order to make it easier for those who cannot see the image to still be able to discern its content. In this section of the BlueGriffon tutorial, we will detail what is required to be in conformity to the ADA in regards to your web pages, and how to best do this in the BlueGriffon program.Īlternate text, otherwise known as "alt text," provides a textual description of the information contained in the image. 508) deals with information, and requires that it be accessible to people with motor, visual, or hearing disabilities. The "ADA," or Americans with Disabilities Act, became part of U.S. Complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act Games played: No Thank You submitted by Jacob McNutt from Nathrop, Colorado, Everyday Decisions submitted by Vivian Yamamoto from Oakland, California, and Jonolo Morenostone submitted by Anthony Winder from Calgary, Alberta, CanadaĬallers: Jacob from Nathrop, Colorado Brian & Ellen from Minneapolis, Minnesota Caleb from North Carolina Ally from Gresham, Oregon Jesse & Katrina from Aurora, Illinois Benji from Portland, Oregon Outro theme by Benny Suda from Bellingham, WashingtonĮvery Plate - Go to and enter code GAMESHOW139 to get started with EveryPlate for just $1.39 per meal!ĮarBuds Podcast Collective - Visit to subscribe to the newsletter Games played: What's My Age Again? What's My Age Again? submitted by Jacob McNutt from Nathrop, Colorado, Stank Like Famous submitted by Jake Dean from Melbourne, Australia, and No Thank You submitted by Jacob McNutt from Nathrop, ColoradoĬallers: Clare from Carmel, Indiana Alec from Portland, Oregon Laura from Brooklyn, New York Scoots from Broomfield, Colorado Andrea from Truckee, California Jake from Melbourne, Australia Magic Spoon - Go to /GAMESHOW and use the code GAMESHOW to save $5 off! Jo's latest creation, Fruits: A Farm-To-Table Card Game, is now available!Įvery Plate - Go to /podcast and enter code GAMESHOW149 to get started with EveryPlate for just $1.49 per meal, up to a $110 value! Gameshow on Earwolf are now available to Max Fun Members via Dr. Outro theme by Wilder Adkins from Birmingham, AlabamaĪll 63 episodes of our previous iteration of Dr. It Came From My Tummy submitted by Jason Tschida from Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Nostra-manolo-damus submitted by Robin Applegate from Flagstaff, ArizonaĬallers: Chad from San Diego, California Claire from Montreal, Quebec, Canada Brenden from Chicago, Illinois Max from Ridgewood (or Bushwick?), Brooklyn, New York Micah & Lucien from Portland, Oregon Games played: The Donut Game submitted by Moe Hanlon from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, Dr. Hosts Jo Firestone & Manolo Moreno play listener-created games with callers! Producers: Masato Hara Tsuguhiko Kadokawa (exec. Every-time.Screenplay: Lee Chi-ngai Seishu Hase (novel Some day you may have a little boy or little girl and you’ll show up. And be proud of your mom, she’s doing the very best that she can. There’s probably a reason he is how he is. But looking back my dad loved me the very best that he knew how to. I told my grandmother once that I couldn’t believe she would send her little boy to boarding school. They sent him to boarding school for crying out loud. Turns out his parents were staunch New Englanders and he didn’t get very much attention. I thought he didn’t love me because he missed everything, but I remember everything he did do. My parents weren’t divorced but my dad was a workaholic. We’ve all been where you are right now in one way or another. If someone tells us we’re going to do something, it must be true, right? I used to get !!!SO!!! Excited about things, but as time went on I got less and less excited until it was “I’ll just wait and see”. I don’t know if it’s because our expectations are so high. Because deep inside, Mark, I will always be you. It’s been several decades since that crummy birthday long ago. So, even though you thought you were writing to me for consolation, the truth is, you gave me a big gift, today. I’m going to try my absolute darndest to make 14-year-old boys feel better about their crappy lives.” “You know what? If I ever have the chance to become a writer, I’m going to write this kind of stuff exactly. I remember thinking to myself on that night, so long ago: Mark, you’re going to swear that I’m making the following statement up. I’ll never forget the Grizzard column I read that night. I only cared about three sections of the AJC. I confiscated my uncle’s copy of the Atlanta Journal Constitution newspaper. The movie was “Casablanca.” I didn’t get it.Ī few days later, I was back in that little upstairs bedroom, crying. The movie was at one of those dollar-movie houses which played black-and-white classics for Atlanta societal outliers who all dressed like hippies and smelled so strongly of patchouli that you developed a contact high whenever they entered the room. So nobody cared that it was my birthday.Īfter the Cyclorama, my mother took me to eat fried chicken. The problem was, we were still new in town. Still, my mother was doing the best she could. That year, my mother took me to see the Cyclorama Civil War Museum, which was about as much fun as elective surgery. My family resided in a small triangular bedroom on the topmost level of my uncle’s house in Jonesboro. My family was living outside Atlanta after my father passed away. But on the other hand: You currently spend the same amount of time fixing your hair as it took to complete the Sistine chapel. It’s the period of life when you’re not quite a man, not quite a boy.Īt age 14, you exist in a phase of life we call “Man-Boy Phase.” It’s a phase where you are keenly aware of things like newly sprouted body hair and armpit odor, but you also still unwind at the end of a long day by using fresh boogers to terrorize your little sister. Well, Mark, before I say anything else, let me wish you a happy birthday, kiddo. “My dad doesn’t love me,” his message began. Then he wrote to me because-you have to worry about this boy-he likes my writing. But no cigar.įinally, at sundown, Mark went back inside and watched some television. He kept peering down the street, to see if his father’s car was coming. They were going to celebrate the big One-Four together. His father was supposed to swing by and pick up Mark to hang out. Last night, Mark’s father was supposed to cover for her. Mark’s mom had to work late this year for his birthday. The young man writing to me just turned 14 years old. “It’s my birthday,” the email said, “and my dad forgot me…” Our vast range of jackets, t-shirts, trousers and much more are curated to be dependable and relaxing. Charming looks and infinite comfort be it stylish all-over prints or solid pastels, our clothes are designed to ensure that you can be at the top of your style game. Campus Sutra showcases a stylish edit that will instantly upgrade your look. Strong, dynamic essence for your quirky personality. Serve vintage vibes this szn with a pair of corduroy trousers. Perfect for year-round occasions from summertime to cool winters. The ultimate addition to your casual closet. Guys Two Tone Zip Up Hoodie With Joggers. SHEIN Men Letter Embroidery Drawstring Flannel Sweatshirt & Pants. Guys Geo Print Tee & Drawstring Waist Shorts. SHEIN Men Letter Graphic Top & Camo Sweatpants Set. Guys Letter Graphic Tee & Drawstring Waist Pants. Combining style with the fashion of today and makes you stand out among others when you adore it. Guys Letter & Picture Print Drop Shoulder Tee & Drawstring Waist Shorts. Whether you are dressing up for a date or going to work, this Campus Sutra co-ords is designed keeping in mind the latest trends in contemporary casual fashion. Known locations Players are encouraged to enter their findings to the list below. The following is a list of discovered locations. Fetch a casual and cool look for yourself by teaming it with a pair of sneakers. Portals are a feature in No Mans Sky and can be found on all planets. Mens Co Ords mens 2 pieces basketball sporty style outfits casual loose vest and drawstring shorts 2pcs i do this in my sleep mens round neck short sleeve t. Made to not leech out its colours and not lose its shape either. Constructed to fit your style spot on and a wide range of sizes to match your persona. Using stellar quality solvents, the co-ords is made for your daily schedule. The co-ords is comfortable to wear as the fabrics are light on the skin. Wear this stylish co-ords from the house of Campus Sutra. The list will continue to expand as the mechanism of action is better understood. The ideas above are not the only areas of science that CRISPR is limited to. Infectious diseases such as chronic UTIs and HIV/AIDS.What other clinical trials are expected to be progressing as CRISPR is pending FDA approval? This technology has a future that is bright, from patient-specific tumor treatments to clinical trials for sickle-cell anemia. While avoiding the need for unreliable viral vectors, this system uses molecular tools to directly make changes to the DNA sequence (genome) itself. Some issues with viral vectors are that they often are too large to integrate, can be inactivated by the cell’s own mechanisms and the requirement for cell division to spread the information throughout the body stalls the efficacy of this method. Traditional gene editing techniques rely heavily on viral vectors as delivery vehicles, which is the inactive form of a virus used as a means to deliver specific DNA sequences into cells and their genomes. With the ease of the CRISPR-Cas9 system, site-specific gene editing is within reach. Personalized treatment with targeted-gene therapy While scientists are unable to see the future impacts this research will have on the gene-edited children, they are consciously aware of the changes this could send spiraling in the scientific community. Human research is hard enough to get clearance for, as clinical trials must go through countless rounds of approval in order to use human subjects as opposed to other comparative species such as rats or monkeys. Not only did this go against many within the scientific community, but he also risked human life and safety laws to practice this technique. Most notably, scientist He Jiankui was under much scrutiny when he announced to the world that twin girls with edited genomes were to be born. While parents may dream of getting to choose whether their child has blue eyes or red hair, this tool should be used for more pressing issues such as Tay-Sachs or phenylketonuria. Some issues with this, of course, lie with the potential implications and damage that this gene-editing could cause. Scientists hypothesize that with the power of CRISPR, certain diseases and disorders could be eradicated from a child before they’re even born. The movie “ Gattaca” may not be that far out of reach… In summary, CRISPR-Cas9 can remove “bad” DNA and allow it to repair itself, opening up a world of possibilities for gene-editing in the future. Yes - this is a complicated process with plenty of scientific jargon that can make it confusing to those not familiar with the technique. Repair – Homology-directed repair and other host-cell machinery repair the excised region, either inserting another gene as directed by Cas9 or inputting the correct version of the sequence once there.Cleavage – Cas9 makes double stranded breaks, as DNA is a double-stranded molecule, to excise the region of interest.Recognition – Guide RNA must be designed to target the region of interest, guiding the Cas9 “scissors” to the target.CRISPR and Cas9 must work together as a system to allow for the process of gene editing.īy making a specific cut at either a targeted gene or region of DNA, this system then allows natural DNA processes to take over and repair the region, excising the area of issue and replacing it with either the correct sequence of DNA or another gene. How exactly does CRISPR-Cas9 work? In simple terms, CRISPR-Cas9 can be thought of as a pair of genetic scissors.ĬRISPR is a series of short palindromic repeats, while Cas9 is the endonuclease that is guided by designed RNA specific to the experiment. Utilizing this bacterial line of defense, the possibilities are endless for humans. The system we know has been present in these organisms for centuries, allowing them to create their own network of molecular defense. The CRISPR-Cas9 complex, while new to our own understanding, is not new to archaea or bacteria. Doudna and Emmanuel Charpentier for their development and understanding of the gene-editing tool, CRISPR-Cas9.Ĭharpentier has been quoted as saying this system is “mind-blowing.” In 2020, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Jennifer A. Isabella Limbert, Science & Technology Reporter It also appears to largely take cues from the other Kingdom Hearts mobile game, Kingdom Hearts Union χ, and will seemingly have a direct connection to it with the ability to launch Dark Road from within Union χ. It appears that it will be a card-based battler that will showcase Xenahort's past. You can hit the exit battle icon in the top left to get a pause menu in which you can see your cards. #KHDRNewCharacters Bragi /16XhbspTGrīeyond the new characters, details for Kingdom Hearts: Dark Road are fairly sparse. Kingdom Hearts Dark RoadBragi and his classmates in Scala ad Caelum are summoned by Master Odin to investigate the unexplained disappearance of upperclassmen who were visiting other worlds in preparation for their Mark of Mastery exam. Having played an important role in the series, please look forward to his role in this part of the story! #KHDR /m6YXEKcN4U How did the pair form such a strongly connected relationship? #KHDR /15HrnsoVtdĪ young Master Eraqus who appears as Xehanort's companion! PENGUIN 6) CLASSICS THE PROSE EDDA SNORRI STURLUSON (1179-1241) was born in western Iceland, the son of an upstart Icelandic chieftain. Why did this young boy become the seeker of darkness? That long journey will soon begin. Xehanort, the strongest enemy in the KINGDOM HEARTS series who always stood in the way of Sora and his friends. The game was designed as a playing experience. You can check out new images of all of the above characters below: Kingdom Hearts Dark Road explores the origins of series antagonist Xehanort and his eventual turn to darkness. He is a young man with brown eyes and auburn hair parted on one side. He wants to be a Keyblade Master to do what he thinks is the right thing to do. He is very curious about Xehanort and his origins, but his reasons are unclear. Contents 1 Personality 2 Physical Appearance 3 History 3.1 Before Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep 3. I guess it was because, since the Player being reborn was a pretty recent revelation, finding out that they were reborn as the Player from Missing Link instead of as Xehanort didn't seem like a shocking twist, more like a clarification of who they were reborn as. He serves as a supporting antagonist in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep. While the robed person actually being the Player was a cool reveal, I feel like it wasn't as shocking as Bragi being Luxu. Xenahort and Eraqus appear to be training to be Keyblade wielders in the game, though it's unclear what happens after that point. Bragi is an individual who gives himself a detached look, but nonetheless has great enthusiasm. Braig, mis-romanized as Bleig, was one of six apprentices of Ansem the Wise, the original persona of Xigbar, and the vessel of Luxu along with his Nobody. The trio tries to apologize for unknowingly trespassing in Wonderland, but the Queen won't have it and sentences them to death by beheading.While the game had previously shown both the young version of Xenahort and Eraqus, this is as mentioned above the first actual look at entirely new characters for the game. Kingdom Hearts Dark Road Reveals Four New Characters: Urd, Vor, Bragi, and Hermod. The tail works, and the group finds Hermod, Urd, and Vor standing trial in the Queen's Court. Xehanort's team decides to follow the cards, believing they'll lead them to their locked-up friends. With that, the cards leave Xehanort and his friends alone, opting to instead rush off to the trial. RELATED: Kingdom Hearts Fan Makes Awesome Custom Switch Designīefore the cards can go through with the arrest, however, they're stopped by a higher-up, who tells them a trial is about to begin and that if they're late for it, they'll lose their heads. It does so in the form of Playing Cards soldiers, who accost Xehanort's group and threaten to arrest them for trespassing. When Xehanort tries to learn exactly where his friends were captured, the cat tells him that the answer will arrive shortly. Bragi (Kingdom Hearts) Heimdall (Kingdom Hearts) Hoder (Kingdom Hearts) Sigrun (Kingdom Hearts) Helgi (Kingdom. Chesire relays to Xehanort's team that waiting for their friends is pointless because they're locked up. Eraqus thinks that their friends have finally arrived, but in reality, it's the Chesire Cat. While waiting for the trio out in Lotus Forest, Xehanort senses that someone is watching him and his group. Xehanort, Eraqus, and Bragi seemingly arrive in Wonderland before Hermod, Urd, and Vor. Jeff and Andy Kim, who had hits on his own as a writer and singer, Jeff and Andy wrote ‘Sugar, Sugar,’ Ronnie was Archie, and I was Betty and Veronica. And Jeff Barry was going to produce this fictitious animated group called The Archies. Donnie Kirshner wanted to bring the Archies to life, which he did. In our interview with Toni Wine, she explained: “It just was a very easy session. Everything fell into place with ease Toni Wine, Valerie Simpson and Lesley Miller / Wikipedia Greenwich has written many famous songs, including “Be My Baby” and “Chapel Of Love.” Toni Wine wrote the hit songs “A Groovy Kind Of Love” and “Candida.”Īs part of the bubblegum pop genre, the Archies’ biggest hit represented one of the most successful songs aimed at (or at least accessible to) younger listeners. Kim had a hit in 1974with “Rock Me Gently,” Dante produced “Mandy” for Barry Manilow and “Heartbreaker” for Pat Benatar. The song was written by Andy Kim and Jeff Barry, and was performed by session musicians including Kim, Toni Wine, Ron Dante, and Ellie Greenwich. Composing a bubblegum pop hit Before Kidz Bop, other bands already formed the genre that would be accessible to all listening demographics / Facebook It’s simply a factoid Kirshner loved telling that added to the mythos nicely. Kirshner was the initial supervisor for the Monkees, and wanted to do the same thing with cartoon characters because they are much easier to work with than people.Ī popular urban myth says “Sugar, Sugar” was offered to The Monkees, but they turned it down. The Archies group was put together by Don Kirshner, a prolific promoter and producer. Archies, assemble! The Archies got the green light thanks to the success of The Monkees, which made them think this premise might just work again / Everett Collection Next, we celebrated her idea by dedicating a film to her, featuring the girl’s parents test-driving the Hover Car. Volkswagen applied magnetic levitation technology to her idea, turning it into a concept car. The Hover Car, a winning idea from a girl in Chengdu, inspired Volkswagen to reimagine the future of cars. We also researched alternative video sites which could more comprehensively cover our target audience. Source: t+d/Millward Brown 07/2011įor this we found that popular KOLs would be most effective in spreading the message, so we leveraged Le Jia, on microblogs (as he was in the video.) The target, trending younger (Wang Jia is in her 20s), was active on certain social networks as well as BBS forums. **Based on representative online survey among Chinese car owners and purchase intenders n=1696. And the People’s Car Project introduced a new design process for the automotive industry, where products are created by the people, for the people. The Hover Car set the benchmark for future automotive designs. The film received 18 million views online, increasing website registrations by 21,000 and idea submissions to a grand total of 141,000.īy giving people like Wang Jia a chance to voice their creativity, Volkswagen is now perceived as innovative by 70% of the people.*** Volkswagen became #1 in online presence amongst all car brands* and the #1 most talked about car brand on Chinese social media.** The story caught the attention of the local and international press, including the New York Times, Forbes, The Huffington Post, and ChinaDaily. We looked into which channels resonated best with innovation and creativity, and would most effectively spread the video and Wang Jia’s (our selected creator) story, in China. Our goal was to restore Volkswagen’s leadership image in the minds of Chinese drivers and potential customers and reclaim its rightful place as the most talked about, admired, and innovative car brand in China. Being increasingly seen more as ‘sensible and rational’, far away from its former position as a leader, innovator and socially aspirational vehicle.Ĭompetitors were fast gaining share and with price, improved quality and the widest vehicle choice available in the world. Simply put, after ‘putting China on wheels’ and truly being the People’s car for decades, the Volkswagen brand was suffering. As a result, they pioneered a new design process for the automotive industry, where products are inspired by the people, for the people. Volkswagen continued to innovate by inspiring more breakthrough concepts, including the Sphere Car, the Music Car, the Intelligent Key, and the COGO app. With 18 million views worldwide, the Hover Car film inspired audiences everywhere to discussed and analyzed the technology of the concept. The story spread to the local and international press, including ChinaDaily, New York Times, the Huffington Post, Forbes, and talk show host Jay Leno. The film was revealed to Wang Jia at a private movie premiere, where her friends, family, and a flash mob joined in celebration. Volkswagen celebrated the girl’s idea by surprising her with a dedicated film, featuring her parents behind the wheels. Wang Jia or user Dark520, a girl from Chengdu, submitted an idea for a hover car on the People’s Car Project website, Volkswagen took her winning idea and applied magnetic levitation technology, turning it into a working concept car. In 2011, Volkswagen launched the People’s Car Project, a platform to inspire the Chinese people to create new ideas for cars. This would obviously be desirable if your aim was simply to adjust the original mix balance (for example, making the drums a touch louder/quieter). When the Non‑destructive box is ticked, the unmixing process will always ensure that the layers sum perfectly to deliver the original mix without any data loss or phase issues. The Sensitivity sliders adjust how the AI performs during the unmixing process (although the PDF reference Manual could be more forthcoming on exactly how) and can be easily experimented with to find the optimum settings for the task at hand. The simple dialogue includes Sensitivity sliders for each layer and a Non‑destructive tickbox. The last of these is a catch‑all for anything else within the mix and, if you toggle off any of the other layer options, then that content simply gets included within the ‘Other’ category. In Pro, the process can generate up to five layers Vocals, Piano, Drums, Bass and Other. Unmix Stems is available from the Layers menu. If the current iteration of spectral editing software can essentially automate that process, it would be a big technical step forward (although it would not, of course, resolve any associated copyright issues). Generation of karaoke tracks is perhaps a more mundane application, but isolating a capella vocals from well‑known songs for the purposes of creating remixes or mashups is very much in demand. While there are obvious corrective applications (for example, to boost a lead vocal in an older recording where the multitrack session has long since disappeared), there are also educational applications such as isolating a vocal or a bassline in order to learn how to sing/play it more accurately. While you get some control over the process, Unmix Stems makes a complex task very straightforward for the user.The ability to isolate, remove or adjust the relative level of elements within a mix - and in particular the vocals - is a highly sought‑after feature. This is undoubtedly the headline addition of this release and likely to bring SLP7 to the attention of a whole new audience. With a couple of clicks of the mouse, SLP7 will attempt to unmix your stereo mix, dividing it into up to five new layers that you can then rebalance, edit, process or export as you see fit. There is no clearer example of this new AI‑powered automated processing than the new Unmix Stems function. If you need a refresher on SpectraLayer’s established feature set, then feel free to dip into the SOS archives. Since there is plenty of new ground to cover, I’ll focus on that here. AI‑based processes now sit alongside the well‑established manual editing tools. The vast majority of the new developments are underpinned by one very significant introduction into SLP7’s code: artificial intelligence. However, with this release, Steinberg are attempting to transform spectral editing into a tool everyone could utilise. The headline new features all point to v7 being something of a major breakthrough in terms of ease‑of‑use.Īs described in previous SOS reviews of SLP, for those that need to dig in, all those powerful manual editing options remain in SLP7 and have been further improved, in many cases. SOS reviewed SpectraLayers Pro 6 in the December 2019 issue but Steinberg are now back with SpectraLayers Pro 7 (SLP7). SpectaLayers has been a big part of this, from its inception under Sony in 2012, a transition to MAGIX and, eventually, into the well‑respected hands of Steinberg, who acquired the product in 2019. Over recent years, spectral editing has proven itself as a powerful, albeit somewhat specialised, tool for tasks such as audio restoration, creative sound design, vocal/instrument isolation and forensic audio analysis. Steinberg’s clever use of AI has made spectral editing and unmixing more accessible than ever. |