You might think that I would sing the marketing-song of sonic purity & fidelity to the original recording in order to market Spectrelayer. After all – isn’t that what all of those other companies say about their processes? Well, there is a certain logic to that marketing approach. However, Spectrelayer’s claim is that it makes a better sounding audio file than the original release. The “rumor” is true: Spectrelayer alters the sound (so much that the waveform is visibly different when examined in a DAW)! That may seem like the ultimate sonic heresy at the altar of the self-proclaimed “audiophile”. BUT, the gigantic fallacy that almost everyone falls prey to is the presumption that the studio engineers chose all of the optimum settings as they recorded, mixed & mastered the sound in the first place! If you think audio engineers have halos & always choose the best possible mix parameters out of the ocean of permutations – then I can’t out- dogma you -nor will I try. Spectrelayer uses machine hearing to make innumerable continuous adjustments during post-mastering & Spectrelayer’d audio sounds DIFFERENT – BETTER than the version the record label had originally slated for release. And, most listeners agree that Spectrelayer sounds remarkably better than the original source or pre-Spectrelayer’d version. But if you analyze the waveforms Spectrelayer creates, – the so called “purists” may cry “foul”! Vastly different EQ curves! Different dynamics! A relocated noise-floor (sometimes higher depending on the source quality); -And a complete disregard for the -1dB ceiling so many services advocate! But, let me ask: “Where were the purists while the loudness war was destroying the music in the 1st place?”, eh? Perhaps they were too enamored admiring the shine of some engineer’s halos – to notice what their ringing ears were telling them at the end of the mix? The purists will likely tell you that Spectrelayer introduces types of tonal coloration & even distortion (gasp). And (being brutally honest), by showing you charts, graphs & numbers – they’ll be able to technically PROVE IT (but, not with listening comparisons)! And HERE’s the critical distinction: WHY does Spectrelayer sound so much better to most ears – even when certain statistics & technical measurements may accuse the methodology of the process? It’s because Spectrelayer’s benefits far outweigh any detractions – by magnitudes (Yin vs. Yang). I once considered myself a “purist” – ever watching the noise-floor & signal THD levels, IM distortion & never ever let the digital peak level hit the 0dB marker (Oh! The humanity!); -& don’t gasp too loudly, but I think I derided the artifacts of a noise-gate opening on several occasions! But, then I heard what certain machine’s speculate humans prefer to hear based on how the human brain perceives audio, -& those intelligent algorithms nailed it! And, as a sonic purist; – That’s humbling. You see, there are now (2) very different approaches to making great sound. The conventional involves ultra-tight control of every aspect of the recorded signal. It’s very “left-brained” & mathematically solid. It has an elegant beauty that appeals to the perfectionist part of every audio engineer. And that philosophy has made fantastic recordings possible and is absolutely necessary because the better it is executed – the better the next approach works. See, there is an emerging body of tech (which builds upon the former) – intelligent algorithms that work with multiple parameters at once while treating the signal with a “brute-force machine-philosophy” concluding that “the end justifies the means”. These networks don’t understand nor even care about the sanctity of test signals if the style-template & processing schema suggests that such needs to be adjusted to “sound better”! This drives conventional engineers to nail-biting. Trying to follow the logic of a network that can control countless parameters as sonic processing nodes spring into and out of existence dynamically – is like trying to track a scurry of squirrels. “Orthodoxy was violated…”, observes some purist. “Yes, -but did you hear that fantastic output compared with the input?”, replies someone with ears (Because, if it sounds better, – it sounds … better)! Often, some critical comment about “Spectrelayer’s sound” is simply addressed by adjusting the playback EQ slightly – usually as easy as adjusting the bass or treble bands a bit. So, remember this: “The pursuit of the perfect is the enemy of the good.” – General George Patton. And I think the quote from a decorated war general is apt here. Because, despite the casualty of an occasional “purist’s audiophile religion”, – Spectrelayer, has not only won the loudness war – but has allowed some of its casualties to be brought back from the dead using its AI! Furthermore – & more importantly: Spectrelayer makes most recordings sound better – even if they were not casualties of the loudness war! And you don’t need to take my word for it! Hear it for yourself! And like any technology, -Spectrelayer is constantly improving which means that a shortfall today may be addressed tomorrow. If you’re an engineer who has suggestions for this page – PLEASE send a message from our CONTACT page (link at page top). Constructive commentary is always welcome!