PEEL STEMS 2 cuts real-time stem-separation latency nearly in half

Zplane has released PEEL STEMS 2, a major update to its plug-in for separating a finished mix into drums, bass, vocals and other, directly inside a DAW. The new version lowers compensated latency to 245 ms at 44.1 kHz, a 49% reduction from the original, alongside improved separation quality and an updated interface.

Each of the four stems has its own level and isolation controls, so elements can be muted, soloed or rebalanced without first waiting for an offline export. Processing stays local to the computer, which removes the upload step required by browser and cloud services.

Zplane’s Focus EQ extracts a specific frequency range and stereo region, and a secondary output can route that selection to another channel in supported DAWs including Ableton Live, FL Studio, Pro Tools, Reason and Reaper.

PEEL STEMS 2 runs on macOS and Windows in VST3, AU and AAX formats. Owners of the first version can claim upgrade pricing through their zplane user area.

Producer’s note

Use stem separation as an editing lens before treating it as a source of perfectly clean multitracks. Moderate isolation often sounds more natural than the maximum setting. Print a short test, listen for watery transients and phasey cymbals, then back off until the artifacts sit below the needs of the remix.