@robert-engle  ... Here's an exercise that might help demonstrate the vagaries of removing voices in SpectraLayers.

If you have a method of downloading audio from YouTube or from your computer (e.g. Windows WASAPI as the Host Interface device in Audacity [free]), get Frank Sinatra's 1964 hit "Come Fly With Me" ( - provided to YT by the Universal Music Group) and import it into SpectraLayers (SL). Go to menu item 'Layer' / 'Unmix Stems' and in the Preset context menu that opens, uncheck Piano, Drums and Bass leaving only Vocals and Non-Destructive checked. Hit Okay and let SL do its unmixing. The unmix should look like this:

SL has identifiied the vocals and highlighted them in pink.

In the Layers control panel (bottom RH corner of SL) click on the (arrowed) mute button for Vocals, and only the vocals will disappear, as per:

With the exception of the occasional artifact and a smidge of vocal filtering through at the music pause at 01:00, only the instrumental remains. This song works well in SL because the vocal is so dominant and largely at different frequencies to the music.

But then do the same with The Fifth Dimension's wonderful 1967 hit "Up, Up and Away" ( - listed on YT as Official Audio) - but this time don't uncheck Piano, Drums and Bass in the Unmix Stems context menu. The result will be:

Muting the Vocals in the Layers control panel doesn't remove all of the vocals from the piece, particularly during the choruses. My reasoning for this is that SL is assessing the choral-like singing as being instrumental rather than vocals.

Try muting / unmuting different combinations of the 5 layer options in order to get an idea about how different results can be obtained.  Also, each layer control has a volume control that can be used instead of muting a layer.

Of course, the above is suggested as a learning exercise only and for temporary ‘personal use only’.

When dealing with projects in SpectraLayers, each project is going to present with its own ‘easy-wins’ as well as hurdles that can hopefully be overcome.  Often, there is no simple answer and different approaches can be taken using different tools - and one approach may provide a better result for one particular project but may not provide the best result in another project even if similar in nature.  IMO, using SpectraLayers is as much if not more of a creative process than it is a machine-like process.  For example, removing light wind noise from an audio event might be easy enough, but I have to think about how that audio is going to blend with the surrounding audio events.

BTW, SpectraLayers has its own forum on Steinberg’s website at https://forums.steinberg.net/c/spectralayers/12 - should you need any assistance from other users with SpectraLayers.

All I see is green if I open up a project?

The SLP workflow questions should be addressed in the Steinberg SLP forum.. but.. that said "
If SLP's 'Display' tool window is hidden, Go to 'View> Panels' and enable 'Display' . Find the "Composite" and click it, Next to it is a button to select the color patterns. There are other many other parameters in Display window to refine the spectrum's view and the Display tools window can be customized as well with your desired parameter view and presets.