Splitting vocals from background music?

TheKid_1 · February 11th, 2008, 09:27 AM

Does anyone know how to split the vocals from the background music using a mac? I know that there is software that allows you to essentially delete the vocals and you are then left with karaoke like songs. However, I would like to preserve the actually vocals too. Any help would be awesome!

Gaddabout · February 11th, 2008, 10:57 AM

Ummmm. Well, if you had the original track and track software, you could just turn off the vocals. If there's a way to eliminate the vocals from a stereo track without removing significant portions of the instrumentation, that would have to be considered magic. I would be very impressed.

puckhead · February 11th, 2008, 11:50 AM

Well, there is something, not very elegant, that may work. I did it once in a digital audio workstation class with decent results. Basically it works with your average pop songs without a bunch of reverb or backup vocals. Because most pop songs pan vocals to the center of a stereo mix, you can use a technique called "vocal removal". Most audio editing programs have the ability to do this, but don't expect high quality results. Basically you would be removing what is common to both tracks (i.e. the vocals), leaving behind what is different (i.e. the instrumentals).

Basically you split the stereo track into its left and right channels, make both mono, invert all (or a selected part) of one of them, and play back the result. Sometimes it works well, most of the time it doesn't because lots of other things could be panned to the center, and they will go bye-bye as well.

I found this plug-in that might work with some Mac programs.

puckhead · February 11th, 2008, 01:06 PM

I apologize for poor reading comprehension, read post waaaaay too quickly. (but spent plenty of time on reply)

BigRedRage · February 11th, 2008, 01:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheKid_1

Does anyone know how to split the vocals from the background music using a mac? I know that there is software that allows you to essentially delete the vocals and you are then left with karaoke like songs. However, I would like to preserve the actually vocals too. Any help would be awesome!

I could pretend to provide4 accurate information for the phone numbers of the gals in your signature :wink:

Gaddabout · February 11th, 2008, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by puckhead

Well, there is something, not very elegant, that may work. I did it once in a digital audio workstation class with decent results. Basically it works with your average pop songs without a bunch of reverb or backup vocals. Because most pop songs pan vocals to the center of a stereo mix, you can use a technique called "vocal removal". Most audio editing programs have the ability to do this, but don't expect high quality results. Basically you would be removing what is common to both tracks (i.e. the vocals), leaving behind what is different (i.e. the instrumentals).

Basically you split the stereo track into its left and right channels, make both mono, invert all (or a selected part) of one of them, and play back the result. Sometimes it works well, most of the time it doesn't because lots of other things could be panned to the center, and they will go bye-bye as well.

I found this plug-in that might work with some Mac programs.

Now that I think about it, this could really work well for audio optimized for 5.1. Vocals usually in mono, center.

Assface · February 11th, 2008, 04:05 PM

I don't know about splitting vocals but I'd like to do some splitting with your sig.

schutd · February 11th, 2008, 06:09 PM

Either assface is a lesbo, or that question about which poster is not a girl back in the trivia thread is now a dead giveaway!

vince56 · February 12th, 2008, 03:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by puckhead

Well, there is something, not very elegant, that may work. I did it once in a digital audio workstation class with decent results. Basically it works with your average pop songs without a bunch of reverb or backup vocals. Because most pop songs pan vocals to the center of a stereo mix, you can use a technique called "vocal removal". Most audio editing programs have the ability to do this, but don't expect high quality results. Basically you would be removing what is common to both tracks (i.e. the vocals), leaving behind what is different (i.e. the instrumentals).

Basically you split the stereo track into its left and right channels, make both mono, invert all (or a selected part) of one of them, and play back the result. Sometimes it works well, most of the time it doesn't because lots of other things could be panned to the center, and they will go bye-bye as well.

I found this plug-in that might work with some Mac programs.

I concur 100% with this. Adobe Audition has a great Channel Mixer plugin that allows you to do exactly that above. I'm not sure of any cheaper programs that do that though.

Oh, and I totally agree with Assface. Those chicks are smoking hot.