Remove vocal from track app?

YanKleber

YanKleber

Retired
Hi,

I am after an app that manage to do a decent vocal removing from a track. It's a very short track (1:18) that I would like to dub it. The song in question is the Star Trek Enterprise intro theme at 3rd season ("Faith of the heart" country style sang by Russell Watson).

Any input appreciated. Thanks!

:thumbs up:
 
I don't know an app for it, but the usual technique is to split the stereo track into two mono tracks and invert the phase on one. This eliminates most of the parts that are panned dead center and leaves the wide-panned voices more or less* alone.

*less. It's pretty less. It's not a great technique, but it tends to work ok if you don't have any stems.
 
VomitHatSteve said:
I don't know an app for it, but the usual technique is to split the stereo track into two mono tracks and invert the phase on one. This eliminates most of the parts that are panned dead center and leaves the wide-panned voices more or less* alone.

*less. It's pretty less. It's not a great technique, but it tends to work ok if you don't have any stems.
Click to expand...

wow, i didn't know that. i need to try this today. i have some old songs that i like except for the vocals, but they're all mixed down and i have no masters.
 
Nola said:
wow, i didn't know that. i need to try this today. i have some old songs that i like except for the vocals, but they're all mixed down and i have no masters.
Click to expand...

Actually it doesn't work in all cases. I tried this technique and it only made the track I want vocal removed fuzzy. And actually the vocal became more evident. It may work for some cases though.
 
YanKleber said:
Actually it doesn't work in all cases. I tried this technique and it only made the track I want vocal removed fuzzy. And actually the vocal became more evident. It may work for some cases though.
Click to expand...

oh that's a bummer. i'm surprised technology doesn't exist yet to extract a vocal.
i realize it's hard but i'd think someone would come up with a way. it seems like a huge breakthrough waiting to happen.
 
YanKleber said:
Actually it doesn't work in all cases. I tried this technique and it only made the track I want vocal removed fuzzy. And actually the vocal became more evident. It may work for some cases though.
Click to expand...
Really splitting into a pair of mono tracks and inverting polarity of one will cancel out any information that is common to the left and right sides.

If the vocal happens to tick that box then it'll be cancelled out but, in practice, reverbs, delays and other effects make things messy.
 
It also cancels out anything panned center. So it will get rid of kick, snare, Bass etc...

Of course, any stereo effects on the instruments panned center will still be there. Also, the mix you are left with will be mono.
 
Farview said:
It also cancels out anything panned center. So it will get rid of kick, snare, Bass etc...
Click to expand...

the youtube video i linked said to cut the bass on one track before inverting it. since they're then different it won't cancel.
i haven't tried it yet

is there any trick to get the mono back to stereo?
 
You can't get the mono back to stereo. There is nothing magical about the technique. By inverting one channel and laying it over the other, it cancels out everything that is on both channels. But, by doing so, you have folded both channels into each other.

Trying to unmix a song is like trying to take a cake and turn it back into eggs,flour, water, etc... one it is mixed together, it has turned into something else. The individual parts are no longer separate things.

Yes, you can take some low end away from one track, but kick and bass are more than just low end. Snare will still occupy the same frequency range as vocals will.
 
Seems that the best option is to use a professional karaoke back track. Unfortunately the specific version I want doesn't exist so the only way to get closer to what I want will be to record it from scratch...
 
YanKleber said:
Seems that the best option is to use a professional karaoke back track. Unfortunately the specific version I want doesn't exist so the only way to get closer to what I want will be to record it from scratch...
Click to expand...
I've got a Karaoke version that is a little different from the one linked on Youtube. Might be more to your liking. PM me your email address if you want to give it a try.
 
arcaxis said:
I've got a Karaoke version that is a little different from the one linked on Youtube. Might be more to your liking. PM me your email address if you want to give it a try.
Click to expand...

Hey, Arcaxis, thanks a bunch! I really appreciate it. I just sent you a PM. Please let me know if you don't receive it, my HR private messages box is funny today.

:thumbs up:
 
I'm waiting for the technology to Un-Bake a cake so I can make an omelette with the eggs in a cake. It's basically the same idea.
 
Steenamaroo said:
Really splitting into a pair of mono tracks and inverting polarity of one will cancel out any information that is common to the left and right sides.

If the vocal happens to tick that box then it'll be cancelled out but, in practice, reverbs, delays and other effects make things messy.
Click to expand...
Absolutely, yes.
Farview said:
It also cancels out anything panned center. So it will get rid of kick, snare, Bass etc...

Of course, any stereo effects on the instruments panned center will still be there. Also, the mix you are left with will be mono.
Click to expand...
Also certainly true. It's not the best technique, but it's a start.

Also, unbaking a cake?
 
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