Anyway to remove vocals from mp3 files?

[CLKeenan]

I've heard there are ways you can do this partially

[Zandro]

I suggest you look at the active thread in the Digital Audio & Recording forum.

[gallusmc]

no, it's impossible ....

some plugins try to do this, but it sounds whack

[rdeol]

nothin i tried worked decently

[dshinka]

The problem with removing certain sounds from MP3's (ie vocals) is how can the computer differenciate between a voice and an instrument? They are both only different frequencies...and so that is why MP3 to MIDI software doesn't work too well on complicated songs... It translates every sound onto the midid tracks...

Unless there is some new software (I sequence some, I just don't post much) in the boards that I am unaware of, then there is no way to have a computer AUTOMATICALLY remove vocals...

[data8504]

If you're into playing around with DirectSound, theres a ChannelSplit function. As you may know, there are residual channels on a CD (therefore MP3) which can be split. These are never clean, since they're only residue, but if you sing loudly, then it works out.

Check out Microsoft's DirectX page, also try www.analogx.com for some examples.

[savinallmylu]

well this is for the oposite thingdsico's acapella tutorial (http://4trak.net/dsico/archives/000082.html)
but ther might be some way to modify the procedure.

[Graeme]

All these 'vocal cut applications work the same way. You can do it manually, using a wave editor such as CoolEdit Pro, or you can rely on some other bit of kit which does all the steps automatically - but the end result is the same, no matter what software you use.

NOTE: You will need to convert any compressed format (MP3, RA, etc.) to a .wav format first.

1 - Take a stereo file

2 - Invert the phase of one channel

3 - Add the two channels together

That's it - that's all you do. Now for what happens.

1 - Anything that was centre stage (hopefully, in this case, the vocal) will be cancelled out.

2 - This includes the bass, kick drum and anything else that was also centre stage.

3 - Material which is close, but not, centre stage will also reduce in level.

4 - The end file will be mono.

4 - On most modern recordings, FX returns are stereo or pseudo-stereo. Thus all the FX returns on the vocal will still be heard.


The truth of the matter is that you can, perhaps, on some recordings, reduce the vocal level. Whether or not you can reduce it enough is only discovered by trying it out. You will still have to contend with the problems of other instruments which also vanish, the generally reduced bass level and the FX returns.

Now, because your resultant wave can sometimes suffer from center-channel dropouts of things like bass guitar and bass drum, here's something else that you can do 'after' you've run the vocal cut on a file.

Open the original file (pre-vocal cut) and run a low-pass filter on it so that ONLY frequencies below 200Hz are retained (effectively cutting everything above 200Hz). This will leave you with a stereo waveform that has possibly 'some' vocal element, but will primarily carry the bass and bass frequencies.

Now, add the 'low-pass' file to the 'vocal cut' version, time aligning the two. Play with the levels to achieve a proper balance. This will allow you to restore a bit of the stereo image (if needed) as well as improve some of the low-end response.

However, the general answer is you will not be able to do this to any effective degree unless you are extremely lucky in your choice of original recording.

[Graeme]

Originally posted by data8504
As you may know, there are residual channels on a CD (therefore MP3) which can be split.

There are? News to me!

I think you are talking nonsense.

[CLKeenan]

very interesting, thanks for the replies :)

[drwatson1]

the only thing i have used that does that is a karoake machine but it only kind of fades it out

[domepiece]

Removing vocals from a song is nearly impossible due to the fact that the song has been rendered together. The only thing that i can think of that did a decent job in removing vocals was a program called Sonic Stage...i believe Sony puts it out. It does a pretty good job compared to most other software that has a vocal canceling, such as Cool Edit or Adobe Auditions

[soulful]

If vocals could be removed from CDs and MP3s, then karaoke companies would be out of business. But we can dream. :)

The vocal reduction equipment I've heard has only made the recording sound like one big echo - very hollow.

I'm going to teach myself music sequencing so that I'll be satisfied with the quality of midis .. there are so many awful midis out there.

[freeform]

like others have said its impossible to remove all vocals