MP3 Vocals separation? - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

todd · 06-29-2004, 10:16 PM

I've recently been messing around with Cool Edit Pro, an audio editing program. I want to put together a remix of a couple songs. I want to take the lyrics from one song, and put it over the audio i've already mixed.

Is there such thing as a program that will seperate the vocals from the rest of the song/MP3 file? I seem to remember hearing about something like this once, but I can't find anything on it.
If anybody knows of anything like this, i'd really appretiate any info.
Thanks

Church · 06-29-2004, 10:30 PM

The only way to truly do it is directly from the studio, separating the track from the instrumental. Aside from this, there are a few programs that will soften the music so you can barely hear it, but I doubt there is anything that will flawlessly make an acapella out of a song.

cliche · 06-30-2004, 12:06 AM

You can often do something based on the stereo of a tune. The vocals are often in the middle with instruments to either side; so remove everything that only appears in one channel (not used Cool Edit so don't really know how to do this). Run the result through some frequency-based filters and you should get something reasonable...

todd · 07-01-2004, 06:20 PM

I'll give it a shot. Thanks guys!

By the way.. cliche do you happen to be one of the guys who did that fark.com cliche stuff? Or are you just a fan of it? I love those domo-kuns.

Redlemon · 07-02-2004, 06:03 AM

You might want to spend some time over in the Get Your Bootleg On forums. "Bootlegs", aka Mashups, Bastard Pop, and a bunch of other terms, are a style where you overlay the vocals of one song over the instrumentals of another.

You might be a able to find the "acappella" for the song you are remixing in there already done.

shakran · 07-02-2004, 03:20 PM

the short answer is, no you can't.

The long answer is, no, REALLY, you can't.

It's possible to do it on a tracked editor WHEN you have the original pre-mix tracks available to you. i.e. you have the vocal track, the drum track, the guitar track, etc. Just mute the vocal track.

Your problem is that you're using a MIXED source, where all the tracks have been smooshed together to make one soundwave. At that point, it's kind of like trying to unmix the eggs from a cake batter. It might be possible if you spent thousands of years deconstructing it on a molecular level, but realistically it's just not gonna happen.

The way CEP (btw, that program is powerful but the interface sucks. Try Sonic Foundry's SoundForge) and all other programs work when you're trying to remove a sound is that you tell it a specific frequency range to mute. This works really well when, say, you're trying to get the hum of an air conditioner out of a vocal track because the air conditioner hum is a constant (and narrow) frequency and can therefore be removed with minimal damage to the vocal track.

You're trying to remove something that continually changes frequencies, and in fact will often match the frequency of something in the background. The end result of a LOT of work might be that you get rid of the vocals, but you'll have big gaps in the instrumentals as well.

Speed_Gibson · 07-02-2004, 06:20 PM

Quote:

The way CEP (btw, that program is powerful but the interface sucks. Try Sonic Foundry's SoundForge)

I concur with that. Adobe Audition keeps the same poor interface that Cool Edit/CE Pro had from what I understand. The lack of MDI is what drove me back to SF (version 5 at the time) rather quickly when I briefly tried the cheaper base $80 version of Cool Edit.

MooseMan3000 · 07-02-2004, 06:44 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by shakran
...and in fact will often match the frequency of something in the background...

So you're saying it's possible as long as the singer sucks, right?

MSD · 07-02-2004, 10:09 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by everquestjoe
By the way.. cliche do you happen to be one of the guys who did that fark.com cliche stuff? Or are you just a fan of it? I love those domo-kuns.

The vast majority of Fark's material, including the "cliche kitty" and "tourist guy" were stolen from Something Awful.

cliche · 07-03-2004, 04:39 AM

Had the nickname 'cliche' for a long time (over 10yrs now - nothing to do with the internet) and adopted the kitty when it started showing up on Fark/SA... But I'm a keen follower and student of internet memes

06-29-2004, 10:16 PM	#1 (permalink)
todd Addict Location: Chicago	MP3 Vocals separation? I've recently been messing around with Cool Edit Pro, an audio editing program. I want to put together a remix of a couple songs. I want to take the lyrics from one song, and put it over the audio i've already mixed. Is there such thing as a program that will seperate the vocals from the rest of the song/MP3 file? I seem to remember hearing about something like this once, but I can't find anything on it. If anybody knows of anything like this, i'd really appretiate any info. Thanks

06-29-2004, 10:30 PM	#2 (permalink)
Church Tilted F*ckhead Location: New Jersey	The only way to truly do it is directly from the studio, separating the track from the instrumental. Aside from this, there are a few programs that will soften the music so you can barely hear it, but I doubt there is anything that will flawlessly make an acapella out of a song. __________________ Through counter-intelligence, it should be possible to pinpoint potential trouble makers, and neutralize them.

06-30-2004, 12:06 AM	#3 (permalink)
cliche Rookie Location: Oxford, UK	You can often do something based on the stereo of a tune. The vocals are often in the middle with instruments to either side; so remove everything that only appears in one channel (not used Cool Edit so don't really know how to do this). Run the result through some frequency-based filters and you should get something reasonable... __________________ I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones. -- John Cage (1912 - 1992)

07-02-2004, 06:03 AM	#5 (permalink)
Redlemon Devoted Donor Location: New England	You might want to spend some time over in the Get Your Bootleg On forums. "Bootlegs", aka Mashups, Bastard Pop, and a bunch of other terms, are a style where you overlay the vocals of one song over the instrumentals of another. You might be a able to find the "acappella" for the song you are remixing in there already done. __________________ I can't read your signature. Sorry.

07-03-2004, 04:39 AM	#10 (permalink)
cliche Rookie Location: Oxford, UK	Had the nickname 'cliche' for a long time (over 10yrs now - nothing to do with the internet) and adopted the kitty when it started showing up on Fark/SA... But I'm a keen follower and student of internet memes __________________ I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones. -- John Cage (1912 - 1992)

07-01-2004, 06:20 PM	#4 (permalink)
todd Addict Location: Chicago	I'll give it a shot. Thanks guys! By the way.. cliche do you happen to be one of the guys who did that fark.com cliche stuff? Or are you just a fan of it? I love those domo-kuns.

07-02-2004, 03:20 PM	#6 (permalink)
shakran Tone.	the short answer is, no you can't. The long answer is, no, REALLY, you can't. It's possible to do it on a tracked editor WHEN you have the original pre-mix tracks available to you. i.e. you have the vocal track, the drum track, the guitar track, etc. Just mute the vocal track. Your problem is that you're using a MIXED source, where all the tracks have been smooshed together to make one soundwave. At that point, it's kind of like trying to unmix the eggs from a cake batter. It might be possible if you spent thousands of years deconstructing it on a molecular level, but realistically it's just not gonna happen. The way CEP (btw, that program is powerful but the interface sucks. Try Sonic Foundry's SoundForge) and all other programs work when you're trying to remove a sound is that you tell it a specific frequency range to mute. This works really well when, say, you're trying to get the hum of an air conditioner out of a vocal track because the air conditioner hum is a constant (and narrow) frequency and can therefore be removed with minimal damage to the vocal track. You're trying to remove something that continually changes frequencies, and in fact will often match the frequency of something in the background. The end result of a LOT of work might be that you get rid of the vocals, but you'll have big gaps in the instrumentals as well.