TVTropes Now available in the app store!
Open

Follow TV Tropes

Following

Is it possible to separate the vocals from a song?

Go To

Lunacorva Since: Mar, 2011 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#1: Apr 26th 2012 at 7:03:23 PM

Okay, so I've found a few programs that can remove the vocals from a song, thus leaving the instrumentals, but I'm wandering if there is anything that can work in reverse, removing the instrumentals and leaving the vocals.

SantosLHalper Since: Aug, 2009
#2: Apr 26th 2012 at 7:50:03 PM

There was a video that spliced the vocals of Absolutely Invincible British Gentleman with Mein Gott, but it was taken down,.

spasticgecko Dat Troper from Maryland Since: Oct, 2011
Dat Troper
#3: Apr 26th 2012 at 7:52:18 PM

It should be, but it might be harder to find a specific program for it. General audio editing software would be more likely to work.

UltimatelySubjective Since: Jun, 2011
#4: Apr 26th 2012 at 7:57:38 PM

At the very least if you can get the music without the vocals I think extracting what's on your music only clip from the original song should be possible with any half-decent audio software.

I think Audacity could even do it.

YamiiDenryuu Since: Jan, 2010
#5: Apr 26th 2012 at 8:21:50 PM

Yeah, I've seen this done before, and most of them were apparently done with Audacity.

TParadox Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: The captain of her heart
#6: Apr 26th 2012 at 8:28:56 PM

I have no idea how it can be done without garbling the remaining channel, but the vocals and instruments are commonly separated, and anything Pro Tools can do, there's probably a plugin for Audacity.

Fresh-eyed movie blog
0dd1 Just awesome like that from Nowhere Land Since: Sep, 2009
Just awesome like that
#7: Apr 26th 2012 at 10:36:15 PM

I myself have done this with Audacity, though you do need to download a plugin (one which I don't think I have on this computer). And you need to hope that the way the song was originally mastered allows for it.

Even then, though, the method I used only removes the center channel. If what you want isn't squarely in the left or right channels, good luck.

Insert witty and clever quip here. My page, as the database hates my handle.
TParadox Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: The captain of her heart
#8: Apr 26th 2012 at 11:33:57 PM

You're just stripping a speaker channel? Yeah, it's possible to do more than that. One specific case I know: the Beatles' original masters were on four-track tapes. The remastering process involved isolating all the vocals and instruments into their own tracks.

It's really crazy what they can do with modern audio editing software. Cirque Du Soleil remixed a bunch of Beatles music, and made Ringo's "Octopus's Garden" vocals sound like they'd been recorded at less than half the tempo, without any warping/artifacting.

edited 26th Apr '12 11:35:26 PM by TParadox

Fresh-eyed movie blog
0dd1 Just awesome like that from Nowhere Land Since: Sep, 2009
Just awesome like that
#9: Apr 27th 2012 at 12:02:32 AM

Granted, my method is an extremely ghetto method using free software, whereas what you're referring to is really really expensive.

Insert witty and clever quip here. My page, as the database hates my handle.
TParadox Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: The captain of her heart
#10: Apr 27th 2012 at 12:16:03 AM

Yeah, that was a team of artisans using incredibly high-caliber software.

Fresh-eyed movie blog
AngryScientist Nostalgia from Russia with Love Since: Nov, 2009
Nostalgia
#11: Apr 27th 2012 at 12:34:33 AM

I think my version of Audacity came with it.

RainbowMatt Prettiest Pony :3 from the cave of unspeakable naughtiness Since: Oct, 2011 Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
Prettiest Pony :3
#12: Apr 27th 2012 at 1:10:06 AM

Buy a kerioki (sp?) machine tongue

Devypu's~ Big Pony :3
0dd1 Just awesome like that from Nowhere Land Since: Sep, 2009
Just awesome like that
#13: Apr 27th 2012 at 11:49:52 AM

[up]Karaoke, and I don't think that's how they work.

Insert witty and clever quip here. My page, as the database hates my handle.
TParadox Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: The captain of her heart
#14: Apr 27th 2012 at 9:26:09 PM

Karaoke needs specially mixed discs that have the vocals on a separate track. You can play non-Karaoke discs, but the original vocals will still be there.

Fresh-eyed movie blog
0dd1 Just awesome like that from Nowhere Land Since: Sep, 2009
Just awesome like that
#15: Apr 27th 2012 at 9:43:36 PM

Plus, karaoke tracks generally sound like cheap imitations (that may or may not be mostly comprised of synth imitations of the original instruments).

Insert witty and clever quip here. My page, as the database hates my handle.
TParadox Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: The captain of her heart
#16: Apr 27th 2012 at 10:43:02 PM

That's because they usually don't have access to the original mix, and probably don't have the money for the rights to the original recording.

@OP: Is the tool you used to clean the vocals off the instruments able to be used in reverse? If it can isolate one kind of sound, it should be able to isolate another, assuming the interface allows for it.

Fresh-eyed movie blog
0dd1 Just awesome like that from Nowhere Land Since: Sep, 2009
Just awesome like that
#17: Apr 27th 2012 at 11:27:51 PM

True, but they could at least get musicians who put some effort into it, rather than people mechanically going through the motions.

Insert witty and clever quip here. My page, as the database hates my handle.
inane242 Anwalt der Verdammten from A B-Movie Bildungsroman Since: Nov, 2010
Anwalt der Verdammten
#18: Apr 28th 2012 at 7:23:06 AM

Get an instrumental version of the track, then invert it in Audacity and mix it with the track with the vocal. The instruments will phase cancel, leaving you with the vocal.

The 5 geek social fallacies. Know them well.
0dd1 Just awesome like that from Nowhere Land Since: Sep, 2009
Just awesome like that
#19: Apr 28th 2012 at 2:30:45 PM

That only works if you CAN find an instrumental...

Insert witty and clever quip here. My page, as the database hates my handle.
MikeK Since: Jan, 2001
#20: Apr 28th 2012 at 3:16:46 PM

[up][up][up] I think part of the reason karaoke tracks are like that is, when it comes to anonymous studio band cover versions anyway, it's actually possible to get sued if your version sounds too much like the original. For instance there was this case where the band The Romantics attempted to sue over the cover of "What I Like About You" in Rock Band because the cover version was too good, and thus might confuse people into thinking they'd licensed their version of their song.

[up][up] Hmm, I hadn't thought about that. I just got a fIREHOSE reissue that includes instrumental versions of a couple of songs (not instrumental demos or anything, just the album version but without vocals), so maybe I'll try that out, then attempt some mashups for my own amusement.

edited 28th Apr '12 3:18:26 PM by MikeK

videogmer314 from that one place Since: Dec, 2009 Relationship Status: Yes, I'm alone, but I'm alone and free
#21: Apr 28th 2012 at 3:26:40 PM

This page on the wiki for Audacity has more information about how to remove the vocals from a song.

Add Post

Total posts: 21
Top