[George]

Here's an easy way to make true Karaoke tracks using the Edirol Sound Canvas.

As you change the midi instrumentation take notes on the changes you make. Leave a lead instrument carrying the tune in. Save it to .wav as you normally do.

Now repeat the process, only this time take out the lead instrument. Save it to .wav with a slight change in name.

If you find it necessary to make any changes to the .wav files, with an audio editor(add 10 second silence countdown, for example) make certain to to it exactly the same to both tracks. They need to remain the same length.

Now get everything set up on Kpro as you normally would and import the track with the lead instrument carrying the tune. Get the sweeping and nudging done following the lead instrument, and when the track is as you want it, save as you normally would.

Now import the music again, this time importing the track without the lead instrument. Save it, overwriting the previous version.
You now have it in perfect Karoke with background music only.

Been having a blast with it..

You can also cut a full cd using both sets of tracks, background only for singing, and use the instrumental lead tracks as demo tracks instead of vocal demos. Not really that much difference for someone who needs to learn the tune. Working on one like that now for the other members of my Karaoke club, and it's saving me having to really learn all the arrangements well enough to sweep with only background music.

Only downside is in some cases not having background music interesting enough to carry instrumental breaks. If they repeat the song three times, most of the time they use a different instrument for the center one, which you can leave in for your instrumental break

George