Please help with vocal remover

[Stela]

I just bought the Karaoke suite 4 and I tried hard last night to remove vocal from “Eddie & The Cruisers II: Eddie Lives CD John Cafferty”, with original tracks. This will be a gift for my husband’s birthday that is in love with the music of this movie, and because of me now he has a new hobby….Karaoke. Anyway I started with the slowest one “NYC song” I add lyrics on the song with vocal ( the program is excelent )and after that I tried to remove the vocal from WAV file and add again with lyrics but I couldn’t remove almost none vocals. I just fallow the manual step by step but I ended with a big headache and thinking what I did wrong. I just wanted in 1 week to have my first CD-G for my husband birthday . I know, this is a hard target for a beginner but my husband deserve that. Can somebody tell me what can be possible go wrong with my vocal remover? Any advice is welcome!
Thank you.
A desperate working wife

[MikeP]

Originally Posted by Stela

I just bought the Karaoke suite 4 and I tried hard last night to remove vocal from “Eddie & The Cruisers II: Eddie Lives CD John Cafferty”, with original tracks. This will be a gift for my husband’s birthday that is in love with the music of this movie, and because of me now he has a new hobby….Karaoke. Anyway I started with the slowest one “NYC song” I add lyrics on the song with vocal ( the program is excelent )and after that I tried to remove the vocal from WAV file and add again with lyrics but I couldn’t remove almost none vocals. I just fallow the manual step by step but I ended with a big headache and thinking what I did wrong. I just wanted in 1 week to have my first CD-G for my husband birthday . I know, this is a hard target for a beginner but my husband deserve that. Can somebody tell me what can be possible go wrong with my vocal remover? Any advice is welcome!
Thank you.
A desperate working wife

Hi Stela

I don't have this CD but I have used Vogone since the day it was born and had a lot of success with it! However, I am very aware that there are some recordings on which it just won't work. It's not a fault with the program - but rather the way in which the CD was created. OK this is not what you want to read - you want HELP!!!
Well I went to the website and had a listen to the Sound Sample of NYC song.
Speaking as a musician with a lifetime's experience in performing, directing and working with sound technicians in recording studios, I can hear that the recording has a very clean, live presence. The lead vocal is well forward and towards the end of the clip he sings a note that is very out of tune (goes). I am not meaning to insult - rather it could mean that he sang his lead part at the same time as he was playing - or at the same time as all the musicians were playing. This is not helpful when it comes to removing the lead vocal!!
Usually studio recordings are created using multitracking and the very last track to be added is the lead vocal part. After this the process of Mastering and mixing down to 2 track stereo occurs.
This sort of info is handy

Personell: John Cafferty (vocals, guitar, keyboards); Gary Gramolini (guitar); Michael "Tunes" Atunes (saxophone); Bob Cotoia (keyboards); Pat Lupo (bass); Kenny Jo Silva (drums).

Engineers: Karl Rassmussen, John Muldowney, Tony Papa.

At least it is a modern studio recording - so that should give you some hope

Assuming that you have a reasonable audio setup to monitor your results, you should be able to check very quickly whether you stand a chance of succeeding or not.

1. Place CD in your PCs CDR/DVD player.
2. Open Vogone and click Hold My Hand.
3. Click next then using the Browse button locate the CD from the "Look in" pull down window. Click to reveal the tracks. If you see nothing make sure the File Type window at bottom of this panel is set to Audio Files (not karaoke).
4. Select the track you want to process & load into prog.
5. Once it starts playing click next and move to the next screen. Using the direction arrow keys move the slider to the left until there is only a small amount of grey showing. Hopefully you will hear the lead vocal disappear or at least be very much softer?? If you don't then I think it's time to give up!!!!
In other words the song/CD you are working with is not a good/suitable candidate. OK moving along...........
6. Click Next and do the same again, moving the right arrow to the right until the lead voice is missing - or very feint.
7. Cick Next. Now you are hearing (a rough version) of the end result. Do you think it sounds OK?? There are further fine adjustments you can make but chances are that if you aren't encouraged by what you are hearing you will need to consider an alternative solution.

Let me know how you go with this before I make any further suggestions.
Good luck!

MikeP

[Stela]

Mike,
Thank you very much for your answer. I am sure John Cofferty is playing in the same time he is singing and I think his voice is recorded on the same channel with a big part of music so I can not do to much vocal remove with this album. I am trying hard to understand everything you told me but I am not a musician as you are but I'm learning.

Vagone is an excellent program. I already remove vocal from a couple of other songs and I am very pleased.

Thank you again for your help.

Stela

[MikeP]

Originally Posted by Stela

Mike,
Thank you very much for your answer. I am sure John Cofferty is playing in the same time he is singing and I think his voice is recorded on the same channel with a big part of music so I can not do to much vocal remove with this album. I am trying hard to understand everything you told me but I am not a musician as you are but I'm learning Vagone is an excellent program. I already remove vocal from a couple of other songs and I am very pleased, Thank you again for your help. Stela

Ok - sorry this didn't work out for you. I was going to point you to a couple of albums that I think Vogone works very well with - but it looks like you are already aware of this so I won't take it further.
If you really want the John Cafferty songs for your husband's birthday, you could check out what's available on commercial CDG recordings.
I did a Google and found there are a few - one at least being Sound Choice (which are generally speaking the best label).

Best wishes
MikeP

[Stela]

"I was going to point you to a couple of albums that I think Vogone works very well with -"

Please let me know what album will work with Vogone. I am very interested in try more,
Thank you,
Stela

[MikeP]

Originally Posted by Stela

"I was going to point you to a couple of albums that I think Vogone works very well with -"

Please let me know what album will work with Vogone. I am very interested in try more,
Thank you,
Stela

Try "Roy Orbison Super Hits" Columbia/Legacy 498965.2
www.sonymusic.com.au
Tracks are:
Only the Lonely
In Dreams
It's Over
Blue Angel
Working for the Man
Running Scared
I'm Hurtin'
Blue Bayou
Oh Pretty Woman

"my way the best of frank sinatra" Warner Music 9362-46712-2

I have tried Disc 1 track 11 "They Can't Take That Away From Me"

"Come Swing With Me" Frank Sinatra Capitol 0777 7 94520 2 6
I Tried Track 1 "Day By Day"

Just clicking preset 3 gives a very good result.

I guess there are heaps of others but this will give you some idea of the sort of result you can achieve.
I have made recordings using vogoned tracks and once you sing over the top of any slight remnant/echo, it is impossible to discern the original lead singer - providing of course that you sing at precisely the same time and pitch as the original. The result in live performance is equally effective.

Hope that helps.

MikeP

[MikeP]

"Using Vogone 3.200, I just tried a Roy Orbison .mp3 (Workin for the Man) and a Sinatra (They Can't Take That Away From Me). The vocal removal is extraordinarily good! The minimal amount of lead vocal remaining would never be heard when replaced by a performer. What is also quite remarkable is just how good the remaining instrumental backing is compared to the original!! When I switch between the original track and the processed (But not yet saved) Vogone track, the Vogoned track has SO MUCH MORE LIFE & PRESENCE than the very flat sounding original!! This is a really excellent product - not much short of MAGIC!! Congratulations on a great and quite significant upgrade." ...Mike Pyne, LRAM, ARCM, LGSM, LTCL, A.Mus.A, Dir. of Music, Australia

Quoted from the current Manual

MikeP

[ddouglass]

That's one heck of a bunch of letters after your name Mike!! I didn't know we were working with such a destiguished gentleman

[MikeP]

Originally Posted by ddouglass

That's one heck of a bunch of letters after your name Mike!! I didn't know we were working with such a destiguished gentleman

These days I think maybe more like extinguished

MikeP

[Stela]

I really appreciate your advices and I'll try to find those CD's. My husband has very impressive CD collections so I guess it's time to clean the dust...

Stela P