dually

[Nikey Ibay]

I am in a hunt for a good vocal removing software. I have tested a 30-day trial of Dart Kararoke and a less known Yogen Vocal Remover with less satisfactory results. I'd like to try out Vogone but I'm just curious why MTU does not have try-before-you buy deal? Also, does Vogone take advantage of a dual processor machine?

[MTUSUPPORT]

Nikey,
The program is not able to take advantage of a Dual Processor. The reason that there is no demo of Vogone is due to it being hard to completely protect the program, without harming the sounds of the audio. Even if we made a demo that wouldn't save, you could still play the file out and loop it back into your sound card to record the processed audio. This is the reason there is no demo.

You can hear some sound clips that have been processed by Vogone 2.103 at: http://www.mtu.com/support/audio.htm

[swaseysd]

Dually:

The answer is simple. The audio clips on the web site are deceiving. If you actually "tried" before you "bought", you'd still have your money in your pocket.

Steve

[George]

'taint necessarily so simple as you think, Steve. MTU's demo tracks are right on.I experience results anywhere from hardly any removal to no discernable vocal left. Anyone expecting 100 % removal all the time best save their money. There are too many variables involved, depending whether the vocal was recorded center panned, stereo(removals do not generally work with mono), the amount of echo and reverb used on other tracks and mixed in the studio. in many cases the vocal removal software does remove the lead vocal, but one is still left with these echos and reverbs. I don't believe there is one definative answer. To say they don't work at all is absurd, but no less so than to say they work 100% all the time.
Here's what MTU advertises on the website:


"Vogone is an advanced vocal reducer eliminator software program for PC/Windows computers. Vocal removal or reduction is an art, and it has a tradeoff. Usually there are musical instruments at the same pan location (position in the stereo sound field) as the vocal that are also removed. You now control how much bass and treble music frequencies you keep that are panned the same as the vocal.
eliminate or reduce vocals Vogone is a stand-alone vocal reducer software program that reduces or eliminates center panned vocals from most stereo songs. Using your ears, you simply adjust the controls for the best sound while you listen to your changes.
vogone is unique Vogone gives you control over the tradeoff between how much vocal to remove, and how much music high and low frequencies at the same location to leave in. The original music frequencies beyond the high and low sliders remains in the vocal reduced song. You instantly hear your changes, deciding how much of the music to leave in the song."

They tell you right up front to expect Removal or Reduction.Now, if you can get any more honest than that, I'd like to know how!!

[swaseysd]

George:

I guess if I had purchased the suite for anything other than to create tracks of Percy Sledge songs, I probably wouldn't be as disapointed as I am.

I believe a lot of these songs are digitally remastered in stereo from the original mono recordings. That could be one of the reasons I'm having "NO, ZILCH, NADA" success with Percy Sledge recordings.

I will give the software another shot at other oldies I have from the 60's or recordings that were originally done in stereo and I'll post my findings here as well.

Thanks,

Steve

[George]

I understand, having had the same experience with Freddie Hart.
Really chapped me to get zilch results on one I wanted so bad, but I must admit I've had some successes in with the disappointments, so I guess it's a wash.

Take care,

George

[George]

swaseysd..
Steve, there's an alternative you might be interested in. Now don't flinch when I mention MIDI's. I know most sound pretty crappy, but they can be made to sound great.

Edirol markets a product called Virtual Sound Canvas. You can take a MIDI file and change any of the instruments in the arrangement you wish, say from a crappy sounding tenor sax to a vibraphone, add depth and reverb to it, reduce or increase the volume of any one instrument, and on and on. There are several of us doing this and all are reporting extreme pleasure in the results. It is a perfect compliment to Karaoke Home Producer. It comes on a cd and is the best $49.00 I've spent in a long time as it has expanded my Karaoke horizons tremendously.

I'd suggest you first surf and see if you can find MIDI files of the Percy Sledge songs you want. If they are there, ignore the "tinny" sound. you can change all that. I've been surprised at how many of them are real close to the original arrangement. I just finished Allan Parson's "Don't Answer Me" and it's almost note for note. You can either leave the lead instrument in at reduced volume for a background guide, or remove it completely for true Karaoke. I choose to call these pieces "MIDIOKE"

By the time you have reconstructed a MIDI file, found and arranged the lyrics to fit the instrumentation, and processed it all through KHP, you'll have a finished product you can truly call your own one of a kind, something to be proud of.

Just thought I'd pass this on to you.

Take care,

George

http://www.edirol.com

Whooops forgot to mention earlier this software converts MIDI to WAV when you save your finished work.