Vocal Reduction and Isolation


 * Accessed by: Effect > Vocal Reduction and Isolation...
 * [[Image:Vocal Reduction and Isolation dialog.png|link=]]

Action

 * Remove Vocals: The default, removes the defined vocal range from the audio if it is center-panned and returns a stereo track.
 * Isolate Vocals: Extracts  the defined vocal range from the audio if it is center-panned and returns it as a (dual) mono track.
 * Isolate Vocals and Invert: Extracts  the defined vocal range from the audio if it is center-panned and returns it as an inverted (dual) mono track.
 * Remove Center: Removes the whole frequency spectrum from the audio if it is center-panned and returns a true stereo track.
 * Isolate Center: Extracts  the whole frequency spectrum from the audio if it is center-panned and returns it as a (dual) mono track.
 * Isolate Center and Invert: Extracts the whole frequency spectrum from the audio if it is center-panned and returns it as inverted (dual) mono track.
 * Remove Center Classic (Mono): Removes the whole frequency spectrum from the audio if it is center-panned and returns a (dual) mono track.
 * Analyze: Tells you how great the chances are of a successful vocal reduction or isolation. It returns also the average Pan position for the selected audio. See below for an in-depth explanation.

Strength
The shape of the center is not a thin band but rather like a tent with a pole in the middle. This means that there will always audio from other pan positions included. The Strength slider modifies the shape of the center. Higher values increase the degree of reduction or isolation. Zero is off (no reduction or isolation).

Remove

 * Less than 1.0: Produces a notch with a V shape like a ship's keel, but also with a sharp point. Use this setting to preserve some amount of the center.
 * 1.0 - the default: Produces a notch with a V shape. The power distribution is preserved. This is the ideal setting for most cases.
 * Greater than 1.0: Produces a notch with a U shape. This removes some audio adjacent to the center, as well as the center.  Note that this won't remove stereo reverberation since it is distributed over the entire pan width.

Isolate

 * Less than 1.0: Produces a peak like a U shape upside down, similar to an arch. Only extreme left and right are eliminated.
 * 1.0 - the default: Produces a peak like a V shape upside down. The power distribution is preserved. You might want a higher value when a lot of side audio leaks in. This is also the recommended setting when working with two tracks (options with ...and Invert).
 * Greater than 1.0: Produces a peak with an A shape like the Eiffel Tower (with a sharp point). This will attenuate most of the side energy but might produce artifacts or musical noise. Normalize the audio after using Isolate with a high strength setting.

Low Cut for Vocals
All actions with Vocals in the name use this value. The frequencies below will either not be removed or not be included in the isolated audio. It is useful to exclude bass and kick drum. The default value of 120 Hz is good for most lead vocals, or even low male voices. You can enter a higher value around 170 Hz for female voices and about 230 Hz for those of children.

High Cut for Vocals
All actions with Vocals in the name use this value. The frequencies above will  either not be removed or not be included in the isolated audio. It is useful to exclude high sounds like bells, cymbals or Hi-hat. Note that human sounds like S or Z can also be very high in frequency - 5000 to 8000 Hz, so listen carefully to the preview.

The buttons

 * displays a dropdown menu enabling you to manage presets for the tool and to see some detail about the tool. For details see Manage presets.
 * plays a short preview of what the audio would sound like if the effect is applied with the current settings, without making actual changes to the audio. The length of preview is determined by your setting in, for which the default setting is 6 seconds.
 * applies the effect to the selected audio with the current effect settings.
 * aborts the effect and leaves the audio unchanged.

Interpreting the analysis results
It is recommended to analyze the audio prior to actual processing of the effect. Analysis is very fast compared to the time needed for processing.

The two important values are:
 * Pan Position: This gives the average pan position for the whole selected audio. The value of the track pan slider is not included in this calculation.
 * Correlation: This is a measure for the similarity of the two channels. Values of +/-100 mean that the channels are exactly the same, even if one is inverted. A value of 0 means no relationship. It is fruitless to attempt removal or isolation in these cases. The ideal value is normally around +50. Values below 0 are rare and indicate that the stereo width is more than 100%. Inverting one channel makes the correlation positive.

Limitations

 * The input must be a true stereo track and not mere (dual) mono.
 * Stereo Reverberation won't be fully removed because it is independently distributed over the whole stereo image.
 * Naturally the plug-in does not know what kind of audio is in the center. All is removed or isolated equally, whether vocals, bass or solo instruments.

Links
|< Index of Effects, Generators and Analyzers

|< Effect Menu