KVR Audio

UvRayz · Post by **UvRayz** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 1:45 pm

Hello all you plugin devs,
I'm not sure if there's a plugin that does so already but just in case there isn't, here's my idea:

A plugin that analyzes differences between left and right channels, and whenever there is (meaning, the audio is not in the middle of the mix) the plugin doubles that bit of audio, inverts the phase of the copy and then mixes those two signals together.

What this should do is cancel all the audio that is panned to the sides, leaving only the centered audio in the mix. (vocals and bass usually).

Or it can do it in another way maybe, calculate the signals that are similar in the left and the right and then do the "invert the phase and mix" on anything but what is common.

I myself am not a dev so my idea might be silly, but if it's not, then it might be worth a try. (yeah, I'm an avid remixer)

C00kie · Post by **C00kie** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 2:01 pm

There's at least two of these, maybe they do exactly what you want, maybe not...

http://www.kvraudio.com/get/652.html
http://www.kvraudio.com/get/1454.html

kritikon · Post by **kritikon** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 2:31 pm

What you mean is you want a plugin that'll let you rip off vocals? Hope you're going to pay royalties

IIRs · Post by **IIRs** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 2:42 pm

UvRayz wrote:What this should do is cancel all the audio that is panned to the sides, leaving only the centered audio in the mix.

This is a complex process, usually known as a "mono sum"..

citizenchunk · Post by **citizenchunk** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 3:18 pm

you might not need to download a plugin for that if your host/sequencer already has a correlation meter (as it's commonly called). most hosts now have one.

if you just want a simple M/S matrix (to isolate the center info), there are a few free plugs out there. for instance, Voxengo just released a simple M/S matrix. Digital Fish Phones also has a plugin called Endorphin that allows you to matrix M/S and then alter the M/S gain (to null the side information).

== chunk

UvRayz · Post by **UvRayz** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 4:56 pm

Thanks, I'll try the above

kylen · Post by **kylen** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 5:18 pm

UvRayz wrote: What this should do is cancel all the audio that is panned to the sides, leaving only the centered audio in the mix. (vocals and bass usually)...

I myself am not a dev so my idea might be silly, but if it's not, then it might be worth a try. (yeah, I'm an avid remixer)

If you're a remixer extracting the vocals like that sounds pretty sloppy to my ear - in other words it's not pristine in any sense of the word.

You probably already know about http://www.acapella-heaven.com or going to the record store and finding vinyl with 'a cappella' only mixes (vocals only), there seems to be a lot of those. Then the Singles and Maxi-Singles sometimes have 'a cappella' mixes on them also - very clean and pristine. There's one floating around Acapella Heaven of Hella Good by Gwen Sefani where you can feel her breath down the back of your neck...if you're into that kind of thing

st3pan0va · Post by **st3pan0va** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 7:13 pm

i wrote a plug that does this and some other tricks that can sometmes be useful for making 'acapellas'. it's called kn0ck0ut, it's also free & you can get it at www.freewebs.com/st3pan0va or search on kvr

UvRayz · Post by **UvRayz** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 7:30 pm

st3pan0va: couldn't get your plugin to work in Wavelab...

Kylen: thanks for the link. don't underestimate the power of anti phasing... if you take for example a classic rock track (guitar on the sides, drums bass and vocals in the middle) it extracts the guitars perfectly. and also, if you do a karaoke version by removing the vocals with anti phase, you can really have a look inside the mix that would otherwise be alot harder to do. For example, in The Streets' "blinded by the lights" some of the backing vocals are centered and some of them are to the sides. when you do the karaoke trick you can hear the backing vocals sung individually. and the same goes for many R&B tracks.

st3pan0va · Post by **st3pan0va** » Fri Jan 07, 2005 9:10 pm

UvRayz: thanks a lot for the tip-off. now fixed, latest v0.5.1 of kn0ck0ut should work in Wavelab (at least it was tested with WL4 demo), it's up now at www.freewebs.com/st3pan0va

UvRayz · Post by **UvRayz** » Fri Jan 07, 2005 11:51 pm

st3pan0va - I tried it on my Wavelab but for some reason I can't switch "extract centre" on and off.

However, I tried it with Cubase and it worked perfectly.

What an exciting plugin!
Please keep developing it, I'll sure keep my eye on that one...

st3pan0va · Post by **st3pan0va** » Sat Jan 08, 2005 12:02 pm

uvz: oops, you found another feature. you can switch it on in wavelab, the trick is to right-click the parameter wheel...cheers for the feedback, i'll fix this in the next version

Caleb · Post by **Caleb** » Sat Jan 08, 2005 12:10 pm

I used the Noise Reduction feature in Cool Edit 2000 once to extra an almost perfect acapella from a track.

Only works in certain situations of course but it can be quite effective.

Audition seems to have a few tricks up it's sleeve with this sort of thing also.

Caleb

An idea for a plugin (Unless there's a plugin for that)