Karaoke..?

[AYHJA]

Do any of you know anything or participate in karaoke..? Reason I'm asking is I am in need of a source to obtain karaoke tracks, or software to make them...I'm sure there are some programs out there that can remove the lead vocals from a song, so which one is the best in your opinion..?

[Sir Jig-A-Lot]

I'd say just type in the term 'karaoke' wherever you get your mp3s from is the easiest way to get them.

[AYHJA]

Nope, I needs the good direction of someone who knows it and something about it, I'm not in the mood for a goose chase... ;)

[Skinny Bastard]

I found this - but didn't look any further

I would love to hear a report back from you.

http://www.andybrain.com/archive/karaok ... eation.htm

[Skinny Bastard]

did that help at all?

[AYHJA]

Well, I'm working with it, seems easy enough though, just have to work on the finer points...I'm trying to catch up with someone who is into this shit, who can let me hear what is considered acceptable in terms of quality...

[raum]

I know a bit about karaoke. Alot of the commercial is midi render liveplays with assigns. usually played off-key to prevent copyright issues.

In my opinion, getting a good sheet music program that will import and play the actual sheet music and let you assign instruments to channels is FAR better than making instrumental from vocal versions. And with some decent production effects on top of the track with a decent set of instruments, and you got some real tools to work with.

The reason is simple. The process of stripping vocals only works with multi-track recording. In all other single waveform recordings (including mp3), it really is easy to do but hard to describe. The problem with a single wave is the channel with the vocals also usually has subtle hits and effects and instruments in the song that are lost when you "strip" it, and sometimes vocal effects or backup is on the opposite channel. stripping it makes it feel more naked, in a lot of cases. Stripping the vocals out of a single waveform (mp3 etc.) is alot like trying to remove the yeast from a pint of beer. not really gonna happen and what your left with when it does work with isn't really the same. The programs that claim to be able to do this are mostly "meh".

For sheet music, no program is better or more expensive than Sibelius. Great library of music available, and awesome communities that will even make sheet music on request alot of the times, just to get more experience with the program. You can customize it infinitely, and can add additional measures or accompaniments. This is the highest form of INDUSTRY STANDARD musc composition software.


But Forte is easier to use for some people. YMMV.

Also, you would be suprised, but if you know a band you can sometimes pay them a nominal fee to record some songs... Schools sometimes even do this, and can do it for cheap. An old karaoke joint in Oakland did this with the Martin Luthor King band kids, and you ain't heard Karaoke of old motown, jazz, Sinatra, or even stevie wonder until you heard them kids! and it paid for them to get some new instruments as well. I also have some friends who have a band, and can play rock and stuff for a club. they record their songs, and the karaoke DJ buys em on a one-by-one basis. Then, he hits up Macromedia director, and flashes up a vid to show with it, and provide the vocals. All of this is pretty easy to learn, and he gets PAID to do it, and can make songs out of genre like Nirvana-esque cover of Umbrella, or hip-hop version of Nine Inch Nails with some space for free-verse.

Just remember, real music enlivens the soul... that is why Karaoke is considered a yoga.

[zaphodz]

I had a friend who was into it heavily. He used some software to "cancel" out the vocals by comparing the stereo audio output.

Other than that, I recall he had a huge collection of those old huge laserdiscs - the ones as big as a dinner plate.

[WAY]

Cancelling out vocals doesn't always work satisfactorily.
Basically, what you'll need to do is cut down the sound on a certain frequency band which contains the vocals. There are also tools which analyse the waveform and remove it that way, but again, only really give 'meh' results. If you have a loud enough voice and shit speakers, it may not matter, though.

The only real proper way is the way raum describes.