by NightmareRare » 29 Oct 2014 23:33
Well this is how I do it from YouTube rips, it's a bit of tinkering but I find it pulls vocals out pretty good.
P.s your gonna need a descent EQ and a multiband compressor, ableton comes with but can't speak for other DAWs.
Also best to remember with EQ everything is really on a case by case basis. No one one pill for all.
1. Get yo song! Drop the wav. Or mp3. Into a audio track
2. Next drop you EQ on to the track
3. Most Graphic Multiband EQs usually come with multiple modes. Find where to change yours (or google it), and set it to M/S mode
4. M/S stands for middle and side. What this does basically is split the audio and set up two channels within the EQ.
5. Now a button with a M should pop up under edits on the EQ. ( I'm using EQ eight so the format may be different for you) this means we're on middle right now and all Eqing will be applied only to sounds coming from the centre of the panorama. Click it and set it to S or side
6. Vocals typically are panned dead centre. Usually anyways. But to keep it short, now in Side mode High pass everything out. This should remove any stereo spreading, panned Hihats, reverb, effects, and make instruments weaker in general while keeping the centre panned vocals intact.
7. Now to kill the drums. Go back to middle mode and high pass it, you'll have to play this by ear but you should be safe cutting away anything below 550 - 400Hz, go as high as you can till you hear it effect the vocal then pull off a bit so it doesn't hurt them. There a delicate widdle flower.
8. as vocals live in middle range and kick & bass have fundamental frequencies of 45Hz and 80Hz ( don't quote me there lol) this should take care of that. The only this left to do for EQing depends on the composition and mix of the drums
9. Let's say there's a loud snare fighting with the vocals in the mid range. What you want to do it take an EQ band and set it with a high Q of about 3 or 4. Now boost it to the highest Db it can go and while playing the audio file slowly sweep through the upper frequencies till you find where the snares loudest and cut it out by about -12Db
Note: be carful when using 9. It can make the vocals sound frumpy if your Q is to low
Just repeat 9 for hi hats and other high register percussion. This should clean it up pretty good especially with Ingrams work. But to clean out piano, guitar, ect. nice and good your gonna need to reach for a multiband compressor of sorts. But that's for another post.
I be sleepy, such type, good luck with this read! /)