'Lead vocal removal' tool plugin for Logic?

Robin Johnson wrote:
In some consumer hi-fi equipment and music effects units there's a little thing which applies some form of alchemy to commercial stereo recordings and has a good go at 'removing' the lead vocals.

There's usually some trace left, but it seems reasonably effective for the most part.

Is there a plugin available which does a similar thing in Logic?

Short 'n sweet: no.

If you absolutely have to indulge yourself in karaoke, then try this:

On the track with the stereo file, do a long click on the mono-stereo button and select L. Create a new track, copy the Region to it and set it to R. Now you have both stereo sides on separate channels. Flip the phase on one side (use the Gain plugin for that). Now pan both channels center. By now, everything that was in the middle of the stereo field will cancel itself. Vocals are gone, but snare, kick and bass will be too. To remedy this to a degree, put a hipass on the inverted channel and filter the low end so it will not cancel itself.

Now, wailing over a Celine Dion playback is not the only thing you can do with this. I have gone through almost my entire CD collection listening to the difference signal, because you can suddenly hear so many things that were always masked by vocals and other mix-heavy stuff. It's a real eye-opnener. It doesn't work with mp3s though.

Christian

The software equivalent of faulty wiring... 😉

Well, karaoke does not imply you must sing badly, right ?

Christian

Hey, Robin, lighten up, I don't think he intended to be mean. He's from Munich, you see. 😉
And he may be relatively new here, but imo he knows what he's talking about.

Eriksimon wrote:
Hey, Robin, lighten up, I don't think he intended to be mean. He's from Munich, you see. 😉

Haha... yep, that curious combination of humor and a direct unadorned response.
I like it.

That was a great explanation of dropping center panned tracks out of a stereo mix, although one may hear some vocal reverb splash way back in the mix. I'll have to try this and see what the vocals are covering up.

If you're a Beatles fan or interested in any of the recording techniques used this 55 minute George Martin interview is a must. He has some examples with him. Really worth a listen!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00mc0cc#synopsis

pancenter-

p.s. I love this line...

"Performance took precedence over perfection".

"Performance took precedence over perfection".


Lol... try telling that to the Autotune and vocaline brigade. 😉