hello!
ive been reading online about how to remove vocals from a song. i did try the ‘remove vocals effect’ but it wasnt really effective, so i’ve been trying another recommended sequence: split stereo track, invert right hand channel, click mono …
BUT unlike EVERY how-to video i’ve watched my audacity programme doesnt have the ‘mono’ option on the dropdown menu under each track name (and in the case of this example, each track ‘split’. maybe i’m missing something?
thanks!
It is often not possible to remove vocals from a mix.
All of the “How To” videos carefully pick a track that has mono vocals panned dead center, with instruments panned left and right. This is the “special case” where the “invert and mix” trick works. Most recordings aren’t like that.
That is identical to the ‘remove vocals effect’, except that it does all the steps for you.
Please note that the current version of Audacity has an effect called “Vocal Reduction and Isolation”. This provides an option that is the same as the old “Vocal Remover” effect, but also has a “stereo” option that in some cases succeeds where the old effect failed. See here for details: Vocal Reduction and Isolation - Audacity Manual
“Split Stereo to Mono” Audio Track Dropdown Menu - Audacity Manual
Unfortunately, people frequently post a “How To”, don’t say which version of the software they are using, miss out other important information, frequently include errors and/or misinformation, and never update their videos. For up to date information, use the official manual: https://manual.audacityteam.org (also included in the recommended Audacity download).