Another failed vocal removal

[feelthy]

I'm pretty sure that the vocals in the track I'm trying to make an instrumental out of are panned in the center. They're definitely not on one side only so anyways... the standard steps don't do anything. I followed them correctly like five times out of despiration. I'm hoping if I upload the song somebody who's a real audacious bad ass can figure it out for me and also explain what made it exceptional from the average mp3, because I don't just want a hand out. I want to learn this stuff, but I'm burnt out I've been trying to fix this song for hours. I pirated Vogone 2 and that was a useless download. I've tried about all I can think of. I also tried independently screwing around with Audacity, but to no avail. Please help me! I know you guys probably deal with newbs and the same old story all the time so sorry yo.

[kozikowski]

I'm pretty sure that the vocals in the track I'm trying to make an instrumental out of are panned in the center.

There's a list of things that have to happen before Vocal Removal works and it fails more times than it succeeds.

The show has to not be a highly compressed download -- no MP3s.

The vocal has to be panned in the middle, but the instruments have to not be -- it has to be a wide stereo show. It doesn't work at all on a mono show. That's also why on some songs, the bass and drums go, too. Everything in the middle goes and in a mono show, the whole show is in the middle.

Koz

[steve]

The show has to not be a highly compressed download -- no MP3s.

The vocal has to be panned in the middle, but the instruments have to not be -- it has to be a wide stereo show. It doesn't work at all on a mono show. That's also why on some songs, the bass and drums go, too. Everything in the middle goes and in a mono show, the whole show is in the middle.

You missed out "No stereo reverb".
Many modern recordings have huge stereo effects applied to the lead vocal which makes the vocal simultaneously left and right, but not (much) in the middle. Vocal remover does not work on these.

Vocal remover can work on MP3's, but has a reputation for not working on MP3 due to the terrible quality of so many MP3s available on the Internet. Providing all of the other conditions are met, vocal removal will work on high quality MP3s, though probably not quite as well as it would on a high quality WAV file.

[feelthy]

So the odds are against me?.. I figured that. But does that mean there aren't more difficult techniques that somebody with experience on this board would like to give a whirl? It would be mighty kind of ya!

[steve]

There are other more advanced tools for vocal removal, but they all have their limitations. You could have a go with "Elevayta Extra Boy" (free demo available and quite cheap to buy). Most of the other "advanced" tools are really expensive.