Subject:Izotope Vocal Eraser

Posted by: tta

Date:11/23/2009 10:54:27 PM

Just installed Sound Forge Audio Studio 9 software and Vocal Eraser software. Tried several times to remove voices (choir) from a track on a CD. Confirmed that the track was correctly installed for voice removal and clicked the correct tool and recieved confirmation that vocal eraser worked. But playback is the same with each recording. Tried several times and I cannot get vocal eraser to work and I have been unable to find any user manual, troubleshooting comments, or operating information regarding Vocal Eraser. What's going on?

Subject:RE: Izotope Vocal Eraser

Reply by: Angels

Date:11/24/2009 7:45:31 PM

I'm not 100% sure how Vocal Eraser was designed (I have the Pro version of SF10, so I don't have it), but typically this effect counts on the voice you want erase being mono and center panned. A choir would be distributed across the Stereo field, and while yes, it is composed of "vocals" the cancellation can't be done because what you're trying to "erase" isn't mono and center panned.

Essentially the way vocal erasing typically works is you invert the phase of one channel and mix it with the other. This simply cancels material that is identical in both channels (like center panned mono vocals). Obviously this only works with a stereo source. Typically you also filter out the low end before you mix the channels and mix it back in afterwords, so you don't cancel out your bass (which is often also center panned).