How To Isolate Vocals - AI Vocal Extraction
The ability to isolate vocals from songs is somewhat of a superpower for DJs and producers. If you can isolate vocals from a song, you can create more interesting remixes, mashups, and transitions.
However up until recently, I think the quality of vocal isolation techniques was pretty poor. Before AI tech, it largely revolved around some kind of phase cancellation technique (where you play the instrumental over the original with reversed phase). But the results were generally fuzzy and full of artefacts. Unless I had access to an official accapella, this was the only method I could use - and it wasn’t really worth bothering with, because I care about audio quality.
These days, it’s a completely different story. I’ve been blown away by how far vocal isolation technology has come - I think it’s mostly been driven by the AI boom which has created much cleaner and more accurate tech for isolating vocals.
These AI vocal isolation tools basically mean I can pull a vocal directly from any song, with a super clean, artefact-free tone. This has opened up endless possibilities for my remixes and mashups - as it means I don’t need to fight with poor audio quality. I can just grab the vocal, and start using it as if it was the original stem.
So, in this article I’m going to explain my secret vocal isolation techniques, and I’ll show you how you can start isolate vocals and use them to make mashups, remixes, and better DJ sets!
TL;DR - How To Isolate Vocals#
Vocal isolation is a powerful tool/technique for DJs and producers, allowing them to make interesting remixes, mashups, and transitions.
Up until recent years, isolated vocals often had poor quality, with artefacts and bleed of the original instrumental.
Thanks to AI tech, you can now isolate vocals stems with near perfect accuracy and quality.
DJ.Studio features cutting-edge stem separation tech, which can isolate high quality acapellas with just a few clicks!
How To Isolate Vocals in DJ.Studio - Instant Extraction!#
DJ.Studio has become my go-to software solution for vocal isolation and much more. I won’t go into the broad features, but one standout function of DJ.Studio is its state-of-the-art stem separation tech, which is perfect for isolating vocals.
Here's how I isolate vocals in DJ.Studio:
Launch DJ.Studio and make sure the stem separation extension is enabled.
Import the audio file you want to isolate vocals from and add it to a Local File project.
Highlight the section of the track where you want to extract vocals.
Right-click on the selection and choose 'Copy Vocals’ to use the AI vocal remover.
The isolated vocal track is then copied to my sample tracks, where I can export it from my library as a .WAV or integrate it into other DJ.Studio projects.
The stem separation extension also has a one-click export to split a song into separate audio tracks (vocals, drums, bass, instruments). I love using this when I’m remixing a song - it’s super quick and easy to create a full set of stems which is perfect for remixing and mashups. Not only is a it an acapella extractor, but it also isolates elements like acoustic guitar, drums, bass and more!
DJ.Studio's voice isolation feature is just one of its great features - I won’t explain everything else, but it’s basically a powerhouse for creating DJ mixes, mashups, and stems. Make sure you check out the rest of the website or try it yourself with DJ.Studio's Free Trial.
Now you understand the quickest method for isolating vocals, let’s explore this tech in more detail!
What is Vocal Isolation - Exploring the Tools & Techniques#
Vocal isolation is a type of audio processing technology. It essentially separates vocals from the background noise - be it music or other audio.
These basically have two functions - removing vocals or removing everything but the vocals.
The way this tech works varies from software to software, but generally there are two approaches.
The old method used phase cancellation. You would take an instrumental and an original song. By inverting the phase of the instrumental, and lining it up with the original, you could cancel out the instrumental and leave only the vocal. (The waveforms cancel each other out - I won’t explain it fully here but do some research on phase cancellation to find out more).
This type of software was easy to make (from a programming standpoint) but the quality was often pretty bad. You would hear artefacts and traces of the original background music due to the phase process. Doing this manually was also pretty annoying, you’d have to be very precise lining things up, and there would always be artefacts and distortion.
The new method revolves around AI processing. Thanks to vocal recognition tech, well-trained audio AI can detect what is vocals and what is instrumental - and then strip elements as desired. This gives much more control over what elements you remove/keep, and results in often perfect quality. This type of technology has taken a while to build, and is only now possible thanks to the advancements in AI algorithms, infrastructure, and processing power.
DJ.Studio uses cutting edge AI processing for its vocal isolation and stem separation, and sounds much cleaner than competitors when compared directly. (Not just our opinion!)
The Vocal Isolation Process#
Vocal isolator software usually comes as an extension or plugin in some larger piece of audio editing software (like a DAW), and typically works like this:
The user imports the source audio file.
Sometimes vocal isolation software gives the option of selecting a certain section of the audio to isolate.
Then you can start to set parameters for the vocal removal, like strength and algorithm type, noise reduction, and occasionally you can preview the results. You can also choose whether it removes or isolates the vocal.
The processing is applied, and a new audio file is created with the removed or isolated vocals.
The exact steps may be different depending on the voice remover software you use to remove vocal layers.
Uses for Vocal Isolation - For DJs and Producers#
In my work as a DJ and producer, vocal isolation tools have a wide range of applications. Here are some key uses that I've found invaluable for DJing and music production.
Cleaner DJ Transitions: Isolating vocals allows me to create smoother transitions between tracks. For example, I can tease an upcoming vocal before a transition, providing a clean way to introduce vocal hooks from the next song.
Unique Mashups and Remixes: Extracting vocals from one song and using them to create a remix or mashup with another track offers endless creative possibilities. It's one of my favorite ways to innovate in my sets.
Creating Acapellas: Isolating vocals to create acapella versions of songs is a common practice for me. It provides flexibility for remixing and sampling.
Karaoke Versions: Vocal removers are essential when creating karaoke versions of songs, allowing users to sing along to the instrumental track without the original vocals.
Podcast Editing: Cleaning up dialogue by isolating or removing background vocals from a stereo track helps me focus on the narrative.
Audio Restoration and Repair: I use vocal isolation to repair damaged audio files or enhance clarity in recordings.
Voice-over Creation and Sound Design: Isolated vocal tracks are great for creating custom voice-overs or integrating them into sound design projects.
Bonus Tips for Maintaining Audio Quality During Vocal Isolation#
Over the years, I've learned a few key techniques for maintaining high audio quality during vocal isolation. Here are some tips that have helped me achieve professional results:
Start with High-Quality Audio Files: Always use lossless formats like WAV or FLAC. These high-resolution files contain more audio data, which significantly improves isolation quality.
Focus on Frequency Balance: I pre-process my audio with EQ adjustments to enhance the vocal frequency range, typically between 100 Hz and 5 kHz. This step helps the isolation tool distinguish vocals more accurately from other elements like bass and drums.
Optimize Isolation Tool Settings: Experimenting with settings such as the strength of the isolation algorithm and noise reduction can make a big difference. Finding the right balance has allowed me to consistently improve the quality of isolated vocals.
Apply Post-Processing Techniques: After isolating the vocals, I always use EQ, compression, and reverb to smooth out any remaining artifacts and enhance the overall sound. This ensures that the isolated vocal track integrates well into my mix or project.
By following these steps, you can maintain the highest possible audio quality during the vocal isolation process, resulting in a professional-grade output that stands out in your audio production work.
Start Isolating Vocals Now - With DJ.Studio#
AI and audio technology advancements have dramatically improved vocal isolation tools' capabilities, making them indispensable for DJs, producers, and audio creators to separate voice elements.
In my experience, DJ.Studio stands out by providing a comprehensive suite of tools that allow users to isolate vocals and manipulate audio with precision and ease.
Whether you're working on professional projects or personal audio creations, DJ.Studio's stem separation tools offer an unparalleled solution for modern audio production. I encourage you to try it yourself with the free 14-day trial and discover the creative possibilities it opens up.
FAQs About Isolating Vocals
- How do you isolate vocal audio?
- Is it possible to separate vocals from a song?
- How do DJs isolate vocals?