People around the world are creating content from the comfort of their own homes on a daily basis. Whether filming YouTube videos, recording podcasts or producing music, content creators have unprecedented tools and flexibility to make every step of the creative process more convenient and accessible. Vocal isolation is just one of the tools that creators across multiple mediums have come to appreciate in recent years.
Vocal isolation refers to the process of removing background and ambient noise from audio recordings. Vocal isolation can isolate spoken dialogue and sung vocals, making it a versatile tool for creators of various art forms. Let’s take a closer look at vocal isolation technology and discuss some of the best practices and techniques for this form of audio editing.
Understanding Vocal Isolation
In many cases, the vocal isolation process begins during recording. Many professional audio engineers outfit their microphones with isolation shields or boxes to reduce background noise while recording. Some kinds of microphones –omnidirectional mics – receive audio input from several different physical locations simultaneously but offer users the ability to highlight only the sound coming from a particular direction.
Not all creators have these kinds of advanced tools at their disposal, however. Instead, these creators must use alternative isolation methods in post-production. There are a few different technical methods for isolating speech or vocals within an audio track, many of which take advantage of artificial intelligence technology and computer learning models.
Importance and Applications of Vocal Isolation
Vocal isolation can enhance the quality of a range of audio recordings and support the needs of both speakers and singers. Isolating vocals and eliminating background noise can eliminate a vocalist’s need to strain their voice to overcome sound pollution.
Vocal isolation can also benefit listeners by improving clarity. By bringing out a specific vocal line, isolation makes it easier for listeners to hear and understand lyrics and speech. Using vocal isolation techniques can make the overall audio quality of a recording more pleasing and enjoyable while protecting speakers and vocalists from vocal strain and other injuries.
The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Vocal Isolation
The genesis of artificial intelligence is revolutionizing the audio engineering process in many ways. Vocal isolation is just one of several processes that AI streamlines and enhances. AI-powered vocal isolation tools use advanced computer learning models to detect and identify characteristics linked explicitly to human speech. For example, AI tools may undergo training to identify human speech’s pitch, timbre or speech patterns and suppress extraneous frequencies or other audio elements.
AI vocal isolators can use supervised or unsupervised learning models to enhance their accuracy rates and overall capabilities. The more data the AI model receives, the more accurately it can detect and isolate vocals in the future. AI software tends to be highly adaptable, which makes artificial intelligence a valuable tool for creators within the ever-evolving audio production industry. It’s essential to remember that these AI-powered vocal isolation programs may not always be the most affordable resource for early-career audio professionals, so these individuals may want to consider more budget-friendly alternatives for their vocal isolation needs.
Vocal Isolator Techniques
Some audio editing platforms feature built-in vocal isolation tools that may function with a few different methods. However, these tools may not always provide a satisfactory final product, so it may be necessary to enlist a third-party software tool or a combination of other vocal isolation methods. A few of these methods include:
- Using equalization (EQ) to cut low frequencies from a recording
- Create a vocal delay to isolate your desired audio track
- Employ a noise gate to eliminate sounds below your desired frequency
- Compress and equalize your vocal track to enhance the sound quality
Vocal Isolator in Music Production
While vocal isolation can be useful for spoken audio production projects like podcasts, audiobooks and radio broadcasts, it is a particularly valuable resource for music producers. There are many situations in which a music producer would find it helpful or necessary to isolate a particular vocal line, and vocal isolator tools make it easier for them to do so. Here are a few of the most common uses for vocal isolation in music production:
Creating Karaoke Tracks
A karaoke track usually consists only of the instrumental tracks of a piece of music. Some karaoke tracks also include background vocals, but the main vocal line should always be absent from a karaoke track. To remove the original vocals, a music producer must first isolate them from the instruments and supporting vocals. Vocal isolation tools can support producers, making it easy to remove their desired vocal track.
Enhancing Vocal Tracks
Music producers can also use vocal isolation techniques to enhance the quality of the vocal line in a piece of music. Reducing background noise and competing frequencies can help the desired vocal line stand out and make the lyrics and melody of a song clearer to listeners. These tools can also provide a safety net for vocalists, so they don’t feel like they have to fight to be heard over instruments or ambient sounds in the recording studio.
Creating Acapella Versions of Songs
An acapella track is the opposite of a karaoke track in that it eliminates all audio elements except the main vocal line. Vocal isolation tools make it easy for producers to eliminate these other elements without accidentally removing portions of the vocalist’s recording. Acapella tracks can be used for a wide range of purposes, such as when a producer wants to re-record the instrumental backing track or background vocals on a recording but preserve the original main vocal line.
Open-Source Vocal Isolation Tools
As previously discussed, some vocal isolation resources are costly and relatively inaccessible to creators with limited financial resources. However, several open-source isolation tools are available to consumers online. A few popular open-source vocal isolators include:
One advantage to working with open-source tools like these is that they thrive on community involvement and tend to undergo frequent updates and adjustments to meet the needs of their users. These tools are convenient for many audio creators. Still, it’s important to note that these open-source solutions may not be entirely foolproof and error-free, so it’s essential to listen carefully to your track to determine whether you’re satisfied with the output.
Future of Vocal Isolator Technology
As audio production technology continues to evolve, so will producers’ vocal isolation capabilities. Open-source audio platforms and AI-powered solutions are similar in that they are, by design, highly adaptable and ever-changing. While community members update open-source tools, AI-based vocal isolators will continue to develop due to their computer learning capabilities.
There is no shortage of potential uses for vocal isolation technology, and as these tools continue to evolve, even more uses are certain to be made clear. Whether you’re looking to remove background noise from a podcast episode or create a high-quality karaoke track of a popular song, vocal isolator tools can enhance the quality of your audio and streamline your production process across the board.
If you’re interested in learning more about how to make your audio content more accessible, engaging and effective, the Verbit team is here to help. We specialize in developing AI-powered software solutions for content creators across every industry. Our unique approach to processes like captioning, transcription, translation and audio description can help creators boost audience engagement while ensuring their content is accessible to all audience members. Reach out today for more information about how Verbit is helping audio and video creators enhance the quality of their content offerings.