Removing music only from files?
 

I see advertisments now and then for software that will remove vocals from music soundtracks. Do these actually work?
If so, is it possible to remove music and leave the vocals?
I have some airshow film clips, that unfortunately are loaded with this damn music thumping away in the background, drowning out all other sounds. I suspect it is not possible to remove the music only, but can it at least be toned down without removing the background sounds (aircraft engines) with some sort of software package? I've tried capturing the audio parts of clips into mp3 files and then tinkering with programs like CoolEdit with no sucess.

Fitz

If music and vocals are encoded on separate audio channels, then clean separation of the two are easily possible.

If not, there are a number of tricks, usually involving equalizing out the relevant frequencies, or inverting/phase shifting certain channels and adding/subtracting them from other channels to help mute the offending audio. These tricks can sometimes be pulled off well enough that they suffice. Other times they just muddy the track without really attenuating the vocals (or, in your case, backing music).

I once had a boom box that apparently developed a defect of some sort in its amplifiers, resulting in a subtraction of its two stereo channels. The result was the elimination of vocals from certain songs on Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band!

Unfortunately, it's all on one track. Some of these are old HI8 and VHS tapes that I had hoped to salvage. Great video, lousy sound. Had one in particular that contained a once in a lifetime interview ( for me at least) that has the theme from Top Gun blasting away in the background. Was hoping to salvage some of it. Thanks for the reply.

Fitz