How To Extract Acapella From a Song in Ableton

One of the biggest questions is get from DJ’s producers & remixers is:

“How do I get the vocals out of an original track”

The typical answer I used to give is “you can’t”. The reason for this is that it takes a very precise
process that often runs the risk of shoddy results. However, when stars align, this technique used to
work.

The process is as follows:

1. Have your original song with vocals

2. Get an exact copy in instrumental form. Sample length, same tempo, same mix, same quality of file.

3. If you meet the criteria above, drag both songs onto separate tracks in your arrangement window.

4. on 1 track, and only 1 track, drag the “invert” preset or your utility audio effect.

5. Turn off the grid by hitting Command + 4 (Control on a pc)

6. Line up the waves on both songs getting them as close as you can. sometimes you’ll need to make edits in the
instrumental song if the waves start getting off, but if you’re lucky they will sync up without a problem.

7. Play both songs together & listen for the results. You will get slightly different results with the slightest of nudges,
so try a few positions for find what works best.

8. export to a new audio track

Technology has gotten MUCH more sophisticated now & the process is much less tedious. 

Here’s that process below:

Happy DJing & music making!

Jason

 

With that said, if you are benefiting from these posts, you will absolutely love my 2 bestselling books:

The Mental Game of Music Production
The Process for Electronic Music Producers

You can also Check out the: Ableton Courses & Instruments

If you are looking for personal guidance with your music production or Ableton, you can set up a free chat with me to go over exactly what your best next steps are to create the best music of your life. If it seems like a good fit, we can move forward from there.  https://musicsoftwaretraining.com/private-coaching

Happy music making!
Jason