Karaoke forum for PowerKaraoke (karaoke software to create, play, and burn CD+G and video karaoke)

[killianj]

Downloaded the PowerKaraoke trial. Pretty cool, but... the audio quality is poor after removing the vocals. Starting with a 3MB song @ 128kbps. Also, after voc removal it turns into a 22MB song with no visuals yet!
Does this get better with the full version or am I doing somthing wrong?
Need to know b-4 I buy. Thanks!

[admin]

First the file size -- the output is not compressed WAV file, so it is larger. You may encode it to MP3 if you wish.

Now regarding the quality -- it is not a good idea to use MP3 as a source for vocal removal. And with 128 kbps it is impossible to get good results.

Also please remember that Vocal Remover is not a magic tool -- it might not work for some songs. All vocal removal techniques are based on the assumption that the lead vocal is mixed in the middle of the stereo channels. Sometimes the song is produced in a different way and sound effects (reverb or chorus) applied to the lead vocal disturb the algorithm. And compression used in MP3 makes it often impossible to remove vocal from a song.
_________________
Piotr
info@powerkaraoke.com
PowerKaraoke
www.powerkaraoke.com

[killianj]

OK, so you suggest using a WAV file? Encoding (compressing) back to MP3 won't make it sound better right?
And- why does 128 kbps sound "good" otherwise? 128 kbps is low (newbie)?
However, I am impressed with the voc removal even using MP3!
Thanks.

[admin]

Yes, 128 kbps is low quality. It would be best to rip CD track to WAV file. You get CD quality MP3 file with bitrates at 192 kbps and higher.
_________________
Piotr
info@powerkaraoke.com
PowerKaraoke
www.powerkaraoke.com

[killianj]

Got it! Dumb question. Thanks for humoring me.

Now, which software is best for me. I will just use this at home parties and would like to use a basic dvd player. I have a mixer, mic, receiver, etc.
Power Karaoke, Power Karaoke Plus, or Power Video Karaoke?
Why such a price difference ($89, $149, $89, I even saw basic Power Karaoke where I downloaded it for $15!? Misprint?)

[killianj]

...I'm assuming Power Video Karaoke. Unless most dvd players play a CD+G

[admin]

Yes, Power Video Karaoke will create AVI and MPEG videos you may record to VideoCD or DVD (please remember that you may need additional software to master DVD menu; VideoCD can be created with Nero and similar software).
_________________
Piotr
info@powerkaraoke.com
PowerKaraoke
www.powerkaraoke.com

[killianj]

Thanks a lot! You've been very helpful.

[Baylink]

A clarification: the reason you don't want to try to vocal cancel on tracks that have already *been* compressed is that the process of MP3 compression -- which is tuned to lose information we can't hear anyway -- loses, in fact, some of the information you need to locate the track you want to cancel.

This means that you'll either not cancel as much vocal as you could -- or, worse, that you'll cancel background music you could have avoided.

Whenever possible, you should rip directly from CD-DA to an uncompressed WAV file, and vocal cancel there. (you should probably trim both ends first, of course, as well.

Vocal cancel, and then encode *both* tracks separately, and make sure they're still in sync, before laying down your lyrics.