music explit

In a word, no.

You would need a program such as Pro Tools for audio engineers. Then you would need to know the frequencies of the instruments to filter out what you desire. If the tracks are original you can just re-record to a new track using Pro Tools. If it is a standard final recording such as from a CD you have to be extremely advanced to be able to capture exactly what you want. Pro Tools and the required add-ons will probably run you about 12 to 15 hundred dollars.

Even engineers who have been working for years have trouble doing what you inquire about.

Short of this...... NO.

I would also say NO but will not add never. In my time sound handling advanced from a acoustic gramophone , radio , stereo, surround sound , digital . . . .

You should visit a recording studio to realize the trouble they go through in mixing the separate tracks into an acceptable unit. Note that they also add some artificial adapted sound for the right effect.

Sounds can be split into frequency bands it should therefore be possible to isolate a tuba and a violin in a 2 man band.

Isolating a trumpet and a saxophone playing on the same frequency will be hard because one would have to look at the wave form. Different players will also produce different waveforms.

To get some feeling of the problem you should get am oscilloscope (program) and see the wave form possibilities. for example the wave form of a piano looks and sound different if played backwards.

The human ear can in fact isolate or concentrate on individual instruments and it is about time electronics should evolve to the same level.

Hello Hendrik:

Yes you are correct in that frequencies can be isolated, however if it is from a prerecorded studio released CD he would first need to run the recording through an equalizer that would allow him to eliminate certain frequencies and increase the recording of the ones he wishes. While removing some he would be distorting others since he will be working off maybe 2 outputs with a wave form. Left and Right speakers. He would still need Pro Tools as stated above to make any corrections in the tone and amplification of the recording. Yes you can adjust through the program but almost every note and rhythm would require tweaking to get back the original sound. Once he has done that he could make further adjustments through filters and cleaning up unwanted noise between the beats. It would be cheaper and easier to buy a drum machine.

My son graduated from the Conservatory of Music Recording Arts and Science. He has all the equipment for recording and editing. And as you say he may work for hours on one songs track (up to 48 on a recording) just to adjust and clean up the sound. He works for a large studio in New York City but has a small studio in our basement. You would not believe how many songs I know by heart before they even make it to release. And some of these are not what I would prefer to listen to. Hours and hours of the same section of tape just to "GET IT RIGHT" can drive you buggy.

If our OP is not too picky about the end result and quality, he could just adjust the equalizer and that should make him happy.

Oh Yea! The cymbals and other percussions would be another headache!

Hello charsley99

I agree with you, at present the answer is NO but should someone not be working in that direction?

Let me motivate : I play a lot of instruments but because I never bothered to take theory I cannot read music (except a little bit of do re me) and must play by ear and found or had the means of isolating 1 instrument and reproduced that part.

As a kid I had the use of an oscilloscope but only used it to look at the shape of sounds. Some of the different instruments can be identified by looking at the shape.

I had a MR taken today of my back and neck. It is amazing that it is possible to take random magnetic resonating and produce a clear picture showing the inside of the inside of ones body.

Radio and signal transmissions has also advanced to levels where signals can be mixed and taken apart again at the other end.

With all the available technology it should be a small step to achieve instrument recognition.

Maybe it is wishful thinking.