Many musicians, singers, and producers often ask me how to remove instruments from a song without damaging the quality of the original track. The truth is, removing instruments is not as simple as pressing a button, it requires the right tools, experience, and a detailed mixing process. Let me share a recent example that illustrates how I handle these projects.

The Challenge: Removing the Saxophone from the song

A customer recently asked me to remove the saxophone from a few original songs he sent me. He wanted clean versions to use as backing tracks. At first glance, it looked like a straightforward job, use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to separate the instruments and mute the sax.

But here’s the problem: when using AI, the software doesn’t just remove the instrument, it also removes part of the reverb and harmonics of the other instruments. This made the songs sound dry, unbalanced, and far from professional. Simply removing the instrument was not enough to make them sound fantastic.

The Solution: Mixing from the Ground Up

To achieve a professional result, I went further. I opened the stems (separated audio files) of the original song in my DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) and worked on each track individually.

Here’s what I did step by step:

• Rebalanced each instrument to make sure the mix was even.
• Restored harmonics and reverb that were lost during the AI removal process.
• Applied EQ and compression to give clarity and depth.
• Cleaned up unwanted noises and fixed minor sound issues.
• Delivered a polished, professional mix that was ready to be used as a backing track.

The Result

By combining AI separation with professional mixing techniques, I was able to remove the saxophone while keeping the richness of the original song intact. The customer was very satisfied with the final product, it wasn’t just a track with the sax muted, it was a professional quality backing track that sounded natural and well-produced.

Final Thoughts

If you’re wondering how to remove instruments from a song, the answer is that AI tools alone are not enough. They are a great starting point, but achieving a high-quality result requires human expertise in audio mixing and production. Every song is unique, and sometimes restoring what the AI takes away is just as important as removing the instrument itself.

Some customers prefer this method instead of making the song from scratch because it’s cheaper. I just want to be clear: removing an instrument has no comparison with the real thing, which is recording everything from scratch. However, I completely understand that when it’s just for fun or practice purposes, this solution can be a great option.

If you’d like me to create a custom backing track from scratch or remove instruments from your favorite song, feel free to get in touch or visit my download store.

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