Audacity Audio Editor Now Has Free AI Plugins

[Jay2019]

Audacity is a free audio editor that has been around for quite a while.  Intel created AI plugins to remove noise, split audio files into tracks (vocals/instruments, vocals/drums/bass/everything-else), transcribe spoken words (maybe even lyrics?) and even remix the audio file.

The plugins are free!  Intel decided to use Audacity as one of its demos of on-pc AI.

https://www.pcworld.com/article/2191723/audacitys-cool-audio-ai-tools-are-now-free-for-you-to-try.html

https://www.audacityteam.org/blog/openvino-ai-effects/

From the audacity installation instructions:

https://github.com/intel/openvino-plugins-ai-audacity/releases

 

1. Download the two zip files below (Audacity-OpenVINO-Module-3.4.2-R1.zip, openvino-models.zip)
2. Copy the contents of these zip files to the folder where Audacity.exe has been installed. E.g. C:\Program Files\Audacity.
3. After all files files from both zip files have been copied, run Audacity.exe.
4. Inside of Audacity, go to Edit -> Preferences, select Modules, change mod-openvino from New to Enabled, and press OK.
5. Close Audacity.
6. Re-Open Audacity.
7. Your OpenVINO modules should now be enabled. You can check this by making sure that OpenVINO AI Effects show up in Effects menu.

 

 

I tried this out last night and it works great.  Using "Amazing Grace" by the Blind Boys of Alabama, I separated the bass and vocals into separate tracks.  To my ear, both were perfect.  Neither had artifacts from other instruments, the vocals were absolutely clear, the bass didn't have any extraneous notes.

That song was relatively simple as far as instruments/effects/mixing is concerned.

So next I tried "The Power Of The One" by  Bootsy Collins.  Not as much luck with this one.  I think because the bass is run through a number of effects, and the keyboards are also playing bass lines, the AI was having some trouble distinguishing them.  But that song has a lot going on in it, so I'm not surprised there was some difficulty.

The thing is, this is free, so it is worth trying out.  You do need a computer with an Intel 11th gen (or later) CPU, though.

 

[Hikikomori]

This was awesome. I got it working.  I actually needed to get the latest 64bit ffmpeg 6.1/ avformat-60.dll  instead of the ffmpeg for audacity which only goes up to 50 right now.  Had to run audacity and administrator as well. 

I can hear the bass parts in Plini crystal clear so thats very very very nice. 

I think I might even do this for instrumental versions and jam track stuff.  I am very impressed with it.

Definitely is going to help me tab out some hard to hear parts but yeah it does kinda fail on 70's and older distorted bass haha.