Mix Live Albums and Master Live Performances with Stems
Live performances capture the raw energy and excitement of music in a way that studio recordings simply can’t replicate. However, live albums often come with their own set of challenges—bleeding microphones, audience noise, and imperfect mixes can make mastering the final product a daunting task. Stem separation is the key to transforming these live recordings into polished, professional albums while preserving the magic of the performance.
At AudioShake, we use AI-powered stem separation to help sound engineers and artists break down a live recording into individual stems. This process allows you to isolate specific instruments, vocals, or even crowd noise, so you can mix and master the performance with precision. Here’s how it works and how it can be applied to live albums.
1. Isolate Individual Stems from a Live Recording
The first step in the process is to extract the individual elements of a live performance—whether it’s the vocals, drums, bass, or background audience noise. This is where stem separation comes into play. AudioShake’s AI technology analyzes the stereo mix of the live recording and separates it into individual tracks, or “stems.”
2. Mixing with Greater Precision
Once the individual stems are extracted, you have complete control over each element. This means you can address problems like mic bleed, phase issues, or unwanted noise, all while preserving the essence of the live performance.
For example, let’s take a look at two projects where stem separation made a huge difference in mastering live performances.
Oscar Peterson: Live in Zurich
When Mack Avenue Records set out to release the legendary Oscar Peterson Trio’s 1971 performance at Tonhalle Zürich, they faced a few hurdles. The original recording was made with a two-track stereo master, meaning all the elements—piano, bass, drums, and audience—were mixed into a single track. This created challenges during the mastering process, especially with crowd noise and instrument bleed.
By using AudioShake’s stem separation, the engineers were able to isolate each instrument—Oscar Peterson’s piano, Louis Hayes' drums, and Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen’s bass—allowing them to clean up the mix, balance the sound, and reduce unwanted audience noise. This process elevated the quality of the album, making it possible to release the performance on digital, vinyl, and CD with a professional sound that honored the original recording.
Tomasz Stanko: Wooden Music II
Similarly, when Astigmatic Records worked on the release of Tomasz Stanko’s Wooden Music II—a live performance recorded in the 1960s—they encountered significant technical challenges. The recording was only available in stereo, with the trumpet solo out of phase, which made it impossible to properly mix the track using the original master.
Thanks to AudioShake, they were able to extract individual stems from the broadcast tape. This allowed the engineers to address the phase issues with the trumpet, adjust the mix, and preserve the raw sound of the performance. With the power of stem separation, they could enhance the album’s audio quality and ensure a clear and balanced final product that truly captured the essence of Stanko’s performance.
3. Finalizing the Mastered Album
After extracting and mixing the stems, the final step is to master the album. This involves polishing the overall sound, ensuring consistency across tracks, and preparing the final product for distribution. With stem separation, the mastering engineer can focus on the elements that need the most attention, whether it’s enhancing the vocals, tightening up the rhythm section, or adjusting the balance between the band and the audience.
Stem separation is also essential when preparing content for spatial audio formats like Dolby Atmos or immersive 3D sound experiences. These formats require precise placement of each sound in a three-dimensional space, which is only possible when tracks are isolated and treated individually. By separating the elements of the live performance, engineers can strategically position instruments, voices, and even ambient sounds for a more immersive experience, preserving the magic of the original performance in new formats.
In both the Oscar Peterson: Live in Zurich and Tomasz Stanko: Wooden Music II projects, stem separation provided the flexibility needed to tackle complex issues and deliver a high-quality final product. This process can be applied to any live performance, whether it's a concert from decades ago or a recent event, giving you the power to bring live performances to life in a way that wasn't possible before.
Stem separation empowers artists, labels, and sound engineers to take control of every element in a live performance recording. No longer constrained by the limitations of stereo mixes or analog recordings, it opens up new possibilities for mastering and mixing live albums with unprecedented precision.