Animation Source Forums

You may have noticed that I have made myself an "unofficial" sountrack of the Balto sequels, using the dvds.
How is that possible? Simple : most dvd films have 5.1 soundtracks, and the voices are usually recorded in the central channel.
So, by removing this channel, it's possible to get the soundtrack of a film without the voices. (or the opposite, only the voices)

Requirements :

- A dvd drive in your PC
- A software dvd player such as PowerDVD or WinDVD (Windows Media Player may work, not tested though)
- SmartRipper or any other dvd ripping software (http://www.free-codecs.com/download/SmartRipper.htm)
- HeadAC3 (http://www.darkav.de.vu/)



1. How to rip the soundtrack from the DVD

With smartripper.
Put the dvd in your dvd drive.
Launch smartripper.
If there's an error message with unlocking files, you must play your dvd in any dvd software such as powerdvd or windvd, and restart smartripper.
Click on the second tab (I have the french version, and there it is "traitement des flux")
Deselect all, and tick the audio track you want (for example : Audio English AC3 (6ch) )
On the right, there are three options ("direct copy" etc...) Choose the second one. ("to file")
Choose the destination directory.
Launch the process. ("start")

Once it's finished (RIP complete), you will get an .ac3 file in the directory you precised. This is the file on which you will have to remove the central channel.


2. How to remove the central channel

Ac3 is a file format that you can read, such as mp3 for example. The main difference is that ac3 usually contains several channels. To be able to read the ac3 file, you will normally need a plugin (I use "valex ac3 decoder" for winamp for example)
But you don't have to be able to read that file to do the next things...
Then you will have to use HeadAC3.
First, you will need to download the software, with several of its plugins (I think there were the "mp3", "azid_dll" and "mmx") Go on its official website for that (search on google)

Then launch the software, choose the source file (the ac3 file)
In destination format, choose mp3.
In the options, "input channels", leave all the channels except the central one (untick it) In the "output channels", you should only have the "left" and "right" channels.
You can also choose the start and end frames if you don't want all the film soundtrack. (to test, for example)
Finally, click start, and hope everything will work fine...

You should obtain the mp3 file without the central channel (so without the voices). Enjoy!

Yes, yes, I have found how to do all this by my own...

Great topic Steet
Oh The WMP thing I think it has to work..Maybe depends on the version..All I know that on 9th and 10th works,but other I don't know.
I will try this once.

Heh, thanks to my constant pestering, it looks like the other members have once again been able to see this. i sent a few pms to steet and found an older article and now he put an official one...not really official... :S

hehe i changeed accounts cuz my other one had the same name as like 3 other ppl. :O

I have magicripper, But I'm not shure if it will will just rip the music or not. Ill have to take a look at it to see if it will. But thanks for the info on how to do this.

You can also place Mute on if you have WindowsMovieMaker

does it ruin the disks?

I doubt it

see i have all the software for it, i jus tdont want to ruin my disks

It probably doesn't because Steet did it and I'm sure that if it did Steet would have said that already (he probably wouldn't even put it up here).

yesh i dont want to risk it

Thanks! this is vary helpfull.

No, it sounds bad, "rip", but all it does is copy the movie from the DVD to your computer, I've done it loads of times and the DVD's themselves are just fine.

wow i didnt know u can remove muzic from dvd 0_o

This is a very useful Topic! I was wondering how you did it, Steet. I wonder if it will work for Wolf's Rain or something...