How to give Allura the warm, ethereal tone of Enya's lead vocals

[anton_s]

I am delighted that Impact Soundworks has released a sample library of Jillian Aversa! (I've been expecting this library for almost a decade.)

The samples in Allura are quite raw, and I am curious to know if it would be possible (for users) to give the samples an ethereal "Enya sound".

I am particularly interested in Enya's lead vocals -- not the lush vocal harmonies for which she is so famous.

In contrast to her harmonies, Enya's lead vocals are not very reverby and (unless my ears are deceiving me) don't use extensive layering. Even so, the lead vocals are remarkably warm, smooth and thick (or whatever the correct terminology is).

There is a lot of variety among Enya's songs, and some songs are more breathy and reverby than others, but Evening Falls is a good example of the tone that I am trying to achieve:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhMJ78-Szi8

* Particularly intriguing about this song, is that the load vocal and its reverb and other FX are almost mono, with little spillover into the side channel. This is in contrast to the typical "vocal thickening trick" that involves slightly detuned and delayed copies, panned left and right. (The lead vocal can therefore be heard more clearly by listening to only the mid channel.)

* The reverb on her lead seems much more subtle than the prominent cathedral-type reverbs that are usually associated with Enya.

* Most so-called "ethereal singers" on Youtube or "ethereal vocals" sample libraries are very breathy, almost as if the vocals are doubled by a whisper track. Enya's voice is airy, but not particularly breathy. I was therefore relieved to hear that Allura is also not overly breathy.

* I don't hear extensive layering. The voice is somehow very smooth and rich without prominent chorusing.