KVR Audio

Sepheritoh · Post by **Sepheritoh** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 12:00 pm

This question has probably been asked before and discussed to some depth, but the forum search engine did not reveal such discussion.

Does Anybody knows how to create the Enya vocals sound? I tried to listen and I can hear a doubling of the voice, plus a doubling with a string sounds, plus some reverb, all added to a fairly soft spoken recording with over compression.

Well, for a starter, anything I do with all those things does not get even close to what she sounds like. She and Nicky, her producer, must have found some secret. I found a CD where Sarah MacDowell seem to get pretty close to the sound as well.

tuzemec · Post by **tuzemec** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 12:06 pm

I'm kind of Enya fan.. although didn't liked the latest releases too much (ADWR and Amarantine)
As far as I know, the layering is archieved through multiple recording of her voice. Nicky Ryan (the producer), mentioned also that they are using different microphones for every "layer".
If that helps...

DevonB · Post by **DevonB** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 12:07 pm

AFAIK, it's not an effect. It's multiple tracks of her doing harmony with her voice only.

Devon

xander · Post by **xander** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 12:21 pm

Hey mate

Great question! Believe it or not, I was so enthralled with the vocal mixes on her first album that I actually called her producer, Nicky Ryan, and asked him about it.

His answer to me was "layer upon layer upon layer". He told me that for one track, he layered her voice 30 times -- that's 30 discreet tracks, and mixed from there, with many of the harmonies re-layered again in unison. For one song he used over "120 layers".

Ch33rs,
Alex

Hovmod · Post by **Hovmod** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 12:25 pm

...xander wrote:Hey mate

Great question! Believe it or not, I was so enthralled with the vocal mixes on her first album that I actually called her producer, Nicky Ryan, and asked him about it.

His answer to me was "layer upon layer upon layer". He told me that for one track, he layered her voice 30 times -- that's 30 discreet tracks, and mixed from there, with many of the harmonies re-layered again in unison. For one song he used over "120 layers".

Ch33rs,
Alex

I'm sure he needed them all. "Hey, who turned down layer 78 by 0.3 dB?"

xander · Post by **xander** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 12:33 pm

Hunter · Post by **Hunter** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 12:42 pm

Guys you're making producer-in-jokes! Slap yourselves in the face!

But quite interesting though...

Marc JX8P · Post by **Marc JX8P** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 12:43 pm

Well, that is after all how a string section achieves that warm, full sound... but it gives me a new respect for Enya - imagine having to do the same vocals for at least 30 times... Of course a nice reverb effect is also very important for the sound and lets not forget her actual voice.

xander · Post by **xander** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 12:54 pm

Marc JX8P wrote:Well, that is after all how a string section achieves that warm, full sound... but it gives me a new respect for Enya - imagine having to do the same vocals for at least 30 times... Of course a nice reverb effect is also very important for the sound and lets not forget her actual voice.

Indeed quite interesting. I wanted to think that he'd have faithfully reproduced vocal layering using multiple duplicate tracks (and I'm sure he must have at least a few times) but you lose the inflection/nuances/juxtaposition in that case, which is what he claimed he wanted. So indeed there's a lot to be said for the technique and yeah it is similar to orchestral instrumentation placement.

In effect, she's like her own 'Enya Choir'

Hovmod · Post by **Hovmod** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 12:56 pm

So what does she do live?

tuzemec · Post by **tuzemec** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 12:59 pm

Hovmod wrote:So what does she do live?

She does not performing live

fritzman · Post by **fritzman** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 1:07 pm

Marc JX8P wrote:Of course a nice reverb effect is also very important for the sound and lets not forget her actual voice.

Yes,

they used a Quadraverb I read in an interview, no joke.

Best wishes, FRitz

tuzemec · Post by **tuzemec** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 1:15 pm

fritzman wrote:
Marc JX8P wrote:Of course a nice reverb effect is also very important for the sound and lets not forget her actual voice.

Yes,

they used a Quadraverb I read in an interview, no joke.

Best wishes, FRitz

Can you give a link to that interview?

Reverend Rhythm · Post by **Reverend Rhythm** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 1:34 pm

I've never seen this written, but I think there is also some kind of exciter type effect used. It may be done with eq, but it sounds a little like the old aphex unit. Could that be part of the sound?

BTW, the presionsound bunch may be able to shed some light on this. They have some samples that get pretty close to the enya sound.

xander · Post by **xander** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 1:47 pm

Just about every studio in Ireland used aphex or similar aural exciters at that time (circa 1990) and had been since the early 80's.

I wouldn't be surprised that when she has done one of her extremely rare live gigs -- like I heard she did on The Letterman Show, she used some vocal FX. But these were, from what I heard, her just singing solo with an acoustic guitar.