I decided to make this thread because I've been receiving non-stop YouTube messages over the past 2 years from people asking me where I got my instrumental versions of Libera pieces, how I edit the covers, what equipment I use, etc...so I decided to address them here once and for all.
More importantly, almost everyone has been asking me how to make a Libera fan cover casually. So this here is the "How to Make a Libera Fan Cover - Bedroom edition', lol.
I'm not an expert, I'm just a normal kid who was bored. I've been getting progressively better at them as time goes on. My first few were not very good, my more recent ones I'm more proud of. Sadly, I feel my range starting to slip recently which is inevitable, but I'm happy to share what I've learned!
1) The Different Parts
One of the YouTube users asked me to post an Acapella version of one of my songs to see how I layered the voices.
This is the Acapella Version of O Sanctissima, without any background music.
Again, please watch this in HD for best audio.
[youtube][/youtube]
I separate my fan covers into 4 parts: Treble 1, Treble 2, Treble 3, and Alto. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to plan out your covers BEFORE you start singing!
Treble 1 generally includes the lead solo, and, if the song has one, the Descant. For heavier portions such as the chorus, I will duplicate Treble 1 by singing over my own singing again.
Treble 2 sings all harmonies. For songs that have very complex harmonies, I further subdivide this into T2-1, T2-2, etc.
Treble 3 sings all counter-harmonies. Treble 3 parts are flexible, because it really depends on the song. Sometimes T3 will sing the harmony to the harmony (yes, sounds weird I know, lol
).Alto sings the lower "ooohs" and "ahhhhs" - ie. the vocalese. Sometimes for the Alto I may simply sing the Treble 1 part in a lower octave for added support. The Alto line is often mistaken by a lot of people who asked me on YouTube for the karaoke background, which brings me to my second point...
2) Background Music
Let me be clear here, no official Libera "karaoke" versions exist. So for all the people asking me where I downloaded the karaoke versions, sorry.
I transcribe all the scores myself by hand. I don't share them with people because I don't think Mr. Prizeman would want that happening. Libera's master scores are unreleased for a reason, and I intend to respect that. On every YouTube cover, I make it explicit that the music is by Libera, and I always include a link to Libera's webpage.
My background music is usually a combination of myself playing the piano, myself playing the violin, the Alto line singing "oooohs"/"ahhhs", snippets of Libera pieces, and instrumental/karaoke music of the same song covered by a different artist. Libera sings a lot of traditional songs for which instrumental versions DO exist. For instance, my background music for Deep Peace contains snippets from piano versions of other artists.
For specific songs where ready-to-sing karaoke versions do exist, I always ask permission before using them (eg. You Were There).
3) Equipment & Recording/Singing
I use Acoustica Mixcraft to record my music, but really, any old recording software is fine. It doesn't need to be fancy, just capable of recording sound. Acoustica Mixcraft has a trial period, though, so you may want to look for other software. I borrowed my version of Mixcraft from a teacher at school.
When I first started doing these covers, I used a lot of special effects, but as I became more experienced I began to realize that it's the vocals that matter. If you record the music in a room with minimal background noise and you sing strongly and clearly, special effects don't really matter that much. Nothing replaces good, strong vocals recorded well.
Try and record in different places around the house! I record in my bedroom mostly, but sometimes the cellar as well. I've even tried recording in a linen closet! Believe me, the linen closet worked spectacularly. This version of O Sanctissima was recorded in a linen closet. My mum started giving me odd looks after that.
I always record at night, because I don't want my mum to hear me. But recording at night is good, because it's usually quieter. When picking a place to record, go for rooms with lots of "stuff" either hanging on the walls, or against them. You want there to be absolutely no ambient noise or echo. The echo you can add later, but it's essential that the source vocals are recorded well.
Do not simply record you singing along to background music playing. While recording, use headphones to listen to the background music instead of playing it out loud. This will reduce the ambient noise, so that you're not recording the vocals as well as the background music together. You want them isolated, since the vocals are much cleaner this way.
I use a PC Microphone that cost me less than a pound, which is about USD 1.00. Like I said, this guide is for "bedroom" fan covers. I don't have the money to buy nicer equipment, and this is only a hobby, afterall. It should be fun, not stressful or expensive!
I created a home-made "pop-screen" out of a clothes hanger and one of my mum's old pair of hose. A pop-screen basically gets rid of all the loud "p"s and "t"s being recorded. It looks funny, but it works, and makes a huge difference. Why pay for pricey ones that cost a gazillion pounds, when you can make one at home for free?
In terms of singing, I guess a lot of the normal stuff applies. I mark an X on my wall right above the microphone, and I always stare at that while I'm singing to make sure the distance from my mouth to the microphone is consistent. I've also heard it's useful for "grounding" while singing.
The most important thing for me is PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE! The Libera boys don't record their songs on the first try, so why should you? Often, I will sing a song over and over and over before being satisfied with a version.
The timing is incredibly tricky. It makes a HUGE difference if you use a metronome! In Acoustica Mixcraft, it has a built in metronome which plays a beat for you to sing along to. Once you've figured out the tempo of a Libera song, you can input that in the software.
It doesn't matter how nicely you sing if the "group" parts are uncoordinated, sloppy, and imprecise. You want your multiple vocal parts to start at exactly the same time, and end exactly the same time.
I listened to the Libera songs, and paid attention to how long they held their notes for. Always remember to hold up to the end of the complete beat, and don't cut it short. For example, I'm quite proud of my fan cover of The Fountain for this reason, especially the acapella beginning. I had 4 voices singing at once, and they all started and ended phrases at precisely the same time. It makes a BIG difference if you pay attention to that.
Anyway, I hope that answers everyone's questions, for those who asked!
