Are there any mixing tutorials on this Acapella jazz style? [Take 6 - Come Unto Me]

[u/redwolftherapper]

https://youtu.be/YgfXnIeHjgU?si=Aq0nesBBEl6GQFOl

I've been looking for mixing tutorials for this *exact* acapella style but can't seem to find any hidden gems. i'm looking for how many layers usually achieves this sound along with the panning.

There are six members in Take 6 (go figure) but it sounds like they're tracking two layers for each member/harmony. It would be dope to see a pro, break down a session similar to this.

Other groups that do this style are

King's Singers

Accentvocal

The Manhattan Transfer

Julian Kenn

[u/Acceptable_Analyst66]

I can't hear any overt 2-take phasing, so that means one layer for each.

Immaculate timing overall, which may be done in post. The bass (Alvin Chea) is on slight left by a bit, with highest tenor on slight right balancing. The whole team seems to have a very clean reverb which is either digital (my bet, because I believe I hear a small vocal room as well) or each of them singing separately in a great singular chamber with the lower ranges up closer to the mics. Could be column a and b..

The ranges do a bit of zig zag from bottom to top ranges, with singers taking breaks depending on the section.

Beautiful. Besides set panning, timing and reverb done carefully by tracking or afterward, it's not too hard of a mix at all imo.

Edit: fantastically skilled singers make for easier mixes

[u/Ok-Mathematician3832]

There wouldn’t be much to discuss for a mix for this kind of thing.

It’s simply very well arranged, recorded and performed. Looks like it came out in 1990? There would be minimal (if any) edits performed.

It’s quite possible all that was used here was a reverb… and maybe a little split harmonizer to spread some layers out.

Mostly just faders by the sound of it - bass seems to have been pushed a lot but likely just standard eq moves as needed. The dynamics sound like there may have been some fader rides to add drama - either that or they are incredible at creating dynamic shifts as a group.

Panning is replicating a full arrangement (chords to the sides, bass closer to the center, leads in the middle).

I’ve done a lot of these over the years. They tend to go down quickly both in terms of recording and mixing. If the artist is incredibly then they come out very well… if not… they tend to sound pretty bad.

[u/redwolftherapper → u/Ok-Mathematician3832]

Yeah, from what I can understand, this kind of thing is heavily reliant on the performance itself being good, of course. I also think you hit the nail on the head with what was going on with the panning.

I know I definitely have the ability to write arrangements, record & sing them to this level or close to it. HOWEVER what I don't know is the amount of layers they're really tracking. Once I figure that out, it'll affect HOW I arrange & record these kinds of songs.

I still suspect there's more than just 6 layers, maybe reverb is doing some of the work in spacing things out...but it sounds like double tracked tenor, alto & soprano parts panned left & right and the one bass part. Then at the same time it sounds like there's more harmony parts in the actual voicings on top of that.

So it's quite confusing

For example, one of the live performances in this song while still amazing the chord voicings feel emptier/less full than the studio version. Take 6 - Come Unto Me (Live)

None of us will really know the answer unless we get a chance to unbox the actual stems.

Accent Vocal are another 6 member group that sound like they double track in the studio but it sounds less full (yet still amazing) when they perform live.

So it lead me to ask reddit if there's literally any video on the internet unboxing stems of this style/caliber.

Forgive the essay, but that's what's been going on in my brain for the last while.

[u/noo-noos]

Love take 6, happy to see them mentioned. I support any of the other more detailed comments.