Recording mixed a cappella cover group

[slothjones]

I've been asked to do a 3-song EP for a college a capella group in my area. They have about 15 people (guys/gals) and cover mostly modern pop (Jordin Sparks, One Republic, etc). I've never done anything close to this kind of recording before, so I was hoping to get some insight. Most of the other a cappella threads seem to be on location but I don't know if I'll have that luxury.

Assuming I have to record in my space (not the greatest in the world, an old house) any particular mic setups or techniques I should try? I was thinking M/S or something for the group and close mics for the soloists, but I don't know what to do for the beatboxing. Also, with the soloists, should I track them live with the group or overdub for better control?

I haven't committed to this group yet and I want to be sure that I can give them something they'll be proud of when all is said and done. Any suggestions would be welcome. Thanks guys.

[Cookie]

Find out how they normally perform and how they're most comfortable performing. Maybe they really like using handhelds? Maybe they group around 1 mic or several mics? I'd just try and capture them how they're used to performing and feel they perform the best.

[slothjones]

I've seen them perform live but they have been unmic'ed both times (smaller venues). It seems like a normal choral arrangement. Beatboxer will usually be on one end of the group and soloists will step out in front a few feet. I'd love to record them this way so they feel comfortable but I was hoping to get some advice on how to pull that off in the best way possible. They are a pop cover group but they made it clear they don't want their tracks to sound overproduced.

[PRobb]

Spot mics for soloist, beatboxer and bass. Get the rest with a stereo pair or two.

Start by making sure they sound good in the room. You might have to move them around or use baffles.

[InTheBox]

I do a lot of a cappella stuf, and depending on the material there are a few options.

1. To have the ability to make a very produced pop sound, I make a click track with the vocal beatboxer that I edit before the rest of the group comes in the studio. (Usually days before) I add som MIDI piano to the track so they stay in tune. Each singer has his/her own mic and headphones. They can then either sing all at one time, or you can have them sing 3-5 at a time. If you don't have a big room, this could be your option. Soloists just dub on their own.

2. Another option is to place the group in a semicircle with 2 singers pr mic, and combining this setup with an A/B omni. With this setup you get a more choral sound, and you can deside in the mix how spacey you want it. (Adding more or less A/B). If you decide to record the lead singer and vocal beatbox in the same take, think well about how you want the stereo image. Place the lead vocal in the middle with his/her own mic.
I always dub the lead and the beatboxer later to get a tight sound on these.

3. If you have a VERY good room, you could choose the A/B as your main mics, but I would only use this setup on ballads where there is no vocal percussion involved.

Good luck

-Box

[InTheBox]

Originally Posted by slothjones

I've seen them perform live but they have been unmic'ed both times (smaller venues). It seems like a normal choral arrangement. Beatboxer will usually be on one end of the group and soloists will step out in front a few feet. I'd love to record them this way so they feel comfortable but I was hoping to get some advice on how to pull that off in the best way possible. They are a pop cover group but they made it clear they don't want their tracks to sound overproduced.

Aaah... only read the OP, sorry.

If they don't wan't an overproduced sound, go with option 2.

-Box

[joelpatterson]

They don't want 'emselves to sound "overproduced"-- and seriously, in their hearts, don't want 'em to even sound "produced," they just want 'em to sound like they're wafting in on the eternal breeze of timelessness and reverie...

Which always to me says, "the closer mic'd the voice, the more you get this intimacy and 'connection,' the so much the better." It's in hearing the vaguest little articulations that this kind of music really takes on a powerful effect, draws you into the world of the singers. Beatboxers expecially!

So, I like the pairs on mics and the overall spaced pair alot. You are also going to want to create a pseudo-timeless "reverb bed," even if it's very inconspicuous, or even better yet if it's totally invisible, so look at each potential recording space as a "booth" and see if you can't hang curtains on all the walls and ceilings, or at least make the room work for you-- I'd always say bigger is better. But I would.

Here is a vocal a'capella "Midnight Train to Georgia" in a concert hall, very very reverby place-- the overwrought Lexicon of halls!


4shared.com - online file sharing and storage - download "Midnight Train to Georgia a capella" -- Williams College Octet.mp3

[NorseHorse]

If you're judicious, you can record the group with four channels, maybe five. You can also go with more depending on the space / number of soloists.

Solo Mic
Stereo Pair on Ensemble
Percussion Mic
Bass Mic?

If you want to autotune everyone, then that's another story...

[Steffmo]

We have done 30 or 40 Yale a cappella groups over the years.

Typically they record "The Shoe" first. We usually have one stereo pair in the center with three spot mics on each range. Six mics. The mic on the basses is most used.

We record multiple takes. If a full take isn't found, we try to edit the best together. With a cappella, the editing issue is always the pitch. the group will drift flat all together, and when splicing you never know where they will be take to take. But it can be done.

We usually overdub the soloists and sub groups and blend it all together.

[eascholz]

In popular and successful modern a cappella, each voice is recorded separately, chopped to bits, and melodyned/autotuned. The basses have a lower octave generated under them and the vocal percussion is all sequenced. Just the standard of the a cappella music industry. For an example that happens to be well worth listening to, you could check out "I Want You Back" by Sonos.

Even if the group isn't cool with having it sound "overproduced," that doesn't mean it shouldn't sound intimate or capture the full frequency range of each voice. The group should have a midi file of at least the bass line as a guide during tracking (many groups arrange in finale already, from which you can export a midi file). You could record two singers from the same section at once (like 1st tenors, etc) in separate rooms and have them sing all the way through if they want it to be more organic sounding. Just bear in mind that by simply NOT editing out every person's breaths and lip smacks, it will sound way more human than most other current a cappella albums.

[Tony Shepperd]

Originally Posted by eascholz

In popular and successful modern a cappella, each voice is recorded separately, chopped to bits, and melodyned/autotuned. The basses have a lower octave generated under them and the vocal percussion is all sequenced. Just the standard of the a cappella music industry. For an example that happens to be well worth listening to, you could check out "I Want You Back" by Sonos.

And yet the premier accapella group in the world, Take 6, doesn't do any of that.

[Steffmo]

Originally Posted by eascholz

In popular and successful modern a cappella, each voice is recorded separately, chopped to bits, and melodyned/autotuned. The basses have a lower octave generated under them and the vocal percussion is all sequenced. Just the standard of the a cappella music industry. For an example that happens to be well worth listening to, you could check out "I Want You Back" by Sonos.

Even if the group isn't cool with having it sound "overproduced," that doesn't mean it shouldn't sound intimate or capture the full frequency range of each voice. The group should have a midi file of at least the bass line as a guide during tracking (many groups arrange in finale already, from which you can export a midi file). You could record two singers from the same section at once (like 1st tenors, etc) in separate rooms and have them sing all the way through if they want it to be more organic sounding. Just bear in mind that by simply NOT editing out every person's breaths and lip smacks, it will sound way more human than most other current a cappella albums.

With all due respect, that may be A way some do it. In fact I've been asked to doit, and have. But I don't know if I would anoint it "THE" way.

Just A way. Like most things in this biz.

[eascholz]

Originally Posted by Steffmo

With all due respect, that may be A way some do it. In fact I've been asked to doit, and have. But I don't know if I would anoint it "THE" way.

Just A way. Like most things in this biz.

Perhaps I exaggerated a bit. You're right. I stretched the truth a bit. I'm just used to hearing this type of product with big groups such as Sonos and Fork, as well as a plethora of collegiate groups.

[joelpatterson]

I think actually you're teasing and it's hysterically funny.

[NorseHorse]

Hey Sloth, any update on what you've decided to do?

Here's a recent a cappella show from William & Mary. Since there were eleven groups, ten didn't get a soundcheck (including the Cleftomaniacs below).



I've done some really nice "live" session recordings with this same group using three ensemble mics, two solo mics, and a percussion mic. However, we used a very nice space and I was also able to coach the soloists on using the microphone.

[glitchfactor]

I've been recording about 8 collegiate a cappella groups for the past 7 years. It's a large portion of the work I do at my studio. You really have to ask the group what type of sound they are going for before you set up one mic.

There are all kinds of different ways of recording a cappella, and that all goes back to HOW they want the record to sound. Some groups like that completely overproduced, synth sounding album. Some like a more choral sound. But one thing you also need to be aware of is their arrangement style. If the WANT to sound overproduced, but their arrangements of the songs don't fit that, then you're not going to make it sound the way they want. I always refer back to the old audio example of....I'm not going to sound like Eddie Van Halen even when I'm playing on EVH's rig.

Anyway, to address your question, I usually do a moderarely "produced" sound. Lots of voices, sometimes sequenced vocal percussion (depending on the sound), but not overly done. Enough to sound "pop" but not enough to sound like synths are playing and not singers.

I make sure the group gives me a MIDI file from the Finale session that they print out to practice. I load that in to Pro Tools and set it to a piano based soft synth (Xpand! in my case). I also set up a click track and filter out a little of the fundemental to tone down the bleed. It's very helpful if they have exact measure numbers mapped out and not repeats....that way if you say, "can we pick up that bass note in measure 120?" it's easy for everyone to find and keeps the session running smoothly.

I set up no more than four mics at a time in a PLUS pattern all hypercardioid. 414's are great for this. It's key that everyone can see and hear each other.....so no big honkin' pop filters that cover their faces and mouths.
There are usually about four people per section. I don't record more than four people at a time because it's a lot to keep track of to make sure who is in tune and who isn't.

We'll start with basses, recording a section at a time. So verse 1, move on to chorus, verse 2, etc. Some of the big name a cappella groups record like 4 - 8 measures at a time, but that's just crazy. Then we'll move on to baris, tenors, altos, sops...then finally lay lead and VP on top. Sometimes we'll do VP first...it depends on the group.

I'll do 2 passes of each section, so I'll end up with 8 tracks of each section (2 passes of 4 people). This helps to "biggenate" the sound as slipperman would say.

The BIGGEST piece of advice i can give you though is to keep the group energized and upbeat. Nothing is worse than an a cappella version of a pop song where everyone sounds tired and bored. Its like mixing a rock song where all the guitars and drums are out of tune. You can't make it sound good no matter what trickery you use.

Anyway, there are TONS of things to know on this subject. It's kind of like hopping on this forum and asking....

"How do you record rock music?" It's not something that can be answered in a single post. I've spend years coming up with a good method that works for people.


If you have any more questions, please feel free to PM me and I'd be more than happy to talk to you about it over the phone.

Also, I'd check out the following page.
A Cappella Music - The Contemporary A Cappella Society |


Justin