Crowd Singing effect

[Kinh]

I have to agree with the last- daeron80. The only way you're gonna get a crowd, that is assumming you mean you want to thicken the harmonies of a chorus is formant. You can use protools timeshift or melodyne. I would recommend melodyne to correct pitch at the same time. Layering and detunning each track will only give you a mess. Ive been there and done it. It will give you inacuracy and mere chorus effect which you can accomplish useing a freak'n effects proccessor. I dont know why people still think that all you need to do is detune. There is mention that ABBA used "detunning" techniques but id think you'd find it was more a means to an end, not their overall objective. You would find that they used this to "formant" each track so that the voices sound like a choir does - sung by different people not to detune the crap out of them and lay them down like that. When they bounced them down to the original mix they would have been in perfect sync and tunning with each other as they clearly sound.
I didnt know Mutt layered using two 24 tracks. But once again his objective would have been the same "precision". Take a good listen to Hystera. The only way he could accomplish this is manipulating each track to sound different in texture and tone using the technology availiable to him to do this. Not to create a phil spector wall of "mess". And the good news is you dont need 48 tracks. You can do it with a lot less.

[chrisdee]

If you want the angry mob effect try running PT on Windows7 64bit.

[_wolfman]

Def Leppard backing vocals were/are usually at least 4 band members. Mutt used to sing on them too - and I think other randoms who happen to be in the studio get in there sometimes.

[daeron80]

Originally Posted by Kinh

There is mention that ABBA used "detunning" techniques but id think you'd find it was more a means to an end, not their overall objective. You would find that they used this to "formant" each track so that the voices sound like a choir does

Yyyyep. Analog detuning, which is the opposite of digital. Used to use that technique on jingles all the time back when jingles were sung by "big choirs," aka six people who happened to be hanging around the jingle house at the moment. For the second take, you slow down the tape machine about a half step. For the third take, you speed it up to about a half step above normal. Everyone is singing at the altered pitch and speed of the band, so when you put it back to 30 ips flat, everything is in time and pitch, but the singers' formants are shifted around. Instant ABBA! Just what we all want to sound like, eh?

_wolfman - you're probably right. I only vaguely remember the interview with him in MIX. Maybe it was that after the band layered their vocs a few times, Mutt filled up another machine by himself, or something?

[BobbyDazzler]

If you're after the stadium crowd, you can do all of the doubling etc suggested previously, then grab a stadium crowd ambience track, automate its volume to match the peaks and troughs of your sung tracks (following the volume envelope basically). Mix it into the background and it adds an a-tonal bigness to the result.
(I often wondered whether a vocoder could create a similar, and better, effect)

[Kinh]

I forgot to metion you gota roll off the lows of each track significantly. Boost them with an Enhancer, EQ then Desser. No reverb.
1.LF 120Hz LMF 145 Hz (reduction)
2.HMF 3 Khz HF 5 Khz (Gain)

Def Leppard backing vocals were/are usually at least 4 band members. Mutt used to sing on them too - and I think other randoms who happen to be in the studio get in there sometimes.

That doesnt surprise me. To give you an idea of his range listen to Shania Twain.