How were Renaissance instrumental consorts usually organized?

During the Renaissance, instrumental ensembles known as consorts were not standardized, but they were generally organized into two primary categories.1

• Whole Consorts: These ensembles consisted of instruments from a single family, such as all viols, all woodwind instruments (like recorders or shawms), or all brass instruments (such as the cornet and sackbut). These groups aimed for a homogeneous sound that mirrored the texture of vocal ensembles.213
• Broken Consorts: These were mixed ensembles featuring different families of instruments, often organized based on the availability of local players. Popular examples around 1600 included combinations of viols, lute, cittern, and bass recorder.21

Additionally, instruments were sometimes grouped by volume, categorized as either loud (haut) or soft (bas) depending on whether they were intended for outdoor processions and dancing or indoor performance. By the late 16th century, the preference for unmixed consorts was so significant that even large musical events often featured these groups playing in alternation rather than simultaneously.3