Tone Profile

Colossal, ambient, and thunderous drum sound, defined by the massive natural room reverberation of Headley Grange, Bonham's powerful playing, and a relatively dry, punchy core tone. It's iconic for its sense of space and raw power.

Signal Chain

Recording Notes

• Recorded in 1973-1974 at Headley Grange, Hampshire, UK, using the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio.
• Engineered primarily by Ron Nevison, with Andy Johns and Eddie Kramer also involved in *Physical Graffiti* sessions.
• The massive sound is largely attributed to John Bonham's powerful drumming style, his Ludwig kit, and the acoustics of the main hall at Headley Grange.
• Microphone techniques focused on capturing the room sound, notably the Glyn Johns method for overheads and strategically placed distant room mics.
• Drums were tuned relatively low to enhance resonance and depth.
• Minimal processing was used during tracking; the sound was shaped by mic placement, the room, the preamps (Helios), and tape saturation from the Studer A80.

Recreation Tips

• Prioritize a large, acoustically live recording space. If unavailable, use high-quality convolution reverbs modeled after large halls or rooms, or algorithmic reverbs like Valhalla VintageVerb.
• Employ the Glyn Johns microphone technique for overheads (two mics, often ribbons or LDCs) and a quality kick mic.
• Use distant room microphones (LDCs are common) to capture natural ambience; experiment with placement and compression (e.g., an 1176-style compressor on room mics, sometimes heavily).
• Use a vintage-style Ludwig kit if possible (24" or 26" kick, 14"x6.5" metal snare like LM402, large toms). Tune drums low and open.
• Select microphones known for capturing a natural sound: Beyerdynamic M160s (ribbons) for overheads, AKG D12/D112/RE20 for kick, Neumann U87/U67s for room.
• Utilize preamps with character (Helios, Neve, API emulations).
• Incorporate tape emulation plugins for saturation and subtle dynamic control across the drum bus or individual tracks.
• The drummer's performance is key: play with power, dynamics, and groove.
• Avoid excessive close miking or gating to preserve the natural bleed and room interaction.

Recommended Gear

• Beyerdynamic M160(mic)
• AKG D12 (or modern D112 MkII)(mic)
• Neumann U87 Ai (or vintage U67/U87)(mic)
• Helios Type 69 Preamp/EQ (original or replica/plugin)(preamp)
• Universal Audio 1176LN Classic Limiting Amplifier (original or replica/plugin)(pedal)
• UAD Studer A800 Multichannel Tape Recorder Plug-In(pedal)