What drum kit did John Bonham use on Kashmir?

Bonham used his Ludwig drum kit on Kashmir, featuring deep shells that contributed to the song's massive low-end sound. The kit was tuned low with minimal dampening to achieve maximum resonance and sustain.

How were the drums recorded on Kashmir?

The drums were recorded at Headley Grange using multiple microphones including Neumann U67s for overheads/rooms, an AKG D12 on kick drum, and Sennheiser MD 421s on toms. The large, live rooms at the mansion provided natural reverb that's crucial to the sound.

What makes the Kashmir drum sound so big and powerful?

The massive sound comes from the combination of Bonham's deep-tuned Ludwig kit, the natural reverb of Headley Grange's large rooms, and strategic microphone placement capturing both close detail and ambient space. The Neve console added warmth and punch to the overall mix.

Where was Kashmir recorded?

Kashmir was recorded at Headley Grange, a mansion in Hampshire, England in 1974. The building's large, stone rooms provided the natural reverb that's essential to the song's epic drum sound.

How to get John Bonham's Kashmir drum tone?

Focus on deep-tuned drums with minimal dampening, record in a large live room or use quality hall reverb, and use multiple microphones to capture both close attack and ambient space. The natural room sound is just as important as the drums themselves.

drums from "kashmir" by led zeppelin

kashmir

led zeppelin

drums

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Tone Profile

Epic and powerful, the drums in 'Kashmir' feature a huge, resonant sound with a focus on deep bass frequencies and a spacious, ambient character. The tone is both thunderous and articulate, contributing significantly to the song's mystical and driving atmosphere.

Shop This Rig

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Ludwig Drum Kit(instrument)
Neumann U67(microphone)
AKG D12(mic)
Sennheiser MD 421(mic)
Neve Console(channel_strip)

The Story

Kashmir was recorded at Headley Grange in 1974, with John Bonham's Ludwig drums miked with a combination of Neumann U67s, AKG D12 for the kick drum, and Sennheiser MD 421s. The huge, ambient sound was achieved by recording in Headley Grange's large, live rooms with natural reverberation, and the drums were mixed through a Neve console.

Production Credits

Producer: Jimmy Page

Engineer: Andy Johns

Recorded at: Headley Grange

Signal Chain

Instrument: Ludwig Drum KitShop on Reverb

Microphone: Neumann U67Shop on Reverb

Recreation Tips

Use a large drum kit with deep shells to capture the low-end frequencies.
Experiment with different microphone placements to find the sweet spot for each drum.
Record in a spacious room with natural reverb to create ambience.
Use compression to enhance the impact and sustain of the drums.
Consider using a combination of close mics and overhead mics to capture both detail and ambience.
Pay attention to tuning and damping to achieve the desired tone for each drum.

Original Gear

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Ludwig Drum KitShop on Reverb(drums)
Neumann U67Shop on Reverb(mic)
AKG D12Shop on Reverb(mic)
Sennheiser MD 421Shop on Reverb(mic)
Neve ConsoleShop on Reverb(channel_strip)

Substitutions & Recommendations

Warm Audio WA-67Shop on Reverb$900

Alternative to: Neumann U67 overhead/room mics

Faithful recreation of the U67's warm tube sound that captured Bonham's kit ambience

AKG D112 MKIIShop on Reverb$200

Alternative to: AKG D12 kick drum mic

Modern evolution of the D12 with enhanced low-end response for that deep Kashmir kick sound

Sennheiser MD 421-IIShop on Reverb$380

Alternative to: Sennheiser MD 421 tom mics

Updated version of the same mic used to capture Bonham's powerful tom sound

Universal Audio 1073 pluginPlugin Boutique$300

Alternative to: Neve console channel strips

Provides the Neve preamp coloration and EQ that shaped the drum mix

Eventide Space ReverbShop on Reverb$500

Alternative to: Large live room reverb

Can recreate the massive hall reverb essential to the Kashmir drum sound

Shure SM57 close micsShop on Reverb$100

Alternative to: Ludwig drum kit deep tones

Budget option for close-miking drums to capture attack and definition alongside room mics

Sources

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drums from “kashmir” by led zeppelin | ToneDB