Tone Profile

A massive, reverberant, and anthemic percussive sound created by layered foot stomps and hand claps, designed to evoke a stadium full of people.

Signal Chain

Recording Notes

• The iconic 'stomp-stomp-clap' rhythm was created entirely without traditional drums.
• Recorded at Wessex Sound Studios, London (and possibly Basing Street Studios), known for its excellent acoustic spaces.
• The band members performed the stomps and claps themselves.
• Numerous overdubs of the stomps and claps were layered to create the massive, stadium-like effect.
• Brian May has confirmed using an Eventide H910 Harmonizer on the stomps to thicken the sound and create a sense of many people.
• The natural reverb of the recording space (reportedly wooden floors in a live room or even an old church) was a crucial element.
• The stomps were performed on wooden boards to enhance the percussive impact.

Recreation Tips

• Record multiple layers of foot stomps in a reverberant room. Use a wooden surface if possible.
• Record multiple layers of hand claps. Vary the number of people and hand positions for a more natural sound.
• Pan the individual stomp and clap layers slightly differently to create width.
• Use large-diaphragm condenser microphones to capture the full body of the stomps and the crispness of the claps. Consider both close mics and room mics.
• Apply generous reverb, focusing on large hall or plate sounds. Convolution reverb with a good impulse response of a large space can work well.
• Use compression to control dynamics and add punch, but be careful not to squash the natural transients too much.
• Experiment with a harmonizer (like an Eventide H910 emulation) or a very short, subtly modulated delay on the stomps to replicate the reported effect.
• EQ the stomps for low-mid weight (around 100-250Hz) and the claps for high-mid presence (2-5kHz).
• The core pattern is STOMP (often panned slightly left) - STOMP (often panned slightly right) - CLAP (centered or wider).

Recommended Gear

• Neumann U87 Ai(mic)
• AKG C414 XLS(mic)
• Eventide H9 Max Multi-Effects Pedal (emulates H910)(pedal)
• Strymon BigSky Multi Reverb Pedal(pedal)
• Universal Audio Apollo Twin X Audio Interface(preamp)
• Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Audio Interface(preamp)