What drums did Keith Moon use on Baba O'Riley?

Keith Moon played a Hayman drum kit on "Baba O'Riley." Hayman was a British drum company that Moon endorsed during the early 1970s when this track was recorded.

How did Glyn Johns record Keith Moon's drums?

Glyn Johns used his famous minimalist miking technique, placing just a few strategic microphones including a Neumann U67 to capture the entire drum kit. This approach captured both the direct drum sound and the natural room ambience of Olympic Studios.

What studio was Baba O'Riley recorded at?

"Baba O'Riley" was recorded at Olympic Studios in London. The studio's natural acoustics contributed significantly to the ambient, spacious drum sound on the recording.

How to get Keith Moon's drum sound from Baba O'Riley?

Focus on a resonant, open-tuned drum kit with minimal miking using overhead and room mics. Add compression for punch and sustain, and include natural room reverb to emulate the Olympic Studios ambience.

What microphones were used on The Who drums?

The recording featured Neumann U67 microphones among others, positioned using Glyn Johns' technique. The exact complete microphone setup hasn't been fully documented, but the approach emphasized capturing the room sound with minimal mics.

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Tone Profile

The drums in "Baba O'Riley" feature a driving, powerful sound with a raw and energetic character. It's a stadium-ready performance with impactful dynamics and a slightly compressed, vintage quality.

Shop This Rig

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Hayman Drum Kit(instrument)
Neumann U67(microphone)

The Story

Keith Moon's drums on "Baba O'Riley" were recorded at Olympic Studios in London, engineered by Glyn Johns using his famous minimalist miking technique. The setup featured a Hayman drum kit with strategically placed microphones including a Neumann U67, capturing the entire kit with just a few mics. The raw, powerful sound was enhanced with compression during mixing to add punch and sustain, while the natural room ambience of Olympic Studios contributed significantly to the overall stadium-ready character.

Production Credits

Producer: The Who

Engineer: Glyn Johns

Recorded at: Olympic Studios, London

Signal Chain

Instrument: Hayman Drum KitShop on Reverb

Microphone: Neumann U67Shop on Reverb

Recreation Tips

Start with a vintage-style drum kit tuned for a resonant and open sound.
Experiment with microphone placement to find the sweet spot that captures the entire kit with minimal mics.
Use a compressor to glue the drum sound together and add punch.
Consider adding a touch of room reverb to emulate the ambience of a studio recording.

Original Gear

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Hayman Drum KitShop on Reverb(drums)
Neumann U67Shop on Reverb(mic)

Substitutions & Recommendations

Ludwig Classic Maple Fab Four KitShop on Reverb$2500-$3000

Alternative to: Hayman Drum Kit

Provides similar vintage maple tone and resonant character to Moon's Hayman kit with period-appropriate sizes

Warm Audio WA-67Shop on Reverb$900-$1000

Alternative to: Neumann U67

Modern recreation of the U67 tube condenser that captures the same vintage warmth for overhead or room miking

Waves Abbey Road ChambersPlugin Boutique$30-$50

Alternative to: Olympic Studios room sound

Emulates classic British studio reverb chambers to recreate that natural room ambience

Empirical Labs DistressorShop on Reverb$1800-$2000

Alternative to: Analog console compression

Provides the punch and glue compression characteristic of vintage console processing on drums

Audio-Technica AT2035 PairShop on Reverb$300-$400

Alternative to: Glyn Johns drum miking technique

Budget condensers that work well for recreating the minimal overhead/room miking approach

Sources

Frequently Asked Questions

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drums from “baba o'riley” by the who | ToneDB