ABBEY ROAD 80s DRUMMER

Recreating the sound of an era is not just a question of EQ or effects. Only by using the instruments, the recording equipment and the techniques of the period is it possible to capture the distinctive sound.

The instruments used were bona fide 80s classics, and the room ambience here isn’t a simulation – it’s the real sound of Abbey Road’s Studio 2 and Studio 3. And all drums were recorded to 2” tape, using outboard gear typical for the period.

Drums were recorded in up to 27 velocity layers, with up to six alternative hits (round robins) per drum.

Kick: 24" Yamaha 9000 Kick
Snare 1: 14" x 6.5" Ludwig Hammered Brass Snare
Snare 2: 14" x 6.5" Gretsch Maple Snare
Hihat: 80s Sabian Vintage Hihat
Hi Rack Tom: 12" Yamaha 9000 Rack Tom
Mid Rack Tom: 13" Yamaha 9000 Rack Tom
Low Rack Tom: 14" Yamaha 9000 Rack Tom
Floor Tom: 18" Yamaha 9000 Floor Tom
Cymbals: 80s Zildjian High Crash, Low Crash, Ride, China and Splash

Kick: 24" Slingerland Magnum Kick
Snare 1: 14" x 5.5" Slingerland 2-1 Chrome Snare
Snare 2: 14" x 10" Ludwig Classic Deep Rock Wood Snare
Snare 3: 14" x 5" Pearl Maple Free Floating System Snare
Hihat: 80s Zildjian Vintage Hihat
Hi Rack Tom: 13" Slingerland Magnum Rack Tom
Low Rack Tom: 14" Slingerland Magnum Rack Tom
Hi Floor Tom: 15" Slingerland Magnum Floor Tom
Low Floor Tom: 16" Slingerland Magnum Floor Tom
Cymbals: 80s Sabian High Crash, Low Crash and Ride, Zildjian China and Splash

The drums were recorded using a mixture of Neve Air Montserratt and Neve 1081 pre-amps. For tracking the mono gated signal, Abbey Road’s technical department specially built a replica SSL E-Series Talk Back compressor from the original circuit diagrams. This extremely aggressive compressor was originally intended to let engineers communicate with all the musicians in the room using only one overhead talkback microphone. It became a favorite for drum tracks after one famous drummer was playing along to a drum machine in his headphones as the engineer opened up the talkback channel and he heard ‘the sound’.

Each kit was recorded with an array of microphones including classic Neumann, AKG, Sennheiser and Shure models as well as the infamous STC 4021 ‘Ball and Biscuit’ mic. The individual, direct and room microphone signals are all separately adjustable - giving you detailed control of the overall sound.

Recording equipment and microphone details