U2 The Unforgettable Fire recording gear

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(last updated: 21/08/24)

Instruments

  • Drums & Percussion
    • Yamaha 9000 series kit /w Evans black gold heads
    • Ludwig 13” piccolo snare
    • LP Timbales
    • Paiste cymbals
  • Bass guitars:
    • Fender Jazz sunburst (sans pickguard)
    • Fender Precision sunburst (1970s, black pickguard): Adam Clayton’s, occasionally played by Bono
    • Gibson Thunderbird sunburst: possibly used someplace, pictured with Daniel Lanois
  • Guitars:
    • 1973 Fender Stratocaster: The Edge’s main
    • 1961 Fender Telecaster (natural): The Edge’s. Bono is seen playing this guitar in a few photos as well.
    • Washburn Festival EA-40 electro-acoustic
    • 1959 Gretsch White Falcon: e.g. “Indian Summer Sky”
  • Guitar rig (The Edge):
    • Amplifiers:
      • Fender Bassman
      • Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus
    • Vox AC-30: Edge’s choice amp
  • Effects:
    • Electro-Harmonix Memory Man echo: around, but not used much at this point due to age
    • Korg SDD-3000 digital delay: Edge’s main echo unit on this album
    • MXR MX-129 Pitch Transposer
    • MXR compressor
  • Keyboards, synthesizers & samplers:
    • Fairlight CMI Series II/IIx: string sounds including ORCH5 preset on title track, played by Paul Barrett
    • Oberheim OB-8: seen in session footage, likely a spare
    • Yamaha DX7: main synthesizer, mostly played by Brian Eno
    • Yamaha CP-70B: Played by The Edge and Brian Eno, title track etc.

Recording & Studio equipment

Microphones:

  • AKG:
    • C-12: main mic for lead vocals at Slane Castle and Windmill Lane
    • C-414 EB: snare drum & possibly overheads
    • C-422 stereo: overheads
    • C-452: tom-toms, possibly hi-hats
  • Beyer:
    • M-88: Lanois’ choice on Edge’s guitar amps
  • Electrovoice RE-20: bass drum and bass guitar amplifiers
  • Neumann:
    • U47: occasional vocals
    • U67: occasional vocals
    • U87: bass guitar amplifiers
  • Sennheiser MD-421: used on LP timbales and percussion
  • Sony C-500: Edge’s guitar amps, lead vocals on “MLK”
  • Shure:
    • SM-57: occasionally used on Edge’s guitar amps
    • SM-58: used for ‘live’ guide vocals

Tape machines:

  • Multi-track:
    • Stephens 821-B 24-track: Slane Castle sessions, part of Effanel Music Portable system
    • Otari MTR-90 Mk. II 24-track with Dolby SP24 noise reduction: Windmill Lane
  • 2-track:
    • Nagra IV-S ¼-inch: Slane Castle, part of Effanel Music Portable System (“4th of July”)
    • Otari MTR-10 2-track: Windmill Lane
    • Sony PCM-F1 digital: Windmill Lane

Outboard gear (partial list):

  • Digital delays & processors
    • AMS DMX 15-80S: used on The Edge’s guitars for treatments and (occasionally) Bono’s lead vocals
    • Eventide H949 Harmonizer: Windmill Lane Studio 1, for detuning snares
    • Lexicon Prime Time Model 93: used on The Edge’s guitars for treatments
  • Compressors/limiters:
    • Teletronix LA-2A: Lanois’ own, shipped from Canada for Slane Castle sessions
    • UREI 1178 dual: Windmill Lane Studio 1
  • Reverberation:
    • AMS RMX-16 digital: Windmill Lane
    • EMT 140 ST stereo plates: Windmill Lane
    • Lexicon 224 digital: shimmer effects on “4th of July” etc.
    • Sony DRE-2000 digital: Windmill Lane Studio 1
  • Other:
    • Roland RE-301 Chorus Echo: Brian Eno’s, probably tape delay effects on “Wire” hi-hats
    • Neve 1066 pre-amps: Lanois’ own, shipped from Canada for sessions

Mixing consoles:

  • Slane Castle:
    • Sound Workshop custom 28-channel /w Series 30 modules: part of Effanel Music Portable system
    • TEAC Model 5 8-channel: used as sub-mixer for treatments(?) during Slane Castle sessions
  • Windmill Lane:
    • Solid State Logic SL-4000E: Windmill Lane Studio 1
    • Allen & Heath (Brenell) Ltd. mixer (model unknown): Windmill Lane Studio 2

Monitor speakers:

  • Auratone 5C
  • Rogers LS-3/5A: Slane castle
  • Yamaha NS-10
  • Ghetto blaster: Brian Eno’s preference for monitoring

Sources

Electronic Soundmaker & Computer Music, October 1984 (Brian Eno)

International Musician And Recording World (US edition), December 1984

International Musician And Recording World, January 1985

One Two Testing, January 1985 (The Edge)

Guitar Player, June 1985 (The Edge)

Modern Drummer, August 1985 (Larry Mullen)

Sound On Sound, September 1987 (Daniel Lanois)

Kevin Killen Gearspace Q&A

Daniel Lanois Gearspace Q&A

Various photos

The Making of Unforgettable Fire documentary

U2 – Pride (In The Name of Love) (Slane Castle video version)

Studio Sound, November 1984 (Windmill Lane info, page 60)

Recording Engineer/Producer, February 1982 (Effanel Music Portable system info, PDF page 23)

Cash Box, 12 November 1982 (Effanel Music Portable system info)

Billboard, 24 August 1985 (Effanel Music Portable system info)

U2 Stage and Studio (details on Edge’s guitars)

Kevin Killen talked about using the studio’s Eventide H910 on snares for Unforgettable Fire: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MieNXchP-Bs (studio reports indicate it was a H949 Harmonizer, however)

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