Def Leppard Hysteria equipment

(date updated: 17/05/24)

Def Leppard Hysteria recording gear 2

Musical gear

Drums, samplers and percussion:

• Fairlight CMI Series III: used for most of the bass and drum programming, later transferred to Synclavier. Also for sampled sounds such as the ‘Screams5’ preset on “Excitable”
• Linn Electronics LinnDrum: originally used for guide tracks, kept for percussion sounds on “Love Bites” and “Rocket”
• New England Digital Synclavier PSMT: brought in towards the end of the album after sync issues with the Fairlight, used for drum programming
• Simmons SDS-9 (or SDS-7) electronic drum kit /w Shark pedals: Rick Allen’s, linked to Fairlight and later Synclavier for drum programming

Guitars:

• Charvel Dinky: Mutt Lange’s, borrowed for sessions
• Hamer Blitz custom(?): Steve Clark's
• Gibson Firebird: Steve Clark’s, e.g. “Love And Affection”
• Gibson Les Paul XR-1: Steve Clark’s
• Gibson Les Paul Custom: Steve Clark's
•  1978 Fender Stratocaster (a.k.a. “Felix”): Phil Collen’s, main guitar on the album
• Fender Telecaster (specs unknown): Mutt Lange’s, borrowed
• Jackson Black Cracklejack Soloist: Phil Collen’s, “Pour Some Sugar On Me” intro riff

Guitar rig:

• Amplifiers:
• Gallien-Krueger (250-LR head?): Phil Collen’s, used on “Animal” and “Love Bites”
• Marshall 50-Watt head: Phil Collen’s, used for “Animal” guitar solo alongside Rockman
• Marshall JCM 800 Lead Series 1959 Super Lead amp head
• Tom Scholz Rockman (modified)
•  JHS Rock Box
• Effects:
• Boss overdrive
• Ibanez Tube Screamer
• Unidentified distortion pedal (possibly Dallas Rangemaster?) – loaned from Brian May¹

Bass guitars:

• Hamer Blitz

Miscellaneous:

• Unidentified vocoder: detuned vocal on “Love Bites”
• Yamaha DX7: 'bass 1' preset on “Women”

Recording & Studio equipment

Microphones:

• Neumann U47 (vocals)
• Neumann U67 (vocals)
• Neumann U87 (vocals)

Tape recorders:

• Multi-track:
• Studer A800 Mk. III 24-track (x2, synchronised with Q-lock)
• Mitsubishi X-850 32-track digital
• 2-track:
• Mitsubishi X-80
• Sony PCM-1630/DMR-2000 system

Outboard gear (partial list):

• AMS DMX 15-80S digital delay
• AMS RMX-16 digital reverb
• Eventide H910 Harmonizer
• Eventide H949 Harmonizer
• Lexicon 224 digital reverb
  
• Lexicon PCM-70 processor
• Roland SBF-325 flanger
• Orban parametric EQ: vocals at Windmill Lane
• UREI 1176 compressor: vocals

Mixing consoles:

• Polygram custom 40-channel: Wisseloord Studios
• Polygram custom 32-channel /w Storemix automation: Studio Des Dames
• Solid State Logic:
• SL-4048E 48-channel: Wisseloord Studio 2
• SL-4000E 56-channel: Wisseloord Studio 1
• Unknown 64-channel: final mixing at Mutt Lange’s home studio
• Soundcraft TS-24 /w Audio Kinetics Mastermix automation: Windmill Lane Studio 2

Sources (except where noted)

Nigel Green Interview on Hysteria (alongside additional info from Nigel himself)

Various photos

Mike Shipley TapeOp magazine interview

Mike Shipley gearspace posts (1, 2)

Phil Collen Interview on making Hysteria (Guitar World)

International Musician & Recording World, October 1987

Guitarist, July 1988

Guitarist, October 2017

Def Leppard 1987 flyer and Phonogram report (Rick Allen’s Simmons set)

Modern Drummer, March 1988

Making of “Rocket” (Music Radar)

Recording Engineer/Producer, February 1988 (page 85 PDF) (Windmill Lane Studio info)

Music & Media, 26 September 1987 (Wisseloord Studio info)

Studio Sound, December 1987 (Studio Des Dames info)

Studio Sound, November 1986 (Battery Studios advert)

Additional information from Ronald Prent, Phil Nicholas & Pete Woolliscroft

--