How It Was Recorded

Elton John · Album, 1972

Honky Château

This is an album-level record: the sources describe how the album as a whole was recorded, not one song. Where a detail belongs to a single song, the row says so.

Songs this record stands for: Honky Cat, Rocket Man. We found nothing specific to these songs, so this album record is the closest account we have.

Lead vocalBanjoDrumsPiano and RhodesHornsVerified5Reported6

What the sources do and do not say

One Mix Classic Tracks article, read in full. Only the banjo and Olsson's drum kit are tied to this song; Scott's mic choices describe the Honky Château sessions and many are hedged. No preamp, console or tape machine could be listed as the console and recorder are uncertain in the article.

Lead vocal

Elton John

Microphone

Neumann U 67

Reported

Engineer is unsure whether the lead vocal mic was a Neumann U 67 or an AKG C12, but says the same mic was used throughout. (recalled with uncertainty)

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

No plugin suggested. Microphone-modelling plugins only work with their own matched hardware microphone, so there is no plugin to link. Placement and the room matter more than the model.

Banjo

Davey Johnstone

Instrument

Unidentified Banjo (model not stated)

VerifiedOne song

Johnstone played banjo on this song, an idea he had while Elton John was writing it.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

No plugin suggested. The source does not name the model, so no specific plugin can be suggested.

Drums

Nigel Olsson

Instrument

Premier Drum kit (model not stated)

VerifiedOne song

Olsson played a mixed kit of Premier drums, including a couple of concert toms tuned very low, when recording this song.

Settings
Two concert toms tuned way down low

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Approximate

Toontrack Superior Drummer 3

drum instrument

A sampled drum instrument. It does not claim to be this kit or drum.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Microphone

AKG D12

Reported

The engineer thinks this was probably the bass drum mic.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

No plugin suggested. Microphone-modelling plugins only work with their own matched hardware microphone, so there is no plugin to link. Placement and the room matter more than the model.

Neumann KM 56

Reported

The engineer thinks the snare mic was probably either a KM 56 or a KM 54.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

No plugin suggested. Microphone-modelling plugins only work with their own matched hardware microphone, so there is no plugin to link. Placement and the room matter more than the model.

Unidentified Ribbon microphone (model not stated)

Reported

The engineer thinks ribbon mics were probably used as drum overheads.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

No plugin suggested. Microphone-modelling plugins only work with their own matched hardware microphone, so there is no plugin to link. Placement and the room matter more than the model.

Piano and Rhodes

Elton John

Instrument

Fender Rhodes

Verified

Overdubbed by Elton John after the master of the basic track had been recorded.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Emulation of this unit

Arturia Stage-73 V

instrument

A physical model of the Rhodes Stage and Suitcase electric pianos.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Microphone

Neumann U 67

Verified

Covered the low end of the piano, through one of two holes in an isolation box built over it at the Château.

Position
Through one of two holes in a box built over the piano

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

No plugin suggested. Microphone-modelling plugins only work with their own matched hardware microphone, so there is no plugin to link. Placement and the room matter more than the model.

Neumann KM 56

Verified

Covered the high end of the piano, through the second hole in the isolation box.

Position
Through one of two holes in a box built over the piano

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

No plugin suggested. Microphone-modelling plugins only work with their own matched hardware microphone, so there is no plugin to link. Placement and the room matter more than the model.

Horns

Local horn players

Microphone

Neumann U 67

Reported

The engineer says the saxophones would have been recorded with U 67s. (recalled with uncertainty)

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

No plugin suggested. Microphone-modelling plugins only work with their own matched hardware microphone, so there is no plugin to link. Placement and the room matter more than the model.

Coles 4038

Reported

The engineer says the trumpet and trombone were recorded with Coles 4038s or some other ribbon. (recalled with uncertainty)

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

No plugin suggested. Microphone-modelling plugins only work with their own matched hardware microphone, so there is no plugin to link. Placement and the room matter more than the model.

Sources

  1. Classic Track: “Honky Cat,” Elton John, Mix, 2016-02-09. Accessed 15 Nov 2026.
Verified

Stated by the engineer, producer or artist, or by the manufacturer.

Reported

Stated by a reputable secondary source.

Inferred

An educated suggestion, not a documented fact.

Disclosure: plugin links currently go straight to the maker and earn us nothing. If that changes, affiliate links will be marked here. Suggestions are chosen on fit, never on commission, and are kept separate from the recording facts. More.