How It Was Recorded

Madness · Album, 1982

The Rise & Fall

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: Our House. We found nothing specific to this song, so this album record is the closest account we have.

Lead vocalGuitarBassDrum kitPianoSaxophone and trumpetStrings (Our House)Console and tapeVerified10Reported14

What the sources do and do not say

One Sound On Sound Classic Tracks piece (Buskin, June 2006) with Alan Winstanley and Clive Langer. Nearly all gear statements describe The Rise And Fall sessions at AIR and Genetic rather than 'Our House' alone, so this is an album record; only the string-section miking is tied to the song. Several mic and amp rows are the journalist's narrative (reported), not the engineer's words.

Lead vocal

Suggs

Microphone

Neumann U 47

Reported

Microphone Suggs sang into for his vocals, described as a valve model, in the article's account of the album sessions.

Source: Sound On Sound, 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.

Guitar

Chris Foreman

Amplifier

Fender Twin

Reported

One of Foreman's two guitar amps, each recorded with a Sennheiser 421 and Shure SM57 combination.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Covers this kind of unit

IK Multimedia AmpliTube 5

amp and cabinet simulator

An amp and cabinet simulator that covers a wide range of amplifiers and speaker cabinets of this kind. It is not a model of this unit, so pick the nearest one in it by ear.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Also worth a look: Native Instruments Guitar Rig 7 Pro (An amp and cabinet simulator that covers a wide range of amplifiers and speaker cabinets of this kind. It is not a model of this unit, so pick the nearest one in it by ear).

Mesa/Boogie Guitar amplifier (model not stated)

Reported

The second of Foreman's two guitar amps, recorded with a Sennheiser 421 and Shure SM57 combination.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Covers this kind of unit

IK Multimedia AmpliTube 5

amp and cabinet simulator

An amp and cabinet simulator that covers a wide range of amplifiers and speaker cabinets of this kind. It is not a model of this unit, so pick the nearest one in it by ear.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Also worth a look: Native Instruments Guitar Rig 7 Pro (An amp and cabinet simulator that covers a wide range of amplifiers and speaker cabinets of this kind. It is not a model of this unit, so pick the nearest one in it by ear).

Microphone

Sennheiser MD 421

Reported

Used together with an SM57 on each of Foreman's two guitar amps.

Source: Sound On Sound, 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. The MD 421 is still made.

Shure SM57

Reported

Used together with a 421 on each of Foreman's two guitar amps.

Source: Sound On Sound, 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. The SM57 is still made and inexpensive: the real thing is the practical route.

Bass

Mark Bedford

Amplifier

Ampeg B-15

Reported

Bass rig for Bedford, recorded by microphone.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Covers this kind of unit

IK Multimedia AmpliTube 5

amp and cabinet simulator

An amp and cabinet simulator that covers a wide range of amplifiers and speaker cabinets of this kind. It is not a model of this unit, so pick the nearest one in it by ear.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Also worth a look: Native Instruments Guitar Rig 7 Pro (An amp and cabinet simulator that covers a wide range of amplifiers and speaker cabinets of this kind. It is not a model of this unit, so pick the nearest one in it by ear).

Microphone

Neumann U 47 fet

Reported

Microphone on the Ampeg B15 bass rig.

Source: Sound On Sound, 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.

Drum kit

Dan Woodgate

Instrument

Ludwig Black Beauty snare

Verified

Snare drum rented in for the album sessions that became a staple of the producers' drum sound.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Approximate

Toontrack Superior Drummer 3

drum instrument

Sampled acoustic kits you can tune, swap and balance mic by mic. No library of this exact drum was confirmed, so choose the nearest by ear.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Microphone

AKG D12

Verified

Bass drum microphone during the period of these sessions.

Source: Sound On Sound, 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.

Shure SM57

Verified

Pair of microphones on the snare drum.

Position
One on top of the snare, one underneath

Source: Sound On Sound, 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. The SM57 is still made and inexpensive: the real thing is the practical route.

Sennheiser MD 421

Verified

Tom-tom microphones.

Source: Sound On Sound, 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. The MD 421 is still made.

Coles Microphone (model not stated)

Verified

Overhead microphones, provided by the studio.

Source: Sound On Sound, 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 U 87

Verified

Room microphones for the drum kit.

Source: Sound On Sound, 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 Rifle microphone (model not stated)

Reported

Extra room microphone aimed at the kit to pick out the snare; Winstanley is unsure it worked but says it sounded fine. (recalled with uncertainty)

Position
Positioned high, pointing down on the kit

Source: Sound On Sound, 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

Mike Barson

Instrument

Bösendorfer Grand piano

Verified

Barson's main instrument, deliberately made to sound cheap and metallic, with drawing pins in the hammers on some songs.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Approximate

Arturia Piano V

instrument

A modelled piano instrument. It is not a recording or model of this particular piano.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Microphone

Neumann U 87

Reported

Pair of microphones on the piano.

Source: Sound On Sound, 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.

Saxophone and trumpet

Lee Thompson and Chas Smash

Microphone

Neumann U 87

Reported

Microphones the sax and the trumpet both went through.

Source: Sound On Sound, 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.

Mix effects

Eventide Harmonizer (model not stated)

Verified

Used heavily on the saxophone, according to the engineer's account of the mix.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Covers this kind of unit

Eventide H910 Harmonizer

multi-effect

Eventide's own plugin of the H910, its first Harmonizer. The source does not name the model, so this stands for the maker's family of units: it is not a model of the one on the record.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Also worth a look: Eventide H3000 Factory Mk II (Eventide's own plugin of the later H3000 Harmonizer. The source does not name the model, so this stands for the maker's family of units: it is not a model of the one on the record).

Strings (Our House)

String section arranged by David Bedford

Microphone

Neumann U 87

ReportedOne song

One microphone per pair of the four first and four second violins on the string session.

Source: Sound On Sound, 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 U 87

ReportedOne song

Each of the four violas had its own microphone on the string session.

Source: Sound On Sound, 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 U 47 fet

ReportedOne song

Microphones on the two cellos on the string session.

Source: Sound On Sound, 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.

Console and tape

Input chain

Neve A7971

Reported

Custom-built 56-channel console in AIR Studio 1, where the album was recorded.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Approximate

Waves NLS Non-Linear Summer

console emulation

A console-summing plugin that includes one Neve desk. It gives a Neve flavour, not this console's channels.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Unidentified 16-track tape machine (model not stated)

Verified

Recorded the rhythm section, then was set aside and brought back at the mix for bass, drums and piano.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Approximate

Slate Digital Virtual Tape Machines

tape

Models two Studer machines, not this recorder. It gives the general behaviour of analogue multitrack tape.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Also worth a look: Universal Audio Studer A800 Tape Recorder (Models a Studer A800, not this recorder. It gives the general behaviour of analogue multitrack tape).

Mix effects

Solid State Logic E-series console

Verified

Console used to mix the album at Genetic, replacing an earlier MCI desk.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Emulation of this unit

Waves SSL E-Channel

channel strip

Made with SSL as a model of the 4000 E channel strip.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Also worth a look: Solid State Logic SSL Native Channel Strip 2 (SSL's own channel-strip plugin, based on a later desk).

Sources

  1. Classic Tracks: Madness 'Our House', Sound On Sound, 2006-06. 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.