How It Was Recorded

Bush · Sixteen Stone, 1996

Glycerine

Lead vocalRossdale's guitarsStrings and tapeVerified3Reported4

What the sources do and do not say

One Mix Classic Tracks article with Gavin Rossdale, Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley. The Distressor and Marshall amp rows are album-level, since the speakers talk about the record's sessions generally. The string microphones are the writer's hedged statement, not a producer's. The Neve VR console, Sennheiser 421 and Shure 57 are mentioned without a stated function and are left out.

Lead vocal

Gavin Rossdale

Microphone

Neumann U 87

Reported

Sat at the front of Rossdale's vocal chain on this recording.

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.

Input chain

Empirical Labs Distressor

VerifiedAlbum sessions

Album sessions, not stated for this song: Rented that year and used by the engineer to compress Rossdale's vocals; the studio then bought two.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Emulation of this unit

Universal Audio Empirical Labs EL8 Distressor

compressor

Model of the Distressor made with Empirical Labs.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Also worth a look: Empirical Labs Arousor (Empirical Labs' own plugin, built on the Distressor design rather than copying one unit).

Rossdale's guitars

Gavin Rossdale

Amplifier

Marshall 100

VerifiedAlbum sessions

Album sessions, not stated for this song: Used first for most of Rossdale's guitars, before they were redone with a Marshall 50.

Source: Mix, 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).

Marshall 50

VerifiedAlbum sessions

Album sessions, not stated for this song: A trial track through it sounded better, so all of Rossdale's guitars were redone through it in a day.

Source: Mix, 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).

Strings and tape

Microphone

Neumann U 87

Reported

Believed to have been used on the viola and violin parts, per the writer's hedged statement.

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 U 47

Reported

Believed to have been used on the cello part, per the writer's hedged statement.

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.

Input chain

Studer A800

Reported

The 24-track machine that Glycerine was recorded on.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Emulation of this unit

Universal Audio Studer A800 Tape Recorder

tape

Made with Studer as a model of the A800 multitrack.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Sources

  1. Classic Tracks: Bush's "Glycerine", Mix, 2024-01-26. 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.