How It Was Recorded

Don McLean · American Pie, 1971

American Pie

Lead vocalAcoustic guitarElectric guitarBass guitarDrum kitPianoRecording chainVerified1Reported9Inferred1

What the sources do and do not say

Both Classic Tracks pieces (Sound On Sound 2012, Mix 2005) were read in full and rest on interviews with engineer Tom Flye and producer Ed Freeman. Flye hedges most of his microphone recollections, so those rows are marked hedged. Neither piece gives preamp, outboard or mix settings for this song, and no microphone positions or distances are stated.

Lead vocal

Don McLean

Microphone

Neumann U 87

Verified

Microphone on McLean's lead vocal, which was sung live in a booth with his acoustic guitar.

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.

Acoustic guitar

Don McLean

Microphone

AKG 452

Reported

Flye is pretty sure he used two microphones on the acoustic guitar, one of them an AKG 452. (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.

Neumann KM 84

Reported

Flye is pretty sure he used two microphones on the acoustic guitar, the second being a Neumann KM84. (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.

Electric guitar

David Spinozza

Microphone

Neumann U 87

Reported

Microphone on Spinozza's electric guitar.

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.

Bass guitar

Bob Rothstein

Amplifier

Recorded direct (DI), no amplifier

Reported

The bass was recorded direct rather than through a microphone.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

No plugin suggested. Recorded direct, so there is no amp to model. Leave the amp simulator off.

Drum kit

Roy Markowitz

Microphone

Electro-Voice 666

InferredUsual practice

Usual practice, not stated for this record: Flye says he might have used an EV 666 on the kick drum, with only three tracks available for drums.

A suggestion, not a documented fact: Tom Flye describes this as usual practice; it is not stated for this record.

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 KM 84

Reported

Flye remembers probably using a KM84 on the snare.

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 87

Reported

Flye remembers probably using two U87s over the toms, which also picked up the cymbals.

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

Paul Griffin

Microphone

Neumann U 87

Reported

A pair of microphones on 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.

Recording chain

Input chain

Spectra Sonics Console (model not stated)

Reported

The 32-input console in Record Plant Studio A used to record the session.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

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

Ampex MM-1000

ReportedAlbum sessions

Album sessions, not stated for this song: The studio's control room recorder was a 16-track Ampex MM-1000.

Source: Mix, 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).

Sources

  1. Classic Tracks: Don McLean's "American Pie", Mix, 2005-01. Accessed 15 Nov 2026.
  2. Classic Tracks: Don McLean 'American Pie', Sound On Sound, 2012-03. 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.

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