How It Was Recorded

Hozier · Hozier, 2013

Take Me to Church

VocalsGuitarBass and synth bassDrumsOrgan and pianoStereo mixVerified32Reported2

What the sources do and do not say

Sound On Sound Secrets of the Mix Engineers with Rob Kirwan, who produced, recorded and mixed the record; it walks through the Pro Tools session for this song. Several rows describe Kirwan's chains for the Hozier sessions generally and are marked album-level. Andrew Scheps also mixed the song for the US label, but that mix was not used. Sources do not state microphone positions or most settings.

Vocals

Hozier

Microphone

Neumann CMV563

VerifiedAlbum sessions

Album sessions, not stated for this song: Main vocal microphone for Hozier, fitted with an M7 capsule and run through a Martech preamp, giving a pleasing distortion on loud singing.

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.

Sennheiser M441

VerifiedAlbum sessions

Album sessions, not stated for this song: Safety microphone placed on Hozier's voice alongside the main mic, blended with it at the mix (the preamp on it was a 1071).

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.

Input chain

Martech MSS10

VerifiedAlbum sessions

Album sessions, not stated for this song: Preamp in the CMV563 vocal chain, which distorted in a way Kirwan liked when Hozier sang loudly.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

No plugin suggested. No plugin equivalent mapped yet.

Inward Connections Vac Rac

VerifiedAlbum sessions

Album sessions, not stated for this song: EQ on Hozier's vocals in the recording chain.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

No plugin suggested. No plugin equivalent mapped yet.

Teletronix LA-2A

VerifiedAlbum sessions

Album sessions, not stated for this song: Compressor on Hozier's vocals while tracking.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Emulation of this unit

Universal Audio Teletronix LA-2A Leveler Collection

compressor

Universal Audio owns the Teletronix name; this is its own model of the LA-2A.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Also worth a look: Waves CLA-2A Compressor / Limiter (Models an LA-2A from Chris Lord-Alge's collection. Cheaper and runs without UA hardware).

Mix effects

Knas Ekdahl Moisturizer

Verified

Spring reverb on its own aux track for the lead vocal in this song's session.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

No plugin suggested. No plugin equivalent mapped yet.

Audio Ease Altiverb

Verified

Plug-in plate reverb (an EMT plate preset) on a vocal plate aux in this session.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

No plugin suggested. This is already software, so the stand-in is the thing itself. No product link has been added for it yet.

Line 6 Echo Farm

Verified

Delay plug-in on a vocal delay aux track and as slap delay on backing vocals in this song.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

No plugin suggested. This is already software, so the stand-in is the thing itself. No product link has been added for it yet.

Waves Renaissance Compressor

Verified

Compression on the verse lead vocals in this song's session.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

The plugin used on the record

Waves Renaissance Compressor

compressor

The plugin used on the record.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Soundtoys Echoboy

Verified

Delay on the aux tracks for the backing 'tele' vocals in this song.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

The plugin used on the record

Soundtoys EchoBoy

delay

The plugin named in the source.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Guitar

Hozier

Instrument

Eastwood Airline

VerifiedAlbum sessions

Kirwan's own guitar that Hozier loved and used prominently across the album.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

No plugin suggested. A guitar is the source of the sound, not a process applied to it. No plugin stands in for it.

Amplifier

Vox AC15

VerifiedAlbum sessions

Album sessions, not stated for this song: Hand-wired amp that the guitar chain fed.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Approximate

IK Multimedia AmpliTube 5

amp and cabinet simulator

An amp and cabinet simulator covering this style of amplifier. Whether this exact model is included was not checked.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Also worth a look: Native Instruments Guitar Rig 7 Pro (An amp and cabinet simulator covering this style of amplifier. Whether this exact model is included was not checked).

Input chain

Electro-Harmonix Memory Man

VerifiedAlbum sessions

Album sessions, not stated for this song: First pedal in the guitar chain, run with the gain pushed up.

Settings
Gain turned up loud

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Approximate

Native Instruments Guitar Rig 7 Pro

amp and cabinet simulator

Includes a range of modelled pedals. Whether this exact pedal is among them was not checked.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

ProCo Rat

VerifiedAlbum sessions

Distortion pedal in the album's guitar chain.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Approximate

Native Instruments Guitar Rig 7 Pro

amp and cabinet simulator

Includes a range of modelled pedals. Whether this exact pedal is among them was not checked.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Knas Ekdahl Moisturizer

VerifiedAlbum sessions

Album sessions, not stated for this song: Spring reverb at the end of the guitar chain.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

No plugin suggested. No plugin equivalent mapped yet.

Bass and synth bass

Rob Kirwan

Instrument

Sequential Circuits Pro One

ReportedAlbum sessions

Album sessions, not stated for this song: Synth that became a big part of the bottom-end sound on the record; Kirwan says he tends to record it direct. (recalled with uncertainty)

Position
Recorded direct (DI)

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Emulation of this unit

u-he Repro

instrument

Includes Repro-1, a component-level model of the Pro-One.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Amplifier

Ampeg SVT

VerifiedAlbum sessions

Album sessions, not stated for this song: 1970s bass amp used for the bass guitar.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Emulation of this unit

Plugin Alliance Ampeg SVT-VR Classic

bass amp simulator

Officially licensed model of the SVT head and its 8x10 cabinet.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Also worth a look: Universal Audio Ampeg SVT-VR Bass Amp (Officially licensed SVT model for UAD and Apollo systems).

Microphone

Neumann U 47 fet

VerifiedAlbum sessions

Album sessions, not stated for this song: Microphone on the SVT bass amp.

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.

Input chain

Neve 1073

VerifiedAlbum sessions

Album sessions, not stated for this song: Preamp for the bass amp microphone.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Emulation of this unit

Universal Audio Neve 1073 Preamp & EQ Collection

preamp and EQ

Made with AMS Neve as a model of the 1073 preamp and equaliser.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Also worth a look: Waves Scheps 73 (Models the 1073's preamp and equaliser, made with Andrew Scheps).

Teletronix LA-2A

VerifiedAlbum sessions

Album sessions, not stated for this song: Compressor on the bass after the preamp.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Emulation of this unit

Universal Audio Teletronix LA-2A Leveler Collection

compressor

Universal Audio owns the Teletronix name; this is its own model of the LA-2A.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Also worth a look: Waves CLA-2A Compressor / Limiter (Models an LA-2A from Chris Lord-Alge's collection. Cheaper and runs without UA hardware).

Drums

Drummer not named

Microphone

Neumann CMV563

VerifiedAlbum sessions

Album sessions, not stated for this song: Used with the M7 capsule as an ambient drum mic feeding the Fatso chain.

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.

Input chain

Empirical Labs Fatso Junior

Verified

Heavily compressed ambient-mic drum track, the main character of the drum sound in this song's session.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

No plugin suggested. No plugin equivalent mapped yet.

Mix effects

Focusrite Red EQ

Verified

EQ plug-in on the kick and snare tracks and samples in this song.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

No plugin suggested. This is already software, so the stand-in is the thing itself. No product link has been added for it yet.

Drawmer Gate (model not stated)

Verified

Gate on one of the snare tracks and the M58 track.

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.

Audio Ease Altiverb

Verified

Plate reverb (EMT Wendy Carlos preset) on the 'Kit Plate' aux for the whole kit.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

No plugin suggested. This is already software, so the stand-in is the thing itself. No product link has been added for it yet.

Organ and piano

Hozier

Microphone

Sontronics Delta

Verified

Ribbon microphone paired with the 57 on the amplified organ tracks.

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

Trillium Lane Labs TL Aggro

Verified

Compression plug-in on the distorted organ track, alongside a Pultec-style EQ.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

No plugin suggested. This is already software, so the stand-in is the thing itself. No product link has been added for it yet.

Eventide H3000

Reported

Kirwan believes one of Hozier's Logic organs was put through his H3000 for the 'Organ 3000' track.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Emulation of this unit

Eventide H3000 Factory Mk II

multi-effect

Eventide's own plugin version of the H3000.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Focusrite Red EQ

Verified

EQ plug-in on the piano tracks in this song.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

No plugin suggested. This is already software, so the stand-in is the thing itself. No product link has been added for it yet.

Stereo mix

Mix effects

Neve 33609

Verified

The J version of the Neve compressor on the stereo mix.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Emulation of this unit

Universal Audio Neve Dynamics Collection (33609)

compressor

The collection includes a model of the 33609 stereo compressor.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Manley Massive Passive

Verified

Tube EQ after the compressor on the stereo mix.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Emulation of this unit

Universal Audio Manley Massive Passive EQ

equaliser

Made with Manley as a model of the Massive Passive.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Klein + Hummel Mastering EQ

Verified

First solid-state Klein+Hummel EQs, the last stage of the stereo mix chain.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

No plugin suggested. No plugin equivalent mapped yet.

Burl B2 Bomber

Verified

Used to record the stereo mix back into the Pro Tools session.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

No plugin suggested. A converter between analogue and digital. Your audio interface does this job, so no plugin is needed.

Massey L2007

Verified

Mastering limiter on one of the two stereo mix tracks to preview mastering.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

No plugin suggested. This is already software, so the stand-in is the thing itself. No product link has been added for it yet.

Sources

  1. Inside Track: Hozier 'Take Me To Church', Sound On Sound, 2015-03. 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.

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.