How It Was Recorded

Phil Collins · Face Value, 1981

In the Air Tonight

Lead vocalGuitarDrumsKeyboardsTape machinesVerified4Reported11

What the sources do and do not say

Single source: Mix Classic Tracks (2005) with Collins and Hugh Padgham quoted at length; it covers drums, vocal chain, synths and tape formats but no console, bass or piano gear. Drum, vocal and room-mic equipment lists are in the journalist's narrative so are marked reported. The guitarist is spelled Steurmer in the article; Stuermer is used here. The SOS Inside Track candidate was fetched and does not discuss this record.

Lead vocal

Phil Collins

Microphone

beyerdynamic M 88

Reported

Microphone used for the vocal 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

Allen & Heath Limiter (model not stated)

Reported

Inexpensive limiter on the vocal; a slow attack let the sharp start of consonants through, which gave the guttural sound.

Settings
Slow attack, fast release

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

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

Unidentified Vocoder (model not stated)

Verified

Vocoder effect on the words "I remember" in the second verse.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

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

Guitar

Daryl Stuermer

Input chain

Unidentified Digital delay (model not stated)

Reported

Padgham thinks the echo on the guitar was probably a digital delay, and says the delay on "I remember" was set a little too fast for the track.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Covers this kind of unit

Soundtoys PrimalTap

delay

Models an early studio digital delay, the Lexicon Prime Time, so it has the same grainy, band-limited repeats. It is not a model of the unit on the record, which the source does not name.

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Drums

Phil Collins

Instrument

Roland CR-78

Verified

Supplied the drum pattern the song grew from; Collins programmed a bass drum part into it and kept the rest of the existing pattern.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Emulation of this unit

Roland Roland Cloud

instrument

Roland's own subscription, which includes its software version of this drum machine.

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Microphone

Neumann U 87

Reported

Pair of room microphones on the drum kit, placed far from the drums.

Position
12 or 15 feet from the drums

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.

STC Ball and Biscuit

Reported

Studio reverse-talkback room microphone, fed through a very heavy compressor, used as a drum room 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 U 47

Reported

Close microphone on the bass drum, mixed in lightly under the room mics for extra snap.

Position
Close on the bass drum

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.

Shure SM57

Reported

Close microphone on the snare drum, mixed in lightly under the room mics for extra snap.

Position
Close on the snare drum

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. The SM57 is still made and inexpensive: the real thing is the practical route.

Input chain

UREI 1176

Reported

Compressed the two U87 room microphones on the drums.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Emulation of this unit

Universal Audio 1176 Classic Limiter Collection

compressor

Models several revisions of the 1176, including the blackface units.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Also worth a look: Waves CLA-76 Compressor / Limiter (Models two 1176 revisions (blacky and bluey)).

Keyboards

Phil Collins

Instrument

Sequential Circuits Prophet 5

Verified

Source of the main synth sound of the song, which Collins says he got working at home.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Emulation of this unit

Arturia Prophet-5 V

instrument

An emulation of the Prophet-5.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Also worth a look: u-he Repro (Includes Repro-5, a component-level model of the Prophet-5).

Fender Rhodes

Verified

Stereo Rhodes was one of the eight demo tracks carried over when the demo was transferred to 16-track.

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.

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Tape machines

Input chain

Brennell 1-inch 8-track recorder (model not stated)

Reported

Analogue 8-track recorder on which the drum-machine-based song was recorded as the demo foundation.

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).

Ampex MM1200

ReportedAlbum sessions

24-track analogue machine on which the album was recorded.

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).

Mix effects

Ampex ATR-100

ReportedAlbum sessions

Quarter-inch two-track machine the album was mixed down to.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Emulation of this unit

Universal Audio Ampex ATR-102 Mastering Tape Recorder

tape

Made with Ampex as a model of the ATR-102 mastering recorder.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Sources

  1. Classic Tracks: Phil Collins' "In the Air Tonight", Mix, 2005-05. 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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