How It Was Recorded

The Cowsills · The Cowsills in Concert, 1969

Hair

Background vocal stackGuitarsBassDrum kitTape delayVerified2Reported14

What the sources do and do not say

Mix Classic Tracks article on the song, with quotes from engineer Angel Balestier and Bob Cowsill, recorded at TTG Studios in 1968. Most rows are the journalist's narrative and so reported; only Balestier's own quoted explanations are verified. The article gives no settings, and the console and 16-track machine are described as studio equipment without a stated use on this song, so they are omitted. The album title in the bundle is taken from the article (the stereo mix appeared on The Cowsills in Concert); the single itself had no album at the time.

Background vocal stack

The Cowsills

Microphone

Neumann U 47

Reported

Single mic placed in the centre of the room, with the family singing around it, for the background vocal stack.

Position
Centre of the room, family in a circle around it

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

Leslie Leslie speaker

Verified

The background vocal mic signal was sent through the studio Leslie speaker for each pass.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Emulation of this unit

IK Multimedia T-RackS Leslie

modulation

An officially licensed model of Leslie amplifiers and cabinets that can be put on any track, vocals included.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Mix effects

TTG Echo chamber

Reported

The Leslie-treated vocal mic was fed to the TTG echo chamber, and the chamber's return and the Leslie sound were put to tape together on a track apart from the lead vocal mic.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Covers this kind of unit

Universal Audio Capitol Chambers

reverb

A real Hollywood echo chamber of the same period, doing the same job of a hard room fed by a speaker and picked up by microphones; it is not a model of TTG's chamber.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Guitars

Bill and Bob Cowsill

Instrument

Gretsch Tennessean

Reported

Bob Cowsill's 1965 guitar for the electric parts.

Source: Mix, 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

Fender Twin Reverb

Reported

Amp for Bob's electric guitar parts.

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).

Recorded direct (DI), no amplifier

Reported

A direct signal was also taken from Bob's electric guitar rig using the alligator clip method.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

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

Microphone

Sony C-37P

Reported

Condenser mics on the acoustic guitars played by Bill and Bob for the rhythm track.

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

Mic on the Twin Reverb for Bob's electric 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.

Bass

Barry Cowsill

Instrument

Fender Jazz Bass

Reported

Barry Cowsill's bass on the backing track.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

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

Amplifier

Fender Bassman

Reported

Barry's bass amp, set to the drummer's left in the tracking room.

Position
To the left of the drum kit

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Emulation of this unit

Native Instruments Guitar Rig 7 Pro

amp and cabinet simulator

Its Tweedman amp is modelled on the Fender Bassman.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Also worth a look: IK Multimedia AmpliTube 5 (Includes Fender-style tweed amp models; an official Bassman model is sold as an add-on collection).

Recorded direct (DI), no amplifier

Verified

Bass was taken direct from the back of the amp cabinet with alligator clips and a pad into a console mic input.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

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

Drum kit

John Cowsill

Instrument

Ludwig Drum kit

Reported

John Cowsill's kit, set up in the middle of the room facing the control room.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Approximate

Toontrack Superior Drummer 3

drum instrument

A sampled drum instrument. It does not claim to be this kit or drum.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Microphone

Sony C37A

Reported

Used as a pair of overhead mics on the kit.

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 Unidyne 545 SD

Reported

Snare 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.

Shure Unidyne 545

Reported

Second 545 placed inside the kick drum, wrapped in a blanket.

Position
Inside the kick drum, wrapped in a blanket

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.

Tape delay

Mix effects

TEAC Tape machine (model not stated)

Reported

Tape delay on the tail end of the song, from the machine linked to the echo chamber.

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 Track: The Cowsills, “Hair”, Mix, 2018-09-06. 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.

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