Here comes the sun by The Beatles: studio, gear and credits

Here comes the sun by The Beatles: recorded at Abbey Road Studios (Studio 2), London, England, produced by George Martin, engineered by Geoff Emerick, Phil McDonald. See the credits and gear, then recreate the sound in your DAW.

Details

Song: Here Comes the Sun
Artist: The Beatles
Genre / Style: Folk Rock / Pop Rock
Date(s) Recorded: July 7, 8, 16; August 6, 11, 15, 19, 1969
Original Record Company & Catalog #: Apple Records / PCS 7088
Release Date: September 26, 1969
YouTube Search: Listen on YouTube

Personnel and session credits

Producer(s): George Martin
Chief Recording Engineer(s): Geoff Emerick, Phil McDonald
Mixing Engineer(s): Geoff Emerick, Phil McDonald
Mastering Engineer(s): Wally Traugott
Musicians & Session Performers:

George Harrison - Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Moog Modular Synthesizer, Handclaps
Paul McCartney - Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals, Handclaps
Ringo Starr - Drums, Handclaps
George Martin - Harmonium, Orchestral Arrangement & Conductor

Studio and recording technology

Tracking Studio & Room: Abbey Road Studios (Studio 2), London, England
Key Outboard Processors & Hardware Units:

Altec 436C (Tube Compressor): Tamed collective dynamic transients on the orchestral strings and woodwind stem

Reported gear and setup (not independently verified)

Mixing / Overdub Studio: Abbey Road Studios (Studio 2 & Room 4), London, England
Mixing Console / Desk: EMI TG12345 Mk I
Multitrack Tape Machine & Format: 3M M23 8-Track (1-inch @ 15 IPS)
Studio Monitors: Tannoy Dual Concentric 15" (Lockwood LE1 Enclosures)
Key Outboard Processors & Hardware Units:

Fairchild 660 (Tube Limiter): Tightly clamped vocal dynamics and controlled acoustic guitar transients during tracking and reduction
EMI RS124 (Vari-Mu Tube Compressor): Provided smooth, sustained leveling on McCartney's bass guitar line
EMT 140 (Plate Reverb): Added controlled stereo spatial ambience across lead vocal and acoustic stems

Synthesizers, Drum Machines & Electronic Instruments:

Moog Modular System IIIp (Modular Synthesizer): Generated portamento pitch glides, filtered ribbon sweeps, and melodic counterpoint fills through low-pass ladder filters directly into desk channels

Signal chains covered in the full track sheet

Instrument-by-instrument recording pathways, including: Acoustic Guitar (George Harrison), Electric Bass (Paul McCartney), Drums (Ringo Starr), Moog Synthesizer (George Harrison), Harmonium (George Martin), Lead Vocals (George Harrison), Backing Vocals (Paul McCartney & George Harrison), Orchestral Strings & Woodwinds, Handclaps (Harrison, McCartney, Starr).

Want to sound like Here comes the sun?
Get the full signal chains and a step-by-step plugin recreation for Logic Pro, Ableton, Pro Tools and more.
Open the full track sheet

More from the archive