U2 – No Line On The Horizon album cover

U2 – No Line On The Horizon

Album 2009

The music gear and equipment used by the artists, producers, engineers, and more involved in the making of the 2009 album No Line On The Horizon.

Music from No Line On The Horizon

Gear Used On No Line On The Horizon

Explore the instruments, equipment, software, and production tools used in the making of U2 – No Line On The Horizon (2009). Click more on each item to see exactly how it was used.

Studio Equipment used by Adam Clayton on No Line On The Horizon

Mixers

Digidesign Control 24

Avg price: $220.00

Producer Declan Gaffney stated the following about the recording of No Line On The Horizon:

"We wanted to keep the recording setup small, so we just had a few microphones, a Control 24, Pro Tools, and three drives, so we could move easily and quickly between different songs. Other than Pro Tools, the recording setups for most of the sessions were pretty similar. Edge's old Neve desk was pulled apart for on-location recording, and its 1091 and 1093 mic preamps were racked. Everything was going through these mic pres, or a small Neve sidecar, then through any required outboard, and monitoring was via two Mackie 24-channel desks."

Effects Processors

AMS Neve 1091

Producer Declan Gaffney stated the following about the recording of No Line On The Horizon:

"We wanted to keep the recording setup small, so we just had a few microphones, a Control 24, Pro Tools, and three drives, so we could move easily and quickly between different songs. Other than Pro Tools, the recording setups for most of the sessions were pretty similar. Edge's old Neve desk was pulled apart for on-location recording, and its 1091 and 1093 mic preamps were racked. Everything was going through these mic pres, or a small Neve sidecar, then through any required outboard, and monitoring was via two Mackie 24-channel desks."

Effects Processors

AMS Neve 1093

Producer Declan Gaffney stated the following about the recording of No Line On The Horizon:

"We wanted to keep the recording setup small, so we just had a few microphones, a Control 24, Pro Tools, and three drives, so we could move easily and quickly between different songs. Other than Pro Tools, the recording setups for most of the sessions were pretty similar. Edge's old Neve desk was pulled apart for on-location recording, and its 1091 and 1093 mic preamps were racked. Everything was going through these mic pres, or a small Neve sidecar, then through any required outboard, and monitoring was via two Mackie 24-channel desks."

Effects Processors

Teletronix LA-2A Leveling Amplifier

Avg price: $5,474.55

Used on "Get On Your Boots", as stated by producer Declan Gaffney.

"Most of 'Get On Your Boots' was recorded in Dublin by Richard Rainey, and the basic backing tracks were done live, by the whole band together. (...) The microphone on the bass cabinet was a Shure SM7 going into a Neve preamp into an LA2A; the DI wasn't used. The SM7 was the only bass mic that was used on the whole record, it's great for bass guitar!"

Software Plugins and VSTs used by Adam Clayton on No Line On The Horizon

EQ Plugins

Digidesign Digirack EQ III

Used for No Line On the Horizon, particularly "Get On Your Boots".

Declan Gaffney's go-to processing for Adam Clayton's bass involves Digidesign's Digirack EQ, Cranesong's Phoenix Dark Essence (both top) and the Massey L2007 limiter (below). The Sansamp plug-in was used to dirty up the sound for four bars.

An image of the settings can be found here.

Saturation Plugins

Crane Song Phoenix

As stated by producer Declan Gaffney, the L2007 was used for "Get On Your Boots".

Declan Gaffney's go-to processing for Adam Clayton's bass involves Digidesign's Digirack EQ, Cranesong's Phoenix Dark Essence (both top) and the Massey L2007 limiter (below). The Sansamp plug-in was used to dirty up the sound for four bars.

The same plug-in was also used to master the track.

Declan Gaffney incorporated extensive master processing into his mix. Dynamic control was provided by the Waves SSL Master Bus Compressor and Massey L2007 limiter, while Waves' VEQ4 added tonal changes.

An image of the bass settings can be found here. An image of the mastering settings can be found here.

Compressor Plugins

Massey L2007

As stated by producer Declan Gaffney, the L2007 was used for "Get On Your Boots".

Declan Gaffney's go-to processing for Adam Clayton's bass involves Digidesign's Digirack EQ, Cranesong's Phoenix Dark Essence (both top) and the Massey L2007 limiter (below). The Sansamp plug-in was used to dirty up the sound for four bars.

The same plug-in was also used to master the track.

Declan Gaffney incorporated extensive master processing into his mix. Dynamic control was provided by the Waves SSL Master Bus Compressor and Massey L2007 limiter, while Waves' VEQ4 added tonal changes.

An image of the bass settings can be found here. An image of the mastering settings can be found here.

Distortion Plugins

Digidesign Bomb Factory Tech21 Sansamp PSA-1

Used for No Line On the Horizon, particularly "Get On Your Boots".

Declan Gaffney's go-to processing for Adam Clayton's bass involves Digidesign's Digirack EQ, Cranesong's Phoenix Dark Essence (both top) and the Massey L2007 limiter (below). The Sansamp plug-in was used to dirty up the sound for four bars.

An image of the settings can be found here.

Compressor Plugins

Waves SSL G-Master Buss Compressor

Avg price: $38.74

As stated by producer Declan Gaffney, the Waves SSL Master Bus Compressor was used for "Get On Your Boots".

Declan Gaffney incorporated extensive master processing into his mix. Dynamic control was provided by the Waves SSL Master Bus Compressor and Massey L2007 limiter, while Waves' VEQ4 added tonal changes.

An image of the settings can be found here.

Microphones used by Adam Clayton on No Line On The Horizon

Dynamic Microphones

Shure SM7

Avg price: $417.00

Used on No Line On the Horizon, as stated by producer Declan Gaffney.

"Most of 'Get On Your Boots' was recorded in Dublin by Richard Rainey, and the basic backing tracks were done live, by the whole band together. (...) The microphone on the bass cabinet was a Shure SM7 going into a Neve preamp into an LA2A; the DI wasn't used. The SM7 was the only bass mic that was used on the whole record, it's great for bass guitar!"

Effects Pedals used by The Edge on No Line On The Horizon

Fuzz Effects Pedals

Death By Audio Supersonic Fuzz Gun

Avg price: $260.00

Music Radar talked with The Edge's guitar tech, Dallas Schoo about this pedal, to which Dallas replied "Oh, they're great! We're using the Supersonic Fuzz Gun and the Harmonic Transformer. This guy, Ben Curtis - great guy - he makes these different distortion pedals and he turned us on to them...The Fuzz Gun is on No Line On The Horizon, that big intro sound. It's on Ultra-Violet, too - it's fantastic. The guy is always looking for something new that can create music, and he'll tinker with a pedal or a device for days until he can make it do something he wants."

Reverb Effects Pedals

Electro-Harmonix Holier Grail

Avg price: $100.00

Used for No Line on the Horizon and the U2 360° Tour, as is visible in the clip "Toilet Break" from U2's official website and this photo from a November 20, 2009 Twitter post. A screenshot of "Toilet Break" can be seen on U2: Stage and Studio.

Studio Equipment used by The Edge on No Line On The Horizon

Effects Processors

Line 6 POD Pro

Avg price: $179.12

The Edge used 2 of these, according to Premier Guitar's interview with Dallas Schoo. They can also be seen in a photo of the recording of No Line On The Horizon from Sound On Sound magazine.

Mixers

Digidesign Control 24

Avg price: $220.00

Producer Declan Gaffney stated the following about the recording of No Line On The Horizon:

"We wanted to keep the recording setup small, so we just had a few microphones, a Control 24, Pro Tools, and three drives, so we could move easily and quickly between different songs. Other than Pro Tools, the recording setups for most of the sessions were pretty similar. Edge's old Neve desk was pulled apart for on-location recording, and its 1091 and 1093 mic preamps were racked. Everything was going through these mic pres, or a small Neve sidecar, then through any required outboard, and monitoring was via two Mackie 24-channel desks."

Effects Processors

AMS Neve 1093

Producer Declan Gaffney stated the following about the recording of No Line On The Horizon:

"We wanted to keep the recording setup small, so we just had a few microphones, a Control 24, Pro Tools, and three drives, so we could move easily and quickly between different songs. Other than Pro Tools, the recording setups for most of the sessions were pretty similar. Edge's old Neve desk was pulled apart for on-location recording, and its 1091 and 1093 mic preamps were racked. Everything was going through these mic pres, or a small Neve sidecar, then through any required outboard, and monitoring was via two Mackie 24-channel desks."

Effects Processors

AMS Neve 1091

Producer Declan Gaffney stated the following about the recording of No Line On The Horizon:

"We wanted to keep the recording setup small, so we just had a few microphones, a Control 24, Pro Tools, and three drives, so we could move easily and quickly between different songs. Other than Pro Tools, the recording setups for most of the sessions were pretty similar. Edge's old Neve desk was pulled apart for on-location recording, and its 1091 and 1093 mic preamps were racked. Everything was going through these mic pres, or a small Neve sidecar, then through any required outboard, and monitoring was via two Mackie 24-channel desks."

Software Plugins and VSTs used by The Edge on No Line On The Horizon

EQ Plugins

Digidesign Digirack EQ III

Used for No Line On the Horizon, particularly "Get On Your Boots".

The Edge's guitar sound is usually shaped through pedals rather than at the mixing stage. An exception was the 'James Bond guitar' part, which was radically thinned with EQ.

An image of the settings can be found here.

Compressor Plugins

Massey CT4

Used for No Line On the Horizon, particularly "Get On Your Boots".

The Edge's guitar sound is usually shaped through pedals rather than at the mixing stage. An exception was the 'James Bond guitar' part, which was radically thinned with EQ.

An image of the settings can be found here.

Studio Equipment used by Bono on No Line On The Horizon

Mixers

Digidesign Control 24

Avg price: $220.00

Producer Declan Gaffney stated the following about the recording of No Line On The Horizon:

"We wanted to keep the recording setup small, so we just had a few microphones, a Control 24, Pro Tools, and three drives, so we could move easily and quickly between different songs. Other than Pro Tools, the recording setups for most of the sessions were pretty similar. Edge's old Neve desk was pulled apart for on-location recording, and its 1091 and 1093 mic preamps were racked. Everything was going through these mic pres, or a small Neve sidecar, then through any required outboard, and monitoring was via two Mackie 24-channel desks."

Effects Processors

AMS Neve 1091

Producer Declan Gaffney stated the following about the recording of No Line On The Horizon:

"We wanted to keep the recording setup small, so we just had a few microphones, a Control 24, Pro Tools, and three drives, so we could move easily and quickly between different songs. Other than Pro Tools, the recording setups for most of the sessions were pretty similar. Edge's old Neve desk was pulled apart for on-location recording, and its 1091 and 1093 mic preamps were racked. Everything was going through these mic pres, or a small Neve sidecar, then through any required outboard, and monitoring was via two Mackie 24-channel desks."

Effects Processors

AMS Neve 1093

Producer Declan Gaffney stated the following about the recording of No Line On The Horizon:

"We wanted to keep the recording setup small, so we just had a few microphones, a Control 24, Pro Tools, and three drives, so we could move easily and quickly between different songs. Other than Pro Tools, the recording setups for most of the sessions were pretty similar. Edge's old Neve desk was pulled apart for on-location recording, and its 1091 and 1093 mic preamps were racked. Everything was going through these mic pres, or a small Neve sidecar, then through any required outboard, and monitoring was via two Mackie 24-channel desks."

Studio Equipment used by Larry Mullen, Jr. on No Line On The Horizon

Mixers

Digidesign Control 24

Avg price: $220.00

Producer Declan Gaffney stated the following about the recording of No Line On The Horizon:

"We wanted to keep the recording setup small, so we just had a few microphones, a Control 24, Pro Tools, and three drives, so we could move easily and quickly between different songs. Other than Pro Tools, the recording setups for most of the sessions were pretty similar. Edge's old Neve desk was pulled apart for on-location recording, and its 1091 and 1093 mic preamps were racked. Everything was going through these mic pres, or a small Neve sidecar, then through any required outboard, and monitoring was via two Mackie 24-channel desks."

Effects Processors

AMS Neve 1091

Producer Declan Gaffney stated the following about the recording of No Line On The Horizon:

"We wanted to keep the recording setup small, so we just had a few microphones, a Control 24, Pro Tools, and three drives, so we could move easily and quickly between different songs. Other than Pro Tools, the recording setups for most of the sessions were pretty similar. Edge's old Neve desk was pulled apart for on-location recording, and its 1091 and 1093 mic preamps were racked. Everything was going through these mic pres, or a small Neve sidecar, then through any required outboard, and monitoring was via two Mackie 24-channel desks."

Effects Processors

AMS Neve 1093

Producer Declan Gaffney stated the following about the recording of No Line On The Horizon:

"We wanted to keep the recording setup small, so we just had a few microphones, a Control 24, Pro Tools, and three drives, so we could move easily and quickly between different songs. Other than Pro Tools, the recording setups for most of the sessions were pretty similar. Edge's old Neve desk was pulled apart for on-location recording, and its 1091 and 1093 mic preamps were racked. Everything was going through these mic pres, or a small Neve sidecar, then through any required outboard, and monitoring was via two Mackie 24-channel desks."