Top 5Has said they use
Shure
SM7B“I just grabbed the [Shure] SM7. The vocal you hear on the hook is the original vocal I sang on that day, sat down on the sofa.”
Said in Sound On Sound: Stormzy, Making This Is What I Mean, January 2023
s
Independent research by truerecs. Not affiliated with, endorsed or verified by Stormzy. Every item links to its public source.
11 items · Last checked What gear does Stormzy use?
On This Is What I Mean, Stormzy recorded vocals in the control room on a handheld Shure SM7B or a Sony C-800G, through a Neve 1073DPX and a Tube-Tech CL 1B, Sound On Sound reported. He made his first recordings at 12 in Mixcraft. He has called Malorie Blackman's Noughts & Crosses his favourite books of all time.
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- Chelsea Kwakye and Ore OgunbiyiTaking Up Space: The Black Girl's Manifesto for ChangeHas said they loveSee price
Top 5
Where to start with Stormzy's gear.
01
02
Top 5Has said they use
Sony
C-800GSaid in Sound On Sound: Stormzy, Making This Is What I Mean, January 2023
03
Top 5Has said they use
AMS Neve
1073DPX Dual Preamp and EQSaid in Sound On Sound: Stormzy, Making This Is What I Mean, January 2023
04
Top 5Has said they use
Tube-Tech
CL 1BSaid in Sound On Sound: Stormzy, Making This Is What I Mean, January 2023
05
Top 5Has said they use
Acoustica
MixcraftSaid in Sound On Sound: Stormzy, Making This Is What I Mean, January 2023
What gear Stormzy uses: a sourced gear guide
Independent research by truerecs: every item links to the public source it comes from.
Vocal chain
Has said they use
Shure
SM7B“I just grabbed the [Shure] SM7. The vocal you hear on the hook is the original vocal I sang on that day, sat down on the sofa.”
Said in Sound On Sound: Stormzy, Making This Is What I Mean, January 2023
Has said they use
Sony
C-800GSaid in Sound On Sound: Stormzy, Making This Is What I Mean, January 2023
Has said they use
AMS Neve
1073DPX Dual Preamp and EQSaid in Sound On Sound: Stormzy, Making This Is What I Mean, January 2023
Has said they use
Where it started
Has said they use
Acoustica
MixcraftSaid in Sound On Sound: Stormzy, Making This Is What I Mean, January 2023
On my nightstand
Has said they love
Malorie Blackman
Noughts & Crosses“The Noughts & Crosses series are still my favourite books of all time and showed me just how amazing storytelling could be.”
Said in Soho House House Notes: Stormzy's book club, March 2020
Also at
Has said they love
Yrsa Daley-Ward
Bone“This is the debut poetry collection by one of Britain's best writers. It is honest, unflinching and unforgettable.”
Said in Soho House House Notes: Stormzy's book club, March 2020
Also at
Has said they love
Chelsea Kwakye and Ore Ogunbiyi
Taking Up Space: The Black Girl's Manifesto for Change“A powerful and empowering exploration of the lack of diversity in the higher education system”
Said in Soho House House Notes: Stormzy's book club, March 2020
Also at
Has said they love
Gary Younge
Another Day in the Death of America“Gary Younge is one of the best journalists in the world, and this is a book that everyone should read.”
Said in Soho House House Notes: Stormzy's book club, March 2020
Also at
Records that shaped me
Has said they love
“I loved NAO's album, and I remember hearing the intro, thinking, Oh my gosh, this is the most beautiful thing I've ever heard.”
Said in The FADER: Stormzy tells the story behind every song on his debut album, February 2017
Has said they love
Kanye West
Only One“Blinded" reminds me of that Kanye West song, "Only One," which is one of my favorites.”
Said in The FADER: Stormzy tells the story behind every song on his debut album, February 2017
Questions
About Stormzy's gear.
What microphone does Stormzy use?
Sound On Sound reported in 2023 that he recorded This Is What I Mean on a handheld Shure SM7B or a Sony C-800G hanging over the console. He said of one hook: I just grabbed the SM7, and the vocal you hear is the original one.
What is Stormzy's vocal chain?
For This Is What I Mean, each mic went through a two-channel AMS Neve 1073DPX preamp and EQ into a Tube-Tech CL 1B compressor, with the vocals left almost dry in the mix, according to Sound On Sound.
What software did Stormzy first record on?
He told Sound On Sound he first recorded his raps at 12 on a desktop PC with Acoustica's Mixcraft and a one pound mic from Poundland.
What are Stormzy's favourite books?
In his 2020 Soho House book club he called the Noughts & Crosses series by Malorie Blackman his favourite books of all time, and also named Yrsa Daley-Ward's Bone, Taking Up Space and Gary Younge's Another Day in the Death of America.
What songs does Stormzy love?
He told The FADER in 2017 that he loved NAO's album For All We Know, which he sampled on Velvet, and that Kanye West's Only One is one of his favourites.
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Named in this guide
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Stormzy
About this guide · Last checked
Stormzy is the South London rapper behind Gang Signs & Prayer, Heavy Is The Head and This Is What I Mean, and the founder of #Merky. This guide covers the microphones and vocal chain from his album sessions, plus the books and records he has said he loves.
truerecs put this guide together from public videos, interviews and posts. Each item says how we know and links to the source. Stormzy didn't write it or choose anything on it. How we source gear guides.
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