"So many commercial studios have closed, but Abbey Road hasn't just survived, it continues to evolve," says Kate Bush in the closing minutes of If These Walls Could Sing. In the preceding hour and a half, first-time director Mary McCartney pens a love letter to the legendary recording studio through archival footage and new interviews with the artists and producers who made the building famous.

If you haven't seen the trailer yet, check this out:

   

Now, if you're like us, a documentary about any recording studio is something to devour and pour over. There is a lot of incredible gear in this film. We're talking blink, and you might miss it because so much studio footage is coming at you.

Instead of hitting the rewind button constantly, we created a helpful time-stamped guide to all the gear we saw in If These Walls Could Sing. We tried our best to identify every piece of studio equipment in the film and make our best guess when footage was too blurry, fast, or short. Happy watching!

All of the Gear We Saw In If These Walls Could Sing

 

1:25: Photo of Ella Fitzgerald recording with a Neumann U 47 microphone.

Pictured Below: A vintage Neumann U 47 at the Vintage King Tech Shop in 2017.

1:32: Photo of Shirley Bassey recording with a Neumann U 67 microphone.

Pictured Below: A vintage Neumann U 67 at the Vintage King Tech Shop in 2022.

3:04: Paul McCartney rehearsing "Nineteen Hundred & Eighty-Five" with what looks like a Neumann U 67.

 

3:11: Paul McCartney talks about recording with Wings at Abbey Road as we see a shot of the EMI TG12345 MK IV Console.

Pictured Below: The EMI TG12345 MK IV console during service at the Vintage King Tech Shop.

 

5:11: A Neumann U 47 stands in the foreground next to Celeste.

5:19: A shot of Studio One's current AMS Neve 88RS console.

Photo Credit: Abbey Road Studios

7:15: A small photo of an unknown custom console, most likely built by EMI / Abbey Road engineers.

8:20: Sir Cliff Richard sings into two Neumann U 47 microphones.

10:28: A Neumann U 47 sits in the foreground of a photo of The Beatles in Studio Two in 1962.

11:06: A brief glimpse of The Beatles with the REDD. 37 console in Studio Two.

   

11:43: More footage of the REDD .37 console in Studio Two.

11:55: A shot of George Martin and The Beatles in Studio Two with Neumann U 47 or U 48.

12:03: John Lennon plays an acoustic miked with a Neumann U 47 or U 48.

12:58: Giles Martin pulls up the faders on "Twist and Shout" on the EMI TG12345 MK II console that still resides at Abbey Road.

Photo Credit: Abbey Road Studios

13:42: In a photo, we can see a Coles 4038 and Neumann microphone over Ringo Starr's drum kit

Pictured Below: A modern Coles 4038 at a Vintage King video shoot in 2018.

15:37: There's a Neumann U 47 in the foreground during Sheku Kannen-Mason's interview in Studio One.

17:42: Footage of cellist Jacqueline du Pré in Studio One with AKG C12 microphone.

 

22:02: Cilla Black records vocals for "Alfie" on a Neumann U 67.

 

26:28: Paul McCartney plays "Lady Madonna" on a piano miked by two Neumann KM86s.

Pictured Below: A consecutive pair of Neumann KM86s at the Vintage King Tech Shop in 2017.

29:42: The Beatles and George Martin surrounded by Neumann microphones during the making of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

Photo Credit: Frank Herman

32:16: Shot of the REDD .51 console during the live recording of "All You Need Is Love" in Studio One.

Photo Credit: Abbey Road Studios

32:22: George Harrison and John Lennon sing into Neumann U 47 or U48s and Paul McCartney sings into what looks like a Neumann KM56.

Pictured Below: A vintage Neumann KM56 that was recently in stock at Vintage King.

 

34:15: A prolonged shot of Studer A80 eight-track tape machine.

34:20: U 47 or U 48 used during a session for The Hollies.

34:48: Footage of two U 67s on a grand piano in modern-day Abbey Road while talking about Elton John playing on session with The Hollies.

40:46: Push in on Neumann U 47 in modern Abbey Road while talking about Shirley Bassey recording "Goldfinger."

43:39: Paul McCartney recording "Blackbird" in Studio Two singing into what looks like a Neumann KM56

 

44:10: John Lennon singing into Neumann U 47 or U 48.

44:13: Neumann U 67 next to John Lennon during the recording of the White Album.

44:17: Shot from below of John Lennon singing into Neumann U 47 or U 48.

44:34: Neumann U 47 on Vox amp in Abbey Road Storage Room for the recording of "Yer Blues."

44:41: A long shot of a Neumann U 67.

45:53: A photo of a Coles 4038 over Paul McCartney's shoulder during the recording of Abbey Road.

46:56: Shot of EMI REDD .51 console with John Lennon and Paul McCartney.

Photo Credit: Linda McCartney

48:29: An engineer sets up a Neumann M49 or M50 in the foreground with what appear to be Chandler Limited REDD microphones in the background.

Picture Below: A vintage Neumann M49 in the Vintage King Tech Shop in 2017.

49:04: Technician Lester Smith plugs in a Neumann U 67.

50:34: Photo of Pink Floyd in front of an unknown custom EMI console.

50:43: Shot of Pink Floyd in Abbey Road Studio Three with Neumann U 47 or U 48 on bass cab and AKG C12 microphone in the foreground.

51:52: Neumann M49 or M50 in the foreground with other Neumann microphones.

53:44: Neumann U 67 on David Gilmour while recording Dark Side of the Moon.

55:13: Quick shots of the EMI TG12345 MK III recording console during the making of Dark Side of the Moon.

Pictured Below: A single channel strip from the EMI TG12345 MK III console that was sold by Vintage King.

55:41: Stereo pair of Neumann KM86s on piano during recording of Pink Floyd's "Us And Them."

 

1:07:24: Engineer mounts two Neumann microphones for recording in stereo.

1:07:41: Neve VR Legend console during the recording of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.

 

1:10:22: Several Neumann and unidentifiable small diaphragm microphones are seen overhead as an orchestra records work for Star Wars Episode III - Revenge of the Sith.

1:12:50: Oasis' Liam Gallagher sings vocals into Shure SM7B and Neumann U 47 or U 48.

1:13:35: George Harrison and Paul McCartney sing into a Neumann U 47 or U 48 intercut with footage of Oasis' Noel Gallagher recording guitar with U 47 or U 48.

1:13:53: A montage of The Beatles recording with a Neumann U 47 or U 48.

1:16:15: Ashaine White, Matilda Mann, and Luz sing into a Neumann U 67.

1:21:33: Prolonged overhead shot of Neumann KM86 recording orchestra.

Need to find the vintage gear that you saw in If These Walls Could Sing? Want a modern reproduction of something from the doc? We can help! Please contact a Vintage King Audio Consultant via email or by phone at 866.644.0160.