Earth, Wind & Fire · Album, 1975
That's the Way of the World
9 sourced items across 4 sectionsVerified7Reported1Inferred1
This is an album-level record: the sources describe how the album as a whole was recorded, not one song. Where a detail belongs to a single song, the row says so.
Songs this record stands for: Shining Star, That's the Way of the World. We found nothing specific to these songs, so this album record is the closest account we have.
What the sources do and do not say
One Mix Classic Tracks article, read in full. It is about the song but its gear detail is thin: the mix and Caribou comments are Massenburg's recollections of the album sessions, so most rows are album-level, and the KM84 remark is about his practice in that period. Microphones, amps and the drum kit are not named; Dunn's stage pedal is not listed because he says Massenburg asked him not to use it on this record.
Vocals
1 item
Maurice White and Philip Bailey
Microphone
The real chain
Neumann KM 84
InferredUsual practice
Usual practice, not stated for this record: Massenburg says that in that period he used a hand-modified KM 84 on vocals.
A suggestion, not a documented fact: Massenburg describes his vocal microphone for that era, not this song specifically.
Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026
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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.
Drums
1 item
Maurice White
Mix effects
The real chain
Eventide Phaser
Verified
At the mix Massenburg ran Maurice White's original drums through a heavy phaser and placed them well back.
Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026
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Close match
Eventide Instant Phaser Mk II
modulation
Eventide's plugin version of its Instant Phaser. The source does not name the model.
Rhodes
1 item
Larry Dunn
Instrument
The real chain
Rhodes Rhodes (model not stated)
ReportedOne song
The article reports that the chorus hook came from Dunn on his Rhodes.
Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026
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No plugin suggested. The source does not name the model, so no specific plugin can be suggested.
Mix and tracking equipment
6 items
Input chain
The real chain
Ampex 1000
Verified
The 24-track machine at the Caribou Ranch sessions, which Massenburg disliked.
Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026
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Approximate
Slate Digital Virtual Tape Machines
tape
Models two Studer machines, not this recorder. It gives the general behaviour of analogue multitrack tape.
Also worth a look 1
- Universal Audio Studer A800 Tape Recorder (Models a Studer A800, not this recorder. It gives the general behaviour of analogue multitrack tape)
Mix effects
The real chain
Unidentified Live echo chambers (Hollywood Sound)
Verified
Massenburg says the reverbs on the record were the live chambers at Hollywood Sound.
Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026
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Universal Audio Capitol Chambers
reverb
A real echo chamber, the same method as the one on the record: a loudspeaker and microphones in a hard, empty room. It is not a model of this chamber, so set the decay by ear.
The real chain
Unidentified Digital delay (model not stated)
Verified
Massenburg says early digital delays were used in the mix and produced squeaks and squeals.
Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026
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Soundtoys PrimalTap
delay
Models an early studio digital delay, the Lexicon Prime Time, so it has the same grainy, band-limited repeats. It is not a model of the unit on the record, which the source does not name.
The real chain
George Massenburg Mic preamp (model not stated)
Verified
Massenburg says part of the processing came from a mic preamp he was building himself.
Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026
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No plugin suggested. The source does not name the model, so no specific plugin can be suggested.
The real chain
George Massenburg Compressor (model not stated)
Verified
Massenburg says part of the processing came from a compressor he was building himself.
Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026
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Covers this kind of unit
Massenburg DesignWorks MDWDRC2-Native
compressor
George Massenburg's own software dynamics processor, built on the loudness-sensing ideas of his GML hardware. The source does not name the model, so this stands for the maker's family of units: it is not a model of the one on the record.
The real chain
George Massenburg Equaliser (model not stated)
Verified
Massenburg says part of the processing came from one of his early equalisers.
Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026
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Covers this kind of unit
Massenburg DesignWorks MDW Parametric EQ
equaliser
George Massenburg's own parametric EQ plugin, the same clean parametric design as his hardware. The source does not name the model, so this stands for the maker's family of units: it is not a model of the one on the record.
Sources
- Classic Tracks: Earth, Wind & Fire's "Shining Star", Mix, 2004-12. Accessed 15 Nov 2026.
What the ratings mean
Stated by the engineer, producer or artist, or by the manufacturer.
Stated by a reputable secondary source.
An educated suggestion, not a documented fact.
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