Owl City and Carly Rae Jepsen · Album, 2012
The Midsummer Station Kiss
13 sourced items across 3 sectionsVerified5Reported1Inferred7
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: Good Time. We found nothing specific to this song, so this album record is the closest account we have.
What the sources do and do not say
The Sound On Sound piece (October 2012, read in full) covers The Midsummer Station and has a passage on 'Good Times' covering the telephone vocal, the children's choir and the mix by Robert Orton. Only the Green Bullet microphone, the Massenburg EQ and the Waves 1176 on vocals are tied to this song; the bass Moog and most tracking gear are habits or album-level. The three Mix pages are press releases about Ocean Eyes, Korg and a studio build, and were not used.
Lead vocals
9 items
Adam Young and Carly Rae Jepsen
Microphone
The real chain
Shure Green Bullet
VerifiedOne song
Used to record Young's vocals for the telephone-style vocal effect heard on this song.
Source: Sound On Sound, 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.
The real chain
Blue Bottle
InferredUsual practice
Young's usual vocal microphone, in a very dead room, for his own recordings.
A suggestion, not a documented fact: Young describes how he usually records and mixes his vocals for the record, not this song specifically.
Source: Sound On Sound, 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.
Input chain
The real chain
Universal Audio 620 MkII
InferredUsual practice
Preamp following the microphone in Young's usual vocal recording chain.
A suggestion, not a documented fact: Young describes how he usually records and mixes his vocals for the record, not this song specifically.
Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026
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Covers this kind of unit
Universal Audio LA-6176 Signature Channel Strip
channel strip
Pairs a 610 valve preamp with an optical compressor, the layout of Universal Audio's valve channel strips. The source's model name matches no Universal Audio product, so it is not a model of this unit.
The real chain
Tube-Tech CL 1B
InferredUsual practice
Hardware compressor in Young's usual vocal chain, after the preamp.
A suggestion, not a documented fact: Young describes how he usually records and mixes his vocals for the record, not this song specifically.
Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026
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Emulation of this unit
Softube Tube-Tech CL 1B Mk II
compressor
Made with Tube-Tech as a model of the CL 1B.
The real chain
Teletronix LA-2A
InferredUsual practice
Second hardware compressor in Young's usual vocal chain, before Pro Tools.
A suggestion, not a documented fact: Young describes how he usually records and mixes his vocals for the record, not this song specifically.
Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026
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Emulation of this unit
Universal Audio Teletronix LA-2A Leveler Collection
compressor
Universal Audio owns the Teletronix name; this is its own model of the LA-2A.
Also worth a look 1
- Waves CLA-2A Compressor / Limiter (Models an LA-2A from Chris Lord-Alge's collection. Cheaper and runs without UA hardware)
Mix effects
The real chain
Massenburg DesignWorks EQ
VerifiedOne song
Smooth EQ used to brighten both lead vocals so they sound less harsh in the mix.
Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026
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The plugin used on the record
Massenburg DesignWorks MDW Parametric EQ
equaliser
The plugin named in the source.
The real chain
Waves Chris Lord-Alge 1176 model
VerifiedOne song
Compressor on the vocals in the mix, which Orton praises for pushing a vocal forward with character even when compressed hard.
Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026
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No plugin suggested. This is already software, so the stand-in is the thing itself. No product link has been added for it yet.
The real chain
Sony Oxford EQ
InferredUsual practice
Usual practice, not stated for this record: Plug-in Young uses in Pro Tools to EQ his vocals to taste.
A suggestion, not a documented fact: Young describes how he usually records and mixes his vocals for the record, not this song specifically.
Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026
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The plugin used on the record
Sonnox Oxford EQ
equaliser
The same EQ: Sony's Oxford plugins are now made by Sonnox.
The real chain
Waves Renaissance DeEsser
InferredUsual practice
Plug-in Young usually uses to de-ess his vocals and lighten sibilance.
A suggestion, not a documented fact: Young describes how he usually records and mixes his vocals for the record, not this song specifically.
Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026
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No plugin suggested. This is already software, so the stand-in is the thing itself. No product link has been added for it yet.
Synths
2 items
Adam Young
Instrument
The real chain
Spectrasonics Omnisphere
Reported
Soft synth described by the journalist as much used across the album.
Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026
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No plugin suggested. This is already software, so the stand-in is the thing itself. No product link has been added for it yet.
The real chain
reFX Nexus2
Verified
Young says he used a lot of sounds from this synth engine on the album, which was influenced by dance and trance.
Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026
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The plugin used on the record
reFX Nexus
instrument
The current version of the instrument named in the source.
Mix bus
2 items
Mix effects
The real chain
Manley Variable-Mu
Verified
Stereo compressor inserted on the mix bus of every mix on the album to round off some peaks.
Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026
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Emulation of this unit
Universal Audio Manley Variable Mu Limiter Compressor
compressor
Made with Manley as a model of the Variable Mu.
The real chain
Dangerous Music 2-Bus
InferredUsual practice
Usual practice, not stated for this record: Summing unit Young says he uses when mixing.
A suggestion, not a documented fact: Young says he uses it for summing as a general statement; no song is named.
Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026
Get the sound · our suggestion
No plugin suggested. An analogue summing mixer designed to be transparent. Mixing inside the DAW is the equivalent; no plugin is needed.
Sources
- Adam Young & Robert Orton: Producing & Mixing The Midsummer Station, Sound On Sound, 2012-10. 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.
Disclosure: plugin links currently go straight to the maker and earn us nothing. If that changes, affiliate links will be marked here. Suggestions are chosen on fit, never on commission, and are kept separate from the recording facts. More.