How It Was Recorded

Paramore · Album, 2014

Paramore

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: Ain't It Fun, Still Into You. We found nothing specific to these songs, so this album record is the closest account we have.

Lead vocalGuitarBassDrumsSynths and keyboardsTracking consoleVerified10Reported13

What the sources do and do not say

Album record for Paramore (2013 self-titled album, which includes Ain't It Fun). The Mix article names the song only to describe the tracking order, so nothing is tied to it specifically. The Sound On Sound mix interview mainly walks through the mix of Still Into You, so only the vocal chain Andrews calls his sound for the album is used. Most drum, guitar and bass mic rows are the journalist's narrative (reported); de la Garza's own words are marked verified. The Sony C-24 and Neumann U 67 are listed among overheads and room mics; the SM57 maker for the guitar-amp '57' and the Neumann maker for the bass '47 FET' are inferred from the model, not stated in the text.

Lead vocal

Hayley Williams

Microphone

Telefunken 251

Reported

Microphone used for Hayley Williams' lead vocals during the overdub sessions at Dangerbird.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

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

Chandler Mic preamp (model not stated)

Reported

Preamp the article names in the chain for Williams' lead vocals, with the Telefunken 251 going into it.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

No plugin suggested. The source does not name the model, so no specific plugin can be suggested.

Neve 1073 EQ

Reported

Listed among the units used when cutting Williams' lead vocals; the sentence does not say how it was combined with the others.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Emulation of this unit

Universal Audio Neve 1073 Preamp & EQ Collection

preamp and EQ

Made with AMS Neve as a model of the 1073 preamp and equaliser.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Also worth a look: Waves Scheps 73 (Models the 1073's preamp and equaliser, made with Andrew Scheps).

Retro 176

Reported

Compressor named as one of two options in the lead vocal chain; the article gives it as an alternative to a Vac Rac limiter.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

No plugin suggested. No plugin equivalent mapped yet.

Inward Connections Vac Rac TSL-3

Reported

Limiter named as one of two options in the lead vocal chain; the article gives it as an alternative to the Retro 176.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

No plugin suggested. No plugin equivalent mapped yet.

Mix effects

Waves Q2

Verified

Opening plug-in in Ken Andrews' vocal mix chain, working as a high-pass filter; he calls the chain his vocal sound for the album.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

No plugin suggested. This is already software, so the stand-in is the thing itself. No product link has been added for it yet.

Waves C4

Verified

Multi-band compressor used for general control in Andrews' vocal chain.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

No plugin suggested. This is already software, so the stand-in is the thing itself. No product link has been added for it yet.

Waves CLA-3A

Verified

Compressor Andrews used on the vocals on about half the album's songs because he felt it suited Hayley Williams' voice.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

The plugin used on the record

Waves CLA-3A Compressor / Limiter

compressor

The plugin named in the source.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Cranesong Phoenix

Verified

Saturation plug-in in Andrews' vocal chain, which he uses to help keep the vocal on top in dense sections.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

No plugin suggested. This is already software, so the stand-in is the thing itself. No product link has been added for it yet.

Guitar

Taylor York

Microphone

Sennheiser MD 421

Reported

Microphone on Taylor York's guitar amps at Sunset Sound.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

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 MD 421 is still made.

Shure SM57

Reported

Second microphone, a '57', on York's guitar amps at Sunset Sound; the article does not give the maker.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

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 SM57 is still made and inexpensive: the real thing is the practical route.

Input chain

Empirical Labs Distressor

Verified

Used a lot for compressing the guitars, according to de la Garza.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Emulation of this unit

Universal Audio Empirical Labs EL8 Distressor

compressor

Model of the Distressor made with Empirical Labs.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Also worth a look: Empirical Labs Arousor (Empirical Labs' own plugin, built on the Distressor design rather than copying one unit).

Bass

Jeremy Davis

Microphone

Neumann U 47 fet

Reported

Microphone on Jeremy Davis' bass amp at Sunset Sound.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

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

Empirical Labs Distressor

Verified

Used a lot for compressing the bass, according to de la Garza.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Emulation of this unit

Universal Audio Empirical Labs EL8 Distressor

compressor

Model of the Distressor made with Empirical Labs.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Also worth a look: Empirical Labs Arousor (Empirical Labs' own plugin, built on the Distressor design rather than copying one unit).

Drums

Ilan Rubin

Microphone

Josephson e22S

Reported

Drum microphone the article says was used in combination with an SM57 on the snare top.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

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.

Shure SM57

Reported

Used on the top of the snare and a second one under the snare, per the article.

Position
one on top of the snare, one under the snare

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

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 SM57 is still made and inexpensive: the real thing is the practical route.

AKG D112

Reported

Used for some of the kick drum tracks.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

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 D112 is still made.

Royer SF-24

Reported

Stereo ribbon microphone used as drum overheads.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

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.

Sony C-24

Reported

Used as a drum overhead microphone alongside the Royer SF-24.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

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.

Neumann U 67

Verified

Among the room microphones on the drums; the same quote names other room mics too.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

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.

Synths and keyboards

Input chain

A-Designs Ventura 500 series mic preamp

Verified

Pair of preamps that Justin Meldal-Johnsen ran the synths through, used almost exclusively for that.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

No plugin suggested. No plugin equivalent mapped yet.

Tracking console

Input chain

API DeMedio custom console

Verified

Console at Sunset Sound whose EQs and preamps were used almost exclusively when tracking, or the 1608 at Dangerbird.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Close match

Universal Audio API Vision Channel Strip Collection

channel strip

Models the channel strip of API's Vision console, built from the same module family.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

API 1608

Verified

Console in Meldal-Johnsen's Dangerbird studio whose EQs and preamps were used almost exclusively when tracking, alongside the Sunset DeMedio console.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Close match

Universal Audio API Vision Channel Strip Collection

channel strip

Models the channel strip of API's Vision console, built from the same module family.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Sources

  1. Paramore Comes Back Rockin’ on New Album, Mix, 2013-04. Accessed 15 Nov 2026.
  2. Inside Track: Paramore (Secrets Of The Mix Engineers: Ken Andrews), Sound On Sound, 2013-07. Accessed 15 Nov 2026.
Verified

Stated by the engineer, producer or artist, or by the manufacturer.

Reported

Stated by a reputable secondary source.

Inferred

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.