How It Was Recorded

Steely Dan · Album, 1978

Aja

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: Deacon Blues, Josie, Peg. We found nothing specific to these songs, so this album record is the closest account we have.

Larry Carlton's guitar ampChuck Rainey's bassRhodes electric pianoProducers' Workshop recording chainVerified8Reported2

What the sources do and do not say

Sound On Sound's Classic Tracks on the title track 'Aja' (both pages read) quotes tracking engineer Bill Schnee on the Producers' Workshop sessions; it never mentions 'Deacon Blues', so every row is album-level and the article does not say which tracks used which unit. The Mix piece on Elliot Scheiner (read in full) covers A&R Studios gear and general drum miking but is not tied to this album's tracking, so it is not used.

Larry Carlton's guitar amp

Larry Carlton

Amplifier

Fender 5C3 wide-panel Tweed Deluxe

Reported

The amplifier Carlton played through during the Producers' Workshop tracking sessions, as identified by the article's author in a bracketed note.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Approximate

IK Multimedia AmpliTube 5

amp and cabinet simulator

An amp and cabinet simulator covering this style of amplifier. Whether this exact model is included was not checked.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Also worth a look: Native Instruments Guitar Rig 7 Pro (An amp and cabinet simulator covering this style of amplifier. Whether this exact model is included was not checked).

Microphone

Unidentified Microphone (model not stated)

Verified

A single microphone on the guitar amp; the model is not given.

Position
Baffled off from the drums

Source: Sound On Sound, 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

Teletronix LA-2A

Verified

Compressed the guitar amp's signal at tracking; Schnee says he had a second one on this part.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

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.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Also worth a look: Waves CLA-2A Compressor / Limiter (Models an LA-2A from Chris Lord-Alge's collection. Cheaper and runs without UA hardware).

Chuck Rainey's bass

Chuck Rainey

Instrument

Fender Precision Bass

Verified

Rainey's bass, strung with flatwound strings.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

No plugin suggested. A bass guitar is the source of the sound, not a process applied to it. No plugin stands in for it.

Amplifier

Recorded direct (DI), no amplifier

Verified

The bass was recorded direct, with no amplifier used.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

No plugin suggested. Recorded direct, so there is no amp to model. Leave the amp simulator off.

Input chain

Teletronix LA-2A

Verified

Compressed the DI'd bass at tracking.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

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.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Also worth a look: Waves CLA-2A Compressor / Limiter (Models an LA-2A from Chris Lord-Alge's collection. Cheaper and runs without UA hardware).

Rhodes electric piano

Amplifier

Recorded direct (DI), no amplifier

Verified

The Rhodes electric piano was recorded through direct boxes in stereo; the boxes are not named.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

No plugin suggested. Recorded direct, so there is no amp to model. Leave the amp simulator off.

Producers' Workshop recording chain

Input chain

Langevin AM16

Verified

The discrete transistor preamplifiers built into the studio's home-made console, which Schnee praises as good-sounding.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

No plugin suggested. No plugin equivalent mapped yet.

Langevin EQ251

Verified

Passive two-band peaking equaliser modules fitted in the studio's home-made console.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

No plugin suggested. No plugin equivalent mapped yet.

Stephens Electronics Stephens 24-track

Reported

The studio's two-inch 24-track recorder, which Schnee rates as the best-sounding multitrack ever made.

Settings
30ips, non-Dolby

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Approximate

Slate Digital Virtual Tape Machines

tape

Models two Studer machines, not this recorder. It gives the general behaviour of analogue multitrack tape.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Also worth a look: Universal Audio Studer A800 Tape Recorder (Models a Studer A800, not this recorder. It gives the general behaviour of analogue multitrack tape).

Sources

  1. Classic Tracks: Steely Dan 'Aja', Sound On Sound, 2020-10. 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.