How It Was Recorded

The B-52's · Album, 1989

Cosmic Thing

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: Love Shack, Roam. We found nothing specific to these songs, so this album record is the closest account we have.

VocalsGuitarBassDrumsRecording and mix chainVerified5Reported6

What the sources do and do not say

One Mix Classic Tracks article, read in full, with engineer Dave Cook (recording) and mixer Tom Durack. Cook describes the Dreamland sessions for the Was-produced tracks and says the process for this song matched the others, so his gear statements are recorded as album-level. Durack's mix comments are about this song but heavily hedged. Electric Lady Studio B is said to have an SSL console (model not stated) and the SSL 4000E mentioned belongs to the Rodgers-produced tracks, so neither is a row.

Vocals

Kate Pierson, Cindy Wilson and Fred Schneider

Microphone

Neumann U 87

Verified

Engineer Dave Cook says he used U 87 microphones on all of the vocals for the Was-produced tracks, with preamps coming from the console.

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

dbx 160

Reported

Cook thinks dbx 160 compressors were probably used on the vocals.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Emulation of this unit

Universal Audio dbx 160 Compressor / Limiter

compressor

Made with dbx as a model of the original 160.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Also worth a look: Waves dbx 160 Compressor / Limiter (Made with dbx as a model of the original 160).

Mix effects

Lexicon PCM42

ReportedOne song

Mixer Tom Durack believes the short-delay ambience on the three vocals and the guitar solo was probably made with Lexicon PCM 42 and/or PCM 41 units.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Close match

Soundtoys PrimalTap

delay

Models the Lexicon Prime Time, the PCM42's predecessor, with the same kind of modulated digital delay.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Guitar

Keith Strickland

Microphone

Shure SM57

Verified

Cook says Shure SM57 microphones were used on the guitar amps.

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.

Bass

Sara Lee

Amplifier

Recorded direct (DI), no amplifier

Verified

Cook says the bass was also recorded through a DI alongside the amp microphone.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

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

Microphone

Neumann U 47 fet

Verified

Cook says a Neumann U 47 fet was on the bass amp.

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.

Drums

Charley Drayton

Input chain

Pultec EQ (model not stated)

Verified

Cook says a couple of Pultec equalisers were used on the drums.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Emulation of this unit

Universal Audio Pultec Passive EQ Collection

equaliser

Models the Pultec EQP-1A, MEQ-5 and HLF-3C. The source does not say which Pultec was used.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Also worth a look: Waves PuigTec EQs (EQP-1A and MEQ-5) (Models the Pultec EQP-1A and MEQ-5).

Recording and mix chain

Input chain

Studer A80

Reported

The article says the Was-produced tracks were recorded analog to a Studer A80.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Emulation of this unit

Slate Digital Virtual Tape Machines

tape

Models a Studer A827 multitrack and an A80 mastering machine.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Also worth a look: Universal Audio Studer A800 Tape Recorder (Models the related Studer A800).

API Console (model not stated)

Reported

The article says the studio's early 1970s API console was used for recording the Was-produced tracks, with its on-board preamps.

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

Mix effects

EMT 140

ReportedOne song

Durack says there may have been a little EMT 140 elsewhere in the mix.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Emulation of this unit

Universal Audio EMT 140 Classic Plate Reverberator

reverb

Models three EMT 140 plates, made with EMT.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Also worth a look: Soundtoys Little Plate (A simpler EMT 140 model with one decay control).

AMS DMX 1580

ReportedOne song

Durack says an AMS DMX15-80 was perhaps also used for the short-delay ambience on the vocals and guitar solo. (recalled with uncertainty)

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Emulation of this unit

Universal Audio AMS DMX Digital Delay & Pitch Shifter

delay

A model of the AMS DMX 15-80 S itself, covering its two delay channels and its pitch shifting.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Sources

  1. Classic Tracks: The B-52s, "Love Shack", Mix, 2012-07-01. 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.