How It Was Recorded

21 Savage · I Am > I Was, 2019

A Lot

Lead vocal (21 Savage)Drums and 808Synths and sample (music bus)Mix bus and summingReported21

What the sources do and do not say

Sound On Sound Secrets Of The Mix Engineers feature with mixer Maddmix (Chanbuny Maddox Chhim), read over both pages; it covers his mix of A Lot as plug-ins only. It does not cover tracking, microphones or the producers' instruments; all rows are mix-stage software. Page 1 covers his studio and gain staging but names no unit tied to the song beyond the SSL Sigma, which page 2 states.

Lead vocal (21 Savage)

21 Savage

Mix effects

Antares Auto-Tune

Reported

First plug-in in the insert chain on 21 Savage vocal tracks in the mix.

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.

Universal Audio UAD 1176LN

Reported

Compressor on the 21 Savage vocals, used for actual compression to make them full and forward.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

The plugin used on the record

Universal Audio 1176 Classic Limiter Collection

compressor

The plugin named in the source.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Waves Renaissance Vox

Reported

Used on 21 Savage vocals for tone, to bring them forward and make them sound bigger.

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.

FabFilter Pro-DS

Reported

De-esser on the 21 Savage vocals, two instances in this session for sibilance.

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 C6

Reported

Multiband compressor on the vocals for general compression and to dip narrow harsh frequencies a de-esser cannot reach.

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.

FabFilter Pro-Q 2

Reported

EQ on the 21 Lead vocal aux, four instances, used to search out and dip unwanted frequencies.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

The plugin used on the record

FabFilter Pro-Q 4

equaliser

Current version of the plugin used on the record; Pro-Q 2 is no longer sold.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Kush Audio Clariphonic

Reported

Parallel EQ on the lead vocal bus, used mainly for the Clarity control to widen the vocal.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Emulation of this unit

Kush Audio Clariphonic Mk3

equaliser

The maker's own plugin version of the Clariphonic, with the same Focus and Clarity shelves.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Waves CLA-76

Reported

Compressor on the parallel MadVoxComp vocal track, for more presence and volume.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

The plugin used on the record

Waves CLA-76 Compressor / Limiter

compressor

The plugin named in the source.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Waves RCompressor

Reported

Compressor on the All Vox group to keep the vocals in place.

Settings
ratio 2.56

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

The plugin used on the record

Waves Renaissance Compressor

compressor

The plugin named in the source.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Avid Lo-Fi

Reported

Plug-in on the All Vox group, with the sample size lowered to make the vocals more up-front and louder.

Settings
sample size 15 bits

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.

Drums and 808

Mix effects

Waves SSL Compressor

Reported

Compressor on the duplicated kick track used for parallel compression.

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 PuigTec EQP-1A

Reported

EQ on the duplicated kick track.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

The plugin used on the record

Waves PuigTec EQs (EQP-1A and MEQ-5)

equaliser

The plugin named in the source.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Waves RCompressor

Reported

Compressor on the 808 track.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

The plugin used on the record

Waves Renaissance Compressor

compressor

The plugin named in the source.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Universal Audio UAD API 2500

Reported

Gentle compressor on the C Drums aux, there for glue.

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.

Plugin Alliance Black Box Analog Design

Reported

Saturation on the C Drums aux, doing most of the work to make the drums round and full.

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.

Synths and sample (music bus)

Mix effects

Brainworx bx_shredspread

Reported

Plug-in on the synth master aux used to spread the music a little and make space for the vocals.

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.

Universal Audio UAD Tube-Tech CL 1B

Reported

Compressor on the synth master aux, alongside Waves Doubler and bx_shredspread.

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.

Mix bus and summing

Mix effects

Solid State Logic Sigma

Reported

Summing mixer receiving the group auxes, its output returned to Pro Tools on the Mix Bus track.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Close match

Solid State Logic SSL Native Channel Strip 2

channel strip

SSL's own channel-strip plugin. It is not a model of this particular desk.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Also worth a look: Waves SSL E-Channel (Models the 4000 E channel strip; the source does not make this the same desk).

iZotope Ozone 7

Reported

Start of the mix bus chain, using its EQ, exciter, dynamics and imager.

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.

Brainworx bx_digital V3

Reported

Mix bus plug-in with a spreader for more stereo width.

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.

Stillwell Audio Event Horizon

Reported

Mix bus plug-in on which the Soft Clip button is used for gain.

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.

Sources

  1. Inside Track: 21 Savage 'A Lot', Sound On Sound, 2019-03. 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.