How It Was Recorded

Aerosmith · Toys in the Attic, 1975

Walk This Way

Lead vocalGuitar soloBassDrum kitBasic tracking room (Studio C)Verified5Reported12

What the sources do and do not say

The Mix Classic Tracks piece is about this song and quotes engineer Jay Messina on drum, bass, vocal and solo gear; several items are his hedged recollections. The Sound On Sound piece covers the album sessions and gives the Studio C equipment for this track; its other gear statements are album-level or general practice and were left out. A tape delay on the solo at the mix (30 ips) is mentioned but no unit is named, so it has no row.

Lead vocal

Steven Tyler

Microphone

Neumann U 87

Reported

Engineer believes this was the microphone on the lead vocal.

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

Teletronix LA-2A

Reported

Engineer believes this compressor was in the lead vocal chain.

Source: Mix, 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).

Pultec EQ (model not stated)

Reported

Engineer believes this equaliser was on the lead vocal, with a low cut and a high boost he is unsure of.

Settings
Possibly about 30 Hz taken out and a boost at 10 kHz (engineer unsure)

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).

Guitar solo

Amplifier

Fender Twin

Reported

Engineer believes the closing solo was played through a Fender Twin.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Covers this kind of unit

IK Multimedia AmpliTube 5

amp and cabinet simulator

An amp and cabinet simulator that covers a wide range of amplifiers and speaker cabinets of this kind. It is not a model of this unit, so pick the nearest one in it by ear.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Also worth a look: Native Instruments Guitar Rig 7 Pro (An amp and cabinet simulator that covers a wide range of amplifiers and speaker cabinets of this kind. It is not a model of this unit, so pick the nearest one in it by ear).

Microphone

Shure SM57

Reported

Engineer believes this was one of three mics on the solo 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. The SM57 is still made and inexpensive: the real thing is the practical route.

Sennheiser MD 421

Reported

Engineer believes this was one of three mics on the solo amp, supplying the edge.

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.

Input chain

UREI 1176

Verified

Compressed the combined three-mic signal of the solo.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Emulation of this unit

Universal Audio 1176 Classic Limiter Collection

compressor

Models several revisions of the 1176, including the blackface units.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Also worth a look: Waves CLA-76 Compressor / Limiter (Models two 1176 revisions (blacky and bluey)).

Pultec EQ (model not stated)

Verified

Followed the compressor on the solo with a boost.

Settings
Boost at 5 kHz

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).

Bass

Tom Hamilton

Amplifier

Ampeg B-15

VerifiedAlbum sessions

Album sessions, not stated for this song: Amplifier Hamilton played through.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Covers this kind of unit

IK Multimedia AmpliTube 5

amp and cabinet simulator

An amp and cabinet simulator that covers a wide range of amplifiers and speaker cabinets of this kind. It is not a model of this unit, so pick the nearest one in it by ear.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Also worth a look: Native Instruments Guitar Rig 7 Pro (An amp and cabinet simulator that covers a wide range of amplifiers and speaker cabinets of this kind. It is not a model of this unit, so pick the nearest one in it by ear).

Recorded direct (DI), no amplifier

VerifiedAlbum sessions

Album sessions, not stated for this song: A custom direct output taken from the head of the bass amp.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

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

Microphone

Electro-Voice RE20

VerifiedAlbum sessions

Album sessions, not stated for this song: Microphone placed 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.

Drum kit

Joey Kramer

Microphone

Sennheiser MD 421

ReportedAlbum sessions

Album sessions, not stated for this song: Engineer recalls these were probably the microphones on the toms.

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.

Neumann U 87

ReportedAlbum sessions

Album sessions, not stated for this song: Engineer recalls these were probably the drum overhead microphones.

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 KM 84

ReportedAlbum sessions

Album sessions, not stated for this song: Engineer recalls this was probably the hi-hat microphone.

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.

Electro-Voice 666

ReportedAlbum sessions

Album sessions, not stated for this song: Engineer recalls this was probably the kick drum microphone.

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.

Basic tracking room (Studio C)

Input chain

Datamix Console (model not stated)

Reported

Console in Studio C, where the journalist says the rest of the track apart from the solo was captured.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

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

MCI 16-track tape machine (model not stated)

Reported

Two-inch 16-track machine in Studio C, where the journalist says the rest of the track was captured.

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: Aerosmith "Walk This Way", Mix, 2024-08. Accessed 15 Nov 2026.
  2. Classic Tracks: Aerosmith 'Walk This Way', Sound On Sound, 2009-08. 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.