How It Was Recorded

Bill Withers · Just As I Am, 1971

Ain't No Sunshine

Lead vocalStills' electric guitarBassDrum kitRecording mediumReported6Inferred1

What the sources do and do not say

One Mix Classic Tracks article with engineer Bill Halverson; it covers the one-night band session at Wally Heider Studio 3 but names few models. Most microphones are given only as Shure; the 546 is named as his go-to but not tied to specific parts. Strings were overdubbed later by Terry Manning and no gear is given for them.

Lead vocal

Bill Withers

Microphone

Shure Microphone (model not stated)

Reported

Microphone on Withers' lead vocal, fitted with an EV windscreen.

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

UREI 1176

InferredUsual practice

Halverson's usual vocal chain ran the Shure through this limiter for light limiting; he describes it as his normal setup, not specifically this session.

A suggestion, not a documented fact: Halverson calls it his normal setup in the passage on Withers' vocal.

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)).

Stills' electric guitar

Stephen Stills

Microphone

Shure Microphone (model not stated)

Reported

A Shure microphone was placed on Stills' guitar 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.

Bass

Donald "Duck" Dunn

Amplifier

Recorded direct (DI), no amplifier

Reported

Dunn's bass was also taken direct, with the amp microphone supplementing it.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

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

Microphone

Shure Microphone (model not stated)

Reported

A Shure microphone on Dunn's bass amp, alongside a DI feed.

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

Al Jackson

Microphone

Shure Microphone (model not stated)

Reported

Shure microphones were used on the drum kit.

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.

Recording medium

Input chain

3M 24-track tape machine (model not stated)

Reported

The band was tracked live to this machine, running Scotch tape.

Source: Mix, 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: Bill Withers, “Ain’t No Sunshine”, Mix, 2012-11-01. 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.