How It Was Recorded

Chic · C'est Chic, 1978

Le Freak

BassBass drum echoElectric pianoRecording chainVerified1Reported4

What the sources do and do not say

One Sound On Sound Classic Tracks article, read in full. Most gear is stated in Buskin's narrative (reported), with only the Rhodes line-up and the echo chamber in Rodgers' own words. No microphones, drums kit, vocal chain or outboard are named. The second candidate (a Hugh Robjohns opinion piece) is unrelated.

Bass

Bernard Edwards

Instrument

Music Man Bass (model not stated)

ReportedAlbum sessions

Edwards played his Music Man bass, recorded direct, on the rhythm parts for the albums.

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.

Bass drum echo

Mix effects

Unidentified Echo chamber (Power Station bathroom)

Verified

A live echo chamber, the studio bathroom, was overloaded to create the large echo on the bass drum after the 'freak out' shout.

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.

Electric piano

Raymond Jones or Andy Schwartz

Instrument

Fender Rhodes

Reported

Rodgers recalls a Fender Rhodes being played on the track by either Raymond Jones or Andy Schwartz; he does not say which.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Emulation of this unit

Arturia Stage-73 V

instrument

A physical model of the Rhodes Stage and Suitcase electric pianos.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Recording chain

Bob Clearmountain

Input chain

Neve 8078

Reported

24-channel console the engineer used for the sound while the track was created.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Approximate

Waves NLS Non-Linear Summer

console emulation

A console-summing plugin that includes one Neve desk. It gives a Neve flavour, not this console's channels.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

3M Tape machine (model not stated)

Reported

Tape machine used alongside the console for recording; the model is not given.

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: Chic 'Le Freak', Sound On Sound, 2005-04. 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.

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