How It Was Recorded

Gayle · ABCDEFU, 2021

ABCDEFU

VocalsGuitarsBassLive drums and snareMaster busVerified18Reported1

What the sources do and do not say

Single Sound On Sound Secrets Of The Mix Engineers interview with producer and mixer Peter Nappi, who built and mixed the song in his home studio. The chain is almost all plug-ins at the mix stage; the vocal was recorded elsewhere and sent to him, so there are no recording microphones or preamps for it. The article does not give settings except Soothe at 25 percent. Soundtheory's Gullfoss is spelled Gulfoss in the article.

Vocals

Gayle

Mix effects

KSHMR Essentials

Verified

Used on the vocals after the Gain Reduction compressor.

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.

Slate Digital Fresh Air

Verified

Added sparkle to the main vocals folder.

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.

Valhalla DSP Vintage Verb

Verified

Reverb on some of the individual vocal tracks.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

The plugin used on the record

Valhalla DSP ValhallaVintageVerb

reverb

The plugin named in the source.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Native Instruments Raum

Verified

Used as a reverb on some of the individual vocal tracks.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

No plugin suggested. This is itself a software plug-in, and the one the record used, so there is nothing to stand in for it.

Waves H-Delay

Verified

Delay effect on some of the vocal tracks.

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.

Antares Auto-Tune EFX

Verified

Used on some of the vocal tracks.

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.

Guitars

Mix effects

Soundtoys MicroShift

Verified

Added some space to the acoustic guitar.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

The plugin used on the record

Soundtoys MicroShift

modulation

The plugin used on the record.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Waves NS1

Verified

Noise suppression on the electric guitars.

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.

STL Tones ToneHub

Verified

Guitar preset (one of Zakk Cervini's) used on the electric guitars.

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.

Bass

Instrument

Arturia Mini V

Reported

Source of the song's main bass part, an emulation of a Minimoog.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

The plugin used on the record

Arturia Mini V

instrument

The plugin named in the source.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Live drums and snare

Peter Nappi

Microphone

Apple iPhone built-in microphone

Verified

Recorded the live drum beat Nappi played on his own kit; he then chopped it up and looped one bar.

Source: Sound On Sound, 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.

Mix effects

Elysia Phil's Cascade

Verified

Heavy distortion on the live drum recording.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Emulation of this unit

Plugin Alliance elysia Phil's Cascade

saturation

elysia's own plugin, sold through Plugin Alliance.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Waves API 2500

Verified

In the snare folder's chain of saturation and processing.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

The plugin used on the record

Waves API 2500

compressor

The plugin named in the source.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

IK Multimedia T-RackS Tape Machine 80

Verified

Tape-style saturation in the snare folder.

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).

Sonnox Oxford Inflator

Verified

In the snare folder's chain.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

The plugin used on the record

Sonnox Oxford Inflator

saturation

The plugin used on the record.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

FabFilter Saturn

Verified

Saturation in the snare folder.

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.

Master bus

Mix effects

AMT Max Warm

Verified

Warming limiter on the master bus, making the song 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.

Slate Digital Fresh Air

Verified

Master bus plug-in for top-end sparkle, followed by Soothe.

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.

Oeksound Soothe 2

Verified

Keeps the high end in check after Fresh Air on the master bus.

Settings
set to 25 percent

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: Gayle 'ABCDEFU', Sound On Sound, 2022-03. 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.