John Legend · Love in the Future, 2013
All of Me
17 sourced items across 4 sectionsVerified17
What the sources do and do not say
Source is a track-by-track interview with Dave Tozer (producer, mixer and engineer on most of the album). The piano chain and the robot harmonies are described under the All of Me entry; the lead vocal chain is described for the album in general and is marked album-level. The article does not say which vocal microphone, preamp or compressor was used on this song specifically. Read via the Internet Archive copy because sonicscoop.com blocks scripts.
Lead vocal (album-wide chain)
7 items
John Legend
Microphone
The real chain
Telefunken U47
VerifiedAlbum sessions
Tozer says this late-1940s microphone was his usual choice for recording Legend's vocals on the album sessions.
Source: SonicScoop, accessed 15 Nov 2026
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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
The real chain
Neve 1073 or 1081
VerifiedAlbum sessions
Album sessions, not stated for this song: Tozer says the vocal preamp was mostly a Neve 1073 or 1081, chosen for character rather than neutrality.
Source: SonicScoop, accessed 15 Nov 2026
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Emulation of this unit
Universal Audio Neve 1073 Preamp & EQ Collection
preamp and EQ
Made with AMS Neve as a model of the 1073 preamp and equaliser.
Also worth a look 1
- Waves Scheps 73 (Models the 1073's preamp and equaliser, made with Andrew Scheps)
The real chain
UREI 1176
VerifiedAlbum sessions
Album sessions, not stated for this song: Tozer says the vocal microphone mostly went into an 1176 for light compression on the way in.
- Settings
- Subtle compression, three or six dB, as stated for the 1176
Source: SonicScoop, accessed 15 Nov 2026
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Emulation of this unit
Universal Audio 1176 Classic Limiter Collection
compressor
Models several revisions of the 1176, including the blackface units.
Also worth a look 1
- Waves CLA-76 Compressor / Limiter (Models two 1176 revisions (blacky and bluey))
The real chain
Teletronix LA-2A
VerifiedAlbum sessions
Album sessions, not stated for this song: Tozer says an LA-2A was sometimes used in place of the 1176 on the vocal.
Source: SonicScoop, accessed 15 Nov 2026
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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.
Also worth a look 1
- Waves CLA-2A Compressor / Limiter (Models an LA-2A from Chris Lord-Alge's collection. Cheaper and runs without UA hardware)
The real chain
Ampex ATR-102
VerifiedAlbum sessions
Album sessions, not stated for this song: Tozer says the vocals were recorded to half-inch tape on this machine, mostly, before going into the computer.
- Settings
- 15 ips, half-inch tape
Source: SonicScoop, accessed 15 Nov 2026
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Emulation of this unit
Universal Audio Ampex ATR-102 Mastering Tape Recorder
tape
Model of the ATR-102 mastering deck, made with Ampex.
The real chain
Lavry Gold converters
VerifiedAlbum sessions
Album sessions, not stated for this song: Tozer says the signal came off the tape machine through the converters at Germano Studios and then into Logic Pro.
Source: SonicScoop, accessed 15 Nov 2026
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No plugin suggested. A converter between analogue and digital. Your audio interface does this job, so no plugin is needed.
Mix effects
The real chain
Universal Audio UAD EMT 140
VerifiedAlbum sessions
Tozer says this plate reverb emulation was used all over the vocals on the album.
Source: SonicScoop, accessed 15 Nov 2026
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The plugin used on the record
Universal Audio EMT 140 Classic Plate Reverberator
reverb
The plugin named in the source.
Robot harmony vocals
1 item
John Legend
Mix effects
The real chain
TC-Helicon VoiceLive
Verified
Tozer says this unit was used to harmonise Legend's vocals into the subtle robot-like layers on this song.
Source: SonicScoop, accessed 15 Nov 2026
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Covers this kind of unit
Waves Waves Harmony
multi-effect
A real-time vocal harmoniser that builds extra harmony voices from one sung line, the same job this unit does; it is not a model of this unit.
Moog bass
1 item
Instrument
The real chain
Moog Moog bass (model not stated)
Verified
Tozer lists a Moog bass among the few parts of this stripped-down arrangement.
Source: SonicScoop, accessed 15 Nov 2026
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Covers this kind of unit
Arturia Mini V
instrument
A Minimoog emulation, so it has the Moog oscillators and ladder filter. The source does not say which Moog was played, so it is not a model of the instrument on the record.
Also worth a look 1
- Universal Audio Moog Minimoog (Moog-approved Minimoog emulation with the same oscillators and ladder filter. The source does not say which Moog was played, so it is not a model of the instrument on the record)
Piano
8 items
John Legend
Instrument
The real chain
Steinway Steinway piano (model not stated)
Verified
Legend played the piano on this song on the Steinway at Electric Lady.
Source: SonicScoop, accessed 15 Nov 2026
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No plugin suggested. The source does not name the model, so no specific plugin can be suggested.
Microphone
The real chain
AKG 460
Verified
A pair of AKG 460 microphones was among the piano mics.
Source: SonicScoop, accessed 15 Nov 2026
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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 real chain
Royer 121
Verified
A pair of Royer 121 microphones was placed right over the piano hammers.
- Position
- Right on top of the hammers
Source: SonicScoop, accessed 15 Nov 2026
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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 real chain
Telefunken M16
Verified
A pair of Telefunken M16s served as the tight room microphones for the piano.
- Position
- Tight room mics
Source: SonicScoop, accessed 15 Nov 2026
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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
The real chain
Neve Console (model not stated)
Verified
The piano was tracked through the Neve desk in Studio A at Electric Lady.
Source: SonicScoop, accessed 15 Nov 2026
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Approximate
Waves NLS Non-Linear Summer
console emulation
Adds the summing character of three desks, one of them a Neve. The source does not name the console model, so this is only a family resemblance.
The real chain
SSL Rackmount compressor (model not stated)
Verified
After the desk the piano went through an SSL rackmount compressor.
Source: SonicScoop, accessed 15 Nov 2026
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Covers this kind of unit
Solid State Logic SSL Native Bus Compressor 2
compressor
SSL's own plugin of its VCA bus compressor, which is also the firm's best-known rack unit. The source does not name the model, so this stands for the maker's family of units: it is not a model of the one on the record.
The real chain
Pultec EQ (model not stated)
Verified
The piano chain then passed through Pultec equalisers.
Source: SonicScoop, accessed 15 Nov 2026
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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.
Also worth a look 1
- Waves PuigTec EQs (EQP-1A and MEQ-5) (Models the Pultec EQP-1A and MEQ-5)
The real chain
Studer A820
Verified
The piano was recorded to half-inch tape on a Studer A820 at the end of the chain.
Source: SonicScoop, accessed 15 Nov 2026
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Approximate
Slate Digital Virtual Tape Machines
tape
Models two Studer machines, not this recorder. It gives the general behaviour of analogue multitrack tape.
Also worth a look 1
- Universal Audio Studer A800 Tape Recorder (Models a Studer A800, not this recorder. It gives the general behaviour of analogue multitrack tape)
Sources
- Inside John Legend's "Love in the Future" - Track by Track with Executive Producer Dave Tozer, SonicScoop, 2013-09-02. Accessed 15 Nov 2026.
What the ratings mean
Stated by the engineer, producer or artist, or by the manufacturer.
Stated by a reputable secondary source.
An educated suggestion, not a documented fact.
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