How It Was Recorded

Sade · Promise, 1985

The Sweetest Taboo

Lead vocalGuitarBassDrumsKeys and percussionEffects percussion and mixVerified13Reported7

What the sources do and do not say

Single source: Richard Buskin's Sound On Sound Classic Tracks interview with engineer and co-producer Mike Pela, who speaks about this song and the Promise sessions at the Power Plant. Rows marked album-level come from his description of the general studio setup (drum, guitar and piano miking), which he does not tie to this song; he notes the toms and hi-hat were not used here. The Mix Online page on Sade touring was read and had no recording detail.

Lead vocal

Sade Adu

Microphone

Neumann U 87

Reported

Microphone for Sade's overdubbed lead vocal, recorded behind a screen in the control room.

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

EMT 140

Reported

Delayed plate echo applied to the lead vocal.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Emulation of this unit

Universal Audio EMT 140 Classic Plate Reverberator

reverb

Models three EMT 140 plates, made with EMT.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Also worth a look: Soundtoys Little Plate (A simpler EMT 140 model with one decay control).

dbx 160X

Reported

Compressor on the lead vocal.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Close match

Universal Audio dbx 160 Compressor / Limiter

compressor

Models the original dbx 160. The 160X and 160XT are later versions of it.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Also worth a look: Waves dbx 160 Compressor / Limiter (Models the original dbx 160. The 160X and 160XT are later versions of it).

AMS RMX16

Reported

Reverb added to the vocal for the middle section only.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Emulation of this unit

Universal Audio AMS RMX16 Expanded Digital Reverb

reverb

A model of the AMS RMX16 itself, built from the original algorithms with the extra programmes that could be loaded into the hardware.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Guitar

Stuart Matthewman

Amplifier

Roland Jazz combo (model not stated)

ReportedAlbum sessions

Album sessions, not stated for this song: Guitar amplifier for Matthewman's Hofner acoustic or Fender Squire, close-miked.

Source: Sound On Sound, 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

Neumann U 87

ReportedAlbum sessions

Album sessions, not stated for this song: Close microphone on the Roland combo amplifier.

Position
close-miked

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.

Bass

Paul Denman

Amplifier

Recorded direct (DI), no amplifier

Verified

Bass was taken direct rather than through the miked amp on this song.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

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

Drums

Dave Early

Instrument

Yamaha RX11

Reported

Used by Martin Ditcham to make the drum loop from which the song started.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Covers this kind of unit

Aly James Lab VProm

drum instrument

A model of early-1980s drum machines that also play short drum samples from memory chips; it is not a model of this unit and has different sounds.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Microphone

AKG D12

VerifiedAlbum sessions

Album sessions, not stated for this song: Kick drum microphone in the live drum setup for the Promise sessions.

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.

Neumann KM 84

VerifiedAlbum sessions

Album sessions, not stated for this song: One of two snare microphones in the live drum setup for the Promise sessions.

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.

Shure SM57

VerifiedAlbum sessions

Album sessions, not stated for this song: The second of two snare microphones in the live drum setup for the Promise sessions.

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. The SM57 is still made and inexpensive: the real thing is the practical route.

Neumann U 47

VerifiedAlbum sessions

Album sessions, not stated for this song: Overhead microphone in the live drum setup for the Promise sessions.

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.

Keys and percussion

Instrument

Yamaha DX7

VerifiedAlbum sessions

Andrew Hale used it more on Promise than on the first album, because it offered more.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Emulation of this unit

Arturia DX7 V

instrument

An emulation of the Yamaha DX7.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Also worth a look: Digital Suburban Dexed (A free, open-source DX7 emulation that loads original DX7 patches).

E-mu Emulator II

Verified

Supplied a sampled sticky bongo pattern on the choruses, triggered from the kick drum track.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Emulation of this unit

Arturia Emulator II V

instrument

An emulation of the E-mu Emulator II.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Microphone

Neumann U 87

VerifiedAlbum sessions

Album sessions, not stated for this song: Pair of microphones on the piano in the live room during the sessions.

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.

Effects percussion and mix

Microphone

Neumann U 87

Verified

Pair of microphones, facing away from each other, on the bottle and glasses sounds heard late in the song.

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

Harrison MR3

Verified

Console on which the song was mixed in the Gallery.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Close match

Harrison Audio 32Classic Channel Strip

channel strip

Models the channel strip of Harrison's earlier 32-series desk, which has the same maker's proportional-Q style of EQ; it is not the MR3 itself.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Mastermix Automation (model not stated)

VerifiedAlbum sessions

Album sessions, not stated for this song: Stand-alone automation unit connected to the console for the mix.

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.

Studer A820

Verified

Machine the mix was recorded onto.

Settings
30ips

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).

Sony F1

Verified

Second format the mix was recorded onto.

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: Sade 'The Sweetest Taboo', Sound On Sound, 2004-11. 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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