How It Was Recorded

Smokey Robinson · Being with You, 1981

Being with You

Lead vocalGuitarBassDrumsKeyboardsVerified8Reported1

What the sources do and do not say

Single source: Mix Classic Tracks with engineer Howard Wolen, who recalls the rhythm-section session and vocals. Wolen also mentions the studio 1176 and a Harrison board only as general studio facts or as a belief about an earlier studio, so those are left out. No mix details or tape machine for this song are given.

Lead vocal

Smokey Robinson

Microphone

Telefunken 251

Verified

Microphone for Smokey Robinson's final vocals, recorded after the band tracks; nothing else was tried once it was in use.

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.

Neumann U 87

Reported

Engineer believes this was the microphone on Robinson's scratch reference vocal sung in an isolation booth during the live rhythm tracking.

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.

Guitar

Bill Neale

Amplifier

Fender Reverb amp (model not stated)

Verified

Amplifier Bill Neale played his guitar through; the guitar was not taken direct.

Source: Mix, 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

Shure SM57

Verified

Two of these were placed on the guitar amplifier.

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

Bass

Scott Edwards

Amplifier

Recorded direct (DI), no amplifier

Verified

Bass was recorded direct rather than through an amplifier.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

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

Drums

Ed Greene

Microphone

Shure SM57

Verified

Used for most of the drum kit, which was recorded live in the glassed-in drum booth.

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

AKG D12

Verified

Bass drum microphone; with 400 cycles EQ'd out it gave a puffy yet snappy sound that suited the drummer's laid-back feel.

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.

Keyboards

Bill Cuomo

Instrument

Fender Rhodes

Verified

Instrument Bill Cuomo played on the session.

Source: Mix, 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

Amplifier

Recorded direct (DI), no amplifier

Verified

Keyboards were recorded direct rather than through an amplifier.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

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

Sources

  1. Classic Tracks: Smokey Robinson's "Being With You", Mix, 2015-03. 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.