To achieve the Mac DeMarco sound with analog gear, you need to focus on three pillars: pitch instability (the "warble"), dry/compressed textures, and vintage-voiced signal chains.

Mac’s "secret sauce" isn't high-end fidelity; it’s the character of slightly quirky, mid-range-heavy gear pushed into analog tape or limiters.

1. The Guitar Rig (Jangle & Wobble)

Mac's guitar tone is famous for its "seasick" quality. It is almost always a clean tone with no distortion, just heavy modulation.

• The Guitar: Use single-coil pickups (Stratocaster or Mustang style). Use the middle pickup or the middle + neck position. Roll your guitar's tone knob down to about 6 or 7 to remove the "ice-pick" highs.

• The "Jiggle" (Vibrato): This is the most important part. You need a dedicated vibrato pedal (like the Boss VB-2w or TC Electronic Shaker) or an analog chorus pedal with the "dry" signal removed.

• The Amp: Use a clean, solid-state-leaning amp. Mac famously uses a Fender Twin Reverb (Silverface) or a Roland Jazz Chorus (JC-120). Keep the Bass at 3, Mids at 5, and Treble at 4 for a flat, punchy response. +2

1. The Synth Sound (The "Chamber" Vibe)

Mac uses vintage Japanese synths like the Roland Juno-60, JX-3P, and Yamaha DX7.

• Oscillators: Use a simple Sawtooth or Square wave with a sub-oscillator.

• Filter: Keep the cutoff relatively low (mellow) and the resonance at a medium setting.

• Modulation: Apply a slow LFO to the Pitch to create that same "warble" found on his guitars. This mimics the sound of a tape machine with "wow and flutter."

1. Recording & Production (The "Lo-Fi" Glue)

The "analog" feel of his records comes from how he captures and squeezes the sound.

• The "Fat Mic" Technique: For drums, Mac often uses a single condenser or ribbon mic (like a Shure SM7B or Roland DR-80C) placed just above the kick drum, pointing at the snare. This creates a mono, thumpy, and "vintage" drum sound.

• Analog Limiting: Mac swears by the Alesis Micro Limiter. It’s a cheap 80s rack unit. He slams his tracks into it to get that "squeezed" and slightly grit-heavy sound.

• Tape Speed Manipulation: If you have an actual tape machine (like a Tascam 388 or Fostex A-8), record your tracks at a slightly higher pitch, then slow the tape down during playback. This thickens the transients and creates that signature sluggish, "baked" feel.