How It Was Recorded

Justin Bieber · Purpose, 2015

Love Yourself

Justin Bieber lead vocalEd Sheeran vocalElectric guitarTrumpetMaster busVerified21

What the sources do and do not say

Taken from the Love Yourself section of Sound On Sound’s Secrets Of The Mix Engineers piece, where Josh Gudwin walks through his Pro Tools session; all rows are about mix processing and the trumpet overdub, not the original tracking of Ed Sheeran’s guitar or vocal. The Mix article (Lily Moayeri) was read and gives only album-level and habitual vocal-recording chains (Sony C-800G, Telefunken ELA M 251, Neumann U 67, Neve 1073/1081, Tube-Tech CL 1B), so none of it is used as a song row. The Bricasti is named only as “the Bricasti” in this section.

Justin Bieber lead vocal

Justin Bieber

Mix effects

Universal Audio UAD SSL Channel

Verified

Channel strip on most of Bieber’s lead vocal tracks for this song.

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.

Universal Audio UAD LA-2A

Verified

Compressor on most of Bieber’s lead vocal tracks, set slightly differently per track.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

The plugin used on the record

Universal Audio Teletronix LA-2A Leveler Collection

compressor

The plugin named in the source.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Waves C6

Verified

Multiband compressor on most of Bieber’s lead vocal tracks, set slightly differently per track.

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.

FabFilter Pro-DS

Verified

De-esser on Bieber’s lead vocal bus.

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.

FabFilter Pro-Q 2

Verified

EQ on Bieber’s lead vocal bus.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

The plugin used on the record

FabFilter Pro-Q 4

equaliser

Current version of the plugin used on the record; Pro-Q 2 is no longer sold.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Bricasti Reverb (model not stated)

Verified

Reverb that Bieber’s lead vocals are sent through, with the effect printed.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Covers this kind of unit

LiquidSonics Seventh Heaven

reverb

Built from the Bricasti M7, the firm's main reverb, using its own presets. 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.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Ed Sheeran vocal

Ed Sheeran

Mix effects

Avid BF76

Verified

Compressor on Sheeran’s vocal tracks, alongside a channel strip.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Close match

Universal Audio 1176 Classic Limiter Collection

compressor

BF76 is Avid's own 1176 model and comes with Pro Tools. This is another model of the same unit.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Also worth a look: Waves CLA-76 Compressor / Limiter (BF76 is Avid's own 1176 model and comes with Pro Tools. This is another model of the same unit).

FabFilter Pro-Q 2

Verified

EQ on Sheeran’s vocal bus.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

The plugin used on the record

FabFilter Pro-Q 4

equaliser

Current version of the plugin used on the record; Pro-Q 2 is no longer sold.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Bricasti Reverb (model not stated)

Verified

Reverb on Sheeran’s voice.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Covers this kind of unit

LiquidSonics Seventh Heaven

reverb

Built from the Bricasti M7, the firm's main reverb, using its own presets. 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.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Universal Audio UAD LA-2A

Verified

Compressor on Sheeran’s voice.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

The plugin used on the record

Universal Audio Teletronix LA-2A Leveler Collection

compressor

The plugin named in the source.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Electric guitar

Ed Sheeran

Mix effects

Waves NS1

Verified

Noise suppression to clean up Sheeran’s noisy original guitar take, which was kept.

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.

Waves GTR

Verified

Waves GTR plug-in used on Sheeran's original guitar take.

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.

FabFilter Pro-MB

Verified

Used to filter the guitar take as part of the clean-up.

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.

Avid EQ (model not stated)

Verified

Used to filter the guitar take.

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.

Trumpet

Phil Beaudreau

Input chain

Neve Preamp (model not stated)

Verified

Preamp for the trumpet, recorded with no compression.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Covers this kind of unit

Universal Audio Neve 1073 Preamp & EQ Collection

preamp and EQ

Models the 1073, Neve's best-known transformer-coupled preamp. 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.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Also worth a look: Waves Scheps 73 (Models the 1073, Neve's best-known transformer-coupled preamp. 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).

Mix effects

Universal Audio UAD MXR flanger

Verified

Flanger added to the trumpet right after it was recorded.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

The plugin used on the record

Universal Audio MXR Flanger/Doubler

modulation

The plugin named in the source.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Universal Audio UAD SPL Vitalizer

Verified

Used on the ‘Audio 1’ track, a texture made from a trumpet loop.

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

Universal Audio UAD SSL Channel

Verified

Compression on the master track, using a mid attack and auto release because there are no drums.

Settings
mid attack, auto release

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.

Massey EQ (model not stated)

Verified

EQ on the master track, boosting at two frequencies.

Settings
boost at 100Hz and 16kHz

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.

FabFilter Pro-L

Verified

Used on the master track for level.

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.

Sonnox Oxford Inflator

Verified

Added a touch of sheen on the master track.

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

Sources

  1. Inside Track: Justin Bieber ‘Purpose’, Sound On Sound, 2016-05. 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.