How It Was Recorded

Pharrell Williams · Girl Despicable Me 2: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, 2013

Happy

Lead and backing vocals (mix)Bass (mix)Drums, claps and percussion (mix)Stereo mix busVerified16Reported2

What the sources do and do not say

One Sound On Sound Secrets of the Mix Engineers piece with mixer Leslie Brathwaite, read in full. It covers the mix only (in the box in Pro Tools with UAD and Waves plug-ins); it does not describe the tracking chain, microphones or instruments used at Circle House. Where he says the Universal Audio or Waves SSL Channel, the choice is left open.

Lead and backing vocals (mix)

Pharrell Williams

Mix effects

Waves Renaissance Compressor

Verified

Compressor on each lead vocal track, set differently for the verse and the hook leads.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

The plugin used on the record

Waves Renaissance Compressor

compressor

The plugin used on the record.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Waves SSL Channel (E or G version not stated)

Reported

Used for EQ on the individual lead vocal tracks; he names either the Universal Audio or the Waves version. (recalled with uncertainty)

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Close match

Waves SSL E-Channel

channel strip

Kinelski names only the Waves SSL channel strip. Waves sells an E-Channel and a G-Channel; the source does not say which he used.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Also worth a look: Waves SSL G-Channel (The other Waves SSL channel strip. The source does not say which version was used).

Waves L2

Verified

Limiter on the Lead aux group to add presence and bring the lead vocals forward.

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.

Audio Ease Altiverb

Verified

Reverb fed from the lead vocal aux to create a shared sense of space.

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 Extra Long Delay

Verified

Two understated aux delays on the vocals, with the low end filtered out of the returns.

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.

Celemony Melodyne

Verified

Used to tune the other backing vocals, after de-essing, compression and EQ.

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 Precision EQ

Verified

EQ on Pharrell's backing vocal aux, there to home in on a specific frequency.

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.

Bass (mix)

Mix effects

Universal Audio Little Labs VOG

Verified

On the bass, as on the kick, to tighten and enhance the low end.

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 Pultec EQ (model not stated)

Verified

On the bass, as on the kick, to tighten and enhance the low end.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

The plugin used on the record

Universal Audio Pultec Passive EQ Collection

equaliser

The plugin named in the source.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Drums, claps and percussion (mix)

Instrument

Roland 808

Verified

Source of the programmed clap track in the session.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Emulation of this unit

D16 Group Nepheton 2

drum instrument

An emulation of the TR-808.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Also worth a look: Roland Roland Cloud (Roland's own subscription, which includes its software TR-808).

Mix effects

Flux Stereo Tool

Verified

Stereo tool on the kick to balance a kick that was not quite centred.

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 Little Labs VOG

Verified

Added roundness to the low end of the kick.

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 Pultec EQ (model not stated)

Verified

Added low-end definition to the kick.

Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026

The plugin used on the record

Universal Audio Pultec Passive EQ Collection

equaliser

The plugin named in the source.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Universal Audio UAD Precision EQ

Verified

EQ on the snare to enhance its high end.

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 Precision Enhancer kHz

Verified

Enhancer on the snare to lift its high end.

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.

Audio Ease Altiverb

Reported

Reverb on the drums aux (kick, snare, hi-hat); he thinks he placed the drums in a smaller space than the vocals.

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.

Stereo mix bus

Mix effects

Universal Audio UAD Precision Enhancer kHz

Verified

Added gloss to the high end of the overall mix.

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 L2

Verified

Placed on the mix to give Pharrell an idea of mastering, then removed before the mix went to mastering.

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.

Sources

  1. Inside Track: Pharrell Williams "Happy", Sound On Sound, 2014-05. 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.

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