Part 1

Ben Thomas, a first-call engineer known for his collaborations with industry giants such as Lil Uzi Vert, Future, and Nicki Minaj, has been involved with a string of hit records as well as awards for Justin Bieber's "Justice" and Jazmine Sullivan's 'Heaux Tales'.

In this Puremix exclusive, Ben shares the professional recording and mixing techniques that have helped multiple artists reach the top of the charts. Join Ben at Flux Studios, as he mixes Lil Uzi Vert's "Rehab," from scratch while explaining the why behind each of his moves, stories from the recording sessions, and how he ensures that sessions move at blazing speeds to keep the artist inspired.

Watch as Ben:

Demonstrates his recording process for Lil Uzi Vert's vocals, including his tracking vocal chain and technique
Breaks down his method for balancing drums and 808s and explains how he manages gain staging for a loud and powerful hip-hop mix
Goes through each of the instrumental tracks and explains how he adds texture and depth to the mix while still leaving space for the vocals
Breaks down each plugin on Lil Uzi Vert's lead vocal chain in the mix
Discusses his philosophy about vocal levels
Goes through each adlib track, making sure each line is present, while discussing his approach to hip hop adlibs
Gives his approach to editing vocals and how he manages breaths and easing
Explains how subtle compression on each track ensures he can get a loud and dynamic mix
Breaks down his stereo mix bus chain