Mix Analysis 3

Artist: N*E*R*D
Album: In Search Of...
Year: 2001
Title: Provider

Producer: the Neptunes
Mixing Engineer: Jimmy Douglass (also worked with Missy Elliott and Snoop Dogg)
Mixing Studio: Thomas Crown Studio
Mastering Engineer: Chris Gehringer
Mastering Studio: Sterling Sound


Instrumentation:

0:00-0:07 - acoustic guitar, backing vocals, vocals
0:08-0:10 - acoustic guitar, backing vocals, vocals, drums
0:11-0:24 - acoustic guitar, backing vocals, vocals, drums, bass
0:25-1:11 - acoustic guitar, backing vocals, vocals, drums, bass, electric guitar
1:12-1:22 - acoustic guitar, backing vocals, vocals, drums
1:23-1:36 - acoustic guitar, backing vocals, vocals, drums, bass
1:37-1:54 - acoustic guitar, backing vocals, vocals, drums, bass, electric guitar
1:55-1:59 - vocals
2:00-2:23 - acoustic guitar, backing vocals, vocals, drums, bass, electric guitar
2:24-2:36 - acoustic guitar, backing vocals, vocals, drums, bass
2:37-2:47 - acoustic guitar, backing vocals, vocals, drums, bass, synth 1
2:48-3:12 - acoustic guitar, backing vocals, vocals, drums, bass, synth 2
3:13-3:35 - acoustic guitar, backing vocals, vocals, drums, bass, synth 2, electric guitar
3:36-4:21 - acoustic guitar, backing vocals, drums, bass, synth 3, electric guitar
4:22-4:19 - acoustic guitar, drums, bass, synth 3, electric guitar

Sound Source                                    Pan              Level
Acoustic guitar                                   -7                  7
Electric guitar                                     3                   7
Drums                                                 0                   6
Bass                                                    0                   6
Synth 1                                           -7 to 7               6 
Synth 2                                               5                    5  
Synth 3                                              3                     6  
Vocals                                                0                     8 
Backing vocals                               -6 to 6                6               

Effects: vocals (reverb, delay, flanger-type). Same with backing, although pans back and forth throughout the song. Electric guitar (distortion, reverb) All synths have some type of effects on it, I cant determine what kind, but they all have a unique sound. Synth 1 also pans back and forth.

Tempo/Time Signature: I'm not sure the exact tempo or time signature, but from 2:24-2:47 it changes for the breakdown and again from 3:36 until the song ends.

This song is one of my favorite from one of my favorite groups, and when I realized it was mixed by Jimmy Douglass (I analyzed two of his songs previously) I knew I wanted to analyze Provider. Just like the other songs, Little Ghetto Boy and SexyBack, I think this song is mixed extremely well. It is very precise, and has a nice polished sound. The three songs I analyzed so far have been very different. The first, Little Ghetto Boy, was a classic band mixing with live instruments. The second, SexyBack was more electronic, mainly synthesizers. And this song is a combination of the two, it has live instruments as well as synths. Being able to mix electronic sound with clean instrument sounds seems quite difficult and is a testament to Jimmy Douglass' versatility and skill.