Madonna featuring Justin Timberlake and Timbaland · Hard Candy, 2008
4 Minutes
17 sourced items across 7 sectionsVerified13Reported4
What the sources do and do not say
Single source: Paul Tingen's Sound On Sound interview with mix engineer Demo Castellon, entirely about '4 Minutes'. It covers the mix (Hit Factory, SSL J-series) and outboard on the vocals, drums and brass, but gives no microphones or preamps. A TC3000 reverb on Madonna's hook vocal is omitted because the maker is not stated. Castellon says one of his engineers did the Auto-Tune or Melodyne tuning; no unit is named.
Timbaland vocal
5 items
Timbaland
Mix effects
The real chain
Yamaha REV5
Verified
Added a small hall reverb to Timbaland's main intro vocals to emphasise the room sound of his vocal microphone.
Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026
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Covers this kind of unit
Valhalla DSP ValhallaVintageVerb
reverb
A reverb built on the methods of 1980s digital units like this one, giving the same bright, slightly grainy halls and plates; it is not a model of this unit.
The real chain
Roland Dimension D
Verified
Used on Timbaland's ad libs for the same room-emphasising effect.
Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026
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Emulation of this unit
Universal Audio Studio D Chorus
modulation
Models the Roland Dimension D.
The real chain
MXR Flanger (model not stated)
Verified
Provided a flanging effect on Timbaland's vocal.
Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026
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No plugin suggested. The source does not name the model, so no specific plugin can be suggested.
The real chain
Lexicon PCM42
Verified
Provided a small slap delay on Timbaland's vocal.
Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026
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Close match
Soundtoys PrimalTap
delay
Models the Lexicon Prime Time, the PCM42's predecessor, with the same kind of modulated digital delay.
The real chain
Waves Metaflanger
Verified
Added a chorus effect to the PCM42 slap delay on Timbaland's vocal to make it more distinctive.
Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026
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No plugin suggested. This is already software, so the stand-in is the thing itself. No product link has been added for it yet.
Madonna lead vocal
2 items
Madonna
Mix effects
The real chain
Lexicon PCM42
Verified
Gave Madonna's vocal an eighth-note delay to give it some space.
Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026
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Close match
Soundtoys PrimalTap
delay
Models the Lexicon Prime Time, the PCM42's predecessor, with the same kind of modulated digital delay.
The real chain
Eventide H3500
Verified
Reverb on Madonna's vocal in the verse.
Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026
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Close match
Eventide H3000 Factory Mk II
multi-effect
Eventide's own plugin version of the H3000, the model this family is built on.
Justin Timberlake vocal
2 items
Justin Timberlake
Mix effects
The real chain
Lexicon PCM 70
Verified
Added a small chorus effect to Timberlake's vocal.
Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026
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Close match
Universal Audio Lexicon 224 Digital Reverb
reverb
A model of the Lexicon 224, the larger Lexicon digital reverb whose family of programmes the PCM 70 drew on; it is not a model of the PCM 70 itself.
The real chain
Pioneer CDJ-1000
Verified
Played back Timberlake's vocal from a CD in the first verse "Oooh" part so it could be transformed like a DJ.
Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026
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No plugin suggested. This is a DJ deck, used here to play and manipulate audio by hand; it is a playback tool rather than a processor, so no plugin stands in for it.
Hook vocal group (all three singers)
1 item
Timbaland, Madonna and Justin Timberlake
Mix effects
The real chain
Waves Renaissance Compressor
Verified
Compressed the hook vocal subgroup that contains all the vocals in the hook.
Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026
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The plugin used on the record
Waves Renaissance Compressor
compressor
The plugin used on the record.
Drums and percussion
2 items
Timbaland and Danja (programming)
Mix effects
The real chain
Waves Renaissance Compressor
Verified
Used on the kick before the desk to keep its level in check without changing its sound.
Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026
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The plugin used on the record
Waves Renaissance Compressor
compressor
The plugin used on the record.
The real chain
Focusrite D2
Verified
Matched a replacement kick sound in one place in the hook to the other kick sounds.
Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026
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No plugin suggested. This is itself a plugin, the Focusrite d2 equaliser for Pro Tools, so the record used the software rather than hardware.
Brass samples
1 item
Timbaland (probably)
Instrument
The real chain
Yamaha Motif
Reported
The engineer believes the horn samples came from the Motif, but says he is not sure.
Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026
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Covers this kind of unit
Korg KORG Collection
instrument
A collection of sample-based workstations (M1, Trinity, Triton) from just before the Motif, which build sounds from stored samples in the same way; it is not a model of this unit.
Backing track programming and recording
4 items
Timbaland and Danja
Instrument
The real chain
Akai MPC3000
Reported
Used by Timbaland and Danja, along with other instruments, to build the backing track at SARM.
Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026
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Approximate
Akai Professional MPC Beats
instrument · free
Akai's free MPC software. It gives the MPC way of working, not the sound of this hardware.
The real chain
Ensoniq ASR-10
Reported
Used by Timbaland and Danja, along with other instruments, to build the backing track at SARM.
Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026
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Approximate
TAL Software TAL-Sampler
instrument
A sampler plugin with vintage-style converters. It is not a model of this unit, and you load your own samples.
Input chain
The real chain
Solid State Logic SL 9080 J Series console
Reported
Console that the recording sessions at SARM Studio 3 were done on.
Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026
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Close match
Solid State Logic SSL Native Channel Strip 2
channel strip
SSL's own channel-strip plugin. It is not a model of this particular desk.
Also worth a look 1
- Waves SSL E-Channel (Models the 4000 E channel strip; the source does not make this the same desk)
The real chain
Avid Pro Tools
Verified
Recording medium for the sessions, at 44.1 kHz and 24-bit.
Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026
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The plugin used on the record
Avid Pro Tools
DAW
The DAW used on the record.
Sources
- Secrets Of The Mix Engineers: Demacio 'Demo' Castellon, Sound On Sound, 2008-07. Accessed 15 Nov 2026.
What the ratings mean
Stated by the engineer, producer or artist, or by the manufacturer.
Stated by a reputable secondary source.
An educated suggestion, not a documented fact.
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