The Favorite Music Production Tools Of Mr. Black

Please tell our readers a little bit about your background.

I’m Yaniv Bell, Artist DJ, producer and entrepreneur in the electronic music scene and I’ve been producing more than 15 years.

 

What is your favorite piece of hardware gear to work with and why?

Moog Voyager & Komplete.

Moog Voyager – This one is an analog synth that has a very phat bass sound, something I constantly use in my productions. 

Komplete – This is my keyboard and basically everything I need from start to finish when it comes to my own productions. It has a really great selection of sounds, synths, kits and automations to really up my projects.  

Check out the individual Komplete Classics here.

More from Native Instruments here.

 

Is there a specific VST plugin that radically changed your workflow? 

 

Nexus – I really like the sounds of the presets, they already sound amazing and it really helps the workflow. 

 

Do you have a specific process when it comes to creating tracks? For instance, do you start with a beat or with a melody?

For example let’s take my latest release with Gproject that we created for Desperate ApeWives NFT community. Firstly before jumping onto the studio to literally produce the record we did an analysis of the community and created the story, slogans and entire concept. Once we had the vision in mind we started with the melody, after that the drop and then the toplines. 

 

How do you approach space in production as it relates to delays and reverbs?

I love to play between both worlds – from wet to dry, sometimes I like to make the parts of the track super dry and then wet, it creates a story with reverb and fx automation.

Which aspect of music production do you feel you excel at?

Psytrance is the music I grew up on and was the first genre that I started to produce. I’ve managed to be diverse in the studio when it comes to music and have been producing multiple genres throughout the years, but when it comes to the specific idea I calculate the concept and sounds and this is how I then approach producing the idea.

Your best advice to get that kick drum pounding?

Firstly, I’m building my own kicks so that I’ll have a diverse go-to toolbox whenever I produce my music. There are 2 essential things in the kick that are really important to implement:

1.  Punch and Attack. Make sure that it sounds as ‘punchy’ as possible compared to the reference you’re working with.

2.  Body/sub. Make sure that the kick is ‘phat’ enough. When the kick and the bass sound good, you’re already 60-70% there in terms of the production, this is why it’s important to put attention on the kick and bass in the productions.

Out of all the productions you have made, what would be your personal favorite?

To be honest I’m connected to each production that has been made in my studio, otherwise I wouldn’t have the inspiration to finish it. Each track has different concept and this is why it’s always interesting to work on different things. 

What is the best advice you have for other producers in the game?

To finish what you’ve started and develop your skills throughout the process. You have to grow while you walk. 

Is there anything else you would like to share?

Yes, I wanted to share with you a bit more information about my recent venture DAW music together with Gproject, GoodDollar and leading NFT community Desperate ApeWives. 

DAW Music is a pioneering record label, our vision is to create a bridge between Art, Music and Technology. DAW music is a futuristic NFT label. Our mission: Is to build a healthy eco-system and home for artists to make a living out of their talent and also for collectors to be part of their success.

We’ve just released our anthem for Desperate ApeWives and it’s been making a lot of waves, make sure to check it out!

You can find more about myself and the team on this project by visiting 

@mr_black_music
@gproject.music
@desperateapewives
@daw.music

Thanks again for doing this interview.