Go to the profile of Wade Hammes
Wade Hammes
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GEARBOX: Melanie Bell

Gearbox is a column dedicated to showcasing a producer’s most-used gear, their studio, production workflows, plugins, DAW, trade secrets, guilty pleasures or anything else that helps them create the music we listen to everyday.

Melanie Bell is one talented gal! She dons several musical hats: she’s an outstanding singer, an awesome producer and a talented DJ. There’s nothing she can’t do! We had the opportunity to chat with her about gear, her new label, and her deepest secrets… (we’re talking about production secrets here, guys!) Enjoy.

TATS: How did you get started in music production?

Melanie Bell: From a young age I was singing and writing music. I started using Audacity and recording myself over really bad drum samples in random closets of my home. It didn’t turn out so well and my partner at the time wasn’t fond of me paying so much attention to music.

I don’t think they knew I was watching and listening so closely to every session.About 6 years ago, I was working with a few producers as a vocalist. I would drive two hours each way on the weekends to record vocals and learn production. They were renting out a big house with multiple studios and they were all producers. To me this was my chance — an opportunity to obtain all the information I possibly could about music production. I don’t think they knew I was watching and listening so closely to every session. I think I watched for about a year before I even attempted to touch Logic Pro.

TATS: Can you give us artists that you’ve always looked up to as a producer? Why do you like them?

Melanie Bell:

TATS: I know Logic Pro X is your DAW of choice, how long have you been using Logic? Did you try other software before Logic?

Melanie Bell: I’ve been using Logic since about 2012, so about four and a half years ago. I’ve used Audacity, Fruity Loops, and Ableton, but that was after I started producing in Logic.

TATS: With the massive amount of gear you own, do you know which one you’re use in a track or you’ll go through a couple to find that sound that you want?

Melanie Bell: I operate with various workflows, it depends on the kind of music I’m making. If I have a piano melody in mind, I’ll start with a piano sound. Usually I’ll find a sound that is close to what I want and then I’ll go back later and design the sound further.

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Mel studio pics

Her fully equipped studio[/caption]

TATS: What’s your go-to synth? Why?

Melanie Bell: Omnisphere for sure. I don’t think I’d want to produce a track without it, whether it’s a simple atmospheric sound or a big lead, it’s just so versatile and sounds great.

TATS: Tell us about your new label…

Melanie Bell: The new label is called 444 Recordings, focused on releasing top quality music regardless of genre. I want to find innovative new music that uses unique sounds as opposed to everything that sounds similar these days. Looking for new genres and blends of genres that come together to create something amazing.

TATS: Your track “Step Low” has such a great sounding drone bass underneath the track, what bass synth did you use?

Melanie Bell: I used Sylenth to generate a basic sine wave, and then I ran that through the WOW filter and NI Guitar Rig for distortion and tone. And then I recorded filter automation with U-he’s runciter, using a midi-mapped control knob.

TATS: “Counting Stars” is a great trance track! I love how you kept that chord progression going throughout the track and kept adding parts creatively to keep me engaged! Tell us about the piano sound you used for this track…

Melanie Bell: The piano VST was Addictive Keys.

TATS: “Bring Me” is also a trance gem. I really like that half time break in the middle of the track! What stood out for me was that reverse sounding synth that swells up at the tail of the sound. How did you achieve that?

Melanie Bell: Hard sidechain compression triggered by a half-time kick drum, so triggers on beats one and three with a very low threshold on the sidechain compressor, fast attack and a moderate release.

TATS: Your latest track “Sweet Release” has a cool deep house vibe! It also features some great songwriting and vocal arrangements. What’s the song about?

Melanie Bell: That’s for me to know! {laughs} How people perceive of it is what’s more important, and how it makes them feel.

TATS: I love that electric piano & the stab synth sound in this. They add a lot of funk and a cool vibe to the track. What plugins did you use for this?

Melanie Bell: The electric piano was just the regular EVP88 in Logic played by my production partner Harnois, and the stab was created with U-he’s Diva.

TATS: Your vocals on your tracks are amazing! What are your go-to plugins for vocal processing?

Melanie Bell: I love the Waves Maserati vocal processor, especially the Air parameter. For reverb, I typically go for a space designer as a send effect. I’ve been starting to utilize the UAD 1176 for compression as well, it really pushes the vocals up front in the mix.

TATS: What’s your songwriting routine? Do you sit down and write a song with an instrument? Do you finish a track and then write a song on top of it? Anything different or unique that you’d like to share?

Melanie Bell: Again, it depends — every track is different, but songwriting is usually fast for me regardless of the method. Most of the time I’m basically freestyling off the top of my head, and it just goes from there. Sometimes I write the song in my head, and keep going over it over and over, like a notebook of songs in my mind. Then one day I’ll start producing a track and just know that it was meant for a specific song that I’ve conceptualized in my mind. And other times I’ll get inspired from a piano chord progression or groove that I hear. It all depends, there is no one way that it happens.

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Where the vocals happen[/caption]

TATS: What gear or software is next on your shopping list?

Melanie Bell: A really high-end tube mic would be nice, coupled with an outboard analog channel strip.

At the end of the day, gender should not matter — the proof is in your music. F*** the naysayers!TATS: Do you have advice you’d like to share, especially for female producers who’d like to make it in a male-dominated field?

Melanie Bell: Oh do I! The production world is not easy for women, as we are not taken as seriously in this business. But at the end of the day, gender should not matter — the proof is in your music. Just keep at it, and with enough perseverance and commitment people will start to come around. F*** the naysayers!

TATS: Just for fun question: if you get stuck on an island, what instrument would you want to be stuck with for days?

Melanie Bell: Probably an acoustic guitar, so I could sing and play at the same time. Also, it’s not as heavy as a piano so I could more easily travel around the island with it!

Follow Melanie Bell

http://soundcloud.com/melani3
http://soundcloud.com/444recordings/
https://www.facebook.com/MelanieBellmusic/