Denyl Brook gives us an inside look into his Lyon studio and shows us the gear he uses to craft his upbeat, melodic sound.
Since entering the scene in 2018, Denyl Brook has consistently released high-quality productions heavily inspired by classic house sounds with a modern twist. His style is perfectly exemplified by his most recent EP ‘My Lovin.’ Whether you are listening on headphones or in the club, one thing is guaranteed, Brook’s tracks will get you moving.
We wanted to get a look behind the scenes and see where the magic happens, so we asked Denyl to give us a tour of his studio and the gear that helps bring it all to life.
Stream Denyl Brook’s ‘My Lovin’ EP now.
Find Denyl Brook on Instagram.
Denyl Brook – My Studio
This is my humble studio.
I recently moved to Lyon and quickly found my bearings by installing all the production equipment.
A change in environment can impact creativity, I noticed it in my old apartment. It was very difficult to be so productive in a studio that didn’t suit me. In this one, I have never been so productive and I intend to improve it in the years to come.
Roland TR-09
The TR-09 is my first drum machine. I really like it because I find it very pleasant to use and has the essential sound I was looking for in my productions.
A good part of my productions are composed of elements of the TR-09. I use it less than before now since I have a TR-8S, which has a very large sound bank, including those of the TR-09.
Roland TR-8S
The TR-8S is my second drum machine. I use it for almost all my productions.
For my EP ‘My Lovin’, I used it on all the tracks. I use it to make my drum loops and I also integrate my own samples into it. I’ve had it for 5 years now and it’s more than enough for me.
Arturia Minilab MKII
I have had the Arturia Minilab MKII little keyboard for seven years now and it still serves me well. I don’t need to have a lot of touch on a keyboard or a synth and it satisfies me. I use it in a versatile way and almost on all my music. Generally, I use it to make melodies and strings with the VST Analog Lab.
Korg Minilogue XD
I tried the Minilogue XD synthesizer in a shop and I loved it. This is my newest purchase and I use it mainly for leads, fx and synths. I used many melodies that come from this synth especially on the track ‘Good Times’ from my EP My Lovin’.
Korg Monologue
The Monologue is the very first analogue synthesizer I bought.
I use it a little less lately, because I use it almost exclusively for a particular bass that you will find in almost all of my songs (‘I Wanna’, ‘Good Times’, ‘My Lovin’…).
But recently I changed the bass sound in my songs and I rarely use it anymore.
TAL-U-NO-LX Software
I have had this software for a very long time. I gave it up for a while but I use it almost all the time now. I produced all the melodies for my next EP which is coming on my Silver Steps label with this software. I mainly use it for pads and synths.
Analog Lab V
I discovered this software when I bought my first Arturia keyboard. I got used to producing with this software and have used it in all my compositions since my beginning.
I use a string that you will find in 90% of my productions, and a bass preset that I often use too, which you will find on my tracks such as ‘Fellas It’s Me’, from my EP ‘My Lovin’.
Studio Goodies
As you can see, I’m a fan of video games and particularly Japanese culture. I have been passionate about video games since my childhood, and I have exhibited goodies that evoke gratitude in me.
I think that feeling good in a room is important and I attached myself to these emotional cues to unleash my creativity. I often listen to video game OSTs from my childhood, it can give me inspiration when I produce and I get a lot of ideas from it.