"Black Catcher" is the tenth opening theme of the popular anime series Black Clover, and it's one of those songs that perfectly blends rock energy with emotional melody. This instrumental remake was created for Shiro Neko, a talented cover artist I met through the Fiverr platform. Since then, I've worked on several tracks for her, and since anime is one of my great passions, I truly enjoy creating these instrumentals.
Want This Instrumental?
If you'd like to get the stems or a stereo mix of this instrumental version of Black Catcher, you can contact me here.
The Sixth Track for Shiro Neko
This song is the sixth instrumental I've produced for Shiro Neko. Every time she requests a new one, I don't hesitate for a second before saying yes. I received the request for this track while I was out of the city, working only with my laptop and a small keyboard. Despite those limitations, I was able to work step by step until the track was complete.
The Production Process: From Tempo Map to Final Mix
The first step was creating a tempo map based on the original track. After that, I started with the drums. Without my usual pad or full-size keyboard, I used the grid note editor to program the kick, snare, hi-hats, toms, and crashes. This is not a simple drum track by any means, and building it entirely in the editor was a unique challenge.
Joe Chiccarelli Drums: Professional Acoustic Sound
I used the Joe Chiccarelli Drums pack from EastWest ComposerCloud. It's one of my go-to choices when I need acoustic drums with a powerful, professional sound that cuts through the mix.
Black Catcher – Drums Recording with Joe Chiccarelli Pack (EastWest)
The drum track for my Black Catcher remake, using the Joe Chiccarelli Drums pack from EastWest ComposerCloud. Without my usual drum pad available, I programmed the entire kit — kick, snare, hi-hats, toms, and crashes — in the grid editor. A challenging but rewarding way to build a complex drum part.
Stingray 5 Bass: Deep, Dynamic, and Full-Bodied
The Stingray 5 Bass is simply incredible — a very dynamic and deep-sounding bass with great body. It's one of my favorite virtual instruments for recreating rock tracks, and it works beautifully in pop and even country music as well.
Black Catcher – Stingray 5 Bass MIDI Session (EastWest)
The Stingray 5 Bass from EastWest in action — one of my favorite virtual bass instruments. In this video you can see the MIDI note events in light blue and the articulation triggers in different colors. The audio was exported raw from the MIDI session without any processing, so you hear the pure instrument sound.
Piano: Finding the Perfect Tone Immediately
I usually mix piano sounds to achieve the tone I'm looking for. However, for this song, I found the perfect piano right away — just a few minor parameter adjustments and it was ready to go.
Black Catcher – Piano Recording with Keyscape LA Custom C7
The piano part played using the LA Custom C7 Classical from Keyscape by Spectrasonics — a beautifully sampled grand piano. For this song I found the perfect tone right away and only needed minor parameter adjustments. You can see the MIDI performance with chords and melodic lines in the editor.
Electric Guitars: Virtual but Convincing
Since I wasn't in my studio and only had my laptop and a small keyboard, recording real guitars wasn't an option. Thankfully, EastWest offers fantastic virtual electric guitars that saved the day for this project.
Black Catcher – Electric Guitars from Ministry Of Rock II (EastWest)
The electric guitar parts recorded using the Ministry Of Rock II library by EastWest. Since I was working remotely without access to real guitars, these virtual guitars saved the project. After recording the MIDI tracks, I exported the audio and added distortion, compressors, and amp simulators for a more aggressive tone.
Lead Guitar: Gibson from Ministry Of Rock II
The lead guitar part is straightforward in this track but needed a great sound. I chose the Gibson Lead Guitar from the Ministry Of Rock II pack by EastWest — it delivers the right tone with minimal tweaking.
Black Catcher – Lead Guitar with Gibson from Ministry Of Rock II
The lead guitar part using the Gibson Lead Guitar from the Ministry Of Rock II pack by EastWest. A straightforward melody line that needed a great tone — the Gibson model delivered with a smooth, singing quality perfect for the melodic passages in this anime opening.
Original vs. Remake: Left-Right Comparison
In this Left-Right comparison track, I placed the original song in the left channel and my instrumental version in the right channel. You'll notice the tempo is identical throughout, even during tempo changes. This is because I created a detailed tempo map based on the original track before I started recording — it allowed me to move quickly and accurately through each section.
Black Catcher – Original vs. Remake: Left-Right Comparison
A side-by-side audio comparison: the original Black Catcher in the left channel and my instrumental remake in the right. The tempo is perfectly synchronized thanks to the tempo map I created before recording. Use headphones to isolate each version and compare the production details.
Key Change for Shiro Neko's Vocal Range
As with every remake, I export each instrument in separate sessions due to my laptop's processing limitations. For this song, I exported two versions: one in the original key and another transposed +2 semitones, as requested by Shiro Neko to match her vocal range. The final published version uses the new key.
Multi-Track Demo
Here is a section of the song in a multi-track (multi-stems) version, where each track contains more than one mixed instrument layer. Listen to how the different elements come together.
Final Result on Shiro Neko's Channel
This is the final result, published on Shiro Neko's YouTube channel. Check out her beautiful vocal performance over my instrumental.
If you're looking for custom instrumental remakes for your covers or performances — especially anime, rock, pop, or gospel — feel free to contact me. You can also browse my Music Hub for available stems and multi-tracks ready to download.
