Jerry Popiel on SoundBetter

High-fidelity orchestral, soloists, musicals, folk rock and indie rock are my sweet spots. On-site recording + remote mixing and production. Over 20 years of multi-track production experience, great ears + premium equipment.

On-site tracking plus remote music production, instrumentation and mixing from Cleveland, Ohio. I work in Logic Pro X and can take your music from your simple demo to finished track. I like working with orchestras, soloists, singer/songwriters or soloists and specialize in natural-sounding, vintage or classic acoustic and electric sounds... but can also give tracks a modern edge if that's what you need. I've licensed music in film and video game apps.

I have over two decades of recording experience, having started on multi-track tape and now working exclusively in Logic Pro X. Helping others make music is a labor of love for me.

Would love to hear from you. Click the contact button above to get in touch.

Credits

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by Fredrik C.
Verified
We reached out to Jerry about a track for a special project that required much musical talent and skill, but also an openness to collaborate around our specific needs. Jerry delivered in spades and was all-around fantastic to work with from start to finish. I look forward to working with Jerry again!

Interview with Jerry Popiel

Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: Orchestral, soloist, indie rock, folk rock, acoustic singer/songwriter.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: Indie-folky-rocky... but with a quirky streak when it needs it!
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Less is more!
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Acoustic music (guitars, mandolins, harmonicas, etc.) and indie folk or rock.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: Collaboration
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: I aim for clarity, both of purpose and of sound. First, I try to capture the pure intent of the creative person with clarity. Second, I pursue simplicity in instrumentation... often less is more for creating the most impact.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: I listen to the song idea first and foremost... the mood, emotion, lyrics, feel, from a simple demo usually. My first step is can I bring something of value to this song? I don't take projects that I don't feel I can do justice. Talk or correspond with the artist to get a feel for the person, song and vision. Once I get my hands on the basic tracks (vocal, a guitar or piano maybe), I start experimenting with arrangement, sounds, instrumentation to see what might fit most appropriately.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: Based around Logic Pro X with a treated space for tracking live instruments.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: I've had the pleasure of spending time over a couple of years with Mitch Easter at his Fidelitorium studio working on one of my band's projects. Besides Mitch being an awesome human being, I learned a lot from watching his workflow, his amazing attention to detail, incomparable work ethic and his bonkers creativity.
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: Gibson SJ-100 acoustic, iMac, Universal Audio interface, Rode NTK, Sennheiser HD650 headphones.
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: As a small kid, my dad had a 2-channel reel-to-reel tape machine that I could record individual tracks on, so I started early with rudimentary original recordings! From there, I went to Tascam 4-track cassette to Fostex 8-track reel-to-reel, to Korg D1200, to Korg D3200 and eventually to Logic Pro. So I've seen a lot of tape in my day and can really appreciate the amazing digital tools we have now.