Santiago Ortolá on SoundBetter

Professional session drummer recording HQ Drum tracks remotely from my studio. Best deal on SB! I have +10 year experience playing and recording Pop, Rock, Funk, R&B, Jazz, Country, Latin and many more genres. My drum tracks are recorded professional equipment: Gretsch / Ludwig / Zildjian / Shure / Audient/ ProTools Let's make music together!

---Do you need real acoustic drums for your song?---

I'm a professional session drummer and I'll record a high-quality live drum track remotely from my home studio with professional equipment for your song or production!

I'm a professional recording session drummer with +10 years of experience in studio and live, playing Rock, Pop, Funk, Jazz, Hip Hop, Country, R&B, and many more.

I Will: Create a sonic concept based on your references and indications - Choose the right gear and tuning for that sound - Record, mix, and deliver - Wait for feedback and make a revision if necessary.

SERVICES:

- Stereo bounce of the drum track and 16 separate raw stems: $70 (1 revision allowed, Up to 4:30 min song)

- Fully mixed and mastered drum track + processed separate stems: $95 (1 revision allowed)

- Fully mixed and mastered drum track + performance video + processed stems: $110 (1 revision allowed)

Stop dealing with poor midi drum sounds. Get a pro drum track!

Send me a proposal and let's start working!

Send me a note through the contact button above.

Credits

22 Reviews - 6 Repeat Clients

Endorse Santiago Ortolá

by Stuart R.
Verified
Another great drum track from Santiago. Always a pleasure.
by Stuart R.
Verified
Wow! Santiago really felt the song and delivered some great drums! Highly recommended.
by Uriel P.
Verified
Santiago is a superb drummer. He delivered a high quality recording with a great performance! He has great communication skills, he delivers on time and he pays attention to details in the music. It's a pleasure to work with Santiago, I highly recommend him!
by Marco P.
Verified
Santiago is a great drummer. The recording and the drumming are top notch. He delivery many options and vas very fast. Higly recommended.
by Alejandro C.
Verified
It has been a pleasure collaborating with Santiago. He is a great drummer, fast and attentive to the needs of the project.
by J.D.
Verified
Santiago is such an amazing drummer, he always does such an awesome job on my songs. Fast, professional and very creative, super happy with the result! Thanks!
by J.D.
Verified
Excellent drummer! Super professional, creative and amazing result, 5/5 stars!
by Rubèn M.
Verified
Santiago is a great drummer and professional in managing projects. He understood quickly what I was looking for, and delivered it even before the deadline we agreed.
For the drums, I asked him to add details and variations from a base that I had and came up with very elegant details that are boosting the quality of my song. The audios are superb, high quality, and are covering the drums + rooms + overheads.

I would repeat without any hesitation!
All the best, Santiago💪🏻
by Richard Scobie
Verified
Such a pleasure working with Santiago! Not only is he a super talented drummer, but I'm really impressed with the high quality of his files. The sound quality is always top-notch! Great communication with a quick turnaround. He's a total pro and a super nice guy to boot. I highly recommend him.
by Emmanuel S
Verified
As usual, Santiago delivered excellently played and phenomenally recorded drum tracks for two songs I am co-producing. In spite of miscommunication on my part, Santiago was patient worked to ensure all my needs were addressed. He also elevated one of the songs by making slight changes to the rhythm. Santiago is versatile and has a deep understanding of music (beyond just playing the drums). I will definitely continue to use his services for all my drum needs.
by Richard Scobie
Verified
This is my second time working with Santiago. A highly skilled drummer that plays with creativity and passion, whose dedication and professionalism are second to none. He elevates the songs he plays on and works hard to achieve perfection! I highly recommend working with him.
by Julia D.
Verified
Amazing drummer!
by Jorge L.
Verified
Absolutely fantastic drummer. The best on SoundBetter.
by Richard Scobie
Verified
Santiago is a magnificent drummer. A top-tier professional who delivered masterful drums with beautiful sound and performance. He is also meticulous, patient, engaged, communicative, and super intuitive as to what a song needs drum-wise. His commitment to the project yielded incredible results. Such a great pleasure working with him. I highly recommend him! I know I'll be back! Thank you, Santiago!
by Julia D.
Verified
Santiago is an amazing drummer! Super professional and creative! Highly recommend!
by Emmanuel S
Verified
Santiago did an EXCELLENT job recording drums on my track. He paid attention to all my instructions and didn't miss a single detail. He was very creative and added some elements to enhance the quality of the song. I have worked with A LOT of session drummer, and Santiago is by far the most humble, detail oriented and skilled musician. The recording quality was also impeccable and delivered on time in a very organized manner. Communication was clear and effective. Will be back!
by Preston W.
Verified
Santiago is the truth. If you get to work with him you won't be sorry. He's a great listener and communicator. I am very pleased with the drums he played and I be coming back for more😉

Thanks so much Santiago
by Jorge L.
Verified
Santiago is an excellent drummer that can play many styles. He has excellent communication and makes sure the job is done exactly how you wish. Highly recommended.
by Richard Scobie
Such a pleasure working with Santiago! Not only is he a super talented drummer, but I'm really impressed with the high quality of his files. The sound quality is always top-notch! Great communication with a quick turnaround. He's a total pro and a super nice guy to boot. I highly recommend him.
by Diego S. (unavailable)
Santiago is a pleasure to work with. He fully committed to my project and delivered an outstanding drum part with some of his own tasteful ideas. He is also very skilfull with mixing techniques, which makes the process a lot easier. Highly recommended!

Interview with Santiago Ortolá

Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: Both! Depends on the music situation
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: To be creative every day!
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: The biggest misconception about what I do is that real drum sounds can be replaced by samples. These are only to HELP the real sound to shine.
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: What is your principal sound reference to your song? Maybe an artist or a song in particular.
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: My goal is to find the perfect sound for your song and I have everything I need to do it!
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: My Ludwig supraphonic snare My gretsch vintage drums My meinl extra dry 15 inch hi hat My Macbook My focusrite interface
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I've played drums for 15 years, and recording in studio for 10 years.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: My style is playing FOR the song.
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: I would love to work with John Mayer. my favorite job is to play with songwriters, and John is one of the greatest. I love the combination of Pop melodies with rock and folk sounds in his music. I admire all musicians who have played with him.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Less is more!
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: I usually work on Pop, Rock, Funk, Jazz, R&B and Folk music. But I like to learn everything that I can about all genres.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: I think that my strongest skill is to play only what the song needs. I like minimal drum parts, and I enjoy playing that way.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: The drums are the foundation of the song. It is very important that they are recorded accurately, since all the rest of the instruments will depend on it
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: First I listen to the original song and take note of all the artist's recommendations. Then I take my time to find the perfect sound in my drums to record that. This is the most important part: pick the right instruments, tuning, dampening, etc. After that I set the mics and the interface with the pro tools and I start recording. Finally I make a quick mix and send the stereo bounce to the client. If it's everything OK I send the multitrack.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: I use Gretsch Vintage drums and Ludwig supraphonic 70s snare (The most used snare in history of recordings) My cymbals are Meinl, Istanbul and Zildjian and I work with a Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 interface. I record and mix everything in Pro Tools 12.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: I am inspired by the work of Aaron Sterling. I think it manages to perfectly bring the songs to life with their drums and sounds in pop and folk music. Also I like very much the new wave of indie and modern pop with veru punchy drums and effects. I love to combine real instruments and modern techniques to achieve incredible sounds!
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: I record high quality drum tracks with professional equipment in 24hs. I deliver an 8-channel multitrack with a killer mix and master for your song. I have +10 year experience recording pop, rock, funk, jazz, R&B and folk music. I guarantee that I will find the perfect drum sound for your song.