Neal Yakopin Drums on SoundBetter

I am offering high quality drum stems on industry standard drums, mics, and preamps at an AFFORDABLE price. I have been playing for over 18 years and can accommodate a wide range of styles. Reach out to me with your creative vision and I will help bring it to life! -Neal

My name is Neal Yakopin and I am drummer based out of Nashville, TN. I am here to help you get the drum sounds you want for your song!

I have worked with numerous country, rock, and pop artists and have been playing for over 16 years. With professional drums, mics, and preamps - I can offer you a top level sound for an affordable price!

I'd love to hear about your project. Click the 'Contact' button above to get in touch.

Credits

5 Reviews

Endorse Neal Yakopin Drums

by Dana M.
Verified
Neal is an amazing drummer!! So easy to work! 100% recommend for your project!
by Jimmy J Rodriquez
Verified
Awesome drummer. Nailed the songs first time. Quick turn around and easy to work with.
by Daniel D.
Verified
Super professional, easy to communicate with, awesome drummer. For my specific project I sent reference tracks and he executed performances that surpassed my expectations. Definitely plan on booking with Neal soon again.
by Joey Cataneo
Neal’s most recent drum take on my project were perfect. He captured the exact vibe I heard in my head. His pocket and groove are top notch, and his drum tones are excellent. Highly recommend!
by Bradley Martin
Completely exceeded my expectations! Great communication and quick turnaround. Highly recommend! Looking forward to using again!

Interview with Neal Yakopin Drums

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: I've worked extensively with The Hobbs Sisters and I'm always pleased with their work!
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: I am currently working on a country song called "Free Again" with Claudio Stempfle!
Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?
A: Dylan Wissing.
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: It would depend on the desired sound.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: 3 day turnaround time and one good revision.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: I love being able to make music with musicians across the world. It is truly the best job in the world.
Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?
A: 1. What preamps and mics do you use? 2. Can you record at 48hz? 3. What is your style?
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: That we just hit things haha
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: 1. What drum sound are you looking for (send me a song close to what you want)? 2. Do you want these stems RAW or produced? 3. Would you like percussion? 4. Are you okay with loops in turnarounds and intros?
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Be as detailed as possible when it comes to describing what you are looking for!
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: Kick, Snare, Universal Audio 4-710d, Hi-hat, and a WA87.
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I have always been drumming since I was a little kid but I have had many jobs in sales, construction, and teaching. I moved to Nashville to begin my music career and have been drumming professionally for about 8 years now.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: I tend to be simpler in the pocket to try and blend well with the other instruments.
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: I would love to work with Luke Combs, mainly just because I am such a huge fan of his authenticity and sound.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: I have a WA87 mic that I place right about the kick drum and below the ride and it gets an incredible blend of attack from the kick and snare. One of my favorite mic/placement combinations.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: I mainly work on country, worship, indie, and rock songs.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: I believe my strongest skill is communication. I am very responsive and detail oriented and that helps to create the sound that the artist envisions in their head.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: I bring a lot of attention to detail when it comes to tracking a song. I focus heavily on the kick and snare patterns to ensure the stability of the song. I believe I also offer a very high quality sound with my current setup.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: Once I receive the song, I will first map out the song parts in my studio session. Then I will sit down with any notes from the artist and begin picking the cymbals and snare I wish to use on the project. From there I cut a rough take, listen back, make notes and work from there. Once I feel confident in the take, I will send to the artist.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: So for my preamps and hardware setup, I use the following. 1. UA 4-710D 2. Focusrite Scarlett 18i8 3. WA-2A Leveling Amplifier For mics, I use the following. 1. Neumann KM 184 (Stereo Pair) - Overheads 2. Shure Beta 52 - (Kick Out) 3. Shure Beta 91a - (Kick In) 4. MD-421 - Rack Tom 5. AKG D112 - Floor Tom 6. WA87 - Center Kit Mic 7. AT2035 - Hallway Mic 8. Audix F17 or SM57 (depending on genre) - Hi-Hat 9. SM58 or SM57 (currently SM58) - Snare Bottom/Snare Top
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: I am big fan of Dylan Wissing, Ash Soan, Dan Bailey and Aaron Sterling when it comes to recording drums. They have such a clean and impressive sound.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: The most typical work I get is demo work. So I will receive a demo track (typically just acoustic and vocal) and I will track real drums to that.