Pro Drum Tracking!

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?

A: To date, I am still so proud of a record that I tracked with a band in Chicago called "Western Automatic" (The Fugitive EP). I played drums on all the tracks and this band was so well-rehearsed, and the tracking was so smooth, that we delivered an album that truly sounded like what we wanted. The lead engineer, Noam Wallenberg at Rax Trax in Chicago, is also an amazing drum tuner and producer so those sounds were top notch! I've played on a ton of songs but I really thing that record sounds like me to the fullest.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I am currently in a phase where I am overhauling all my templates, routing, and presets. I like to re-examine all of this once a year to make sure that I'm getting the absolute best sounds I can! I'm also out gigging on a lot of playback gigs this year so my Ableton/programming/playback chops are at the best they've even been.

Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?

A: Kyle May is an incredible drummer and session musician on Soundbetter. I take a lot of inspiration from him and the way he works!

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: I love analog but in a digital world, it's great to have options. I focus on analog for my drums, cymbals, mics, room sound, but I love digital preamps and processing because it gives me, and the mix engineer, options to cater the sounds perfectly to the song.

Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?

A: I promise to deliver exceptional drum tracks that sound, feel, and mesh perfectly with your song. They exist for the purpose of elevating all the other performances and will raise the energy to make a track exciting!

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I love hearing what's inside someone's creative mind, discussing the process, and sending back drum parts that make them go "that's even better than I expected!". I love great songs and being a part of that is my favorite thing.

Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A: How many takes will you send me? I typically send two full takes of a song. After the pre-tracking conversations and the quick mp3 clip I send, I find two takes works great to capture the energy/parts they're looking for and have some options for fills. Do you grid/pocket your drums before sending them off? I normally do not. I can, on client request, but I like to leave that up to the producer or engineer doing the final mix. I prefer to preserve the original feel and time of the drums and if I can get them as close as possible to fitting in the track, pre-edit, then they will work no matter what choices are made on the back end.

Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?

A: The drum performance is more important than the sounds and feel when recording. The performance is so important BUT if you can capture that performance while recording solid sounds that fit the song and with a feel that fits, without assuming editing, then you have a real human quality that brings energy and soul to the track.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What song(s) and/or drummers do you have in mind when you're thinking about what will fit in your song? Are there any feelings that you want the listener to feel during this track? Do you have any demo/placeholder drums that have elements that you really love and would like to make sure we include in your live drum track?

Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A: Choose someone with experience and someone that is flexible. A good recording drummer wants to have conversations to make sure they give you want you want and need - not just "pay me and I'll play cool stuff". It should be a collaboration, not just an exchange.

Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?

A: Kick, snare, hihat, headphones, iphone (for recording and playing back music)

Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?

A: I have been playing the drums for over 26 years. I started recording myself when I was around 16 years old and have expanded that love into tracking, producing, playback, and more. I went to music school for Jazz but have had a life touring, recording, and teaching a variety of genres and skills.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: My style focuses on the groove that supports the song. I focus the most on the vocal or lead instrument and craft my feel/parts from there. I equally love playing loud/aggressive grooves and soft vibey feels. My pocket revolves around the feeling of the song and that is most important.

Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?

A: It would be a dream to work with John Mayer because he values songwriting above all else and when it comes to production, there seems to be no rules, boundaries, or constraints. I love focusing on the art of a great song but then delivering it in the manner that makes it best, not just in the way that it's "supposed to be".

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: When creating a track from the ground up, I think less is more and the song should always be the focus. If something feels exciting and cool, does it support the song or is just a cool element in the track? Every part of a production should make the listener feel something and if they all align with the feelings of the song, you've got a good one!

Q: What type of music do you usually work on?

A: I play a lot of Pop and Rock music but I love playing on Country, Americana, Folk. I have a background in Jazz, Blues, and Funk as well so that is always funk to get into those kinds of grooves.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: My ability to learn an arrangement, craft a part that guides the listener through that map, and react to the vocal, while leaving space for it, is key to playing drums on absolutely any song.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I bring musicality, experience, direction, feel, and vibe to every song that I work on. I really love great songs, no matter what genre they are, and my goal 100% of the time is to support the artist in their creation of something new.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I typically receive a track from a client, along with any relevant information (tempo, references, etc...) and then I start by writing a chart so that I can make sure to know the ins and outs of the arrangement. I then play along once or twice to get the feel and that also helps me choose the correct drums and cymbals for the track. Once I feel good about those choices, I record a quick first pass and send an MP3 clip to the client to see if we're in the right direction for part, feel, and sounds. Once that is confirmed, I will track my official takes, complete any necessary edits, add basic percussion, print multi-track stems, and send over to the client! If any revisions are needed, that conversation happens after they have had a chance to import my drums into their session and see how they feel.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: My studio revolves around two UA Apollo x8p and one Focusrite Octopre - for a total of 24 inputs. I love using the preamp emulators from UA so that I can have a variety of tones/vibe to choose from. I have a collection of Lauten Audio, Beyerdynamic, Shure, SE Electronics, Telefunken, Electro-Voice, Yamaha, and MXL mics. My recording drums are from Gretsch, Yamaha, Sugar Percussion, Ludwig, DW and I primarily use Meinl cymbals to achieve a large possible pool of tones!

Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?

A: I am inspired by many producers and musicians but I draw the most inspiration from drummers that engineer themselves in their own studios and have mastered the art of providing a unique track for every song - while still feeling like themselves. Great examples of this are: Aaron Sterling, Ash Soan, Dan Bailey, Blair Sinta, Lester Estelle, and so many more!

Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.

A: Tracking drums for songs sent to me remotely. For each song, I will craft a drum part (or follow a scratch/programmed track), select the correct drums/cymbals, and deliver multi-track drums that elevate the vibe and excitement!