Will Ras on SoundBetter

No Grammy's lol, but hey I'm new here please take a chance with me. I could be that diamond in the rough. I've played with musicians all over the world. I want to bring you a track you'll be pleased with. Here's a recent drum take on the song San Luis Obispo on Youtube. This was captured on the first pass: https://youtu.be/4X8Aa4WnKy8

I want to bring that magic to your music so you are truly satisfied. I'll take 50% off the first track.

I like to approach your tracks this way...drums will make or break your song so it's got to be good there first off. Drums and percussion are my first love and I have played them for 35+ years live and in the studio. I can play many different styles from Americana, Jazz, Rock, R&B, Hip Hop, Latin, etc.I'm a chameleon when it comes to drumming. I have a drum room with a half a dozen different snare drums to find just the right one for your song. I tune the drum kit to the key of your song so they resonate properly. I've recorded songs with 1 mic on up to 8 mics. I will surprise you with what can be done especially in post production. I have a set of Roland E-Drums and VST drums and samples as well that will fit your song.

Next I take this approach to music...that is "whatever it takes to bring the magic" to your track. I play keyboards and search through 10,000 plus patches to fit your song. I play rhythm guitars (I'm not a lead shredder). I consider myself intermediate level on guitars but that's not a bad thing. I will fit parts to your song, that is the key.

Thanks for stopping by. I would love to gain your trust to bring the magic to your tracks whether drums, percussion, keyboards, guitars, mixing. I'm honest, straightforward, and available.

Tell me about your project and how I can help, through the 'Contact' button above.

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Interview with Will Ras

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: I recorded my friend playing his acoustic guitar and singing. I took that song and added drums, bass, and percussion. Another friend added a really killer lead guitar part. I gave this song to him as a gift one Christmas. And when he heard it he broke down and cried. It was a very special moment I'll never forget.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: I'm co-writing a song with a friend. In fact we worked on it tonight in person. Have it about 3/4 the way done.
Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?
A: Not yet, I'm new as of May 2021
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: Analog for the sound (watch the documentary 'Sound City'). They got the most killer drum sounds from analog tape. BUT I've been amazed how good digital recording can sound if given the head room and the care given it can sound amazing too.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: I want you to be pleased with what you'll get from me. I want you to be happy with it. If it's not to your liking then I'd like to get it there if possible. I've heard the late great drummer Jeff Porcaro bow out of projects that he didn't think he could deliver on and recommend others that he thought would do a better job. It wouldn't hurt me if that happened in some cases. Not everyone can do everything.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: Creativity and flexibility.
Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?
A: Can we record a song? And I say most definitely!!
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: I don't know if there are any, lol !!
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: What are you wanting? What examples of other musicians or songs can you give me? Let's make this happen!!
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: If you have a vision for your music and an example of what you are shooting for then that would be fantastic and what I'd like from you. We can do it!
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: Laptop for sure. It has all my music software. Kick Drum Vintage Ludwig Snare Drum Meinl Transition Ride (crash ride) 1-ribbon microphone
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I've been playing music since my youth. Been playing most of my life. Bands, recording, playing on the road. I'm married and have children so that is first priority for me. I'm a pet sitter by profession currently but have a lot of open time for music. That's why I love the pet sitting business because of the flexibility and compatibility with music.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: Fresh and optimistic
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: Bill Frisell or Brian Eno. It would be fun to befriend them and I'm confident we'd write some great music!!
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: How about 3? Watch the bass levels, notch out boxiness in drums, reference other great sounding songs to compare the mix with so you have something to shoot for.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: I love coming up with new songs ideas or riffs that can be turned into a song.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: Coming up with ideas for whatever the parameters of the song are showing me.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: The magic !!
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: Ideas, ideas, ideas and then harnessing whatever works best. It can start with a riff or a bass line or a drum beat. Then making it magical. Anything can become magical with the right follow through.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: First off it's not about the gear as much as what is between the ears. I do have some nice gear though. I use Reaper for recording. I've always loved how flexible Reaper is. It's one program that resonates with me. In the box it's amazing the results you can get. But I do use other software like Ableton Live and I love that software too. I have all the Spectrasonics software like Omnisphere, Trilian, and Stylus RMX. Love this software!!! I have tons of other VST plugins both for instruments and for mixing. I have acoustic drums that I love! I'm kind of obsessed with snare drums !! I have 7 and counting. I'm always on the lookout for snare drums. To me that is one of the main components if not the main component in an acoustic drum set up. I have two Roland Octa-Capture 1010's for my pre's. They have Clear & Balanced Sound. You can play music much louder without compromising clarity. Never does my playback sound like its screaming, its gentle on the ears yet powerful, refined, balanced, & again CLEAR. I love these pre's especially for tracking drums !! I have a pair of JBL LSR305 near field monitors. They are awesome!
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: I have always loved Brian Eno because of his love of trying the unconventional. He's not a master keyboardist or master musician per se but he is a master at making a song sound fantastic. He is a master at using his equipment in the studio. He knows how to produce and guide a band in the studio. I've always loved his thoughtfulness and how approachable he is. I like his oblique strategies for getting unstuck (google this if you haven't heard of it).
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: I specialize in several things. First off I offer acoustic drum recording or E-drum recording. I've always loved drumming....but to my surprise musician friends more often than not respond surprisingly to my keyboard work even though I'm not formally trained. Having an inquisitive nature I've been able to hone my skills on the keyboards although rather unconventionally. I also love to mix songs. It is a total art in itself. I've made all the rookie mistakes at first ie too much low end, too much reverb etc. Mixing like drumming or playing keyboards is a never ending growth process. We never 'arrive' so to speak. So I'm always in learning mode to keep getting better. In the end whether drumming, keyboards, or mixing I try to find the right parts or get the right mix for my friends and have a blast with it and the results continually blow my mind.