Kyle May

Drummer, Producer, and Mixer

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372 Reviews (365 Verified)
Kyle May on SoundBetter

Hello! My name is Kyle and I am a session drummer, producer, and engineer based out of Nashville, TN.

I will record high quality drum tracks from my home studio! All I need is the song with & without temp drums (if applicable), tempo, and any instruction regarding parts & tones and I will deliver tracks to you within 1-3 days! I typically cut up to 3 takes of the song to send over for review and then we can discuss revisions, edits, punches, etc. if necessary. I play on many sessions and tour professionally. I've appeared on Good Morning America, The TODAY show, CMT's Hot 20 Countdown, Pickler and Ben, the Grand Ole Opry and more.

Drums
Gretsch Broadkaster Drum
Gretsch USA Custom
Gretsch Renown
Mapex Bop Kit

Snares
Craviotto Ash
Ludwig Black Beauty
Ludwig Aluminum Acrolite
Gretsch Hand Hammered COB
Ludwig Bronze Acrolite
Pearl Masters Maple Snare
Gretsch Maple
Gretsch Brooklyn COB
Vintage Marching

Cymbals
Over 3 dozen Meinl Cymbals - Foundry Reserve, Traditional, Polyphonic, Sand, Brilliant, Jazz, Dry, etc.

Mics
1. Kick in (sE electronic vKick)
2. Kick out (Fet 47)
3. Snare Top (Beyerdynamic M201)
4. Snare Top (sE8)
5. Snare btm (akg 451)
6. hat (oktava mk-012)
7. tom 1 (414 b-uls)
8. tom 2 (414 b-uls)
9. Overheads (sE Rupert Neve RN17's)
10. Rooms (Coles 4038)
11. Knee (sE v7)
12. Mono Crush (WA44)

Gear
Heritage Audio, API, Grace Designs, Focusrite, SSL, Neve, Apollo x16 (x2), Midas, Neumann, Dangerous Audio, Warm Audio, DBX.

Send me a note through the contact button above.

Endorse Kyle May372 Reviews - 63 Repeat Clients

  1. Review by Doug Lane
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    Kyle was great to work with, and I'll definitely be working with him again. Didn't need revisions at all!

  2. Review by Keegan Ferrell
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    Fantastic work from Kyle always! Just knows how to dial it in and suit your song perfectly, without fail.

  3. Review by Brad G.
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    Second time working with Kyle. Kyle is a pro, no doubt. His recorded drums sounds are excellent and his playing has groove and artistry. He’s just plain good at what he does and will not disappoint. Oh and his communication is great and friendly and turnaround time super quick. What more can you ask for??

  4. Review by Craig H.
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    What a pleasure it has been working with Kyle. He provided wonderful drum tracks in an amazingly short turnaround time. I had an old song that I wanted to replace sequenced midi drums with the real thing. A day later, I have my takes and Kyle could not have been more accommodating. Great communication! Kyle is a true pro and I look forward to sending more songs his way.

  5. Review by Peter Geyer
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    Kyle is a true musical genius. He delivers incredibly fast, at the highest level of quality, and always with the most creative stems. Working with him is an absolute pleasure. Highly recommended!

  6. Review by Vincent D.
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    Kyle absolutely nailed the drum track on my song. He delivered three completely different takes, and honestly, they're all so amazing, I have no idea which to choose. Good problem to have. But beyond the stellar performance, his drum tones are phenomenal. Clear, balanced, and powerful. Kyle brought the song to a whole new level, and I couldn’t be happier with the collaboration.

  7. Review by Paul Kakac
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    Kyle was a total pro to work with, super fast edits & stayed on point til it was completed. Would totally work with him again.

    Paul

  8. Review by Thomas L.
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    Thank you so much for the drum track. Kyle May perfectly captured my vision and delivered it incredibly quickly.
    I look forward to working with you again.
    Thomas Lederer

  9. Review by jm
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    Kyle is awesome. Great drum tones and amazing feel and file delivery is perfect. Always delivers great performances, couldn't ask for anything more!

  10. Review by Mark P.
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    Outstanding! Tasteful playing, great tones, great communication and fast turnaround. Delivered exactly what I was hoping for. You can hire him with confidence.

  11. Review by Peter Geyer
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    What can I say... Kyle is just absolutely insane. It’s incredible how professional and talented he is. He feels the song like no one else and knows exactly what a track needs to reach perfection. I highly recommend him – he’s the best!

  12. Review by brandon l.
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    Absolutely stellar musician! I really appreciated the care and intention Kyle brought to the tracks, and he also shared a lot of pro advice and explanations on how I might use them. I will absolutely book him again, and I would recommend him to anyone without any hesitation! Excellent work!!

  13. Review by jm
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    Amazing taste and feel. Meter is awesome, great working with you again!

  14. Review by Keegan Ferrell
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    I love working with Kyle. He is an excellent visionary for a song. A lot of drummers just think drums and drums alone. Kyle has a broad scale view of the creativity and moving parts behind a song, and drums happen to be his tool he uses to infuse a little more magic into a particular production.

  15. Review by Keegan Ferrell
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    Kyle has vision. That’s more important than just chops. He has those too. But he knows what needs to be executed on the grander scheme of things and that’s what separates him from anyone else just hitting the tubs

  16. Review by Keegan Ferrell
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    Beastly work. Tones were so warm and just beautiful on this. That’s what makes Kyle so good is his attention to detail and finding the tones for a specific song rather than a one size fits all

  17. Review by Keegan Ferrell
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    Loved how Kyle combined programmed and real sounds on this one. The perfect mix for modern country.

  18. Review by Keegan Ferrell
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    Kyle is a drum and engineering phenom. Recognized widely in Nashville and beyond for his expertise.

  19. Review by Peter Geyer
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    Kyle is incredibly professional. An outstanding drummer. Within just three takes, he manages to cover the entire spectrum: one take true to the pre-production, one take based on his own vision, and one take with as many creative embellishments as possible – perfect for making choices later on. A dream for any producer!

    I absolutely love working with Kyle. The next project is already waiting in the wings!

  20. Review by Peter H
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    Yes. It has been a wonderful collaboration. What sets Kyle apart from others is: his superb professionalism, responsiveness, and reliability in meeting deadlines. Yes, his musicality and artistic sensitivity are truly exceptional. Ave

Interview with Kyle May

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

  2. A: I love working with Zachariah Witcher on bass. I would also recommend Peter Ferguson for guitar. A few other notable folks on here are Keegan Ferrell for production, Mark Prentice for Bass, Brian Seligman for utility, and Abbie Parker for vocals.

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

  4. A: Folks typically ask how many tracks they'll get. It's around 12-16 tracks. I have a mic or 2 on every drum, 2 pairs of overheads in different configurations as well as room mics and I'll print my drum bus compression so they can use it if they like. I also get asked about turn around time which is typically 1-3 days.

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

  6. A: I have been playing drums and producing for over a decade now. I've toured with Maddie & Tae to Billy Ray Cyrus and have cut on songs for Walker Hays, Clay Walker, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Runaway June, to name a few.

  7. Q: Can you share one music production tip?

  8. A: I try to never stop learning. There's alway something new to discover, so I encourage folks to constantly be on the lookout for ways to grow.

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

  10. A: Country, Rock, Singer/Songwriter, Indie

  11. Q: What's your strongest skill?

  12. A: Communication and timeliness. Professionalism for me starts with punctuality.

  13. Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

  14. A: I currently have a Protools rig with all UAD, Soundtoys, Safari Pedals, Plugin Alliance, Native Instrument Komplete Ultimate and WAVEs plugins. My mics include sE Electronics, Neumann, AKG, AEA, Coles, Shure, Beyerdynamic, Sennheiser and Miktek. I have various Gretsch drum kits and an assortment of snares from Craviotto, Ludwig, Gretsch, Pearl, and more.

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

  16. A: I'm really inspired by drummers like Aaron Sterling, Jerry Roe, Paul Mabury, Nir Z and incredible sound chaser drummers like Dan Mayo and Brody Simpson. My producer inspirations are Busbee, Jay Joyce, and Dann Huff.

  17. Q: Analog or digital and why?

  18. A: Both. Each is extremely valuable.

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

  20. A: That they'll be 100% satisfied. I can back it up too with every review and money back guarantee as well as my flexibility when it comes to revisions

  21. Q: What do you like most about your job?

  22. A: That it's different every day.

  23. Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

  24. A: I typically ask for references so that I can have a clearer understanding of their background and what they're looking for.

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

  26. A: I've loved everything Sabrina Carpenter has put out. I love the acoustic and electronic elements in her music.

  27. Q: What do you bring to a song?

  28. A: Familiarity. Artists always have an idea of what they're looking for even if they can't describe it and I try to find that reference and make it feel like it's their own.

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

  30. A: I am working on sampling all of my drums. They'll be released in a package for use with Trigger, Native Instruments, Logic and ProTools samplers and many more. I'm really excited because we got to do some of it at The Tracking Room Studio in Nashville that is going to be torn down soon. It's one of the best rooms in town and I'm so grateful to have recorded so many amazing sounds there.

  31. Q: What are you working on at the moment?

  32. A: I'm cutting drums on a few projects that I recorded from my home studio and it'll be exciting to hear them on the radio.

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

  34. A: Just be as clear and concise as possible in terms of what you need from me! I'm very flexible and always willing to work until you're happy.

  35. Q: What's your typical work process?

  36. A: I'll typically import the files from the producer and start to map the song out in ProTools. Then I'll look at the temp drum track and have a listen to the references that may have been sent along with the song. After that, I'll begin the kit, snare, and cymbal selection along with any other mic or gear changes that need to be made. I'll typically cut a couple of takes and then send them over for approval. Once everything is finished, I'll print and export files to send the client!

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

  38. A: My most common work is recording drums on songs for clients.

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Terms Of Service

Drums: Almost unlimited revisions. Fast turn around.
Producing: Minimal revisions. Fast turn around.
Mixing: 2 revisions (½ rate per revision after) Fast turn around.

GenresSounds Like
  • Kelsea Ballerini
  • Elevation Worship
  • Morgan Wallen
Gear Highlights
  • Distressor
  • API 3124
  • BAE 1073
  • HA 1081
  • DBX 560
  • Neve 5043 & 5015
  • SSL UVEQ
  • Midas 512
  • API 560
  • WA Bus-Comp
  • Tubesessor
  • Dangerous Audio
  • Focusrite ISA
  • Grace Designs
  • Apollo x16 (x2)
  • Neumann
  • Coles
  • sE Electronics
  • AKG
  • Shure
  • Miktek
  • Telefunken
More Photos
More SamplesDrums
SoundBetter Deal

Please contact for flexible pricing! Willing to work with any budget.