Ben Wysocki on SoundBetter

I love playing, and recording drums! I have 20+ years of experience, most of those with The Fray. I love experimenting in my studio to find inspiring sounds and textures. My goal as a drummer is to serve the song and set a mood that is felt more than heard.

I've been playing drums for a long time. Making music has been a passion of mine my whole life, both on stage and in the studio. I've been a principal member of the Fray for 17 years, during which time we were nominated for multiple Grammy and Billboard Music Awards, sold millions of albums, and played venues all of the world.

I've had the pleasure of working with many producers including... Brendan O'Brien, Geoff Emerick, Stuart Price, Ryan Tedder, Warren Huart, Timbaland, Peter Asher, Mike Flynn and Aaron Johnson. I've also had the privilege of working in many incredible studios from Blackbird and Oceanway in Nashville, to Henson and Sunset Sound in LA, to Abbey Road and RAK in London.

Over time, I developed a love for recording and tinkering in the studio. I started collected gear and have been recording myself and producing other artists for the last 10 years or so. I grew up on Rock, but I can play many styles. I love recording straight up drum grooves, but also experimenting with yummy percussion layers!

My drum/cymbal collection includes... Craviotto, Ludwig, Rogers, Gretsch, Slingerland, Brady, Yamaha, Zildjian, Istanbul, Paiste and Sabian.

My studio includes gear from... Api, Neve, Neumann, Coles, AKG, AEA, UA, DBX, Pultec, Lexicon, Roland among others!

I would love the chance to play on your project!

(photo cred: Glenn Ross, Melissa Castor)

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

Credits

AllMusic verified credits for Ben Wysocki

The Fray
The Fray
Brendan James
The Fray
The Fray
Twinkle Twinkle Little Rock Star
Party Tyme Karaoke

3 Reviews

Endorse Ben Wysocki

by Aaron Johnson (AaronJProducer)
I have had the pleasure of working with Ben for hundreds of hours on dozens of songs while serving as the producer for his band The Fray. Ben was the consummate artist of the group, the one who wanted to see if we could make each track just a little better, a little more interesting. Whether he is laying a drum track for you or doing a full production, I guarantee you will get all of Ben, he will consume your project and give every detail the attention it deserves (even the ones you didn’t know were there), it’s just who he is. The icing, he’s also a human metronome.
by Jimmy Stofer
I highly recommend working with Ben. He has great feel, great drum tones, and an excellent intuition for knowing just what a track needs for drums. If you’re looking for drums on your track, Ben is your man!
by Matthew Tryba
I've worked with Ben for years now. He's a seriously great drummer with seriously great drums, mics, gear, and engineering chops. If you're looking for a pro with musicality and great sounding drums, Ben's your man!

Interview with Ben Wysocki

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: I built my studio in the detached garage behind my house, and went to great lengths to acoustically treat the room. There is a combination a diffusion and absorption to make the room live when it has to be while still being very controlled. I can open up the doors to the garage/storage space for a bigger room sound. I have a good amount of analogue recording gear to play with. I use mostly api, neve and bae preamps. I have most of the usual suspects as far as compressors go; La-2a, La-3a, 1176, dbx 160, vintage Gate STA-Level, distressors, smart c2, retro double wide, api 525 among others! I also use some analog api, neve and pultec eq’s. I love exploring with some of my analog effects including… a Roland re201 tape echo, lexicon reverbs, a vintage vocoder and multiple gtr pedals. I record into Protools and use plugins to polish when need be. My drum collection includes everything from modern Craviotto and Yamaha kits… to vintage Ludwig, Rogers, Gretsch, Slingerland WFL classics. I have hand drums and marching snares, roto toms, concert toms and countless bins of percussion and noise makers. As far as cymbals go; I use vintage Zildjian and Paiste, modern Zildjian, Istanbul and Sabian, as well as no name gongs and crashes from the 30s and 40s.
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: There’s a place for both! The process of using analog gear can not be replicated. There’s no replacing twisting a knob and pushing the meter into the red to find a new and exciting sound. But at the same time, sometimes the process and the gear needs to get out of the way and let the song and player shine, the benefits of digital can be very useful in that way.
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: 1. 90’s Ludwig black beauty snare drum 2. 60’s Rogers bass drum 3. Neumann u47 4. Lexicon PCM60 5. 1 roll of gaff tape
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I grew up playing drums in my basement, which evolved naturally into playing in bands all the way up into college. Along the way, I met the guys I would later play with in The Fray. We came up in the local Denver scene before signing with Epic records. That led to touring the world promoting four albums over the course of 17 years or so.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Make room for the vocal!
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: I love playing straight up rock and pop stuff but also gravitate toward americana and folk. I’ve also got a knack for indie and alternative sounds.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: I’ve got great timing and a musical ear.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: I strive to be the kind of drummer that brings a solid and dependable groove that can lay a foundations for the story of the song, but also push and pull enough to match, and even elevate, the emotion at hand. I love a good aggressive drum fill when necessary but also there’s nothing like gentle brushes on a snare.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: When recording drums, I usually listen to the song first a couple times and try to get a good sense of the vibe. I’ll then play through as many times as necessary to find the parts and feel. Then I’ll comp together a take if necessary. And finally I’ll overdub any fills or percussion I hear room for.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: The drummers I grew up on were… Matt Chamberlain, Ringo, Jack Irons, Carter Beauford, Ben Mize, and Questlove. Those inspirations remain today as well as… Jim Keltner, Steve Jordan, Josh Freese, Chris Dave, Larry Mullen Jr., Manu Katche, Matt Cameron, Aaron Sterling and so many others.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: I pride myself in providing a musical backbone to a song that is not only a solid frame to build on, but decorative ear candy as well! In my opinion, drums should be felt more than heard. When I’m not behind the drums I’m producing. I love making a song the best it can be, and creating an environment for the artist to excel. I have found a niche for arranging and simplifying down to the essentials. Everything should serve the lyric and overall tone of what’s being said.