Nathaniel Earl on SoundBetter

I compose, produce, record, and am a multi-instrumentalist performer focused on bringing musical visions to their fullest potential.

Skill set breakdown:
I’m a composer with experience ranging from orchestral and electronic, to indie pop and rock.
I’m a producer with a broad spectrum of experience, with work ranging from large-scale, to minimalist productions
I’m a seasoned mix engineer with 15 years experience
I‘m a multi instrumentalist performer
I can orchestrate and record orchestral ensembles

I began in 2011 by building my own recording studio from the ground up. I worked with an ever evolving range of musicians there, and I was responsible for our pop artist development, taking lyric and melody ideas and creating a full-fledged production from their roots.

I studied composition in college, and have written a number of film scores. I compose using a combination of synthesizers, pianos, guitars, strings, wind instruments, and sounds recorded from everyday life. I love blending sonic worlds, and often incorporate full orchestras into my compositions.

I have years experience orchestrating and arranging for choir, and have access to some of the very best orchestral and choir software available, offering realistic orchestrations with or without hiring a live ensemble. I offer scalable pricing for orchestrations and choir arrangements, ranging from an interpretation of your idea, to an original composition, and from a digital recording, to a live ensemble.

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

Credits

Languages

English

5 Reviews

Endorse Nathaniel Earl

by Sasha K.
Verified
Nathaniel is not only kind and easy to work with but he’s innovative and tasteful as well. One of the best experiences I’ve had on this platform!
by Alona
I must say that this piece we’ve made with Nate nobody could do this exact and powerful as he did
The process and the result is just wonderful.
Happy to work with this talented musician and wonderful person
by Roy Matz
Nate is a beast.
He’s given life to a few of my productions with lush compositions and arrangements, his melodic ideas are moving and his abilities on his DAW back it up
by Jeremy (Shimmer Island)
Nate is an incredible collaborator and producer/arranger/orchestrator. In fact, Nate helped transform several of my songs from simple folk demos into cinematic folktronica pop songs which landed my new album on the radio, on a sync library, and featured in the local Austin paper.

Nate moves quickly, tastefully, and takes into account any influences, mood boards, and direction you can provide when creating something that is guaranteed to 10x the vibe and beauty of your music.

If your music deserves the best, working with Nate is an incredible way to invest.
by Jeremy (Shimmer Island)
Nate is an incredible collaborator and producer/arranger/orchestrator. In fact, Nate helped transform several of my songs from simple folk demos into cinematic folktronica pop songs which landed my new album on the radio, on a sync library, and featured in the local Austin paper.

Nate moves quickly, tastefully, and takes into account any influences, mood boards, and direction you can provide when creating something that is guaranteed to 10x the vibe and beauty of your music.

If your music deserves the best, working with Nate is an incredible way to investment.

Interview with Nathaniel Earl

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: I just wrapped producing an album called "Make Waves" by Shimmer Island. This is a massive indie/electro pop album. Some of the most compelling music I've ever heard or worked on. It has taken us 2 years of grueling work, 100s of hours in the studio experimenting, recording, arranging, mixing, and doing it all over. The scope and sound of this project is immense......100s of tracks per song, full choirs and orchestras, huge walls of synth magic, and also beautiful, intimate moments. I am incredibly proud of the work we've done. I can't wait to share this project.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: I'm finishing a score for this really compelling film called "If The Took Us Back". Think West African folk music meets Dune. Definitely one of the best projects I've been involved with.
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: Floating Points. The guy is a genius on so many levels. Relentless pursuit of mastery.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: I work in both Ableton and Pro Tools. I have a pair of Focal CMS 8565 monitors and the paired subwoofer, and I have a pair of NS10s for 2nd reference monitors. I have a Yamaha grand piano, a Dave Smith Instruments OB6, an electric and acoustic guitar (built the electric myself). I have a lot of really great software, including some of the top of the line orchestral and choral software available. I have a variety of percussion instruments and drum machines, and have a full drum kit available for recording.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: A composer primarily, I work most often on growing the seed of an idea into a fully forested production. Be it a new song in a voice memo, a film without a score, or a finished song looking for that little bit of extra shine. My goal is to take something good and make it timeless, beautiful, lush.
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: They both have their merits. I like working in digital and summing to analogue.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: I promise to bring my full attention and energy to your idea. I want it to succeed just as much as you do! Regardless of the scope or price of the project, you will get every ounce of my energy and focus.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: I love creating. But I particularly love creating something from someone else's idea. It feels like solving a puzzle to me, trying to interpret and manifest someone's vision. I think it's why I love arranging and film scoring so much. It feels like the music in its perfect form already exists, and my job it just figuring out how to properly construct the puzzle from the pieces I get through conversation and study of the idea.
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: I think people underestimate just how long some of this stuff takes, especially mixing. I can literally spend an entire day just working on perfecting vocals. If you want it to sound pro, it's going to take some time.
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Be as organized as possible. Almost every project that has gone over budget or over deadlines has been due to lack of organization.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: I love the idea of color in sound. My style is very much colorization and mood setting. I want you to be able to close your eyes when listen to something I work on, and immediately be transported to a very visual and visceral place. I work a lot with strings and orchestration. I also love using field recordings of everyday life sounds and using those to add texture to my work. I love using synthesizers to shape the music I'm creating,
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Learn ALL the key commands in your DAW. The faster you are in your DAW, the more you will be able to stay in the creative headspace.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: I have worked within a large variety of styles, but I would say the one consistency I try to maintain is a "cinematic" quality. By this, I mean something that feels like it transports you somewhere visually, whether by a rich story, lush synth texturing, a hypnotic beat, or a mystical orchestral texture. There are limitless options and potentials within this concept.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: I feel my strongest skill is as a listener and interpreter of ideas. I love trying to emulate the vision someone has for their piece of music. I'm a strong composer and arranger. I make it my goal to provide lush texture to just about anything I produce.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: I bring the ability to take a kernel of an idea and make it as lush as you can imagine. You want strings? I got you. You want experimental synth textures? I got you. You want lofi beats? I got you. Want a gospel choir? I got you. I bring years of experience composing and as multi-instrumentalist, we can create just about anything you can imagine.