Nick Dekens on SoundBetter

Detailed, quality drum tracks at an affordable price

Hi! I'm Nick, a drummer based in Northern New Jersey, just outside of New York City. I've been playing drums for almost 20 years and have extensive experience with all genres of music. I appeared on my first record eleven years ago and over the past two years have put together a home studio operation specifically tailored to get studio quality drum tracks into the hands of people making original music. My studio features great drums suited for a variety of genres ranging from jazz and soul to heavy rock music. I pride myself in taking the upmost care to elevate a song without getting in the way of the artist's vision.

If you choose to hire me for a song, demo, or other project, you can expect properly labeled and organized wav files of unprocessed drum tracks, an unprocessed master drum track, and a rough sample mix for your reference. I'm very flexible and can give you whatever you feel you need to make your music sound great.

Send me an email through 'Contact' button above and I'll get back to you asap.

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Interview with Nick Dekens

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: I have three differenct drum set ups I'll use for different things. My Gretsch Brooklyn 22" 13" 16" covers a lot of ground for round, punchy, or modern sounds. I also have an Inde Maple Kit in smaller sizes (20' or 18" kick, 12" and 14" toms) that I'll use for R&B, Jazz, or quiet singer-songwriter stuff. For something super 70's and thud, I have a couple of Tama Concert Toms that I'll muffle to the extreme and put a bunch of acoustic Gobos around my drums. I try to get a lot of my drum sound from five mics- my kick out mic (United Fet47), Stereo overheads (Beyerdynamic M160 double ribbons), a Beyerdynamic M88 in the knee position, and a Stager SR-2N either as a far room mic or right in front of my kit. I have a bunch of close mics that I'll blend to taste for extra tone or punch if it's needed.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: I am constantly trying to get as many different sounds together as possible. I love taking a drum track I like and trying to get a sound as close to the original as possible. Right now I'm obsessed with Stax records drummers Al Jackson Jr. and Howard Grimes. In a month I'm sure I'll have a new obsession and a new sound to chase!
Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?
A: If you don't decide to work with me, you should check out Dylan Wissing! He is a huge mentor of mine and I was his studio assistant for two months. He's a great guy and he's taught me so much about the immense challenges of recording live drums.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: I can provide a lot of time and attention to your music and I care deeply about the quality of my work.
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: -What songs would you like me to reference for your song's mood and drum sound? -Do you have a drum sound you really love that you'd like me to replicate? -Would you like percussion on your track? -Do you have a preference for a certain amount of mics or mics on a particular source (room mics, mono or stereo overheads, close mic or minimal mics)?
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: Beyerdynamic M88, M160, and M201 mics. Stager SR25 Ribbon Mic. Noble and Cooley 6.5x14" Walnut ply Snare Drum
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: I love so much diverse music. I have a background in jazz drumming and graduated from William Paterson University, which has a great jazz program that I was proud to be a part of. I also have some training with orchestral percussion. At the same time, I grew up with tons of rock, hip hop, reggae, punk, and so much more. I'd like to think this diverse array of influences makes my playing pretty unique and can add something special to your music.