Jon Notar on SoundBetter

10+ years experience in NYC as an engineer and producer, professional pianist, and composer. Im a composer for film and TV: Genres I specialize in: Modern Classical, Folk, Ambient, Jazz, and Film Music. My music has been featured in dozens of TV commercials and my album that I mixed and mastered is currently featured in a Spotify editorial playlist

My true expertise is in instrumental, classical, ambient, and film scoring music. My primary job these days is as a composer, but I love helping clients on Sound Better take their productions and mixes to the next level.

I am a musician first and foremost, so I am able to bring life and musicality to my mixes. I also understand that composers and artists want their vision to come through in their music, not mine, so I honor that vision while making it sound the best it possibly can.

Fun Fact: My studio is in an 1800's Catskills NY barn.

In the past, I've written songs for Blondie; done Session keyboards for Cee Lo Green, Steel Pulse, and No ID; and produced dozens of independent artists.

My studio is equipped with a small SSL console, piano, drums, many guitars, BAE preamps, Retro 176 compressor, AKG mics, tons of UAD plugins and lots of synths and sound makers. I work in Logic Pro X and have a huge library of samples, sound effects, and virtual instruments and other tools to bring your music to life.

With every project I work on, my goal is to help you hone your vision and find the sound that you're hearing in your head. I usually start with a list of references so that we can find a musical common ground.

Click the 'Contact' above to get in touch. I look forward to helping you take your project to the next level.

Send me a note through the contact button above.

Credits

AllMusic verified credits for Jon Notar

Blondie
Jessy J
Jessy J
Jessy J

11 Reviews - 1 Repeat Client

Endorse Jon Notar

by Jon P.
Verified
Jon is total Pro... Very accommodating and patient. He took the track to a place I didn't think was possible. Thanks again!
by bri
Verified
Jon did an amazing job. He really listened and took my track to the next level. He has a great ear and really helped elevate the production by adding cello and piano. He was very professional and always responded immediately. He got each draft to me in a timely manner and was always open to revisions. I love how the track came out. Can't wait to work with him again in the future. Great great work. Thank you for all your help Jon! 100% recommended!
by Etienne L.
Verified
I was so happy with the first track that Jon mixed and mastered for me that I sent him the rest of my EP. Not only did he met deadlines and quality, he also took the time to explain in details how he was doing it - great communicator and fun to work with!
by Etienne L.
Verified
Jon really brought my track to a whole new level while remaining true to to the vision I had for it. Good communication and delivery on time. I would certainly work with Jon again!
by David C.
Verified
Send my track, in a few words described what I wanted for the sound and this master in sound engineering did all the rest of the work. What a pleasure to work together in this way. He's a real musician with great sense of feeling and good ears. Thank you, Jon. I come back. Definitely. :-)
by Thierry Farges
Jon ,worked on my project .He is fast , professional and give great suggestions.
This is the first time ,I searched for an outside mix and he was the perfect match .
He has done an outstanding Job .
I am planning to work with Jon for future project . Thank You!
by Jeff
Love working with this cat. He don’t miss a beat, has BIG ears, great gear, years of very musical experience and a light, funny heart. I’ll continue to hit Jon up and work on other projects, without doubt
by Hector F.
I've worked with John on several big projects and he has a skill that is very hard to find.
He's able to help interpret artists' expressed visions into a song. His knowledge of music theory is very good & adds to his natural talent for constructing the right chords & incorporating the ideas of fellow collaborators. I highly recommend him for any music production needs!
by Wesley Harper
Working with Jon is seamless, he’s incredibly proficient as both a musician and engineer. Jon makes it easy to both explore and refine ideas, facilitating creative expression and then honing in on the detailed composition. Elbow Room is also one of the coziest studios in history.
by Danny
Jon Notar is quite possibly the best engineer/producer I’ve ever worked with! Not only can he capture the exact sound and aesthetic that his clients are looking for, he can do it swiftly! Extremely talented and extremely professional!!
by Eric Menal
Jon Notar is the greatest professional I have ever worked with… He finds way to achieve that sound. Hidden Gem in the world of music composing, recording and producing. Highly recommended.

Interview with Jon Notar

Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I started as a pianist, and session keyboardist. Then became a recording engineer and music producer, and later managed the studio I was working at in NYC, then I changed gears and started doing the composition gig full-time, first as a freelancer, and then as a full time staff writer. These days Im mostly producing records again.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: I work with lots of songwriters in multiple genres - singer songwriter, bedroom pop, ambient, lo-fi, country, yall'ternative, soul etc.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: I work as a music producer, recording engineer, mixing engineer, and mastering engineer. I've had more than 60 releases over the last 6 months with dozens of artists. Multiple songs have landed Spotify editorial playlists.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: I have a Daniel Lanois style music production studio with no live room or vocal booth. Im a big fan of working with an artist in a single room. I I work in a space called Elbow Room Recording in Saugerties NY which is a room in an 1870's post-in-beam timber frame barn. Its a great sounding room and its filled with instruments, synths, guitars, toys, all kinds of stuff.
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Be specific about what you're looking for. The more details the better. Provide references.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Mixes and productions sound cleaner when instruments are only panned Left, Right, or Center. Nothing in between. Definitely just a preference, but it works.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: My strongest skill is distilling a persons musical likes and interests into a full production. I approach everything as a musician and producer, and try not to get bogged down in overanalyzing a mix or a specific sound. The goal is to make a complete music production that works and do whatever it takes to get it there.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: I bring the mind of a life long musician and multi-instrumentalist, as well as a total audio engineering nerd. I love creating music, its all I do.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: I like to talk to an artist about what they're looking for, who their influences are, what songs they really like, and then take it from there. Usually I like to get a rough version of a song going and show it to them to make sure they sign off on the direction and then clean it up and finish it.