FAQ

What is a remote drum session?

A remote session is a session where we don't get together in a physical studio together. You send me scratch tracks and I give you back some killer drum tracks that you can import into your session and do whatever you like with. It's a way for us to record together without having to be in the same location. It's also a super cost effective way to get your songs recorded. If this sounds like something you are interested in please see more about how it works.

Why do I need a remote drum session?

IT SAVES YOU A LOT OF MONEY! If you've hit my site you are most likely you are a producer or song writer and you are faced with the constant battle of time and cost vs quality. If you are doing a limited press album or a songwriter demo that is going to be pitched to a record label or publishing company a remote session can be your best friend. You get high quality drum sounds and professional playing for about 1/4 the cost of renting out a studio. Studio costs can add up really fast so if you're trying to get a lot of bang for your buck, this is a really effective way to get killer drums without having to spend down your savings account!

More and more I've moved from doing downtown sessions in studios to work at my home studio. It's always a cost thing. Not to mention the benefit that if you aren't in Nashville, you don't have to fly in to record your song!!

How much does this cost?

I charge a flat $100/song fee. Payment is expected at the time the files are delivered and I collect payment through Paypal. I can also do percussion for tracks as well per request at $25.00 per track. I prefer to group songs into groups of 2 or 3 where possible. In comparison to renting a studio space this is a very cost effective way to get live drums on your project! Please contact me for more details.

How do I get started?

You just fill out my contact form on the Get Started page. I'll contact you back with some questions. I'll need to know basic things like how many songs you have, when you need them completed by, what style they are, etc. Once we agree and move forward you'll send me files via FTP, We-Transfer, Google Drive, whatever you want to use. I don't have a preferred method. I'll record 3 takes of the song. Export them out. Send them back to you. That's the basic process. It all starts by reaching out to me to make sure we are good fit! So contact me and let's get started!!

What do I get when the session is complete?

When I've finished the session you will receive a ZIP file from wetransfer.com. Inside of that file there will typically be 3 folders that contain take1, take2, and take3. Those are full pass takes of the song with different feels, sounds, and fills. Inside of those folders you'll find 10 separated tracks of all the different individual drums. Like Kick In, Kick Out, etc. You or your engineer would basically import those .wav audio files into whatever tracking software you are using and you can edit them like we recorded them together.

If you need the drums pre-mixed I can get that done for you. I'm not an engineer myself, but I am closely tied to several amazing engineers that I use to pre-mix drum tracks. It's always worked out really well. In this case you'd just get an MP3 or WAV file of the drums that you could import into your software as one big file. Drums are done. Pretty simple huh?

What do you need in order to start the session?

The short answer: Scratch Tracks. Tempo for the song. Production notes.

The longer answer...

Any guide tracks you have on the song. Can be a scratch vocal, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass, drums. Whatever you can give me to show me exactly what the songs layout and form is going to be.
A tempo. If you don’t record to a tempo and a click, it makes it almost impossible for me to do my job. So make sure the guides come to me on a grid with a set tempo, and make sure I know what that tempo is. Like say 76.3344533 because 76 just wasn’t quite right.
Any production notes like… don’t come in until chorus 2, or can you play some ride for me in chorus 1. The band has a huge solo for guitar in this section. I want to feature this instrument here, etc. Any notes that will make the roadmap easier for me to follow will benefit both of us.
Any specific drum sounds you hear. If you think I need a huge snare, let me know. I’ll generally will know what makes sense for the song, but if you’re a huge Dave Matthews Band fan, and have to have a popcorn snare, let me know that so I can be sure I’m starting off on the right path for you.

What sample rate do you record at?

I always record at 48k and 24 bit through Pro Tools. That's the format the files will be in when you receive them.

What do your drums sound like?

If you head over to my media page you can hear my drums used in different formats. I use Risen Drums, Sabian Cymbals and Evans Drumheads. My tone is VERY important to me. I can get a lot of different sounds out of the same drums by using different heads but it always boils down to how I play them. I always do my best to pick the perfect drums for your project. If you're doing something really poppy I'll use smaller drums, if it's a big old rock song, I'll use bigger drums. I have a TON of drums to pick from. They all sound amazing, and they are all made by Risen Drums.

What styles of music do you typically play?

This is a tough question. Technically, I can really play any style of music. I'm trained. I have a music performance degree. I have tons of experience in a lot of different styles. I can truly authentically play Rock, Pop, Country, Traditional Country, CCM, Blues, Hip-Hop, and most things in between.

My favorite music is really more on the Rock or Pop side of things, which works pretty well since most country music now falls into those categories. I spent a lot of time playing the Grand Ole Opry, so I can definitely dig into traditional country and blues! If you need a Nanigo groove, I can play it, but I didn't grow in Cuba so it's not going to be authentic like other styles will. Honesty. Refreshing isn't it?

What makes you valuable as a drummer?

A hard question to answer if you're humble like me haha. In all seriousness, because I have a great sense of playing drums for the song. I have tons of experience in many different genres at doing just that. I have a lot of chops but over the years I've learned to play for the song. So when you're trying to build a track through remote sessions the most important asset if having a solid drumming foundation that you can build your tracks on. This is where I shine as a player. This is what I LOVE to do. I love seeing a song start as an idea and turn into something magical. I can do that for your songs. Let's connect so I can show you what I do best!