Vishal Nayak on SoundBetter

Not overproduced or overplayed. Just the RIGHT drum tracks for YOUR music. Credits include Nick Hakim, Hannah Cohen, Beth Orton, Billie Marten, Raveena, Empress of and many more.

I am a drummer, multi-instrumentalist, engineer and producer based in Brooklyn, New York.

As a drummer, I've played on records by Nick Hakim, Empress Of, Billie Marten, Beth Orton, Hannah Cohen, Raveena, Helena Deland, Photay and many more. As an engineer, I have worked on records by Ali Sethi, Beth Orton, Cautious Clay, Will Butler (of Arcade Fire), Marc Ribot, Bartees Strange, El Michels Affair, and many more. I bring this combined experience to every project I work on, working with top-of-the-line microphones, recording equipment and a carefully curated collection of drums and cymbals to get the perfect sounds for your production.

I work out of my recording studio in Brooklyn, with a vast collection of incredible sounding drums made by C&C Custom, Yamaha, Sonor and Leedy. My microphone collection rivals most major studios and includes top of the line offerings from Neuman, RCA, Coles, Gefell, Heiserman, AEA, Royer, AKG, Shure and Audiotechnica. Mic Preamps and outboard by Electrodyne, CAPI, Lachapell Audio, Tube-Tech, Urei and Altec. I'm able to record upto 28 tracks at my studio, so the possibilities are endless!

RATES ARE FLEXIBLE! Don't hesitate to reach out with a description of what you're looking for and what your budget is. Access to my own dedicated recording studio ensures fast turn around!

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

Credits

AllMusic verified credits for Vishal Nayak

Helena Deland
Photay
Photay
Photay
Photay
Nick Hakim
Nick Hakim
Nick Hakim
Olden Yolk
Olden Yolk
Chrome Sparks
Empress Of
Wild Yaks
Nick Hakim
Nick Hakim
Lowhency Pierre
Nick Hakim
Shubh Saran
Photay
Photay
Photay
Photay

Endorse Vishal Nayak3 Reviews - 1 Repeat Client

by Adam M.
Verified
Another great experience working with Vishal. Consistently works fast and provides detail oriented support. He’s also a true pro with recording and mic’ing, providing top notch bounces. Highly recommended
by Adam M.
Verified
Vishal is an incredible musician and provided extremely quick and thorough work. Really looking forward to working with Vishal again and would certainly recommend to anyone looking for high quality drum recordings.
by Sahil
Vishal isn't just a phenom drummer, he's a dialed, thoughtful, class-A engineer. He'll get the coolest sounds and parts and is an absolute pro all the way. His credits speak for themselves!! 10/10

Interview with Vishal Nayak

Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: My laptop, a pair of Neumann U67's and a pair of Capi VP28's.
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: Both!
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: That I can't possibly be good at drumming AND recording.
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: It's easier to play to a song if the arrangement feels complete. Try to record your song to a click wherever possible and be open to the shape your song will take with real drums added to it.
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I've been playing drums for over 30 years, and have been working professionally as a drummer since 2010.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: simple parts with complex and beautiful textures.
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: I've been fortunate to work with some of my favorite artists already, but I would love to one day play with Fiona Apple.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Less is More!
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Indie Singer-Songwriter Folk Rock Pop R&B Soul Hip Hop
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: My strongest skill is the ability to hear how my sounds fit in with the inner mechanics of your song. I'm not just a drummer with some recording gear, I'm also a real working engineer that has spent countless hours recording myself while also gaining valuable insight recording some of the best drummers in the world.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: Tasteful parts played on beautiful sounding drums and recorded with the keen ear of an experienced engineer.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: I usually start with a call where we discuss your vision for the song, any references you might have and the arrangement and parts you're hearing. I think get stems from you, including any drums you might have programmed for the song and get to work recording a few takes. We will likely go back and forth from there until you really like what you're hearing, after which I will put together a fully edited comp take and send you Stems for that as well as all alternate takes, including a stereo mixed bounce to quickly drop into your session so you can keep working!
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: My studio set up is the culmination of close to two decades of curating the best microphones, preamps and outboard geared primarily toward recording drums. Some highlights from my microphone collection include a stunning Heiserman U47Tube, a 1940's RCA 44BX, a pair of Coles 4038 Ribbon Microphones, a vintage AKG D12 and various other offerings from top manufacturers like Bock Audio, Gefell, Beyerdynamic, Shure and Audio Technica. I also have a ton of odd and unusual microphones that I love to throw in the mix. My collection of Outboard includes 10 Channels of CAP VP28's - quite possibly my favorite preamps for drum recording, as well as 4 channels of Electrodyne 501, 2 Stereo Lachapell Audio 992s and a pair of Chandler Germanium Preamps. Outboard includes a UREI 1176H, a Tube-Tech CL1B and a pair of DBX 160 compressors, and a few wonderful EQ options from Kush Audio and Electrodyne.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: I grew up loving the drumming of studio greats like Matt Chamberlain, Jim Keltner, Steve Gadd, Earl Palmer, James Gadson, Jay Bellerose and many others. I also attended The Berklee College of Music where my main focus was playing Jazz.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: I'm a drummer first, but have also been working as an in-demand recording engineer for the last decade. The artists I've worked with over the years broadly fall under the "Indie" umbrella; artists like Nick Hakim, Empress Of, Hannah Cohen, Billie Marten, Beth Orton, Helena Deland, Raveena, and many more. My added experience as an engineer helps me get truly world-class sounds tailored to your vision and song.