Kyle May

Drummer, Producer, and Mixer

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213 Reviews (207 Verified)
Kyle May on SoundBetter

Hello! My name is Kyle and I am a session drummer, producer, and engineer based out of Nashville, TN.

I will record high quality drum tracks from my home studio for your song! All I need is an mp3 or wav of your song with any instruction and I will deliver tracks to you within a few short days! Recording to a metronome is preferred, but if not I will still play my best to bring your song to the next level! I play on many sessions and tour professionally. I have appeared on Good Morning America, The TODAY show, CMT's Hot 20 Countdown, Pickler and Ben, and many more.

I can also remotely mix, edit and master any song or podcast. I mix with Neumann, Dangerous Music, Lynx., Universal Audio, Waves, and Soundtoys gear.

Drums:
Gretsch Broadkaster Drum Kit
Gretsch USA Custom Kit
Gretsch Renown Kit
Craviotto Ash Snare (the go-to snare)
Ludwig Black Beauty Snare (the other go-to snare)
Ludwig Acrolite Snare (classic dry sound)
Gretsch Hand Hammered Chrome Over Brass
Pearl Masters Maple Snare (super low & dead for the perfect "buzz" sound)
Gretsch Maple Snare w/ Walnut Hoops (awesome "crack" for pop/country)
Vintage Wood-hooped snare (dirty, wide open ring)
Over 2 dozen Meinl Cymbal options

Mics:
1. Kick in (sE electronic vKick)
2. Kick out (miktek c7e)
3. Snare Top (sE v7)
4. Snare Top (sE8)
5. Snare btm (sE8)
6. hat (akg451)
7. tom 1 (414 b-uls)
8. tom 2 (414 b-uls)
9. Overheads (RN17s)
10. Close Rooms (Coles 4038s)
11. Far Rooms (ksm141s)

Send me a note through the contact button above.

213 Reviews - 42 Repeat Clients

Endorse Kyle May
  1. Review by Matt P.
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    Always hits the mark, and then some! Great experience with Kyle once again!

  2. Review by Keegan Ferrell
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    Kyle is the best to work with. So open to direction, but also has a masterful intuition for what the song needs. His feel and sense as a player are top-notch, not to mention he gets some of the best drum sounds you can get!

  3. Review by Jeff Stauffer
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    Kyle's the best name in the game. Plain and simple. I tell people this all the time... consider this review your sign to hire him!

  4. Review by Keegan Ferrell
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    The GOAT!

  5. Review by Kara Greskovic
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    Kyle is an amazing drummer - he nails the arrangement and tones every single time. Also a super nice guy - work with him!

  6. Review by Caleb Kennedy
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    Kyle always gets exactly what you want and makes sure of it, thats why i always use Kyle to get the perfect drum tracks for my session!

  7. Review by Marc S.
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    Awesome musician with whom I was able to work on a very professional level. Great quality and very happy with the result. Always happy to work again.

  8. Review by Keegan Ferrell
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    Kyle is truly a world-class musician. And while that's rare, what's even rarer is finding one with the helpfulness, clarity, and professionalism that Kyle oozes on every single collaboration. Keegan Ferrell Productions has it's drummer!

  9. Review by Caleb Kennedy
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    Just got three songs done with kyle and he did not disappoint on any of them!! Sounded beyond amazing on all three styles too!

  10. Review by Angelo
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    by Angelo
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    Fantastic working with Kyle. His drum skills are incredible. 10/10

  11. Review by 5ivestar
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    Amazing artist, incredible turnaround, friendly and professional. What more could you ask for!!

  12. Review by Jim C.
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    by Jim C.
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    Kyle is an excellent drummer and created a perfectly tailored drum track for me. He is super responsive as well. Will certainly be using him again.

  13. Review by Simeon K.
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    Incredible musician and drummer. Sound is great too so highly recommended!

  14. Review by Keegan Ferrell
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    Kyle is such a fantastic talent it's not even funny. Dude has completely taken my entire production business to the next level with his playing. I can confidently offer top-40 drums to any of my clients now because of his work and professionalism. It pays dividends.

  15. Review by Jay Jacobs
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    Kyle was great to work with. The drums sound excellent and he was incredibly active in making sure I got exactly what I needed.Highly recommend

  16. Review by Mendy P.
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    Kyle was awesome to work with, was super happy to do as many revisions as I needed - awesome job all round - thank you!

  17. Review by Keegan Ferrell
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    No question, just shoot it over to Kyle. Getting stems back from him is like opening a Christmas present. Too often you send something out and you're anxious to hear it back. Whenever Kyle sends something back my way, I can't wait to open it up and hear what he created. 10/10 per usual.

  18. Review by alesh.marjetic@gmail.com
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    Kyle was very helpful and has recorded fantastic sounds for us.

  19. Review by Caleb Kennedy
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    Kyle is the guy you need for your drum projects

  20. Review by Caleb Kennedy
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    So awesome! Gets you exactly what you need!

Interview with Kyle May

  1. Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?

  2. A: I love working with Zachariah Witcher on bass. I've also recommended Peter Ferguson on guitar to countless folks who only have great things to say about him. I also think Frank Maroney is a great songwriter and producer who turns out fantastic songs.

  3. Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

  4. A: They ask how many tracks they'll get. Its typically around 12-16 tracks. I have a mic or 2 on every drum, 2 pairs of overheads in different configurations as well as room mics and I'll print my drum bus compression so they can use it if they like. I also get asked about turn around time which is typically 1-3 days.

  5. Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?

  6. A: Neumann KH310s, Lynx Hilo, MacbookPro, and a U87.

  7. Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?

  8. A: I have been playing drums and producing for over a decade now. I've toured with Maddie & Tae to Billy Ray Cyrus and have cut on songs for Walker Hays, Clay Walker, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Runaway June, to name a few.

  9. Q: Can you share one music production tip?

  10. A: Get your mix to the best spot it can be, then treat that best mix as if you were starting from scratch and improve from there.

  11. Q: What type of music do you usually work on?

  12. A: Country, Pop, Singer/Songwriter, Rock

  13. Q: What's your strongest skill?

  14. A: Communication and timeliness. Professionalism for me starts with punctuality.

  15. Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

  16. A: I currently have a Protools rig with all UAD, Soundtoys, Native Instrument Komplete Ultimate and WAVEs plugins. My mics include sE Electronics, Neumann, AKG, AEA, Coles, Shure, and Miktek. I have various Gretsch drum kits from a Broadkaster to a USA Custom to a Renown. I also have an assortment of snares from Craviotto, Ludwig, Gretsch, Pearl, etc.

  17. Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?

  18. A: I'm really inspired by drummers like Aaron Sterling, Jerry Roe, Paul Mabury, Nir Z and incredible sound chaser drummers like Dan Mayo and Brody Simpson. My producer inspirations are Busbee, Jay Joyce, and Dann Huff.

  19. Q: Analog or digital and why?

  20. A: Both. No explanation. This is the world we live in.

  21. Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?

  22. A: That they'll be 100% satisfied. I can back it up too with every review and money back guarantee as well as my flexibility when it comes to revisions

  23. Q: What do you like most about your job?

  24. A: That it's different every day.

  25. Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?

  26. A: That I'm rich.

  27. Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

  28. A: I typically ask for references so that I can have a clearer understanding of their background and what they're looking for.

  29. Q: How would you describe your style?

  30. A: My style comprises new music that I love to listen to mixed with what I grew up on from Jazz to Soul to Soft Rock.

  31. Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?

  32. A: I've always been a fan of John Legend

  33. Q: What do you bring to a song?

  34. A: Familiarity. Artists always have an idea of what they're looking for even if they can't describe it and I try to find that reference and make it feel like it's their own.

  35. Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?

  36. A: I am working on sampling all of my drums. They'll be released in a package for use with Trigger, Native Instruments, Logic and ProTools samplers and many more. I'm really excited because we got to do some of it at The Tracking Room Studio in Nashville that is going to be torn down soon. It's one of the best rooms in town and I'm so grateful to have recorded so many amazing sounds there.

  37. Q: What are you working on at the moment?

  38. A: I'm cutting drums on a few projects that I recorded from my home studio and it'll be exciting to hear them on the radio.

  39. Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

  40. A: Just be as clear and concise as possible in terms of what you need from me! I'm very flexible and always willing to work until you're happy.

  41. Q: What's your typical work process?

  42. A: I usually import the song, chart it, lay out markers, and then figure out what type of feel the artist or producer is going for. Then I'll choose my drum sounds and cymbals and start tracking.

  43. Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.

  44. A: My most common work is recording drums on songs for clients.

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In A Car

I was the writer/drummer/producer in this production

Terms Of Service

Drums: Almost unlimited revisions. Fast turn around.
Producing: Minimal revisions. Fast turn around.
Mixing: 1 revision (½ rate per revision after 1) Fast turn around.

GenresSounds Like
  • Kelsea Ballerini
  • Elevation Worship
  • Morgan Wallen
Gear Highlights
  • API 2500
  • API 5500
  • Tube Mics
  • Ribbon Mics
  • BAE Preamps
  • Manley Preamps
  • Gretsch Drums
  • Meinl Cymbals
  • Craviotto Snare
More Photos
More Samples
SoundBetter Deal

Please contact for flexible pricing! Willing to work with any budget.