soft brissle brush but it won't get the nots out. is there like a dog conditioner or a certain brush i should be using. i like his long hair and i don't want to have to cut it off but the nots are getting really bad all of a sudden. any advice that could help would be great

Use a slicker brush, the one that has little bent tines. This will help a lot cause it pulls out matts & loose hair that causes the matting. Brush daily.

If you can't keep up with the brushing that is required you might consider a pattern clip that looks nice on him. If you opt for this you will need to take your dog to the groomer every month or 4 to 6 weeks. There are more kinds of clips for Poodles than there are for any other breed. Ask your groomer to show you pictures of the different clips.

Between the slicker brush & mat splitters you should be able to keep the matts down.

There is a type of matte comb you can buy in the pet store. It works really well. It has sharp edges that cut through the knots/mattes. Be careful when using it as it can cut his skin if you are not careful.
I use a dog hair conditioner after bathing that helps soften the knots. when my dogs are dry, I use the matte comb followed by a slicker brush.
If he gets really dense mattes, you will need to cut them out as they are painful to remove.

Take your dog to a Petsmart, or other pet store. The people there will be able to help you pick the right products.
Also, poodles do need to be professionally groomed occasionally to keep their coats under control and out of their paw pads, ears, etc.

Hope this helps.