I am a professional Audio Engineer with over 10 years of experience. I specialize in creating radio ready mixes for clients and have done so for years now. I served as the staff engineer for a studio in Nashville called Dark Horse Recording and have worked with many notable clients including Tim McGraw, OneRepublic, James Morrison, to name a few.
Music has always been an important part of my life and always will be. As a musician, I started at an early age learning to play piano, then drums, and finally guitar. I earned a degree in Production and Technology from Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, TN, and during my final semester of college, I interned at Dark Horse Recording Studio in Franklin, TN and had the opportunity to work with many notable audio engineers and artists. After graduation, I accepted the position of Head Engineer for Dark Horse Recording, where I honed my skills as a recording and mixing engineer for some of the top artists in the music business. With 10 years of professional experience under my belt, I have moved on from Dark Horse to pursue freelance engineering work. I have my own editing/mixing suite in Nashville, TN and am available for any of your engineering or production needs.
Send me a note through the contact button above.
Credits
AllMusic verified credits for Colin Heldt- Jim Lauderdale
- Jim Lauderdale
- Old Dominion
- Jim Lauderdale
- Jim Lauderdale
- Sherwin Gardner
- Sherwin Gardner
- Tim McGraw
- Jeremy Camp
- Jeremy Camp
- Tim McGraw
- Kirk Whalum
- Jason McCoy
- The Judds
- The Judds
- Jersey Boys
- Emery
- Domash
- Domash
- Kerrie Roberts
- Matthew West
- Jeremy Camp
- Jeremy Camp
- FFH
- FFH
- Chris Stevers
- David G. Evans
- Twila Paris
- Twila Paris
- Tim McGraw
- David G. Evans
- Robertson Brothers
- Mandisa
- Sara Groves
- Sara Groves
- James Morrison
- Jeremy Camp
- Jeremy Camp
- Jeremy Riddle
- Emery
- The Dynamites
- Philippe Cohen Solal
- $olal
- Magnolia Rose Band
- Sister Hazel
- Keith & Kristyn Getty
- NewFound Road
- Michael W. Smith
- John Michael Talbot
- Downhere
- Camylio
- Charles "Chip" Templeton
- Mary Beth Cross
- Mary Beth Cross
- Mary Beth Cross
- Mary Beth Cross
- Bexar
- The Brotherhood of Sound
- Frontline
- Tom Howard
- Francine Leclair
- Brian Oaks
19 Reviews - 4 Repeat Clients
Endorse Colin Heldt
check_circleVerifiedColin is a fantastic audio engineer. He made my songs sound great and he was a pleasure to work with - responsive, professional and gracious. I heartily recommend his services to anyone looking for someone who can take their songs to a higher level.
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Colin is a solid, all-around great guy. Interactions with him were always pleasant and he did a wonderful job on my mix. So much so that I asked him to mix the rest of my album.
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FANTASTIC! Colin is an incredibly talented engineer with a patient, professional manner! Will DEFINITELY be working with him again!
check_circleVerifiedAwesome Service. Thank you so much. 10 Till 9 Empire Music Inc.
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Couldn't have asked for a better experience. Colin is a great mixer and has done incredible work on my project, he's also very patient and a great guy! If you need your music to be taken to the next level then look no further.
check_circleVerifiedColin does what he promises. He treats my music like his child- he really takes care of my product and he has helped me craft a less than ideal recording into a almost masterpiece. I am very grateful and Colin's personality is ideal for artists to work with-patient, gentle, careful and kind!
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Dope engineer, i couldnt be happier
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Colin is an INCREDIBLE engineer. Extremely helpful and pleasant to work with and hugely talented. We will be working with Colin again ASAP.
check_circleVerifiedReally happy with the way it turned out. Colin did a great job by mastering my track. Tracks sounds very open yet punchy, exactly what I wanted and even a lil' bit more. Defo recommend him!
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Brilliant mixer..
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Highly recommended - Colin did a very swift and effective job of cleaning up some audio for me. Much appreciated!
check_circleVerifiedI had Colin mix and master another track for me and was extremely satisfied again. He had no trouble at all and met every request I had, and he didn't mind going back to make revisions. Thanks again!
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Colin did a great job with all my tracks and for an awesome price. He listened to all my requests and helped take my vocals up from a very novice level to actually enjoyable. I would definitely like to work with him again in the future.
check_circleVerifiedColin has brought my vocals from a modest to professional level and you'd never know he touched them. To boot he comped my stuff too and I couldn't believe my ears! Do yourself a favor and if you're serious, hire this genius!
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Very professional, highly capable and responsive to requests and comments. Excellent ear for all things audio and really knows how to take a song to the next level.
Colin did an amazing job on my track. He made it sound bigger, better and so professional! I would definately recommend to work with him when you're looking for that radio-ready sound!
Colin mixed our songs and did a great job. He worked quickly and efficiently and was patient with many minor tweaks we asked of him.
Colin did a great job on my track and worked with me on any ideas I had for the song. He replies fast and the final work turned out amazing.
Colin is the real deal. I've worked with him on a few projects and every time he was professional, quick, and knowledgeable, but more importantly he was kind, easy going and had a great attitude.
Interview with Colin Heldt
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: I love seeing the look on a clients face when they hear their song come to life and just light up.
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: Neve 1073, Nuemann U67, Shadow Hills Equinox, Event Opal Monitors, Apogee Symphony Thunderbolt (Loaded)
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I started as an intern and quickly became the main staff engineer at a large multi studio complex just outside of Franklin, TN. There I had the ability to work with many different extremely successful Engineers and Producers and learn from them. I also had the ability to engineer for many notable artists their as well. I now have moved on to working freelance at various studios around town as well as mixing and mastering at my personal studio.
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: I have wanted to work with Dave Grohl for quite some time now. What he has done for music in the last couple of decades has been a great thing to watch.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: More is not always better when it comes to production. Every element of a song needs to be considered as to whether it is adding or subtracting from the message of the song.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: I have worked on nearly every genre out there from smooth jazz instrumental records, to pop country, to heavy rock, to R&B, and many others.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: Being able to hear an artist's vision and deliver on that by exceeding their expectations.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: I bring the experience of working across multiple genres and understanding what it is that makes a song work in that particular genre. I like to really analyze the arrangement of a song and will often suggest adjustments such as removing an instrument or adding one in parts of the song in order to maximize a songs impact on the audience.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: I like to start by listening intently to what the song is about and what are its driving factors. I like to talk with the artist and get an idea of the direction they want the song or project to go in so that we are on the same page. I then will do everything in my power to accomplish the artist's vision while also trying to give them a unique sound to differentiate them.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: My studio setup is based around gear from Apogee, Benchmark Media Systems, Black Lion Audio, and Event Monitoring. I have built it with simplicity, sonic integrity, and proper room treatment as my main goals.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: I specialize in Mixing and Mastering projects and have been recognized for a keen ability to take projects to the next level.
I was the Mixing and Mastering Engineer in this production
- Mixing EngineerAverage price - $350 per song
- Mastering EngineerAverage price - $50 per song
- Vocal TuningAverage price - $50 per track
2 Rounds of revisions. Typical turn around time on a mix is 1 week. Rate per song will drop based on number of songs.
- Apogee
- Benchmark Media Systems
- Black Lion Audio
- Avid Pro Tools
- ADM
