Elijah Begonia

Rock/Pop Mixing & Mastering

Elijah Begonia on SoundBetter

A multi-instrumentalist and veteran songwriter with a breadth of experience mixing & mastering rock and pop.

I've been an audio engineer since I was a kid, spending my time in local studios around Portland and LA like Echo Hill Studios and the legendary Hobby Shop. I love working in the box in Pro Tolls, despite my experience with analog equipment. I'm starting to build my portfolio with artists of any kind, supplementing my time studying Composition and Production at the Los Angeles College of Music. I am also an experienced songwriter.

If you love quick turnarounds at a low cost, thoughtful songwriting, high quality mixes, and streaming-ready masters: I'm your guy!

Tell me about your project and how I can help, through the 'Contact' button above.

Languages

  • English
  • Spanish

Interview with Elijah Begonia

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

  2. A: I'm working with the LA-based band "Yvon Rene." I'm blown away by what they're doing, and it's a pleasure to work on their music.

  3. Q: Analog or digital and why?

  4. A: Digital. I was raised in an analog world, and I'll always have love for the color and character that comes from it. But the restrictions placed on me when I work solely in the box bring out even more interesting and beautiful results.

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

  6. A: I promise you will be surprised and delighted. I will always work in the best interest of the artist's vision, and I will solve problems within a track in ways you might not have thought of. I will make your tracks sound like the best version of themselves, and that oftentimes means finding unconventional solutions to problems that come up.

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

  8. A: I get to listen to music for a living, and make it even better.

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

  10. A: I am more than an audio engineer. I'm an artist by trade, and I understand the fundamental desire for emotionally impactful music. In my role, I don't just make tracks sound "good," I make them sound like themselves.

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

  12. A: What is your end goal in hiring me?

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

  14. A: Expect flexibility on my end. Whether it's a tight deadline, a complex arrangement, or otherwise, I'm not one to fold under pressure. I'm hungry for a challenge.

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

  16. A: A MacBook Pro M3, Pro Tools, a UA Apollo Twin X, any Neve 1073 variant, and a Neumann TLM 103 microphone.

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

  18. A: I started my freshman year in high school. I was lucky enough to have a friend whose dad worked in a recording studio, and I took every chance I could get to visit him and glean any amount of knowledge from him. I worked from my small basement in Portland, Oregon to mature my ear and develop my skills behind the board--oftentimes visiting local studios to sit in on sessions and watch professionals. This allowed me to get a grasp on analog workflow and signal flow, skills that helped me understand the DAWs I was using even better. By the time I graduated high school, I felt like I was miles ahead of my peers. I joined the Los Angeles College of Music to study composition and audio engineering, and that experience taught me to be a flexible, creative engineer behind the console. From there, I've begun my journey in freelance, picking up as much work as I can physically handle to further my love for the art of audio engineering.

  19. Q: How would you describe your style?

  20. A: Tasteful and dynamic. I want my final product to sound professional yet emotionally charged.

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

  22. A: Big Thief for sure. Their arrangements are so interesting, and sound like a treat to work on.

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

  24. A: Stay organized.

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

  26. A: Rock/alternative, pop, and alternative folk.

  27. Q: What's your strongest skill?

  28. A: Creative problem solving. You won't hear a lot of what I do in other people's mixes.

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

  30. A: I bring a unique set of skills and a fresh way of hearing mixes. I have years experience mixing with an analog workflow, but these days I prefer to work in the box in Pro Tools, as the limited toolset feels more creatively freeing.

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

  32. A: My typical mixing and mastering process starts with understanding the artist’s vision and the track’s mood, usually by speaking directly to the client for guidance. I listen carefully to the raw tracks to look for important elements that need to be brought out or emphasized. Then, I find a general level balance, dial in rough EQ's, and put my session in mono. From there, I fix clashing or masked frequencies, balance irregular dynamics, and streamline elements otherwise divorced from the artist's vision. I then flip back to stereo to dial in elements like panning, reverbs, and delays to bring the artist's vision to life in creative fashion. For mastering, I focus on enhancing the overall cohesiveness and loudness, ensuring the track translates well across different playback systems. Throughout, I keep communication open with the artist to make sure the final result matches their expectations.

  33. Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

  34. A: I work from my apartment in Highland Park, CA. I use a variety of DAWs, but I prefer Pro Tools or Ableton (although I use Logic from time to time). I use reliable interfaces like the Focusrite 18i20 (in previous studio setups) and the Behringer 1820 (my current interface) paired with the sweet sound of PreSonus preamps. I use a pair of JBL 305P MkII's as my main monitors, and Mackie CR3-X's as reference. For headphones, I have a set of ATH-M50x's. I have a Behringer X-touch control surface for writing automation and other functions. My setup is streamlined and perfectly conducive for quality audio engineering.

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

  36. A: I generally do mixing and mastering work for my clients, as well as songwriting.

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The Old Country by Yvon Rene

I was the Mixing, mastering engineer in this production

Terms Of Service

Typical turn around time for mixes and masters is around 3-5 business days. Turn arounds for songwriting vary from 1-3 business days.

GenresSounds Like
  • Great Grandpa
  • Black Country
  • New Road
  • Radiohead
Gear Highlights
  • Pro Tools
  • PreSonus TubePre v2
  • Behringer 1820
  • JBL 305P MkII
More Photos