Elendae Q&A Deepdive On Mixing and Mastering

When it comes to mixing and mastering, the difference between a good track and a great one often lies in the hands of an experienced audio engineer.

Elendae is one of those engineers, specializing in crafting high-quality mixes that amplify an artist's vision and bring their music to life.

On May 11th, we had the opportunity to sit down with Elendae for an exclusive interview. In this Q&A, he shared his story, workflow, favorite tools, and the challenges he's overcome to achieve his signature sound. From advice for new artists to his thoughts on AI in music production, Elendae’s insights are sure to inspire and inform.

In this blog, we’ll explore the key highlights from that interview, offering you a behind-the-scenes look at the mixing and mastering process through Elendae’s expertise. Whether you're a seasoned producer or just passionate about music, there’s something valuable for everyone in this conversation.

1. Can you tell us a bit about your background? What led you to specialize in mixing and mastering?

I started producing when I was 12. My main inspiration at the time was Skrillex and other dubstep artists—I was obsessed with their sound and wanted to reverse-engineer what they were doing. I started using FL Studio back then, and I still use it today. That early interest eventually led me into other genres—first making beats, then creating rock and metal tracks with my dad.

Later on, I started working with Colin Salcido, and we began making indie alternative music together. That collaboration is really what pushed me to specialize in mixing and mastering. His music was on another level compared to what I had worked on before, and I felt motivated to make it sound as polished and professional as possible with the gear I had at the time. I poured everything I had into improving my skills so I could do his music justice."

2. How would you describe your approach to mixing and mastering? Do you have a signature style?

"My approach to mixing and mastering is all about enhancing the vibe and energy of the track while maintaining clarity. I’m focused on making sure every element has its space in the mix, while making the overall sound as big and impactful as possible. I love working with dynamics and really pushing the track’s emotion forward without overcomplicating things. My style is definitely influenced by modern production, where energy, clarity, and punch are the key elements. I try to keep things sounding fresh but never sacrifice the musicality or the integrity of the artist’s vision."

3. What is the most common mistake you see artists making in their mixes before they send them to you for mastering?

The biggest issue I run into with mixes is clipping—artists will send mixes that go way above 0 dB, and at that point, there’s really nothing I can do in mastering. Once a mix is distorted like that, it’s already damaged. Another big problem is over-compression. If the vocals are overly squashed and layered with other heavily compressed instruments, there’s very little room for dynamics. When everything is that compressed, trying to boost the mix in mastering just raises the noise floor and makes everything clip even more. It completely limits what I can do to make it sound polished.

4. Can you walk us through your workflow when you receive a new project for mixing and mastering?

"When I first get a project, I listen to it a few times in its raw form to understand its vibe and the artist’s intentions. After that, I’ll clean up the tracks, remove any unwanted noise or unnecessary elements, and then I start balancing everything — drums, bass, vocals, and so on. Once the balance is set, I move on to compression, EQ, and adding effects to enhance the sound. For mastering, I focus on bringing everything together and making sure it translates well across different playback systems. Throughout the process, I always keep the artist’s original vision in mind. If something doesn’t sit right with me, I’ll take the time to tweak it until it sounds just right."

5. What are the essential tools and plugins you rely on for your mixing and mastering process?

"For mixing, I rely heavily on EQs, compressors, and saturation plugins. My go-to EQs are the FabFilter Pro-Q 3 and the Waves SSL E-Channel for its analog warmth. For compression, I love using the Universal Audio 1176 and the SSL Bus Compressor for that glue that brings everything together. I also use Waves’ Vitamin Sonic Maximizer for adding some warmth and energy to the mix. For mastering, I use Ozone 11, which is fantastic for finalizing the track, especially its Maximizer and Imager tools. I always rely on high-quality plugins that give me the flexibility to shape the sound as needed."

6. How do you ensure that a mix you’re working on translates well across various playback systems (speakers, headphones, car audio, etc.)?

Luckily for me, I have access to several different listening environments to check my mix—whether it's speakers in my living room, the garage setup, my car audio system, headphones, and so on. But for people who don’t have that variety and can only mix using, say, just their headphones or desktop speakers, I recommend using an EQ analyzer alongside either pink noise or a reference track.

You can load a professionally mixed song that’s as close as possible to your own style, then use an EQ analyzer to study its frequency curve and try to match your mix to that shape. Alternatively, you can use tonal balance plugins, which are helpful for staying within the typical EQ range of a specific genre—sometimes making the process a bit easier than manually referencing another track.

7. Are there any genres of music you particularly love working on? Why?

“Dubstep and metal. I grew up on those genres, so it's kind of implemented into my brain to just love it and get the feeling from it, the nostalgic feeling and alternative and indie music definitely grew on me from making it with Collin Salcido, I definitely learned to love that sort of music, as well as folk and same same thing with Dubstep and metal. Just grew up on it and loved it, loved the noise.”

8. How do you balance preserving an artist’s creative vision while still making technical improvements to their mix?

Yeah, I do that all the time. I usually start with the technical side of the mix—things the average listener might not notice right away but are absolutely essential. That includes EQ, compression, saturation—just the foundational elements that ensure the mix is clean and balanced.

I trust my expertise in those areas, and most of the time, clients just need to trust that process too.

After that, we shift to the more creative elements—things like reverb, delay, or spatial effects. That’s where the artist’s personal vision comes into play. For example, they might want more or less reverb depending on the vibe they're going for. That part of the process is more subjective and collaborative.

Another common area is arrangement or positioning—like where certain vocals or instruments sit in the mix. Sometimes they’ll want to remove a part or shift things around. So typically, I’ll handle all the technical fundamentals first, then we’ll hop on a call and go over any creative changes they want to make from there.

9. Can you share an example of a challenging project you worked on and how you overcame the difficulties?

The last song Colin and I worked on was called White Lie, and it honestly took me quite a while to get the mix and master just right. We started with a specific vibe, more of an indie acoustic feel, but later decided to shift the direction toward a much heavier rock, almost metal sound. That change made things really complicated, because blending those two contrasting styles in one mix was a real challenge.

I kept going back and forth, trying to figure out whether to dial back or enhance certain instruments, constantly weighing what to sacrifice and what to bring forward. It was definitely one of the more difficult mixes I’ve worked on.

10. Do you offer any additional advice or consultations to your clients to help them prepare their tracks for mixing and mastering?

A lot of beginners who send me their mixes often run into similar issues. Like I mentioned earlier, sometimes they'll have effects already applied, or something in the mix is just off and I’ll need to fix it. One common problem is background noise or room reflections. Reflections happen when you're speaking or singing and the sound waves bounce off the walls and get picked up again by the mic. That creates an echo-like effect in the recording, which can be really tough to deal with during mixing.

I try to educate them about basic soundproofing and often recommend affordable solutions—like sending them Amazon links to budget-friendly soundproofing gear. That way, we can reduce reflection issues right from the source. When those reflections are present in the raw recording, it makes my job harder and can negatively impact the final mix. Sometimes the artist thinks it’s a mixing issue, when in reality, it’s a recording problem that I can’t fully fix after the fact. So helping them prep their space properly is a big part of getting a clean result.

Music Production and Industry Insights

11. Who are some of your biggest influences in the audio engineering world?

I don’t dive too deep into research or audio engineering theory, but Rick Rubin really stood out to me. What really stuck with me was something he said about how so many people try to manufacture hits by learning all the technical aspects behind what makes a successful song, instead of just making music they truly love.

I tell all the artists I work with the same thing.

Some of them get caught up in trying to sound exactly like other artists they admire, always chasing perfection. And sure, to an extent it’s smart to consider if a song is marketable—but what matters most is creating music that you love. If you’re passionate about it, if it feels right to you, then just release it. Who cares what anyone else thinks?

If you’re dedicated to your craft and true to your sound, people will catch on eventually. There’s always someone out there who will connect with what you’re doing. You just have to have faith and keep going. 

12. How do you stay updated with the latest trends and techniques in mixing and mastering?

I do scroll on social media, but not really for short-form content—I’m more interested in the ads. Specifically, I look at ads from people in the mixing and mastering niche.

I like to see what they’re doing, if they’re trying anything different, or if there’s a plugin they’re using that might be better than what I’ve got. But honestly, most of the time, it’s the same stuff recycled.

13. In your opinion, what is the most underrated aspect of a great mix or master?

I’d say clipping. I know a lot of older or more traditional mixers might disagree with this, but from the perspective of someone younger who enjoys modern, hard-hitting music, clipping is an insane and powerful tool in mixing.

To explain it simply: imagine 0 decibels as the hard ceiling for audio volume—you’re not supposed to go above it. When a sound or mix exceeds that threshold, and you apply a clipper, the clipper chops off anything that goes above 0 dB. It literally "clips" the waveform and discards that excess.

What’s cool is, by using a clipper and then boosting the signal, you can make a sound feel louder and punchier without technically exceeding that 0 dB ceiling. So when you clip individual instruments before they hit the master, your final mix can be way louder and more aggressive. You can also clip the full mix and push it harder for the same effect.

Now, clipping does introduce artifacts, and that’s where a lot of engineers push back. But to me—and to a lot of modern listeners—those artifacts can actually add character. I love the sound of clipping. It gives music more energy, more punch, more emotion. It might not be “clean,” but it feels powerful. And for certain genres, that rawness is part of the appeal.

14. Do you think AI and machine learning will play a significant role in the future of mixing and mastering? Why or why not?

Yeah, I definitely use ChatGPT for some quick questions, like how to gain stage a particular genre, what level the drums should be at, or asking for a vocal or guitar plugin chain. It’s really helpful for getting basic, technical answers like that, and it gives you pretty solid suggestions.

But, in my opinion, while AI can help with certain aspects, it’s not going to replace a professional audio engineer anytime soon. Maybe in the future, AI will get to a point where it can replicate human decision-making, but right now, nothing beats the experience and intuition of a skilled engineer for mixing and mastering.

15. Are there any common myths or misconceptions about mixing and mastering that you would like to debunk?

So, in the engineering world, a limiter isn’t a fix-all for your mix. A lot of people think that if you just slap a limiter on a mix, it’ll make everything sound good, but that’s not the case.

To break it down, a limiter is like a clipper, but with a key difference. When a sound goes over 0 dB, a clipper just cuts it off and throws it away. A limiter, on the other hand, brings the level back down. But here's the catch: if you just throw a limiter on your mix without proper balancing, you'll end up with noticeable limiting. All your peaks get ducked down, and nothing is really balanced.

Before you limit, it’s important to properly compress, EQ, and stabilize your mix with other tools like de-essers, high-end control, and even clipping and imaging. If you skip those steps, the mix is going to sound over-processed—one big chunk of sound that lacks punch, balance, and clarity.

16. Beyond mixing and mastering, are there other aspects of music production or the music industry that you’re passionate about?

"I’m really passionate about the business side of the industry. I think it’s important for artists to understand how to navigate the industry, handle contracts, and protect their work. There’s a lot to know beyond making music, and I’d love to help artists by providing knowledge on the business side of things."

17. Where can people find your work, and how can artists reach out to you for mixing or mastering services?

"You can find my work on my social media. I’m always open to new projects, so artists can reach out to me via email elendaerecords@gmail.com or through my social channels. I love collaborating with artists and helping them bring their vision to life."

Do you have any shout-outs to wrap up the interview?

Yeah, shout out to Unknown Artist here. Thank you so much for everything you've been doing for me. I really appreciate it. Someday, I'm going to end up paying you back in a special way that doesn't involve money. Shout out to Collin Salcido. We've been hustling, man, working towards his success in music. I can't wait for him to really get out there and tour and whatnot. Big shout out to Electric Sunshine Cult for everything, mostly you, Unknown Artist, but shout out to you guys for sure.

When asked what's next, Elendae shared his excitement for a range of upcoming projects:

"Oh, yeah, me and Colin Salcido have a bunch of music coming out. I also have another artist I’m working with, but we signed a non-disclosure agreement, so I can’t spoil anything. I do have a personal project coming out, which is also a secret. But as far as mixing and mastering, I’m dropping an ad campaign tonight, trying to get some new clients in the door and get the ball moving with my company."

Is there anything you'd like to say before we wrap up?

Mixing and mastering services start at $75. Thank you, Unknown Artist, for bringing me along with this Q&A. I'm excited to see what’s going to happen in the future, and I'm excited for the journey. Thank you.

As Elendae continues to shape the sound of tomorrow, his insights into mixing and mastering offer a unique perspective for anyone looking to elevate their music.

Whether you're a fellow producer or simply a fan of quality sound, it’s clear that the work being done by professionals like Elendae is what keeps music evolving.

WHO NEEDS MIXING?

• I Need Mixing

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