🎧 Berklee-trained mix/mastering engineer, producer & guitarist with credits alongside Jordan Rudess, Matt Garstka, Tina Guo and more. I help artists turn raw demos into release-ready tracks that sound alive, powerful, and true to their vision. I’m Alek Darson — a Berklee-trained mix/mastering engineer, producer, and session guitarist with over a decade of experience helping artists turn raw ideas into release-ready records. I got into audio at 16, recording my own music and quickly becoming fascinated with how sound can become more than the sum of its parts. That passion has led me to collaborate with world-class musicians and projects across North America, Europe, and Asia. I’ve had the privilege of working with Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater), Matt Garstka (Animals as Leaders), Tina Guo, Tomas Kaco (with John Patitucci), and Petr Janda (Olympic), as well as mixing live shows for Serbian pop icon Seka Aleksić aired internationally. My work has been recognized with honors such as Song of the Year at the MIDI Festival, Album of the Year by Serbian Metal Portal, and an Official Selection at the Hear Now Festival. I’ve also been featured in Guitar Player and Guitar World, and was a runner-up in Lee Ritenour’s Six String Theory competition. Artists often come to me with demos and leave with fully realized productions. From transforming early sketches into arena-filling releases with Tropico, to guiding the ambitious Inner Child project (featuring Matt Garstka) from rough drafts to finished album, I pride myself on nailing the vision while delivering mixes that feel alive, clear, and emotionally powerful. My “drafts” are often nearly final — with clients praising my ability to get the vibe right, fast, with very few revisions needed. While rock and metal are my home base, I’ve worked extensively in pop, synthwave, jazz, funk, fusion, country-pop, and hip-hop. Beyond mixing and mastering, I compose and arrange for clients, and I’m particularly passionate about creating music that feels real — touchable and three-dimensional — whether that means a transparent, dynamic mix or a wall of sound when the track calls for it. I’ve also developed unique approaches to drum mixing that clients consistently highlight as a standout strength. Selected Gear: RME UFX III, Neumann U87, Axe-Fx III, Wood Guerilla, Fender, and Ibanez guitars, Cubase, Pro Tools, Waves, FabFilter, Neural DSP, SpectraSonics, Education: Berklee College of Music – Double major in Performance (Guitar) and Contemporary Writing & Production; Summa Cum Laude in Professional Music. Let’s make your music sound its absolute best.…🎧 Berklee-trained mix/mastering engineer, producer & guitarist with credits alongside Jordan Rudess, Matt Garstka, Tina Guo and more. I help artists turn raw demos into release-ready tracks that sound alive, powerful, and true to their vision. I’m Alek Darson — a Berklee-trained mix/mastering engineer, producer, and session guitarist with over a decade of experience helping artists turn raw ideas into release-ready records. I got into audio at 16, recording my own music and quickly becoming fascinated with how sound can become more than the sum of its parts. That passion has led me to collaborate with world-class musicians and projects across North America, Europe, and Asia. I’ve had the privilege of working with Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater), Matt Garstka (Animals as Leaders), Tina Guo, Tomas Kaco (with John Patitucci), and Petr Janda (Olympic), as well as mixing live shows for Serbian pop icon Seka Aleksić aired internationally. My work has been recognized with honors such as Song of the Year at the MIDI Festival, Album of the Year by Serbian Metal Portal, and an Official Selection at the Hear Now Festival. I’ve also been featured in Guitar Player and Guitar World, and was a runner-up in Lee Ritenour’s Six String Theory competition. Artists often come to me with demos and leave with fully realized productions. From transforming early sketches into arena-filling releases with Tropico, to guiding the ambitious Inner Child project (featuring Matt Garstka) from rough drafts to finished album, I pride myself on nailing the vision while delivering mixes that feel alive, clear, and emotionally powerful. My “drafts” are often nearly final — with clients praising my ability to get the vibe right, fast, with very few revisions needed. While rock and metal are my home base, I’ve worked extensively in pop, synthwave, jazz, funk, fusion, country-pop, and hip-hop. Beyond mixing and mastering, I compose and arrange for clients, and I’m particularly passionate about creating music that feels real — touchable and three-dimensional — whether that means a transparent, dynamic mix or a wall of sound when the track calls for it. I’ve also developed unique approaches to drum mixing that clients consistently highlight as a standout strength. Selected Gear: RME UFX III, Neumann U87, Axe-Fx III, Wood Guerilla, Fender, and Ibanez guitars, Cubase, Pro Tools, Waves, FabFilter, Neural DSP, SpectraSonics, Education: Berklee College of Music – Double major in Performance (Guitar) and Contemporary Writing & Production; Summa Cum Laude in Professional Music. Let’s make your music sound its absolute best.WWWW…