Freelance Audio Engineer, Rockford, IL · Available to Travel

TJ BELT.

Every element heard when it needs to be. Vocals that lead. A mix that sounds like the band at their best, not my interpretation of them.

~1K shows engineered
10+ years freelancing
6 L-Acoustics certifications
L2 Dante certified
What I Do

Services

Whether it's a 10-piece touring act or a session that needs a steady hand on the mix bus, the approach is the same.

Live Sound

Front of House

Vocals front and center, because that is what your audience came to feel. But the drums are full and punchy, the bass is thunderous, and the guitars soar. Every element hits when it needs to, nothing stepping on anything else. The goal is a mix that sounds like the best version of your band, not anyone else's.

FOH Mix System Tech PA Tuning
Live Sound

Monitor World

Artists perform better when they can hear. I take monitor world seriously, communicate clearly with talent, and make sure no one walks offstage wishing they'd heard more of themselves.

IEM Mix Wedge Mix Artist Liaison
Live Sound

Production Management

I've been around long enough to know what needs to happen to make a show run comfortably, and I've been thrown enough curveballs to know how to approach the unexpected with clarity and ease. Whatever comes up, I'll find a solution. The show goes on.

PM System Design A2 / RF
Studio

Mixing & Mastering

My mixes are loud, aggressive, and push through the speakers, built to sound like they belong on a chart. But I'm not locked into one sound. Whatever mood you're going for, I'll match it and then some.

Mixing Mastering Production
Live show at an indoor venue
Gear & Training

Credentials

Console Experience
  • Allen & Heath QU Series
  • Midas M32 / M32R
  • Yamaha DM7 / DM3 Series
  • Soundcraft Si Performer Series

Measurement & Tuning
  • Rational Acoustics Smaart
  • Mira Live (real-time measurement)
  • L-Acoustics SoundVision, simulation and coverage analysis

Networking
  • AVB / Milan network configuration and troubleshooting
  • L-Acoustics AVB integration, P1 and LA Network Manager
Certifications
Dante Level 2 Q-SYS Level 1 L-Acoustics System & Workflow L-Acoustics Drive Systems L-Acoustics SoundVision L-Acoustics Measurement & Tuning L-Acoustics K2 L-Acoustics Kara II

Availability
  • Based in Rockford, IL, available to travel regionally and nationally
  • Open to touring engagements, residencies, and one-off dates
  • Venue house tech and festival staff positions welcome
  • Studio sessions bookable remote or in-person
Outdoor show at Rockford City Market Outdoor festival crowd at dusk
Background

About

I've been doing this since 2016. Started as a venue tech learning what makes a room tick, moved into touring FOH, and now freelance full-service for whatever the show demands.

A thousand shows will teach you things no training program will.

When to fight a room, when to work with it, how to earn trust with artists in the first ten minutes of soundcheck, and how to stay calm when nothing goes according to plan.

On the studio side, I mix and master independently, keeping communication clean and turning around work that translates across systems and earbuds alike.

I'm easy to work with. That's not a throwaway line. It means I'll show up with a good attitude, make sure no one is left unhappy, and I won't give you a reason to regret the hire. The certs and the console experience back that up, but so does how I handle a day when nothing goes according to plan.

Studio session overhead view with drum kit and control room window
Concert at an intimate arts center venue
SRC
Source Mic placement, gain structure, input list
NET
Network Dante, AVB, stage box routing
DSK
Console M32, DM7, Si Performer, QU Series
SYS
System PA design, processing, Smaart tuning
AUD
Audience The only thing that matters
Get in Touch

Book TJ

No surprises, no regrets. Tell me about the show.

Location
Rockford, IL, available to travel
Availability
Open for dates. Reach out to check the calendar