Koen Heldens

Dutch born Koen Heldens is an international multi-platinum selling, American Music Award, and Billboard Music Award winning mixing engineer based in Los Angeles, CA.

Heldens is most known for his work with the late XXXTentacion including his 7 times platinum selling global number 1 hit single “SAD!” (which earned the Guinness World Record for “Most Streamed Track on Spotify in 24 Hours” and was the #3 most consumed song of 2018.), and “Fuck Love [ft. Trippie Redd]” (which is the most streamed song in SoundCloud history.)

Other notable work includes the soundtrack for 62nd GRAMMY nominated, and 91st Academy Award (Oscar), 76th Golden Globe and 24th Critics’ Choice Award winning movie “Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse”, and work with artists such as: Swae Lee, Maluma, Lil’ Wayne, Rick Ross, Dr. Dre, Kid Ink, Travis Barker, and many more.

In total, Heldens’ work has sold over 50 million records world-wide and has been streamed over 10 billion times around the globe.

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  Kiive Audio XTComp

  I’m a big fan of saturation, and the distortion modes help me achieve that fine line of saturation I’m always looking to add. On vocals, I love to use the warmth control for tape compactness.

• Being able to reference my mix while on the go without having to drop by a studio or connect it to the car is of tremendous value: dearVR Monitor has made it finally possible to cross-reference my mixes.

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  AMEK EQ 200

  The AMEK EQ 200 gives me the same clean and powerful low-end punch all the way down to 20Hz and smooth expensive sounding high-end without becoming harsh.

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  Brainworx bx_clipper

  I have a strong appreciation for the act of applying clipping to a wide variety of sources. Not all clippers possess the same qualities, and maintaining the optimal balance of additional headroom while preserving the unique sonic character of a sound holds immense significance. When it comes to this particular task, the bx_clipper consistently outperforms its competitors every single time.

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  Black Box Analog Design HG-2MS

  I love the new M/S function! You can add subtle width to a mix or source without it becoming a phase issue or collapse issue when summing to mono. Very nice!

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  Unfiltered Audio TAILS

  This reverb is amazing! It embodies everything I’ve been seeking in a reverb for years! Clean tails, auto ducking and no washed up splashes. Reverb as it supposed to be, a paint brush in the background!

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  Unfiltered Audio LO-FI-AF

  This thing is groundbreaking!

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  Brainworx bx_enhancer

  When EQ falls short and you require swift results, I prefer using bx_enhancer for the job.

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  AMEK EQ 250

  The ability to not only have access to, but also be able to load multiple instances of the industry standard golden reference of mastering EQs in my mix sessions is invaluable.

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  Maor Appelbaum Mastering & Hendyamps THE OVEN

  THE OVEN is the missing analogue glue in a digital world!

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  Brainworx bx_console AMEK 9099

  The low-mids of the bx_console AMEK 9099 are very reminiscent of the Amek 9098i console I’ve worked on years ago. One thing I always missed on the original Amek 9098i was dedicated dynamics on the channel itself; thank you Plugin Alliance for having included it and more!

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  Brainworx bx_crispytuner

  I like how you can dial in tuning on bx_crispytuner in a very musical way compared to the competition without overcomplicating the parameters. 

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  Lindell Audio 902 De-Esser

  The hardware dbx902 has long been my favorite De-Esser and most personal wished for in plugin format. What makes the dbx902 so exceptional is its simple controls and no threshold. A true set and forget tool. The ability to de-ess vocals in a very transparent matter regardless of them being loud or soft in the next passage is truly amazing!

• ChannelX is my go-to channel strip on acoustic bass, guitar and electric. It's brilliant for adding warmth, drive and brilliance. While the 6X-500 Class A Pre-amp lives on my vocal channel to add analog warmth.