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Ben Kruse Calla

Photo of Ben Kruse Calla
The audio work I do is layered, textural and sometimes simple. I'm a freelance Sound Designer, Mixing Engineer and Musician by trade. I'm Bolivian and from the U.S.
Member since 2022

Location

  • Chicago , IL

Portfolio

Languages

English and Spanish

Contact Ben

Ben is available for

Sound Design, mixing work and musical composition. I'm also very excited to explore production, narration and conducting interviews!
  • Engineering
  • Music
  • Recording
  • Voice

About Ben

I’m a sound engineer by trade and have an MFA in Sonic Arts from the City College of New York.  Since 2016 I’ve been working as a freelance audio editor, sound designer, composer and mixer across various mediums (Film, T.V., Podcast and Music). I was born in NY., grew up in Bolivia and now I reside in Chicago. 

Throughout 2020 and part of 2021 I freelanced for Vice News and worked on a number of podcast episodes from various shows. Most Notably, I sound designed a series called: “The Crisis” / “Contra Natura” (In Spanish) which was nominated for a premio Gabo” (Renowned yearly Latin American journalism award event). I was also able to do Sound Design and Mixes for three episodes of “The Distance”: “Flying to the U.S. to Vote”, “Schooling With BIPOC-Led Pandemic Pods & Micro Schools” and “Covid Outbreak at Waseca Federal Prison”.  Additionally I recorded Narration and assisted production on “An Election of Consequence” which aired in November of 2020 (Vice News Reports).

Generally speaking I love working with and facilitating the creation of stories through audio, whether it be via editing, mixing or recording. I love creating soundscapes that encapsulate the emotional hues of particular characters and places and I love working on stories about the Americas. Additionally - I’d like to get into doing more VO recordings and the production process in general.

I’m fond of community and love talking to people. More than anything I want to collaborate and share moments with others. The more stories I can help bring to life the better!

Lastly - photography has become a big hobby of mine! The banner at the top of my profile is a picture I took at a beach in Lake Michigan, 20 minutes outside of Chicago.

Ben's Portfolio

Experience

Skills

  • Mixing
  • Sound Design
  • Scoring
  • Field Recording
  • Composition
  • Audio Engineering

Equipment

  • Programs: Pro Tools Ultimate (2023), Izotope RX 9, Logic Pro X
  • Studio: Mac Mini (Late 2018), Glyph Drives (Many - SSD and 7200 RPM), Beyer DT 1990 Pro Openback Headphones, Apollo X8P interface, Avid S1
  • Recording: Mix Pre III, Senheiser MKH 416, Focal Listen Pro Closed Back Headphones

Previous Work

  • Narrator / Production Assistant on "An Election of Consequence" (Vice News Reports) at VIce News (November 2020)
  • Sound Designer and Mixer for Three Episodes of "The Distance" at Vice News (November 2020)