SDRL

Really nice staff, good equipment, and a relaxed atmosphere. Recently recorded an EP for a local band here and we had a blast doing it. Also, it’s very affordable which is a huge plus! As a freelance engineer I’m always nervous recording at new places but SDRL was great to work out of and their staff is super supportive and knowledgable.

My Musician Companion and I had a fantastic experience at SDRL over three weeks ago, and we’re glad we picked SDRL for our first time recording in a studio. The recording experience was first rate with great equipment (microphones, computer mixing software, etc) and incredibly affordable, and the end product sounds professional and brought out the best of our musical skills and talents.
Working with house engineer Brad Lee was easy, as he worked incredibly accurately and efficiently, so we never wasted any time in the 5-​hour timeslot we had reserved. Prior to our actual recording date, we sat down with Brad for a good half hour to ask questions and get advice to prepare ourselves for the recording session. He let us know to practice diligently to a click track (metronome) prior to recording day, and also that he wouldn’t be «auto-​tuning» us – the end result would actually sound like us, and that’s a good thing! I have recorded in another studio in San Diego where the engineer’s software allowed him to fix severe timing mistakes with a few clicks of a mouse, but at SDRL we were encouraged to get things right… so I’m proud to say that the end result is really what we played.
Time flew by quickly, as we worked on two songs. We recorded music only (electronic piano and guitar), and then vocals only, each two or three rounds. We also recorded extra harmonies so that our two voices became three and four in the final product. During the mixing process, we sat down with Brad who had us listen to our recordings verse by verse so we could splice and dice to get the best end result.
Pricing was all inclusive, included recording, mixing and mastering. You also get access to additional instruments at the studio — i.e. if you want to add a little synth to your recording but don’t own a Korg.
What are you waiting for? Stop recording your live music on your iPhone! My MC and I already are planning to return to SDRL to record more songs.

Excellent studio. Creative, knowledgeable dudes who are super fun and easy to work with. They really know how to take what you have and bring it to the next level while doing complete justice to your original ideas. Great gear, great atmosphere. Taxidermy penguins, on site pharmacy and a great bar right next door. What else do you want? Here’s what they did for me…