As producers, what do you look for in studios you hire

[Senad]

Hi guys,
Interested to hear what different producers or engineers look for in a studio they would potentially hire.
I know some guys will look for a great room with nice mics, pres, converters and some outboard to track their stuff in and then take it "home" to mix (ITB or on a console they have set-up in a smaller space). Others will want a great console with nice outboard to mix on. The rest will want both.
What would you need in this day and age? If you're looking for a great desk to mix on, what would it be?
Cheers

P.S. Posted this on another forum as well. Hope it's OK to talk about it here too.

[walding]

The absolute must haves for me are

Industry standard monitors, 2 pairs, ie barefoots, ns10's etc

Top of the line vocal mic's, 47/67/87 etc and pre's to go with them, Chandler/neve/API/great river etc

A good sounding tracking room..

Studio owner/in-house Enigineer easy to work with

All else I can make do, but those are a must have.

[wez]

Competent owner/manager/staff who knows where everything is and how everything works, and with people skills that make you never want to leave.

All the gear in the world will never make up for those things if they're lacking.

Oh and there should be at least one lava lamp.

[Senad]

Cheers guys, appreciate your thoughts.

[Drumstruck]

Hi Senad,

I thought you'd get more responses and am interested to read what others look for....

Location in close proximity to whoever I'd be contracting to play / sing would be the major decider for me - after that it would be the room sound, some specific mics and level of comfort with the studio owner/engineer.

[Senad]

Thanks Ian... Hopefully a few more chime in with their thoughts. Judging by responses here and elsewhere, seems like more people go into other places fore tracking rather than mixing.

[mylesgm]

Good sounding room, gear that works and a supportive owner/operator. I pick places depending on the project and every project is different so every time I need something different (location, cost, size, amount of booths etc) but if the room/s sounds crap I wont be happy, if the gear is badly maintained or dicky I wont be happy and if the owner is absent/annoying/intrusive/obtrusive/ etc I (and probably the clients) wont be happy. Anything else is resolveable but I don't think there is one 'perfect' commercial studio just perfect for "this" project.

[rob]

A clean toilet

[gregwalker]

I'm always looking for an extra room off the main room - it's frustrating when you can't isolate that extra amp so I'd say 4 discrete spaces (even if one of them is a broom closet) is a distinct advantage.
If the main space isn't absolutely dead and neutral sounding all the better!

[Paul Maybury]

For me, the quality of the monitoring and ergonomics. Both in the control room and in the recording space(s)
Cheers,
Paul

[casey_rice]

I might add low noise floor in the recording space is pretty useful.

[jasound]

For recording all the above, but at a minimum a control room with decent monitoring.
A console that's flexible enough to mix a couple of headphone mixes with talk back, and a multitrack bussing system.
A recording space that hopefully flatters your source sounds.
The rest is gravy.

Oh and good mic stands, clips and cradles, cabling, U47s, M49s,KM56s, U87s,84s, c12ABC&D , V76s, 1073s, 1176s, LA2as, 2254, 33609s........... and a couple of SM57s would help.

[Senad]

For recording all the above, but at a minimum a control room with decent monitoring.
A console that's flexible enough to mix a couple of headphone mixes with talk back, and a multitrack bussing system.
A recording space that hopefully flatters your source sounds.
The rest is gravy.

Oh and good mic stands, clips and cradles, cabling, U47s, M49s,KM56s, U87s,84s, c12ABC&D, V76s, 1073s, 1176s, LA2as, 2254, 33609s........... and a couple of SM57s would help.

Roger that