One thing that came out of the whole SXSW experience are the differences that you’ll notice when you look for a recording studio. I’m not just talking about the hourly rates.
There are plenty of studios that you can choose from when you are looking to record something. With the advent of more computer based recording plenty of smaller studios have appeared all over the place.
For certain projects even a small recording studio can fulfill your techinical needs. But the biggest key to success lies in the other parts of the studio that makes it work.
Lets be blunt about it. Good people help you make good music. If the people running the studio are cool the music that you produce will obviously reflect that. Sometimes paying a few extra bucks for someone who is relaxed and knows what they are doing in a recording studio can make a huge difference. So what if they tech was not out last weekend at all the cool shows in town. Making your recording studio decisions based on who bought you a few beers at the bar is a recipe for disaster in the long run.
I’ve heard of too many bands that have recorded with friends and they have not been happy at the end of the day. Maybe they got what they wanted but usually something ends up not being done right. All those little things end up coming back to haunt you in the long run.