Recording Studios in Southern California: Sound Matrix Studios, Hollywood Music Studios and DML Studios

Recording studios are hard to find here in Southern California if you don't know what to look for. Here, we bring the info to you. On top of that, we'll look at 3 recording studios in SoCal - Sound Matrix, Hollywood Music, and DML studios.

Sound Matrix Studios is located at 11125 Condor Ave. Fountain Valley, CA. www.SoundMatrix.com This studio offers rehearsal space in addition to its fully equipped recording studio. Sound Matrix is cozy but leans towards the 80's with its leopard print couch.

The engineers are no different which ends up dating your sound a bit. The engineers have their own systems there and do not take well to people suggesting things differently. If you have no recording/studio experience, they might be able to fool you into thinking that they are a good place to record, but the quality of the recording ends up sounding not that great. Protools is used here. You can record here for 33 hours at a rate of $1500.

A little bit better sounding is Hollywood Music Studios. Though fairly hard to get a hold of, HMS has some personable staff, though they tend to be a bit arrogant. That doesn't bode well for people you have to spend a lot of time with while recording your project. HMS uses protools in the city of Costa Mesa and is between $35 and $50 per hour with engineer. HMS is just a small part of a bigger series of projects of the same name. For a complete list of their services check out
www.hollywoodmusic.tv or www.hollywoodmusicstudios.com.

For a great sounding album, check out DML studios. But good luck getting a hold of someone there. Booking time here is like booking time to meet the president. Not to impressive in the customer service department, DML makes up for it with the sound you get from there. Don Lithgow, engineer and owner of DML, has hosted bands like Finch, Blink 182, New Found Glory, and Unwritten Law. And as Lithgow claims, Fenix TX (now re-formed) broke up in his hallway.

It is secluded in the city of San Marcos, north of San Diego. DML is one of a few studios that have ADAT, Pro Tools, and 2 inch tape. It is a rare find in this day and age of computer technology. Don has no for sure set rates so you have to ask and negotiate. 760-746-2511

Additional studios

Orange Crush Studios
Scott Silletta
Orange, CA
714-771-7755
www.orangecrushstudio.com

Love Juice Labs
Riverside and Orange County
951-683-6656
www.lovejuicelabs.com

Blu Room Studio
Riverside
www.myspace.com/bluroom

NRG Studios
www.nrgrecording.com

Private Island Trax
Hollywood
323-856-8729
www.privateislandtrax.com