Decide on a full service studio with top rate equipment and personnel

If you have a major project and the money to get it off the ground, do research on some of the top digital recording facilities and recording studios in the country. Check the info on the back of your favorite CDs and read trade industry publications for info about recording studios.

I recommend: Look into a full service recording studio like The Village,
a famous studio for music recording in Los Angeles. The featured equipment includes a Vintage Never console, along with Pro Tools and such accouterments a private lounge, gym and kitchenette.  Locate a similar studio in the Midwest like Paragon Recorders if you’re in the middle of the country and can’t make it to the coast. This music recording studio has serviced many top music and film clients and still offers an in-house manager and producer. For those on the East Coast, MetroSonic Recording Studios in New York offers everything from pre-production to final mixing. In the South, Nashville's Eckert Labs is a full service studio for music production that will work with you on custom projects.

Scout music trade schools for budding engineers and digital recording facilities

Most music groups and indie film producers don't have the budget for a big name luxury studio, or even a mid-level; one. But with the proliferation of music and recording trade schools and small recording studios, there's a music recording facility to fit every pocketbook and project.

I recommend: Check out articles and ads for new and smaller record producers and fledging recording studios. Read Mixonline.com, the industry’s foremost site with news about recording studios and producers. Also check on alumni from schools such as Full Sail, whose schools have produced many successful owners of music recording studios.

Look into music production facilities that offer the gear you need

Depending on your project, you may need separate recording booths for instruments and singers or a large area for a quartet or brass or horn section. Or, you may have a much smaller recording project and only need digital recording facilities. By familiarizing yourself ahead of time with music recording studio equipment, you'll be better able to make the right choice for your project.

I recommend: Browse through the gear or equipment pages of perspective recording studios. Try looking for equipment at studios like Electrokitty in Seattle or at a smaller studio like Echo Echo in Missouri. If you want a big, warm analog sound, look for studios that have an SSL or Neve console. If you need quick digital fix, most small digital recording facilities offer a computer workstation with ProTools, Cakewalk or other recording programs, plus an MIDI interface and assorted microphones and monitors to provide modern sound.