I play in a pop/ punk band that recorded our first full length album with John at Chicago Sound…read moreLab. We picked them because we were impressed with the samples and the pricing was fair. They definitely did not disappoint! John was very helpful with his insight and made edits fast. We were very happy with the finished product, if you want to hear it for yourself check out Johnny Automatic (Chicago) on Facebook, YouTube, reverb nation, etc. (album was "Robots, Machines, and Weapons"). He even went the extra mile and stayed an extra 40 minutes to finish the first mix after a 10 hour day. We would highly recommend Chicago Sound Lab and had a great experience!

Back in the day when I lived in Logan Square I was in a band and we practiced at a space in…read moreHumboldt Park. The space was pretty convenient and you always knew when the Chicago Puerto Rico parade is taking place. I actually had someone tag my backpack while I was waiting for the bus...while the backpack was still on my back. And I really didn't think I was that buzzed at the time but I completely didn't notice the handiwork. I have moved from Logan Square to Lincoln Square and have started practicing once again with the drummer from my previous band. The most convenient space is the Music Lab. I had seen their ads forever in the Chicago Reader and had passed by the space thousands of times but never really noticed the place. It really doesn't stand out, mainly because the first floor houses a doggie daycare. Evidently that ain't too rock and roll. The spaces are fairly small but that seemed to work out just fine. The sound bounced off the walls and worked out pretty well. The spaces also smelled of dog urine but overall it isn't a bad practice space. The location, the price and the acoustics all fall in the positive column, while the doggie daycare is a minor distraction. So in short the Music Lab is a hidden, urine scented gem.

This place is great for the sole purpose that it allows me to play music (especially drums!!) at…read morewhatever volume without anyone leaving me nasty anonymous notes on my door. So that's a plus. Additionally, the neighborhood is great. Super, super close to the brown line, plenty of street parking in the evenings and on weekends. And it's within walking distance to great bars and restaurants on Lincoln Ave. The guy who runs it is also a very nice guy. However, for what it is, the price is a bit much. The rooms are small and not nearly soundproofed enough. If the guys next door are playing, their bass causes me to have to play louder than I'd like. Additionally, since it's above a doggy day care place, every now and then the hallway reeks of dog urine. Oh, and you can't flush toilet paper down the toilet, not that you'd want to risk sitting on it anyway. Also unfortunate is the complete lack of temperature control--my space easily breaks 100 degrees in the summer months. It's not pleasant to have three sweaty dudes with a bunch of equipment in a 100+ degree glorified closet. Unfortunately this place seems to have a monopoly on music practice space in my neighborhood. It could definitely use some work, but for what it is it definitely gets the job done. My irritable neighbors and I greatly appreciate the service!

I've recorded 3 albums with one of the engineers that runs Soapbox. When he told me that he was…read moreworking to open a new studio/practice space in Chicago, I knew the quality that would emerge from that project. Soapbox, and their engineers, have been my reliable, go-to sources for my recording needs for going on the better part of 7 years, and I don't see that changing anytime soon. Kind folks, great expertise, and acoustically wonderful; they've got it all.

I went to the opening of this sound & music rehearsal studio and recording space with my friends a…read morecouple months back. It was very chill. The best thing is the fact that you can book your practice times through their website, so you don't have to play phone tag with voicemail messages. Also, the location is close to where I live in Logan Square, so that's a plus for me. I like that they have a drum kit there, so I don't have to lug my own over every time. The space is small but discreet, and good for bands looking for affordable practice space in Chicago... only 15-35$ an hour! Some places charge per person or you have to commit to a whole month, so this is a good compromise for me, since I'm in a few different groups and I need a flexible space to meet up with other musicians.

Advertised to offer a pool table as well as soda and snack vending machines which include strings…read moreand drumsticks for those emergency situations. Soda machine sold out two weeks after moving in and the vending machine was broken when moved we moved in and never was fixed in 7 months of renting. The landlord, Chicago musician Adam Ashbach, said the machine would be fixed and the machines refilled but neither surfaced as true in the 7 months spent renting there. Oh, and there was never a pool table. Air conditioning was barely present in the summer and heat would be set to fifty-four degrees during one of our coldest winters in recent past. And the fun kept rolling on over the winter as pipes froze and burst which led to the two already crappy bathrooms to have no running water. Toilets, which of course had no water source, were filled nearly to the brim with urination and defecation. Yeah, that was fun. Moved in with trash left in our room, drawings on the wall from the prior tenant, and door that felt as though it could be broke through if you pushed hard enough. When move in day came along the landlord fumbled to find keys to the building and delayed our move in by several days that had been paid for. Landlord isn't necessarily the most approachable gentleman. He's more concerned with running around angrily when his pipes are spewing water building wide but proceeding to not fix things for more than two months and letting the water run wild. Perks: Landlord does not due any signed lease, rent prices are okay for the room size (but not for the building conditions), and it has a garage you can use to load in when it rains or if it's snowing. Maybe in prior years things have been in better shape around this facility but in just half a year of residency, we saw things sour quite a bit.

Potomac Studios must be one of the worst rehearsal spaces in Chicago. Where to start?…read more First of all, the interior of the building is in bad shape. Our room had weird piles of dust all over the place that made us worry about chemical inhalation (this is an industrial warehouse). Building security is fine but room security is not: the doors to rooms are flimsy and have no padlock or anything. Just a regular little knob that locks. Even worse is the lack of climate control. When you buy a building to rent its spaces out, you need to invest in it. That means ensuring a lot of AC in the summer and a lot of heat in the winter. Chicago has extreme weather. Unfortunately, our space was so hot in the summer that we sometimes couldn't practice in there for weeks. Considering how expensive this location is, such a situation is unacceptable. When we complained, the owner offered to install a unit that *we* paid for. No way, buddy. Finally, he knocked out a window and installed a unit. Unsurprisingly, this became a problem in the winter, since the building is barely heated. One of our very nice space mates installed a little heating unit in the room. But that shouldn't have been necessarily. Worst of all, the owner is unresponsive to requests for service and/or is obviously annoyed by the requests. Do not rent here. Move, like we did, to one of the city's numerous, more affordable, better maintained rehearsal locations.

I Was just there and got my car broken into, as well as my friend that same night, I had to find…read moreout after the fact that apparently that's been an ongoing thing. A warning would have went a long way to prevent something like that from happening, especially if it's an actual thing!! Do not go there unless you're parked in the parking lot!

This is a cool spot downtown if you have band rehearsal and don't want to deal with lugging the…read moredrums around. They have a ton of amps and stands and a kit in every room. They are sound proof and mic'd with a board and speakers. You can't really hear other rooms when you're in your room. It's a little louder in the hall but not bad at all. The staff is badass and they try to help you as much as they can. If you need a different amp or have any issues, they will try to fix it. It's not super expensive if you can split the cost amongst members.

So lucky to have this place here! Great location and offers anything you'll need. Large, clean,…read morefriendly, and productive. Hourly rates and even monthly rentals. First times or pros this place is great!

As an artist-musician I have found and used producers available through Ft. Knox. My son takes…read moreCuban percussion classes there and the instructor is great. Very knowledgeable and gives a fun class.

Just great. Fair pricing and friendly to boot. Highly…read morerecommend this spot to drummers

Mike and his family are first class people! No nonsense, prices are negotiable. You can buy new and…read moreused gear and drums. He specializes in snare drums. Cymbals, heads, sticks, new and used instruments. There's always an exciting time when I show up at Mike's Drum Shop, everyone is friendly NO EGO's to deal with!!! Just playing drums and drumming, MIKE buys sells and trades GEAR AND DRUMS. Stop by and see for yourself how COOL IT IS!!! Keep on keeping on Mike, see you Tuesday.

One of Chicago's best recording studios. Great staff and engineers. Open availability, clean and…read moresafe environment. The vibe of the studios is amazing i love it here.