Hip Stew Studios

I can absolutely guarantee you will not find a better recording studio anywhere in Oregon. Other…read morestudios around the Portland area will try to lure clientele in with a lot of bs and hype, but while they're out promoting themselves the folks at Black Diamond are mastering their craft. They have you covered no matter what style of music you play and will invest themselves 100% into every project whether it's a single, an demo CD, or a full length. Matt Jefferson took care of us through the entire process: acting as producer, musician, and coach while never over stepping potential boundaries. If you are looking to record anywhere in the Northwest, go here. You will not be disappointed.

The Map Room

(3 reviews)

Awesome studio! Had a great experience recording voice-over there. Josh is communicative and super…read morekind. The equipment is top notch. I'll definitely return when I'm back in Portland!

A terrific recording experience: comfortable, friendly and extremely effective at getting great…read moresounds and performances. The room sounds great, the equipment is all top-notch, and setup was efficient and well-planned. Josh Powell was a calm, patient and thoughtful engineer and kept us feeling relaxed even as we got a lot of good work done. I've recorded in several different studios and this is my favorite so far. Highly recommended.

Sound Service

(18 reviews)

•$$

Mike has single-handedly kept my guitars in shape for over a decade…read more I wouldn't consider letting anyone else touch them. We've all had our bad experiences with instrument repair, not many things can be so frustrating and demoralizing, which is why I've stuck with Mike and followed him through his many stops. He takes extra care to make sure I'm happy with the work, from explaining what I'll need upfront, to minor tweaks to suit my needs before the guitar leaves the shop. He even helped me figure out a few songs my cement fingers were having trouble with. I am fully confident in recommending Sound Service to you.

I met Mike when he bought a piece of gear off of me and he informed me that he also does tech work…read more I was immediately interested, not only because Mike is a super nice guy, but after having lived in SF for some time, I had become disenchanted with most of the guitar techs in the city. In my experience most charge an arm and a leg for routine work, and don't have much time on their hands to interact with their customers. After doing some inquiry into Mike's reputation (which was stellar) I decided to give him a call about refretting what was probably my most prized guitar. We spoke for almost an hour in person going back and forth about my options and his recommendations. Ultimately, his recommendation is what I decided to go with. I could not be happier with both Mike's work and his advice. My guitar has never played better and his refret job was superb. In addition his prices were fair and reasonable. Mike is a stand-up guy, excellent tech, and I wouldn't hesitate to call him for any work in the future.

dB Nation

Love this studio! Had such a smooth session. Penny is a great engineer. So easy to work with…read more Highly recommend.

AMAZING. My teen needed to record some demos, so I reached out to Sean. He was very responsive…read moreand was easy to schedule with. Working with him was even better--he's personable and a great communicator. He knows his stuff and works efficiently. If we have the need, we're definitely going to work with him again in the future.

Opal Studio

(6 reviews)

I'm so lucky to have found Kevin at Opal Studio. I needed to find a studio to record a song that I…read morewrote for my wedding to use as our 1st Dance. I have done personal home recording and am familiar with software, microphones, ect. I was so busy with my work schedule, that I knew it would be just easier to just find a studio to do all the mixing, sound, engineering that would take me way more time to do on my own. I'm beyond glad that I did! What Kevin did to make my song sing was beyond amazing!!! He dialed in my voice & instruments perfectly. His vision for arranging blew me away. When you go to a studio, you're hope is that whomever you're working with gets your vision. I will say Kevin 100% got my vision & is someone I will take my songs to from now on to get tuned up & sounding professional.

The place is clean, organized, and inviting. Kevin is a phenomenal engineer and has a positive, fun…read moreattitude. He is interested solely in making sure you achieve your best performance and helping you get there. He also has a wealth of knowledge and expertise.

The Hallowed Halls

Booked a record release party for our band and it was the greatest party ever!!! Everyone was…read moreincredibly professional and worked hard to make the event memorable. I look forward to planning our next event there soon!

I've been wandering Portland for months trying to find a musical gem like this literal musicians…read morehaven, the place is a god damn battle drum, I love it and so should anyone who stops by, just be patient, this place is the future, so yeah there's a waitlist, where do you think all the school kids are trying to go, this is the up and coming scene of Portland, hang loose you crazy diamond!

Livin' The Dream Recording Studio

This is the very best recording studio in town. They are extremely knowledgeable, professional,…read morekind, and incredible. I can't recommend them enough.

From the owner: Our business specializes in providing a comfortable, state of the art location for aspiring and…read moreestablished Podcasters, Music Artists, etc, to record audio/visual content for streaming and other purposes.

Blue Butler Studios

(2 reviews)

Scheduled a jam session for a teen jazz ensemble which went perfectly! It's a great, chill spot and…read moreParis was thoughtful and expert.

Blue Butler Studios is the best place to record! Paris was top notch with balancing the sounds of…read moremy harp with the rest of my band. The studio space was large to accommodate drums, bass, guitar, vocals, sax, and harp. Paris will help in setting up what you need for your recording. Blue Butler Studios is fantastic!

Jackpot! Recording Studio

4.8

We tracked an album here last week. Spent 5 days with Zach, got the entire thing done. Best thing…read moreI've ever recorded with this band. The entire experience put us in the place to do this creative work. We needed to track (Zach's also mixing, but that happens later) and had 5 days to get it done. And we did, thanks to a space that's ideally setup for a band to get the job done. Would be worth twice what we paid. Extremely pleased with the results.

Great studio. Easy to book with Zach. 1st time user deal is good value. Engineer Justin Chase was…read morefantastic. Very fast with a great ear and on point with suggestions to make things better. He made the whole experience a pleasure. Thanks!!

Boedecker Foundation

(2 reviews)

They seem like an interesting organization that is supported youth and the arts. Their rental…read moreprices are a bit too high for my local community group and it would be nice if they allowed us free use of the space, but I understand their issues. It's an amazing looking building and I hope to visit it someday.

The dream of the 90s is still alive in Portland, but it has been updated and improved on the cusp…read moreof 2020. In the 90s there was cheap warehouse space for arts and music projects. Today, creative space is scarce. The Bodecker Foundation is a unique nonprofit creative incubator. It's an epic creative clubhouse! Their mission is to create an ever evolving creative community of artists, illustrators, writers, comic makers, musicians, audio recordists, game designers, skaters, graphic designers, filmmakers, animators; and sneaker, apparel, and accessories designers. The main floor is the kitchen, lounge, graphics workshop, and a place for musicians to play. And The Skate Bowl. If you ever saw the film Dogtown and the Z-Boys, this is a pool like that. You can skate from the street, up the entry ramp, into the multipurpose entry space, down a ramp by the DJ booth and into the bowl. Upstairs they have a recording studio among the top handful of Portland's best. And there is also a residence there, so events end at 9PM in this residential neighborhood. They have a program with local high schools. Want to make music? Want to make graphic tees, posters or comics? They have the professional tools for you. It is a space for other nonprofits to work in too. And they have artist residencies. I went to the artist residency readout by Myles de Bastion at Boedecker. It was a low key event to try on the artist's new project. They really put the effort into the event, with many more ASL-fluent participants than not. The building was designed by Skylab, also a Portland World Class architecture firm. https://skylabarchitecture.com/work/boedecker-foundation/ The Boedecker Foundation is a Portland-special-beautiful project to feed our creative community.

Rhythm Traders

4.4

(51 reviews)

•$$

Full disclosure- I am not a musician and I don't know anything about drums so I can't comment on…read morethe quality of the selection or the knowledge of the staff in that regard but popped in to get a new pair of concert ear buds before a show. The lovely human working that day was so kind and helpful. As someone who is making an effort to buy things at locally owned places instead of big box retailers, I appreciated that while they did not have a large selection they did have some variation and the $20 pair I bought was much cheaper than what you see online and they worked so well. So if you ever find yourself in Portland for a show and need a pair- Rhythm Traders has you covered.

I can't say enough great things about Rhythm Traders! I was helped by two different employees who…read moreenabled me to close deals on a used cymbal stand and used hardware case. Being a musician and writer, I'm always on a tight budget, so I appreciate their recommendations.

Thunder Road Guitars PDX

4.9

(29 reviews)

This shop is incredible!! The staff was very nice, knowledgeable and genuinely passionate about…read morehelping me find the right gear without feeling pressure to buy at all. They have an excellent selection of guitars, amps, and accessories. I'll definitely be back and highly recommend checking them out!

Looking for guitar specialists? Thunder Road is your place. They have a selection ranging from…read morerelatively inexpensive to "to die for" models. The best part is their service--these guys love guitars. They own them, play them, know them, and they will expertly guide you to the instrument best suited to your level of playing, size, and budget. Will, the owner, recently helped me with an issue I had with a Martin acoustic, and I walked away completely satisfied. It was a "win-win" solution. Great place for guitar aficionados as well as beginners who need guidance on finding the guitar of their dreams

Arcane Amplification

4.0

(16 reviews)

I got my Fender Princeton Reverb 65 Reissue repaired by Trevor at Arcane Amplification. I am very…read morepleased with what I got! The amp, about 15 years old, started sounding a little funky. So I decided get it serviced. It came back sounding so much better - clear chimie highs and beefy lows. Trevor replace many old shabby parts with higher quality parts. It may possibly sound better than a new one. The only negative is that it took 3 months for the repair. But that is only because he is in such high demands and it speaks for his quality work. If you need you amp fixed tomorrow, you may have to go elsewhere.

TLDR This place barely answers the phone. They are totally unresponsive. They don't keep their…read moreword, and they don't call back. I can't comprehend how there aren't more bad reviews, considering a friend of mine who works at a local guitar shop told me I should have avoided this place like the plague, and that I'm not alone in my experience. I've really tried not to get to this point that I have to trash this business, but its been three months since I dropped off my amp, and I still haven't gotten a straight answer on whether it can even be fixed. I dropped off a Fender Rumble 200 with a bad pre-amp circuit board with them in December on a Sunday, after he made me wait outside for 10 minutes in the cold. Inside the shop was a haphazard mess, resembling what you might imagine seeing on an episode of hoarders, but for guitar amps. My interaction with the repair guy was pretty awkward. I'm awkward too so its whatever. He told me he had a spare circuit board from a Fender Rumble 500 in stock that would fit my amp, and that it would take him just a few hours labor to run a trace and swap out the board. For some reason, I interpreted that as I would pick up the amp later that day. When I hadn't heard from them near closing time, I called. Later I would learn it was shocking he answered on the first try. He told me he hadn't even looked at the amp yet, but he would get to it next week. Next week rolled past and no call. I waited patiently for another week, and then called them several times, and most of the time he never answered. I left voice mails but they were never returned. When I did get him on the phone, he mumbled something about being totally swamped, but he would look at the amp and call me back tomorrow. He never did. Fast forward two months, I call him, he answers, and to my surprise he has some news. The trace on the amp showed one of the other boards needed to be replaced too, but the repair would probably be more expensive that I was willing to spend. Otherwise, he probably had one of those boards in stock too, but he'll need to do further testing, if I was really committed to fix it. I informed him I only paid $100 for the amp, and that I am willing to put several hundred more into the repair, considering a new Fender Rumble 200 costs around $600. He told me he would look further into it and get back to me. Its now March, and I haven't heard anything. Periodically when I happen to remember I even own the amp, I call and they don't answer. So, I give up. I only wanted this extra bass amp for my band mate who has been coming over to my tiny office to jam for the past three months, while our drummer was on an overseas trip. Our drummer returned, and we're back in the studio with our big boy amps. I have no need for a practice amp anymore. Arcane Amplifiers, if you're reading this, go ahead and keep my amp. Its my understanding that its incredibly difficult to find replacement parts for a Fender Rumble, and most repair places won't even consider fixing them. Maybe the parts of my amp might help some other poor soul who gets duped into buying a broken one like I did. I'll just consider it a lesson learned, and in return for your services, I'm leaving you this review. Have a nice day.

Hip Stew Studios - recording_studios - Updated August 2026

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Livin' The Dream Recording Studio

This is the very best recording studio in town. They are extremely knowledgeable, professional,…read morekind, and incredible. I can't recommend them enough.

Dead Aunt Thelma's Studio

3.8

(4 reviews)

I started my 4th project at this studio called Black Opal. The rates were affordable and the…read moreengineer was very talented. Also being a musician, he had some great recommendations. I have recorded at studio's all over the globe and this was one of the finer venues. I am looking forward to going back in soon. Frankfurt11

Dead Aunt Thelma's is one of the most intriguingly named businesses in Portland. I walk by it all…read morethe time and always stop to look mostly because of the whole mysterioso vibe the place exudes. Thelma's, sandwiched between busy 13th street businesses in Sellwood, doesn't immediately appear to be selling anything. So, of course, I'm totally interested in what they got! A lone, old-school microphone sits in in the front door window and the rest of the store front is blocked from view by heavy grandpa curtains. The only other indication that this is a business and not experimental art is an intercom buzzer and a piece of black Ronco label tape with the words "Dead Aunt Thelma's" on it. What happens is that every time I pass this place, I stop and look and think to myself, "I gotta find out what they do here." And then I go about my business and promptly forget over a couple of Manhattans at Gino's. Eventually, I remembered to look it up and discovered that Dead Aunt Thelma's is a recording studio. Ok. Makes sense. I'm not sure that I wouldn't have preferred a different answer. In my imagination, it was more like the central location for a David Lynch film plot. Not so much. I only know four guitar chords and I get rejected from American Idol every damn year so I'm unlikely to use Dead Aunt Thelma's any time soon. But I like that it's there. That's what Dead Aunt Thelma's is to most of us. Mysterious, unusable, needless, useless, and, yeah, I like it.

Digital One

(3 reviews)

Superb attention to quality and results. Customer-focused.read more

This is a Los Angeles quality audio house, conveniently located in Portland, Oregon…read more You get all the quality and speed you'd expect in a top-tier LA house, but with the unpretentiousness of Portland. I've worked both remotely and in-studio with them and they're great in both. I've referred them to an LA based filmmaker before who later asked "How the **** did you find these guys!?! They're amazing!" Ask for Chip. Ask for Ryan. Ask for Eric. You can't go wrong.

The Rye Room

I've recorded with Matt Greco at the Rye Room several times and have had both engineering and…read moreproduction work done for multiple projects. Matt is easy to work with, flexible and brings great ideas to the table. He's attentive to his artists' needs and is willing to step outside of the box to help you and your project sound perfect. Matt has an amazing ear for female vocalists as well and time and time again has found that perfect balance between clarity and richness on the vocal tracks of the albums he's produced for me. The Rye Room is cozy, warm and an easy place to relax for a day of recording. My band loves working with Matt and will continue to work with him for many projects to come!

dB Nation

Love this studio! Had such a smooth session. Penny is a great engineer. So easy to work with…read more Highly recommend.

AMAZING. My teen needed to record some demos, so I reached out to Sean. He was very responsive…read moreand was easy to schedule with. Working with him was even better--he's personable and a great communicator. He knows his stuff and works efficiently. If we have the need, we're definitely going to work with him again in the future.

figure8sound

(3 reviews)

I hired Pyata Penedo and Figure8Sound to record my new album of 16 original songs. He recruited…read morefantastic musicians and singers who brought my music to life in ways that often exceeded my own vision. He was great to work with, patient but firm, and a technical perfectionist with a musician's ear - all of which gave me an album that I'm proud to share with the world. I am grateful for his talent, professionalism, and attention to detail so I'm happy to recommend him to any artist looking to take their music to the next level.

I just recently finished my second project with Pyata. He brings good creative ideas with…read moreincredible production skills. He also brings in great musicians and singers. The results is an excellent experience.

Universal Design & Accessibility Portland

Landon at Collins Piano service tuned and moved my piano. They were very professional and…read moreexperienced. Highly recommend!

The Hallowed Halls

Booked a record release party for our band and it was the greatest party ever!!! Everyone was…read moreincredibly professional and worked hard to make the event memorable. I look forward to planning our next event there soon!

I've been wandering Portland for months trying to find a musical gem like this literal musicians…read morehaven, the place is a god damn battle drum, I love it and so should anyone who stops by, just be patient, this place is the future, so yeah there's a waitlist, where do you think all the school kids are trying to go, this is the up and coming scene of Portland, hang loose you crazy diamond!

The Magic Closet - Recording Studio

4.5

(2 reviews)

Had a great experience here recording and mixing here. Very laid back and comfortable atmosphere…read morefor making music. Ian was very easy to work with and the tracks came out great. Recommended!

I went into the Magic Closet Studio with a singer to put down a vocal track. We just needed a quiet…read moreroom to record in, without the bustle of a rehearsal studio. We were able to book an hour, the price was reasonable, and the staff was courteous and professional. The only difficulty we had was finding the place. It's a house and there's no sign indicating it's a studio. Overall it was a good experience and I'd recommend it.

Opal Studio