Woohoo, my 100th review!!! :))…read more After looking at a bunch of rehearsal places, H.I.T. Wall was definitely my first choice: plenty of parking, good noise insulation, big windows to fresh air, well-built secure rooms with individual alarms, good vibe inside and out, and 24-hour access. The people I happened to run into all seem really nice, too. The studio is located in a relatively quiet area in SSF, and pretty safe to get in and out even at late hours. Both the front and back doors are locked at all times, and our studio also has its own alarm system for added security/safety. We've been renting the place for six months now and I find out why H.I.T. Wall has gotten the reputation in town. Just to give you a quick example: one of the outlets in the room got bent from stepping on an extension cord. Called to let them know - very responsive and was fixed the next day, IMPRESSIVE!!! Well, not to mention other things like forgetting my keys and calling one of the brothers (did I mention he is cute too!? LOL!!) to let me in my room. He came down from SF, very accommodating I have to say...... The owners, Mat and Will (two brothers), are responsible landlords and know their tenants well. They seem like they are in the recording industry for the right reasons--to keep the Bay Area music scene alive and make a solid place for bands to work on their crafts for years to come. H.I.T. Wall deserves a 5 star review for the following reasons: 1) noise insulation (soundproof), 2) cost (reasonable rent), 3) convenient location in the Peninsula, 4) lots of privacy, and most importantly, 5) GREAT SERVICE!!!

It's a little far to drive if you live in SF- but not that far for the price. My band has been…read morethere since Feb '06. We came from Rocker (which we only stayed in for a month because we couldn't hear each other talk!!!). Hitwall is sound proofed really well. the good parts: **sound proof no one ever talks about this but it's one of the 2 most important parts of a good practice space!!! there are 4 movable sound proofing baffles. we've never had a problem. we can play pretty loud (as loud as we want, whenever) and don't have to raise our voices to talk over our neighbors. i can sometimes hear/feel the bassline from the room below us but as soon as we start playing, it's drowned out. **secure you have a front door key and a room key. it's also out in an industrial district of ssf so you don't have a bunch of crack heads wandering in. also, our cars have never been broken into in the lot or out front. **lots of parking just don't leave it for more than 24 hours, they'll tow it. ie: don't leave your tour van here. **they let you paint/build shelves our room is huge but also came with 2 cubbie loft shelf spaces. i can't tell you how handy these are. **rent $700/month split 2 ways (that's $350/month) for a 13x22x20 room. i've seen a bunch of studios in sf and the sound proofing/security don't even come close to this for the price. (see: Rocker where the rats ate my cords/a crackhead was trying to open my door for 20 minutes) **in house recording studio their house engineer recorded the drums on the rouge wave album Out Of The Shadow here. it's really top quality and $35/hour for bands that rent a space at hitwall. analog and digital! **vending machines they've only been out of mountain dew once in a year and a half. ** the bathrooms aren't always dirty they're pretty clean most of the time and they have a never ending supply of TP- they're also unlocked so you don't have to stop the rest of the band from playing because you have to borrow a key from your guitar player if you have to pee mid-song. the not so great, but not bad parts: ** load out can be a pain if you're on the 2nd floor easy fix- have a lot of people in your band/a few extra friends to move all your crap and park right in front of the front or back door and carry things down the stairs. grow a pair. ** allotting time for traffic if you live in sf and are playing a show in sf or oakland, you have to make sure you'll make your load-in time, just in case there's a ton of traffic on hospital curve. easy fix- google map that shit! find some good back roads off an earlier exit. **"free alarm system" is not free they advertise "FREE Individual Alarm Systems. (Each room comes equipped with an illuminated key pad and motion sensor.)" to activate it, you have to set up a phone line in your room which could run you about $20/month. come on!

Really cool place. People are friendly here. It's in a weird area.not the best area to be in but…read morevery clean inside with great gear .

Some of the most creatively satisfying recording sessions I've had in the Bay Area are at 25th St…read more studio. Gabrial and the gang there are supremely professional and fun to work with. They have great gear as well.

Been working with The Genres Recording and Rehersal studio for a while now and I love the local…read morelaid back vibe of the studio specifically the rehersal space. The owner Aaron is easy to work with and as an Artist that is so important. I highly recommend this place for any rehersal needs, they have equipment also already there for use so that's a plus to be able to jam out without having to take all my stuff. Parking is sometimes tricky depending on the time of day but its FREE and you can't beat that! Overall love the creativity here and the openess for Artist to perfect their craft.

You talk about a VIBE. This place not only has all the gear you'd ever need as a working artist,…read morebut the owner Aaron really knows how to pull the best out of you... like a real producer should. He's clearly proficient in Protools, mixing, and audio engineering, plus has a great ear for capturing the best sound and takes. But I think his secret sauce is he makes the whole process FUN. You can't help but have a smile on your face when working with Aaron, which really helps bring you back to why we all do this in the first place: because it brings us joy. And this place oozes of it.

Great spot to practice if you can find a shared studio. Thankfully I managed to connect with folks…read morewho share a studio with multiple bands. Dedicated parking lot fills up quickly on weeknights. No water fountain and not really any restaurants nearby, so bring drinks and food or rely on their vending machines. Bathrooms are reasonably clean. Definitely recommend!

A friend of a friend recommended Secret Studios to me. I will never be able to thank them enough…read morefor the recommendation. Secret Studios is convenient. We got a well outfitted comfortable studio at a much better price than I thought possible. 10/10 recommend.

As a local musician, I've seen my share of sketchy rehearsal studios. I've stepped over piles of…read morehypodermic needles and puddles of filth loading in, and shared rooms with seedy characters. I've practiced in rooms smaller than my girlfriend's closet with so much noise coming through the wall that I needed to turn my amp up to 8. It's a dog eat dog world out there! Enter Gulch Alley Studio. It's a single room recording space and rehearsal studio in the alley behind McTeague's on central Polk Street and a true breath of fresh air in the complicated world of practice spaces. It is adequately sized, nicely appointed with a Mackie PA, a drum kit, and a vocal booth. It is dead quiet and setup for recording. Jesse, the owner, built the space himself and offers hourly rentals. He has a degree in music production and can help engineer your recordings. He also is keen on making Gulch Alley a community and has something like open studio nights where people can hang out and perform with their contemporaries. A local art collective hangs their work on the walls, reinforcing the idea of community. I love this place and am so glad I found it.

Cozy place to jam, Gulch Alley guys made great efforts to transform this place into an amazing…read moreplace to rock out! It's a blast to play with prime equipment, in a good sounding room, hearing everyone without your ears bleeding! Once we've had a jam session with 8 musicians in the room, it handled very comfortably. Also you can record your rehearsals or make nice live sessions here! But I think the biggest bonus of the place is that the owners are trying to create a cool music scene in the city and take care of everyone who rehearse in their studio, invite and include you in their events!

Really cool studio - fully equipped with tons of crazy gear - awesome outboard, every instrument…read moreyou could ever need. So many different mics - a lot of vintage ones too. Laid down vocals and 12-string guitar for a folky track. Danny B. the engineer I worked with was incredible - really flexible and meticulous with understanding my vision and making it happen. Did a three-mic setup for the guitar - and it sounds INCREDIBLE. Highly recommend for recording anything from simple folky acoustic all the way up to full band and everywhere in between. This place is straight up legit and captured my music in a way I'm not sure other studios could have. Again highly recommend working with Danny if you can. Prices are also pretty reasonable - will def be recording more here when I get the chance.

This review is specifically for Chris Paxton. I've had a great experience working with Chris in…read moremixing/mastering one of my latest house tracks. He's a fun and professional to collaborate with, and I'm beyond happy with how my song sounds as a finished product. I've been producing on Ableton for a few years, and I was specifically looking to work with someone in studio to learn and improve my mixes in general. I spent a few hours with Chris in his Oakland studio and learned so much during that time. It was one of the most informative sessions I've had since I started making music! Chris shared numerous different techniques and workflow tips with me while making suggestions and helping refine my track. It's clear that he's an expert in Ableton, but is also generous in sharing his knowledge. After our in-person session, we collaborated for another week or so via phone/e-mail through the mastering process. Throughout this process, he was thorough, patient, and gave invaluable feedback and recommendations - all while communicating effectively. Something I really appreciate about working with Chris is that he makes suggestions and gives honest feedback, but also makes sure that he respects the original vision for what the track should sound like. He makes suggestions but never pushes or makes it feel like you're straying or altering your original track. I look forward to working with Chris again! Highly recommend Mothership Studio.

I have tracked and mixed at Working Title, both with great results, and at a good price…read more The studio is small and dainty on the outside, but it keeps opening up into new spaces. The variety of rooms can accommodate a large ensemble or small band. Lots of good equipment to play around with. Forrest is great to work with. Fun, energetic, and positive. Whether tracking or mixing, he's always made us sound our best!

Working Title Recording Studios is amazing. They have every setup you could want and the owner…read moreForrest Lawrence is great to work with. I have been recording with Forrest for years and he is very reliable and professional. He has recorded and mixed many songs for me, both solo and with bands. He also filmed and edited a video for my law firm a few years back. His prices are competitive and the quality of his work is fantastic. I highly recommend him and his studio.

Reached out to the studio, the manager, Jack answered and walked me through the process. We…read morescheduled for further on that month. I got the sound engineers information to reach out and forward him the project. Overall, very, very pleased with. The final result, Eric went out of his way to make sure I am happy and he is a perfectionist.

My band, Festizio, is currently finishing its first studio album in historic Hyde Street Studio C…read morewith engineer, Jaimeson Durr. While the long studio days were excruciatingly tough, it's been a fantastic experience. Also, recording on a grand piano in Studio A, where artists like PJ Harvey, Prince, Green Day, Tupac, Shaq (I don't know...) and more have recorded, was a momentous occasion in and of itself. Most importantly, the atmosphere is friendly and professional, and the crackwhores outside pretty much keep to themselves. Highlights - Getting asked by a hobo if I had a girlfriend. - Realizing the hobo was actually asking all of us. - Being upset and not speaking to hobo for days until hobo learned to appreciate my company. - A culinary tour of TL eateries during lunch breaks. - Seeing shit in a crate and pondering what it really meant to me spiritually. - Successfully backing out of the thin driveway without scratching my car (yes, I have a car... how many times are you going to act surprised?). - Accepting hobo forgiveness over a select sampling of crack rocks and diet cola. - Recording an album. http://www.festizio.net