We were originally booked acroos the road at NQ stuidos to host auditions - but no one showed up to…read moreopen the doors and let us in. We then stumbled across Hope studios who had multiple rooms for us to use. Prices and customer service were fantastic - would use these studios anytime.

Greenhouse rehearsal studios provide high quality rehearsal space for some of the biggest acts in…read morethe Manchester music scene. Acts such as Doves, Elbow and Ian Brown have all used the Greenhouse to hone their live act. Despite this, normal musicians like me can still get in and use this excellent rehearsal space for a bargain price. I've been in loads of rehearsal rooms all over the country, including many in London, and these are absolutely the BEST I've ever been in. Greenhouse run two rehearsal rooms, including the Ancoats-based G2 as well as their original Stockport studios. The rooms are clean, spacious and carpeted wall to wall. There are plug sockets everywhere, which is just the best and most sensible idea ever. The PA is loud and crackle free, and the sessions are long and priced at just £25. It's amazing value for money. There's no backline provided, which has always been fine for me. That means you'll be bringing your own mics, stands, drum kit and amps. If you'd like to hire backline for your rehearsal, then prices are listed on the Greenhouse website. Once you actually get playing, the size of the rooms mean that there's plenty of space for you to get your sound right and actually hear what everyone in the band is doing. I couldn't recommend G2 more highly.

I recently hired the guys at Recordings 2 Go to come and record my band at a concert I was playing…read moreat in Liverpool, and I must say they were very good. They came and set up during our sound check and made sure they didn't interfere with the house engineer whilst he was setting up the PA. Our gig was multitracked from the stage and then mixed later so sounded really clear and a lot better than just recording the PA mix. Arun also explained to me after that they could also set up their mobile recording rig at our practice room with all their acoustic controls and we could get the same quality as in a studio, so will be giving that a go in a few weeks when we've got the cash.

I find Forsyths music shop totally magical. It makes me feel like it's the 70s or something…read more Spread out over three expansive floors, this place is faded and full of character but well set out and full of helpful staff. Downstairs, there are shelves and shelves of sheet music for every kind of instrument you can imagine. It really is huge this place. If they don't have what you want, then one of the kind staff members will be able to see if they can get in what you need. On the first floor is where the grand pianos live. Again, there are absolutely loads of them, ranging from uprights to baby grand and full on grand pianos. When I went in there was a piano tuner over in the far corner doing his thing. It just added to the magic of the place for me. For any guitarists, upstairs on the second floor is the place to go. There are masses of acoustic guitars here, as well as a great range of electrics as well. Honestly, there is more of a selection than in Johnny Roadhouse and it competes with Music Ground as well. Like every floor of Forsyths, there are dedicated staff members on each floor ready to assist you. I really do like Forsyths. Its size is incredible and stock unrivalled in Manchester.

Know your Klangfarbenmelodie (twentieth century technique in which the notes of a melody are…read moredistributed among different instruments, giving a pointillistic texture) from your sarabande (stately Spanish Baroque dance type in triple meter, a standard movement of the Baroque suite). No neither do I but people who go into forsyth probably do. This big old music store is a giant of all things that make melodies. According to a musical friend you can track down whatever sheet music you may need...... ever in here; for a simpleton like me I just look around taking it all in, they've got lots of pretty pianos and shiny trumpets. So as far I'm concerned it's good.

Recording onto tape is becoming a lost art in today's increasingly digital world of music. However,…read moreRestrike studios are kicking it old school with their Otari tape machine. They've got Pro Tools as well though, so we recorded the drums, bass and guitars on the tape machine for that old-school feel before throwing it all on to the computer and finishing the tracks. My band came into Restrike for a long weekend of demo recording. Three days at Restrike costs a reasonable £350. We did three tracks over the weekend, which is quite a heavy workload and basically involves people nailing their parts in one or two takes and then moving onto the next thing. We weren't mixing or doing any production as we went along, so by the end of the second day we were worried about the overall quality of the recordings. However, the final day, spent mixing with the studio's owner Cormac, brought everything to life. For the money we spent and the amount of material recorded in a short space of time, we were very happy with the results. Restrike's live room is huge, which allowed everyone to set up their gear at the same time and we just switched quickly from instrument to instrument. There's a side room too with pool table, dart board, computer games and Cormac's geeky selection of Star Trek videos. Lots of fun for the inevitable hours spent doing nothing during recording.

I hold my hands up, my non-calloused, soft hands... I'm not a musician, yelpers. I've tried the…read moreguitar, bass, keyboard, flute, violin, and I can't practise. Musically, I have the attention span of a gnat. I know the fact that I tend to hang round with them is well documented, and I constantly protest that I'm not a groupie; they just happen to be in my social circle. But as a result of this I do happen to find myself escorted into musical instrument shops, and Professional Music Technology, being right down the road, is one that crops up quite regularly. PMT to musical purchase is what a chain restaurant is to eating. Real foodies love the creative, unique process that goes into cooking at a local independent restaurant, and die-hard musicians love beat-up second hand gear full of character, which is something you won't find here. Nor will you find... the food thing at the... you understand what I'm saying, yes. It does the job, and it's excellent for the mid-level or hobby player as they always have the necessary strings, leads and accessories in stock. In terms of Manchester, if you're after something one of a kind and looking to spend an absolute fortune, Johnny Roadhouse or Sounds Great would be your best bet. And while for new players it makes a great browse, this is the professional musician's Superdrug or Boots; it's the local supermarket metro, that quick stop-off to grab some essentials. And we all need those!

Well it is 10 years later from writing my original review and I am pleased to say little has…read morechanged - apart from the ridiculous amount of money I've spent in here now - probably nearing £15-20K compared to the £2K on my original review. Needless to say, any business which can retain a customer for so long in face of competition like Anderton's and their global media presence says a lot. On that media note, PMT also have a YouTube channel which is fun and engaging offering reviews as well as tours of stores and celebrity interviews etc. Manchester is still a great store and during covid I continued to use their click and collect service to show my support. I love it here.

They dont mind what you bring them here, they will have a go at mending it - and have successfully…read morefixed about 3 of my sons musical instruments when they developed a fault. Every time they were cheap and did a great service here. Very professional, polite staff who care about their work and take their time to fix whatever probelm you have. They also give advice on how you can maybe do it yourself should the problem ever crop up again!

Well, it's not every day you find yourself in a professional music studio, no siree. And my, was it…read moreamazing! I shall give you some context first, as although it would be awesome, I am not some kind of upcoming, next-big-thing music maestra (sigh), although my dad has been writing songs for a long time and has enough for a full album. So, seeing as I have music contacts, I arranged for him to record it in a proper studio. And boy, did I pick exactly the right place!! Marcus Alexander was our studio engineer for the day, and has been a friend of mine for quite some time, so he was how I found out about 80 Hertz. The studio is based in The Sharp Project, which has been built as sort of a counter point to Media City; an alternative space to use, if you will, and therefore has all the facilities necessary for almost any media work; there are studios in which they film T.V. for Channel 4 and Sky, media lawyers have offices there, there are web development, promotional and advertising companies... Basically, anything you may want in the world of media, you will find it here! Back to the studio though; upon arrival we were treated with a really friendly welcome and brew (always a winner), and were given the tour by John, who was helping Marcus, while my dad was able to set up and get his bearings around the studio. It was all of our first times in that environment as we were told to "Make [ourselves] at home" and were given free reign of the facilities such as the kitchen, canteen, vending machines, and were given an access pass allowing us into and out of the building for smoking purposes. We immediately felt comfortable, though obviously the initial hour or so we were trying to get used to the environment, but I highly recommend this studio for anyone who wishes to record an album or lay down a track in Manchester. I am aware there are alternatives, of which I am not yet versed, but I know that the way in which we were treated by everyone involved in the studio was lovely to each of us, and our first day of recording was hard work, but tonnes of fun! None of us can wait for day two of studio antics, and whether you are looking for an unusual gift for a budding musician, or something to further along your own musical ambition, 80 Hertz is a wonderful place in which to live and love the rock'n'roll experience!