Recorded here for the first time in August 2010. I have a bass & drums duo that has been recording…read moresince 2002. Most of the time we record at a studio in Massachusetts, since that's where the drummer lives and I used to make it back east every year. But the past year or so haven't been able to go back, so when the drummer came out here, I decided to look for a local studio. Although I have lived in California for over four years now, I never thought to look for a studio here - I was really surprised how many there are! Yelp helped me sort through them, and Robot Envy looked like the one most suited to my needs. I was not disappointed! Sammy was great, he was open to what we wanted to do, which is basically improvise live in the studio. He got us set up with a minimum of hassle, and we were recording within an hour or so. It helped that he has a great sounding drumset, which my drummer loved. We recorded a lot of material which I have been sifting through - the stuff we recorded sounds great! Sometimes engineers can be intimidating (if not outright jerks), but I felt comfortable asking for what I wanted or making suggestions. In summary, comfortable atmosphere, good location, great sounds. Highly recommended!

great studio, I'll do all my recording there. Beginning our third album with Sammy.read more

Michael did an amazing job mastering my LP. The result is a cohesive sound that translates well…read moreacross different devices and sounds just as good on my studio monitors as it does on my laptop speakers - and he did this despite the differences in instrumentation and recording quality on each track. I highly recommend Coast Mastering!

Coast Mastering has not one but three powerhouse mastering engineers. I worked with Piper Payne…read moretwice - once on an indie rock song and again on a folk/acoustic song. She gave my rock song the smooth punch I was looking for, and was able to fix up flaws in the other. I will definitely be back at Coast to master my next mixes. The whole team is friendly and communicative, and the price is right. The vibe is professional but chill - and so cool in their new location right next to Fantasy! Thanks, Coast!

This recording studio is Hidden Gem on the East Bay! However, what sets this place apart from other…read morestudios is the Artist/ Owner (Michael)! He was completely professional, upbeat, and a master of sound! He totally took his time to understand my music project and asked me questions and made recommendations to help polish my initial first time recording of a specific song. Even, my vocal coach who flew in from Canada for my recording; agreed on Michael's work ethic and vast knowledge. She is a Juno Award winning artist and has recorded at some of the most well known studios in the world and mentioned that sometimes, ppl may have the the best technology, but they may not know what they are doing and produce crappy results. She mentioned I was in Great Hands and when it was time to complete my project that I should work with Michael! Trust me this was an amazing experience! Thanks Michael!

Fantastic set up. Michael is a pleasure to work with, and very thourough and passionate about his…read morework. Our band wanted some demo tapes and Michael had some great ideas and guidance, yet never tried to take over the band's vision for what we wanted. He mentors a nice lad named Phoenix whom, I suspect, will go far in recording. The Studio had all the we required, and communication and studio rates were quite favorable. A no brainer as far as any future projects we may have.

Lee is knowledgeable, professional, and hardworking. From the moment you step into the studio, he…read morewill have whatever you need already set up and ready to go. He is also flexible and willing to adapt on the fly. If you need someone to help you make what is in your head come out into the mic and sound even better than it did I your mind, Lee will be there to make it happen. He is ready to help you in every step of the recording process from recording every part of the track to mixing and mastering it and making sure you are completely happy. He goes above and beyond in taking in feedback and making each recording sound exactly they way you imagined it, and at times, better than you thought it could. Lee will be with you along the way making sure you feel confident in your experience and that you come away with a track you are excited about.

Lee is far and away the best engineer I've ever worked with. He's friendly and encouraging..and…read morewill really let a band just be themselves. If you want input or advice, he will give it..but he's not pushy or arrogant like engineers tend to sometimes be. When it comes to tones and a mix...Lee has the ear. From a simple alt country band to an off the rails noise rock band...Lee did us right. Highly recommended. GREAT guy that does great work.

I've done three significant recording projects now and Ben is definitely the best; so much so that…read moreI plan to re-record one old project with him sometime next year. The project Ben recorded and edited for me was an audio business book. However, the book was not a straight-forward read because it had three sections. One section was "book" content, one section was reading five interview transcripts and making that sound like the listener was there, one section was instructional content. Ben immediately got how the three had to be different and was a true partner in helping me handle all three. Ben also smoothly handled my errors and re-do's. What's more, he dealt with my noisy gut issue (an annoying Crohn's symptom) with grace and humor which helped calm the noise. He is professional and personable -- always there on time for our sessions even after being in the City recording for KFOG (how cool is that!?). The end result is an outstanding product. Last but not least to mention in this recommendation: Ben's fees are very reasonable. I never once worried about time. All in all, I recommend Ben Bernstein for recording and editing of your business projects and of course music. Also want to note that we used his studio in Emeryville, not the one shown on the website. The Emeryville studio is much larger and has all the pro bells and whistles. It's also very easy to get to. And if you happen to want to run by Ikea...you're right there :)

Ben was great to work with. The sound quality was excellent and the work was well done. Could…read morerecommend them more highly

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!

Ultra-talented, mega-meticulous, and incredibly reliable . . . a rare combo these days. Ask for…read moreChris ( aka Action Paxton ) and he will blow your mind with what he can do for your music . . . whatever your genre/sound flav is . . . whether it be a dialed mix, a thumpin' crystal ear clear master, or build you something from scratch with his talented team of prolific 'n proficient musicians and songwriters. And most of all . . . the warm good fun vibes with make it a pleasure for you to create within. -Rance Lane ( Jefe of The Dangaleros) ps. check out our song AZUL 65 for the quality of his craft.

I have worked with Nexus Audio for over a decade. Consistently good vibes and excellent sounding…read moremusic that still speaks. A solid team of engineers and highly skilled professionals who don't waste time.

I worked with gifted engineer James Ward at Live Oak Studio to record the Audible version of my…read morebook "Better Than Real Life." With James' help, I believe we created an Audible book to be proud of. This was my first experience doing such work, and James helped me feel right at home. I was also able to meet Priscilla, the owner, who was gracious and supportive. I give Live Oak and James my highest rating and hope you consider using them for your work.

This was the first audiobook that I recorded for a book coming out with Harper-Collins/Zondervan…read morePublishing and it was a really, really great experience. Thanks to Priscilla and to James the audio technician who was amazingly helpful, patient, and so kind coaching me as I went along. I couldn't recommend a studio higher for the way they communicated quickly and answered all the questions I had. I was in the studio for 3 whole days, and then back another few hours for some touch-ups the publisher wanted to do - and "How (Not) To Read The Bible: Making Sense of the Anti-Women, Anti-Science, Pro-Slavery, Pro-Violence and Other Crazy Sounding Parts of Scripture" is done and I am so thankful the publisher chose Live Oak Studio to have me record the audio. THANK YOU PRISCILLA AND JAMES!