It was a pure joy to work in this studio. Bryan and Ben could not have been kinder or more…read moreprofessional. I am sometimes given the impression that my expectations may be too high in terms of the kind of care one can expect to get in a studio - but this was the first time in my life where there was NOTHING I could say could have gone better....they were consummate professionals and absolutely ON IT with EVERYTHING, even the nit-picky musician stuff! They care SO much about the music they are making and they are real musicians themselves, not posers but highly educated and skilled. I was so particularly pleased that Ben's knowledge of music was so extensive, coming from his education at Berklee in Boston...he was SO helpful and was able to use language in talking with my drummer that clarified and nailed down concepts I was struggling to express. He also came up with some brilliant ideas to save me loads of time (and money!). I can't wait to mix my recording here when I finally get it finished! This was hands down the best studio I've ever worked in.

Great space, excellent owner. There's parking, it's easy to get to, good food nearby. Awesome gear,…read moregood vibes, clean studio. Come record your music here!

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

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!

Best studio in the world , always professional, great place to make your music come alive!!read more

Hands down the best, super talented and kind. My first time…read morein the studio felt like my 5th, Luigi made everything so easy and so comfortable to work with him. Highly recommend. This place is UNDERRATED and it needs to go UP! Much love to Lu!

Charlie is great. We have had him mix our last couple records and have been very happy. On the last…read moreproject, he even mastered for us and did quite a good job. Charlie's studio is comfortable and while he's certainly a guy who knows his gear (and has plenty of the good stuff), he's also an idea person, constantly walking the line between engineer and producer. The location is close to a few food spots (and Peet's!) which is nice for taking breaks. If you're in the Bay Area, you'll do yourself a favor to head on over to his place in Berkeley.

Sonic Zen Records is a recording studio…read more Just came from my first-ever mastering session with Charlie from Sonic Zen Records and I'm juiced! I went in with a mix I was satisfied with - just needed to bring volume closer to industry standards so my music wouldn't be drowned out by some wanker with supercompression - and came out with a bonafide masterpiece debut (if I do say so myself). Charlie was warm and professional from beginning to end. Listened patiently to what I thought I wanted, then made sure I was bringing what he needed to do his job. As I arrived, he offered me water then got to work. While he was working, Charlie talked with me about what he was doing to make sure he was moving in the right direction, but never asked questions I didn't have the knowledge to answer and kept moving towards completion; that is truly professional! We didn't talk about philosophy (his degree on the wall), but seems like he took his aesthetic cues from the music (not the musician). That's what I'm trying to do - let the music lead me. My project was small, but Charlie has the skill and capacity to record live albums (7 isolated performers at once), and in-house instruments too. Thank you, man, for treating my music with respect and making it sound great! p.s. to check the record see www.myspace/ncsmithbabysteps

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.

Hello! Happy Note Studio is a private, personal studio. We are always open, no matter what Yelp…read moresays. We record RAP, Rock, Jazz, Voice Overs, Audio Mastering, Video Editing, you name it. We master over 20 songs per week for CBS Network, nationally. Many Gold and Platinum RIAA Awarded records by Bon Jovi, Prince, Shaq O'Neal, Midnight Starr, New Edition and many others! With over 30+ years experience, and a wonderful team of engineers we recommend, we will do great work for you at a very good price. We use only the best equipment - Meyers Sound monitors, Studer Digital Console, zillions of plug-ins, big recording room for great drum sounds and such, tube microphones, and the best VIBE in the Bay Area - we guarantee it!

Working with David was a very enjoyable experience. He is focused, professional and relaxed. We…read moreaccomplished so much in a few days because he is fast and accurate with Pro-Tools. AND he has the sweetest Steinway grand piano with a buttery touch. I highly recommend his services. Bodhi Starwater, musician and producer.

I had a professional pianist record piano for a song of mine at Whip Records. David Landon did an…read moreexcellent job as recording engineer. The piano was in tune and in top condition. Recordings came out great. Rates were very reasonable. David was responsive to questions I emailed him after the session. Overall a very good experience.

Smars is a very experienced and knowledgeable engineer with a wide understanding of audio, music…read moreand engineering. Hes very welcoming and upbeat which is very refreshing. Smars makes sure to ask all the right questions and does his due diligence to ensure that you're project is taken care of. Thanks for the work you do. Keep cookin!!

From the owner: Suite 808 is a full service recording studio designed to inspire creativity and enable artists to…read morereach their full potential. We strive to deliver a comfortable space, with top of the line equipment, at reasonable rates, to ignite creativity and best execute your artistic endeavors. Using cutting edge analog and digital technology, our engineers will prepare your songs to compete on release. Our passionate engineers are waiting to elevate your recording and production process. Suite 808 is host to a large array of top of the line analog and digital equipment to meet the most demanding recording, editing, and mixing needs. Reach out today! We would love to help coordinate your next project. Experience the difference.