Tom Rice is a professional with a comfortable, excellent sound proofed studio. Tom made great recommendations to the producer that I was working with and has a great ear for picking issues in a take. Outstanding recommendations for all my takes and gave me some excellent recommendations for continued work beyond my time in his studio. Excellent experience! read more

Tom Rice is simply the best! He is a professional all the way with an excellent studio. He made outstanding recommendations for all my takes. Excellent experience! read more

I was referred to this studio by a professional engineer I've worked with in the past. However, the studio is now currently closed. The engineer took an excessive amount of time to snap the track to grid. He proceeded to spend more time setting up this Hip Hop song to his liking so that it would be easier for him to mix, I guess (I allowed him to due so thinking it would help his work flow). He was missing a plug-in on the vocals that completely changed the sound of the song. I offered to pay the $29 for the plugin, or to even try to connect my iLoc, but he stated he did not have access to the internet. I usually listen to all final mixes on standard iPhone headsets, but I forgot to bring them. We listened to the mix on his studio speakers, and it sounded OK. I paid and left. When I listened to a copy of the song in the car, it was pretty bad; the levels were off and the vocal tracks were horrible. When I listened on the iPhone headsets, technically, it was bad mix. You could hear pops, the vocals and chorus levels were off, and some instruments could not be heard. Also, I had professional concerns about him retaining a copy of the song on his computer after he issued a full refund due to my dissatisfaction with the mix. I advised him to make sure that he had removed all files from his computer that he accessed from my hard drive. In summary, I have never had a track given back to me that sound less professional than the mix I took in. He does know how to add vocal tricks. However, it was not enough to compensate the flaws in his final mix. I recommend that he asks for a copy of the PTX file before the session begins to ensure he has all plugins on the track. I also suggest that, in order to maintain the client's trust, that he never keeps a client's music on his computer after all business is done. I had to request that any files he downloaded be removed due to copyright infringement concerns; this should have been done when the session ended. The studio is very clean and roomy. read more

I have absolutely no idea what the other reviewer is on about but as a long time musician and recording artist none of what he/she says makes a lick of sense practically or figuratively. We've worked with Tom for years and he's simply one of the best in the business. Tom worked with us when we were pretty much young kids that had no idea what we were doing to now being a mainstay mentor in our music career and our lives. His ear for music and mixing is astounding and he takes the time with his clients to ensure that they get the sound and mix that they want out of their projects. I will never understand how people walk into studios and just think that because you're paying an engineer, it's supposed to be by the wave of a magic wand that right there in that block of time in that session, they're supposed to set you up for a Grammy. An engineer can only capture what the performer puts into the performance and enhance it to the best of their ability. It takes talent, persistence, and a lot of hard work to get things right, and Tom is the man for the job. The Audio Cafe is cozy, inviting, and perfect for real musicians, songwriters, and bands to work their craft and get things done. For the 10 years that we've been a band, the Audio Cafe has been a second home for us and Tom has been nothing but inviting, accommodating, reassuring, and the consummate professional. Every mastering engineer that we've utilized from Detroit to LA has been appreciative and highly complementary of Tom's mixes, tidying, and arranging of his finished tracks. He does everything it takes to get the tracks done to the artist's liking and is an astounding resource of information and an all around great guy. Whether you're a beginner or a long time veteran of this crazy crazy industry, I recommend The Audio Cafe to anybody serious about pursuing their passions in music and having a down right excellent recording studio experience. Also the internet works great and he's open for business. read more