Couldn't have been more pleased that Criteria welcomed me and my 100% disabled-veteran Dad for his…read more87th birthday - to record new versions of "Desperado," "You Raise Me Up," and "Bridge Over Troubled Water." Carlos is the most awesome studio engineer ever, and Trevor is truly the "host with the most." Y'all rock!!

PART 1: My Full Criteria Experience (May 20, 2022)…read more [PART 2 on attached photo] Staff mentioned: Trevor (manager), Robbie (assistant), Ramses (engineer), Dave (engineer) Arrival: My session starts at 6pm / I arrive 5:30... I always arrive early to my appointments as a good business practice, consideration to others, and to make up for any eventualities that might happen i.e: traffic, rain, delays etc. When I arrived I needed to use the restroom so I tried to walk in. Robbie (assistant) "reminded" me that I was early and that I couldn't go in yet; if I had to use the restroom I'd have to use another one. I was fine with that. After which I waited in my car in the parking lot to be called in. (I find it strange that we can't go in the studio area, or to even sit on the sofas in the lounge area as we wait. Especially since there were no other artists inside coming out from a previous session.) Trevor (manager) however later complained that I arrived early. Even if I was waiting in my car. It seems like there are many rules in this studio which we as clients and artists don't know about....yet are expected to somehow be aware of before coming in. That is the way I felt when I was talked down to by both Trevor and Robbie. In Studio: 6pm... I meet Ramses (engineer) and we start our session as normal. From the start: Voice volume was never in the right place. Either too high or too low. Had to always pause to adjust. which is normal, after a couple of tries. This, however, extended to multiple tries, and the volume would go wrong again at another point in the song. I went to talk to Ramses to see what was going on and he suggested he could keep adjusting the volumes manually as I sang through the song. Mind you, this is a 4 HOUR SESSION, where I will be recording and re-recording tracks, choruses, ad-libs countless times, going back and forth, repetitions, etc... I, of course, thought this would be an impractical, unrealistic solution for Ramses to be manually going up and down on the switchboard to adjust the volume at will. THIS NEEDS TO BE AUTOMATED. I was in disbelief that this was his solution. I suggested that this wasn't the best practice, to which Ramses assured me not to worry, that he'd figure something out. So I just went with it and trusted him to make it work. Then there was the playback/instrumentals issue.... It would sometimes jump volumes to maximum. At one point as I was singing, it jumped abruptly to maximum volume in my earphones causing a painful ringing sensation in my eardrums for a couple of minutes. I had to stop everything and just breath because that was when I decided that I no longer wanted to be there, I wanted it to end. I was very sad about everything that was happening and very frustrated that nothing seemed to be working. I was looking forward to this session and happy to record my song. At this point 20-25 mins in, I'm already stressed and no longer inspired or capable to go on with the recording session. A singer needs to be in good spirits to be able to perform. But yet again, I'm having to stop and wait for Ramses to find the problem and resolve playback issues. THEN, I find that there were effects on my voice which were not asked for or used in any of my previous sessions in the same studio with Dave (another engineer I had previously recorded with just two days before). The effects I could hear were: auto-tune (I never sing with auto-tune on as it's too distracting and distorts the voice), too much reverb, 'metallic' sounding effects on my voice, possibly more effects that I couldn't name or describe. I had to wait, again, for Ramses to find these templates or effects, to switch them off and to try again....each time still finding new effects to have to switch off. (The engineer (Ramses) had brought his own template that I was not made aware of, or that this could happen; nor that it would be a problem or cause delays to my studio time.) Quitting the session: Around 40 minutes in... All this happened till around the 40 minute mark of my session when I cordially suggested to Ramses that we stop the session. I explained to him that we were having too many issues as described above and that I was no longer capable of going on in these conditions, and that I would book some other time with Dave. We both agreed amicably and seemingly there were no issues between us. Robbie... I asked to speak to Robbie to explain everything that had happened. He seemed very dismissive and short with me and said I'd still have to pay for the time I was in studio for. I disagreed and said that I would talk to Trevor and try to explain it to him. Robbie said that was fine. So he leaves me in the room to go call Trevor outside in the parking lot next to the windows. I follow shortly after and can overhear him speaking to Trevor from inside the building.... (Continues on attached photo)

I have rehearsed in many places around Miami and North of Miami. This is by far the most organized,…read morecleanest and best equipped place I've found. Even the decor is cool and makes you feel like a professional. Very, very cool. I'm surprised they haven't had any reviews until now. But hopefully a lot of people agree with me.

I used to rehearse in this place before the new owner took over. The remodeling was impressive. The…read moreowner invested in great quality equipment and opened new rooms. The staff is very friendly, the price is good and the rooms are excellent. I definitely recommend this place.

Studio A overall vibe!…read more Professional all the way around 10/10 experience! Shoutout my Boy Marlan too!

On the month of February it was my first time visiting this studio. I had the pleasure to be…read morealongside two rappers and the producer James. This review will be dedicated to him! James was superb and committed to his time. He was open minded with ideas and additions we wanted to place within the tracks. James also pushes you as an artist and when something isn't right he will tell you. What astonished me the most was how adaptable he was and how quickly he can work.

Love the energy in this studio and Robert is such a talented producer. I've been recording here for…read moreover 10 years and wouldn't go anywhere else!

The first thing noticed about this Recording Studio is the name. Velvet Basement. It carries so…read moremuch more character than other studios I've been to. Once you step into the studio, it feels very welcoming. Almost as if the studio was introducing itself to you. A nice, clean, and spacious lobby, randomly enough with an old school arcade machine in the lobby (character!) Once you step into the actual studio, one can see what separates this studio from others: Top of the line microphones, a Grand Piano, great acoustics in the live room, a control room that sounds beautiful and calibrated, an SSL Console!!! Once the session began, the recording process flowed easily. The Engineer (Robert) works very quickly and communicates well with the client to get what they really want to hear come out those speakers. Session experience is key. And Robert has it down. One will not find a better deal for such a great studio as Velvet Basement. Studios with a professional analog console will easily charge you a nice chunk of money. But Velvet Basement ignores that, simultaneously providing the equipment with the know-how.

Best studio in Miami! They have great analog and digital gear for any type of recording you may…read moreneed. Multiple rooms to fit your budget. Also it's in a super convenient area right off of Biscayne Blvd and 151st.

My favorite studio to work out of in Miami. Great sounding rooms fully loaded with all the best…read moresoftware and plugins. Top of the line analog gear and monitors that sound super loud and clear. Also really helpful and knowledgeable staff. 10/10 definitely would recommend.

I first found out about the Bull recording studio from a friend of mine who had them perform/manage…read moremusic at his wedding. At the wedding I was was very impressed with them so I inquired into their services. This was a very large wedding which included over 800 attendees. My friend gave me the contact of Sammy Gonzalez one of the managers/owners of the Bull. I needed to arrange sound effects/music for a presentation to about 300 people I was giving in the Miami area. From the very beginning Sammy was always very upfront and professional about his services. The presentation ended up going very well, and several people who attended specifically commented on how well the sound effects/music went. The Bull recording studio and specifically Sammy Gonzalez were very creative throughout the whole process and I am very thankful to them. I would highly recommend their services for their creativity and insightfulness for any music venue/sound effect need.

Great studio to work with! Had a video shoot and was able to fit in 15 lights and a crew of 5. The…read morebooking with Sammy was seamless and Andrew was amazing facilitating things on set. Truly looking forward to work here again!

Mark is top notch, he mixed a song of mine and my niece song and when I tell you that they are Mark…read moreliterally understood the assignment, he read my mind on a lot of things! He knew what I wanted without me even telling him much! He is really the GOAT as I can't wait to record with him and have him mix so much more!! If you go anywhere else then you are SLEEP... get on beat and hit up insane sounds, you will not regret it. Very reasonable price and quick reply's.... I can't complain about NOTHING but I wish he was closer to where I live but I WILL TAKE THE DRIVE EVERY TIME IF I HAVE TO

The team at Insane Sounds has easily earned an A+! I took my daughter to the studio to record a few…read morepieces of music, and under the invaluable guidance of Marc, she created a set of magical songs that would make any listener smile. His talented ear did not miss an opportunity to enhance and perfect every single note, and the final result was better than anything we could have imagined. We also appreciated that Marc was mindful of our budget and was always ready with a suggestion to achieve the desired sound without breaking the bank. It was clear that his priority was delivering an optimal piece of music and a great client experience, and not making money at our expense. The studio was very clean and comfortable, not to mention extremely cool; even as seasoned musicians, we were dazzled by the state-of-the-art equipment and tools. The candy jar and phone chargers also came in handy. Marc was equal parts professional, helpful and fun, and we look forward to working with this Musical Maestro again!

Typically the studios I've visited from all over the US, they have the same non-nonchalant type…read moreattitude. They really just care about getting your money and getting you out but AV has been a completely different experience. Caring, knowledgeable and professional. They also have a full kitchen lol Every single room here BANGS!!! I love working here and been coming back here for +10 years.

Its my other home. And its no place like home! All the best…read moreproducers and artist come here probably for the same reason when im not there, they want to be at home here too creating.

Matt rocks! We traveled all the way from Cali to train with the "master". He is patient, straight…read moreforward and has been a huge help. Thanks Matt!

When I first decided to book a 2 hour session with Matt I was not sure what to expect, all my life…read moreI have been told I could not sing, regardless of this I always persisted because of my love for music and writing. In short three months I have found my voice reached close to a 4octave range , improved my timing and I'm currently working in recording a couple of demos. Keep on Rocking Vicktor H

This is a professional studio with good equipment and competent technicians. I used them for…read morerecording narration and they worked out well.