8 awesome studios where you can record your album

You have a band, you have some songs. You’re ready to wax a record. Now: Where to go?

You won’t run out of recording studios in Metro Manila, that’s for sure. What can get confusing is deciding where is the best one. Don’t book it just because your favorite band records there. The trick is finding which recording studio is best for your band’s sound — hopefully, there’s one near you.

QUEZON CITY

POINT BEE STUDIOS
8 Madasalin St, Sikatuna Village, Quezon City; +63 917 8518661, pointbeemultimedia.com
Somewhere in Sikatuna village is this studio that does “anything audio related,” says Point Bee owner Aaron Gonzales. The studio, which opened in 2008, has done — and can do — a slew of things from band recording, jingle production, mixing and mastering and voice overs.
Artists who’ve recorded here: Up Dharma Down, The Youth, Siakol, Peryodiko, Itchyworms. 
Come here if you want… to sound organic. “We keep the band’s vision and preferences,” says Aaron. Sure you can go all-out hi-tech digital if that’s what you prefer, but if you like to sound like a band and not so much like a processed machine, you can do that too. 
Rates: PHP700/hour but ask about their song packages, too. “We can package songs at a lower rate and for an open time, on a per-song basis.”

12 STONE STUDIOS
Unit 9, #77 Scout de Guia, South Triangle, Quezon City; +63 2 5090832
12 Stone Studios is owned by Tommy Tanchanco — yes Tommy Tanchanco of Twisted Red Cross fame. This is the recording arm of his 12 Stone empire or sorts, which started with a label in 2005 and followed up with artist management. The studios, while it only opened late 2012, has become a favorite in the recording and television industries. 
Artists who’ve recorded here: Solenn Heussaff, Abra, Loonie, Sam Concepcion, Kichie Nadal, Rocksteddy. 
Come here if you want… to sound clean enough for a wide range and mainstream consumption. “We don’t want to name genres,” says Ruth Legaspi, the executive assistant of Tommy. “But usually, the artists who come here play pop, rock, alternative and R&B even.” 12 Stone prides itself in its location. “The place is isolated and there’s only one studio so it’s really private.” 
Rates: PHP1000/hour. You can borrow their drum kit for PHP500/hour. Bring your own instruments!

SOUND CREATION
Lot 5, Block 1 Fidji St, Villa Corrina Subvision, Tandang Sora, Quezon City; +63 2 4536438
Sound Creation earned its popularity among band people for the friendly and entrepreneurial Japanese owner: Shinji Tanaka. Shinji is so popular that (1) he’s now in a band with Raimund Marasigan no less (Gaijin) and (2) he also owns Crazy Katsu restaurant on Maginhawa Street with another band person, Bryan Kong of Taken by Cars.
Artists who’ve recorded here: Dong Abay, Bold Star, Cambio, Apo Hiking Society, Pedicab, Sandwich, Taken by Cars.
Come here if you want... good solid drum tracks. 
Rates: PHP1,000/hour

TOWER OF DOOM
4/F Armon Building, Anonas corner Kamias Roads, Quezon City; +63 2 7382140, towerofdoom.net
In local band scene parlance, Tower of Doom is almost synonymous to heavy music. Which isn’t really too far off as ToD head honcho, Eric Perlas — who is with a band called Cog, BTW — has always been into that sort of music. “The bands I had worked with at the start were all primarily rock and metal artists,” he says over Facebook messenger. But to say ToD is only about heavy or metal music is inaccurate — “I would always find myself working on other genres like reggae, R7B, pop, hip-hop, jazz and additionally I am finding myself associated more and more with pop and rock artists,” Eric says. 
Artists who’ve recorded here: Typecast, Franco, Sponge Cola, Gloc-9, Urbandub, Chico Sci, Kamikazee, and Queso. 
Come here if you want… to get in on the super hit Tower Sessions web show. More and more ToD is gaining traction for this initiative and more and more bands want in on the program! 
Rates: PHP1,200/hour for multitrack band recording projects. PHP800/hour for live band recording projects.
 

PASIG/MANDALUYONG

TRACKS
29 Gen Delgado St, San Antonio Village, Pasig; +63 2 6338710, +63 2 6333175 
Especially in the early 00s, Tracks was like the mecca for bands. If you had a band, your dream was to record here, with the great Angee Rozul as your sound engineer. But there’s another Pinoy Rock Icon at the helm of things at Tracks: The two-studio Tracks, which has been open since 1983 and is owned by none other than Mike Pedero, yes as in the other guy that built NU 107. So much heritage, we know! 
Artists who’ve recorded here: “Our studios have recorded from orchestral to solo numbers,” says Sir Mike over email. “From Freddie Aguilar, Eraserheads, Cynthia Alexander.” 
Come here if you want…big, warm and crispy drum sounds and great vocals. “Our rooms are designed for that purpose.”
RATES: From PHP1,200/hour.

SONIC STATE AUDIO
626 Guerrero St, Mandaluyong; +63 915 5422480
It is a garage turned into a studio, but their work is far from tunog lata. Call it a move of convenience; Jonathan Ong, who worked as a recording engineer in the States, hated Manila traffic. And so he decided to set-up a studio in his garage and practice what he had learned when he was still under the wing of Tony Motola — him of Maria Carey fame. The result is Sonic State and, as its Facebook page says, they hit it like shit.
Artists who’ve recorded here: Kamikazee, GLOC 9, Orange and Lemons. “GMA 7 and ABS CBN are also our clients,” informs Jinky Tuazon, who manages the bookings of the studio.
Come here if you want…an award-winning sound. They are proud of the fact that Sonic State has won a lot of categories from different award-giving bodies. “We’ve done jazz, rap, dance, rock, hip-hop, pretty much everything,” says Jinky.
Rates: PHP1,400 per hour, though you might want to call Jinky and ask for “indie rates.”

LOVE ONE ANOTHER
2/F FRDC Building, C5/Libis, Pasig; +63 928 5003040. loveoneanotherstudio.com
Love One Another started in 2003 as a raket of sorts among college kids. Eleven years later, they’ve recorded bands like Up Dharma Down, Earthmover, Cosmic Love, Halik Ni Gringo — apart from servicing clients like National Geographic, AXN Philippines, The Lifestyle Network, ABS-CBN/TFC, Outbreak Manila, and so it goes. But the cutest thing yet about Love One Another is its name: “I thought about it when I was in grade school, I think,” says Joey Santos, one of the owners of Love One Another. “I thought it would be an odd name for something I’d be potentially interested in. Eh, recording studio was what I wanted in the end.”
Artists who’ve recorded here: Other than the ones mentioned above, Taken By Cars, Ang Bandang Shirley, The Strangeness, Rusty Machines, to name some.
Come here if you want… to exercise a level of creativity hardly offered elsewhere. “Or at least that’s what these bands tell me,” says Joey. “We’re not the best studio around and we’re not the cheapest but folks who come over enjoy [it here] because of that.” 
Rates: PHP1,800 per hour. Or PHP8,000 per song.

ALABANG

THE YELLOW ROOM
Unit 7-J Westgate Tower Condominum, Investment Drive, Madrigal Business Park, Ayala Alabang; +63 915 5816444  
Mayonaise frontman Monty Macalino has always been curious about recording, dabbling in it since 2004 in his bedroom for his friends. After recording their third album at Tracks in 2007, the musician went a step ahead: Monty asked Angee if he could maybe apprentice for maybe a year. He did just that and in 2009, finally opened The Yellow Room, offering his recording services for the bigger public, not just his friends.
Artists who’ve recorded here: Mayonaise, of course. Soap Dish, Never the Strangers, Silent Sanctuary, Champ Lui-Pio.
Come here if you want…to figure out how you’d like to sound like on record, it’s good to come by. Monty himself will guide you in figuring out your sound.
Rates: PHP3,000/song.

This story first appeared on Coconuts Manila. 

MORE MUSIC STORIES FROM COCONUTS MANILA:
– 10 best spots for live music in Metro Manila
– 8 things you need to know about the 3 Headed Dog
– Interview: Malasimbo Music and Arts Festival’s Miro Grgic