BEST RECORDING STUDIO

Samuel - Thanks. I don't know what I was thinkin' with "Britannica" The houseboat is Astoria. I typed it while at the library, so maybe I was thinking about encyclopedias.

I have to agree about Skywalker Ranch. I interviewed for a job there in the early '90s and the tour blew me away. I couldn't take the job because although the pay was good, I could not afford to live in or anywhere near San Rafael.

Several legendary places already mentioned. Here are a few more with pics.

Cream Studios London

Blackbird Studios Nashville

Bryan Adams' The Warehouse Studio

there is nothing like being in Abbey road. But Mark Knoplers studio called British grove is way up there. It is a joy to work there, and has some of the worlds finest electronics and mics from every era all in pristine condition.

The acoustics are great and the main monitoring (surround sound all custom ATCs built for the studio) is probably too good. The monitors are suspended from the ceiling in another room, outside of the floating room within a room control room. They are motorized so can be moved to suit your positioning with a joy stick...! It's the little things in life that make life worth living.

Bob Ludwig's studio? someone should tell him snare drums should have a crisp snap to their sound.DOH.

Forget the big boys, these little chaps who do an incredible
job with sound and recordings. None finer.

http://www.woodbinestreet.com/

I disagree with the premise of the original post. To a large extent a specific studio is irrelevant to getting a good sounding recording. Pretty much any reasonably equipped studio can produce a great sounding recording. Actually, you don't even need a studio -- great sounding records can be produced in people's living rooms -- Shelby Lynne comes to mind. The key to a great sounding recording is not the equipment or facility, but the people using the equipment. It's their technical skill and artistic vision that is the key determinants.