Good questions (and a lot of them!)

The short answer is, and maybe I’ve just been listening to too much politics lately, it depends…

There have been SCORES of radio hits in the last few years that started out as Pro Tools / project studio productions. Most of them would have been finished in a big studio though, especially mastering.

A person doesn’t really know how great ANY daw software (PT included) will sound until you hear it recording an amazing talent through a $15,000 signal path. That being said, you can get within shouting distance of that kind of sound with MUCH cheaper gear, if your ears are on and you know what to listen for and how to use your gear. Finding a great small studio guru is golden for just that reason.

You are right to be cautious about throwing down big bucks for studio time–you might just be paying a lot to sit in an expensive chair while an intern screws up your tracks. Know the sound you want. Research the mics that will be right. Ask about preamps and processing before you go and ask for a sample of the work of the engineer that is going to be working your session. A pre-production consult could save you lots of time when the clock is ticking.

Good luck, and think about linking to your stuff from our pages when you git ‘er done!

DS
The Studio Files