Most people think that having great talent is all it takes to have a great recording. Well if you take Aretha Franklin and send her to a studio that had no clue on what they were doing, you would end up with a really bad sounding record. The best sounding recordings sound that way because the mix engineer gave it that sound. The mix engineer is the fourth level of the recording process and this is where your song can be made or broken. Never assume that the equipment is the reason for the sound. Remember, the most memorable and sustainable recordings to date were done on far less studio equipment than what we have today. It was the ear and expertise of the mix engineer working together with the producer that took a great recording and made it into a chart topping musical hit.
I have been to and have heard recordings that were done at studios with the latest and greatest equipment but the final results still sounded like it was recorded off an AM radio. So when choosing a studio for your next project, don’t get caught up with how much equipment they have. After all, no one is going to buy your music just because you recorded it at a fancy studio. Listen to projects that were completed at the studio you have an interest in and choose based on your budget and the results of how their projects sound.