Mighty Toad Recording Studio

Drum set was far from tuned and was missing a rack tom. The kick was far from punchy-​so don’t expect to record modern rock or metal on this set. You go to a studio because of drum sound and vocal sound and this drum set is not one for a band that wants to take their sound to the next level. He used one microphone for drum overheads — and didn’t use 2 414’s which he had available. He has a bunch of microphones listed on his website but doesn’t even let you try the ones you want to use. He questioned who was producing our record when we were adjusting our amp tones. He was talking badly about our band members in his control room through our headphones. We came with reference CD’s, production sheets and tracking requirements which he totally disregarded. We did all the prep work, but this is his record, not the customer’s record. We treated him with respect, but the client is most important and we were not catered to at all.

Craig is a great engineer He’s got awesome gear but more importantly, he really knows how to use it. Mighty Toad has reasonable rates and the vibe is great. I highly recommend Mighty Toad if you are looking to book a studio session.

I don’t know where else in NYC you can find a room with this much great vintage gear and this much flexibility in such a reasonable price range. Real piano (upright), great Fender Rhodes, killer B-​3 and Leslie. Nice selection of tube guitar amps laying around, beautiful drum kit. Gear-​wise the highlight is the great vintage mic collection, the Neumann SM-​2 (stereo Neumann!), and great signal path including the right mic pre-​amps. It’s great to be able to track on 2-​inch tape, then do fixes on the Pro-​Tools HD rig and then dump it back on the 2-​inch. Best of both worlds. By far the most important asset, as is true in any studio, is the owner, Craig Dreyer. He is not only a great pro musician, but you can tell right away he is a serious student of the recording arts, and of his gear. He really knows his shit, and is great to work with. In the end, the music comes out sounding great, it is a chill environment to work in, and that is what it’s all about. Could be a smidge bigger, but then it would cost more! You can still track a live 4 – 5 piece band in there, no problem. I’ve worked on several projects there for other people, and that is where I am doing my next record.

Mighty Toad is a fantastic studio. Craig is wonderful to work with, is multi-​talented and helps with the many facets of making a record. It’s great to work with someone who not only knows the ins and outs of engineering, (old school and new school) but is also a sick musician and producer. I found the prices to be very reasonable, and you won’t be let down by the equipment, which could make any vintage audio gearhead go nuts. If you want someone who legitimately cares about your record and has a chill, relaxed creative environment that won’t put a hole in your wallet, hit this place up.