Miami, a city known for its vibrant music scene, boasts some of the best recording studios in the industry. Our city’s top studios offer a range of services including mixing, mastering, and post-production. With state-of-the-art equipment, experienced engineers, and a commitment to excellence, the best mixing studios in Miami have been founded by legendary mixing engineers with an extensive background in their craft and years of experience. This article will help you navigate the Top 5 Mixing Studios in Miami, ensuring you find the perfect studio for your project.
No.1 Bay Eight Recording Studios Miami: SSL Room
Bay Eight Recording Studios Miami, formerly Midnight Blue Studios, is Miami’s premier recording studio. We are celebrated for our professional atmosphere, superior quality equipment, and seasoned engineers. As a prominent player in the recording industry, Bay Eight’s staff includes platinum engineers and a highly advanced facility. Our award-winning studio has established itself as a go-to destination for artists seeking top-notch mixing and mastering services.
Gear and Acoustics: The Heart of the Room
Our world-class SSL Room was acoustically designed by legendary acoustician Ross Alexander. Equipped with custom Augsperger speakers, the bass response in the room is incredibly accurate. The room is able to ensure tight low-end and clear high-end frequencies, giving the most accurate mixing space in Miami. The next highlight of this room is the Barefoot MicroMan 27 near-field speakers. The speakers are known for their ability to reproduce an incredibly detailed sound with their strong aluminum housing. You can be sure they’ll push any frequency clearly.
The final biggest feature of the SSL Room is the SSL AWS 900 mixing console. With 24 channels, E and G style EQ, there is no task this monstrous board can’t handle. Additionally, the board has an SSL bus compressor used for gluing your tracks at the end of your mix. With these three features of the room, you are guaranteed to have the best mix.
The final highlight of the room is the diffusers and reflector panels that give the room its acoustic performance. In the back of the room, there is a hardwood flutter diffuser that allows the frequencies to reflect in a perfect balance. This helps give the engineer the most accurate listening experience. Furthermore, the SSL room has a custom-built cloud panel that adds more to the acoustic tuning of the room. By diffusing and absorbing, this system allows only the frequencies and sounds necessary to resonate. The space in the ceiling absorbs the unnecessary sound that may have reflected from the ceiling if the opening was not there. Additionally, the room’s recording booth is acoustically treated with diffusers and fabric, guaranteeing quality recording in the room. In conclusion, our the acoustic treatment, analog gear, and use of the U87 has helped us create the ultimate mixing suite.
SSL’s Legacy
Bay Eight Recording Studios Miami’s top mixes have come from this room. For example, one of Bay Eight’s best mixes went 6 times platinum on J Balvin’s Jose album. Platinum sound paired with platinum audio engineers is rare. However, at Bay Eight recording studios you can get both. Our owner of, Matthew DeFreitas, is an audio engineer with over 20 years of experience. Under the name “Formatt,” he became the king of Hip-Hop / Rap, and R&B street mixing. Over time, our team of award winning engineers has consistently grown.
No. 2 Criteria Studios
Criteria Studios has been around for the last 65 years and produced several legendary hits, starting with James Brown’s ‘I Got You (I Feel Good),’ and ‘Layla’ by Derrick & The Dominoes. Criteria Studios has enough room to fit a 72-piece orchestra. The legendary mixing studio is beloved by many big names in the industry including The Eagles, Eric Clapton and many more. The studio has great acoustic treatment specifically designed for mixing and live performance. Their Studio D recently installed an SSL Origin mixing console in 2022 to allow more mixing for more rooms. All of their rooms rely on analog gear like SSL 9000 J series, and Neve 8088, all paired with custom wall-mounted Augspergers. A renowned studio in Miami, Criteria Studios, offers state-of-the-art facilities and a long list of illustrious clients.
No. 3 Circle House Studios: Pharrell’s Favorite Mixing Studio
Founded in the mid-90s, Circle House Studios was opened by Ian Lewis, a member of the reggae band Inner Circle. The studio has been in business for almost 30 years. Still, it remains one of the best mixing studios in Miami. With a pool, outdoor patio, and other amenities, the recording facility is highly sought out by recording artists. This recording studio has an extensive history of producing chart-topping, commercial hits. This includes “Bad Boys” from the show Cops and “Happy” by Pharrell Williams. The studio’s gear is certainly a contributing factor to its success.
Genelec sub-woofers help produce the hits with clarity. The studio also shows images of Yamaha HS7s for reference. With the balance of these speakers, the studio is able to get the most out of their sound. Furthermore, this space is Pharrell and Miley Cyrus’ favorite mixing space. According to Charles Wakemen, head engineer of Circle House Studios 2012, Cyrus and Pharrell loved how they had an SSL hybrid analog and digital console. All in all, Circle House, a renowned music production studio in Miami, provides a unique and creative atmosphere that fosters collaboration and innovation in music production. Offering a range of services including recording, mixing, mastering, and post-production. Circle House has become a favorite among artists seeking a one-stop shop for their music production needs.
No. 4 Noisematch Recording Studios
Specializing in Latin music, Noisematch Studios was opened in 2011 by Alex J. Noise Match helped produce the hit song “Despacito” by Luis Fonsi. They’ve also worked with the iconic Reggaeton duo Chino & Nacho. The Head Engineer at Noisematch, Alex J, graduated from the University of Miami. Unquestionably, he’s developed the studio to become of the best mixing studios in the city. The studio features an SSL Duality console, Ocean Way HR2 speakers, Yamaha NS10s, and lastly an ATC SCM25. Their top-of-the line equipment enables Noisematch to create solid mixes out of their studios. Located in the trendy Wynwood neighborhood, Noise Match Studios offers a modern and versatile space equipped with the latest technology and a team of skilled professionals. The studio’s cutting-edge tools and equipment, combined with its commitment to excellence and passion for cultivating talent, make it a leading force in the music industry.
No. 5 Jimmy Douglass’ Mixing Studio: Magic Mixing Room
Jimmy Douglass is one of the pioneers of the recording industry. Having started in the 70s recording and producing rock bands, some of his most notable credits are the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin. Additionally, Jimmy Douglas mixed many of the best works of the 90s. Furthermore, having worked with Timbaland, Janet Jackson, Jay-Z, Nas, Sean Paul, and Alicia Keys, he knows what an excellent mix sounds like. Jimmy is a Grammy-winning engineer, and his studio provides exceptional services tailored to each artist’s unique needs in the SSL room. He built the Magic Mixing Room with one purpose, and that is to create platinum mixing. John Storyk and Jimmy Douglass built his custom studio with an SSL mixing console and Augsperger speakers to create a massive mixing suite.
Jimmy’s studio has a live room for great recording which builds the foundation for getting great mixes. Situated in Miami’s music district, Jimmy Douglass’ Mixing Studio is also known as the Magic Mixing Room. It offers unparalleled expertise and a personalized approach to mixing. Lastly, one of the studio’s standout offerings is The Workshop, a 7-day intensive workshop that allows artists to work closely with Jimmy and his team. This tailored approach ensures that every project receives the attention and expertise it deserves, resulting in the highest quality sound possible.
Conclusion
As more artists and producers flock to the area, Miami continues to solidify its reputation as a major cultural center for music production. Miami’s Top 5 Mixing Studios offer a diverse range of services and expertise. These studios can help artists achieve their creative vision and make a lasting impact on the global music scene. In conclusion, Bay Eight’s speakers, SSL console, and acoustic treatment make it one of the best mixing studios. If you mention this article to Bay Eight Recording Studios Miami, we’ll honor $10 off your session when you call to book! Finally, if you enjoyed this article, then you should also read our article on the Top 5 Recording Studios in Miami.
