The BASEment is a recording studio at 23 Alexis Blvd, North York, Toronto, ON M3H 2P2. Sessions run $50–$65/hr with an engineer included, one hour minimum, and the room is open from 12 PM to 2 AM every day except Wednesday.
If you are searching for a studio north of downtown, here is what that choice actually gets you — and the things worth checking before you book anywhere.
Does a downtown studio sound better?
No. Downtown space costs more because it is downtown. That is real estate, not audio quality.
What decides how a recording sounds is the acoustic treatment in the room, the signal chain, and the person at the desk. A postcode does none of that work. A well-treated room in North York and a well-treated room on King Street produce the same recording; the difference lands on your invoice and in your commute.
Where location does matter is practical:
- How long it takes you to get there, with gear, at the time your session starts.
- Whether you can get home afterwards if the session runs late.
- Whether the people you need — a feature, a session player, a co-writer — can reasonably get there too.
Those are the real questions. "Which neighbourhood sounds better" is not one.
The late hours are the actual advantage
This is the thing most people do not check until it is a problem.
A studio that closes at 8 PM is useless if you work days. You end up cramming a session into a two-hour window that was never long enough, watching the clock instead of the take, and leaving with something you will re-record.
The room here is open noon until 2 AM, six days a week — closed Wednesdays. A midnight session is normal rather than a favour. Online booking opens from 3 PM; if you need an earlier start, call or text and we will sort it out.
For a lot of artists that single fact is worth more than the neighbourhood, the gear list and the rate combined.
What is in the room
| Microphones | UAD Sphere DLX, Rode NTK tube condenser, Rode NT-1A, Shure SM7B, Shure SM58 |
| Front end | SSL 2+ or Audient EVO 16 |
| DAWs | Pro Tools, FL Studio, Ableton Live |
| Monitoring | KRK Rokit 7 and Kali LP-8, closed-back headphones for tracking |
| Instruments | Roland A-88 MKII 88-key weighted controller, Fender Stratocaster, Fender Jazz Bass |
Hip-hop, R&B, pop, rock, electronic, Latin, Afrobeats, country, jazz and classical crossover have all been tracked here. The engineer picks the microphone to suit your voice — ask for a specific one ahead of the session if you already know what works for you.
What happens on the day
- You book the hours you need. The calendar shows real availability, so an open slot means the room is genuinely free. One hour is the minimum.
- The room is set up before you arrive. Mic, stand, pop filter, headphones and interface patched and level-checked ahead of your slot. You are not paying studio time to watch someone plug in cables.
- You record, we engineer. Mic choice, gain, headphone mix, punch-ins and comping as you go. Send a beat, a reference or lyrics ahead of time and it is already loaded when you walk in.
- You leave with your files. Your takes are yours — take them with you, or leave them here and add mixing and mastering on top.
Booking, plainly
- $65/hr base, dropping to $60/hr at 4+ hours, $55/hr at 15+ and $50/hr at 30+.
- One hour minimum. Engineer included in every rate — there is no dry-hire tier here.
- 25% deposit holds your slot, minimum $30. The balance is due at the session.
- 10% off if you pay in full at least 24 hours ahead.
- Same-week slots are often open. The calendar is the truth — if it shows available, it is.
First time in a studio?
That is most of who books here, so it is worth saying directly: nobody is going to make you feel behind.
Bring water. Warm your voice up before you arrive rather than in the room. Have your lyrics finished and your key decided — preparation converts straight into finished songs, and an artist who walks in ready gets two to three times the output from the same hours as someone still writing in the booth.
Everything else is the engineer's job.
What else happens in this room
The same room, the same engineer and the same hourly rate cover:
- Music recording — vocals, guitar, bass, keys, live drums.
- Music production — if you need the track built as well as recorded.
- Mixing and mastering — including for material recorded somewhere else.
- Podcasts — a mic and headphones per person, every voice on its own track.
- Voice-over and ADR — commercial reads, narration, e-learning, and dialogue replaced against your own picture.
Pick a time that works and we will take it from there.
Frequently asked questions
Where is The BASEment recording studio? 23 Alexis Blvd, North York, Toronto, ON M3H 2P2. Email dvlce@thebasement416.com or book directly through the site's calendar, which shows genuine real-time availability.
What are your hours? Open 12 PM to 2 AM every day except Wednesday. Online booking opens from 3 PM — call or text if you need an earlier start, and it can usually be arranged.
Does a downtown recording studio sound better? No. Acoustic treatment, signal chain and the engineer decide how a recording sounds; location decides what it costs and how far you travel. Downtown rates reflect downtown real estate, not better audio.
How far ahead do I need to book? Often not far — the calendar shows what is genuinely open, including same-week slots. A 25% deposit holds the time, with a $30 minimum, and the balance is due at the session.
Is the engineer included in the rate? Yes. Engineering is part of the hourly rate, with no separate operator fee and no room-only tier. Microphones, headphones and pop filters are provided.
Can I record late at night? Yes. The room runs until 2 AM six days a week, so late sessions are standard here rather than a special arrangement.