The Space Speaks for Itself
Booking a studio sight unseen can feel like a leap of faith.
Especially when you’re trusting someone with your music and your money. We get it. That’s why we invite you to come check out the space before committing to anything.
If you’re curious whether Panama Sound is the right fit, just ask for an in-person “vibe check” during our phone call, text, video chat, or email conversation. No pressure, no sales pitch—just a chance to see the room, meet me, and feel whether this is a place where you can do your best work.
What You’ll Find
The house itself is clean, well cared for, and decorated somewhere between old Mexico and cottage style. Custom wicker furniture and hand-caned chairs sit alongside vintage lighting that casts a warm glow across old but bright hardwood floors. Houseplants breathe life into the corners. Nothing is extra. Nothing is out of place. The space is small, but the vibes are real.
We commonly light mineral incense from New Mexico—cedar or juniper smoke hangs gently in the air, grounding the atmosphere. A crystal in the window catches daylight and throws it across the room in scattered rainbows. It really is a pleasing place to be.
The Neighborhood: Why Location Matters
The space itself is only half the story. The other half is where that space exists.
Panama Sound sits in Richmond’s historic Annex neighborhood—a quiet, tree-lined area originally built to house shipyard workers during World War II. What was once emergency wartime housing has become a peaceful residential community with well-maintained homes and beautiful gardens.
More importantly for recording: it’s genuinely quiet here.
We’re far enough from BART trains, freeway traffic, and flight paths that you can actually capture intimate, detailed sound without fighting constant low-frequency rumble or overhead jets. That stillness is increasingly rare in the Bay Area, and it’s one of the reasons recordings made here have that natural, present quality.
Want to know more about the neighborhood’s history and what makes this location special for recording?
Read the full story →
Why the Vibe Check Matters
Great recordings don’t happen when you’re tense, rushed, or second-guessing your surroundings.
They happen when you feel safe, comfortable, and inspired. The vibe check lets you confirm that Panama Sound is that place for you—before money changes hands, before calendars are blocked, before any commitments are made.
You’ll get a sense of:
- The acoustics: Walk through the interconnected rooms where we track
- The room: See where the mix happens and where we’ll spend most of our time together
- The backyard garden: The space where you’ll decompress after your session
- The overall atmosphere: Whether this feels like a place you want to spend six hours creating
How It Works
During our initial conversation—whether by phone at (510) 965-3237, text, video call, or email at logan@panamasound.com—just mention you’d like to schedule a vibe check. We’ll find a mutually convenient time for you to stop by, walk through the space, ask questions, and see if it feels right.
There’s no obligation. If it’s not a fit, that’s completely fine. If it is, we’ll move forward with booking your session.
Trust Your Gut
At the end of the day, you have to trust your instincts. If you walk into a space and immediately feel like you could sit down, pick up an instrument, and make something great—that’s the signal.
Panama Sound isn’t for everyone. It’s intimate, personal, and deliberately unpretentious. But for artists who value comfort, authenticity, and a human connection in their recording process, it might be exactly what you’ve been looking for.
Come see for yourself.