The Saltmine Recording Studio Oasis

Just finished a 3-day session with Soulstice Band. Three things that came to mind: 1) The whole experience was amazing. The vibe is low key and comfortable. All employees, from interns learning the ropes all the way up to Don Salter himself, were kind and generous with their time and expertise. Don opened up the vaults of his vintage equipment: Hammond organ with original Leslie, vintage Wurlitzer suitcase, custom guitars, microphones and mixers. We really got the sound we wanted; 2) We worked with Damien, the lead engineer. He is the real deal. He was an integral part of the team, and really helped us think differently about performing versus recording. Also song structure, voicing and instrumentation were greatly improved with his input. His editing skill and speed are phenomenal. We recorded, overdubbed and got rough mixes of SIXTEEN songs in three days. In Damien, we got the role of a producer and engineer in the package of a new friend; 3) Everything Don Salter, the owner and Arizona music guru told us turned out to be true. This is rare in our experience, and we were wary about someone who is so upbeat and excited, laying out all the things you will do when there. But he steered us straight from the very beginning, and we greatly appreciate the fact that a businessman can be true, honest AND enthusiastic. The band is meeting soon to talk over the rough mixes and to plan our next visit to do mixing and mastering. You get more than you pay for at The Saltmine.

A while ago I talked with someone from this studio on the phone and had a great discussion as I explained my situation to them. They told me to send them my song and SoundCloud link that we discussed and then they ghosted me. After a week or two I sent a message basically asking “hey what’s up did you check out my music yet” and no response. I overlap all my own instruments, mixed, mastered, copyrighted, distributed to platforms, etc all on my own. But wanted to pay a professional to revise my work to create a radio quality version of what I had done. After our conversation I checked for a few weeks and could tell through the analytics page on both Apple Music & SoundCloud that they never even went and clicked my music to give it a listen. 0 clicks, 0 plays, 0 care as to what I even had to offer. And yes I verified over the phone that the number they gave me was correct. If you shoot a million arrows, you’re bound to hit a target eventually. This isn’t the first time this has happened to me but I want to make sure if I ever hit my target goal that I’m able to look back at some of these reviews that I have in my notes that I slowly plan to post and use them to motivate others like myself. Those who don’t have a team, a band, an industry look, a plugged in network. Those who still write from the soul to get through tough times. I may attempt in the future to reach out again and give this studio a chance to at least treat my money professional if I’m not able to personally sell them on myself, and in turn maybe my review will change. However as of now, this is my review of my personal experience with this studio.

Phenomenal! We booked a tour and even booked some studio time. The facility is beautiful and very private. They are up on all the industry standard equipment and software and are big on Egyptian motif. I was shocked and surprised at how many well known artists have worked on their music here. Definitely good vibes to make your next hit. Even accommodating to the family and they offer an overnight studio with full kitchen an bedroom. A must if your a musician in the area.

This is an establishment that's here to stay, and is a true class act. All your recording needs are here and this will become your base of operations if you're truly considering taking your sound to the next level. Don Salty (Owner) of the studio is a gentleman and will show you around. It's amazing to see the high profile list of clients and accomplishments this studio was able to pump out. Take notice to how it's supposed to be done.