Downtown Kent offers much more than bars and clubs for students with an interest in music. Moondog Recording Studio has made its home in what was once an apartment building on historic Water Street.

Moondog offers musicians a recording facility with special deals available to students.

“Anybody with a Kent ID gets 10 percent off their hourly rate at the studio,” engineer and manager Nate Busch said.

Moondog may be a familiar name to students involved in the campus music scene.

“For the past four years, we’ve hosted Battle of the Bands at the Rathskeller,” Busch said.

Owner Dave Sacchini opened Moondog after his participation in bands and experience at recording studios sparked his interest in the recording business.

“I had gone to other studios, and I wasn’t impressed,” Sacchini said. “I wanted to open a studio for artists who prefer not to let the recording process get in the way of the product.”

Engineers at Moondog consider the end result of the recording to be a priority.

“When people call and want to do a recording, it’s important to understand their goals,” Sacchini said. “The ability to hear the product before it’s recorded and share a vision and goals with the artist is very important.”

Moondog not only follows this philosophy, but also has a musician-friendly environment for recording.

“When I was looking for a recording studio, I looked at about six other studios and then decided on Moondog,” said Ryan Humbert, singer/songwriter and client. “Some studios can be kind of sterile, but I just felt comfortable – there is a welcoming atmosphere there.”

Clients find it easy to work in the laid-back environment.

“They have separate rooms for recording each instrument, and each room is isolated,” said Mike Beder, owner of the GD Water Street Tavern, former member of the band G n’ R and client of Moondog Recording Studio. “There is an amazing mixing board in the center room.”

Moondog also offers advanced technology for recording.

“There’s a lot of choices as far as outboard gear – units that affect the recorded song,” said Benjamin Payne, client and singer/songwriter from Canton. “They have a very nice system to work on, a very nice microphone selection and a DW studio drum kit that I was able to get a great sound out of.”

Appointments are scheduled in advance.

Hourly rates are charged and usually range from $20 to $70 depending on the project.

“I think it’s very affordable for the gear, selection and staff available,” Payne said.

Beder, who recorded at a well-known recording studio Power Station in New York, agrees.

“It’s of the same quality as Power Station,” Beder said. “It’s a great local place with national-level quality.”

Contact off-campus entertainment reporter Marissa Mikolak at [email protected].