BEST RECORDING STUDIO

Your band is stone broke and perhaps of dubious talent, so what do you do about recording your masterpiece CD? Visit The Barn, of course. Fifteen years ago owner and sound engineer Dewayne Hart was tired of paying the outrageous fees well-established studios can command, so he put together his own and opened it up to other on-a-budget musicians. (He asked that the address not be published because of theft problems in the area.) While it's hardly the fanciest place -- it really is in a barn -- word began to filter through the local music community about Hart's mellow personality and willingness to help others create the sound they were seeking without any snide, condescending commentary. In an area with dozens of fine studios, including several of the best in America, low prices and selfless dedication had to win out in this category.