I now have the best of both worlds.

Running protools on my mac laptop, with a good mic and an SE1 refexion filter (a 'studio' half the size of a wastepaper basket)! I can get very good results at home.

But I don't try to do it all myself - I still need fresh ears, and input from someone who does it for a living, who knows all the patches and tweaks and will tell me if I'm on the money or off beam.

Step one - do the guide tracks at home (do as many takes as you like to get the tempo and feel right).

Step two - take the tracks to the studio and replace with 'real' recordings.

Step three - take the real recodings home, and spend as long as you want editing and adding minor overdubs. (I did this step four times on the last album)

Step four - take the whole project back to the studio for mixing and mastering with full bells, whistles and independent lugholes.

Top quality at half the price