for me i'd say blasting room - strictly just cuz i've heard records from there that i've liked and i feel they'd be closest to my personal backgroud. but where will YOU be most comfortable - and you will only know that by talking to all the places and listening to the stuff they've done - explain your situation and see how they react. they may all be awesome.
the person behind the board makes a bigger difference than the board itself. i'd try and meet up or at least talk with/email with your prospective dude/lady and see how comfortable you are with them.
i have no idea what your band is like, but i came up from the indie/punk backgroud, and working at a studio built up by legendary underground people - people who are "cut from the same cloth" so to speak, would (and do) make me and my band much more comfortable, and we'd make a better record. it's not really an indie snob thing - but i think familiarity and comfort and being on the same page are super important - the communication between you and the people helping you make your art or whatever is super important. i've worked at places and with other AEs where we didn't click, and it just wasnt as rewarding of an experience. nothing wrong with them - they just werent for me. as much of a studio genius as dr. dre or timbaland are, they wouldnt get the call to record my rock band. just like i dont think i'm probably the best guy for a rap group to call if they're looking to make a record. however that's also why i freelance!
re: drives. and media. check out george's forum and the ...inches from going albini thread. tim gilles makes some great points.
here's why i want my band's mulititrack masters (of which i still have almost every single studio session i've played on) - hopefully it doesnt sound as pompous as it looks rereading it as i'm trying to be genuine - it's my personal legacy and something that was terribly important to me at whatever time in my life. even if noone cares (and i've recorded a lot of shit that noone has heard or gives 2 shits about) but still i want the option of having that in the future - for remixing. for shits and giggles. for whatever. it's an investment in me and what i did at that point in my life. the mulitracks are a intergral part of the recording process. it's awesome to thread up old session reels and re-hear everything for the first time again. maybe i only care because i was pre-disposed to becoming a recording dork - but still, i've always believed what i was doing was important enough to be around 50 yrs from now, even if the general populace didnt think so at the time (or have the opportunity to think so). clearly a subjective aesthitic call, but nonetheless.
i've always been the guy talking the rest of the band into going into better studios and spending more time/money than they thought we could afford at the time, and they've always looked back in retrospect and thanked me for pushing them to raise thier bar - because to me it's totally different - and the higher money rooms/engineers just ultimately sound better, and that's very important to me. rhetorical question: are you guys just fucking around playing a game of grab-ass or are you gonna step it up and make it happen?! i mean that in a positive, motivating way!
one thing i've tried to abide by (maybe not adhered to the best!) is conduct yourself like a professional and you'll be treated like a professional.
you can also get a reel of 1 pass 2" for 85$ at tape tape and avoid this drice mess. you can totally do 4 songs on 1 reel at 15ips.
if you want a really good recording, take your time. put it off for 6 months and start saving so you can afford a real ME (there are tons on this board). do tons of preproduction. know your shit inside and out. play a bunch of shows in the meantime - you'll get tighter and each show you'll make some cash to go towards the session.
this has turned into a huge bloated rant, im sorry - i hope it helps shed some light - even if you totally disagree. good luck & let us know how it progresses!