I just can't see the economics in it for the $30 a track guy... but as long as you're happy, go for it.
it just depends on his financial situation and how much work there is for studios there and how many studios compoete for that work.
As a musician, I'm as good as it gets and my minimum is $150 a gig. But, if I have an open night and someone can only pay me $75, I'll do it rather than sit around with my thumb up my butt.
My philosophy is ... "
Any money is more than no money" ....... I have a mortgage to pay and, as a musician, I don't make enough so I'll do whatever whenever to make money.
His situation could be the same.
5 tracks at $30 a pop is $150 .... that'll pay a bill or two or buy some food.
And if he really is good, he could very well knock all 5 mixes out in an evening.
He wouldn't do any serious creativity, of course ..... just a quick mix. But if he's good, you'd be surprised how quickly he might do them.
In the 80's, a friend and I would do songs for writers including playing all the instruments and converting their vague instructions into a musically acceptable structure for $75 a song.
We could do 2 or 3 a night .... that's tracking and mixing and everything ..... and the results were fairly decent. Certainly good enough for the amateurs we did them for and WAY better than they could have done themselves.