Vocal recording

Who it is for

Many clients book one or two songs that are almost done: the beat is set, the arrangement is clear, only the vocal needs weight or consistency. Others reserve a half or full day to stack an EP with lead, doubles and ad-libs. Rappers often use the booth for several hook versions; singers for ballads where breath and dynamics matter.

Minimum age is 16; younger participants only by arrangement with parental consent. If your voice is tired after a cold or gigs, reschedule — forced takes rarely survive comping and burn studio hours. For hour planning see our session budget guide.

Booth, mics and control room

The studio has 3 rooms, including 2 vocal booths beside a live room of about 42 m². We can draw on roughly 26 microphones; for vocals we usually compare two condensers on your voice before committing. The booth is dry enough for a clean capture without feeling dead — you hear yourself naturally in the headphones.

The engineer works at a desk with 32 inputs available, so we can add a DI or talkback without stopping the session. Eva Bos and colleagues handle vocal and live tracking; see the team for availability. Address: Haarlemmerweg 178, 1051 CV Amsterdam (Westerpark).

How a session runs

We start with soundcheck: pop filter distance, gain staging and a cue mix where vocal, backing and click are clear. Then we track section by section — often chorus first, then verses, then doubles and ad-libs. Breaks are normal; we prefer scheduling them to pushing a tired voice.

Ask for feedback on timing, diction or pitch if you want it; if you prefer to self-direct, say so. For stacks we use explicit track names (e.g. lead, dub L, adlib 3) so a later mix engineer knows what is what. Hours: Monday–Friday 09:30–18:30, Saturday by appointment. Closed on Sunday..

What to bring

At minimum send your instrumental as WAV or AIFF, ideally without a guide vocal. Lyrics on paper or phone help; BPM and key save time. Reference tracks for vocal tone are welcome — they are a direction, not a mandate to clone a sound.

• Backing at session sample rate (48 kHz is our default)
• Project export if you already tracked something at home
• Your own IEMs or headphones if the connector fits
• Water and a rested voice — optional but practical

Questions beforehand? Email us or call 020 808 4193.

Delivery and formats

We deliver 24-bit WAV by default, synced from bar one to your backing. You get separate stems per role (lead, double, ad-lib) or consolidated comped tracks — whatever you agree at intake. We can include a rough mix for home listening; that is not a finished mix production, but it helps you check balance.

Files go by download link or your SSD. We store a project copy for 24 months, then delete unless you extend. Back up locally after delivery. Comping turnaround is usually same day on hourly bookings, otherwise a few business days if agreed upfront.

Rates and VAT

Consumer rates below include 21% VAT. Business clients may be invoiced ex VAT with 14-day terms where applicable. Free cancellation up to 7 days before the session; see terms and conditions for no-shows and moves.

Extra hours beyond your block bill at the hourly rate. Mix, mastering and heavy tuning sit outside this service — see other services.

Not included

Session price covers studio, engineer and basic vocal editing (comping, breath trims where needed). Not included by default: heavy pitch correction as an effect, full mix or mastering, producing the beat, and travel outside the studio. Reasonable comp revisions are part of the session; re-singing whole sections or rewriting structure costs extra hours.

Offline mix with 2 revision rounds after delivery uses mix-page rates, not the vocal hourly rate. If unsure, we quote a package via contact upfront.

Getting here

Tram 3 stops at Marnixstraat; from there it is about a 4-minute walk west along Haarlemmerweg to number 178. From Amsterdam Centraal it is roughly a 10-minute walk via Haarlemmerdijk and Haarlemmerweg. We are at Haarlemmerweg 178 in Westerpark. Parking nearby is limited; many clients come by tram or bike. Check in at the studio door; we do a short welcome and head to the booth.

Combining vocals with a band session? See live ensemble recording for drums and amps in the main room. General questions: FAQ; legal info: legal notice.

Included

• Recording engineer for booked time
• Mic choice after a short comparison
• Personal cue mix in headphones
• Comping of agreed takes
• WAV stems synced to backing
• Project archive for 24 months
• Iso booth and control room access