Band and live recording

Who live sessions suit

Live recording fits bands that already play tight and care about groove more than perfectly isolated tracks — indie rock, post-punk, jazz combos, soul/funk groups, power trios with keys, and anything where one take carries the emotion. Solo artists who hire a rhythm section for the day can use the room the same way.

It is less ideal when every part will need heavy time alignment or tuning without raw isolation; that often calls for more booth work or a hybrid plan. Unsure? Call 020 244 8916 or use contact with your set list and we will suggest an approach.

Minimum age to book on your own is 16. Younger musicians are welcome with written consent and a parent or guardian present, as set out in our terms and conditions.

Live room and signal flow

The studio has 3 rooms: the live room, control room and 2 iso booths for overdubs. Drums, bass amp and guitars run at the same time; we mic the kit with a standard layout (kick, snare, overheads, room) and adjust for your genre. Guitars and bass go DI plus cabinet where it helps, so mixing later stays flexible.

The engineer routes everything to the DAW with clear track names. You hear yourself on headphones; we have enough pairs for the band. Want the singer in a booth while the rest stays live? We can plan that in the same booking if we reserve booth time upfront.

What a typical day looks like

A full day (€980, eight hours including setup) usually starts with load-in and a run-through of the track list. First hour: drums up, soundcheck, levels checked in the control room with Lars or another recording engineer on the team. Then we work song by song with short breaks so ears stay fresh.

Shorter jobs use €145 per hour — one single, a demo, or drums only while you add guitar at home. Extra time beyond the quote is billed by agreement, per started half hour, as in article 4. Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday 11:00–22:00, Saturday 12:00–18:00. Closed on Monday. Sessions by appointment..

What to prepare

• Track list with BPM and key per song, plus who plays which solo.
• Reference tracks for tone and dynamics — direction for the engineer, not a copy.
• Strings, sticks, picks, tuners; amps and pedalboards you trust and have checked recently.
• Spare strings or drum heads if you plan to change them before the session.
• Lyrics and structure (intro, bridge, outro) so punch-ins stay fast.

Planning vocal overdubs? See our vocal session checklist for rest, hydration and printed lyrics. For post-session mixing, mix turnaround planning helps set realistic deadlines.

Delivery and file formats

By default we deliver a folder of multitrack WAV files, 24-bit / 48 kHz, aligned to a common start point. Track names follow the instrument (e.g. drums_OH_L, guitar_R_121). On request we also export a rough stereo mix for quick feedback — not a substitute for a proper mix.

Downloads go via a secure link to [email protected] or an address you provide. Keep your own copies: sessions stay on our backup for 24 months, then we delete them per archive policy. Final mix/master work follows separate terms, including up to 2 revision rounds where applicable.

Pricing, VAT and booking

Ex-VAT for business invoices: hour €119.83, day €809.92. Booking requires a 40% deposit; free reschedule or cancel up to 7 days before the session. See services for the full rate card and terms for payment and cancellation.

Mixing from €195 per song and mastering from €89 are not included in band rates. Ask for a package quote if you want recording and mix combined.

What is not included

Musicians you hire externally, transport for backline, new drum heads, hiring amps outside our rack, extended repair/tuning time during the session, and long editing sessions beyond basic punch support — we quote those separately. Photography, video and streaming are also outside standard band recording.

If you expect more than eight hours, book two shorter days or a day plus extra hours; accommodation is on you. Address and access: Overtoom 289, 1054 SG Amsterdam — The studio is on Overtoom in Oud-West. Tram 1 stops at Overtoom (Overtoom / Vondelpark); from there it is about a six-minute walk. You can park bicycles at the entrance; cars use paid street parking or Q-Park Byzantium on Vondelstraat, roughly a ten-minute walk..

After the session: mix and master

Raw multitracks are a starting point, not a finished release. Most bands mix with our engineers or take stems to another mixer. We label tracks cleanly so mixing goes smoothly; read mix turnaround for busy periods.

Want one coordinator? Studio director Charlotte de Vries can line up recording and mix. Mastering usually happens on the stereo mix: mastering from €320 for an EP in one session. More answers live in FAQ or email [email protected].

Included

• Recording engineer during booked hours
• Microphones, DIs and basic patch for drums and amps
• Monitor mix and headphones for the band
• Soundcheck and level balance in control room
• Multitrack WAV export as agreed
• Session backup for 24 months
• Short punch-in support within the same take