Vocal recording

Who this session suits

The vocal booth is for solo artists, rappers, singer-songwriters and singers laying vocals over a backing track. Bands also use it after tracking in the live room — extra lead or a stacked chorus, for example. Spoken voice for music projects fits here; pure dialogue work is usually better as podcast and dialogue recording.

The studio has 3 rooms and 1 dedicated iso booth. About 26 microphones are available in-house so we can swap if your tone shifts between verse and hook. Minimum age to book on your own is 18; younger performers only by arrangement with written consent from a parent or guardian.

How the day runs

Arrive at Overtoom 301 in Oud-West at the agreed time. Trams 1 and 7 stop at Overtoom; from that stop it is about a 2-minute walk to number 301. From Amsterdam Centraal, tram 1 towards Osdorp takes roughly 15 minutes. By bike from Leidseplein it is about 6 minutes via Overtoom. We review the session folder together, align the beat start point and decide which sections to finish today. The engineer stays in the live room; you are in the booth with sight lines through the window so tempo and energy stay connected.

Between takes you can tweak the cue mix: more kick, less reverb on the guide, a little louder own voice in the headphones. We work in blocks of full passes, then move to punch-ins where needed. At the end you listen to a rough comp; final edits and export happen on site while time remains in your package.

Microphone and signal path

No single microphone suits every voice. We therefore compare two setups briefly at the start — often a condenser for detail and a dynamic for louder passages — and choose based on your voice and genre. Gain staging stays conservative: we would rather redo a take than clip something unrecoverable later.

Signal runs through our desk with 32 inputs. We record 24-bit / 48 kHz by default unless your project specifies another sample rate. Headphones are in the booth; bring your own in-ears if you prefer.

What to bring and prepare

Send as much as you can digitally before the session:

• Instrumental or stems as WAV, ideally without guide vocal
• Lyrics and a simple map (intro, verse, bridge)
• Tempo and key if you know them
• Two reference tracks whose vocal tone you like

On the day: water, and avoid heavy dairy right before recording if mucus affects you. Our guide vocal warm-up before recording lists simple routines at home. Credits and rights we discuss upfront; see rights after a vocal session.

Delivery, formats and archive

You receive vocal stems as WAV aligned from the start of the song, plus a short note on which takes were comped. On request we also deliver raw takes as separate files. Transfer is via secure download link or to your own SSD if you bring one.

We keep session files for 24 months, then delete unless you extend storage. Back up on your side. Mixing, mastering and heavy tuning are outside this service — book mixing or mastering separately via services.

Rates and what the price covers

All listed amounts are consumer prices including 21% VAT. Business clients receive an invoice with VAT breakdown; B2B payment term is 14 days from invoice date unless agreed otherwise.

Extra hours beyond your block are invoiced pro rata. Cancel free up to 7 days before the session; details in terms and conditions. Planning questions? Call 020 789 0416 or email [email protected].

Revisions, tuning and limits

Light comping and breath edits belong to session time. Extensive pitch correction, time-stretching or creative effects only if you book them explicitly and time is scheduled. Mix revisions are handled under mixing with up to 2 revision rounds on agreed deliveries.

Outside Vocal recording we do not provide full song production, lyric writing, music video shoots or chart promises. We deliver solid recordings; creative choices stay yours. General questions live on FAQ; file privacy is in privacy policy.

Team and opening hours

Vocal sessions are usually led by our recording engineers, including Mira Bos (vocals and live). Monday–Friday 09:30–18:30, Saturday by appointment. Closed on Sunday. Find us at Overtoom 301, 1054 GL Amsterdam. There are 2 parking spots at the entrance — tell us if you need a car slot so we can reserve when possible.

Book via contact with date, duration and whether instrumentals are ready. We send confirmation with a 30% deposit to lock the slot. Last-minute changes we try to accommodate, but the booth is in demand — early planning helps.