Why preparation pays off
In the booth you hear yourself clearly in the headphones, but tired folds do not fix themselves at the fader. Artists who know lyrics and backing tracks usually get more usable takes in the same hour than those still discovering the song. Hourly vocal time is €88; a four-hour block is €325. You feel that most when you are not stopping mid-session to rewrite lines.
Sessions are by appointment: Tuesday to Saturday 09:00–21:00, closed Monday and Sunday. Sessions by appointment only.. Avoid booking right after an all-night gig or shift. Trams 13 and 16 run along the Kinkerstraat; get off at Bilderdijkstraat and walk about five minutes to number 127. From Amsterdam Centraal it is roughly 25 minutes on tram 13 towards Geuzenveld. You can park bikes in front of the building; on-street car parking in Oud-West is paid.
Several days ahead
Cut down on shouting, long calls in noisy places and smoking. If you feel properly unwell, reschedule: cancellation is free up to 4 days before the slot; later, 50% of the session fee applies under our terms and conditions.
Lock the lyrics: print or export plain text. Mark breaths, awkward consonants and places you want to sing softer. Listen to the instrumental daily, including intro length and outro, so you are not guessing the downbeat in the room.
The night and morning before
Sleep beats any hack. Seven or eight hours helps pitch and stamina. Skip alcohol and heavy spicy meals late; reflux irritates the folds.
Pack your bag: lyrics, beat in a lossless format on a tested drive or link, your own headphones if you rely on them, water and throat lozenges without menthol if you use them. Save 020 737 2841 and the route to Kinkerstraat 127, 1053 EJ Amsterdam — bikes can park in front; trams 13 and 16 stop nearby.
Food, drink and medication
Drink water through the day, not only just before call time. Room temperature is easier than ice cold. Many singers skip dairy in the hours before; normal coffee is fine for most voices.
Eat lightly about two hours ahead: running empty shortens breath, a heavy meal presses on the diaphragm. Banana, nuts or soup are studio staples for good reason.
If you use inhalers or antihistamines, take them as prescribed and tell the engineer. This is general information, not medical advice; with pain or persistent hoarseness, see a clinician and move the date.
Warm up at home or in the lounge
Start with the body: shoulders, neck, jaw. Long s or f exhales steady airflow. Gentle lip trills or ng sirens wake the voice without pushing.
Move to vocalises in the song range. Do not open on the highest chorus; build gradually. For rap or spoken word, slow articulation drills, then speed. Ten to fifteen minutes is enough; longer warm-ups can tire you before take one.
In the booth with our engineer
The booth is about 8 m² with pop filter and basic monitoring. Balance your headphone mix: too loud makes you sing quietly, too quiet makes you push. Many artists leave one ear out to hear themselves in the room — say so and we adjust levels to keep bleed down.
Keep a steady distance to the mic, roughly a hand between mouth and filter, and lean back slightly on loud phrases. Ask for breaks; water and silence beat strained takes. We keep raw recordings for 9 months; see the privacy policy for details.
Time and budget
One song often fits in two to four hours when structure and lyrics are settled. Several titles or heavy comping may need a block: €325 for four hours or €595 for eight. Unsure? Email a short brief via [email protected]; we usually reply within 2 business days.
After tracking you can send material to Mixing (remote); see how to send stems for mix if you continue at home.
Checklist
- Lyrics final and backing known by heart.
- Rested, hydrated, no alcohol the night before.
- Light meal two hours before start.
- Warm-up done before the first take.
- Headphone mix and mic distance agreed with the engineer.
- Breaks before the voice feels spent.
Ready to book? Send a request with date and genre.
