Prepare for a vocal session

Why preparation pays off

In our 2 iso booths you hear yourself clearly; small lyric or timing doubts show up on the meter immediately. Knowing the words and knowing the backing track keeps studio time for performance instead of repair. That saves money — vocal sessions start at €89 per hour incl. 21% VAT — and spares your voice.

Engineers such as Lars Bakker like to know genre, dynamics and references up front. Send that with your contact request so the right mic from our locker is ready before Mon–Fri 10–22, Sat 10–18 on session day.

One week ahead

Avoid a long gig or shouting match right before recording. If you use your voice daily, split rehearsals into short blocks. Lock the lyrics: rewriting in the booth burns takes and focus. Print lyrics or load them on a charged tablet; mark breaths, tricky vowels and spots where you deliberately sing softer or louder.

Listen to backing tracks in lossless WAV or AIFF on a system you trust. Note BPM, key and structure. If you have a home demo vocal, share it — not to replace the session, but as a mood reference for us.

The day before

Sleep and hydration are the cheapest studio gear. A short night shows in pitch, breath and patience. Go easy on alcohol; heavy spice can leave some voices sluggish the next morning. Pack water, throat lozenges without menthol if you use them, headphones you know, and a layer — the booth stays cool for consistent takes.

Check travel. Tram 1 and 7: get off at Overtoom (towards the city centre), then walk about six minutes via Helmersstraat. Metro 51 or 53: De Vlugtlaan stop, then tram 1 towards Leidseplein. On-street bicycle parking; load gear through the rear roll-up entrance by appointment. Arrive ten minutes early rather than rushing in. Free cancellation is possible up to 7 days before the slot; see terms and conditions for the 30% deposit.

Session day

Drink water through the day, not only right before recording. Many singers skip dairy and heavy meals two to three hours ahead; light food with slow carbs works well. Moderate coffee is fine for most voices; a huge espresso right before the booth can add tremor.

Arrive warm: shoulders, jaw, neck. In Amsterdam you may cycle in cold air — give yourself a few minutes indoors before the booth.

Warm-up without strain

Start outside the booth or during setup: lip trills, gentle sirens, humming in your range. Move upward toward the highest note in the song, not the reverse. For rap and spoken word, drill articulation slowly, then raise tempo. Ten to fifteen minutes is enough; coughing or screaming “to open up” is not part of a production session.

If symptoms last more than a week, postpone and see a clinician. This guide does not replace medical advice. We stop when it hurts and reschedule via contact.

In the booth: technique and teamwork

Keep a steady distance to the pop filter — about a hand’s width — and lean back slightly on loud passages. Ask for headphone mix changes: too loud makes you sing quietly, too quiet makes you push. Many vocalists leave one ear out to hear themselves in the room; tell us so we avoid bleed into the condenser.

Take breaks before fatigue. We flag takes as we go so you can focus on lyrics. Afterward we agree what goes to mixing; if you export tracks yourself, read stems and formats first.

What we set up for you

Before you arrive we load backing tracks, set tempo and markers and test a mic choice matched to your brief. We have 24 mics on hand; scream vocals and whisper-quiet lines need different tools. The booth is ventilated and separate from our live floor so band noise does not spill into your session.

A half-day vocal block (four hours) is €329 incl. VAT — useful for multiple songs or stacked harmonies. We archive files for 24 months; keep your own copy on SSD or cloud.

Checklist and next steps

Book via contact or 020 244 8619. More questions? See FAQ or privacy policy when sharing files.