Vocal recording in our booth

Who books vocal time

Solo artists finishing a single, rappers planning a project, producers needing a topline, bands adding vocals after tracking drums and guitars, and writers who want a clean demo for a publisher — all fit a focused booth block. Artistic spoken performances on one voice belong here too.

Video narration and e-learning belong under voice-over and dubbing with different rates. Multi-guest talk shows belong under podcast recording. If you only need balance after tracking, the next step is mixing on your vocal exports.

Participants must be at least 16, or younger with written guardian consent and an adult present, as set out in our terms and conditions.

Microphones and gain

There is no single «best» mic — only a match for your voice and the song. We often start with a large-diaphragm condenser for air and detail, switch to a dynamic for loud rap or rock, or a ribbon if highs feel sharp. You hear comparisons in the control room and we explain the choice.

Gain staging runs through our preamps with headroom for later compression in the mix. We default to 24-bit, 48 kHz unless you specify your project rate. We avoid clipping on the way in; a quiet take can be raised later, a flattened one cannot.

A typical session flow

Arrive at Overtoom 141 at the agreed time. The studio is on Overtoom in Oud-West. Trams 1 and 12 serve the Overtoom (Vondelpark) stop; from there it is about a five-minute walk. You can lock your bike at the racks along Overtoom in front of the building. Within the first twenty minutes you should be in the booth with a working mix. Use the block for takes: run the song, isolate chorus or bridge, then doubles and ad-libs if time remains.

Breaks are part of the job. A tired voice produces takes you will not want to comp. The engineer can comment on pitch, timing or diction if you want an outside ear; say if you prefer to self-direct.

Hours: Monday–Friday 10:00–19:00, Saturday 11:00–17:00 (by appointment only). Closed on Sunday.. Evening slots outside those times are sometimes possible on request, not guaranteed.

What to bring

Instrumental as WAV without a guide vocal, or a stemmed session with clear track names. Lyrics on paper or phone, tempo and key if known, and one or two reference songs where only the vocal tone matters. Your own headphones are welcome.

We supply a music stand, water and adjustable light. Pop filters, shock mounts and standard cables are ready. Keep a backup on USB or cloud — studio wifi is for transfer, not your only copy.

See the prep guide for warm-ups, file formats and exports to finish at home.

Files, formats and retention

After the session you receive vocal WAVs aligned from the same song start, named like «Vox lead», «Vox dbl L», «Adlibs». We send a download link or copy to your drive at the desk. A full Pro Tools or Logic session is possible when we built one — mention it when booking.

We archive recordings for 12 months, then delete unless you extend storage. Keep your own copies. Processing of personal data is described in the privacy policy.

Mixing and mastering are separate: mixing per track or EP, mastering when you need release-ready files.

Rates and exclusions

Listed amounts are consumer prices including VAT. Business invoices may use 14-day terms where applicable. We usually ask for a 30 percent deposit; the balance is due on the session day or by invoice as agreed.

Not included: heavy tuning as an effect on every line, full music production, instrument arrangement, video or open-ended revision after export. We quote that work separately or point you to mixing.

Rescheduling

Illness, traffic or a late gig — tell us early via contact or email. Cancelling or moving more than 7 days ahead is free; closer to the date the deposit may be forfeited or moved once, per our terms and conditions.

If we have a technical outage we offer a new slot or refund the deposit. We do not sell «unlimited retakes» packages — we prefer an honest block of time with a clear goal.

People and next steps

Maarten van Dijk and the crew across 3 rooms know the booth daily. Vocal producer Sophie Jansen runs many sessions; mix engineer Lars de Boer can listen in if you want to discuss how vocals should sit — optional, not a full mix.

Take a rough bounce home to judge performances. Ready for balance? Send stems to mixing or book an attended hour at €88 in the suite. Combo questions live in the FAQ.

Book via contact form, 020 737 0842 or [email protected].

Included

• Engineer for the full booked time
• Microphone selection and basic vocal routing
• Personal headphone mix in the booth
• Flagging strong takes during recording
• WAV export of vocal tracks (same day when possible)
• Session archive for 12 months at Cijativojaconsulting
• Access to vocal booth and control room