Music recording in Amsterdam

01Who these sessions are for

The live room was built for people who make music together. Typical bookings include a band tracking an EP, a jazz trio capturing a live set, a songwriter bringing a backing band, or a string quartet needing a demo for concert programmers. Solo artists who want to add guitar, piano or vocals to an existing production are welcome too.

• Bands and ensembles of up to 6 players in the room at once
• Solo artists building a song layer by layer
• Producers who need live drums or acoustic instruments for a track they finish at home

All performers need to be at least 16 years old. If a band member is younger, get in touch before booking so we can discuss it.

02The rooms and the setup

Comptelogicza has 3 rooms: the 42 m² live room, the 24 m² control room and a quiet 6 m² booth. For music sessions we often use the booth to isolate a vocalist or a guitar amp from the drums, while everyone still hears each other through headphones.

There are 22 microphones to choose from, from dynamic models for snare and guitar cabinets to condensers for overheads, acoustic guitar and voice. Every player gets a personal headphone mix. Bring your own instruments, amps and cymbals, and tell us in advance what else you need so we can talk through the options.

03Playing live or building in layers

Neither approach is right by default; what matters is which one suits your songs. A quick comparison:

Many bands go hybrid: drums, bass and rhythm guitar together, then vocals, leads and extra parts as overdubs.

04What to prepare

Studio time stretches furthest when the groundwork is done before you arrive. Ideally, send us:

• A song list with tempo (bpm) and key
• Demos or rehearsal recordings, phone recordings are fine
• The line-up per song: who plays what live, and what comes later as an overdub
• Two or three reference tracks whose sound you like
• Whether you will play to a click, and if so, rehearse with it beforehand

Fresh strings a few days ahead, tuned drum heads and spare cables save real time on the day. Our guide to preparing a recording session has a full checklist.

05How a recording day runs

On an 8-hour day, plan roughly one hour for setup and soundcheck. After that we work song by song: a few complete takes, a short listen in the control room, and a fix for a verse or transition where needed. We schedule breaks on purpose, because ears lose their edge after a few hours of close listening.

As a rough guide, a well-rehearsed band records three to five songs in a day, including basic overdubs. Heavy vocal arrangements or many solos bring that number down. Hourly bookings have a minimum of 2 hours, otherwise setup would eat too much of your time.

06What you take home, and in which format

Before you pack up, the engineer bounces each track to WAV. Our house standard is 24 bits and 48 kHz; if your producer works at another sample rate, tell us and we match it. Every file begins at bar zero of the song, so dragging the folder into Logic, Pro Tools, Ableton or Reaper puts everything in its place, and names follow a simple pattern of song, instrument and take.

• Individual tracks per microphone or instrument
• A quick balance of the session to help you choose between takes at home
• The engineer's complete project file if you ask for it

We share the folder through a link you can download from straight away. A copy stays on our storage for 6 months and is then removed, so store your own copy in at least one other place.

07What the recording rate does not cover

The hourly or day rate covers the rooms, microphones and engineer during the session. Mixing and mastering are separate services with their own workflow. You can book music mixing with us, including 2 revision rounds per song, and the final polish for streaming, vinyl or CD is handled under mastering. You are equally free to take your tracks to another studio.

Session musicians, instrument hire and extensive editing after the session are not included. If you want us to comp takes or tighten timing once you have left, we charge that time at the hourly rate and agree on it with you first.

08How pricing works

You pay €85 per hour or €595 for an 8-hour day, engineer and 21% VAT included. Business clients see the same amount net of VAT on their invoice: €70.25 per hour and €491.74 per day. We ask for a 30% deposit to secure the date.

You can cancel or move a session free of charge up to 3 days beforehand. Business invoices are payable within 14 days. The full rules are in our terms and conditions, and how we handle your details is set out in the privacy policy.