Live room for bands
A sound-treated room where the band plays together — drum kit, amps and a monitor mix so everyone hears themselves without club-stage volume.
Overdubbing one instrument at a time suits solo work; bands run on interaction — cymbals breathing with the bass, a solo that pushes the drummer. Our 32 m² live room in Amsterdam is built for that: everyone in one space, separated enough to control bleed, open enough to keep energy.
You hire the room with core backline and an engineer recording multitrack to our 24 m² control room. Mixing and mastering are separate services; many bands track demos or EP material here and mix later. Book through contact — daytime hours follow Mon–Fri 9:30–18:30, Sat 12–17 on weekdays until 18:30, with the evening rate running 18:00–22:00.
Process
- 01
Plan
Send lineup, tempo list and gear you bring. We confirm it fits within 6 musicians and whether hourly, four-hour or evening pricing fits best.
- 02
Load-in
Street-level entrance at Elandsgracht 84 — roll amps and cases inside. The drum kit is ready; you tune snare and toms, we place mics.
- 03
Soundcheck
Monitor mix for vocals, guitars and drums; headphone feeds where needed. A short test recording locks levels before takes count.
- 04
Tracking and export
Per-song takes or live-to-multitrack; at wrap you leave with multitrack or stereo rough mix. Files stay on archive for 18 months.
Which bands fit
Indie rock, post-punk, jazz combos, funk bands and singer-songwriter groups with three to six players are the sweet spot. Heavy metal with double kick or very loud amps can work — discuss gain and iso screens ahead. Mostly-laptop electronic acts are better in the control room; the live room targets acoustic kits and amps.
No label required: Spotify demos, sync sessions and rehearsal-with-pro-mics bookings are fine. Minimum age 16; younger players need parental consent.
Gear in the room
Default setup: mic’d drum kit (kick, snare, toms, overheads), bass amp with DI plus cab sim if wanted, guitar amp and several DI boxes. Keys players bring instruments; we provide stereo DI. Vocals use booth-adjacent routing or live mic with iso screen depending on bleed taste.
Bring your snare, cymbals or pedalboard for signature tone. We check rental heads before the session; you replace broken sticks. SPL stays neighbour-aware in a canal-house building — see FAQ.
Monitors and playing
Each musician gets wedge or headphone mix: drums, bass, guitars and click when needed. Monitor balance is separate from recording mics so you do not play louder than necessary. Send click and tempo maps ahead as WAV or MIDI export.
We do not supply large touring in-ear rigs unless you bring your rack; up to four headphone sends are available. Finalise arrangements at rehearsal — studio time costs more than practice room time.
Recording approaches
Live takes: full band performance, comp later in mixing. Same-day overdubs: live bed then solo or vocal in booth. Guide beds: drums+bass first, then layers — useful for fragile vocals.
Finished release mixes are not included in the live room hourly rate; you get a rough balance for home review. Sending stems to an external mixer? Overlap with delivering stems for mixing.
Hourly, block or evening
€62 per hour suits short overdubs or soundcheck-only. Four-hour block €218 fits three or four songs with setup. Evening €328 (18:00–22:00) is popular for day-job bands — four contiguous hours, one price.
| Option | Price incl. 21% VAT |
|---|---|
| Per hour | €62 |
| 4-hour block | €218 |
| Evening 18:00–22:00 | €328 |
Engineer included; overtime billed pro rata under terms and conditions.
Prepare for the day
Tune guitars and swap strings the day before if needed. Send setlist with tempos and solo assignments. Allow 30 minutes load-in inside your block. Access: Trams 3, 13 and 17 stop at Haarlemmerplein; from there it is about a 4-minute walk via Haarlemmerdijk and Elandsgracht. From Amsterdam Central Station it is roughly a 12-minute walk via Haarlemmerdijk. The studio entrance is at street level beside the bicycle racks. — a trolley or friend helps unloading.
35% deposit may apply to evening and weekend holds. Free move with 4 days notice is in terms; inside that window deposit may forfeit.
Deliverables and next steps
After the session you receive multitrack WAV per channel, aligned from time zero, plus optional stereo rough mix. Default 48 kHz, 24-bit unless your project differs. Channels are labelled clearly (kick in, snare top, guitar L, etc.).
Studio mixing may bundle favourably if booked within 18 months — ask at contact. Mastering follows. Phone: 020 623 8147.
Limits
No pyro, smoke machines, stick-throwing or pets. Lineups above 6 do not fit physically. The live room is not rented without an engineer — not a DIY rehearsal loft.
Video is limited to your own tripod without a studio lighting package; we do not supply a video crew. If guests film people, see privacy policy.
Included
- Live room 32 m² with treatment
- Drum kit with standard mic set
- Guitar and bass amps plus DI
- Engineer and multitrack recording
- Monitor mix for the band
- Rough mix or multitrack export after session
- Archive for 18 months
FAQ
Can we use our own amps?
Yes if electrically safe and you handle transport. Extreme volume needs a pre-session conversation with the engineer.
Is the kit enough for hard rock?
Medium-sized kit with standard heads. Bring favourite snare or cymbals for heavier genres; double kick is limited — ask when booking.
Can we extend past 22:00?
Only if calendar and neighbours allow, billed at €62. Ask during the session, not after wrap.
Room for friends or an audience?
The live room is compact; one or two visitors in the control room is fine. Larger audiences are not safe — follow 16+ policy and fire rules.
What if gear fails mid-session?
We carry spare DIs and cables. Repair of your own gear is on you; we reroute where possible so recording can continue.
Other services
Vocal and voice-over recording
Isolated booth with engineer for singing, rap and narration.
€105 · per hour
Mixing
Vocals, drums and bass balanced for release-ready mixes.
€210 · per track
Mastering
Final polish with controlled loudness for digital platforms.
€85 · per track
Podcast recording
Table for two to four guests, including basic editing.
€92 · per hour
Recording in Amsterdam?
Plan your session with us
Tell us what you want to capture. Within 2 working days you receive a time slot proposal and a written quote, with no obligation.