Live band recording
Capture drums, bass, guitars and keys in one room — with bleed you plan on purpose, not by accident. A recording engineer stays with you from mic placement through the last take.
Live tracking suits bands who want the push-and-pull of playing together: the drummer’s drive, guitar answering the vocal, bass locking to the kick. At Culticlayer in Amsterdam you do that in a live room of roughly 38 m² with space for amp cabs, gobos and a kit as the anchor. We run 22 mics in the rack and 24 desk inputs — enough for a four- or five-piece without cable improvisation.
The service fits indie, rock, pop, funk and similar line-ups; extreme metal or large orchestral setups need a prior chat via contact. You do not need a polished demo, but you do need a set list, tempos and a rough floor plan. Our band layout in the live room guide helps beforehand; on the day we focus on soundcheck, monitoring and takes that work for Mixing later.
How it works
- 01
Intake
Send set list, floor sketch and any rehearsal recordings to [email protected]. We confirm within 3 business days, hold the date and request a 25% deposit per terms and conditions.
- 02
Setup
The engineer mics drums, amps and DIs; line check and gain staging before full-volume playing. Allow thirty to forty-five minutes for a typical four-piece — that time sits inside your booked block.
- 03
Tracking
Several full takes per song, plus targeted overdubs when the room allows. Per-musician headphone mixes; click on a separate bus if you use one. Guide vocals can come from 2 iso booths through the glass.
- 04
Wrap
We finish with a short control-room listen-back. Multitrack is organised for export; delivery timing and formats follow your mix plan. Studio archive retention: 18 months.
Who this is for
Your band has rehearsed and wants EP or album material without building everything track-by-track at home. Full-band singer-songwriters, duos that want live drums and bass, and projects chasing a room sound belong here. Solo vocal sessions are Vocal recording; talk formats are Talk and podcast recording.
Participants must be at least 16, or younger only with written guardian consent and an adult present — see FAQ for detail.
Live room and bleed
Bleed is an ingredient, not a mistake: how much kit do you hear on the guitar mic? We place amps, gobos and the kit for that goal. The high ceiling adds air; we avoid everything collapsing onto one snare mic. Tell us which songs are loudest — we do not open soundcheck with the heaviest track while routing is still unfinished.
With 4 rooms in total we can keep lead vocals behind glass so they do not print on every drum mic. That needs extra routing time; budget it in the session.
Engineer and team
Every band rate includes an engineer — not room-only hire. Recording engineers such as Sophie Willems (vocals and live) know this room’s mic choices. Mix and master after the session go through colleagues like Daan Prins — booked separately, not inside the hourly band rate.
Planning or invoicing questions? Call 020 737 4821 during Tue–Fri 10–19, Sat 12–17 or email the team. Culticlayer B.V. invoices with 21% VAT; business clients pay within 21 days where stated on the quote.
What to bring
- Gig-ready instruments: tunings, strings, drum heads as needed
- Pedalboards and power supplies; mains is 230 V in the Netherlands
- Set list with tempo and key per song
- Your own in-ears optional; we supply headphones for monitoring
- Amps and cabs you know — swapping amps eats setup time
Load heavy cabs through the street entrance at Bilderdijkstraat 112. Tram 7 stops at Bilderdijkstraat; from the Bilderdijkstraat stop it is about a 3-minute walk to number 112. From Amsterdam Centraal, tram 7 towards Slotervaart takes roughly 12 minutes. By bike from Leidseplein it is about 8 minutes via Overtoom. Tell us about wide vehicles so we can keep the pavement clear.
Delivery and formats
By default we deliver multitrack WAV per track, 24-bit, 48 kHz, with clear names (kick, snare top, guitar L, etc.). You can receive a Pro Tools or Reaper session if agreed upfront. Stereo rough mixes for home listening are possible within session time; they are not a substitute for proper mixing.
We keep project files 18 months on studio servers; after that we delete unless you buy an extension. Download via secure link — take your own backups on your drive.
Rates and what is excluded
Band recording is billed per booked block. Listed prices are consumer rates including 21% VAT; net amounts on business quotes appear as €97.52 and €735.54.
| Option | Covers |
|---|---|
| Hourly | Engineer, live room, standard mic package |
| Full day | Eight-hour block; suited to 3–5 songs with setup |
Not included: mixing, mastering, extra overdub days outside your booking, rare vintage mic rental, catering and parking. Reschedule or cancel up to 5 days ahead without fee — see terms and conditions.
Session-day flow
Studio hours: Tuesday–Friday 10:00–19:00, Saturday 12:00–17:00. Closed Sunday and Monday.. We start with coffee and a set-list walkthrough, then mic placement following our layout guide. After soundcheck we may track quieter songs first to settle levels, or follow set order if you want a show flow.
Breaks protect ears and focus; they count as booked time. Overtime only with verbal agreement from the engineer, billed at the hourly rate.
After tracking: mix and release
Live multitrack often needs more mix work than DI-only productions — budget for Mixing and optionally Mastering. Delivering stems to an external mixer? Our delivering stems article matches how we export tracks.
Revision rounds for mix and master follow 2 rounds as in your quote; band tracking itself is take-based, not open-ended free re-recording beyond what you finish in the same session.
Volume and neighbours in Oud-West
We sit in a mixed residential and work area. Full volume all day is rarely needed: dynamic takes at eighty percent playing strength often give more headroom than everything on ten. Very loud genres — discuss upfront; we plan shorter blocks and extra isolation.
More about the building and team on about us; privacy of your recordings in privacy policy.
Included
- Recording engineer for booked time
- Live room with drum and amp layout
- Microphones, DIs and basic monitoring
- Line check and gain staging before takes
- Organised multitrack export
- 18-month project archive
- Access per Tue–Fri 10–19, Sat 12–17
FAQ
How many songs fit in one day?
With setup and soundcheck, three to five songs is realistic for a four-piece that knows the material. Heavier arrangements or many overdubs need an extra day or hours — we estimate that in intake.
Can we track vocals live?
Yes, via the iso booth and glass, or with a singer in the room if bleed is acceptable. Guide vocals from the booth stay cleanest for later vocal recording or comping.
Do you mix as well?
Mixing is a separate service at mix rates. We export stems any mixer can open; in-house or external is your choice.
What if a member is ill?
Tell us as soon as possible. Moving the date within 5 days before the session is free under terms; after that the deposit may be forfeited or moved — we find a practical date.
Can friends sit in the control room?
A few guests in the regie is usually fine; large groups distract and add noise in the booth. Check ahead via contact.
Other services
- 01
Vocal recording
Lead and backing vocals in an iso booth with an engineer and tailored monitoring.
€92 · per hour
- 02
Mixing
Finishing your multitrack into a stereo mix; in the studio or from delivered stems.
€175 · per track (offline)
- 03
Mastering
Final loudness and tonal balance for streaming and download; includes one revision round.
€68 · per track
- 04
Talk and podcast recording
Two to four hosts on fixed table mics, basic editing and export in your preferred format.
€72 · per hour
Recording in Amsterdam?
Let's plan your session
Outline your idea: we reply within 3 working days with a slot proposal and written quote, no obligation.