Why preparation saves money
A vocal session at Variatesystems costs €75 per hour with the engineer included, or €260 for a four-hour block. The minimum booking is 2 hours. That comfortably covers one or two songs if you arrive ready, and it gets tight when the lyrics are unfinished or the instrumental refuses to open.
Most lost time has nothing to do with the voice itself. It goes on side issues: a second verse rewritten in the booth, a beat at the wrong tempo, an mp3 where a wav was needed. All of these can be fixed at home in one evening. Below is what we suggest for each part.
Lock the lyrics and the arrangement
Finish the lyrics before you book. Print them or keep them in a document on your phone, with the song structure marked: intro, verse, chorus, bridge. Note where you breathe, which lines you want doubled and where harmonies or ad-libs go. That lets the engineer plan the session in blocks and know which takes are still needed.
Record yourself once on your phone singing the full song, then play it back without the music. You will hear straight away which words are unclear, where you run out of air and which note sits just outside your comfort zone.
Check the key and the tempo
A key that felt fine in rehearsal can turn too high after three hours of singing. Try the chorus at the end of a long day. If the top note no longer comes easily, consider lowering the instrumental by a semitone or a whole tone before the session. We can do it in the studio, but it takes time and sounds cleaner when the producer changes it in the original project.
Write down the tempo in bpm and the key and put them in the file name or your message to us. If you work with a producer, ask for one version without guide vocals and one with, so you can choose what to sing over.
Files to bring
Ideally send the instrumental a day ahead so we can set up the session in advance. This is what we need:
- The instrumental as wav or aiff, 24-bit, 44.1 or 48 kHz, not an mp3 or a file ripped from a streaming service.
- Tempo in bpm and the key.
- Any guide vocal or demo, so we know the phrasing.
- Separate stems of the beat if you plan to have it mixed later; see our guide to delivering tracks.
- The lyrics, printed or digital.
A download link is fine, as long as it works without an account and does not expire before the session.
Your voice the day before and on the day
Sleep properly, drink plenty of room-temperature water and skip alcohol the night before. Avoid parties or gigs where you have to shout to be heard. On the day, eat something light about two hours before you start. Dairy and very spicy food cause phlegm or reflux for many singers.
Warm up at home or on the way: lip trills, soft slides from low to high, humming. Ten minutes is enough. Do not open with the hardest part; we usually start with a verse so your voice settles into the headphones and the room.
What happens in the booth
Our booth is 9 m² and acoustically treated. You and the engineer pick a microphone from a collection of 28; a quick comparison of two or three models shows what suits your voice. Then we set up your headphone mix: how much of your own voice, how much beat, reverb or none. Speak up if something feels off, because a comfortable cue mix matters more than most people expect.
We usually record several full takes, then work in short sections on the tricky lines. At the end we build a comp from the strongest lines across takes. You leave with the raw tracks, or we prepare them for the mixing session.
Session checklist
- Lyrics finished, structure and breathing points marked.
- Key tested at the end of a long day.
- Instrumental as wav, with bpm and key, sent in advance.
- A good night's sleep, water with you, a light meal.
- Warmed up before you walk in.
- Your own headphones if you are used to them.
- On time: arrive ten minutes early, directions are below.
If you are under 16, come with a parent or guardian. Cancellation is free up to 7 days before the session; after that we charge 50% of the rate. Full details are in the terms and conditions.
Booking and getting here
The studio is at Wibautstraat 164 in Amsterdam Oost. Wibautstraat metro station (lines 51, 53 and 54) is about a three-minute walk away, roughly ten minutes by metro from Amsterdam Centraal. Bikes can go in the racks in front of the building; street parking is paid and limited.
Sessions run by appointment only: Monday to Friday 10:00–22:00, Saturday 11:00–18:00, closed on Sunday. Sessions by appointment only. See what a session includes on the vocal and voice recording page, or send your question through the contact form. We reply within 2 working days. You can also call: 020 846 3172.
