Start with the song, not the hourly rate
A band budget depends on how many songs are truly playable live, not how many ideas you have. One strong single with drums, bass, two guitars and keys needs different time than five songs whose arrangements still shift. Agree inside the band which titles are priority and whether you use click or guides.
Monoxyleorix offers Band and live recording at €125 per hour incl. VAT or €920 for eight hours. That is studio with engineer and isolation to booth and control room — not full mixing or mastering. See band and live recording for what is included by default.
Room size and lineup
Our live room is about 28 m²; we work with up to 5 musicians at once so everyone stays audible and mic placement is workable. Drums usually stay in the room, amps can be isolated; keys and bass direct or via DI. More people than allowed? Split: rhythm section first, overdubs later — extra hours, but within physical limits.
3 rooms (live, booth, control 14 m²) mean you listen from control through glass and monitors. Getting here: Tram 13 (Westerdok stop) and bus 22 (Haarlemmer Houttuinen stop) are within walking distance. From Amsterdam Centraal station it is about a twelve-minute walk via Haarlemmer Houttuinen and Grote Bickersstraat. No private parking; paid street parking or Q-Park Centrale Markt. Hours: Tue–Fri 10–19, Sat 10–17 — evenings on request via contact.
Hours versus full day
Single hours suit one song or refreshing a track. An eight-hour block (€920) is often better per hour than eight singles at €125 — do the math for your plan. Be realistic: load-in, amp dialing, drum tuning and soundcheck easily eat an hour on a busy day.
Do not plan more songs than you can play in net recording time. Two solid takes per title plus a safety is more realistic than eight songs “if we make it”. Under-prepare and you pay for rehearsal in studio; over-prepare at home and you buy creativity back.
What the studio hour does not cover
Mixing per song starts at €185 incl. VAT, with 2 revision rounds. An EP up to six titles via mix package: €680. Mastering per track €68; album up to twelve €395. Those are separate post stages — budget them now or your demo stays unfinished.
Also excluded: hiring extra players, travel and parking (paid on street or Q-Park), catering, paid arranging, or heavy editing beyond normal session wrap. All services list rates incl. 21% VAT.
Rehearsal at home and in a practice room
Amsterdam has many rehearsal spaces; use them to lock tempo, dynamics and transitions before you pay for 12 preamp channels and engineer time. Bring a rough phone recording to the session — not quality reference, but an arrangement check.
Drummer: fresh heads or sticks beat lost time on recording day. Guitarist: check intonation and fret buzz. Keys: patches ready per song. Vocals later? Plan vocal prep and a separate vocal booking after live takes.
Booking, deposit and cancellation
Book via contact or 020 244 8916 with 40% deposit on the quote. Free cancellation until 7 days before the session per terms and conditions; after that, rescheduling and refund rules apply. Business clients: payment term 14 days where applicable.
Send a setlist ahead with tempos, who solos and which songs need guides/backings. We usually reply within 1 business day — send early if you want a Saturday slot (Tuesday to Friday 10:00–19:00, Saturday 10:00–17:00. Closed Monday and Sunday; evening sessions on request.).
Sample split of one day
| Block | Activity | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1 h | Load-in, line check, drum sound | Not counted as takes |
| 4 h | Live takes, 3 songs | 2–3 passes per title |
| 1 h | Overdubs / fixes | Optional |
| 2 h | Buffer / export | Rough bounces, file naming |
This is not a promise of pace — slow arrangement changes or long drum tuning eat buffer. An extra half day beats rushing everything.
Summary for your spreadsheet
- Studio: hour €125 or day €920 — max 5 players at once.
- Mix: €185 per song or EP package €680.
- Master: €68 per track; album €395.
- Deposit 40%; cancel > 7 days free.
- Session archive 24 months — keep your own backup (privacy policy).
Stems and mix delivery: deliver mix stems. Rights after master: mastering rights and files. Questions? FAQ or [email protected].
