Our starting points
Nikausync has 3 rooms: a live room of about 42 m² with drum isolation, plus booth and control room. We can record up to 6 musicians live with separate headphones. The band hourly rate is €135; a half day (four hours) is €480, a full day (eight hours) €890. Prices include 21 percent VAT; B2B invoicing uses 14 day payment terms.
Booking requires a 30 percent deposit; cancellation is free up to 7 days ahead under our terms and conditions.
Hour, half day or full day
One song live with a basic setup (drums, bass, guitar, vocal) often fits three to four hours including soundcheck — then €480 usually beats hourly slots. EPs or albums with changing line-ups fill a day quickly.
Always budget setup and strike: cables, DI boxes, tuning, headphone mixes. Bands that agree tempo and arrangement at home save half an hour per session. Unsure? Send a setlist via contact; we estimate blocks within 2 business days.
Typical timeline per song
Figures below assume the band knows the song and has stems ready. They are guides, not promises — complex arrangements or many takes run long.
| Phase | Indicative time |
|---|---|
| Soundcheck and headphone mix | 30–45 min (once per day) |
| Basic take drums + rhythm | 20–40 min |
| Overdub per extra part | 10–25 min |
| Vocal in booth | 15–30 min |
Three songs on one half day works with few arrangement changes; two songs with heavy overdubs is more realistic.
Included in the studio hour vs not
Included: engineer, mic choice from our locker, basic take marking during recording, headphone mixes and secure session storage for 24 months. Not included: detailed comping, tuning/time-align across all tracks, mix or master — those sit under mixing (from €240 per song up to 48 tracks) and mastering.
Extra mix revisions follow our policy: 2 rounds included, then €75 per hour. Budget mix separately from tracking day.
Saving time without cutting corners
Bring fresh strings, working cables and a written gain structure for pedalboards. Share a drive with demos and tempo beforehand — we import markers before you arrive. Track drums with the full band but overdub guitar solos later to reduce bleed and repeats.
Avoid tracking vocals against the loudest guitar amp if you want tight vocals; split passes. Our 32 inputs allow wide routing, but focus in the live room saves mix time later.
Travel and logistics in Amsterdam
We are at Grote Bickersstraat 74, 1013 KS Amsterdam. From Amsterdam Centraal it is about a twelve-minute walk via Haarlemmerdijk; bus 22 serves Haarlemmerdijk (Bickersgracht stop). The entrance is on Grote Bickersstraat, next to the courtyard bike parking. Bike parking sits in the courtyard; loading via the studio entrance — coordinate through [email protected]. Street parking in Haarlemmerbuurt is scarce — allow time or use P+R Sloterdijk if you arrive by van.
Opening hours: Monday–Friday 10:00–22:00, Saturday 11:00–18:00, closed Sunday. Sessions outside these hours on request.. Sessions outside those times on request; night slots are quoted explicitly.
Sample calculation (indicative)
Example: four songs, basic live plus overdubs, one half day tracking plus mix per track.
- Tracking: €480 (4 hours live room)
- Mix: 4 × €240
- Optional master: 4 × €95
Totals depend on extra hours, revisions and stems. Ask for an itemized quote via contact with your tracklist; say whether you release commercially or demo-only.
Vocalists updating vocals after the band day should read prepare your voice if singing is booked on a separate morning.
Checklist before you request a quote
- Number of songs and deliverables (stems, rough mix, DAW session)
- Band size and who plays live vs overdub
- Preferred dates and flexibility
- Whether mix/master stays in-house or external
File format questions after tracking? See mix delivery formats. Cover-song legalities for releases are outside this guide — for podcast music use podcast music rights.
