Band recording in Vienna: live in the room, up to eight players

A band recording is the opposite of working alone. Drums, bass, guitars and keys react to one another, the tempo breathes, and the energy of a great pass is in every track at once. At Klangnest we record bands of up to eight musicians live in the 68 m² room with its 4.2 m ceiling, with 32 preamp channels, 24 microphones and a grand piano built in 1979 that is freshly tuned on request.

Bookings come in blocks: a half day of 5 hours or a full day of 9 hours, always with an engineer. That leaves enough time for setting up the drums, an honest soundcheck and several complete takes per song. Raw files of every track arrive within 2 working days. Our guide Planning a recording budget explains how to work out how many studio days you need.

How it works

1. Step 1

   Enquiry, line-up, pre-production

   Send us your line-up, a song list with tempos and, if you have them, rehearsal-room recordings through the contact form. We reply within 1 working day with a quote, a date and a room plan.

2. Step 2

   Set-up and soundcheck

   We start with the drums, then amps, bass, keys and the headphone mixes. Allow 90 to 120 minutes before the first real take rolls. That time pays for itself over the day.

3. Step 3

   Live takes in the room

   The band plays each song right through, usually three to five times. Between takes we listen back together in the control room and decide whether another pass or a targeted overdub will give more.

4. Step 4

   Overdubs, playback, hand-over

   Vocals, solos and extra instruments are added as overdubs. At the end we listen to the chosen takes, you leave with a rough mix, and within 2 working days every track is ready to download.

Which bands this suits

Our band sessions are booked by line-ups from trio to octet: rock and indie bands who want their live feel on record, jazz combos who depend on interaction, singer-songwriters with a backing band, soul outfits with horns, and ensembles making their first EP. At 68 m² the room is large enough for eight people to play with eye contact, and at 4.2 m the ceiling is high enough for a drum kit to sound open rather than boxed in. The format is not suitable for more than eight players or for orchestras.

Bleed, isolation and the click question

The central decision in any band recording is how much isolation you need. If everyone plays in the same room, the snare also ends up in the guitar microphones and the bass amp in the overheads. That bleed sounds alive, but it limits what can be done later in the mix, because individual instruments can no longer be fully replaced. So we settle the set-up together before the day.

• Everyone in the room: The whole band with amps in the 68 m² room. Maximum energy, little scope for swapping parts in the mix.
• Amps separated: Band in the room, guitar and bass amps in the 9 m² booth. Clean drums while still playing together.
• Rhythm section first: Drums and bass live, everything else as overdubs. Full control, more studio time.

With or without a click? A click makes edits between takes and later overdubs easier; without one the tempo breathes. Try both in the rehearsal room, and at least know your target tempo so that we can count in cleanly.

A typical recording day

Nine hours sound long but fly by. The schedule below has served us well since 2016 and is a guide; we adapt it to your song list.

A half day of 5 hours suits one or two songs from a well-rehearsed band, or a pre-production. For an EP of four to five titles most bands plan one to two full days, overdubs included. If the day runs tight, additional hours are charged at €105 incl. 20 % VAT, provided the diary allows.

What your band should prepare

A good band recording starts in the rehearsal room. The full list is in our guide Preparing your session; here are the points that most often make the difference for bands:

• Song list with tempos: Running order, BPM and key for every title. We use it to prepare click, session templates and track names before you arrive.
• New strings, new heads: Fit them at least two days ahead; pack spare strings, sticks and batteries.
• Fix the arrangements: Intros, number of choruses, endings. The studio is the wrong place to argue about how a song ends.
• Who decides: One person with the final say on take decisions.

Backline such as drums, amps and instruments is yours to bring. On site are the 1979 grand piano plus stands, headphones and cabling for all 32 channels.

Room, channels and grand piano

Our studio at Burggasse 95 covers 240 m². Its heart is the 68 m² live room with a 4.2 m ceiling, variable acoustics through movable absorbers, and a sightline to the 34 m² control room. During band sessions the 9 m² booth serves as an amp room or for vocals. 32 preamp channels are enough for a fully miked drum kit, bass via microphone and DI, several guitar amps, the grand piano in stereo plus room microphones, with channels to spare for vocals and horns.

The grand piano, built in 1979, lives permanently in the live room and is tuned for your session on request; tuning costs €60 per session incl. 20 % VAT.

What you receive: tracks and formats

After the session you receive every track as a separate file for download, named by instrument and take, starting at bar 1. For each song we deliver the chosen takes in full and, if you wish, the rejected ones as well, so that any mix engineer can rebuild the session. Our guide File formats and delivery has the details.

• Multitrack raw files: WAV, 24-bit, 48 kHz, one file per channel and take.
• Rough mix: A quick stereo balance of every chosen take as WAV and MP3.
• Session documentation: Microphone list, channel assignments, tempos and take notes as a PDF.

A rough mix is not a mix; the real mix is a separate service.

Turnaround and archive

Raw files are ready to download within 2 working days of the recording day; for multi-day sessions, after the last day. For mixing allow 7 working days per 5 tracks, for mastering 3 working days; we are happy to schedule both straight afterwards. We archive the session for 12 months. Within that period you can add overdub dates, for instance for horns that were missing on the day, or re-order tracks. After that we delete the data unless agreed otherwise.

Revisions, approval and the small print

With a live recording, approval happens on the day: the band listens to the takes in the control room and chooses. What is chosen is delivered; a song to be played again later is a new session. The mix comes with 2 revision rounds, the master with 1, see Article 7 of our terms.

• Payment: 30 % deposit on booking, balance after the session against invoice, details in Article 6.
• Cancellation and rescheduling: Free up to 5 working days before the date; at less than 48 hours' notice half the booking value (50 %) falls due, see Article 5.
• Rights: The rights in the recordings pass to the band once payment is complete, see Article 8 and our guide Rights to your master. Agree beforehand who the contracting party is.
• Minimum age: The person booking must be 18 or over.

Not included are backline hire, mixing, mastering, catering and session musicians. Our FAQ answers further questions, or call us on +43 1 890 46 27.

Scope of the service

Rates

All prices in euros. Consumer prices include 20 % Austrian VAT; for businesses VAT is shown separately on the invoice.

All prices are in euros incl. 20 % VAT. The half day of 5 hours costs €520, the full day of 9 hours €890, each with engineer. Additional hours on the recording day are charged at €105 and grand piano tuning at €60 per session. After booking you receive a 30 % deposit invoice based on the quote; the balance is invoiced after the session and is due within 7 days for private individuals and within 14 days of invoicing for businesses and associations.

Questions about this service

Ask for a recording day for your band

Send us your line-up, song list and two preferred dates. We reply within 1 working day with a quote and a set-up proposal, and you are welcome to visit the room beforehand, Monday to Friday 10:00–20:00 and Saturday 11:00–18:00.

Request a session