Vocal prep before the studio session

Why prep protects your hourly rate

At Nohexevo in Wien, Vocal recording is €118 per hour including the engineer, or €429 for a four-hour half day. Prices include 20% VAT. The clearer your material and goals before the date, the less time goes to tech questions and detours.

Build in buffer: arrival, headphone check and a short warm-up in the booth are part of the session. If you send BPM, key and reference tracks via Contact ahead of time, we can prep routing — see Vocal recording for scope.

Lyrics, arrangement and files

Lock lyrics at least a week ahead. Last-minute lines cost more studio time than an extra chorus. Mark breath spots, awkward syllables and lines you want deliberately rough — that helps comping instead of guessing.

Deliver the instrumental as uncompressed WAV (24-bit, 48 kHz is common) without a master limiter on the mix bus. State the exact song start and whether you record with or without click. Name backing tracks and guide vocals separately; if several versions exist, note which one is final.

• File names: song title, version, BPM — no odd characters.
• Backup on a second medium or a cloud link you have tested.
• Legal: only material you may record; if unsure, read Terms and Disclaimer.

Body and voice in the days before

Your voice responds to sleep, humidity and load. Two or three days before, ease off shouting in noisy venues, long unbroken rehearsals and extreme whispering. Vienna’s heating seasons dry the air quickly — sip water through the day, not only minutes before the booth.

Alcohol dries mucosa and can reduce control. Very spicy food may trigger reflux — awkward behind a pop filter. Moderate coffee is fine for many singers; learn what works for you. With a cold, hoarseness or pain, postpone: cancellation is free up to 7 days before the slot under our booking rules — call 01 405 82 16 or [email protected].

Session day: food, travel, arrival

Eat lightly about two hours before — not empty, not stuffed. Banana, soup or bread are studio staples because they give energy without blocking breath. Skip large milk servings right before singing if mucus bothers you.

U3 underground station Neubaugasse (about 4 minutes on foot). Tram line 49 stop Neubaugasse. From Westbahnhof take U3 towards Simmering to Neubaugasse. We are in Neubau; Tuesday–Saturday 10:00–22:00; closed Monday and Sunday. Evening sessions by appointment. Aim to arrive a few minutes early, not running: pulse and breath should be calm for take one. Minimum booking age: 16. For minors we confirm consent in advance via Contact.

Warm-up: ten to fifteen minutes

Start with shoulders, neck and jaw — tension often sits there. Then breath: long steady exhales on “s” or “f”. NG sirens, lip trills and soft glissandi wake the voice without shouting. Only then phrases from the song in mid range; don’t open with the highest chorus.

For rap and spoken word: articulation drills slow, then in flow. Planning backing vocals? Tune intervals briefly against the guide — it saves stack time. For playing with live instruments, see Band setup in the live room.

In the booth: distance, pop filter, breaks

Keep roughly a hand’s width to the pop filter; step back slightly on very loud lines. Steady position helps the engineer predict level and compression. Say if you take one ear off the headphones — we adjust the mix to reduce bleed.

Monitor mix should motivate, not overwhelm. Too loud in the cans and you sing quietly; too quiet and you push. Breaks are part of the session: water, silence, then focus again. Two or three serious takes beat ten tired ones.

What we prep and how we comp

Before you arrive we load files, set markers and choose mics for voice and genre — in one of our 2 iso booths, separated from the other 3 rooms. During the session we flag takes with short notes; you hear comp suggestions but decide what is final.

We keep project archives 12 months, then delete per Privacy policy. For mix and master after tracking: Mixing and Mastering. Delivering stems yourself? See Delivering stems for mix.

Quick checklist

This is general guidance, not medical advice. For persistent symptoms, see a clinician and reschedule. Book or quote: Contact Nohexevo.