Skip to main content
MusicRadar MusicRadar The No.1 website for musicians
UK EditionUK US EditionUS AU EditionAustralia SG EditionSingapore
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Artist news
  • Guitars
  • Controllers
  • Drums
  • Keyboards & Pianos
  • Guitar Amps
  • Music Gear Reviews
  • Synths
  • Software & Apps
  • More
    • Recording
    • DJ Gear
    • Acoustic Guitars
    • Bass Guitars
    • Tech
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • Buying Guides
    • About us
More
  • Tiny Dancer
  • Browser DAWs
  • 95k+ free music samples
  • Restring your guitar
  1. Tech
  2. Recording
  3. Studios

Me in my studio: Planas

News
By Chris Barker
Published 25 April 2012

The Gentleman's Dub Club member shows us around his studio

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Intro

Intro

"I'm Toby Davies; a producer, DJ and instrumentalist working out of a studio near Camden and at a houseboat studio in Canary Wharf.

"I go under the aliases Planas, Landlord and Seemore Productions. I also play bass, write and produce for Gentleman's Dub Club."

Page 1 of 8
Page 1 of 8
Tannoy Gold monitors

Tannoy Gold monitors

"I first heard these at Prince Fatty's studio in Brighton when we were recording some Gentleman's Dub Club tracks. Harry "Evergreen", our sound engineer, immediately went and bought a pair.

"I absolutely love them - even though the high mids are pretty militant there's a nifty frequency rolloff option next to the cones which you screw and unscrew by hand. They are passive rather than active which makes a really nice change from most modern monitors, if only because you can't hear the 'beep bidip bidip bidip' of smartphone interference through them!

"I have to shout out my Mourdant-Short MS902 shelf speakers: I use them at home which is where I get a lot of my initial ideas. I've had them for just over 10 years now and they're still going strong - I don't think my neighbours like them too much though!"

Page 2 of 8
Page 2 of 8
Neumann U87

Neumann U87

"Very clear, sensitive mic capable of getting some great takes. Sometimes I find it a little too sensitive, and for things like sax and trumpet I'll use something like a Shure SM-57 to stop the valve sounds and breath noises coming through as much.

"A pair of these make excellent drum overheads, if you can afford two!"

Page 3 of 8
Page 3 of 8
Focusrite Saffire 6

Focusrite Saffire 6

"A great little interface for the money with good preamps and solid build."

Page 4 of 8
Page 4 of 8
Bach Stradivarius Trumpet

Bach Stradivarius Trumpet

"I play a Bach Stradivarius, it's got a great tone and really slick valves.Instrument-wise I also use a Fender Telecaster and a Spectre Performer bass guitar."

Page 5 of 8
Page 5 of 8
Roland Juno G

Roland Juno G

"Such a versatile synth, I got it dirt cheap, second hand and it's become a really important part of my studio. I've fit it with an extra memory card so I can use it as a sampler and use the Roland effects and sequencer on any of my samples.

"In my Planas live band I only need the Juno and a laptop as it can be split between a synth, sampler, and midi keyboard all at the same time. I use the Juno in Gentleman's Dub Club as well.I also have a Roland FP-2 keyboard which is great for writing and getting that live sound as it has weighted keys and some really realistic keyboard emulations."

Page 6 of 8
Page 6 of 8
Blue Microphones Robbie pre

Blue Microphones Robbie pre

"Beautiful tube mic and instrument preamp with +36db of headroom. Designed to be used with the Kiwi Bluebottle which is a fantastic vocal mic, but is currently in Submotion Orchestra's studio as they're recording their second album at the moment."

Page 7 of 8
Page 7 of 8
Houseboat

Houseboat

"Harry runs a studio out of his houseboat in Canary Wharf: it's one my favourite places to work, especially when it's sunny as you can take your breaks up on deck!

"He's got loads of amazing gear there including Adam S2.5a monitors, two SSL channel strips which he put together from parts, a Vermona spring reverb and a Distressor compression/distortion unit."

The new single, Breathtaking by Planasfeaturing Ed Thomas is out now

Planas on iTunes
Planas onFacebook

Page 8 of 8
Page 8 of 8
Chris Barker
Read more
Ital Tek in the studio making Mind Abandon
Artists "I collect instruments I can't play": Ital Tek on creating ‘sonic worlds’ and new album Mind Abandon
 
 
O'Flynn in the studio
Tech 5 things we learned in the studio with O'Flynn
 
 
British songwriting and production team Stock Aitken Waterman, circa 1985. Left to right: Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman. (Photo by Tim Roney/Getty Images)
Artists Better music technology hasn’t made life easier for producers than it was in the ‘80s, says Mike Stock
 
 
A JBL 305P MKII studio monitor on a studio desk with various bits of music gear
Studio Monitors Best budget studio monitors 2026: Make your mixes sing with these wallet-friendly home studio speakers
 
 
Test
Synths We meet the people using test equipment to make music
 
 
A studio chair in front of a mixing desk in a studio control room
Studios Best studio chairs 2026: banish the backache with these comfy home studio chairs
 
 
Latest in Studios
David Byrne, lead singer and guitarist for the Talking Heads, works with record producer Brian Eno in a recording studio in Mexico.
Studios Talking Heads frontman David Byrne discusses treating the studio "like a playground" with Brian Eno
 
 
DX10000CL headphones
Headphones "A flagship audiophile product": Final unveils new DX10000 CL headphone at jaw-dropping price
 
 
abbey road
Studios "It's like being in a toy shop": How Abbey Road is reinventing itself
 
 
, CA - December 09: John Mayer (right) and McG aka Joseph McGinty Nichol owners of Henson Studios give a tour of their recording and film studios on Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025 in , CA. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Studios “I know just enough to let the other people do their jobs": John Mayer explains why he’s bought Henson studios
 
 
IK Multimedia iLoud Micro monitor
Studio Monitors IK Multimedia iLoud Micro Monitor $120 off at Sweetwater this Cyber Weekend
 
 
Kraftwerk, German electronic band, during a concert, September 16, 1978. (Photo by Christian Rose/Roger Viollet via Getty Images)
Tech I went to the Kraftwerk auction to buy their chairs, but came back with a studio's worth of gear instead
 
 
Latest in News
Gibson Custom VOS Reissue 1971 Flying V Medallion
Guitars “It holds a special place in Gibson history. As one of our earliest limited-edition instruments, it helped establish a lasting legacy within hard rock guitar culture”: Gibson unveils Custom Shop reissue of a Michael Schenker and Kirk Hammett favourite
 
 
behringer
Tech Behringer's AKS Mini is a £99 mini-synth inspired by the EMS Synthi AKS, a classic synth used by Pink Floyd and Brian Eno
 
 
Guitar Tricks Summer Black Friday promo
Guitar Lessons & Tutorials Get almost $1k of guitar tuition from our number one online platform for only $99 with this epic Summer Black Friday deal – over 11,000 lessons, plus bonus gifts
 
 
Billy Joel
Artists “I didn’t even want to put it on the album. Linda Ronstadt goes, ‘Are you out of your mind?’”
 
 
Beastie Boys, Yauch, Ad-Rock, Mike D, 1987
Singers & Songwriters “The most idiotic idea ever”: Mike D talks about the Beasties’ fall out with Russell Simmons and that hydraulic penis
 
 
LONDON - JUNE 20: David Bowie and Mick Jagger performing on stage at The Prince's Trust 10th Birthday Party at Wembley Arena, London, United Kingdom on 20th June 1986. (Photo by Brian Cooke/Redferns)
Artists David Bowie admitted that he stole the Stones' sound on one classic song, says Mick Jagger
 
 

MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...