The Studio

Toybox is a unique recording studio based in a Georgian town house in central Bristol, with an array of professional facilities and a great atmosphere.

Toy Box was originally built by the members of Bristol band Actual Size, who still play an active role in the studio to this day. Things have come a long way since they spent weekends nailing used carpet to the walls and drying out wet sand on radiators to try and make sound proof walls (although, look closely and you might spot the sand leaking out of corners here and there).

Using record deal money, Actual Size turned what was a glorified rehearsal room into a fully functioning studio, expanding and improving the space. When Actual Size disbanded in 2003, they decided to open the studio as commercial venture with Ali stepping up to act as boss and in-house engineer. The studio quickly made a name for itself, thanks to the unique space and sound of the rooms, and fast became the place to record for up and coming local bands.

Ali soon sought help from friend and fellow musician Stef Hambrook, who started using the studio as a freelancer, and then quickly became a co-partner.

It wasn’t long before word got out and Toy Box started to attract more established artists & producers such as John Parish, who is now also part of the gang.

Although the maze of rooms and thick stone walls make an ideal environment for recording loud music, we also have a range of different acoustic spaces to cater for almost all styles of music production.

Our facility is designed to utilize the very best of analogue and digital recording equipment, and allows us to achieve quality, as well as speed and ease of use.

The leafy square outside the studio’s front door is a handy place to take a break. Inexpensive accommodation and all local amenities are less than 5 minutes walk away. The studio is located at the edge of the city center, right by the M32 motorway which joins Bristol to the M4. Studio staff are relaxed and professional and totally committed to your projects full potential.

Our control room is based around a rare 1970’s, British built Trident TSM series analogue recording console. The desk is linked to tie lines in our 6 different recording rooms, as well as our analogue multitrack, our Pro-Tools HD/ Logic audio rig, and our offboard processors. The room is also big enough to accommodate the band comfortably as well as producer and engineer. There is also ample space for musicians to perform.

Our large dead room has been purpose built for complete isolation from the control room and adjacent areas, it is partially floored with solid Maple wood, for a rich, bright drum sound. It is surrounded with 4 isolation booths, which come off the main room allowing for performers or amplifier (or both) to record separate from the main space, whilst still having line of sight into the room. The third booth also has line of sight into Stone Room A.

The larger of the two stone rooms has a lively, bright and airy acoustic. With its arched stone ceiling and open adjoining lobby?s, it is ideally suited to recording huge bombastic Bonham-esque drum sounds. There is ample space to fit numerous musicians around the drum kit, and allow them to track live, whilst their amplifiers are isolated in adjacent booths.

Our office has high speed Broadband, WiFi, TV and we have an inhouse techinican to deal with guitar repairs and set ups.

We also have a big sofas/kitchen/playstation/internet/Tea coffee kinda area too…

Toy Box Crew

Stefan Hambrook Stef's been tinkering with music for years, as both a Musician and Engineer. He has a degree in Music and is pretty fanstatic at drumming and harmony singing (though rarely seen doing both at once).

John Parish He's done quite a lot of music over the years...you've probably head of some of it. He has a website of his own, www.johnparish.com He's pretty impressive in the drums/ percussion department, and also know's how to rock the Jazzmaster and AC30 like a demon.

Stevie Hawker Stevie fixes stuff, he also bashes the shit out of it too. Convenient.

Jonny Evans Jonny helped build this place, he was a founder member of Actual Size, and plays some mean keyboards if you ask nicely. He's also a wiz with a Workmate and a Black and Decker. He is often bedraggled and occasionally bespectacled.

Ali Chant All round Engineer, Producer, Musician, Soup maker..

Kid Carpet He's one of the old school, original member of Actual Size. helped put this gin joint together. Now doing his own dope cuts.

Ben Hostler Benji was drumster in Actual Size and also a founder of Toy Box. He is now creative director at Beef, a creative agency he set up with some mates - and funnily enough they built this site. He still bangs the drums when he's asked to and has most recently played for Jane Taylor, Greg Edwards and I Am The Mighty Jungulator but he's settled into the The Cedar now.

Guy 'Moses' Fowler Guy was also in Actual Size...he can now be found showboating around town as MR.. Bass-for-Hire! He Jungulates among other things.. www.iamthemightyjungulator.com/