Plymale
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The Website of Audio Engineer John Plymale
CURRENT NEWS
Hello everyone !
2009 has been a pretty cool year so far......
Spent some time early this year mixing the new record from The dB's main songwriters Chris Stamey and Peter Holsapple. It's called "Here and Now" and it's really excellent.
Did you know that Superchunk is in the middle of making a new album? Yep! Scott Solter, Superchunk, and I have been in and out of Overdub Lane Studio several times this year already recording a new studio album for them on the studio's amazing 2" Analog Studer Tape machine. We're using Pro Tools as well, and getting a "best of both worlds" hybrid approach that's allowing us to easily move the project back and forth between several different facilites for over-dubbing and mixing.
Grammy nominated Tift Merritt and her band spent some time with me recently working out arrangements of several new songs for her next album. Better keep your eye on this one....!
Also finished production earlier this year on the new full length album from Raleigh's own Airiel Down. You can hear a sample of what these guys sound like at any of The Carolina Hurricanes games at The RBC Center. The Canes have been entering the arena to the sounds of a special "CANES ONLY" version of the band's song Hurricane Warning that we put together especially for them.
Now if you're smart, you'll stop what you're doing and go get a copy of the new album by Austin TX based White Widow. It's called Black Heart and it's catchier than the H1N1 virus. We mixed it in Durham, NC at Overdub Lane earlier this year. Check out their video on my page.
Did I mention The Gravy Boys? Oh yeah, I did!! Check them out on thepage.
Did you hear that right? Yes, it was indeed the Elizabeth Edwards that spent 3 days with me earlier this year recording the audio-book version of her recently released Random House best-seller "Resilience." She is a remarkably stoic woman, and I enjoyed the opportunity to meet her and to hear her story.
I'm also talking with author Nic Brown about recording the audio version of his new book "Floodmarker" as well as his upcoming release, and I'm even trying to talk my own Father into recording an audio-book version of his auto-biographical account of overcoming lymphoma back in 2001. The podcast generation we live in these days really seems to thrive on the availability of all this great audio.
Renowned Jazz Bass extraordinaire John Brown has been working with me lately on recordings for his 13 piece Groove Shop Band, just one of the many ongoing projects he and I have underway.
My hot-rocking lady friends in Viva La Venus recently stopped in at Overdub Lane so I could mix their fiery cover of the 1970's KISS song "Parastite" for Genterine Records which is releasing a compilation of KISS covers sung by female vocalists. I wish I'd thought of that!
A good new friend of mine named Cheryl Alexander has been mixing some songs with me lately. Her project is a prime example of a new trend of recording where the musicians are located in several different locations across North America and are transfering their indiviually recorded performances to me via the internet for my assembly and mixing. The technology today is indeed powerful!
My friend Chris Dunbar has been working on and off with me this year recording and editing a myriad of scholastic test questions for Measurement Incorporated that will be used in their nationwide educational tests. Chris also plays Bass in the triangle area band Bill West and the Truth and we've planning some dates for me to mix some of their new songs that were recorded down in Atlanta, GA.
If you remember the band Gravity's Pull from back in the 90's then you will remember Mark Ivanitch, their gifted singer/songwriter. He and I are in the middle of producing a batch of new songs of his that have been garnering critical praise lately from folks in the music industry. Don't be surprised if you hear something of his on your favorite TV show sometime this Fall.
In November I'll be recording the band The Drowning Lovers in an unconventional remote location in Chatham County, NC which will be a perfect environment to capture the macabre and mysterious nature of their unique sound. We will continue the overdubbing and mixing phases of the project at Overdub Lane, in Durham, NC.
December will see the return of the Trout Band to the scene with the release of a new CD that I will be mixing for them. They've been working in earnest for the better part of a year in their home studios all around the country and are now ready to put the tracks to bed with a great final mix!
BIOGRAPHY
John Plymale, a North Carolina based Recording Engineer, Producer, and Mixer, fell in love with the way analog tape smelled as it flew across the heads of an old 3M two-inch tape deck when he was about 17 years old and has not tasted food quite the same since. He was a founding member of Chapel Hill's "The Pressure Boys" in the early 1980's as well as the band "Sex Police" who performed in the late 80's and early 90's.Somehow he has managed to convince scores of artists over the years that he knows what he's doing, but we all know that he really just likes hanging out with creative people and doodling around with nifty old instruments and recording gear. Now that he has a magic wand (pro tools) he merely waves it in the direction of his subjects and all their recording dreams are fulfilled. He has worked on recording projects with Tift Merritt, Mya, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Meat Puppets, Portastatic, Valient Thorr, Dex Romweber Duo, Eyes Adrift, Superchunk, Athenaeum, Gravy Boys, Claire Holley, Kim Richey, Untold, Airiel Down, Danielle Howle, Whistlestop, and many others.
John Plymale, a North Carolina based Recording Engineer, Producer, and Mixer, fell in love with the way analog tape smelled as it flew across the heads of an old 3M two-inch tape deck when he was about 17 years old and has not tasted food quite the same since.
He was a founding member of Chapel Hill's "The Pressure Boys" in the early 1980's as well as the band "Sex Police" who performed in the late 80's and early 90's.
Somehow he has managed to convince scores of artists over the years that he knows what he's doing, but we all know that he really just likes hanging out with creative people and doodling around with nifty old instruments and recording gear.
Now that he has a magic wand (pro tools) he merely waves it in the direction of his subjects and all their recording dreams are fulfilled.
He has worked on recording projects with Tift Merritt, Mya, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Meat Puppets, Portastatic, Valient Thorr, Dex Romweber Duo, Eyes Adrift, Superchunk, Athenaeum, Gravy Boys, Claire Holley, Kim Richey, Untold, Airiel Down, Danielle Howle, Whistlestop, and many others.
STUDIO PICS
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What are people saying about John Plymale
Krist Novoselic (Nirvana/Eyes Adrift)
We brought the finished tracks to John Plymale in North Carolina and he mixed it and added sheen. He used a lot of old compressors and tube stuff to rough it up, I like to balance analog and digital. We used some old amps - I used an old Ampeg flip-top - and some old ribbon mics. Just a few years ago, a record that sounds like this would have been impossible for this price.
Mac McCaughan (Superchunk/Portastatic/Merge Records)
I'm always looking for an excuse to record versions of songs I love, and I'm always looking for an excuse to work with John Plymale (who's recorded and mixed both Superchunk and Portastatic records), so when I was approached about doing this, and to benefit such important research, I was eager to take part and am honored to be a part of it.
Tift Merritt
Songs for Sixty Five Roses has been a really special project for me. John Plymale is an old friend, and through the Children's Hospital at UNC Chapel Hill, I've understood just a little bit about just how much Cystic Fibrosis needs to be gone from this world. This track was pretty special to me musically, too. It reunited our band from a few years back, a band that still remains close and knows how to get to the heart of things.
Katharine Whalen (Squirrel Nut Zippers)
I was working on some songs with Greg Humphreys and he told me about the Songs For Sixty Five Roses Project. As a parent and friend, I wanted to contribute in any way I could. My heart goes out to John's family and the entire CF community.
this month's
FEATURED ARTIST
Turn Page
My Studio Guestbook
Some of my studio Visitors
Alternative Champs
Jake Armerding
Athenaeum
Han Benink
John Brown
Jonathon Byrd
Caitlin Cary
Collapsis
The Connells
Corrosion Of Conformity
Mike Cross
Dillon Fence
Elizabeth Edwards
Alejandro Escovedo
Eyes Adrift
Far Too Jones
Nnenna Freelon
Mike Garrigan
Gran Torino
Gravy Boys
Hobex
Claire Holley
Peter Holsapple / Chris Stamey
Danielle Howle
International Orange
Jump Little Children
King Wilkie
Lantana
Meat Puppets
My Radio
Mya
Nikki Meets the Hibachi
Portastatic
Kim Richey
Roman Candle
Dex Romweber Duo
Shandon Sahm
Coach Dean Smith
Songs for Sixty Five Roses
Squirrel Nut Zippers
Superchunk
Two Dollar Pistols
Untold
Valient Thorr
Viva La Venus
Weekend Excursion
KatharineWhalen
When Cousins Marry
Whistlestop
White Widow
Tony Williamson
Cardinal Family Singers
Casablanca Quartet
Cheick Hamala Diabate
Clarissa
The Cliffhangers
Jason Harrod
Snatches Of Pink
Cheryl Alexander
Frankie Alexander
Terry Anderson
Bahlooka Roux
Balsa Gliders
Billyclubfest
Brother Sean
Bullwinkle Gandhi
Ray Codrington
Chip Crawford
Grady Crumpler
Halley DeVestern
Doombunny
The Dave Fox Group
Friday's Veil
Geezer Lake
Gladhands
Glorydive
Grasshopper Highway
Gravity's Pull
Cole Guerra
Dug Hampton
Hank Sinatra
Brett Harris
Gordon Harris
Airiel Down
Henry Acrobat
Hobart Willis and the Back Forty
The Hollows
Hulabilly
The Hushpuppies
Danny Infantino
John Thursday
Freeman Ledbetter
Bill Leslie
Mark Lewis
Debbie Liske
Looking Back
Bo Lozoff
Mandorico
Marat
Martin & Johnson
Jim Mathus
The Mayflies
Will McFarlane
John McLaughlin
Measurement Inc.
Nancy Middleton
Naugahyde Chihuahuas
The Never
Parmalee
The Popes
The Pressure Boys
Prevalent Heroes
Purple School Bus
Regatta 69
Taylor Roberts
Mary Rocap
Tyson Rogers
Runaway Cab
Rylo
Scott Sawyer
See No Weevil
The Sex Police
Slipjoint
Southwing
Janet Stolp
Straight 8's
TheTrout Band
Baron Tymas
Vibrant Green
Jack Wilkins
Mark Williams
Ben Wingrove
STUDIO STORIES
arranging in the studio
recording "Tell Me What I Did"
John Plymale
making a rough mix
for Brother Sean
more stories coming soon...
Plymale's FAVES:
Ovedub Lane
Pandora Radio
Merge Records
The Pernice Brothers
Kitchen Mastering
Cats Cradle
The Splinter Group
Songs For Sixty Five Roses
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