Local man rents out recording studio

by Chas J. Hartman
Assistant Entertainment Editor

Sometimes people love music so much that they choose to pick up an instrument or simply attend lots of concerts.

Chris Pyle used his passion for music to construct the latest and arguably most popular recording studio in Athens.

"The studio just came from my undying passion for music," Pyle said. "I've always messed around with four-track equipment, but I had a studio in the back of my mind."

Building a recording studio might seem like a simple process, but Pyle explained that it was not.

"First, I moved everything out of my garage and built a shed on the side of the house," Pyle said. "The shed turned out really bad and looked lopsided. A friend from my church started advising me, and we started over on the studio."

Located at 3 Elliott St. and appropriately named 3 Elliott Studios, the recording studio contains a state-of-the-art 24-track digital mixing board. That's only part of the more than $30,000 worth of equipment in what looks like a garage. In addition to the board, Pyle owns an ADAT recorder, ProTools, three isolation booths and a main studio.

Pyle, 31, is a '92 Ohio University graduate who returned to Athens four years ago with his wife. The recording studio is just another business of the couple's ventures. Pyle said his love for rock 'n' roll music and his enjoyment of live music spurred him to invest in a recording studio.

The studio might be valued at more than $30,000, but Pyle spent a mere $12,000 on everything. He purchased all the equipment from a good friend. Since opening last summer, three different bands have recorded music at 3 Elliott. They are Rubberband Racecar Go, Wallet and The Doobie Sisters, and all three albums are now available in local music stores.

"The reaction to this studio has really been great," Pyle said. "When we opened, we didn't advertise at all, and I don't know if we ever will. We have bands scheduled to use the studio all the way through next summer."

Pyle shied away from calling himself a record producer. Instead, he described himself as someone who handles the recording process and mixes the songs.

"I walk in leaving my ego at the door," Pyle said. "The recording process is a little bit easier than mixing. We do everything dry, which means we record all the instruments and vocals first, then mix them later."

On tap for 3 Elliott Studios is a worship album to be released in the near future, and two more projects are waiting in the wings. One of them is another worship album and the other is a jazz album. Pyle rents the studio for $20 per hour. That rate includes his recording assistance.

"Overall, I'm really proud of the three albums that were just released," Pyle said. "I just want to record good music and get it out to the community. If people are thinking about recording their music, then I'd love to sit down with them and talk about what they want to accomplish."

Musicians interested in renting out 3 Elliott Studios should e-mail Pyle at navigate@frognet.net.