3 Elliott Studio enhances music scene

By Lisa Wakeland, Staff Writer

February 27, 2007 | 6:55 p.m.

Although many students are unaware of the recording studio tucked behind the houses on Elliott Street, 3 Elliott Studio attracts plenty of local musicians and is making its mark on Athens’ music scene.

Christopher Pyle and Josh Antonuccio, both Ohio University graduates, turned a former garage into an innovative studio combining modern recording equipment with vintage instruments. Both Pyle and Antonuccio describe themselves as music geeks who enjoy an eclectic array of music ranging from jazz to punk to rockabilly to hip-hop.

“What really fuels us is that we really love music and we’ve always been such record store fanatics and record collectors,” Antonuccio said. “When we thought about the studio we wanted to have a creative playground where people could come in and be excited.”

Their favorite recordsâ€“ Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin, Fugazi, Hank Williams, The Police â€“ line the walls in the production room and inspire them to keep going, Antonuccio said.

In 2002, Antonuccio said he returned to Athens to help with audio at Donkey Coffee and Espresso, owned by Pyle and his wife, Angie. Two years later, they became co-owners of 3 Elliott Studio and decided to revamp it.

One reason for the change was to improve sound quality â€“ what sounded good in the studio didn’t sound quite right in other stereos, said Pyle. To help with the remodeling, they recruited Chris Weibel, a multimedia professor with experience in recording studio design.

Consulting 3 Elliott Studio throughout the process, Weibel worked for free but received a remastered copy of Yellow Submarine by The Beatles as a gift for his help. This recording studio, unlike others in residential areas, is designed to prevent outside noise (like traffic and keg parties) from getting in, Antonuccio said.

The studio took five months to finish and cost $30,000. Eddie Ashworth, audio production professor, met Pyle and Antonuccio through Weibel. He became friends with the owners after introducing them to Ken Scott, a recording engineer on The Beatles’ White Album and who also worked with David Bowie and Lou Reed.

“Here is this guy who totally shaped rock â€˜n’ roll history and he’s in this small studio in Ohio,” Antonuccio said about meeting Scott. “It was very, very surreal.”

Ashworth, a recording engineer for Sublime who worked on Secondhand Smoke and the live album Stand By Your Van, helped Pyle and Antonuccio find high-quality gear for a reasonable price.

“Having put together a studio in Southern California from scratch, I definitely had some insight into how they could spend their equipment money efficiently,” he said.

Both Pyle and Antonuccio said they enjoy working with local musicians and contributing to each record, but the recording process differs with each artist. There are two ways to record an album and each depends on artist preference. Pyle said he is a fan of both ways.

“There’s the Steve Albini way he’s recorded with The Pixies where you capture the sound live in the studio, and I love that,” he said. “But I like the other end as well, where you work as a fifth member of the band and use the studio as an instrument, like George Martin did with The Beatles.”

But engineering and producing is only half of the recording process, Antonuccio said. The other half, he said, is acting like a counselor, getting people to communicate and resolve conflict.

Due to the time consuming recording process, Pyle and Antonuccio usually work separately on projects, Pyle said, but he still asks for Antonuccio’s opinion on some recordings. They often both have four projects at a time.

Both junior Cory Paul and senior Lindsay Moyer are finishing their first major albums with Antonuccio and Pyle, respectively, and said both producers have positive attitudes when working with artists.

Paul, who describes his music as bluesy acoustic influenced by soul and folk, said Antonuccio helped him get through tough times while recording. “It was really collaborative and really nice,” Paul said. “He was my partner in crime.” Antonuccio also made suggestions for instruments and helped shape some songs, Paul said.

Moyer, who describes herself as a female James Taylor, said she felt similarly about working with Pyle, mentioning that he suggested a variety of instruments and helped her find studio musicians. “Christopher has been amazing,” she said. “He’s not just there pushing buttons. He’s actually involved in the creative process.”

Neither Pyle nor Antonuccio thought they would work in a recording studio, let alone own one. Both said they love the quirkiness and eccentricity of Athens’ music culture. “To be able to own a studio and do projects we like and to be really geeked out about the local music scene, it’s a nice combination,” Antonuccio said.

Moyer and Paul said 3 Elliott Studio is an important part of Athens’ local music scene and would recommend the studio to other musicians looking to record. “I feel like they’re helping me create the best product that I can create and not just in it for the money,” Moyer said.

The guys are doing a great job, Ashworth said. “They’re a commercial facility that demonstrated they care about the musicians and local music scene,” he added.

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Editor's Note, April 30: A correction has been made to the spelling of 3 Elliott Studio, which previously was misidentified.