IN STUDIO: Mark Plancke and The Shark Tank

Every day for the next week, I'm going to try and profile a different locally owned and operated studio and producer and show you some of the work they've done. This is just a tidbit of info to point you in a direction if you're planning on recording something this year and aren't sure who to turn to!

Mark Plancke
The Shark Tank
(519) 980-2219
mark(at)sharktankpro.com

Over the years, one man's name has continually been at the forefront for serious music makers in Windsor - Mark Plancke. His reputation has preceded him as he is time and time again the go-to man for many of Windsor's most serious acts. When former Big Sugar member Kelly "Mr. Chill" Hoppe was looking to record his new act's record, he turned to Plancke to handle the boards for Mr. Chill & The Witnesses' debut, Cold Testament. So impressed with the work, another Big Sugar co-hort, co-songwriter Patrick Ballantyne recorded his self-titled 2008 release at the Shark Tank as well. His attention to detail and bringing out the very best in his clients, Plancke has worked with a veritible who's-who of Windsor's musical elite over the years, from Jimmy Bronco to Citywide Vacuum, from Anneke's Star to Grand Marais, with each release sounding as unqiue as the individuals responsible, but unified by the distinctive professionalism that you can only get at the Shark Tank.


What prompted you to start recording bands?
Mark: I had a band of my own and wanted to record our rehearsals and work on some original material that we had written. I started out with a very meager studio, an Otari 1-inch 8 track machine, a little Mackie PA console and the microphones that I had been using for live work. The recordings I made where okay, but what really caught my attention were the dusty master tapes that I had acquired along with the Otari tape machine. Amongst those tapes were masters from some very early Motown sessions where the band was running through arrangements. There it was, laid out before me on this 1 inch tape, five or six guys in a room with a producer guiding them through the process, recording songs that would go on to be classics. I was hooked! After that I spent all my time honing my craft; I recorded everything and everyone I could, trying to capture that magical sound I heard on those tapes.

What is your niche? By that I mean, what do you specialize that sets you apart from the other producers?
Mark: My role as a producer is primarily to be an advocate for the artist and their music. It’s a difficult task to create music in a studio environment, my job is to place the artist in a headspace when they can perform at their most creative and artistic level. I act as a trusted confident, a sounding board for ideas. I offer my support; encouragement, gentle prodding when needed, while maintaining forward momentum. I also bring my studio and record making skills to the project to realize the artists’ vision.

Who are you working with right now?
Mark: Huladog, Chuck Rees, The Golden Eagles, Jamie Reaume’s Between the Blinks all have projects on the go. I have also recently been doing some mastering work for various independent releases.

Is there anyone locally right now that you'd love to work with but haven't yet?
Mark: Live performance is where it’s at; Windsor enjoys a very dynamic and vibrant scene, chock full of talented artists. Any artist that can captivate and involve an audience is something I’m interested in. Off the top of my head, I find what Ryan Fields has been doing intriguing. I would love to work with George Manury on an album project, a gifted musician and all my experiences working with him have been quite rewarding. Adam Fox is another talented artist. I’ve always enjoyed the projects Adam involves himself in and his new project, Field Assembly is very promising. Ron Leary’s approach to song writing really draws me in and I think Pat Robitaille has great potential and mature songwriting chops.

How do you see the recording industry surviving with the increasing DIY recording that seems to be emerging of late?
Mark: I offer services that enhance and add value. For example, my room has been tuned specifically for recording, it features a 14 foot vaulted ceiling and hardwood floors. It supports, reinforces and adds a pleasing character to anything that you put a microphone in front of.

I have amassed a large quantity of vintage recording gear and backline over the years. Including a 1957 Hammond B2 and 122 Leslie, a Wurlitzer 200, vintage amplifiers from Fender, Marshall, Hiwatt, Supro and Ampeg. A vintage Martin D35, vintage drums from Ludwig, Tama and a 5 piece Keller era DW kit. I have a large quantity of vintage effect pedals, various percussion instruments and noise makers. I have acquired a large quantity of recording microphones to choose from including vintage models from AKG, Neumann, Beyer, EV and Sennheisser. I have 20 channels of outboard mic pre-amps including vintage models from Neve, Telefunken, Langevin and API. Add to that my collection of equalizers, compression and Apogee conversion and you have a formula for huge sounding tracks.

All my gear is kept in tip top operating condition and the vibe of the studio is very relaxed. What this means, is that an artist can come in setup and track in the studio, capture their music with the least amount of fuss, the highest quality, flexibility, character and fidelity. That’s the best possible scenario when you’re being creative, because you can concentrate on delivering a quality performance.

I’ve been doing an increasing amount of recording, mixing and mastering on independent releases. I offer a very popular re-amping service. This is where you can run your guitar, bass or keyboard through one, two or more of my vintage amps I have at the studio. I use a direct signal and send that out to the amp and then use a combination of microphone s, pre-amps and compressors and high quality conversion to capture that sound for use in the artists project. I am also able to do various smaller overdubs such as a vocal track, guitar, bass track or drum tracks using the gear that I have at my disposable.

I’m always available and willing to answer questions from artists about tracking, studio setup and gear choices. At the end of the day, it’s about supporting the music community and forming lasting relationships.

A Sample of Mark Plancke's Discography

• Anneke's Star Hello (2000)
• Patrick Ballantyne Patrick Ballantyne (2008)
  
• Citywide Vacuum Pact (2008)
• The Golden Eagles The Golden Eagles (2009)
  
• Grand Marais Primordial (2007)
• Helsinki Go Debut (2009)
• MicLordz Family Tree (2006)
  
• Mr. Chill & The Witnesses Mr. Chill's Cold Testament (2005)
  
• Lodown Shadowbox Broadcast (2003)
• Songs From A Room Demos (2008)
  
• Various Artists ROOM Sound Proof Sessions (1999)
  

What Other Local Musicians Have Said:

Patrick Ballantyne A singer/songwriter from Windsor, now based out of Toronto, Patrick is also responsible for many songs from Big Sugar's catalogue.

"For my money, he's a world class engineer and has some of the best ears I've had the pleasure of relying on. I'd rather travel the distance to Windsor to work with Mark than work with anyone up this way. His love of music comes through in any project he's worked on....and he has such range...compare the Citywide Vacuum CD to Mr. Chill's...opposite sides of the spectrum but both just sound RIGHT! I believe he's another of Windsor's hidden treasures....."

Kelly "Mr. Chill" Hoppe (Mr. Chill & The Witnesses, ex-Big Sugar)

Let me put it this way: We tracked "Mr. Chill's Cold Testament" @ the Sharktank with Mark, Patrick Ballantyne producing. When I was mixing the album @ Willie Nelson's Pedernales Studios down in TX with Gordie Johnson, I asked Gordie how he would grade the Shark's engineering/tracking of our tunes. Keep in mind GJ didn't know Mark, had no bias one way or the other. Without hesitation, he said "A plus", and mentioned that he was especially skilled in the area of getting great drum-kit sounds. Gordie is a well-respected, veteran record engineer/producer. His credits include Gov't Mule, Joel Plaskett, Wide Mouth Mason, Taj Mahal, and the Black Crowes, just to name a select few. So, in my humble opinion that would rank as high praise for Mark. I would second Patrick Ballantyne's description of Mark's attributes. I'll just add that he is totally professional and courteous, though not a stodgy dude by any means, and makes his studio a "playing" environment, not a "working" environment, which I think is key in the creative studio process. And there's always a pot of green tea hapnin', a nice touch, I'd say. As an aside, "Sharktank" was what we dubbed his space (it was below groundlevel, and he was, well, um, the "Shark") when we were workin' on the CD, and was glad to see it became 'official' as the name of his studio a few months later. Least that's how I remember it!