Mitch Easter, Producer and Musician, Loves the Vintage Sound

By Cate T. Corcoran
July 8, 2011

Mitch Easter digs vintage sounds. At the center of all that was happening in early '80s indie music, he is best known for producing R.E.M's early albums. He has worked with rock bands Pavement and Game Theory, among others, and in high school formed a band with friend Chris Stamey, who went on to found The dB’s.

His own music—Let’s Active was his band, and now he makes music under his own name—rings with a ‘60s-meets-‘80s sound that critics dubbed “jangle pop.” In late '90s, Easter built a recording studio, called Fidelitorium, behind his house near Winston-Salem, NC, where he stashes a massive collection of musical instruments and equipment spanning the decades, particularly the ‘60s. The back wall of his studio is textured in an unusual 3D pattern designed to enhance the sound in the studio, but it also happens to look amazing. The kitchen-lounge area comes equipped mid-century appliances and a turquoise blue electric stove.

When Easter sends an email from his phone, instead of saying “Sent from my iPhone” or “Sent from my Blackberry,” it reads “Sent from my Vortexion CBL6,” which sounds like it could be a synthesizer or spaceship and is, in fact, a very Jetsons-looking 1960s stereo reel to reel recorder about the size of a coffee table—it even has legs. One of his most recent acquisitions is a 1968 pink paisley Stratocaster guitar.

Mitch Easter

Mitch Easter's recording studio, Fidelitorium

The Inside Source: Are you working on any new projects? What have you been up to lately?

Mitch Easter: I have been pretty busy lately! At the recording studio, we are about to finish [producing] the new Polvo record for Merge. Today we have rock legends Spank in. We are well into the debut Glass Daffodil album. And we just completed three tracks by new star Colin Healy... In February I played a few shows in the Northeast, and since then, lots of sessions!

The Inside Source: What music inspiring you at the moment?

Mitch Easter: The 1st Soft Machine LP, Kaleidoscope, The Dukes of Stratosphear, and Game Theory.

The Inside Source: Tell us about your studio and collection of vintage music instruments and equipment.

Mitch Easter: My studio started in 1980 and even then I bought a fair bit of old, high-quality equipment, much of which I still have and use every day. Yes, it really was built to last! I bought the old stuff because it looked good, it had a romantic vibe (well, for me it did) and back then, a lot of it was cheap. It made me think of great music recordings I had grown up with. Over the years, we've settled into a comfortable blend of old and new

Mitch Easter

A view of the studio building. "It's funny how it always looks like Brazil around here," says Easter.

Mitch Easter

"The studio floor in action/chaos mode," says Easter.

The Inside Source: What are some of the items you can't live without?

Mitch Easter: I bought a Pultec EQP-1 [equalizer] around 1981 and this is the sort of thing that will make anybody go "oh yeah!" when you plug it in. There really is nothing like it—even the modern copies don't quite sound as magnificent. I have no idea why, but when I need this thing, there is no substitute.

Another irreplaceable item we have is the Audio + Design Recording Vocal Stresser (that's how they spelled it). This device is nearly 40 years old, but it still feels very modern and flexible. Basically, it's a compressor with an equalizer section in the same box. This device was intended to be a sort of "ultimate" tone and dynamics shaper, and they weren't kidding. This machine has tremendous power and basically makes all sounds exciting, which is usually a good thing.

These are all analog devices, but once you get into computers, there's a "sky's-the-limit" aspect, which is actually true, more or less. So I'd say the Pro Tools HD system and Apple Computer are always impressive, and being software-driven, they are always improving.

Highlights from Mitch Easter's Fidelitorium

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"Harry Chamberlin conceived this instrument in the 1950s—it plays tapes of actual instruments, playing one note per key," says Easter.
The PH Artichoke lamp is "the cosmic center of the studio" says Easter. "Nowadays, there are knockoffs of this, but this is a real one!"
Two Naugas on a Naugahyde couch
"A rack of ancient broadcast gear which we use every day to make those dulcet pop music tones," says Easter.
A Diffusor Blox with a picture of Delia Derbyshire editing tape on top. "She performed the famous Dr. Who theme song," says Easter.
The turquoise GE stove pairs nicely with the mid-century appliances in the kitchen.
An alarmingly suggestive soda pop thermometer from Big Boy. "This was a proud Winston-Salem, NC product which had to cease production in WWII due to sugar rationing," says Easter.

The Inside Source: Where do you find your music equipment?

Mitch Easter: Word of mouth, friends, pro audio dealers, and often as not, eBay.

The Inside Source: How do you shop eBay? Are there any tricks you recommend? Are there any keywords you use?

Mitch Easter: I don't have any eBay tricks, but I do use saved searches. Actually, I wish eBay would restrict the use of bogus key words! This really clogs up the pro audio listings, for sure. By which I mean these hot item words which get tacked onto listings so people will see their stuff. Bah!

The Inside Source: Do you have an eBay wish list you would like to share?

Mitch Easter: No way! I don't want people bidding on things that should be mine!

Good looks and warm sounds: Shop eBay for vintage musical equipment.

Vortexion Manual 2nd Edition

(buy it now price, $34.99)

Easter signs emails typed on his smartphone, “Sent from my Vortexion CBL6,” referring to the Jetsons-looking stereo reel-to-reel recorder that this manual belongs to.
Pultec EQP-1

(starting bid, $4,700)

This PULTEC EQP-1 vacuum tube equalizer “is the sort of thing that will make anybody go ‘oh yeah!’ when you plug it in,” says Easter.
1969 Fender Stratocaster

(buy it now price, $4,200)

Easter recently bought the pink paisley sibling to this blue 1969 Fender Stratocaster.
Vintage International Tapetronics ITC SP Cart Machine

The big square buttons on this Vintage International Tapetronics ITC SP cart machine are a design classic.
Stromberg Carlson Tube Amp

(starting bid, $199)

This 1950s Stromberg Carlson Tube Amp uses a vacuum tube to amplify sound.
Gibson Maestro W2 Amplifier

(buy it now price, $775)

This vintage ‘60s Gibson Maestro W2 makes woodwind sounds.