RIP Mark Rubel

[drumsound]

It is with a heavy heart that I inform the community that Mark Rubel passed away yesterday in his home in Nashville.

Mark wasn't much of a forums guy, but he was deeply committed to making music, making records, and teaching recording and engineering.

Mark spent most of his life in Champaign Illinois where his father was a professor at the University of Illinois (where Mark would later attend). He opened Pogo Studio there in 1980. Champaign is not far from Danville Illinois where famed engineer, producer, and gear manufacturer Bill Putnam grew up. When Mark was starting Pogo, he sent a letter to Putnam in LA asking for some guidance and help getting up and running. Putnam gifted Pogo with a UA 610 console and several 175 compressors. Mark used those pieces, and his intuition and got to work, eventually recording probably thousands of musicians over the years.

He used Pogo as a classroom to teach for Parkland Community College. and then also started teaching the History of Rock and Roll and recording technique classes at Millikan University, then Eastern Illinois University, and for the last 10 or so years as the co-director of education at the Blackbird Academy in Nashville. He purchased the original Room and Board, Ray Kennedy's former home and studio, when he landed the Blackbird gig.

I've been friends with Mark for well over 20 years. When I bought my first 2" machine, without knowing enough about them and then realizing it wasn't working properly, I called Mark in a panic on a Friday night. I had been told by a local friend that Mark had the same type of machine, a 3M M70. I got the Pogo number from the phonebook and left him a message, explaining who I was and who I worked for (my old boss recorded with Mark years previous). Much to my surprise, I got a call about a half hour later, it was Mark. The band he was recording was taking a smoke break and Mark used that time to call me, this unknown 20-something who was freaking out about his lack of knowledge about the expensive piece he'd recently bough. He was calm, collected, and very kind, giving me some 'tricks' to try and hooking me up with the then 3M gurus in Athens GA who would eventually rebuild my machine.

That's the type of selfless, kindhearted, warm person Mark was. We were instantly friends, like most who met Mark.

I'm so happy to have spent so much time in his orbit.

Mark is survived by his wife Nancy (possibly the only person on earth nicer than Mark), his sister Sasha, and her children.

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[mjau]

Lovely remembrance, Tony. I only had the chance to meet and talk with Mark a few times, but knew instantly what a kind and generous person he was.

[drumsound]

Lovely remembrance, Tony. I only had the chance to meet and talk with Mark a few times, but knew instantly what a kind and generous person he was.

Yeah, he just oooozed kindness.

[MoreSpaceEcho]

Beautifully written Tony.

I'll always remember the bit from his TapeOp interview where he said he kept a stupid picture of a horse wearing sunglasses and a beanie right by the studio door, it always made him laugh so he was always smiling when he opened the door.

[drumsound]

Thanks, man.

I love that one too. The picture is great, and a total Mark thing.

I once bought him a photo book called "Extraordinary Chickens." I gave it to him at a conference, and later that weekend when we played together, we called the band Mark Rubel and the Extraordinary Chickens.

[roscoenyc]

Such a super nice guy. Helpful, sharing.
It's a real loss.
My good fortune to do a project w Mark at Pogo years ago.
Always so wonderful.
R.I.P. Mark.