Mark Pistel on ModPlay, Creative Chaos & Expanding the Producer’s Toolkit
From his roots in San Francisco’s vibrant 1980s music scene to his work with acts like Consolidated, Meat Beat Manifesto, and Hercules & Love Affair, Mark Pistel has carved out a career that bridges analog grit and digital innovation. In this candid interview, he shares his thoughts on evolving as both an artist and producer—and how the ModPlay plugin offers a fresh way to manipulate sound and stay creatively inspired.
A Bay Area Veteran with Global Reach
Q: Let’s start with the basics. Can you tell us your name, what you do, and share a few of your career highlights?
My name is Mark Pistel, and I run a project studio called Room Five in San Francisco. I’ve been in the music business for over 30 years, working both as an artist and a producer/engineer.
I got my start with a San Francisco band called Until December in the ‘80s, and later co-founded Consolidated. That’s when I began engineering—probably around 1989. I also spent about a decade as a member of Meat Beat Manifesto and toured for seven years with Hercules and Love Affair, an electronic act out of New York. Over the years, I’ve worked on a wide range of records, from The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy to collaborations with Chuck Prophet and Michael Franti, as well as a ton of local and international artists.
ModPlay and the Quest for Unique Sound
Q: As both a producer and artist, you’ve always chased new sounds. What was your reaction when you first got your hands on ModPlay?
It definitely intrigued me. I hit a few snags at first—my main DAW is a 2021 version of Pro Tools, which doesn’t support ModPlay yet. Logic gave me some trouble too. But I finally got it running in Ableton Live 11, and once it was up and running, I had a great time.
It’s the kind of tool that lets you do in minutes what would normally take hours—drawing automation curves, manually tweaking filters, envelopes, and modulation. I was working with a bowed bass patch and was able to use ModPlay’s timing features—sequencing through quarter notes, triplets, and 16th notes while also shaping the waveform. It was powerful, immediate, and fun.
ModPlay as an Instrument
Q: It sounds like you didn’t just use ModPlay—you played it like an instrument.
Exactly. It’s not just about presets; it’s about interaction. ModPlay gives you lower-octave keys to trigger snapshots, which you can map to MIDI notes. You can sequence through different variations on the fly, changing the patterns dynamically. That ability makes it feel more like a creative tool than just a plugin—it becomes part of the performance.
The Plugin for Plugins: No Rerouting Required
Q: One big appeal of ModPlay is that it enhances your existing tools—without needing to overhaul your setup. How did that strike you?
That’s what really impressed me. Once I got past the initial tech hiccups, I found it surprisingly easy to use. It’s very plug-and-play. You get great results fast—and sometimes totally unexpected ones. When you’re drawing automation manually, you’re planning everything. But with ModPlay, happy accidents happen. You’re reacting more than plotting. That “chaos factor” is part of what makes it special.
Analog Meets Digital: A Hybrid Approach
Q: Did you try routing ModPlay into any of your hardware setups?
Yes, I did. I used it to control some analog synths, including a Little Phatty from Moog. I had to be careful—not all analog gear loves a ton of simultaneous controller data—but once I limited the stream, it worked beautifully. I was able to modulate filters and envelopes in a way that felt musical and intuitive.
Would You Recommend ModPlay to Others?
Q: If another musician or producer asked you, “Should I try ModPlay?”—what would you say?
Absolutely. Just dive in and start playing with it. It’s intuitive and flexible. If you’re doing anything interesting creatively, you’ll find a use for it—and you’ll probably have fun in the process.
Q: Do you think it can help artists find or refine their signature sound?
For someone already has a sound, this will help them take it further. It’s a great addition to the toolkit. And for artists still finding their voice, it might open doors they may not have considered. It’s that rare thing: a tool that expands what you can do without getting in the way.