Room with a VU

LOCATION: Cedar Falls, IA

CONTACT: www.catamountrecording.com

KEY CREW: Rick Bisbey (Tech/Owner); Travis Huisman (Engineer); Tom Tatman (Producer/Engineer/Owner); Kitty Tatman (Studio Manager); Henry (Beagle)

CONSOLE: SSL 4048E/G+ w/ Total Recall

DAW: Digidesign Pro Tools|HD3

COMPUTERS: Mac G4 733MHz, G4 Dual 1.25GHz, G5 Dual 2.0GHz

RECORDERS: Alesis ADAT XT-20 (2); Otari MTR-10 1/4″ 2-track, MTR-12 1/2″ 2-track, MX-80 2″ 24-track; Tascam 80-8 1/2″ 8-track, 103 cassette machines (6)

MONITORS: Auratone 5C; Dynaudio BM15A; Event 20/20bas; JBL 4311WX; Tannoy DMT-215 II, SRM-15X

MONITOR AMPS: Alesis RA300 (3); BGW 500; Hafler P-3000 (2), P-4000, P-7000 (2)

MIC PRES/EQ: Aphex 107; API 3124; Chandler LTD-1 (2), TG-2; Focusrite Octopre; Manley Dual Mono; Neve 3118 (2)

MICS: AKG 414EB (2), C-12, D-112 (3), D-1000 (2); Langevin CR-3A (2); Neumann KM-84 (2), M-49C (2), U-87 (2); Sennheiser MD-421U (4), MD-441U (2); Shure SM-7B, SM-57 (6), SM-59 (2), KSM 109 (2); Studio Projects C-1 (2)

OUTBOARD: dbx 160X (2); Drawmer DS-404 quad gates; Manley Tube D.I., Variable-mu (2); Orban 516EC de-esser; Summit TLA-100A (2); UREI 1176LN (2)

EFFECTS: Alesis Quadraverb (3); Delta Lab DL-1; Eventide H-3000S; Lexicon 300L, PCM-70, PCM-60, LXP-5, LXP-1; Roland R-880 (3), SDE-1000; TC Electronic 2290; Yamaha SPX90 II (2), SPX900; custom 6′ plate

BACKLINE: Ampeg ’72 V-4B; Danelectro U2; Fender American Std. Stratocaster, American Std. Telecaster, ’59 Fender Bassman, Champ, ’59 Deluxe, ’63 Reverb Unit, ’64 Twin Reverb, ’66 Deluxe Reverb, ’67 and ’68 Leslie Vibratone speaker, ’73 Vibro Champ, ’82 Precision Bass, Strat XII; Gibson ES-335, ES-135, ’59 Les Paul Jr., Les Paul Studio, SG Classic; Hammond C3 Organ w/Leslie 122; Marshall JCM-800; Rickenbacker 360/12 V64; ’66 Silvertone 1481; ’55 Supro “Chicago 51”; Taylor 410; Vox AC-30TB; Yamaha Recording Custom drumset; Yamaha C7 grand piano

It was 2002 when Tom Tatman and Rick Bisbey decided to take their 21 years served in the business of all things studio-centric and focus their collective efforts towards birthing what would become known as Catamount Recording. Enlisting the talents of famed designer Carl Yanchar — he of Wave Space who masterminded the building of some of the greatest studios of all time, from CBS to The Plant onwards — Tatman and Bisbey had Catamount, a 4000 sq. ft. facility, built from the ground up to provide uncompromised acoustics, great sight lines, and highly efficient traffic patterns. With each room constructed upon separate concrete slabs, with all-oak walls and floors and 16′ sloped ceilings boasting bass traps best described as gargantuan, Catamount offers a bright, clear acoustic environ rich with ambience: a studio where musicians lucky enough to frequent it can be assured that truly great tones will be achieved with relative ease.

Created for the sole purpose of producing albums from beginning to end (Tatman handles engineering and mixing duties for virtually 100% of Catamount’s client base, and their Studio B often houses mastering engineer Travis Huisman — therefore offering comprehensive sonic service), Catamount has been booked solid since its opening date. And it’s to no great surprise; between the talents of the crew and the staggering array of top-of-the-line equipment — from the SSL 4048E/G+ console to the drool-inducing mic locker — Catamount is clearly all class.

So pop your head in if you’re ever in the area. Just beware Henry the canine assistant engineer; we hear he’s a little heavy on the humping.