Peter Katis – Producer / Engineer / Mixer / Musician
Peter Is the owner of Tarquin Studios in Bridgeport, Connecticut, USA.
He has produced / engineered; Trey Anastasio, Jonsi Birgisson (Sigur Ros), Locas In Love, The Swell Season, The Mommyheads, Mercury Rev, The Twilight Sad, Frightened Rabbit, Interpol, The National, Spoon, Rainer Maria, Longwave, The Von Bondies, Mobius Band, Guster, Clem Snide, Ours, The Grates, Mice Parade, Oneida, Get Up Kids….
He records with ‘The Philistines Jr.’ and was a founder of “the world’s only all hockey rock band” - ‘The Zambonis’.
“I am a proud owner of ALL of Thermionic Culture’s current products! The “Phoenix” compressor lives on my mix buss. I know the English aren’t known for their machismo, but this compressor makes me feel like more of a man. The “Earlybird” is my “go to” pre-amp/EQ for guitars and/or anything else that requires a never-fail, ultra hi-fi tube pre sound (being used on a big, fat snare drum as I write this). And the ”Culture Vulture” has been responsible for countless acts of musical mischief and occasional outbursts of sonic obscenity. Enter the “Pullet”. Combined with the “Earlybird” for its make-up gain, both the boost and cut EQ functions are so smooth that it’s a little freaky. But the coolest thing is the ability to combine it with other pre-amps for subtle changes in color beyond your EQ decisions. Try it with a pair of old Telefunken V76s and add a little more gain than you need…yah. Running things through tubes isn’t always called for, but somehow this stuff never misses… all these units sound great for drums too. And please, Mr. Thermionic, never put input or output meters on the “Phoenix”; I might not be so brave if I could see how hard I was actually pushing things.
It is difficult to effectively describe the “Fat Bustard” without sounding a little over the top. I am usually disappointed when comparing high end summing mixers because the differences are more subtle than you might expect. But the “Fat Bustard” has a sound that truly stands out against all the rest. It is HUGE sounding. The high end seems to go higher, and the low end seems to go lower. It is simultaneously colored and crystal clear. It is oddly hi-fi and funky at the same time. The “Attitude” control helps dirty things up while the top end remains sublimely open. And the EQ… why put EQ on a mixer??? I guess because it sounds amazing! I’m actually trying to convince Vic to make a stand-alone version. So once again I’m gushing over a new product from Thermionic Culture, but the truth is I can’t help myself. The “Fat Bustard” sounds better to me than any mixer I have ever heard.
This isn’t a paid promotion. I just love the stuff.